Author: Dr. C

Dr. CChild of God~Wife~Mother of 3 Miracles~Elementary Principal~ "The best way to FIND yourself is to LOSE yourself in the SERVICE of OTHERS." ~Mohandas Gandhi

June 5th, 2018

CRE Family News

I hope summer has met you with rest, sunshine, and fun with those you hold dear. I have had more time off than on and it was been rejuvenating. My crew has been busy with baseball, baseball and more baseball. We have been camping, swimming, lake stays and had several snake sightings. Too many to be exact!

My mom turned 70 in April this year and we had her birthday weekend getaway that included an Alabama Concert! Roll On 18 Wheeler, Roll On!!!

Just to update you on our Collins farm happenings. We got rid of all our kittens and kept one, Bear and Oh and BTW I am loving our time with Archer, our new dog. He loves to snuggle up in my lap, all 55 lbs of him. ” Hims a good boy!”

 

Nicole Hopper shared the good news about Uriah James Hopper’s arrival! In case you missed it he was born 5/18/18 at 3:17 a.m. and weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. and was 19 3/4 in long.

Olivia gave birth to Galilea at 7pm on June 2nd. She weighed in at 6lbs 2 oz and is 19 inches long. She is the perfect Splash of pink for our CRE family to love on! Congratulations, Olivia and family!

Children are a gift! These babies will be treasured and loved by so many!

We are thrilled to introduce Richard Bailey, our night time custodian for the 2nd grade team. It is always a treat to let a 2nd grade assigned custodian know they will be cared for well by our 2nd grade teachers. He comes to us with experience and his wife is a retired reading recovery teacher. Yes, I already asked if she would be interested in subbing 😉 Welcome the Pirate Ship, Richard! Let the CRE welcome commence!

I had the opportunity to unplug and attend the GOCSD Conference held here in Branson at the Hilton Convention Center May 29th and 30th. What a treasure of rich, relevant learning brought to us right here in Branson. The bonus was the time to reconnect with colleagues outside of the day to day business of school.

In addition to the learning momentum of the conference  CRE had a few shining moments at this conference. Our Pirate High Five initiative was highlighted as an innovative practice. Oskar Arjes and Landon Harris represented CRE well as they put their Pirate High Five skills to work and greeted and held conversations with the conference attendees. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Arjes put a display together and answered questions as they hosted the innovative practices session at the conference.

Mrs. Harris represented CRE in receiving an award on our behalf at the banquet.

Additionally, the 1st grade team did an exceptional job presenting their treasures of knowledge in an Integrating Technology in the First Grade Classroom session during one of the breakouts. They were well prepared and packed a ton of info into there presentation to spark others to move forward in the area of technology integration in the 1st grade classroom. Well done, team!

Building Updates 

Our character theme for next year will run true to our commitment to Pirates. Feel free to add a Pirate Champion flare to your planning if you so choose. This will be fun way to enhance our current PBIS language and support our learner lens focus. #piratechampion

I am sharing the you tube video we enjoyed at our last PLC as a reference for you to share with your students as it is spot on with grit and student driven goal setting.

Library Update

We have a blank slate ready for a beautiful renovation. The CRE custodial crew was hard at work tearing the library apart, loading, and removing materials right after students were gone. Now we will wait…not so patiently. This is going to be a great hub for our school as we continue our momentum of building community.

Centralized enrollment dates are July 23rd-26th at District Office. Please share this information with new families coming to our district.

Building enrollment updates can begin July 9th. You are welcome to share this information with returning families as their opportunity to take care of re-enrollment needs for the 2018-2019 school year.

The building cleaning update as of now is:

*waxing 2nd grade classrooms, stripping 600 hall classrooms, gym is in the process of being treated at this time… We encourage you to steer clear of CRE as they are moving quickly but most areas are not going to be accessible in June.

Our CRE custodial team is always ahead of schedule on the cleaning needs of the building and this year is no exception. They are dynamic, hard working, and task oriented. Thank you for all you do that goes unnoticed to set us up for a great start come August.

Summer School is in full swing and many of our learners are participating. It is a gift to our students to be able to participate in the free breakfast and lunch offered during our summer session.Additionally, the academic enrichment opportunities and fun our summer school teachers are delivering is on track to make this a memorable summer for many of our students.

Dates

Gerry Brooks Celebrate Education Tour is coming to the high school on July 20th. Please share with your colleauges, other area educators, your professional organizations, etc. Tickets will go on sale 5 weeks prior to the event date via his website. He also utilizes Facebook to advertise as well. I know this will be another great event for Branson and area educators!!

Bucket Fillers

Evelyn Cannon has enhanced a few systems of management in the office in an effort to put our best foot forward for Branson Schools. Her greatest strength is self motivation and her action in taking care of needs that may not make the priority list if she were not on her game as and Administrative Assistant. Evelyn runs many systems of organization for our school and does it with professional focus to keep us all in tip top shape for our learners. Love the new envelope design, Evelyn!

Jennifer Arjes and Melissa Harris graciously accepted the invitation to represent CRE at the Innovative Practices session as a part of the GOCSD Conference. Thank you for your extra efforts and interactions with guests seeking new ideas to share with others in the field of education. #piratechampions

Mrs. Thompson was a trooper during the two days of intense learning at the GOCSD conference. At one point she had Dr. Gray in one ear and me in the other. We may have been running on lots of coffee and our brains were in overdrive. She is so great at putting our thoughts, dreams and ideas into perspective while at the same time sharing our vision for both CRI and CRE.

Mrs. Engel is once again driving a summer school van to pick students up to attend summer school session at CRP. What an example of her servant spirit. Mrs. Engel is masterful at recognizing a need and going to work to fill that need with her own good work. Thank you for offering accessibility to those who may not otherwise participate in all that Branson Schools has to offer. #piratechampion

I will continue to be out much of June, so call or text if you need me. I will stay current with priority emails as the month progresses. Here to serve…just off site for a bit…Image result for summer fun

Michelle

 

May 15th, 2018

CRE Family News

Mr. Beasley is a first time Grandpa as of last week. Chase him down to see a sweet picture of Everest! He is a doll…and Everest is cute too! lol

Mrs. Burge is experiencing every emotion imaginable this week. Her father passed over the weekend and both of her children are graduating. I am confident that Dian’s strong faith and overcoming spirit will pull her through this storm of emotion. She is quick to support, encourage, and pray for our CRE family, let’s do the same for her during this trying time.

Check It OUT!

Gerry Brooks

I am attaching the flier for the Gerry Brooks Celebrate Education Tour that we are hosting at the high school on July 20th. Please share with your friends, other area educators, your professional organizations, etc. Tickets will go on sale 5 weeks prior to the event date via his website. He also utilizes Facebook to advertise as well. Let me know if you have any questions! I know this will be another great event for Branson and area educators!!
 Thank you again to Dr. Worley for bringing this event to Branson.

Let’s Just Be Friends is a book for elementary students about how kids should  just be friends and not worry about having boyfriends or girlfriends until they are older. 

Written by Pam Hazell and illustrated by Debbie Thomas.
Mr. Beasley is a new grandpa as of last week! Chase him down and ask to see a pic of sweet Everest!
 Building Update
Tomorrow, May 16th is the SIS spot check for placement screen comments. Please be sure your information is ready for review. Thank you for embracing our CRE goal in providing supporting information for our learners as they transition to a new grade level.
Last Day Plans:
– beach ball fun during morning gym/music
– beach relay races starting at 8:40 in gym, please attend (release at around 9:00)
– class drawing winners announced (send ticket envelopes to the office with notes)
– wear beach attire, summer fun clothes, etc.
– encourage students to participate by dressing in their fun summer wear
– interventionists meet and greet each student with a lei at gym door… FUN!!!
– wear your TAW lei if you still have it!!!
– meet on bus loop for our traditional Goodbye wave!
This is a PM day…
You will notice a few subtle changes to the checkout sheet. Please take note as we have streamlined this process to eliminate fuss during end of the year wrap up. You are welcome to go ahead and work on getting signatures during the week. Mrs. Thompson and I can start room checkouts as you are ready on Friday, May 18th. Evelyn can radio for us if you are ready for checkout.
Talent Ed
As a reminder for those on non-summative year eval cycles. You will need to complete the Tenure Teacher Non-summative Year Pre-summative Eval document in your Talent Ed folder. This is the last step in your processes for the year. Your attention to this task sooner than later is appreciated. It is required to be completed before the last day of school.
Bucket Fillers
HUGE SHOUT OUT to Mr. Bill, Ms. Cyndi, and Ms. Shelley for pulling a double for 1st Grade CAMPOUT!  Because of you our shared friends had the chance to be included and have great fun with all of us!  #CREFamily ~ Mrs. Engel
Coach Helsel did a great job of putting together a fun field day experience for our CRE family to enjoy. Early set up and fun activities with a little or a lot of water was spot on with the 92 degree temps. Thank you for arranging the after fun treat from Andy’s as well. Good Job, Coach!
Mrs. Helsel has gone above and beyond to put a detailed schedule in place to host a positive experience for all participants in our CRE RYHOD!!!! Involving all school staff in this academic experience will be a highlight for the 2018-19 school year. Way cool, Mrs. Helsel!
Debbie Thomas gifted us with her talents, once again. She created themed thank you cards to share with all of our TAW sponsors. What a treat they will receive with personalized cards signed by our very own CRE staff. Thank you for your extra efforts, Debbie!
We just wanted to say thanks for allowing us to use your building and for being so flexible for the Community Blood Drive.  We were able to save 72 lives. Thanks, Sunshine, Todd, Brady and Becky
Counselor Cody, Mrs. Hazell, and Mrs. Grisham organized a terrific Career Day for our learners. Engaging sessions, interactive learning, and many takeaways were just a few of the highlights observed throughout the day. Thank you for all the time and energy spent in hosting a memorable learning experience for our CRE students.
Michelle

May 7th, 2018

CRE Family News

Our very own Mrs. Poor has been recognized as the KRZK, May Teacher of the Month! We will have a community partners here at CRE to celebrate with Mrs. Poor and her class on May 18th. Congratulate Tori, as this is a well-deserved honor.

Teacher Appreciation Week

 Image result for teacher appreciation week

It’s PARADISE with teachers like you!!!! Enjoy all the treats coming your way this week. There are bonus treats not listed on your flyer. Woot Woot. We are working on streamlining end of the day giveaways. Be prepared with your ticket at 3:15 wherever you are in the building. We encourage you to send student, with your ticket, to claim your prize during the end of day announcements.

Additionally, keep your ticket as we have more than enough giveaways and will be putting tickets back for bonus drawings on Friday. We have all kinds of giveaways and we know this is a fun part of the day to share with your students as well.

Panera Bagels/Pastries in a.m. and a p.m. BONUS treat coming your way, tomorrow.

Last Day

Image result for beach ball

We are making plans for some fun on our last day of school this year. We invite all staff to participate in our summer kickoff by dressing for the season. Summer gear, luau items… you get the picture. Refer to email for student participation events. Last Day Invitation

Building Updates 

The Branson High School Student Council will be hosting a Community Blood Drive on Thursday, May 10th from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm at the Cedar Ridge Elementary School.  Join us and help save lives!  We would appreciate you  sharing this information with family and friends!   Thanks, Student Council

As a reminder please share your top 3 choices for committee assignments on the doc that was shared by Mrs. Thompson. We will use your feedback to support the needs of building for the 2018-19 school year.

Turn your contracts in, folks! CRE is only about half staffed for next year at the moment 😉 Please drop off your signed, teaching contract to Evelyn so we can get them all accounted for at the district office.

MAP testing 2018 is in the books! Thank you to all involved in a smooth testing session for our CRE 3rd graders.

That is wonderful!  Great job!  I ran the report and confirm everyone is complete in your building.  A great testing window and no errors or concerns from CRE.  Thank you for all of your help. DeAnna

Personal Leave

As a reminder that per policy, personal days cannot be used for the final 10 days of school. Please be sure to see myself or Mrs. Thompson if you have any extenuating circumstances.

Technology

Please note each link as this is pertinent end of year information. The first three links are pertaining to the technology inventory process.

Returning Teachers (If you taught at Branson in 2016-17)

New Teachers (Started at Branson this year, 2017-18)

Inventory Video

Please continue to log your tech hours as we near the end of the school year.

Copy of End of Year 2018

Bucket Fillers

Cara Rittman has been burning up the radio as she responds to needs. She often offers to cover for others and support wherever needed without pause. Mrs. Rittman is a key player in the smooth operation of this building. Thanks for all you do!

Ms. Gifford has been managing extenuating circumstances with her learners as the anxiety of end of year becomes a reality. This has allowed her to grow as she thinks and plans, proactively for her learners. All while being spot on with supporting team needs down the 600 hall. Well done, Ms. Gifford.

Shelly Ray has continued to exhibit mutual respect with her learners. This is commendable in that her focus is always student services and it is evident that she knows and values her student’s needs. It is a beautiful back and forth model of communication with Shelly and her students. Thank you for gifting us with your time for after hours campout.

Mr. Bill also stayed late Friday to be her in support of his student’s special event. Thank you Mr. Bill for having and modeling a servant heart. We are blessed to have you as a part of our CRE Family!

Michelle

April 27th, 2018

CRE Family News

All contracts will have a STEP for next school year. Thank you to our Superintendents and the Board of Education for the value placed on highly qualified educators here at Branson Schools.

This tool looks like it could come in handy to place in your plan book as we look ahead to the end of the year. Jot some notes so you can hit the ground running for next year.

Image result for finish strong quotes motivational

Copy of Things to Revamp for Next Year

This article highlights a few of the great ideas I know many of you are already employing here at CRE. We have many special events coming up but you can glean some great ideas for keeping yourself energized as well as connecting with others to power through the last few weeks of the school year.

Image result for finish strong quotes motivational

Finishing the School Year Strong

With this momentum of finishing strong we need to pause and assess the start and end times in the day. The contracted day is 8:00-4:00 unless you have made arrangements with Mrs. Thompson or myself. Taking liberties to modify the day without permission is not our practice. We are very gracious with flexibility when the times are manageable to cover and tacked on to the beginning or end of your work day. We ask that you not take this flex for granted. Much love to those who graciously step up to cover in our time of need!

SIS Placement Info

The SIS placement information is linked below. Please complete the placement fields, thoroughly in order to best support student placement for the 2018-19 school year. Comments need to be provided for all students. All placement information needs to completed by May 16th. We will host a spot check of placement fields this year in an effort to support organizational excellence here at CRE.

Placement Screen Information 

 

Image result for teacher appreciation week images

As noted to my building email today. Flip flop forms go home with students today. Send forms to the office with notes as they begin to come in over the next few weeks. We will be using them for displays during TAW. You will get your special forms back for safe keeping after the week of celebrations.

The week of events flyer will be in your mailboxes early next week, so you can plan your meals accordingly. It will be a great week of APPRECIATION here at CRE!

Dates

I will be attending the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on Thurs. May 4th from 6:30 a.m. This will most likely will not effect the start of the school day for me but if you see me running for the doors after 8:00 you will know why. This is a great community event to come together and reflect on our community pillars of strength.

Please plan to join us at the District Retirement Reception on May 2nd from 6-7 pm. This is always a great opportunity to reflect on the imprint so many of our district employees have left on our community of learners. I always tear up at the family and school support that is shown for our veteran educators as we honor their professional dedication over the years.

GOCSD is May 29th and 30th here at the convention center in Branson. Please look over the sessions offered as it looks to be a great local, learning opportunity.

2018 Innovation Summit Registration Link

Teaching and Learning Institute to come in the next few weeks. Be looking for this to come from Dr. Brenner. She has really designed the institute to be tailored to teacher needs. Please make arrangements to attend as much of our beginning of the year training will be hosted at this event. (Envision 2.0) We will do our best to offer necessary training to those who are unable to attend, but the preference is to make it happen at the TL Institute.

Again, if you are interested in presenting please let me know so we can get the information to Dr. Brenner. If you are on the fence and need a gentle nudge on how you could be represent CRE please see myself or Mrs. Thompson.

Data Day in on May 16th…there will be some time for filing SAPS and data sheets are due at 8:00 am on May 15th.

July 9th enrollment window opens for returning students.

July 23rd-26th Centralized Enrollment will be at District Office for all new students to the district.

Special Event 

In honor of this week’s Secretary Day shenanigans…. Check out the video from Mr. Brooks, then read on for a special event ANNOUNCEMENT!

Did you know Gerry Brooks is coming to Branson…
Update from Dr. Worley who has organized this event for our area.
July 20th with a 1:00 Meet and Greet, $40.00 a ticket, and a 2:00 show, $20.00 tickets.
Tickets will go on sale in a few weeks (5 weeks out). His tour is the Celebrate Education
Tour. His show is about 2 hours long and is a mix of his stories/experiences and videos.
It’s sure to bring many laughs, resonate with educators, and be an enjoyable time to laugh
with fellow educators. We will not be able to utilize PD funds for this. He will have shirts
and “swag” for sale at the event. I’ll send the promo poster out when I get it. ~Dr. Shelly Worley

Considering taking the Strategic Processing class next school year?

Contact your Literacy Coach or me for additional information. The deadline for expressing interest in the clas is May 8th.
The following are quotes from your colleagues:
“Though this focused on one-on-one, it is still valuable in the group setting. The lessons in prompting-what, when, why were very usable in my small groups.”
“I have a new and deeper understanding for structure and how it may be the leading cause of my student’s struggle.”
“It has made me adjust my focus from finding what a reader ‘can’t do’ to finding what they know and using what they can do as a building block to the next step.”
“It’s made me really think about reading as a cognitive process (MSV) and not just sounding words out.”
“The book orientation has made a major impact and the prompts helped me help my students become more independent.” ~ Barbara Head, District Literacy Coach

Building Update

Mr. Harkin has asked that we be mindful of open windows during air conditioning season. While the cool, crisp morning air feels nice it will hinder overall building climate as it leads to high concentrations of humidity. Help us all out and keep your windows closed. Thanks a ton!

If you have completed your presummative goal reflections, please go ahead and schedule your summative meeting wtih me. Evelyn can help you with getting a time to meet on my calendar. I look forward to this time to review the year and look ahead to the GREATNESS to come next year.

We will utilize the stage as a purging area for the next few weeks. If you have items you are looking to get rid of and/or would like to offer to others, please take these items to the stage for sharing. We will make a date known when the items will be NO MORE!

Dr. Swofford will visit with us at our May Faculty Meeting on May 1st. We look forward to his charge to finish strong and some insight on what’s to come in the 2018-19 school year.

After school is out, all classroom TV’s and brackets will be remove. Just fyi…

Summer Reading Club flyers will go home at the end of the year. Students are encouraged to read 500 minutes. Only 1st and 2nd grade students will get CRE flyers, 3rd will get a summer reading packet from Mrs. Matzat at CRI. Woo Hoo!!!

We are waiting on new calculations to come from DESE on additional points for students in the 85% range for attendance. This could be good for our district’s efforts to meet state regulations with school attendance across the board. Woot Woot!

Bucket Fillers

Angie Adams took the opportunity to build a connection with one of our learners who struggles to find a sense of belonging. She made a special effort to praise him for the leadership job she asked him to help her with. This was great moment for him to shine and Angie to support a learner’s need as a positive adult role model. WIN WIN!

Judy Collins was such a great help in assisting with concert breakdown. She asked to leave the risers down so she could vacuum them and have them ready to go for next year. This level of professionalism and focus is what makes our team so fantastic!!! Thank you, Judy for your forward thinking and attention to details.

CRE staff… it was a treat to watch you all light up when our students came to your door with snack cart treats, today. The genuine care and kindness shown to our learners is inspiring to observe each day. You love us when we show up with cinnamon rolls, warm scones, and chocolate goodness…but you LOVE, gush, and hug on our sweet students! The treat was really OURS today. Thanks for your heart for kids!

Michelle

March 29th, 2018

CRE Family News

Cedar Ridge Elementary raised the most money for the Sporting Chance Fundraiser with $256.75 brought in!!!
The total amount brought in was $1002.87 for the district.
Thank you so much for your support of our Sporting Chance Athletes!! #CREstrong
I am looking forward to attending the Pure Joy event this coming Friday with my daughter, Michelle. I welcome the opportunity it fellowship and enjoy this event with any of my CRE friends.
Building Updates 
We are expecting to have officers on campus more often to provide a presence and to educate students on the partnership with our local law enforcement providers. Please share language to support our young learners when they see and respond based on their prior knowledge or experiences with a police officer. I have witnessed the need to educate and begin to shift some of our student’s mindset with regard to the role of a police officer.
C of O education professors and students will be here at CRE for a literacy learning observation experience. We are thrilled to be able to offer up and coming educators a quality opportunity to observe in their field of study. We feel this partnership with C of O is strengthening the quality of graduates that will be flooding the market in our area.
Mrs. Brown has organized this visit and we are expecting 40 students and 2 professors to join us for the 1st/2nd grade literacy blocks on April 26th from 9-10:30. #CREsstrong
Students who earned the fundraiser incentive will have letters sent home next week.  The Kona Ice Truck will arrive at Cedar Ridge Campus around 11:00. Students will eat their pizza, enjoy their Kona Ice treat, and then head back to class around 11:45. Student names will be shared with you via email if you have a student participating in this event.
Mrs. Blackerby’s class will participate in the CR Turf Dedication celebration during their PE class time with Coach Helsel.  The dedication event is scheduled for April 9th at 1:30. They will go to the turf, take pics, play, etc. It is exciting to have this space available to our students and families. We look forward to ways we can best utilize this space for students during the school week.
2nd grade students are planning a Stuffed Animal Drive to benefit new Kindergarten students starting school in the fall. Precious, right?!?! the dates for the stuffed animal drive are set for April 18th, 19th, and 20th. More info will be shared the week we return from Easter weekend. I am inspired by the interest our students have taken in helping others. AND we thought EMPATHY would be the hardest concept to grasp…#CREstrong
Bucket Fillers
Tiffany Hughes has been tenacious in addressing forward movement and action both in teaching approach and student needs. She is thorough in all areas to wrap services around in support of her learners. Comprehensive areas of strength include: differentiated instruction, detailed documentation, parent communication, etc. Well done, Mrs. Hughes!
Deanna Blackerby recognized a need and reached out to our local school partners to host a learning opportunity for her students. This was a WIN WIN as we educate our young learners on the role and responsibilities of our local law enforcement officers. Well done, Mrs. Blackerby!
Nurse Leigh Ann is embracing a significant health need with a student with confidence, preparedness, and understanding. I appreciate her competence as a nurse, her empathy as a parent, and her organization to get it all done! Nurse Leigh Ann is well respected in her field and serves us well here at CRE!
Michelle

March 23, 2018

Building Updates 

It has been a great week of teaching and learning at CRE! Students were modeling expectations with evidence of clear understanding. We do have some friends who will need a review of self control expectations on the playground, specifically. As you know our young learners often go “hands on” without pause. Please review playground expectations with your class as you ease into next week.

I appreciate the late night support from the Helsel’s for McTeacher Night on 4/3/18. 🙂 There are a few other openings we need to fill, specifically between 5:00 and 6:30. I will be there as well as at CRP Open House. Whew… the spring semester has hit! Game on, friends!

A few things….

  • let me know if you are interested in going and/or presenting at the GOCSD Summit May 29th and 30th here in Branson
  • Branson Education Foundation Grants are due Friday, March 23rd
  • Teach children to Save opportunity partnership with Central Bank, contact Roger Frieze if interested and let me know if you are participating

NWEA Schedule

Spring NWEA Testing

MAP Testing 

All MAP prep is underway as we launched our timeline of trainings at Data Day this week. We are presenting a modified specials schedule for that week. This will allow our third graders the consistency of visiting their special classes without pause. Thank you to the 2nd grade team for your flexibility in accommodating this grade level switch for one week. Special area teachers, please note the change in special class rotations as noted in the schedule below. There are two views shared for you below.

MAP Schedule Changes

MAP SPECIAL AREA CHANGES

MAP Testing Protocol: We will need to be mindful of the use of cell phones during testing sessions, as they could be viewed as a violation of testing fidelity. Cameras, screen shots, etc. As of this time, please do not have cell phones with you while proctoring. I know we are dependent on our phones in many useful capacities. I just wanted to front load that info for you.

Ordering Update

We are working hard to solidify all building ordering to wrap up the 2017-18 school year. Thank you for your help with this task as it is a team effort to reach our deadlines for processing all P.O.’s.

I am attaching the building email sent earlier this week:

The cut off for all 2017-18 ordering is March 27th. We will have to monitor businesses that cannot accommodate a quick turn around due to this deadline.
All purchases have to be received and invoiced with the business office by April 5th, therefore our building cut-off has to allow for the items to be received.
Scholastic will be one company that will not be able to order from at this time.
I am sorry for this short time frame. This is a good reminder to spend earlier in the year as this is a difficult time to push orders through our system.
Additionally, each grade level has been allotted funds to order materials related to our priority standards. While the process is still in the works, we have a good idea of the direction we are going with big hitting standards in each grade level. Your grade reps have attended to this request for you.

Green Space Update

As most of you have noticed our CR Green Space is nearing completion. You will see Branson and community teams enjoying this space for spring events and practices in the coming months. All scheduling will take place through Mr. Large at the HS.

Professional Reading 

The Empathetic School

Report: To Help Young ELLs Thrive, Cultivate Home Languages and Cultures

Bucket Fillers 

Deanna Blackerby orchestrated a meeting for the sole purpose in advocating for her student’s academic needs. I appreciate that she knows the pulse of student learning goals and how to facilitate wrap around support with a gentle nudge. Parent communication is just one of many strengths that Mrs. Blackerby shares with our CRE family.

In honor of Hat Day…everyday is hat day for Mrs. Lockhart. She is such a ray of sunshine for students and staff. Our kids will always remember and look for her special hats as a memory of their elementary years. This small act is great for building community but her greater gift is her genuine care for students. Thanks for sharing your gifts with us, Christina!

Erika Puzzo has turned her fast learning curve into quality intervention services. She is incorporating components of the literacy model with her learners at an impressive level. Fundamentally, Mrs. Puzzo has connected with her students and from there they are blooming with learning.

Michelle

 

 

 

March 18th, 2018

Welcome Back

 Image result for spring break is over meme

Spring Break…I hope it was incredible for each of you all the way around! For those who love a good book, a Netflix binge, or travel…I hope your Spring Break was tailored just the way you like it!

Our family enjoyed a quick getaway to KC for some cousin fun and family time. Bonfires, outside adventures, local fun and little to no housework were some of the remaining takeaways for our tribe.

We had so many great happenings right before we left for Sring Break! Another sincere thank you to all participants in the CRE Showcase event. That was a WIN WIN for everyone!

Thank you for making Principal’s Day such a memorable day for us. The student crafts, visits, videos, and treats were extra special!

The Spring Book Fair was a huge success and took much of the week for our PTO volunteers to organize, work and pack up.  This money is all used to purchase books for our libraries. Thank you, all!

CRP Circus was another big event for our campus. All the extra hands on deck to support our friends at CRP were greatly appreciated.

Here we are kicking off the 4th Quarter of the school year. How! When? I don’t understand how this seems to happen year after year… the time just flies by. I have said it before but I will say it again…

This has been and exceptional school year for CRE! Students have been responding to our tiered interventions and successfully discontinuing academic interventions with more success than ever. Additionally, the PBIS foundation that we remain committed to and grounded in has served our students well. Your Tier I interventions are supporting a healthy pyramid of intervention supports outside of the classroom. Ultimately, student services, student growth and an “all things teaching and learning” focus have been great efforts on your part to make this a memorable school year.

Thank you for your continued efforts to remain focused on academic outcomes, student needs in all settings, and holding true to consistent routines to support our young learners need for safety and boundaries. The spring fun begins to unfold and creeps into our daily routines before we know it. Please protect your teaching time as we prioritize curricular content that is necessary as we prepare our learners to be successful in the next grade level. #CREstrong

Image result for everything teaching and learning quotes

CRE Family News

Sara Pardeck is forcing us to embrace change with the announcement of her retirement. I have not had the opportunity to work alongside Ms. Pardeck until our last 5 years as CRE! Ms. Pardeck quickly became a solid “go to” leader, pillar of culture, and face of all things CRE. I have appreciated the opportunity to learn from Sara and be on the receiving end of her grace and wisdom as an educator. Thank you for the impact you have had on our school district, your imprint is long lasting on the hearts of your students and their families!!!

Jamey Derks’ father passed over Spring Break. I know she will welcome your prayers as she navigates this new season. This school family never disappoints when it comes to supporting friends in need of an encouraging word, kindness, etc. #CREfamily

Mrs. Ward is continuing to recover from her back surgery and will be here to join us on Data Day. 🙂

Kim Ayres’, daughter Ashley got married over Spring Break. This was a beautiful celebration for their family! Ask to see pics!

Dates Image result for calendar

3/19 Start of 4th Quarter

3/20 CRE Data Day,  Please have your sheets completed by 8:00 a.m. Monday, March 19th.  

3/21 Grades are due at 8:00 a.m.

3/23 Sporting Chance Hat Day, $1 to wear a hat

3/26 PST Mtgs

3/26 CRE Character Assembly, 2:30, Award Conversation

3/26 District Curriculum Committee Mtg at DO 4:15-5:15

3/27 AIL Book Study, 8:00 am

3/28 TDC Book Study, 8:00 am

3/29 3RD GRADE FIELD TRIP

3/30 Good Friday, No School

4/3 Election Day, exercise your right to vote!

4/3 AIL Book Study, 8:00 am

4/3 McTeacher’s Night for CRE 4:00-8:00pm at 248 location (your students love to see their teacher outside of school, please communicate with families on when to expect you there) Evelyn will share sign up this week

4/3 1ST GRADE FIELD TRIP Engel, Scroggins, Oxenreider, Hughes

4/3 2ND GRADE CLASS TRIP

  • 404-Bradford
  • 405-Halbrook
  • 408-Blackerby
4/4
  • 402-Pardeck
  • 406-Hughes
  • 411-Brubaker
4/5
  • 407-Brashers
  • 409-Kelley
  • 410-Schisler

4/4 Para Appreciation Day!!!

4/4 Baby Shower 4:00, watch for email with details!

4/5 TCZ Book Study, 8:00 am

4/5 PTO Mtg, 9:30 am

4/6 Leadership Team Meeting, 7:45

4/6 Academic Recognition Celebration, 8:50

4/9 Bus Intervention with Thompson and Collins/cafeteria, 9:00 am

4/10 AIL Book Study, 8:00 am

4/10 Fire Drill, 2:00 pm

4/11 Fundraiser Incentive Day/Kona Ice Truck (we will share student names with you prior to this date)

4/11 2nd-6th CR Football Camp @ CRE Gym, 3:45-5:00 pm (flyers will be sent home with info)

4/12 TCZ Book Study, 8:00 am

4/12 CR ART SHOW @ CRE 5:00-6:00 pm

4/12 April BOE Mtg 7:00 pm

4/17 1st Grade Team Meeting, 8:00 am

4/18 2nd Grade Team Meeting, 8:00 am

4/19 3rd Grade Team Meeting, 8:00 am

4/19 BABY SHOWER FOR ELLIE BRUBAKER, 4:00 pm

4/22 Earth Day

4/23 CRE Character Assembly: Award Grit, Review Pirate High 5, 2:30 pm

4/23 2nd-6th CR Football Camp @ CRE GYM 3:45-5:00 pm

4/24 1st Grade Team Meeting, 8:00 am

4/24 1st Grade Music Concert 6:00 pm

4/25 2nd Grade Team Meeting, 8:00 am

4/25 DISTRICT CURRICULUM MEETING, 4:15-5:15 @ DO

4/25 2nd-6th CR Football Camp, @ CRE Gym, 3:45-5:00

4/25 Administrative Professionals Day, Woot Woot!!!

4/26 3rd Grade Team Meeting, 8:00 am

4/27 3rd MAP Assembly, 1:30 pm

5/1 CRE Family Meeting (Faculty Mtg) Breakfast served at 7 am, meeting begins at 7:15

5/2 District Retirement Reception, 6:00-7:00 pm at DO

5/4 Leadership Team Meeting, 7:45

5/4 Academic Recognition Celebration, 8:50

5/7 Field Trip Cut off date

5/7-5/11 Teacher Appreciation Week, WOOT WOOT!!!

5/10 4th Quarter Data Day

5/10 HS Student Council Blood Drive @ CRE Gym

5/15 CRE Career Day

5/16 Grades are due, emailed to parents on May 21st

5/21 Currently, our last day of school

*disclaimer* Typically, when I try to list all dates there are invariably mistakes. Additionally, I have a few emails out to confirm some discrepancies. All dates will be updated on the CRE Google Calendar, so that will remain your reference.

Leadership Notes

CRE Leadership Notes for March

Grants

The Branson Education Foundation is seeking grant applications for April 2018 disbursement. Deadline for application March 23, 2018. 

BEFClassroom Grant Application March 2018

Attention Please

 Image result for attention please

I would like to call your attention to the school wide email that Dr. Brenner sent out sharing the proposal link to the GOCSD Innovation Summit. This exceptional learning experience will be right here in Branson on May 29th and 30th. Please consider sharing your craft in order to lead and inspire others who may be considering a shift in their instructional practices. Proposals are due by March 31st, see Dr. Brenner’s email for details.

Additonally, the Teaching and Learning Institute planning is under way for July 18 & 19, 8-3, meals served
**A call for proposals will be launched to peak your interest in this opportunity to showcase and share your skill set within our own district.
Please see me or Mrs. Thompson if you are interested in submitting a proposal for either one of the above mentioned opportunities.

American Fidelity

American Fidelity will be in your building starting this week. You should have
signed up for a time to meet with them already in the CRE office. (sign up sheets are still on the front counter if you didn’t get your slot yet!)
It is goverment mandated that every full time employee meet with them whether you are participating or opting out.
Thank you–Amy Mulvaney 🙂

I ask that you do your due diligence as it will be an inconvenience for you to have to meet with a rep at a time that they are not here at CRE. Thank you in advance for making this happen!

Curriculum Update

Our next curriculum meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25th at 4:15. Please read below for the couple of updates I have for our district.

Science/Social Studies

Since our last meeting, grade levels and departments have been hard at work identifying priority standards for SS and Science in each grade and course. Last week I met with PK-2nd science leads and we identified priority standards for each of those grades. The conversations were deep, meaningful and will be extremely important as
we move forward the rest of this year.

Once all grades have finished their priority standards we will move forward with scope & sequencing the standards.
We will make sure that all of our priority standards are spread out over the year. Please do not move forward with this in your grade level or departments until you hear from me because the priority standards are not set until Pk-12 are vertically aligned.

Math

It was decided that K-8 we will be moving forward with a four year contract with Envision 2.0. The next steps are to identify the best means of training all staff. We are hoping this can be embedded into our Teaching and Learning Institute over the summer.

Teaching and Learning Institute

Make sure and mark your calendar for the Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI) is on July 18-19th and will have a lot of great sessions. Dr. Brenner and I talk daily about the types of sessions that will be provided at the TLI and are looking forward to having sessions on our new curriculum and resources available in the district. Ihave an idea of training that we should consider offering (broad or specific) please email myself and Dr. Brenner.
Have a great week and let me know if you have any questions. ~DeAnna Sheets

Bucket Fillers

Jessica McSpadden has demonstrated her self starter strengths a a quality team member here at CRE. She relates to the needs of her students and genuinely seeks to see through their lens when it comes to accommodating their learning needs. I have been no less than impressed with the good work of Mrs. McSpadden this school year. #CREstrong

Michelle Brown swoops in to support student services in the event of an absent team member, more than you know. Mrs. Brown’s sense of urgency and understanding that early intervention is the key to student success for many of our learners is evident in her daily actions. Her team support, intentional efforts to build community and hands on student services are all strong qualities that strengthen us from within. #CREstrong

Jacki Miller was cool as a cucumber when missing her special class due to a staff emergency. She was supporting learners in extended learning work time in her class, making great use of her extra time with them. They were happy, she was not rattled and all was well. Her “no problem” approach to the moment was appreciated and recognized as flexibility when it mattered.

Cindy Trimble has been digging in to accommodate her students needs. the good news is our learners keep us on our toes and Ms. Trimble has shown GRIT to go the extra miile to support her non verbal students. Your extra efforts are recognized by many, Ms. Trimble!

Michelle

 

February 23, 2018

CRE Family News 

I want you to know how much Sergei and I enjoy presenting to your students.  You and the rest of the teachers deserve a great deal of credit for preparing the students to be such receptive and respectful learners.  As a teacher, you know how gratifying it is to work with children who are interested in learning.  The children were great and there were no challenges all day.  You may not realize how seldom that happens for a touring artist.  We finish out February with tours to Wyoming, South Dakota and Arkansas.  It would be great if each school on the tour is as welcoming and supportive as yours.  Thanks to you, the other teachers and the students for making our day so enjoyable.

Best wishes for the remaining school year, Margie Truitt (Ukrainian Kaleidescope)

Jeff Gaar continues to heal at home. We sure miss his witty humor and interactions with our students. In the same breath, Angie has been very attentive and thorough as she has been subbing the day shift for Jeff. Get better soon, Mr. Jeff!

As a follow up to our discussion at PLC, today I wanted to share the NAESP recommendations as they relate to the direction we are moving as a district.

School Safety And Mental Health Policy Recommendations

Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, NAESP has worked to provide lawmakers with research-based, nonpartisan recommendations on school safety.

School safety issues are very complex, but there is consensus among principals that the nation must find meaningful, systemic, research-based solutions. Based on this, NAESP believes principals should have additional training on emergency management that is appropriate to their school context, and that both bullying and harassment prevention programs must be bolstered and coordinated with mental health services so that principals can help students access the services they need.

As lawmakers take up issues related to school safety and children’s mental health, NAESP will continue to engage in discussions to support nonpartisan policies consistent with the values of the majority of principals we represent. NAESP will continue to urge Congress to legislate and fund programs that provides support for schools and addresses mental health issues.

Building Updates

IMPORTANT!!! Branson Education is accepting grant proposals now through March 23rd. CRE has always been well represented when seeking support for quality, educational learning tools. Please be mindful that all grants have to be approved by myself. Additionally, technology requests must also receive approval through Mr. Glidewell to insure that our district can and will support purchases made through grant funds. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you for those of you that were active in the #BSDchat18 this last week. I enjoyed reviewing the interactions even though I was unable to be apart of the one hour interactions. It was a positive experience and just reinforces how much learning can be shared in our own district connections. Thank you again, for participating!

The 2nd grade CAM Food Drive was a huge success. The student committee saw their vision through start to finish. They learned a lot and certainly modeled empathy in action for their peers. They collected 585 cans/food items that were donated to Christian Action Ministries. Be looking for the press release that CAM put together to honor our student leaders. This will be a highlight to the school year for me, for sure! I was honored to support their efforts and couldn’t be more proud of their commitment to a great cause.

MAP Update

MAP Planning has started for our 3rd grade MAP team. Our third graders will be testing the week of April 30th- May 4th. All testing sessions will take place during the A.M. We are working on setting the NWEA testing schedule at this time. Once those dates are solidified we will share those out.

2018 Spring Testing Schedule

Pirate High Five Showcase

Our big Pirate High Five Carnival Showcase night is set for March 8th from 5:30-7:00. This is our largest family involvement event of the year. We will need all hands on deck and you will have an opportunity to interact with our school families. The planning committee has been diligent in attending to all planning with great detail.

The sign up sheet attached will show you the event booths that are planned. We need CRE staff to sign up to man a booth for 45 minutes then enjoy the remaining 45 minutes interacting and participating in event fun. Please fill in your name on the sign up sheet by Wed. Feb. 28th.  Booth leads will meet with all CRE staff at PLC on March 2nd to go over set up, plans, etc.

Again, CRE staff need to plan to attend this after school event. We will have pizza and drinks for all staff at 4:00 to enjoy before event set up.

Pirate High Five Showcase Sign Up

Technology

Additional hours have been added to this ongoing list, thank you Ms. Halbrook.

Possible Tech PD Hours

*July 17-18-Summer Tech Institute 14 hours(both days)

*Sept. 1-CRE Tech PLC PDC Kickup Training with Dr. Brenner     1 hr.

*Sept. 22- CRE Tech PLC Grade Level- Seesaw/Tablet(1st), Tech Resources w/ McCormick(2nd), Science/S.S. Tech Resources(3rd) 1hr.

*Oct. 20-CRE Grade Level Science/S.S. Curriculum Guides 1hr

*Nov. 3-CRE Hot Topics with Hot Chocolate Tech PD with Dr. Brenner 30 min.

*Jan. 1-CRE Tech PLC with Dr. Brenner- Go Guardian 1hr.

Will Sub Training with Arnette- 1hr

We actually had 2 PLC’s using the chromebooks for curriculum- 1hr

NWEA Individual Report Training- 30 min

The GOCSD Innovation Summit is May 29th and 30th at Branson Convention Center. There will be a call for proposals sent out on Monday, Feb. 26th from Dr. Brenner. If you are interested in attending, please let me know then sign up with the link to come closer to the event date.

The Teaching and Learning Institute is scheduled for July 18th and 19th. Dr. Brenner will be sharing a call for proposals after Spring Break. Be thinking about areas you could share your talents in an effort to support district-wide learning.

Subscriptions are being carefully scrutinized as we set our sights on budgeting for the 2018-2019 school year. With that, please keep in mind that subscriptions purchased by the district will have to be able to sync with Google or Clever.

Bucket Fillers

Brad Drye, our 2nd grade night custodian, was recognized for going above and beyond help get a handle on germs. His regular cleaning practices include keyboards, mice, etc. We appreciate his thorough, efforts to support a healthy school environment. Well done!

Juli Ward… Preseverance, GRIT, Determination,…the list goes on and on! Juli has modeled to us all that a positive attitude, forward thinking, and A LOT of prayer are the ingredients to use when life gets tough! We are here for you Juli and look forward to celebrating a pain free day, soon!!!

Lindsey Brummel is holding tight to her 100% school attendance standing, right now. There are a lot of factors at play that can effect each of us, but when there is a 100% in the house we need to CELEBRATE! Way to go, Ms. Brummel!

We all know our CRE SPED team is top notch in our book, but when they get a pat on the back from the district sped department we all need to take notice. Our team has many plates spinning at the same time and archiving iep’s, in a timely manner, is just one of the behind the scenes task requirements.

Tiffany Hughes has been modeling exceptional communication when it comes to student needs. She embraces partnerships and comprehensive support with meeting the needs of her learners. Thank you for being engaged, connected and motivated to continue to evolve as an educator.

Mrs. Mosley was recognized for her professionalism and shared knowledge in the classroom setting by one of our frequently employed subs. Mrs. Martin went on to share how much she is learning from Mrs. Mosley and how much she has enjoyed her time in the classroom. This is a WIN WIN as Mrs. Martin is also one of our CRE parents, so to share the inside scoop with a parent and receive recognition for a job well done, is great feedback. Thank you for representing CRE so well, Mrs. Mosley! #CREstrong

The First Grade Team supports a strong sense of community within our CRE family. They model a commendable teaching and learning mindset in all settings. They take care of each other and support one another through the highs and lows that come with “life and school life.” #CREfamily

Michelle

February 8th, 2018

CRE Family News

Amy Johnson is back in the swing of things following the death of her father. Amy has faced a rough season as she has lost both of her parents in a short amount of time. We are thrilled to have her back and will continue to support her as she embraces the days ahead.

Thank you for hosting our HS STUCO student readers. They were so fun and it was a treat for our learners to hang out with REAL, LIVE, TEENAGERS!!! The Q and A sessions were fantastic! Thank you again for hosting extended learning opportunities, such as this, for all learners.

I just wanted to thank you all for allowing Student Council members the opportunity to come and read in your schools.  They are working on building community, role modeling and leadership.  This gave them the chance to work on all of these traits while hopefully, making reading fun for your kids.  We appreciate your hospitality!  Please tell your teachers thank you for opening up their classrooms to our students.~ Sunshine Ridinger

Check out Michelle Brown’s way cool button. She is awaiting the return of her family as they have traveled to China to finalize the adoption process for her new nephew, Cody. What a gift this little boy is receiving to be apart of such a fun, supporting family pack.

Artisan Themes

Overt Responses — The ability of the teacher to regularly obtain evidence of student learning for the purpose of determining next steps for teaching.

  • To understand one must have a way to look inside, to make the invisible visible. This is done through overt responses.
  • The overt response process is also referred to as checking for understanding, monitoring or formative assessment.
  • Overt responses must be visible and countable. Overt engagements produces a work product that can be verified – the teacher can see it, hear it, touch it, taste it or smell it.
  • Don’t just invite engagement. Plan for it. Teachers should plan their engagement strategies right along with their instructional strategies.
  • Two benefits of overt responses:

o They gain specific and immediate information about how students are doing.

o They promote a more active, participative, and engaging classroom environment.

A classroom rich in overt responses is by design, a classroom characterized by much active interplay among students and teachers. Research has consistently found student learning to be enhanced by direct engagement with teachers rather than extensive reliance on individual seat work or written assignments (Gutierrez and Slavin, 1991).

Summer School

The tentative dates for Summer School are:

May 29th-June 14th for Secondary

May 29th-June 21st for Elementary

We have an opportunity to partner with the Bridge of Faith Church in Rockaway Beach. We will be hosting a blended summer school experience for the students who attend this off site location. Those dates are tentatively:

June 4th-June 28th from 12:00-4:30 pm

This will be a nontraditional learning setting, unique atmosphere, and a great opportunity to invest in the power of connections. If you are interested in learning more and would like to be considered for this summer school assignment, communicate with Dr. Worley after the summer school staff information goes out, later this month. First acknowledge your interest through the electronic application process and follow up with an email for further consideration.

Leadership Team 

February Leadership Team Notes

2018-19 Ordering

It is that time of year where I ask you to look ahead to your needs for the 2018-19 school year. I need you to submit yoru requests via email to myself and Evelyn for items that would fall into the following categories:

furniture, instructional equipment, curricular needs (not typically purchased out of your classroom budget, or grade level purchases), etc.

This is the time to get my attention about your needs! If you have requested something in the past and it was declined, visit with me about it and we can decide on our next steps.

Budget requests for next school year will be due Friday, February 23rd. This will allow me to be well prepared for budget meetings with our Superintendents in early March.

As a reminder, you filled out the tech request/survey with any tech needs that you may have for the upcoming school year. That will take care of tech needs and requests. This process is for all items needed for instruction, classroom set up, etc.

Grade reps will work with you toward the end of the year on curricular ordering needs, that we will take care of any grade level, bulk ordering. If you have questions about where your needs may fall, come see me or shoot me an email.

$$$ Additionally, if you plan to spend your budget for this year, you need to get on that! 😉 The ordering, receiving, and clean up process is lengthy. The deadline for ordering has not been set yet, but it will be coming soon. Check with Evelyn if you need help with this process.

Technology 

Image result for technology

Ms. Halbrook put together a list of possible PD hours you could log of the school year thus far. As a reminder this list will look different for everyone depending on what additional hours you may have accrued.

Possible Tech PD Hours

*July 17-18-Summer Tech Institute 14 hours(both days)

*Sept. 1-CRE Tech PLC PDC Kickup Training with Dr. Brenner     1 hr.

*Sept. 22- CRE Tech PLC Grade Level- Seesaw/Tablet(1st), Tech Resources w/ McCormick(2nd), Science/S.S. Tech Resources(3rd) 1hr.

*Oct. 20-CRE Grade Level Science/S.S. Curriculum Guides 1hr

*Nov. 3-CRE Hot Topics with Hot Chocolate Tech PD with Dr. Brenner 30 min.

*Jan. 1-CRE Tech PLC with Dr. Brenner- Go Guardian 1hr.

Pennies for Patients 

Image result for penny

CRE students raised $689.18…WOOT WOOT!!! That is a whole lot of pennies! Special thanks to Mrs. Hazell and Mrs. Grisham for money collection throughout the fundraiser.

Dates

Image result for calendar

3/5-3/9 Spring Book Fair/Theme:Pets

3/6 Statewide Tornado Drill 10:00

5/2 District Retirement Reception at DO at 6:00 pm

Bucket Fillers

Sara Pardeck can really impress a person with the depth of knowledge she retains with regard to complex student needs. She digs in, invests her time, and leans into her strengths while building connections to pull from when needed. A game changer for many! #CREstrong

Miss K connects with her learners, bending a flexing as needed based on the day. She reads their need even when they cannot communicate and responds, appropriately. She has bridged the communication gap for some of her students as she is in tune with their needs and pinpoints the more complex needs with accuracy. Well done, Miss K.

Jennifer Engel is masterful as student engagement strategies that WORK. If you can steal a few minutes of her teaching to glean fresh ideas or to observe these strategies in action, you should do it. Most importantly she is clearing the path for content delivery and learning to occur. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Mrs. Engel!

Ms. Trimble has really nailed down some learner routines in her classroom. She regulates breaks, begins learning interactions promptly, and engages students entering the classroom without pause. Her students feel safe, loved, and connected in Ms. Trimble’s classroom. #CREstrong

Michelle

Jan. 30th, 2018

CRE Family News

Image result for care for others quote

Amy Johnson will be out for the remainder of the week. She is with her family as her father is currently in hospice care. Prayers for Amy and her sweet family as faces a difficult season.

Mrs. Ayres continues to face a season of health challenges with her husband. Our CRE family continues to support Kim and her family as they manage the unknown that comes with a chronic illness.

As most of you know Mrs. Ward continues to struggle with significant back pain. She is a trooper, for sure. I admire her positive attitude and determination as she seeks a treatment plan to support her healing.

Image may contain: text

I look forward to popping for dinner this evening. See you there. Don’t forget to give your receipt in order for 10% of proceed to go to our school.

PTO 

The PTO Boxtops collection is January 29-February. 

Technology

Lots of tech news!

Image result for tech news

Please open the link below to answer some important technology questions for the upcoming school year.
This will help in generating technology budget requests for the 18-19 school year. I will need your feedback by Wed. Feb. 7th, please and thank you. If you will not meet this deadline, please see me so that I do not omit your needs. I apologize for not giving you more time for this task, but budget meetings are right around the corner and your feedback is critical. Thanks so much!

CRE Technology Needs and Survey

Here is the link to the items covered with Dr. Brenner from our tech collaboration on Jan. 5th. Just FYI…

CRE Tech Collaboration 

SAVE THE DATE!!  Twitter Chat is coming to a computer/mobile device near you!!  We will be hosting a Branson-specific Twitter Chat on February 15th from 8-9pm!  Put the kids to bed and let’s flood the twitter universe with all the awesome things we are doing in our classrooms!  Earn 1 hour of tech PD for this event as well as a Jeans Pass if you answer all 6 questions (they are easy)!
What is a Twitter Chat, you say?  Check out this link for more details!   
 
Want to participate but don’t know how, don’t have a twitter account or want a refresher on Twitter?  We have a session for you!  Join us Monday Feb 12th from 4:15 – 5:15pm at District Office for a refresher course (or to set up an account)!   Sign up here!!
 
Each month between now and April, we will be conducting an audit to make sure our devices are ready for testing.  The first audit will be due by Friday February 9th.
We are asking each teacher to have your (2nd and 3rd) students power on your chromebooks, and physically bring the device to you showing there are no broken/missing keys, nothing broken off in the peripherals (headphone jack, USB drive, etc) and no cracks in the screen.  Once you have checked every device in your classroom, please fill out this form to show you have conducted the audit.  If there are issues, please make sure a work order is put in for each issue.
If you have any questions, please let me know.  Thanks for your help on this very important matter.
Building News
 Cara and Dian will be doing NWEA testing with new students this week.  Read below for important details.
  • Check this grid for your new student names (add if needed).
  • Tuesday– 1st grade, Wednesday- 2nd grade, Thursday- 3rd grade
  • Two testing sessions each day: Reading at 9:00, Math at 1:00
  • Please send your students to room 603 to test.
Cara and Dian will continue their intervention groups during this time.  Please remember to send your students at the times/days listed above.  This will help them tremendously!
Mrs. Thompson and myself will be hosting our Instructional Collaboration Mtg here at CRE on Feb. 6th. As we always do we will visiting classrooms to practice our feedback skills. Our observation and feedback times are set between 9:40-10:15.  We are planning to visit Mrs. Riveros, Mrs. Derks, and Mrs. Rittman to host a cross section of services offered here at CRE.
It is a treat to have colleagues in our building to observe climate, student expectations, and focused learning momentum. Thank you for your efforts to make CRE a great place to be for learners and guests.
Additionally, we have a lengthy agenda to get through on the 6th and will be locked in for most of the day as we power through as a team. We will most likely keep to ourselves in 609 but wanted you all to know the plan for the day.

District News

PreK Screening Info from Dr. Worley
If you have a child that will be 3 or 4 years old by July 31st, 2018 and you are interested in one of our PreK programs for the 2018-2019 school year, please sign up online for a developmental screening in March. You can also find the PreK flier on our CRP website that will give you information about the different program options as well as our Pirate’s
Cove PreK Day Care program. We do try to give staff priority placement if at all possible. If you are intersted in a program, in addition to signing up for a screening, please call our office (ext 6011) and add your child to our staff prek interest list. If you have questions, would like to visit the facility, etc. feel free to let myself or Robin Mackey (PAT
coordinator, ext 6135) know, and we will be happy to visit with you. We are honored to serve our youngest learners and value the partnerships with our staff families!

Early Separation Incentive

Notice Due to Kim Bryant by Feb. 16th: For those of you eligible to consider retirement this year, the district policy reads: the certificated employee must submit
an application to participate in the Early Separation Incentive Plan to the superintendent, at least one week prior to the regular February board meeting of the last full year of contracted employment. The deadline to submit your application for 2018 retirement is February 16. Applications may be obtained from Kim Bryant in the District
Office. If you are a teacher who has been employed 10 or more years in the Branson School District – with eight of those years consecutive employment and you qualify to receive benefits under the Missouri Teacher Retirement guidelines – you are eligible to participate in this program. Specific questions should be directed to the superintendent’s office (ext. 9011).

Professional Development 

Responding with Care to Students Facing Trauma

 

Bucket Fillers

We are so thankful for our amazing custodians at CRE. While Angie was gone we had several who cared for our hallway. Thank you to all who jumped in to take care of us!  A big welcome back to Mrs. Angie.  Your attention to detail in our rooms, kind heart to toward our students, and interest in each of our personal lives is the best! It was great to see our hallway light up with hugs and laughs from staff and students alike when we all realized you were back. We are blessed and you were missed!
❤️ 600 Hall

Melissa Harris responds to a request for help without pause and a helpful attitude. I appreciate her flexibilty, team approach, and student’s first mindset. #CREstrong

Olivia Tristan (cashier) can often be caught with a group of kiddos hanging off of her. She has definitely developed connections with students, evident in their interactions with her int he cafeteria. Her intentional conversation and interest in them is a gamechanger for many. Woot Woot, Olivia!

Michelle