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TUESDAY
MESSAGE
Hello
all:
Thanks
to everyone who gave of their time this past week to
participate in the District's Communications Audit. We
are looking forward to receiving the results and
learning how to better use the communication vehicles
that we have, and new ones we may need, to work
with our staff and our community. We expect a final
report in the next 8-10 weeks.
On
another note, the Strategic Planning process for the
district is underway. An informational meeting will be
held at each school campus and these will be followed by
larger community meetings for input and discussion. This
is an opportunity to be involved in shaping Kyrene's
future and helping the Board to know what educational
values you hold for our students. I hope you will take
advantage of one of these opportunities to share
your thoughts with us. Your opinions are important and
valued.
After
visiting Kyrene De Las Brisas, Kyrene Middle School and
Kyrene De La Mariposa this past week, I am elated to
share the energy, talent, and commitment that I saw
in each classroom I visited. Thanks to all of you
who welcomed me and our new Board member, Ross Robb,
into your classrooms and offices. I look forward to my
next round of visits with our Governing Board President,
Rae Waters, to all of our Middle Schools.
Best
regards to all,
Maria
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NEWSFLASH
Drug
Prevention Presentation
The Kyrene Altadeña Middle School Prevention Team is
pleased to announce a special parent presentation titled
Drug Prevention for Parents: Current Arizona Drug
Trends. A presentation for middle school parents
will occur on September 27 and for elementary parents on
September 29. Both will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. at
the Cerritos/Altadeña Library. Stacy Daskam from the
Community Bridges program will be the guest speaker. Stacy
is a Community Education Specialist and will present
information on current Arizona drug trends, including
current statistics on age and frequency of use for all
drugs, signs and symptoms for parents to look for in
their children, paraphernalia to be looking for, and
ways of talking to children about using drugs.
If
you are interested in attending this presentation,
please contact Cara
English at x1375.
Special
Education Supplemental Reading Adoption Proposal 60-day
Review
The
Special Education Supplemental Reading Adoption
Committee recently completed a review of intervention
reading programs. The following materials have been
recommended for use with students who require reading
intervention: Reading Mastery Plus (SRA), Soar to
Success (Houghton Mifflin), Reading Rods (ETA
Cuisenaire), Wilson Reading System (Wilson Corporation),
Language! (Sopris West), Corrective Reading Decoding
(SRA), and Corrective Reading Comprehension (SRA).
These
materials will be on review for 60 days. Anyone who
would like to review these materials may come to the
Exceptional Student Services Department at the District
Office between the hours of 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.,
through October 25. Materials will be on display and
feedback forms will be available for public comment.
Please call Lorraine
Udero at x4149 if you are interested in scheduling a
time to review the proposed materials.
Kyrene
Schools Piloting Recess Before Lunch
A
number of schools in Kyrene are piloting a schedule that
allows students to have recess before lunch. It is
taking place at Cerritos, Lagos, Lomas, Milenio, Mirada,
and Norte. Below is an update on how it is going so far
at Lomas:
“At
Lomas this year we
are having Recess before Lunch for grades
1 through 5. Members
of our PTO, Site Base Council, and teachers went to
visit several schools in the Fountain Hills, Paradise
Valley, and Chandler School Districts last school year.
There was a lot of positive response from parents and
teachers who wanted to see Lomas give this a try this
year.
After
being in school for four weeks, we have found that it is
a very positive thing for our children. They are eating
their lunches so we are seeing less food waste. They are
actually taking the time to eat, too, so we are seeing
less students complain of stomach aches and going to the
nurse’s office. Our teachers are seeing that the
children are cooled down and ready to come back to class
for instruction so they are having more time to teach.
We
are still working out some of the logistics, but we feel
this will be an ongoing this year. We are very proud of
all our Lomas students for showing respect and responsibility
as they are dismissed from the cafeteria. For our 2nd
through 5th graders this is a big change for
them from last year, but they are doing an awesome
job!”
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TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Student-Involved
Assessment Class: September 22
This class is designed for teachers wanting to learn how
to involve their students in the assessment process.
Information about best assessment practices, how to
create and manage student portfolios, and how to
organize student-led conferences will be presented. Each
participant will come away with a notebook of ideas that
can be used immediately in the classroom. Register
online on the PGO.
Rio
Salado Vouchers Available for Teachers
There are still
vouchers available through Rio Salado College for
individuals who need to become Highly Qualified,
certified in their content area, or for individuals
needing a middle school endorsement. The final date for
distribution of these vouchers is September 16, 2005. If
you are interested in enrolling in an online class
through Rio Salado, contact Patty
Hineman at x4115 in the Curriculum and Assessment
Department. These vouchers will be distributed on a
first-come, first-served basis. There is a maximum limit
of 6 credit hours per person. Vouchers will be available
in 1 credit hour increments.
Teacher
Support for Implementing the New Harcourt Reading
Material
This
summer hundreds of teachers attended the second, more in
depth elementary reading training called Planning with
Harcourt. This is a different training than the training
offered in May 2005 and during NEO. If you were not able
to attend one of the three-hour trainings this summer or
on August 22 there will be a final opportunity available
on September 15. The classes for September are posted on
the PGO. It is an
expectation that teachers attend a 3-hour training in
order to implement the program effectively.
Kindergarten – Planning with Harcourt
September 15, 2005, 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the District
Office
1-2 Grade Teachers – Planning with Harcourt
September 15, 2005, 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the District
Office
3-5 Grade Teachers – Planning with Harcourt
September 15, 2005, 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the District
Office
ASU
Language and Literacy Master’s and Reading Endorsement
Program
The
ASU
Language and Literacy Master's and Reading Endorsement
Program will continue to be offered at various
school sites in Kyrene for Fall 2005. Since this is
considered a "rolling cohort," participants
are able to enroll in this program any time a new class
is offered.
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STAFF
REMINDERS
Career
Ladder Student Outcomes Plans
Career Ladder Student Outcomes Plans are due to the
Career Ladder office by September 19th at 4 p.m.
Anyone desiring help with his or her plan can call Joy
Fogarty at x4112.
2006
Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning
To support educators with their
ongoing professional development and to champion the
integration of visual learning into the curriculum,
Inspiration Software is pleased to offer the eighth
annual Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual
Learning. Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual
Learning must be used to defray costs incurred by
scholarship winners to attend workshops, conferences, or
graduate courses that focus on visual learning and
technology in education.
Deadline:
January 30, 2006
Contact: http://www.inspiration.com/prodev/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholarship&CFID=
6767
If you are interested in applying for this or any other
grant, please contact Karin
Crider at x4048.
Safe
Schools Expo
The Kyrene
School District Safe Schools/Healthy Students team is
hosting the first Safe Schools Expo and Family Fun Day
at Kiwanis Wave Pool in Tempe. The event will take place
Saturday, September 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everyone
in the Kyrene community is invited to attend this event.
The Expo will provide beneficial information on
community resources; health information, such as
physical, mental and behavioral wellness; and safety
information vital for student success in school and in
their community. Attendance to the Expo is free to the
public, and wave pool access is available for a
discounted rate of $2. For more information or to
secure discounted wave pool tickets, contact Donna
Chojnacki at x4083.
Disney
Teacher Awards
The
Walt Disney Company is once again accepting nominations
for the Disney Teacher Awards, which have been presented
to teachers nationwide since 1989. The first step in the
award process is a nominating campaign, followed by a
formal application. Anyone can nominate a teacher
between now and October 15. For more information or to
nominate someone, visit the Disney
Teacher Awards Web site.
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KYRENE
CLASSIFIEDS
Supplemental
Education Department
The Supplemental Education Department is hiring
additional staff. If you or someone you know enjoys
working with children (ages 6 weeks through 8th
grade) and is looking for employment with the Kyrene
School District (or if you are looking for additional
duties and compensation), check out employment
opportunities at http://www.kyrene.org/hr/suppsum.htm.
For
information on teaching a before and after school
enrichment program, contact Ashley
Coates at x4089.
For
information on jobs with Kids Club programs, contact Jena
Brandon at x4059.
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