Kindergarten Curriculum Chat (K)

 Today was the first Wednesday Curriculum Chat of the year.  Each Wednesday there will be a google meet chat geared to connecting to a grade level or grade span.  Here is what was covered this week.  

The focus was on Kindergarten, we had a slight tech issue, but managed!  My apologies! 

Looking forward to the new legislation in Illinois mandating Kindergarten as full day in 2027, plans beginning in Spring of this year

New Social Studies updates, more Inquiry Journals are on the way

We discussed the timing for the ESGI testing

We discussed the early entrance testing process

Wanting to get mentor text for Patterns of Wonder was a topic of discussion 

Looking for feedback on having Rigby at the start of the year, since most of the students being tested this Fall are falling very close to the Spring level they left at (or within one level higher) 

Great feedback coming out of Summer School regarding the Kindergarten Jump Start program from families.  Would love to keep sharing this opportunity with our families as well.

Thank you to all who attended today!  

Request for expanded access to IC and Canvas (ec - 12)

State regulations such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) as well as the Student Online Personalized Protection Act (SOPPA) are designed to protect student information. These rules have made it incredibly important that access to student information be safeguarded and limitations be put in place to ensure that this occurs. 

With the start of the year, we understand that there may have been changes made to what you could or could not access in Infinite Campus and / or Canvas. If you believe that you need additional access to our student information system, please work with your building principal. They will work in conjunction with the technology department to determine if the request can be granted. This extra layer of checks has been created to safeguard our students.

Becoming a Writer Tips (K-8)

 Last Spring some Staff and Administration enjoyed a joint book study on the text Becoming a Writing Teacher.  The text focuses on practical ideas of how to bring writing alive for students and set structures for success in writing.  Here were just a few key tips the team shared during the book study:

1.  Brainstorming is one of the best ways for choosing a writing topic.  Demonstrate for students how to reflect on aspects of life, elicit emotion, and wonder while thinking of possible writing topics.

2. The main purpose of writing is to communicate with others.  Engage in explicit lessons with students for them to understand a sense of audience for their writing. 

3. Create an in-depth selection of mentor text using picture books at all levels K-8 to model writing types and author techniques. 

4. Give students time to read mentor texts prior to starting to write to look for how the author uses words to craft messages.

 

Barnes and Noble K-5 Book Fair

We are excited to have a great K-5 and KIPLA book fair at Barnes and Noble on September 19th from 4:00 to 7:30.  We are hoping to kick off the Fall Reading with some great reading, singing, crafts, games and fun! Families always love coming out to the event and seeing some staff members at the event.  If you would be willing to come out and do a reading, song, dance, or craft for a 20 minute period, please let me know the time you are free.  Thanks so much!  We would love to have you! 

Instructional Technology Coach (EC - 12

We had a summer time resignation of our Instructional Technology Coach and have yet to fill this position. During the interim, please work with your Instructional Coaches for any instructional technology questions.

Potential KIPLA High School Expansion (EC-12)

We are continuing to investigate the possibility of expanding enrollment at KIPLA to include 9th and 10th grades in the 2025-26 school year. Factors being considered within expansion conversations include minimum student enrollment requirements, as well as budget and staffing impacts. No final decision on expansion has been made at this time. We are first identifying if there is enough interest (at least 25 9th/10th graders) to continue expansion conversations. We will be hosting a Virtual High School Expansion Informational Night on September 11, 2024 from 6:30-7:30 pm. All staff are welcome to join using this LINK or dial: ‪(US) +1 216-816-0840‬ PIN: ‪712 737 935‬#. 

District SIP survey window will be open from 8/26 - 9/5 (K - 12)

 For the district wide School Improvement Plan (SIP), we are focused on the Personalized Learning Tenet G, Feedback Cycles. The window of data collection is open from Monday August the 26th through Thursday September the 5th. 

K - 2 teachers, please let your office know if you want the printed version.

K - 5 teachers, work with your grade level team to schedule a time during the window for the students to take the survey.

6- 12 teachers, your building principal will be scheduling a time for the survey to be taken by the students.

The links for this survey will be emailed directly to the students’ email accounts. So that you have them, here are the links:

Feedback Survey for Students 3rd-12th Grade

Feedback Survey print

K-2 optional Fall 2024 Survey

Social Science for K-5 (K-5)

 We are so excited to have the new Impact Social Science program.  We are approved to print and copy for 1:1 use with students.  Each year we will be given consumables that provide 1:2 ratio of books and the online version to provide 1:1 product.  The inquiry journals were to be 1:1 ratio but we are still working with the company to get the remaining portion of the journals so we may not be at the 1:1 at the start of the year but should be very soon.  This first year the company is wanting us to implement the program and give feedback to the level that we use the full consumable book and will work with us to know what ratio of books supports our learning structures the best.  Please know every school has at minimum 1:2 ratio right now and will work towards inquiry journals of 1:1.   We are excited to work with the new materials with our students and see if partner work or individual work is preferred.  Please copy or print any pages you see fit if you do not have the full book.      

Envision K-5 Math Pilot Online Support Sessions (K-5)

 Envision Math will be providing optional online live chat trainings for staff who are piloting the tools this Fall as part of the initial math review cycle.  If you are a current pilot teacher feel free to check out any or all of the following online chats from 8:05 to 8:35.  The link will be sent from the company very soon.

K-2 Sept 11th

3-5 Sept 4th 

K-2 October 9 

3-5 October 16th 

K-2 Nov 13th 

3-5 Nov 20th 

K-5 Curriculum Chats (K-5)

 We are so excited to begin the curriculum chats this week.  Here is the weekly Wednesday google meet that staff need to log onto the Curriculum Chats Wednesday at 8:05.  This is an optional meet for staff if they want to log on and chat with Sarah Mumm, share updates for your grade level, and engage in focus area questions about curriculum.    

Google Meets Link

Here is the schedule for the next few weeks:

8-21 Kindergarten

8-28 First Grade

9-4 Second Grade

9-11 Third Grade

9-18 STEM KPAS

9-25 ELA KPASS

Kaneland Connects Goals 2024-2025 (EC-12)

 As we head into our final goals year for Kaneland Connects we wanted to share the focus areas for our district Strategic Plan.  Below are all the new goals for this school year.  Please note that this is the year with the least amount of new goals!  The staff focused goals are down from 9 goals to 4 goals from last year to this year.  Kudos to all staff for amazing work over the last four years! Over the course of this year we will be diving into these goals and asking staff for ideas of bring them into action. 

MTSS Goals for this Year:

-Administration can review future staffing needs to support student intervention needs

-Staff can expand options for personalized learning based on student needs

-Students can identify and advocate options for their learning 

SEL Goals for this Year:

-Staff can review behavior trends in order to see progress of self-care and support

-Students can apply GRIT and resilience to their own personal scenario

-Staff can consider the addition of further classes to support self-care and social emotional learning

PBP Goals for this Year:

-Staff can communicate progress on reported standards in all courses

-Students can self-assess and grade progress 

-Students can select the learning environment of their choice based on their styles and needs

-Community can monitor learning progression  using one tool

-Community can assist students in identify the personalized learning environment for them to attend

1:1 Goals for this Year:

-Students can determine flexible learning opportunities with technology use -Students can collaborate with various resources to enhance learning

SBG Goals for this Year:

-Students can self assess and self report grades based on proficiency table expectations of reported standards

-Students can articulate to their parents and teachers their learning needs and next steps in learning 

Sharing Your Targets (EC-12)

 Thank you to all staff that took time to share your targets on the kick off target post its last week.   We are so impressed with your focus areas for the upcoming school year.  Over the next few weeks we want to share just a few of the targets shared by our staff members.  Keep your focus on sharing feedback and setting targets through feedback for your students each and every day!  We do have extra post it notes that you can use in feedback conferences with your student with targets on them if you would like to request more reach out to Sarah Mumm. 

Our Targets....

1.  Making Connections with my Students! (Noted by 11 staff members)

2. Providing Meaningful Feedback to Each Student! (Noted by 12 staff members)

3.  Creating Meaningful Connections AMONG my Students (Noted by 5 staff members)

K-5 Assessment Reminders (K-5)

 This year K-5 is excited to have new assessments for sight words and word study.  Please remember to review the assessment hub and check out the process and guidelines for administering the sight words and word study assessments this Fall.  Please remember you can take one sub day to complete the subs from August 20th to August 30th.  All data does need to be entered into your school's data hub.  If you need any support at all please do not hesitate to reach out to your MTSS Coordinators and Instructional Coaches.  

Also this year we have a shift in our writing assessments.  The district will only be collecting post scores for all the writing genres not pre assessment scores. Please note that the post scores are based on student work samples that have gone through the full writer's workshop process for that genre.  Please assess using the grade level rubric.  You may want to assess through feedback conference during the writing workshop overtime as well.  Fourth Grade please note that you may do either the personal narrative or realistic fiction narrative writing piece for that genre using the clarified rubric to score the students' work.