Student Panel, Secondary (6-12)

During the monthly meeting with the secondary level administration, a student panel provided perspective regarding topics such as the change to traditional grading, how to access support when they are academically struggling, and how they receive feedback from their teachers.

The students reported that they thought the return to traditional grading was going well. They were happy with the variety of opportunities they had to earn a grade. They also noted that they liked the different types of assignments that they had.

Students indicated that they relied on email to communicate with teachers, but that they also felt comfortable approaching them one-on-one. In terms of feedback, they felt that the best feedback they received occurred in a small group or one-on-one setting. When asked about proficiency tables, they noted that these are mostly utilized in large projects.

Curriculum Chats 2-3 (K-5)

 This week the the Curriculum Chat was held with 2nd and 3rd grade.  The following topics were discussed:

-Supply list updates and encouraging staff to complete the survey by classroom prior to December 1st

-IAR discussion of data.  Data will be released next week.  We will be building a more robust focus on IAR and the ability of students to show what they know on the test this year and future years.

-Report cards are ready for data entry.  Please be sure to note if a students has been engaging in MTSS targeted co-teaching intervention. 

-The team took time to discuss other math pilot opportunities coming up in November and December.

The next Curriculum Chat will be next Wednesday at 8:05 with KPASS using this link. 

 

IgKnight Academy Talking Points for PT Conferences (2-9)

With parent-teacher conferences just around the corner, we wanted to share some IgKnight Academy talking points with all staff. Should you receive questions during parent-teacher conferences, or if you have a student you feel would be a good fit for IgKnight Academy, please use this document to guide your discussions. 

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE IGKNIGHT ACADEMY TALKING POINTS 

 You are also welcome to direct any parent questions to Laura Garland, 10166@kaneland.org

Tier 1 Behavior Document (EC-5)

This great resource is being used at one of our elementary buildings to ensure consistency in Tier 1 behavior structures. It's a great reminder for all! This LINK provides a more clear copy than what appears here.

Tips for Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences (EC-12)

 As we turn to a new month and Parent/Teacher Conferences are upon us, we wanted to share a few tips from Edutopia and ASCD to best prepare for a positive and successful parent conference session!  We hope they may help in your planning.  Please reach out to any Administrator for any support you will need in planning or during a conference.  

Plan ahead: Create a schedule and plan to address important topics. 

Review student work: Provide visual examples of student work to help parents understand their child's learning. 

Communicate regularly: Keep communication open with parents to reduce miscommunication. 

Be positive: Share at least one positive trait about each student, such as a character trait or academic trait. 

Make a list of questions: Consider what you want to make sure to ask the family that you may want to know. 

Collaborate on action plans: Work with parents to find ways to work together. 

Address concerns with empathy: Be understanding when addressing concerns. 

Listen actively: Actively listen to what parents have to say. 

Create a welcoming environment: Make the conference a welcoming space for parents, they may be very nervous to come into the classroom or school.

Start with positive feedback: Begin the conference with positive feedback welcome or story. 

Educator Advisory Council (EC-5)

 This week the EAC met for the monthly meeting.  The following topics were discussed:

The team took one final look at the goals and voted to approve the goals for the 2024-2025 school year.

The supply list was discussed. The goal is for this list to be set for the next five years. Some items that are going to be ordered in bulk will require classroom teachers to fill out a Google form so that supplies are allocated appropriately.  This survey is due by December 1st and will be posted in the blog this week. An emphasis was made that we do not send home any unused supplies.  If you have any extras, work with your principal to have it stored in a building storage space.  A few questions will be followed up regarding the option to add possible supplies if one is deleted and clarification on the purchase of headphones and the involvement of the technology exploratory.  We will follow up with EAC members once we have further guidance on these answers.  

The team took time to gallery walk possible ideas, misconceptions, and marketing for personalized learning and IgKnight Academy.  Please note that parents may be getting an email before conferences based on their child scoring higher on an interest survey.  Please encourage them to reach out to Laura Garland, schedule a tour, or use the talking points to share options for learning. STAFF REQUEST TO VISIT KIPLA FORM

The committee worked in small groups to review the staff feedback on MTSS, SIP goals, and the Feedback goal.  Each small group shared the identified questions, celebrations, and reflections with the committee.  Look for a summary of these responses in the curriculum connection.

Supply List Revision (K-5)

 This month EAC has been working on revising the supply list for next school year and shifting our practice to school/grade level common supply lists with some cross district consistency among lists.  We are working through EAC in order to remain consistent within a range of supplies on our list but vary among the amounts to better meet the needs of our educators in the classroom.  Please make sure your grade level turns in to Sarah Mumm or links into the EAC agenda for October your proposed supply list by December 1st.  Proposed edits may include an deletions or reductions in the amounts requested from the current lists, but may not include additional supplies.  Also in order to complete the planning for items we have removed from the supply list and plan bulk orders for next year, each classroom teacher is asked to submit a response to this supply list survey by December 1st for their individual classroom.  Thank you in advance for assisting with this process.