AM Announcements - May 12

AM Announcements
May 12, 2010

1. Today is Day 159.

2. It is the mission of Speas Elementary School to provide its students with the tools necessary to successfully meet the challenges they will face in a diverse world.

3. Calendar items for this week:

Wednesday: May 12
Used Book Sale - 8:30-1:30 PM

Thursday: May 13
Elementary Principals' meeting - 7:15-12:00 - Reichert off-campus
4th grade Field Trip to Hiddenite - 7:00-1:30 PM
Used Book Sale - 8:30-1:30 PM

Friday: May 14
Dollar Dress Down Day
EOG - Background information
Used Book Sale - 8:30-1:30 PM
Book Distribution - Dan Arial (Polo Park Recreation Center) - 9:00

Saturday: May 15
Student Council Yard and Used Book Sale - 7:30-1:00 PM

3. Upcoming Calendar Items:
a. 05/17-05/21 - EOG Testing
b. 05/24 - Interim Reports go home
c. 05/24-05/28 - Remediation Period for Level I/II students
d. 05/25 - Web Page migration session to School Wires
e. 05/26 - Web Page migration session to School Wires
f. 05/28 - Dollar Dress Down Day
g. 05/28 - Box Tops for Education due
h. 05/31 - Memorial Day - No School

4. As we approach the testing period next week, there are a few things we need to review just in case some may have forgotten.

A. Staff members, whether administrators or proctors, should turn off all cell phones and they should remain off until the test is complete and the materials have been turned in to Ms. Marston.

B. All materials on walls must be covered and/or taken down

C. Both the administrator and proctor must be circulating throughout the entire room continuously during the test

D. Administrators and proctors cannot bring food, drinks, books or magazines to eat/read during the administration of the test

E. Students with accomodations must be monitored to determine if they are, in fact, using the accomodations. The results of their monitoring must be entered on the Accomodation Monitoring forms for each student.

F. NCDPI and the WS/FCS Testing and Accountability Department will be conducting audits in the schools to ensure that testing is being done according to the manual. Therefore, do not deviate from the manual.

G. Make sure that when you write the time you begin testing; the duration of the test; and the times for breaks and/or the end of the test are clearly visible to the students and from the door to your classroom. We check these times throughout the test and need to be able to see them clearly from the door. Please check your time calculations. Every test day, we have at least one room that lists an incorrect time on the board and either gives too much or ltoo little time which must be corrected.

H. When in doubt ASK. We want to avoid testing irregularities and misadministrations. Therefore, ASK before you act.

I. General Information:

Retest scores COUNT in performance composites for ABC's and AYP. The state takes the original or the restest, whichever is higher. Retests DO NOT COUNT in growth under the ABC's. Only the original score is used.

There will be no growth component for Grade 3 this year since there was no pretest.

EOG Science in grade 5 counts in the performance composite for ABC's but not in AYP.

5. Ms. Childers sent around information about the Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale. Below is additional information :

Wednesday 05/12/2010 - Saturday 05/22/2010
*PO Day* Wednesday - May 12th - 9a-7p
Thursday & Friday May 13th-14th 9a-7p
Monday-Friday May17th-21st 9a-5p
Saturdays May 15th & May 22nd 9a-3p

6. Don't forget to turn in your pledge card for the UNCF drive. The current total is $740.00. Remember that the drive ends May 21, 2010.

7. I received an e-mail from Meg Sheehan late yeasterday afternoon. It has changed the picture of our Title-1 allotment. Please continue to think about the things discussed in SIT. AS soon as I get a clarification I will put out an e-mail to everyone spelling out the changes from what I reviewed with you. This threw me for a loop and can have a positive impact on our financial situation or a negative impact depending on what I find out. Hang with me.
8. Remember to keep a list of students who return their Parent Surveys.

9. The conception of two people living together for twenty-five years without having a cross word suggests a lack of spirit only to be admired in sheep.
Alan Patrick Herbert

CNN is one of the participants in the war. I have a fantasy where Ted Turner is elected president but refuses because he doesn't want to give up power.
Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - )

Science is nothing but developed perception, interpreted intent, common sense rounded out and minutely articulated.
George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
Hunter S. Thompson (1939 - 2005)