Teacher Times #5
September 30, 2013
TAPCo. Birthdays of the WeekWilliam Soltis 10/2
Nicole Stuart 10/3 Leslie Paoletti 10/6 
Professional Development and Student OpportunitiesProfessional development and student opportunities are posted on the PD and Student Opportunities page. This week’s highlights include:
§ Participate on October 1: Middle Schools and High Schools: 2013 Newsies! Awards for Student Journalism § Participate on October 2: Elementary Schools: Emotionally Responsive Practice (ERP) Professional Development Opportunity § RSVP by October 10: Green Horizons: Environmental Careers Hands-On Activities for Students and Teachers § Apply by October 11: Elementary Schools: Apply to Participate in the Estrellita for ELLs Initiative § Apply by October 31: KiNY Foundation Essay Contest § Ongoing: Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum: A unique program that bridges humane education with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for students in grades Pre-K-12 § Ongoing: Social Media Guidelines PD to Support Common Core and Teacher Effectiveness § Ongoing: Professional Development Catalog for Fall 2013 § Ongoing: Professional Development in Response to Intervention (grades K-5) and Academic Interventions Services (grades 6-12) in Literacy Bulletin BoardsBoth classroom and hallway bulletin boards are expected to be populated by Friday October 11, 2013.
All bulletin boards should follow the same norm. To facilitate this, I have attached the bulletin board checklist. If you have already set up your bulletin board, please cross-reference the checklist to see if it has met all criteria. Bulletin Boards should reflect current work from students. Student work should showcase the rigor that is taking place in the classroom, and not some brief multiple choice quiz that is not rigorous. Work for ALL subject areas must include a narrative of the task, as well as student explanations/though process. Remember to set high expectations for all students, while planning in advance for multiple points and ways of demonstrating understanding so that all students engage in rigorous learning experiences. -Bulletin Boards are Learning Boards, not just display boards. - Feedback should be related to the rubric (even so far as having a rubric attached to each piece of work with score) - Score on paper should match the rubric (ie. why does paper show score of 93 when rubric is 1-4) - Displayed papers and works of Art should have students' name (celebrate their work) - Task should be Neat and Clear, & specific/detailed - Boards should include HS State Standards related to CC and MS Common Core curriculum standards aligned - Word Walls should have definitions attached to them - ATLAS map should also accompany work 
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Pic Of The Week
Grant OpportunitiesGrant opportunities are posted on the Grants website (you can visit the page on any computer using this link). This week’s highlights include:
§ New Funding and Support Opportunities to Strengthen Health Education, PE and School Wellness § Earn $5,000 for you school with Shoparoo! Absences Out Of The BuildingIf you are (1) absent due to illness or emergency (2) attending a PD (3) on a trip, or (4) on an approved leave, you must:
Inform Kecia, Annie, Demetri, Mark and Mr. Link via email. As always, any PD, trips, or personal days must be approved ahead of time. MEMO About CalendarProtocol for All End of Semester Performances
All end of semester performances for the 2013-14 academic school year must be scheduled NO LATER than 10/31/13. It has always been a challenge for Art teachers to coordinate grades, subjects and address essential questions in TAPCo performances. For the first time, we can plan ahead. The DOE requires us to provide student opportunities for critical thinking and strengthen their skills learned in academic classes (CCLS, NYC Blueprint etc.). Communicate early with other teachers (ELA, Social Studies, Arts, and/or any other that applies to your subject). Please notify Mr. Link by email as soon as possible for approval (please make sure you cc/forward Ms. Dayana Delpech as soon as your event is approved). Thereby, you will be able to integrate curriculum and choose the best dates for your shows/celebrations. Though there is no specific number of events per month, the idea is to avoid unnecessary conflicts and overlapping (particularly during TESTS and TEST Preparation). All Other Events (Field Trips, Informal Shows, and Community Events) To ensure space availability, fill out proper documentation and inform all appropriate parties (administrators, parents, and staff). All events must be scheduled NO LATER than 45 days before the date. Improvised events send the wrong message to our students. Inconsistency promotes the idea that these activities are optional. Students should NOT decide whether they participate or not. All events are part of a class curriculum; therefore they all have educational value. They should be linked to other class activities and a grade. Ms. Delpech is the Calendar Coordinator at TAPCo. Please email her with ALL event dates and times (Performances and All Other Events). Room ChangesIn the event of a room change, in addition to alerting the main office, you must also let Linda know so both student and teacher programs may reflect the changes.
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