We are almost there! Wishing everyone a restful break so we can have a strong start to 2023!

 

If you did not finish progress monitoring this week, no worries! Data will be due the Friday we return (1/6/23). Please make sure you have also selected your instructional focus for any students you work with by this date as well.

 

Save the Date: January 19, 2023 (5:00-6:30) will be our Family Literacy Night: A Snowy Night. More information to come in January!

12/23 Early Release Day Schedule

8:25-9:00 Regular Arrival

9:00- 9:15 Arrival at School Meeting (See K Stew’s email from 12/19)

9:15-10:15 School Meeting and Holiday Movie

10:15-12:00 See Lunch Schedule and other logistics below

12:00 Dismissal

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• All homeroom teachers keep classes for the entire day.
• You may opt to adjust your schedule by prioritizing certain content areas for a long block, shortening blocks, etc. We trust your judgment about what makes sense for you and your kids!
•  Lunch 
  • All available paras cover the cafeteria for the entire block (10:30-11:20). Teachers drop students off in the cafeteria and take a 10-minute break, then return to help your class clean up and move out on time.
• Schedule:
• Grade 1:   10:30 – 10:50
• Grade 2:   10:40 – 11:00
• Grade 3:   10:50 – 11:10
• Grade 4:   11:05 – 11:25

• • See the table assignments at the bottom. (Note table may be different than the regularly assigned table)

• • Please enter the lunch line on the side your table is on.

• • • H= Hooks side

• • • S= Soko side

• Sokolowski’s dismissal is at 12:00. Use the regular end-of-day routine. Any students still here at 12:15 may be brought to the area outside of the main office.

• Dismissal. There will NOT be a bell. Please follow our usual routine for dismissal.

• Teacher Departure- 12:15
  

Thank you to everyone who participated in Fishtank PD this week. There has been consistent feedback that Sokolowski teachers are prepared, engaged and committed to teaching this curriculum with integrity!

 

Next week is Progress Monitoring. Please refer to the Data Cycle 3 columns of the Literacy Data Sheet for the following:

-Subtest: If students met the benchmark twice (2 blue data points), I moved them up to the next subtest. Please check before administering testing next week. If you need a new booklet, they are located in the Title I office. Please note: most students have the same subtest as data cycle 2.

-Instructional Focus: Just like in data cycle 2, ALL students in the school need an instructional focus for Read to Grow. Please choose from the drop down menu. Classroom teachers and interventionists will need to do this for the students they work with.

 

Resource Spotlight: From Phonics to Reading

Have you seen the Student Fluency Sentences available for each lesson on Sadlier Connect? These are an amazing resource!

See the screenshot for how to access these online. I have also put hard copies in mailboxes and downloaded them in a folder. Here are some ideas for use:

-Devin uses these as a quick warm up during Read to Grow groups.

-Tisha uses these as a written spelling test and provides feedback on the target sounds.

-I send them home with select students as a quick piece of home reading.

 

 

It’s TAKEOUT FRIDAY!

Today we are highlighting La Esquina Mariachi. Located just a few blocks from the Clark Middle school at 170 Washington Ave, La Esquina Mariachi is a Restaurant and Sports Bar that specializes in Salvadoran, Mexican, and Peruvian traditional dishes. On top of its many menu options, La Esquina Mariachi is known for its most welcoming and cozy environment. Check out their menu HERE.

Pro tip: Do not skip on the Pollo en Crema – thin chicken cutlets with delicious cream sauce and mushrooms served with rice and salad. The perfect dish for a cold Friday night. 

Report Cards: check!

Conferences: Half check!

I know these December weeks are beyond busy! Here are some Literacy updates for the coming week:

-The Reading Team and I will be putting the final touches on groupings for data cycle 3 this afternoon. There were no large changes for this round. Instead, we focused on sending students back to the classroom who have been making progress and looking at the students still in intervention to create smaller, more targeted groups. If you have students coming out of intervention, you should have received an email from me already this week. I will send the “new” groups out to everyone by tomorrow morning, with these groups going into effect on Monday 12/12.

-The week of 12/19 will be our last progress monitoring of 2022! More information to come.

-Looking to see Fishtank in action prior to starting your units? Wanting to see Fishtank outside of your own room? I am teaching second grade Fishtank in 221 from 9:35-10:35 each day if anyone wants to connect to arrange an observation. Looking ahead, I would love to get some observations in place across the school!

 

 

Here are some announcements to help you start your week.

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Early Release Day Logistics

Please click HERE for the link.

Attached: Early Release Day Logistics (12_7_22)_

Please read for PD, HOMies info, PTC logistics, Lunch plan, and other information for your day. 

All Sokolowski staff should read before Wednesday. 

If you notice any mistakes or glitches, please let me know. Thanks!

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HOMies on 12/7 ERD

On Wednesday, we will be holding all-grade HOMie classes in the Gym.

The purpose is to turbo-charge our HOMie knowledge!

We will focus on the Captain of the Clouds and Inspector Reflector.

Mr. D will lead the class, but we need the full and brave participation of all the teachers! 

Please bring clipboards and pencils to help students and teachers engage with the learning!

See you on Wednesday!

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PLTs through the break

Please make sure to check your calendar invites, as we had to shuffle PLT days. The goal is that you have a Math: Building Fact Fluency, HOMies, and ACCESS PLT meeting topic before we go on break. If you have any questions, please reach out.

I will send coverages to individual teams the day before the PLT.

12/5: 4th grade Building Fact Fluency

12/6: 3rd grade Building Fact Fluency

12/8: 2nd grade Building Fact Fluency

12/12: 1st grade – HOMIES

12/13: 4th grade – HOMIES

12/14: 2nd grade – HOMIES

12/15: 3rd grade – HOMIES

12/16: 1st grade Building Fact Fluency

No PLT 12/19 (Access Training, Homie ambassador)

12/20: 4th grade – ACCESS

12/21: 3rd grade – ACCESS

12/22: 1st grade – ACCESS

12/23: 2nd grade – ACCESS

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Report Cards

Report cards should be here in time for conferences.

• A reminder that all four grade levels will be using the trimester envelopes; Special Education progress reports and EL Progress Reports should be sent with report cards in the envelopes or given to families at the conference.

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Across District: MLK Contest Information: ****LAST CALL****

It can be found here in English and Spanish. Please reach out with any questions.

• All students in grades K-2 are invited to submit a drawing with a caption that describes their drawing in response to the theme: I Am A Human Being.
• All students in grades 3-12 are invited to submit an essay, poem, or drawing in response to the theme: I Am A Human Being
• Please submit student work (Google docs for written work, photographs for drawings) with the student’s full name, grade, teacher, and school by MONDAY December 5, 2022. 
• Upload to this Google Folder. The folders are organized by school. 
• A committee will select the final drawings, essays or poems in three categories: Elementary, Middle, and High School.
• School leaders will be notified of the winners in order to communicate with families and the school community.

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Some Optional Fun

Mass Dept of Transportation has 12 new snowplows hitting the roads this winter, and are having a contest for students in K-8 classes to name them! This is totally just for fun, but if you and your class might enjoy that as a chance to talk about puns and wordplay in a seasonal-yet-not-holiday way, here are the details!

Read about it: https://www.wcvb.com/article/massdot-name-a-snowplow-contest-student-submissions/42090891#

Entry Form: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/submit-an-entry-for-the-name-a-snowplow-contest. Deadline is 12/23. Winning classes get a $100 gift card for classroom supplies!

To get your ideas flowing: https://www.motortrend.com/news/scotland-gritter-snowplows-names/. These are Scottish snowplow names.

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Hi Everyone,

The Hour of Code (video) is here! The Hour of Code falls from December 5-11 during Computer Science Education Week! The MCB Complex will be participating during the month of December!

The Hour of code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics.  Learn more about the MCB Hour of Code here.  This movement introduces tens of millions of students worldwide to computer science, inspiring kids to learn more, breaking stereotypes, and leaving them feeling empowered. Providing students access to coding and digital literacy opens doors for them economically, as well as providing them with essential 21st century skills. 

Completing the Hour of Code will expose students to coding before we begin our coding units in Trimester 3.

• Have students spend 60 minutes throughout December using the Hour of Code Choice boards for Gr1-2 and Gr3-5 (or found in this folder) in your classroom. This can be broken up into four 15 minute sessions, 2 half hour sessions, or the full hour (choose what works best for your schedule or during content block). If you complete the Hour of Code this way, please let Mercy know so she can drop off certificates!
• Participate in the MCB Complex Staff Hour of Code! Join Mercy and Laura in the library on December 14 from 2:30-4:00 pm. (drop in or stay the whole time!) Try out some Hour of Code unplugged and digital activities you can do with your students!
• Sign up for Hour of Code Sessions in the Library on December 21 & 22.   Wednesday, December 21st: Grades 1 and 3 / Thursday, December 22nd: Grades 2 and 4.  Click here to view the activity descriptions and sign up.

• Book your Digital Learning Coach (Berkowitz and Sokolowski)  to come in and launch the Hour of Code event in your classroom. Click here to book Mercy for any time during December. 

• Participate in the MCB Complex Staff Hour of Code! Join Mercy and Laura in the library on December 14 from 2:30-4:00 pm. (drop in or stay the whole time!) Try out some Hour of Code unplugged and digital activities you can do with your students!

• Go beyond the Hour of Code with other activities that are found on the teacher slides or read a computer-science related book..

We are looking forward to exploring the world of coding with you!

Best,

Mercy, and Laura

It’s TAKEOUT FRIDAY!

Today we are highlighting NewBridge Cafe. The NewBridge Cafe in Chelsea, MA, has been known for its steak tips since 1975. Anyone who’s a foodie in New England knows about the famous steak tips this family restaurant serves. Business people, locals, and families show up to savor the steak tips.

The New Bridge Cafe does sell its secret marinade sauce, but somehow, it’s always better dining in the restaurant. Check out their menu HERE. Need some inspiration? Take a peek at their Instagram.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to take home their homemade BBQ Sauce and Salad Dressing, also available in many other locations.