Neil Armstrong Elementary

Dr. Stevenson's Weekly News- Week 1

What's happening in Culture, Communication, and Collaboration?

Dear staff,

At Wednesday's all staff meeting, we really worked on the 3 Cs- culture, communication, and collaboration. If the work we are ALL doing from left to right and top to bottom at Armstrong does not support the three Cs, then we need to stop doing it. This article link is from the business world, but uses sharks as an analogy of how to effectively build your culture, communication, and collaboration as a system. Sharks have dorsal fins to guide their route or work just as we have many tools, measurements, and screeners that let us know how we are doing. Sharks hunt in packs to show a collaborative culture just as we work in teams and grade levels. Shark have many teeth in case they lose some and have to dip into their reserves. We have MTSS and grants and support programs here at Armstrong that make sure we can keep biting in and chewing all the time :)

http://info.visibilitysoftware.com/blog/build-culture-and-collaboration-like-a-shark

Here are some updates for this week and August as it will be a very busy month:

Unpack Your Backpack was a huge success and so was Kona Ice! We have 298 students registered at this time and this was our turnout with 251 of our 298 (84%) attending:

PS 12/15 attended
KA/KB 37/49 attended
1A had 24/25 attend
1B had 24/25 attend
2A had 20 of 26 attend
2B had 22/26 attend
3A had 22/24 attend
3B had 20/25 attend
4A had 15/21 attend
4B had 19/21 attend
5A had 20/21 attend
5B had 16/20 attend

Academic Data Team starts on Monday in the conference room for those that are in the building.
Behavior Data Team starts on Tuesday in the conference room for those that are in the building.
No formal grade level PK-5 data teams the week of August 17-21. Please do meet as a team of two teachers, though, to get in the habit at your Monday or Tuesday scheduled time. I will try to pop in and check in with you then.
I will be gone on Wednesday and Thursday to drive Maya to college move-in in Ohio. John Cain from GW and Julie Trepa from PN have both offered to step in if needed. Please do not hesitate to call, text, email, etc. as I will have access while traveling even though I might be a little choked up if you call :(
Half-day for 75% of Kinder kids on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Full day on Thursday. Kindergarten greatly appreciates ANYONE that can lend a hand on these first few days.
Jenni, Carrie, Holly & Stacey are gone on Monday to district AI/Title training and ELL training
Kathy, Jessica, Jenni, Carrie, and Charlotte gone to district math training at district.
PLEASE email me your final daily schedule on the excel spreadsheet. I believe I uploaded all that emailed them to me, but still need:

Kyrie
Becca
Scott
Brooke
Amber M.
Graciela (TBD)
Trisha (TBD)
Jenni
Carrie

August 17-21

Weekly Plan

Monday August 17

7:45 Academic Data Team for Danielle, Carrie, Jenni, Lisa, Ardie, Jodi, Ellen, Holly

8:00 Parent meeting for I.M. w/Danielle, Becky, Lori, Becca E. and Lisa

8:50 2nd grade collaboration time

9:30 Parent meeting for H.S. w/Ardie, Amber, Adrianna, and Lisa

10:50 4th grade collaboration time

12:20 1st grade collaboration time

1:20 Kindergarten collaboration time

2:20 5th grade collaboration time

3:30 Morning Meeting recordings

Tuesday August 18

7:45 Behavior Data Team for Carrie, Jenni, Danielle, Ardie, Amber, Brooke, and Lisa

9:00 Bus safety drill for K-5

10:00 Dr. Jim Pedersen meeting w/Lisa

9:50 3rd grade collaboration time

1:30 Administrators' meeting

2:00 PK grade collaboration time

Wednesday August 19

Lisa will be in Ohio moving her daughter Maya to college :(

12:45 NA Core team meeting w/Barb, Lori, Danielle, Anne, and Christy Davis

Thursday August 20

Lisa will be in Ohio moving her daughter Maya to college :(

1:00 Weekly instructional coaches' meeting w/Jenni and Carrie (maybe we can meet Friday?)

2:30 Weekly 21CCLC meeting w/Becca (maybe we can meet on Monday after school?)

Friday August 21

ALL staff (teachers, paras, secretaries, nurses, custodians, food service) report to Bettendorf High School for district professional development and Welcome Back celebration