Billie Donegan often reminds me that “high yields takes high maintenance”; this is true of student led conferences. Thank you for taking time to prepare students to have a very powerful conversation with their family. Student Led Conference requires that students reflect on their current level of knowledge and application as well as set goals for their future levels. Thanks to your hard work with International Baccalaureate, our students have a common language for sharing. As I walked around, I heard students say criterion, formative, summative, ATL skills, and Managebac. Consistency in language and predictability allows our students to be more successful. Also, we have a grading system that reflects learning and growth. I am proud to be at a school where staff believes in coaching up kids through multiple opportunities to learn and grow. Proud to be an #IBHawk!
Last Wednesday, the Language Acquisition team came together for a unit planning day. Monica Fernandez and Jenny Banta worked with Coach Billie Donegan to develop an agenda focused on developing lines of inquiry and embedding Approaches to Learning Skills in a unit when planning formative instruction and preparing for summative assessments. Their work together reminded me of the importance of team and coaching. Teachers were collaborating to develop and share best practice that supports student learning of skills through inquiry. Having a coach as a thought partner and work partner is key to continual growth as a team. Thank you Language Acquisition and coaches for modeling the power of team and further developing our culture of learning.
The Harvest International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Community Project launched last week through Individuals and Societies classes. Thank you to Rosalinda Hurtado and Leo Fajardo for letting Jenny Banta and Julie Jones coach up our 8th grade students on the purpose of the project, the idea of a “ripple effect of kindness”, project requirements, and sample project. As an IB World School, the Community Project demonstrates that we value students serving and acting on their knowledge, developing as IB learners, and applying skills through the design cycle. If you want to learn more about the Community Project, check out the Community Project blog for up-to-date information.
Next week the Healthy Kids Survey will be administered to our 7th graders. This is survey taken yearly that focuses on the school climate and mental health of our students. When looking at results from HMS and the trends across NVUSD from 2015-2016, there is a noticeable increase in suicidal thoughts, chronic sadness, and anxiety. Last week I participated in a short activity that made me think about the mindfulness of our students and the impact it has on their emotional wellbeing and academic success. In AVID Excel, the class stopped for a brain break. Students took 2-3 minutes to participate in an AVID stretch; as a class they used their bodies to spell the acronym “AVID”. In the photo, they are stretching to form the letter “d”. They took a break from their note-taking to energize their body. As I participated with them, I felt re-energized as well. With 8 periods and long blocks, I encourage you to think of ways to not only connect to kids and help students connect to school, but also focus on the whole child through mindfulness. If you want more information about brain breaks or mindfulness, ask one of our AVID Excel teachers.
Billie Donegan often reminds me that “high yields takes high maintenance”; this is true of student led conferences. Thank you for taking time to prepare students to have a very powerful conversation with their family. Student Led Conference requires that students reflect on their current level of knowledge and application as well as set goals for their future levels. Thanks to your hard work with International Baccalaureate, our students have a common language for sharing. As I walked around, I heard students say criterion, formative, summative, ATL skills, and Managebac. Consistency in language and predictability allows our students to be more successful. Also, we have a grading system that reflects learning and growth. I am proud to be at a school where staff believes in coaching up kids through multiple opportunities to learn and grow. Proud to be an #IBHawk!
