“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
— Maya Angelou
Dear Staff,
Happy Sunday! We hope you all have enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating weekend. There has been a lot of sadness in our community this week. People we love and care about are hurting. It is times like this when we come together to support each other that mean the most. Please continue to wrap your love and support around the Steward family, as well as sweet Terry Rumburg. I have been trying to do a better job of living in the moment and showing those around me how truly grateful I am for the role they play in my life and others. Each of us has the ability to care. Each of us has the ability to make someone’s day, week, or life with an act of kindness. I am trying to keep this at the forefront of my thinking, as kindness, gratitude and caring all begin with us.
Monday, March 2, is Read Across America Day. This event is to promote reading among children of all ages. The NEA (National Education Association) hopes to motivate kids to see the joy in reading. The hope is that it is not just one day a year that we promote joyful reading, but all year long! In the past, Read Across America has highlighted the work of Dr. Seuss, the event is even celebrated on his birthday. However, recently there has been much controversy around the work of Dr. Seuss. I know that over the past few weeks we have had conversations with many of you about Dr. Seuss, how to celebrate this day, and thoughts around how to use his books. If you are like me, you grew up reading Dr. Seuss. You have used his books to teach many children to read. Until recently, I thought Dr. Seuss was a pretty amazing author and person. However, after much reading and research I, along with the NEA, have shifted my perspective on what I think about him and his books. When I first learned about the research surrounding him, I felt a little defensive on his behalf. How could this possibly be? An author that I have known and loved my whole life is not who I thought he was. We have his books in our home, I have read them to my own children as well as countless others over the years, and I always make a point to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas every single year! The articles I have been reading have made me stop and think. They have stirred up a lot of emotions in me that have caused an internal battle and dialogue with myself, along with many of you. I think part of me has felt shame, because it made me question have I been doing something wrong all these years? I think part of me felt defensive, as I have grown up loving these books. I think part of me felt confused, as this new information did not match what I had thought to be true for a very long time. Just this week author Katie Kelly posted an article that helped me reframe my thinking and lay all those internal questions and dialogues to rest. I will share it below so that you can read it as well. In the article it states,
“I get it. You grew up on Dr. Seuss. I did too! It’s probably safe to assume that most people did and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But we have to recognize that two things can be true at the same time:
Dr. Seuss is a prolific children’s book author and global icon. And Dr. Seuss has a history of racial baggage that educators should understand when introducing his writing to their students.”
The sentence, “two things can be true at the same time,” really hit home with me. If you know me, you know that I love books, especially children’s books. I am not the person who would ever ban books. What I do believe is that books, especially children’s books, can teach us all something young and old. I think that is why I love them so much. I whole heartedly believe that children’s books should serve as windows and mirrors for children, and as authors Katie Kelly and Lester Laminack suggest, books can act as doors. A door to open that facilitates action and change.
Do I think we should get rid of all Dr. Seuss books, and never use them again? No. Do I think that we should use his books as avenues to change? Yes. I think many new doors can be opened as kids read Dr. Seuss in the future. I think important conversations should and need to happen around his work. The NEA has gone as far as to rebrand their image/logo. They have moved from Read Across America Day that tends to be Dr. Seuss Day, to a day that celebrates reading diverse books that celebrate all people across our country. Isn’t that what we want for students? To read books that help them think about new ideas, insights or perspectives that lead to critical thinking and new ways to think about the world around them.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to live in a country and work in a school where I have the ability to have hard conversations about hard topics with people I love dearly. I am honored that I am allowed to express my opinions and know that the person or people who receive my thinking knows that it comes from a place of deep love and care for children, and from wanting to always learn, grow and get better. I also appreciate the fact that we work and live in a place that allows each other to think differently about ideas and we are able to share them with one another knowing that it is safe and comes from a place of goodness. I value the conversations I have had with many of you about this topic over the past few weeks more than you know. When you think about something or have done something for a long time it can be hard to change our mindset. However, the thing I love most about our school is the fact that ALL children come first to all of us. Thank you for your commitment to our school, our mission and vision and most importantly to children. Have a great week, and enjoy Read Across America Day tomorrow. Reading is the key to our children’s success and future!
Much love,
Leslie
Professional Development:
Please take a moment and check out this article that really helped frame my thinking from Teaching Tolerance:
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/its-time-to-talk-about-dr-seuss?fbclid=IwAR38i5HTPzn_WD1zft1qwqt3GhbQRQF5n1Est1pP7p2kMTQvBJM5SyUPn_A
Check out this article titled, If Not Seuss, Then Who?
Read Across America: If not Seuss, then who?
13 Ideas to Celebrate the NEA’s Read Across America Day
13 Big Ideas for Celebrating NEA’s Read Across America
The research article by Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens about Dr. Seuss and his books.
Week at a Glance:
Monday
Tuesday
McClare to Huntersville Oaks
Wednesday
7th Butterfly Project Field Trip
K-7 Staff Meeting – ALL Staff need to meet in the MS Media Center at the beginning of the staff meeting to receive the NC Teacher Working Conditions Information.
Thursday
2nd Grade Field Trip to Children’s Theatre
4th Grade Sharing Dress Rehearsals
Laurels Service Learning (Belnap)
Friday
4th Grade Mountain Sharing
Spirit Friday Elementary
Juli Out
Admin Weekly Schedule:
Other Important Tidbits and Reminders:
NC Working Conditions Survey – The survey will kick off on March 2nd and will extend throughout the entire month of March. At our next staff meeting on Wednesday, Mr. Hoover will be supplying you with a personalized code to access the survey. Please make sure you do not lose this code and that you complete this survey in a timely manner. It is critical that we have 100% participation, and lost codes cannot be replaced. Thank you for understanding the importance of this!
Loop Curriculum Information Surveys (K-5 Lead General Ed Teachers Only) – The Admin Team is preparing to analyze current units of study for each grade level (K-7) in order to work on vertical alignment, and we wanted to make sure we had accurate, up-to-date information from each team of teachers. Please fill out this survey (sent via email on 2/18/2020) as a team during one of your common planning periods and submit by March 6, 2020. (We only need one submission, so you all can do this together during your common planning time with one person filling out the survey). Thank you for your help with this! Let us know if you have any questions.
EOG Test Dates
(All of these can be found on the CSD Master Calendar)
5 and 8 Grade Science – May 11th
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Reading – May 12th
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Math – May 13th
Make Ups – May 14th
EOG Prep and Review Window
As you know, at CSD we strive to teach meaningful, relevant, and purposeful integrated units of study all year long using the latest research-based instructional strategies. Then 6 weeks prior to the EOG, we teach our students how to take the test. The 6 week review and test prep window begins on March 23rd this year. That means that all assessments and groupings should be done prior to that day. Please let us know if you have any questions.
EOG Resources Available
Coach Test Prep Materials (2020) – This year we ordered all new test prep materials that are fully aligned to the current NC standards and EOG tests. We expect teachers to make good use of these materials during the test prep window. To read more about the Coach materials we have purchased, click
here.
Study Island – We have purchased this program for students to use both in class and at school. Just like the new Coach materials, it is aligned to state curriculum and tests. Study Island is a wonderful differentiation tool for your students, so make sure you are using it appropriately. If you need any help with this program or have any questions at all, please reach out for help. To read more about how to use/access the Study Island program, click
here.
In closing, we want to reiterate that EOG’s are only ONE measure of student growth given on ONE day. We want to make sure we keep testing in perspective, however, we also want to do all in our power to make sure our students are prepared and parents are informed. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns along the way. Thanks for all you do to help students feel good about themselves and reach their full potential! You guys are the BEST! We will be reaching out in the next few weeks during team planning meetings about EOG Review and Prep. Please let admin know if you need anything or have any questions at all. We are here to help!
Click here to view the Staff Meeting Dates and Topics for 2019-2020 School Year.
Click here to view the Flag Schedule.
CSD K-7 Week Ahead Memo 