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STAFF NEWS AND NOTES

NUTS & BOLTS


24 EDITION 24, ISSUE 7 Wed., Oct. 26 Thurs., Oct. 27 Fri., Oct. 28

October 21, 2011 21,

KUDOS - To our colleagues, who attended last evenings PTA/PAC meeting. Annually I ask everyone to set aside one night to attend a PTA/PAC meeting (we only hold 5 during the course of the year). Our PTA always comes through and provides funding and support for many of our programs. Giving up an evening to attend a PTA/PAC meeting to show our appreciation for the PTAs support is not a lot to ask. Thanks for attending last nights meeting go to: Seth Harris, Aaron Haacker and Mary Lancaster. - In the omitted kudo department, to Stacey Angell, who participated in the Saratoga Palio Half-marathon back on Sunday, September 18. Stacey was inadvertently omitted from the list of participants. Congrats, Stacey, on competing in the half-marathon and sorry for the omission. - To Shannon Dunbar, who provided an excellent science lesson to the world via live streaming video feed this past Tuesday. While Shannon was certainly the star of the show, thanks also go to Gary Cimorelli, who provided the much needed technical support. Thanks, Shannon, for stepping up and demonstrating some of the current usages of our technology hardware. Thanks also for the time and effort that went into preparing a very interesting 4th grade lesson for the world to see! - To Dave Wallingford, who again this year is spearheading our peer mediation program. Eight students were trained by Pete McManus and Joan VanSlyke this past Tuesday and are now almost ready to go with serving our students mediation needs. One more training day is set for the 26th! Thanks, Dave, for your interest in this very valuable program and for the effort that it takes to prepare the training and schedule the mediations. It truly does benefit our students and our school! - To Kristina Gabriele and Melissa Brandt, co-advisors to the Student Council, for todays 7th Grade Student Council elections. As with the 8th grade elections held in September this is an excellent way for students to involve themselves in a democratic process by actually running for office. Thanks, Kristina and Melissa, for your efforts in providing this opportunity for our school and for our students!

2:30 pm Guidance Department Meeting Peer Mediation Training - MPR 1:30 pm Administrative Counsel Picture Retakes Wear Pink Day Spanish Club Field Trip to NYC 7:00 pm PTA Halloween Dance

A STRONG DISCIPLINARY APPROACH A former Sergeant, having served his time with the Marine Corps, took a new job as a school teacher, but just before the school year started he injured his back. He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasnt noticeable. On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in the school. The smart alecks, having heard the new teacher was a former Marine, were leery of him and decided to see how tough he really was before trying any pranks. Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, the new teacher opened the window wide and sat down at his desk. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he picked up a stapler and promptly stapled the tie to his chest. Dead silence He had no trouble with discipline that year. CHARACTER TRAIT ASSIGNMENT Oct. 24 28 PE/Health/Music Oct. 31 Nov. 4 English Nov. 7 10 Social Studies Nov. 14 18 Science Nov. 28 Dec. 2 Math Dec. 5 9 Art/Tech/H&C Dec. 12 16 Foreign Language Jan. 3 6 PE/Health/Music Jan. 9 13 English Jan. 23 27 Social Studies Feb. 6 10 Science Feb. 13 17 Math Feb. 27 Mar. 2 Art/Tech/H&C Optimistic Self motivated Persevering Thrifty Gracious Ambitious Courageous Resourceful Joyful Kind Patient Tolerant Honest

YEARBOOK INFORMATION We are very excited to be working on the SJHS Yearbook this year! Students love seeing their face in the Yearbook, so we are asking for your cooperation in making this happen. We encourage you to let us know in advance when your club/musical group/athletic team is having an event and we will come and take some photos. Or, if you prefer, snap a few photos yourself and send them to us. We would love to get fall sports photos taken before the season is over! Thanks for your assistance in making this yearbook a wonderful memory for all. Steph Majewski, Aaron Haacker and Mary Lancaster ARTISTIC DESIGNER NEEDED We have an opening in our musical personnel list for an artistic designer. In past years, Tim Secord and more recently Aaron Haacker have served in this capacity. If you are interested in being artistic designer for this years musical please let R. Moore, Mr. V. and/or Dianne Hobden know. GRADE CONVERSION ANOMALY An email from earlier this week. We added (minuses) to letter grades beginning this fall. We also publicized to faculty, students (via the student handbook) and parents (via the first newsletter) the new letter grade to GPA conversions. For example, 92 is no longer an A, its an A-. Previously the 92 would have converted to a 4.0 GPA grade, now the A- converts to a 3.7 GPA. No problem, seems pretty straight forward. You may want to stress this difference to 8th graders, however, as their grades last year were converted differently. A student last year who received a 92 earned the aforementioned 4.0; this year that 92 is a 3.7, and it will keep students off the High Honor roll. Please explain this to students. This is not the curious part, however. For all courses that carry high school credit (Integrated Algebra, earth science, studio art and all 8th grade foreign language classes), the numeric grade to GPA conversions are slightly different. In short, this conversion does not take into account the (minus) difference. The 92 example used previously would still be a 4.0 GPA when converted. This is how it has always been and its not going to get changed in the near future as this is how the high school conversions are computed. So, you could have a student earn a 92 in Spanish 8, which would convert to a 4.0 GPA, and a 92 in math 8, which would convert to a 3.7. Very interesting; when explaining to 8th graders the grading change mentioned in the previous paragraph you should explain this phenomenon as well. I anticipate that we will get questions from parents who notice this difference. The easy explanation is that we cannot change the high school credit bearing course conversion, but we, as an entire faculty, support the addition of (minuses) and how it affects student GPAs. It also may lead to a good discussion about changing the existing grade conversions for hs credit bearing courses. After all, do we really think that a 91 and a 99 should earn the same GPA??

PM BUS SUPERVISION ZONE #1 ZONE #2 ZONE #3 ZONE #4 CAF E. Kaplan E. King M. Kerr M. Kittell K. Gabriele People are reminded to be on duty on a daily basis to make sure that supervision is provided.
ALL STAFF MEMBERS ARE REMINDED THAT THE BUS SUPERVISION IS AN ASSIGNED DUTY AND IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR ALL STAFF MEMBERS TO BE WHERE ASSIGNED DUTY; IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ARRANGE FOR REPLACEMENT PERHAPS BY SWAPPING WITH A COLLEAGUE.

LONG-TERM CALENDAR OF EVENTS Fri. Oct. 21 Grade 7 Student Council Elections Mon. Oct. 24 7:30 PM BOE Meeting Loudonville Fri. Oct. 28 School Picture Make up Day Wear Pink Day Spanish Club Field Trip to NYC 7:00 PM PTA Halloween Ball Fri. Nov. 4 7:30 PM Drama Production Sat. Nov. 5 7:30 PM Drama Production Sun. Nov. 6 Daylight Savings Ends 2 PM Drama Production Tues. Nov. 8 No School - Election Day Workshop Thurs. Nov. 10 Newsletter Posted 7 PM Music Faculty Recital - Auditorium Fri. Nov. 11 No School Veterans Day Mon. Nov. 14 End of First Marking Period Tues. Nov. 15 Mike Donahue Presentations 7:00 pm Mike Donahue Parent Presentation Fri. Nov. 18 PTA Activity Night Mon. Nov. 21 7:30 PM BOE Meeting Forts Ferry Tues. Nov 22 Open School Day Nov. 24 Nov. 25 No School Thanksgiving Holiday Thurs. Dec. 1 7:30 PM Concert #1 Fri. Dec. 2 Bus Drills Mon. Dec. 5 Bus Drills Wed. Dec. 7 7:00 PM PTA/PAC Meeting - Library Thurs. Dec. 8 7:30 PM Concert #2@ SHS Fri. Dec. 9 Newsletter Posted Tues. Dec. 13 7:30 PM Concert #3 Thurs. Dec. 15 7:00 PM Studio Art Show 7:30 PM Concert #4 Fri. Dec. 16 5-Week Interim Point Student Council Activity Night Mon. Dec. 19 7:30 PM BOE Meeting @ SJSH Library Tues. Dec. 20 Hall Geography Bees Mon. Dec. 26 Mon. Jan. 2 No School Holiday Break

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Mon. Oct. 24 7:30 pm Tues. Oct. 25 1:00 pm

BOE Meeting - Loudonville Administrators/Counselors

GERMAN OKTOBERFEST The German Club will be celebrating Oktoberfest with the High School German club next Wednesday October 26th. This year it will take place at the High School in the Taft dining hall after school from 2:30-3:30pm. Please mark your calendars and stop by for a visit. The students always love seeing their teachers attending cultural language events. It's going to be a lot of fun!

SJHS 2ND ANNUAL WEAR PINK DAY The Climate Committee invites you to help us support breast cancer awareness by wearing pink on Friday, October 28th. Please not only wear pink yourselves, but also encourage our student body to wear pink as well. A morning announcement will be running soon and we will be posting reminders around the building. Thank you all in advance for your support! BUILDING COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES October 17, 2011 - LMC 3:15 Present: R. Moore, D. Savery, Mary Beth Nichols, Colleen Gassett, Mary Kay Lowe, Omar Williams, Colleen Corcoran, Colleen Gassett and Holly Blau 1. Dress Code Follow-up The Dress Code has been in place for several months and seems to be going well. Most students seem to be following the dress code. We just need to continue to stay on top of monitoring students in order to keep the rules fresh in the students minds. Bullying Follow-Up Dawn Savery reported that the Stand Up Committee (formerly known as the Stop H8 Committee) has met several times over the last month and are planning a variety of activities to be held in the near future. They are as follows: There is currently a radio competition taking place whereby parents and students take a pledge to stop bullying in their school. The school that has the most on-line sign ups will have the premier of a video being made at Adirondack Extreme regarding bullying shown in their school. We will inform parents of the contest. Also, up to 30 students from each school will be able to take part in the taping of this video. Mike Donahue will be presenting a variety of programs here at the Junior High in an effort to get the stop bullying message out. He will put on two separate assemblies for the students as well as small group discussions and a parent assembly Other activities the committee is working on include a mix it up day, color days, and poster contests. 7th Grade final exams and GPA - The following items were discussed: The 8th grade grading system is now similar to the high school grading system, so now the concern is what to do with the 7th grade final exam. At present, the 7th grade midyear exam counts as a double test grade in the 2nd quarter grade and the final exam serves as a stand-alone grade. The two options under consideration are: 1) Figure in the final exam the same way the midyear exam is figured in. 2) Average the final exam in with the 3rd and 4th quarter grades for a 2nd semester average. New Business Some parents have expressed a concern regarding how easy it is to just walk into the school without being confronted by a buzzer at the door or a front door monitor. Dr. Moore assured the group we do have front door monitors during the day, but there are definitely gaps before and after school, as well as between classes as teachers switch duties. Any suggestions on how we can tighten up the monitoring of people coming into the school are welcome. Our next meeting will be held on Monday, November 14, 2011 - Minutes will be taken by Holly Blau - Snacks will be provided by Colleen Gassett UPCOMING IMPORTANT EVENT! We are very excited to inform you that our Junior High has partnered with South Glens Falls to secure an outstanding motivational speaker for our school community. Mike Donahue, author of Reinventing My Normal, Hidden Scars, and Talking to Brick Walls, and owner/director of r5 Productions, will be speaking to our students on Tuesday, November 15th about making good choices, coping with pressures, and walking a mile in another persons shoes. In addition, he will host leadership groups during the day. He will do an hour long presentation to each individual grade level, as well as a Parent Information night for our North Colonie community. The evening program is designed to educate parents about more effective ways of communicating with their teenagers and the risks of social profiling, bullying, etc. Mr. Donahue has spoken at numerous area schools, been featured on WTEN news, and his direct approach is well received among students. In his presentation, he has been described as someone who relates well to kids without patronizing them and who really walks the talk. He also provides a follow up curriculum to reinforce his message. For your planning, the assembly schedule (high school auditorium) will look like this: Assembly #1-8:30-9:30 am. Norris 7, Norris 8, Houston 8, Clay 8 Assembly #2-9:45-10:45am. Calhoun 7, Calhoun 8, Houston 7, Clay 7 This will be an INCREDIBLE event for our students and for us as well. READING STRATEGIES FOR CONTENT AREA TEACHERS The Common Core State Standards emphasize the need for all teachers to teach literacy. This is not to be interpreted as all teachers must teach their students how to read. It does indicate that all teachers must ensure that all their students are able to access the content within their subject area. Many students will come to these areas being able to access the content, while others will need to be continually supported to use appropriate strategies before, during, and after reading. Listed below are some strategies that teachers may find helpful with those particular students as well as with all.

Before Reading Activating background knowledge. Students can be taught how to use their prior knowledge of the reading topic to more easily understand the content. Being aware of text structure. Students can be taught how to review the text in terms of print features, layout, and illustrations. They can recognize the language and the literary features of the text to determine whether a piece is narrative and expository text, which will cause them to adjust their reading rate. Setting a purpose for reading. Students can be taught how to identify their own purpose for reading a particular text. This will again help them to adjust their reading rate. Skimming, scanning for specific information, or reading to recall details at a later date all require the student to read differently. Predicting the text content. Students can be taught how to use the information they already know, in conjunction with the text structure, to predict what they will be reading about. Reviewing and clarifying vocabulary. Students can be taught word-solving strategies to use when they encounter a new word in order to better understand its meaning. Teachers can be of great assistance in pointing out new vocabulary for units of study in a concept map (graphic organizer) prior to students reading the text. During Reading Self-monitoring. Students can be taught how to be aware of when the text is not making sense to them and to stop and repair their thinking by reading or discussing the text with another person for clarification. Visualizing. Students can be taught how to create pictures in their minds as they read to help them to construct details, which leads to comprehension. Summarizing. Students can be taught to stop and think, during their reading, about what they are reading and what is taking place in the reading. Confirming or rejecting predictions. Students can be taught how to revise the predictions they made prior to the reading, while reading. They should be able to locate evidence to support or modify their predictions within the text. Identifying and clarifying key ideas. Students can be taught how to reflect upon what they are reading. They may need assistance in clarifying the main points and distinguishing between important and less important information contained in the text. Questioning. Students can be taught how to use the text to answer literal, inferential, and critical types of questions posed by the teacher. After Reading Recognizing if the purpose was met. Students can be taught how to think back to the before-reading process and decide if their purpose was met and what to do if they did not accomplish that goal. Paraphrasing. Students can be taught how to interpret and restate the authors ideas, and to rewrite the main ideas in their own words. Identifying main ideas and details. Students can be taught how to identify the important facts and/or concepts and how to use that information to identify the main idea of the text. Making comparisons. Students can be taught how to compare and contrast information within a text and between texts. Making connections. Students can be taught how to make connections from their own lives and/or their readings to construct meaning. Drawing conclusions. Students can be taught how to use text or visual clues, and their background knowledge, to determine logical conclusions. Summarizing. Students can be taught how to give a brief statement about the main parts of the text, story, or chapter. They can be taught to organize the important information from their reading. Analyzing. Students can be taught to make judgments about what they read and support their opinions using information from the text. Before Reading Activating background knowledge Being aware of text structure Setting a purpose for reading Predicting the text content Reviewing and clarifying vocabulary During Reading Self-monitoring Visualizing Summarizing Confirming or rejecting predictions Identifying and clarifying key ideas Questioning After Reading Recognizing if the purpose was met Paraphrasing Identifying main ideas and details Making comparisons Making connections Drawing conclusions Summarizing Analyzing

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The wise judge by what they see, the foolish by what they hear. Anonymous

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