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STAFF NEWS AND NOTES

N U Ts & BO l T S
24 EDITION 24, ISSUE 15 Thurs. Dec. 22 Fri. Dec. 23 Mon. Dec. 26 Tues. Dec. 27 Fri. Dec. 30 Mon. Jan. 2 CHARACTER TRAIT ASSIGNMENT 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 Mar. 5 9 Foreign Language Mar. 12 16 PE/Health/Music Mar. 19 23 English Mar. 26 30 Social Studies Apr. 2 5 Science Apr. 16 20 Math Apr. 23 27 Art/Tech/H&C Apr. 30 May 4 Foreign Language May 7 11 PE/Health/Music May 14 18 English May 21 25 Social Studies

December 16 2011

KUDOS - To our Builders Club and co-advisors Erin Mailloux and Trina Schanz for the hat and mitten drive that seems to be succeeding quite successfully! Many of the hat and mitten combinations that have been received are hanging on the Giving Tree across from the Main Office. This initiative is in addition to the Adopt A Family program that is also ongoing. Thanks Erin, Trina and everyone associated with this hat and mitten drive for getting some much needed warmth to our community members who are less fortunate! - To our Stand Up Committee for Wednesdays Wear Black Day to Black Out Bullying, one more step in our buildings initiative to raise everyones awareness of bullying and harassment. And you probably noticed many students and adults wearing black to participate in the Black Out Bullying Day! Thanks, Stand Up Committee including Tracy, Stacey, Tracy, Lisa and many others for your ongoing efforts! - To our Student Council and co-advisors Kristina Gabriele and Melissa Brandt for this evenings 1st ever Dodge Ball Tournament!! There are a total of 6 adult teams and 19 student teams vying for the crown and the title of Dodge Ball Champion of Shaker Junior High School 2011. This should be a fun night for all involved, as well as for everyone who is there to observe. It will also serve as a very successful fundraiser for Student Council, which is working to finance the new aquarium that we have we have added to Junior High School, as well as other very well deserving projects. Thanks, Kristina, Melissa and everyone else associated with helping out at tonights Dodge Ball Tournament Fiesta! - To our music department colleagues Desiree, Dan, Erin, Omar and Mr. V. for todays annual pilgrimage to Colonie Center to entertain the holiday shoppers. This is a great performing opportunity for our students and it also is great advertisement for Shaker Junior High School. A lot of time and effort goes into preparing, organizing and moving our performing groups to the Colonie Center; it is akin to a military maneuver! Thanks music department for your initiative and efforts. All of our students and our school certainly benefit! - To our art department colleagues for the great art show held last evening before the concert! Congrats and thanks to Mary, Jenn, Aaron and Paul for providing this opportunity to our students to showcase their talents! Great Show! - To everyone for all of their support and the various generous gifts that have been presented to Melissa Brandts family. Melissa thanks you for all of the support she has received and has left a note of thanks in the main office to show her appreciation! Thank you!!

Interim Reports Mailed 1:30 pm Administrative Counsel 2:30 pm Annual Staff Get Together - Library Holiday Concerts School Closed All Employee Holiday School Open 7 am 3 pm School Closed All Employee Holiday Resourceful Joyful Kind Patient Tolerant Honest Thankful Polite Considerate Generous Cheerful Loyal Sympathetic Patriotic Trustworthy Fair Cooperative

SET DESIGNER NEEDED We still have an opening in our musical personnel list for a set designer. If you are interested in either or both of these position please contact Mr. V. and/or Dianne Hobden for information and let R. Moore know. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT TO VISIT As part of the SINI improvement process Kathy Skeals, our Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, will be spending a significant amount of time in our building. Kathy is visiting to refamiliarize herself with our school structure, practices, programs, instructional approaches, etc. She will be visiting a variety of classes during each one of her visits to our school. Yesterday Kathy spent 2 hours plus in our school dropping in on various classrooms. Her future visits are: Date Tuesday, December 20 Time 8:00 am 11:30 am

ADOPT A FAMILY STILL NEEDS HELP SJHS has officially adopted 3 families to provide a more positive holiday season for these families. We need to reach out to all of our faculty and staff; as we have done in the past, many people need to stepp up and purchase one or more items for our adopted families. You can help this year, as well. Stop by the faculty room, you will see the needed items listed on the wall. Feel free to take as many as you would like. When you purchase the items please attach the ornament to the items so we will know which family and which member of the family it will be provided to. Thanks in advance to everyone for helping out. Thanks especially to Dawn Savery, Phil Coughlin and Erin Mailloux (and her son, Cameron), who organizes this on an annual basis. MID-YAR EXAM SCHEDULE FINAL DRAFT
JANUARY 2012 MON. 2 NO SCHOOL 9 Foreign Lang. Speaking Assess. Contd 16 NO SCHOOL (MLK Day) 23 Foreign Lang. 7/8 In Class 30 TUES. 3 Foreign 10 11 WED. 4 THURS. 5 Language 12 Science 8 Part 2 (In Class) 19 Social Studies (1 hrs) 26 FRI. 6 Assessment 13 Studio Art 11 am-2 pm 20

PM BUS SUPERVISION ZONE #1 ZONE #2 ZONE #3 ZONE #4 CAF J. Weiss H. Barner D. Leventhal D. Burke J. Basile 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. Dec. 16 5-Week Interim Point Performing Groups Gr. 8 Field Trip to Colonie Center 7:00 pm Dodge Ball Tournament Mon. Dec. 19 7:30 PM BOE Meeting @ SJSH Library Tues. Dec. 20 Hall Geography Bees Select Chorus to Our Lady of Hope Thurs. Dec. 22 2:30 pm Annual Staff Holiday Party Fri. Dec. 23 Annual Holiday Concerts Mon. Dec. 26 Mon. Jan. 2 No School Holiday Break Wed. Jan. 4 Ski Club Week #1 Tues. Jan. 10 2:30 pm Building Geography Bee Wed. Jan. 11 Ski Club Week #2 Mon. Jan. 16 No School Martin Luther King Day Wed. Jan. 18 Ski Club Week #3 Wed. Jan. 25 Ski Club Week #4 Fri. Jan. 27 End of the 1st Semester Quiz Bowl Competition DODGE BALL TOURNAMENT!!! TONIGHT!!! The Student Council will be holding the 1st Dodge Ball Tournament for both faculty and students!! The evening should prove to be a very fun time. Come out and see various colleagues and students get smacked about the head and shoulders with a dodge ball; it should be fun for the entire family! CALENDAR OF EVENTS Mon. Dec. 19 Kringling Day #1 Tues. Dec. 20 Kringling Day #2 Hall Geography Bees after School Select Chorus to Our Lady of Hope Periods 5-8 Wed. Dec. 21 Kringling Day #3

17 Foreign Lang. 7/8 In Class 24 Math 7/8 (2 hrs)

18 Eng 7/8 (8:15-10:37) 25

Earth Science (2 hrs) Science 7/8

27 End of 2nd Quarter

(Mid-morning break?) QUIZ BOWL (Fri, Feb 17)

(1 hrs.) 31

ZIP IT PLEDGE PLEASE EVERYONE NEEDS TO DO THIS!!!!! WE CAN WIN $500! You can do this ONCE for EVERY email address you have!!!! Most of us have school and a personal account! Do Both! Encourage spouses and family members-it does not matter where we live! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Go to this website: http://www.adirondackextreme.com/zipit Scroll down to TO PLEDGE Fill in all pertinent information-choose Shaker Jr. High School and submit. Log onto your emailand click the link to activate your pledge. Adirondack extreme website will pop up indicating that your pledge has been activated.

HOLIDAY GET-TOGETHER SIGN-UP Food is needed for our annual Holiday Get-Together. If you would be willing and able to provide an edible food item for the December 22nd gala, please complete the following form and return it to Russ Moore. It will be returned to you on Wednesday, December 21st as a reminder. I, _______________________, do hereby pledge and bequeath that I will provide the following food item for the December 22nd PAR-TAY! I realize that the food must be here by 2:30 PM in acceptable eating condition, no bites taken! ______________________________________ (Food item) ******PLEASE RETURN TO RUSS MOORE ASAP. THIS FORM WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21st ****** HIGH HONOR, HONOR, MERIT ROLLS DATA Following are the comparative data for the first quarter of the 2011-2012 school year and the previous three years as well. HIGH HONOR, HONOR, MERIT ROLLS 1st QUARTER DATA
High Honor Gr. 7 Calhoun 4 20 Calhoun 40 45 Calhoun 14 11 Clay 8 11 Clay 40 35 Clay 25 24 Houston 11 5 Houston 34 42 Houston 6 20 Norris 16 8 Norris 44 35 Norris 16 23 Total #/% 39/9.6% 44/ 9.6% Total #/% 158/38.9% 157/34.2% Total #/% 61/ 15.0% 78/17.0% Grade 8: 459

HOLIDAY GET-TOGETHER Our annual Holiday Get-together is scheduled for Thursday, December 22. We will meet in the Library beginning at 2:30 pm. This is a good opportunity to end a very busy holiday season. Laugh, converse with your friends, have some good food. It is also a time when Kringles identify themselves to their Kringlees. Please consider providing a food item for this annual gala. Complete the form on the top of this issue, and return it to R. Moore. It will be returned to you next Wednesday as a reminder. LOCKER CLEANOUTS SCHEDULED Annually we schedule specific days for each hall for locker cleanout allowing students an opportunity to empty their lockers of the detritus that accumulates so quickly. We have scheduled the locker cleanouts as follows: Monday, Dec. 19 Clay Hall Tuesday, Dec. 20 Calhoun Hall Wednesday, Dec. 21 Norris Hall Thursday, Dec. 22 Houston Hall DECEMBER 23 CONCERT SCHEDULE Our annual Holiday Concerts for students will take place on Friday, December 23. The schedule for the day is as follows: Period 2 Houston 7 & 8 Period 3 Calhoun 7 & 8 Period 4 Clay 7 & 8 Period 8 Norris 7 & 8 Please let one of the building administrators know ASAP if there is a problem with this schedule. MID-MORNING BREAK FOR STUDENTS?? Many years ago we used to conduct mid-morning breaks for students on a very regular basis. Over the past several years we have gotten away from that, however, we do need to provide students with opportunities, tangible opportunities that are directly linked to good behavior. An idea is to conduct a mid-morning break and a suggestion has been made to hold it on Friday, January 27 the last day of the first semester. This may or may not be a good day for such a mid-morning break. Please think about it and let one of the building administrators know your thoughts?

Gr. 8 Honor Gr. 7 Gr. 8 Merit Gr. 7 Gr. 8

Enrollment: 1st Quarter 2011-2012

Grade 7: 407

FOUR YEAR 1st QUARTER COMPARISON

Gr. 7 2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 2007-2008 Gr. 8 2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 2007-2008 High Honor #/% 39/9.6% 108/24.4% 127/27.8% 99/20.8% 104/21.8% High Honor #/% 44/9.6% 111/24.6% 97/20.3% 84/17.0% 96/21.0% Honor #/% 158/38.9% 154/34.0% 129/28.4% 125/26.3% 134/28.0% Honor #/% 157/34.2% 126/27.9% 137/28.8% 142/28.8% 132/28.9% Merit #/% 61/15.0% 29/6.5% 45/10.0% 58/12.2% 61/12.8% Merit #/% 78/17.0% 62/13.7% 66/13.9% 81/16.4% 60/13.1% Total #/% 258/63.4% 291/65.7% 301/66.3% 282/59.4% 299/62.6% Total #/% 279/60.8% 299/63.9% 300/63.0% 307/62.3% 288/63.0%

INQUIRY TEAM MEETING - 12/14/11 Attended: K. Ring, A. Favro, L. Carroll, M. Mitchell, R. Moore, D. Savery 1. Dr. Moore explained the purpose of the Inquiry Team: accessing, understanding and using data to improve learning for an underperforming group in a specific academic area. The team is also charged with monitoring any system level changes. Meeting calendar: The Inquiry Team will meet monthly. Dr. Moore discussed different instructional and/or programmatic changes being looked at to address the SINI status in the area of ELA. Proposed after school program. Looking at literacy instruction in specific programs. Specific strategy instruction. Literacy across the curriculum. Use of data. We would like to have the Inquiry Team focus on math, since the same special ed. subgroup did not meet AYP this past year. The team discussed NWEA process and the roll out of that data. We will have two more administrations this year. We are not sure if NWEA will provide the information we want/need. For the next NWEA administration we need to inform students of what the process is and that it is meant to frustrate students at some point. RIT scores are nationally normed while the DesCartes/framework is aligned with NY State standards. Data can be useful to address learning deficits. Data can be useful to differentiate instruction. It would be important to record which skills and strategies are being addressed and what the data shows regarding growth. There was some concern about the validity of student results. We discussed having the team look at the building data to identify areas that should be addressed and bring back to the departments. We also need to bring a general overview to the faculty and follow up with specific training over the summer.

TWO-YEAR 1st QUARTER COHORT COMPARISON

Gr. 7 2010-2010 Gr. 8 2011-2012 High Honor #/% 108/24.4% High Honor #/% 44/9.6% Honor #/% 154/34.0% Honor #/% 157/34.2% Merit #/% 29/6.5% Merit #/% 78/17.0% Total #/% 291/65.7% Total #/% 279/60.8%

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UPDATED LINKS On our Junior High site on the district web page, there is an updated link with bullying information. The link has been renamed to something like Be an ALLY to Others, and Stand Up! You can access it through the Junior High home page, as well as the Guidance link. Anywaygo check it out and encourage others to do so as well! There is a lot of information there for parents and studentsLet me know your thoughts and feel free to pass any interesting articles and links along. Stacey Angell will be continuously updating this page with up to date and relevant information.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK I doubt whether the world holds for any one a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream. Heywood Hale Broun