** ALSO AVAILABLE ON INFINITE CAMPUS **

STAFF NEWS AND NOTES

NUTS & BOLTS

24 EDITION 24, ISSUE 18

January 13, 2012 13,

KUDOS - To our colleagues who have served so well on the SINI review committee and our Building Inquiry Team. While mentioned at the faculty meeting on Monday these teachers involvement is crucial to both processes and, without their willingness to serve, in little of substance would be accomplished. On the District SINI review committee, Christina Froehlich and Mary Kate Englat have provided excellent direct thoughts, perspectives and ideas to the process. So much of what will come out of our Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) will be directly related to instruction and having Christinas and Mary Kates perspectives and thoughts on instruction is invaluable. The CEP will truly benefit our instructional program overall. Thanks also to Amy Favro, Liz Carroll and Kathleen Ring for the time spent on our Building Inquiry Team. I believe that we are the only school in our District that has a Building Inquiry Team up and running. All three (along with 8 of their colleagues!) spent time this past Wednesday in a workshop learning how to best utilize the NWEA data that has been generated. Two more administrations of the NWEA in math and ELA will take place; being able to analyze student results and identify trends in need of additional attention will prove to be invaluable to our school. In a bigger picture, the Building Inquiry Team is beginning the process of helping all of us analyze data in a formative way to improve our instructional approaches. Thanks to everyone for their much needed efforts! - To the Social Studies Department and Superintendent Joe Corr for this past Tuesdays building wide Geography Bee. The Bee was well organized and run by the department and Joe served as an excellent Master of Ceremonies. Thanks to all for this annual opportunity for our students! - To Gracene Sirianno, who agreed to come back and fill in this week as the nerve center of the school. With Lisa out Tuesday Friday and Deb out Thursday and Friday, both for medical reasons, it is necessary to have someone in the main office who knows what is going on!! Gracene certainly fits that bill well as she understands all of the little pieces that need to be fitted together to make our school run smoothly on a day to day basis. Thanks, Gracene, for your willingness to help out in a much needed situation!!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Mon. Jan. 16 No School Martin Luther King Holiday Tues. Jan. 17 Foreign Language 8 In class 2:30 pm Guidance Department Meeting Wed. Jan. 18 English 7/8 Mid-Year Exam Special Schedule 2:30 pm PST Ski Club Week #3 Thurs. Jan. 19 Soc. Studies 7/8 Mid-Year Exam Sp. Schedule 7:45 am Science Steering Committee Meeting 2:30 pm BERT Meeting MPR 3:30 pm Math Steering Committee Meeting Fri. Jan. 20 No Special Events Scheduled CHARACTER TRAIT ASSIGNMENT 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 MID-YAR EXAM SCHEDULE JANUARY 2012
MON. 16 NO SCHOOL (MLK Day) 23 Foreign Lang. 7/8 In Class 30 TUES. 17 Foreign Lang. 7/8 In Class 24 Math 7/8 (2 hrs) WED. 18 Eng 7/8 (8:15-10:37) 25
Earth Science (2 hrs) Science 7/8

Kind Patient Tolerant Honest Thankful Polite Considerate Generous Cheerful Loyal Sympathetic Patriotic Trustworthy Fair Cooperative

THURS. 19 Social Studies (1 hrs) 26

FRI. 20

27 End of 2nd Quarter

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

(1 hrs.) 31

ZONE #1
D. Chouiniere

PM BUS SUPERVISION ZONE #2 ZONE #3 ZONE #4

B. Christiansen L. Coluccio P. Coughlin

CAF
S. Demarco

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. Jan. 13 Studio Art Final 11 am-2 pm Mon. Jan. 16 No School Martin Luther King Day Tues. Jan. 17 Foreign Language 7/8 In Class Wed. Jan. 18 English 7/8 8:15-10:37 am Ski Club Week #3 Thurs. Jan. 19 Social Studies 7/8 8:29-10:00 am Mon. Jan. 23 Foreign Language 7/8 In Class Tues. Jan. 24 Math 7/8 8:29-10:37 am Wed. Jan. 25 Earth Science 8:29-10:37 am Science 7/8 8:29-10:00 am Ski Club Week #4 Fri. Jan. 27 End of the 1st Semester Wed. Feb. 1 Ski Club Week #5 Thurs. Feb. 2 New York Voices 7:00 pm PTA/Pac Fri. Feb. 3 7:30 am Coffee with the Principal Wed. Feb. 8 Ski Club Week #6 Fri. Feb. 10 Newsletter Posted 7:00 pm The Show Fri. Feb. 17 Quiz Bowl Feb. 18 - 19 Set Building Weekend Feb. 20 24 No School

MID-YEAR EXAMS Friday, 1/13 Studio Art 11:00 2:00pm Monday, 1/16 NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Day Tuesday, 1/17 Foreign Language 8 In Class Wednesday, 1/18 English 7/8 Period 1; 8:15-10:37 Testing; 5 6 7 3 - 4 Thursday, 1/19 Social Studies 7/8
Period 2; 8:29 10:00 Testing; 4* 5 6 7 8 9

Monday, 1/23 Tuesday, 1/24 Wednesday, 1/25 Thursday, 1/26 Friday, 1/27 *Not a full period

Foreign Language 7/8 In Class Math 7, Math 9R, Math 8 Period1; 8:29 10:37 Testing; 5 6 7 3 - 4 Science 7/8, Earth Science
Sci.: Pd 2; 8:29 9:53 Testing; 4 5 6 7 8 9 Earth Sci: 7:45 9:53 Testing; 4 5 6 7 8 9

Open Day Open Day, Last Day of 1st Semester Mid-morning breaks!

Tests are scheduled to end at the times listed. If, for some reason, the ending time changes we will announce it via the PA. Keep in mind that 7th grade mid-year exams are to be counted as a double test grade in the 2nd quarter; 8th grade mid-year exam grades should be stand alone grades, i.e. not counted additionally in quarter 2 or 3. ATTENDANCE INFORMATION While Sue is out Janet Grant will be filling in for her Monday Thursday each week and will NOT have access to email...so if you dont mind contacting the attendance office via phone/voice mail or even notes in Sues mailbox it would be greatly appreciated!!

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? Friday, January 27 7:45 8:00 am 8:05 8:20 am 8:30 8:45 am 8:50 9:05 am 9:15 9:30 am 9:30 9:45 am 10:00 10:15 am 10:20 10:35 am Clay 7 Clay 8 Calhoun 8 Norris 7 Norris 8 Houston 8 Calhoun 7 Houston 7

category and try to find it there. When you do, Open the assignment and change the due date to the correct quarter, you MAY have to open EACH section in order to get this part to move over so it is a bit time consuming, about 2 minutes per missing assignment. Good News There are however, SOME nice perks to the new format. 1. We no longer need to click on lesson planner for assignments; now its actually called Assignments. Once there click on Create assignment and enter name, abbreviation and CLICK the periods you want it listed for (no more copying assignments for multiple class!!!!!!). REMEMBER to enter a DUE DATE! AND then scroll down to select Quarter Grade. This is where you pick the category (i.e. test, quiz) and enter point value. Be Sure to hit SAVE If you enter ONE CLASS AT A TIME. You may hit Save & Scorewhere you can EASILY enter grades & COMMENTS!!!!!! This is a lot easier! When looking at the assignment list for a class you may have noticed a (27/27) or something similar next to the assignment this is NOT the point value it is how many kids are in the class, and how many grades you have entered so 27/27 means all of the kids are accounted for, 0/27 means none, and 15/27 means only some etc.. We also wanted to let you know that a couple of people are still running the old version of IC. If you are still using the old version, the grade book states that you are saving when you are NOT!! Be careful! A very easy way to double check that you have a new version is to look above the green section of your grade book. It should be labeled in progress. Above the yellow section it should be labeled posted. A couple of people needed to get safari and java updated before their computer could run the new version. Just a heads up!

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QUIZ BOWL NEARS: MODERATORS NEEDED Our annual, Quiz Bowl has been set for Friday, February 17. Moderators are needed. If you would be interested in serving as a moderator, please let R. Moore know.
A proposed schedule is: Per. 1 Calhoun 7 vs. Clay 7 Per. 2 Houston 7 vs. Norris 7 Per. 3 Houston 8 vs. Calhoun 8 Per. 4 Grade 7 consolation Per. 5 ------------Per. 6 Clay 8 vs. Norris 8 Per. 7 Grade 8 consolation Per. 8 Grade 7 Championship Per. 9 Grade 8 Championship Moderator ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ _Omar Williams______ _Omar Williams______

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If there are conflicts/problems please let R. Moore know ASAP. New questions are always helpful! If you have any, please write them clearly on a 3 x 5 card, question on one side, and answer on the other side. Label questions as to grade 7 or grade 8. Questions requiring only short, single responses are best! NEW YORK VOICES The North Colonie Friends of Music is pleased to present a special concert: The Grammy Award winning New York Voices will perform in the Shaker High School auditorium on Thursday, February 2nd, 7:00 p.m. The ensemble features soprano and North Colonie alumna Kim Nazarian. Kim grew up in Loudonville and fell in love with singing while a student in Ned Fleischer's Shaker High School chorus. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College and co-founded the New York Voices in 1987. The vocal jazz quartet will be backed up by a jazz trio and perform music from a variety of genres. They will feature North Colonie student singers on two selections. The concert is a fundraiser for the North Colonie Friends of Music's piano project. Tickets are $25 for reserved seating, first come-first serve. For more information, see the district's website: www.northcolonie.org For more information on Kim and the New York Voices, go to: www.newyorkvoices.com **We are very fortunate to have the New York Voices visit Shaker Junior High School during the day on Thursday, February 2. They will be in our school for a 10:00 AM concert to all chorus members; that is all students that are in 7th and 8th grade chorus. The concert will take about 45 minutes 1 hour. Please mark your calendars Thursday, February 2, 10:00 AM New York Voices on site. IC CHANGES The following are changes that have been implemented since IC has changed. 1. Using the Abbreviation NO LONGER lists your assignments in order! The Due Date that you typed in is the ORDER. What this means is if you type in several items at once (i.e. 5 assignments) you MUST include the due date in the order that you listed them in your grade book in order for them to be in the order you want them to be in. If you type in more than one assignment for a due date, it will then default to Alphabetical Order for the assignment name, and then to the abbreviations we are used to. If you cant find an assignment for this quarter, click on assignments, narrow down your search to the appropriate

Turned in feature With the 2012 version of Infinite Campus in place, teachers can now see that they can mark an assignment as turned in but not yet graded. The purpose is two fold, this helps the teacher track assignments that will be graded at a later date (for example, a project) and it will notify parents and students in the Portal that the teacher received the assignment. To-Do-List This feature will be turned on for parents and students beginning with the third quarter. The to-do-list appears under the family and under the individual student in the side bar of the Portal. The to-dolist will provide a summery of all assignments that are due or late for the students. When the to-do-list is selected under the family all students assignments show, when the to-do-list is selected under the student name only that students assignments show. This will provide a summery of the students assignments for all of their classes (in which, grade book is utilized). Again this feature will be turned on beginning with the third quarter. NEW YORK STATE ELA/MATH TESTING CHANGES Yes, SED is at it again! Its January, which means there must be changes being made to our testing program. If you thought this, indeed, you are correct! In the recent past we have received information from SED indicating that the ELA and mathematics assessments will now be administered over the course of three days, not two as initially planned. One positive change is that field test questions are being embedded in the actual assessments. Keep in mind that that does not mean that we will not have to field test additional items, but the majority of the field testing will be conducted via the assessments. Another change is that although the listed testing times are 45, 50, 60 or 70 minutes, and they have been listed as such for this year, school districts must schedule 90 minutes for each session on each day at each grade. Accommodations for extended time need to be based on the 90 minute sessions as well. The ELA testing will be administered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, April 17, 18 and 19. The mathematics test will be administered on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 25, 26 and 27. Stay tuned for more developments!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. Hans Hofmann

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