Ladies and Gentlemen, the weekend.

Whew, what a week! If you are on Twitter and don't follow @CraigWeekend, you need to start now.

It's been a crazy week. Thanks to Lori, we have the bulk of iPads out in classrooms. I know we'll be dealing with one-off issues throughout the week. But I'll be able to be much more responsive than I was this week. Please email me with your issues/missing devices and I'll add you to the queue. My goal is to have every student fully operational by midweek. 

I'll also be able to really start planning out activity opportunities. So next week's blog is going to be full with information, including a brand new bingo board. If you are familiar with my world famous "Christmas Movie Bingo", then you know what to expect.

I had a blast today making buttons with every kindergarten student. We made "about me" buttons. Let me know if you are interested in a visit next week. 

Instructional Tech ideas
I'm ready to be used in your classrooms. Here are a few things you may want me to teach or help you out with:

• General "we got a lot of issues" support - schedule a time for me to come down and troubleshoot everything
• Seesaw - get started with activities
• Apple Classroom - get your students enrolled
• Using QR Codes
• Something else you want to do! 

Geodes
Yes, we do have the Geodes books for your reading instruction. No, they aren't all ready for checkout. But they can be. If you are planning on using the Geodes, please give me a day or two to get them ready. Just email me the level you want and I'll get it prepped for you. We should be able to work through all of them now the iPad purgatory is about over. 

Chicken Schedule
I got a late start on the flock care schedule. Here's what I have scheduled so far. I'm pretty sure more of you have talked to me, but I've forgotten. So email me if you are interested.
    Week of August 30 - Ms. Hickcox
    Week of September 6 - Ms. Guillory

Website Updates
The district is requiring staff pictures on our websites. So I'll be in the process of adding your pictures. Please email me a classy picture (I'm assuming they want a headshot and not you standing in front of a sketchy Volkswagon van) via email and I'll update the pages. I'd love them before next Friday. 

Library Checkout
If you teach in grades 2-5, please have your students bring their iPads to library checkout. We will be learning how to search for books and place holds next week during checkout time.

Media Class
From this point forward, please bring your iPads to Media class. Mandy will be getting students enrolled in Apple Classroom this week and will be reviewing iPad expectations. 

Grade Level Meetings
Team leaders, please email me the day/time you are meeting as a team. I'd love to get those on the calendar so I can start finding ways to help integrate. 

Have a great weekend!

Game time!

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I wanted to give you a few updates before Monday. Please, please, please test out your connection to your flat panel, sound, and touch display if you haven't already!! As always, find me if you have any questions. 

iPad distribution
I still have work to to prepare devices. Currently, I'm short on iPads and am waiting for more to be sent over by technology services. My goal is to have them already enrolled to students before passing them out but I'm running short on time. If you are dying to have them, contact me so I know and can move you to the top of the list. I'd love to help distribute the iPads with you to help with the process of connecting to wireless. But if the schedule doesn't allow, I can walk you through it. 

Library Checkout
I shouldn't have been surprised to find out Lori's shady behavior has warranted a background check. So even though she's taught for 47 years in CPS including as recently as June 30, she can't start on Tuesday. Hopefully we will get clearance really soon. I will cover classes on Tuesday and Stephanie will be here Wednesday through Friday. 

Your students do not need to bring anything for library this first week. If you are coming from the main hallway, line up along the windows. If you are coming from the Kindergarten side, have your line leader stop by the bulletin boards across the hall from the doors. Stephanie, Lori, or myself will meet the classes in the hallway. We will use the carpet for read aloud and mini lessons. I will have you choose students to sit on the couch or blue chairs during whole group time. Students will be assigned tables after checking out based on their classroom seating. So please bring your seating chart on the first day. I'll have the tables numbered so it's easier for students to remember where to go. We'll have teachers dismiss the class to lineup so you can use whatever system they're used to. 

Grade level activity in The Fishbowl Monday
I'm asking for your help in customizing our Makerspace. We have set out stations for all grade level teams to create a custom piece for the space. We'll be adding the word "CREATE" to the upper windows facing the hallway. Each grade is responsible for one letter. You'll find a piece of foamboard set out for you. Your task is to cut out and decorate your assigned letter. Please make it as large as possible, but it's up to your team to decide if it's upper or lower case, basic or fancy font, positive or negative. Maggie laid out a large variety of objects on the kidney table for you to use. Here are your assignments:

C - Kindergarten
R - First grade
E - Second grade
A - Third grade
T - Fourth grade
E - Fifth grade

Flock care
I'm looking for a class who'd like to help out with the chicken the first two weeks. Let me know if you are interested. I'll be visiting the flock at 9:00 Monday morning if you'd like to take a look at how we gather eggs and replace the food/water. And if you help, you'll get free eggs! 

See you Monday!

Back to School Yelling Session

Welcome back! Larry said I had thirty minutes to yell at staff. Because most of what you'll hear
will be soon be forgotten, here's a rundown topics I'm covering...

The Team
Stormi Pryor - Lover of powdered doughnuts
Stephanie Criblez - Nicest Media Center staff member
Lori Huhman - Just working for beer money 
Carl Robinson - Building technician

Communication
I try to write a blog post each Friday. My goal is to keep your inbox clean by summarizing information and sending it out at the end of the week. I'll only send out blasts if the info is critical. If you don't read my posts, you won't know what's going on and your kids will miss out on opportunities...

Checkout Schedule
Library checkouts will be available Tuesday through Friday. This year will feature a friendly competition to determine checkout times. Visit the media center Wednesday morning from 9-11 to partake in a fun game set up by Jake. Best score will get first pick of times. Worst score will pick last. Fun! Checkouts will start on day 1 unless you want to wait. But why would you? Come pick up a library return cart from the media center. Have your students decorate it and you could win $50 to the next book fair! 

Library checkout is not release time. It's important to have all hands on deck to support their browsing and for active supervision. I'm still working on details for how the process will work this year in regards to Covid protocols. I'll send out directions later this week. 

Collaboration
My job is to support your instruction. I will attempt to get back to meeting with grade level teams each week. No, I will not be talking at you. I'll be there to listen to what's going on, offer integration ideas when applicable, teach you new skills you are curious about, share updates if needed. If I know what you are teaching, then I can better support your students. Team leaders, please let me know what day/time you'd like for me to join you. 

Schoolwide Literacy Focus
For those of you who weren't scared off by Larry, you'll recall we instituted several vertical activities such as Friday announcement read alouds, "The Masked Reader", and "March Reading Madness". We loved how many students in different grades talked books with each other. Here are some things we have in motion...

• Monthly genre/author/topic focus
• "Book a Day" board will be making a comeback. Prizes for those classes/students who participate.
• "Mark Twain Nominee" book groups with 4th/5th graders.
• Student book recommendations in Destiny
• Other ideas from you!

What have I put into it for this year?

• I purchased $950 worth of Flipster magazines (The Week Junior, Zoobooks, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Ranger Rick Junior, Girls' World, Baking Heaven, How it Works, Cobblestone, Brainspace, All About Space, Eco Kids Planet)
• I purchased $1300 worth of new books for the library
• I submitted a $2000 grant proposal for additional eBooks and audiobooks for Sora (fingers crossed!!)

I'm asking for your help in supporting the resources that I've put into our program. Epic is fine and all, but there so much good content in Sora and Flipster. You'll be hearing us promote it frequently, you'll start to see posters in the hallways, but we need you to be a promoter as well. 

Makerspace - The "Fishbowl"
Our new and improved (and hopefully permanent for as long as I'm here) Makerspace is ready for action. I'm envisioning starting with three ways to use it:

1. Monthly maker challenges
2. Daily "open lab" times for grade levels
3. Special integration projects for grades/classes

Visit with your grade level team sometime Thursday or Friday for a super-duper fun activity! You'll be tasked with making an item to display in the Fishbowl. Plan on 30 minutes or so. 

We will continue with STEAM checkout kits. Look for information in a few weeks. 

The Flock
A classroom rotation will be set up to care for the chickens this year. Look for an email signup from me later this week. Once signed up, I'll work with your class to make the process as smooth and clean as possible. I'll also reach out to classes to help with more involved coop maintenance once the year gets going. Nikki, you'll be in charge of performing chicken physicals. 

Bookroom

Reminders about how to use the bookroom:

1. Walk to the bookroom located in the art hallway (I can give tours to our new folks)
2. Select the books you want. Grab the chapter books or the entire bag of books.
3. Walk to the library to check them out. This step is important. I will be looking at weeding materials every year so if they aren't getting checked out, I won't know you're using them. If nobody is there, either leave a post it on the materials (Rachel is a pro at this) or you can write your name and the barcodes on a post it. 
4. Use them in the classroom
5. Put all the books back in the bag and put the papers so everyone can easily see the front. 
6. Return to the blue crate located just outside my office door.

Important: if you are skipping step 3, do not bother to return them to the blue crate. Put them back on your own. I don't want to spend time shelving materials you didn't bother to check out :)

Technology
Ready, set, go...

• I will meet with your teams later this week about iPad distribution
• iPads labels for all with passwords for K-2
• Charging solutions
• Plan for taking home or not
• Students in grades 3-5 will be required to change passwords. I'll work with Stormi to handle that process in Media. You'll get their password information once it's changed. We'll set a convention for each grade to help them remember. 
• There is no computer lab. We have two laptop carts
• One will be housed with Stormi for Media class needs
• The other will be available for classes to checkout for use
• We won't be able to support handing out loaners to students who don't have iPads, so we'll figure that into your iPad take home plan
• Seesaw - I haven't received any updates on how classes will turn over for next year. I'm working on getting information.
• I need to check out all teacher devices. At some point Thursday or Friday, bring your iPad and laptop to me to check out.
• If you need your laptop imaged, bring it to the Media Center with your name and room number on a post it. Carl will get to them as soon as he can. 

Tech Integration Training
I know that teachers new to CPS don't get any real training anymore. I'm thinking we'll tackle your learning a few different ways.

• Grade level meetings
• 1 on 1 walkthroughs
• After school technology specific training, probably on a set day of the week
• Upcoming sessions in the media center:
• Thursday 1:00 - Getting families connected to Seesaw
• Friday 1:00 - Apple Classroom

Outdoor Learning Spaces
A reminder about all the outdoor learning spaces that are available to you:

• Outdoor deck classroom near the fourth grade wing - look for a schedule for sign up
• Folding chairs
• Buckets, lots of buckets

Composting
Yes, we will continue our composting project. Emily is in charge of putting the compost bins back together. If students eat in the cafeteria, it will all be done there. Look for information for students to join the "CRE Green Team" to help support our sustainability efforts in upcoming blogs. Might I suggest telling room parents that we don't support single use plastic bottles??

I'm done