Next Week is Spring Break! I hope you all have a fantastic break doing things that make you happy, with people that build you up and you return for the hectic end of the year rejuvenated and ready to go!
I am including things here for the week we return because I don't want to write one next week. 😆 So from here on out, you could stop reading and just save it for a bit if you wanted!
Hear Ye, Hear Ye
- This week one of our former students came down to share some awesome news about how far she has grown and that she is ready to be even more independent at school! She (as well as her dad) wanted the Elementary staff to know how much they appreciate all of the teachers and staff for helping her to get here. She told me that her dad would tell her stories about things she did in the elementary and her exact words were, "Why did I DO that?!" If you know who IVB is and had the pleasure of working with her, please know that you made a difference in her life!
- Whew! Forward Testing is mostly in the books! I know that this is a stressful week for kids and the routine is off for so many that thrive on consistency. Thank you for all you have done to make this as easy and smooth as possible for our students. Your efforts have definitely been noticed!
- I watched First Graders participating in their PLTW module by analyzing different types of wings that birds have. I love the hands on nature of these units and how they were able to explain which motion required more energy!
- Shout out to Ella and Betsy that have been very flexible for the last two weeks especially but also the month before with the unexpected staffing shortage in their hallway/department. They have both stepped up and helped out with students and been patient and compassionate throughout each day! Thank you both!
What's Happening at Dodgeland?
- Monday, March 30
- Happy Birthday Brad!
- Wednesday, April 1
- Happy Birthday Steph N!
- Sunday, April 5
- Happy Birthday Mandy!
- Monday, April 6
- Your Future Starts Now! Wear your school spirit or colors!
- Act 20 testing starts (ORF, Vocabulary, etc)
- HOSA Fundraiser at Pizza Ranch
- Jr. Coach Meeting 9:45-10:10am
- Morning Duties:
- Blacktop/Playground - Caine-Arnes, Schulte, Fortmann
- Breakfast - O'Toole, Schuett
- 3K/4K playground - Chambers, Braunschweig
- Lunch Duties:
- 12:00 - Stampfl
- 12:30 - Vertz
- 1:00 - Tietz
- PM Duties:
- Blacktop/Playground - Juech, Klink
- Circle Drive - Betsy
- New Para Duties for April
- Breakfast: Longfield, Lexi
- PM Circle Drive: Eneida, Uttech
- Tuesday, April 7
- Your Future is Bright! - Wear sunglasses and bright colors
- Run for State @ 8:15am
- Social Media Posts due to Jenny: Juech, Cook
- Para PD meeting @ 3:15-3:45pm in IMC
- Election Day
- Wednesday, April 8
- Dress for Success - Wear a nice outfit you would wear to an interview
- Lunch Detention Supervisors: Wagner, Juech, Neis
- Talent Show entries are due
- Staff Meeting at 3:15pm in IMC
- Thursday, April 9
- Be all you can Be - College apparel or Green/Camouflage (Military)
- Jenny at Cesa until 1:15-1:30pm
- PD Pop Up about The Art of Digial Reading in IMC from 3:20-3:45pm
- Friday, April 10
- What do you want to be - Dress for your dream career
- Career Parade @ 8:15am
- Jenny and Teresa in a meeting from 10:30-11:30am
Nitty-Gritty
- System Maintenance
- Next week during Spring Break, the Tech Team will be working on system maintenance. If you are in the building to work (especially on Tuesday), please plan accordingly as there may be technology disruptions throughout the week.
- Forward Testing Update
- Most of our 4th graders have completed the Forward exam, so we will not need to change the schedule for specials, recess, etc. for the building on April 7. I will still be doing make up testing that week for any that are left, but that will be only a handful of students. Please disregard the April 7 specials schedule on the original document!
- Act 20 testing
- Starting on April 6, the literacy AimsWeb assessments need to start being given to students. The assessments need to be completed by April 17. All students in grades 2-3 should complete the ORF and Vocabulary subtests. Students in 4K need to complete the Initial Sounds subtest. 5K and 1st grade students need to complete all of the Early Literacy subtests. See this document HERE for the exact subtests for them. Math subtests can be completed starting on April 20.
- Room Reservations/Event Planning
- If you have an event that you will be using a specific space for in the building, please make sure that you have completed a Room Reservation request. If in doubt whether you should complete it, just fill it out to make sure that the custodial and Tech department are in the loop as well as Kimi for the District Calendar. This includes the Spring Concerts, 5K graduation, field day, etc. Whatever we can do to help with communication, will ease confusion and stress later! Thank you!
- College and Career Week
- Thank you to the committee for putting together another awesome week for our students. The dress up days and the many activities for the week were in their email. If you want to reread any of the details, the link is HERE. Also, see below in the Behavior Specialist section for a place to note any guest speakers that you will have visiting that week!
- Author Visit Book Sale
- Attached to the calendar will be a flyer to order one of our Visiting Author's books. The form will be due by Friday, April 10 so that the books can be ordered and delivered before her visit on April 17. I will also be adding this to Dojo as well.
ML Information
Finishing Strong: Reflecting & Refining for Our Multilingual Learners
We’ve officially entered the final stretch! For our Multilingual Learners (MLs), the fourth quarter is a vital time to bridge the gap between "learning the language" and "mastering the content."
As we navigate these last few months, let’s focus on solidifying their growth through strategic review and intentional looking ahead.
🔄 Review & Reteach with a Language Lens
Now is the time to revisit the "big ideas," but remember: re-teaching isn't just repeating. If a concept didn’t click the first time, it might have been a linguistic barrier rather than a cognitive one.
Multimodal Magic: If a concept was taught through text, review it using visuals, infographics, or short video clips with captions.
Interactive Word Walls: Don't just look at the walls—use them! Have students categorize existing vocabulary or play "I Spy" with academic terms.
Structured Talk: Use sentence frames and starters to help MLs explain a concept they learned back in October. Giving them the "how" to say it unlocks the "what" they know.
🛠️ Reflect & Refine
Take a moment to look at your students' language proficiency data.
What stuck? Celebrate the academic language they are now using naturally.
What’s still fuzzy? Identify the specific "language of the discipline" (e.g., the way we use "table" in math vs. ELA) that needs one more pass.
Refining means tweaking your scaffolds. Are they ready for a little less support, or do they need a more specific tool for the final project?
🚀 Looking Ahead: Building the Bridge
We want our MLs to walk into the next grade level feeling like scholars. Focus on transferable skills:
Metacognition: Teach students to recognize which tools (dictionaries, graphic organizers, peer buddies) help them most.
Confidence Boosters: Highlighting their growth in English—and their home language—builds the stamina needed for the challenges of a new grade level.
ML Tip: Use "Total Physical Response" (TPR) during your reviews this month. Connecting a physical movement to a complex vocabulary word is a high-impact, low-stress way to ensure long-term retention.
Behavior Specialist Information
Please make sure to enter any guests coming in to speak about their careers HERE.
HERE is the information for College and Career week. Pennants were placed in your mailbox. Watch for an email for the parade details Friday at 8:15.
Recess Information
Junior Coaches will meet Monday, April 6th from 9:45 - 10:10 in the PLTW lab. Please have them bring their snacks.
Playground Evacuation
Please review the procedures in the event we need to evacuate the playground. There is no drill currently planned, but it is always good to review periodically.
TechKnow Tip
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Friday Funny
