Presidents’ To-Do List December 2012

Action Items:

  1. Teacher Membership   Extension to the 100% Teacher membership you have to have your staff signed up and paid for by January 25th and the application form sent to state. Form here
  2. Going for Gold?  This is the membership level that shows 10% increase over last year ending number.
  3. State on-line learning representative if you are interested here is the link and contact Bill Williams.
  4. Teacher websites please give feedback to teachers and cc the principals with positive comments and ways to improve a website as you are the users and have a good understanding of the needs.
  5. Training please have the discussion with your elected members on training requirements who still needs to attend the midyear conference and those who you would like to encourage to attend as potential board members.
  6. Transport to Focus Day if you would like to ride a bus to Olympia please contact Betsy with a “Yes” and how many riders or “No”.
  7. Online-signups for TMHS please contact Suzie if your local unit board would like to help out.
  8. Nominating Committee training as mentioned at the meeting it will take place on the 29th January at the school district offices.
  9. Legos and Duplos please for ACT contact Becky if you want to get them out from under your feet.
  10. Reflections please e-mail Dawn with your 12 finalists. She needs name, grade and division so she can make a programme as dazzling as the invites.

New Information

  1. Facilitator training Betsy is organizing this but pencil in the
  2. How to email your members. Have asked state for an easy guide so will send early next week.
  3. IB readers for Skyline if you would like to read and comment on an essay please contact Deb Smith before 1st February
  4. 4 homework questions

Homework guiding questions

The Issaquah School District’s policy states: Homework, as an extension of the classroom, must be planned and organized; must be purposeful to the students; and must be evaluated and returned to students in a timely manner.  Homework may be assigned for one or more of the following purposes:

  • Practice – to help students to master specific skills which have been presented in class;
  • Preparation – to help students gain the maximum benefits from future lessons;
  • Extension – to provide students with opportunities to transfer specific skills or concepts to new situations; and
  • Creativity – to require students to integrate many skills and concepts in order to produce original responses.

The purposes of homework assignments, the basis for evaluating the work performed and the guidelines and/or rules should be made clear to the student at the time of the assignment.

With that foundation:

  1. Do you believe this policy is in practice in our classrooms?
  2. When is homework a valuable learning tool? When is it not)
  3. Do you believe that currently the amount of homework your child receives is appropriate?
  4. What weight should homework be given in a student’s overall grade?

Best Practice Moment

December

  • Start to pull together and vote in your Nominating committee
  • Golden Acorns Awardees should be starting to be found so we can nourish them into mighty oaks.
  • Plan for a financial review in January as well as June/July