Today several of our teachers and administrators attended the Fall Innovative Teaching and Technology Conference in Kilgore, Texas.  The event was sponsored by Region 7 and TCEA. The conference was nothing short of greatness. That greatness began with the opening speaker, Randy Rogers, and continued with excellent breakout sessions and presenters throughout the day. The connections made today with attendees will go a long way toward nurturing that greatness in our own students.

Go ahead. Take a BIG bite!

At the risk of taking a recognizable phrase out of context, it just seems fitting here.

With regards to our students and our teachers, “We hold these truths to be self-evident……”  Never forget that You Matter!

If you do not follow Terri Eichholz’s blog, Engage Their Minds, then you should. Recently she made a post that reinforced all of our inservice training by Angela Maiers.  Teachers work every day to help students overcome obstacles. We do this because we love and care for each one, and we acknowledge that each one has genius.  Never forget that You Matter.

This past week, all of our teachers worked so hard to finish instruction and administer the first common assessment to our students. As is the case in most our lives, there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Each one of our dedicated teachers and staff members make a difference in the lives of children every single day.

White Oak ISD is a Title 1 school. We value the bond between parent and school. Because of that collaboration, we want to keep parents informed on the educational front. The Parental Involvement Newsletter is linked HERE. Region 16 is the official site for the parent newsletter and meets Title 1 requirements.

Thank you for your active participation in your child’s education here at White Oak ISD.

http://www.facebook.com/WhiteOakIntermediate

Our campus has its own Facebook Fan Page, and we would like to urge you to visit our page to see the information and resources posted there. If you have a Facebook account, you can click “LIKE” and the posts made to that Fan Page will appear on your Facebook wall.

Please KNOW that you DO NOT need to have any kind of Facebook page to view the wealth of links and resources found on these pages. You will find links to Apps, Websites for Students, Tools for Teachers and Parents, Featured Blog Postings, and much, much, more.

Get quick information right to your phone BEFORE anyone else by visiting our Facebook and subscribing to our posts (by clicking LIKE). We are always working to maintain the best communication with our parents and community.

We are nearing the half-way point of the first nine weeks grading period. Normally, teachers would be sending home student progress reports around the 4th or 5th week of a grading period. However, teachers have been working diligently to teach routines and enjoying getting to know your child. No progress reports will be printed out and sent home for this first grading period. You may expect them to be sent beginning at the half-way point of the second nine weeks grading period.

Remember, parents, because you used the required online registration, each of you have access to your child’s grades at any time with your Skyward Family Access. You are encouraged to login and follow your child’s progress at any time. For any new students who may not have received Family Access login names and passwords, please contact the intermediate office at 903.291.2101.

Image: http://www.scienceclass411.com/2010/02/six-week-progress-reports/

Each grade level will complete universal screeners in Math by September 15th. Screeners are not given for the purpose of a grade, but rather will aide teacher in designing a plan for instruction. The data from these assessments will be used to address strengths and weaknesses in the coming weeks. We want to encourage all student to do their best.

Image: icanread.org

DRA Reading Assessments will begin on Monday, August 31st. These individual screenings will be completed within the next two weeks. The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is an individually administered assessment of a child’s reading capabilities. It is a tool to be used by instructors to identify a students reading level, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Once levels are identified, an instructor can use this information for instructional planning purposes. It will also help our librarian guide each child to choose books on their appropriate reading level for better practice.

Here is some good advice from Apollos Hester. We should take it to heart.