Erin Ipock had some very good questions concerning start/end times-- bus routes--intervention time-- teaching minutes. Here was my reply--I will also put teaching minutes in your mailboxes by tomorrow morning.
I LOVE this blogging!!!
We are having the students come to class at 7:50 because we have to have time to do roll before specials start. Instruction will begin at 8:00. I am not asking teachers to stay at school any longer that the other buildings--- our time in the building is the same as other buildings. Teachers will need to be at school at 7:30 and will be able to leave at 3:30. Duty teachers will get to school at 7:15 and will be able to leave at 3:15. (Last year teacher time was from 7:00 until 3:00-- same amount of time that we will have this year).
Yes we are going to have 30 minutes of intervention time between the bells for next year. What exactly this will look like will be decided by your PLC team.
The reason that we went with the new start/dismissal time schedule at the beginning of the year was due to busing and also so that the parents can make arrangements for year long child care. I don't think that morning traffic will not be a problem for us in this building--it may be inconvenient until we get to the new school.
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Branson Intermediate School
8 comments:
Thanks Susan for clearing all that up! Welcome to the Blogging world!
That really does clear up a lot. I guess my next question then is this: Will the students be released from the gym at 7:40 and the tardy bell will ring at 7:50 so that we can take attendance, etc. by the time we have to go to specials at 8:00? If so, then I will only have 10 minutes in my room in the morning until the students start showing up. If they aren't released from the gym until 7:50, then I will have to have my kids to specials at the same time the tardy bell rings... no attendance, no lunch money, no notes for the office, etc. Neither one of those options sound that great to me. From a 5th grader's perspective, I think I would be thinking, "You mean I have to go to school for 50 minutes a week more than my older brother and little sister? That's 36 hours more over the period of one school year! Not fair!" I don't know. Maybe I should just stop playing devil's advocate, and just stop questioning. I'm sure things really will work out, I just want to be fully confident that we've all really thought through all of the logistics. You know?
Thanks for asking Erin. I was wondering, myself, how all of this was going to work . I must be thinking like a 5th grader, as well as my hubby, because we are both wondering why our building is the only one not going 7 hours exactly. Wait...the high school goes 7 hours and 1 minute.
Also, who is going to be in charge of the alternative recess? I see this as a giant gab fest on the track seeing as how once the kids are on the other side of the track, they are really not going to care what they are supposed to do (I am saying this from experience). I personally think they would respect, say, an assistant principal (hint, hint) more than us. Also, what happens when we move to the new building and there is no track? Do we interrupt coaches' gym time???? Just a few things to ponder that I have been pondering myself.
Gary said to say that he misses Memphis Mr. Page. I think you know what he means:)
Erin--
More good questions. The students will be dismissed from the gym at 7:45 with tardy bell at 7:50. You will have time to do attendance, etc then send to the 8:00 special if you have one scheduled.
I really don't think that the 10 minutes will be an issue with the students. I may be wrong, but in the past years they have been at school during that time frame anyway-- it will just be in the classroom not the gym or lunchroom.
With anything new I am sure that we will have to tweak somewhat--- but I don't anticipate any serious problems.
Thanks-- Susan
Kelly great questions. As far as alternate recess is concerned, this is a teacher driven activity. The fifth grade people have decided to have the same teacher handle alt recess, which will lend itself to consistency. I will be doing lunch room duties. Teachers, you are in charge of this! Let students know up front that talking will not be permitted. Let students know that if they choose to talk they will be given an additional day and recieve a phone call to their parent by the principal. After stating this if a student talks, give them another day as promised and let Susan or I know we need to call the parent. Failure to comply results in moving along the discipline chain. Most likely it will only take handing out one extra alt recess and the rest of the group will comply.Know that Mrs. Bell and I fully support you and want to see this intervention be successful. Keep the comments coming we love them.
Just had to say that I love this extra form of communication everyone! You all have such great questions, and this gives us another avenue to talk through those in. :) Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Mr. Page
5th grade: group 1 has decided to have one person do alt. recess duty because someone volunteered. The second group has not yet made a decision on this.
While having the kids in the rooms at 7:50 means we're with our students 10 extra minutes, we're doing what is best for our students. Without that extra time the kids would go straight from the gym in the morning to their special area class. Even at this age level our kids need a consistent start to their day. Can you imagine the chaos that would take place daily because they couldn't remember whether they were supposed to go to music or PE at 8:00? Can you imagine how many notes wouldn't get turned in? How many of our students look to us as the most positive adult in their world and look forward to seeing us every morning? What about the liability if coach had to leave the kids alone in the gym to do his attendance on his computer in the office? I don't have specials first thing in the morning this year, but I know that if I did I'd be grateful to have that small amount of time to get the day started "right." 5th graders, if they figure out they're going "longer," might grumble a little, but if the reality of the plan to send them straight to a different special daily were to happen, they'd probably feel quite differently. As the adults, sometimes tough decisions have to be made in the best interest of the students. Thanks Susan for making the tough call to start us at 7:50.
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