Apr 21, 2016 - Board of Education Meeting .... R.I. Center for Math & Science .... The Quad City Career and Technica
Weekly RIMSD #41 Staff Newsletter April 21, 2016 Superintendent’s Message To prepare high achieving college and career ready global citizens.
Inside: ~ Need to KNOW ~ Teaching and Learning ~ Around the District ~ Community Corner
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RIHS Prom Saturday, April 23 Stern Center Board of Education Meeting April 26, 6p, RIHS Library HELLO DOLLY @ RIHS May 5, 6 & 7, 7 p.m. Medal of Honor Thursday, May 12, 6p Holiday Inn, Rock Island RIHS Class of 2016 Commencement Saturday, May 28 I-Wireless RIMSD Retirement Tea Wed., June 1, 4p RIHS Library Last Day of School June 2: Elem & Jr. High June 3: High School
Send your building information to Communication Director Holly Sparkman at holly.
[email protected] by the end of business on Monday for inclusion into each Weekly Edition of the Rock Island-Milan Lines.
Historically, Rock Island-Milan has been the first school district in the area to take on many new initiatives: choice school, implement balanced calendars, Career Cruising, set up career pathways, educator evaluations, differentiated instruction, higher order questioning, use of informational text to support positions, etc. As career requirements change, we will adapt. For example, we are rounding the corner on one of the new courses implemented this school year at Rock Island High School - the Entrepreneur and Enterprise class. These students have been very busy all year working on their projects. Just as on the TV show “The Shark Tank,” students will be pitching to potential investors the last week of May. It will be very interesting to see where the students take their visions after the classroom. As a school district, our goal is to ensure that all students graduate prepared to be successful in the future. For RIMSD, we recognize that the rapidly changing world means that we must be quick in our ability to change approaches to educational programs and instructional delivery to continually support college and career possibilities. The Rock Island-Milan School District is blessed to have team members on the forefront of innovation so that every student is prepared to be a high achieving college and career ready global citizen. Who knows what types of careers will be available to them 20 years from now? We trust that everyone is keeping their eyes and ears open to trends in education so that we can provide the best education delivery models for each generation that reaches our doors, from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Whatever the future holds, I am confident that the Rock Island-Milan School District will be exploring ahead of the curve and be innovative in adapting courses and instructional practices.
Mike
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The Rock Island High School Spring Musical, HELLO DOLLY, will be on May 5, 6, 7 @ 7:00pm. Tickets are $5 for students; $7 for adults. HELLO, DOLLY! tells the story of everyone’s favorite matchmaker and her quest to bring happiness and security to all who cross her path, including herself. Featuring many of Rock Island High School’s performing theatre artists and musicians, HELLO, DOLLY! is sure to please!
Part of the HELLO DOLLY cast: Jakob Beierlein, Maggie Hinton, Allyson Daniel, Chris Lerch.
Thoughts and Prayers Please keep these RIMSD #41 staff members and their families in your thoughts and prayers: Dolores Swails Bivens, mother of Rhonda Eagle (Frances Willard Elementary) passed on Friday, April 15. Dolores was also employed by the Rock Island-Milan School District and taught at Audubon Elementary for 34 years. Visitation was held on Wednesday, April 20 at Wheelan-Pressly and a memorial mass was held on Thursday, April 21 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Taylor Ridge. Read the obituary online at http://www.wheelanpressly.com/notices/Dolores-WildeSwailsBivens
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Medal of Honor 2016 The Rock Island-Milan School District is hosting the annual “Medal of Honor” Banquet on Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in downtown Rock Island. The purpose of the banquet is to honor outstanding students in our school district who have proven themselves to be all-around good students, good citizens, and caring individuals who bring with them a positive force that helps to influence the school to be a better place to learn and grow. YOUR attendance will make this an extra special event for our students! A reservations form is on the RIMSD staff site at www.rockislandschools.org/riec. Tickets are $20.00 per person, and reservations are due by May 6, 2016. Questions call Kim Colson at 309-793-5900 x210 Denkmann Elementary Melyni Knott Bailey Sholl Olivia Sholl R’Leigha Taylor Earl Hanson Elementary Isaiah Horice Brigitte Pendeza Storm Stern Najah Vesey Eugene Field Elementary Emily Allison Layla Eygabroad Kyi Man Aniyah Seabrook Frances Willard Elementary Eh Htoo Moktani Wema Longfellow Liberal Arts Alexa Avalos Ni Sung Joshua Zetina Ridgewood Elementary Xander George Alaina Muller Ella Munday Rock Island Academy Uda Kimba Omar Marceleno-Alba Jose Mendez Brianna Moreno R.I. Center for Math & Science Mackenzie Brokaw Joseph Brune Kaitlyn Dreifurst Lucas Rettig Jayla Upton
Thomas Jefferson Elementary Kairi Ehlers Rebecca Ferguson Delia Schwartz Edison Jr. High Logan Conner Ignacio Flores Kylie Harrington Hsar Moo Washington Jr. High Caleb Carroll Hannah Close Isabel Drish Jacksen Hansen Aaliyah Houston-Lyle Rock Island High School Sabrina Alt Madison DePover Jacob Ellis Purnee Gurung Myranda Horton Bryce Humphrey Maria Martinez-Hernandez Katelyn McCullough Arviana Miles Karrie Moran Deniza Ndikumana Elizabeth Moore Tre Nimmers Kira Rangel Leslie Rangel Michelle Rangel Sae Tun Doug Wilson Thurgood Marshall Learning Ctr Tiara Jones
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DISTRICT MAILROOM NOTES: New Requisition Form! Plan Ahead!
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Download the new Print Requisition form on the RIMSD staff web site at rockislandschools.org/riec
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VIEW YOUR PAYCHECK ONLINE! Did you know that are able to view your payroll history online? You can print pay stubs, W-2’s, view your attendance, and even simulate what your check would look like if you want to change your tax withholdings or deductions. The link is: https://biz.risd41.org/hrempportal/ep_login.aspx User Name is your social security # Pin is the last 4 of your social security # If you have any questions, please contact Dawn Wolf at 309-793-5900 x 203.
Translations Services for Parents When scheduling parent meetings - keep in mind our diverse community and plan to arrange for interpreters. Theses services are provided to help meet the educational and medical needs as required by the school district. The school district has a full-time Translation Coordinator, Annette Moreno. You can reach Annette at the Administration Center 309-793-5900 x215 or email annette.moreno@risd41. org. The following languages are available to the school district for interpreter services:
Arabic, Burmese, Chin, Chinese (Mandarin), Dinka, Faland, Farsi, French, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Lushai, Nepali, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tidim, Tigrinya, Turkish, and Wolof. The following languages are available to the school district for translation services: Arabic, French, Karen, Kirundi, Spanish & Swahili Translation Request Form ONLINE
http://www.risd41.org/files/curriculum/TranslationRequestForm.pdf
The topic was Kindergarten Transitioning at the monthly Head Start and Preschool For All families meeting last week. They were thrilled to have interpreters there to translate vital information for many of our families that do not speak English!
big rocks: RELATIONSHIPS Below expands on information from Dr. Mike Oberhaus’ In-service presentation on Cultural Competence. For the rest of the quarter, the Rock Island-Milan Lines will publish articles on the topic and training updates. Thank you for continuing to make a difference in RIMSD!
Reaching a Level of Cultural Intelligence Cultural intelligence is related to emotional intelligence , but it goes a step further. People with high emotional intelligence can pick up on the emotions, wants, and needs of others. Those with high cultural intelligence are attuned to the values, beliefs, attitudes, and body language of people from different cultures; and they use this knowledge to interact with empathy and understanding. People with high cultural intelligence are not experts in every culture; rather, they use observation, empathy, and intelligence to read people and situations, and to make informed decisions about why others are acting as they are. They also use cultural intelligence to monitor their own actions. Instead of making quick judgments or relying on stereotypes, they observe what is happening, and they adapt their own behavior accordingly. According to Dr David Livermore, an expert on cultural intelligence and author of the 2011 book “The Cultural Intelligence Difference,” there are four things that contribute to Cultural Intelligence: Drive, Knowledge, Strategy and Action. Drive is your motivation to learn about and adapt to a different culture, as in getting to know people in different neighborhoods or learning a foreign language. Knowledge isn’t about learning a new culture inside out. Rather, it means learning about how culture in general shapes someone’s behaviors, values, and beliefs. Strategy is about planning - if you make a habit of thinking about cultural differences and their impacts, they will naturally feed into your long-term planning. The Action part of cultural intelligence relates to how you behave and being able to think on your feet in situations. At the beginning of April, a cultural intelligence assessment has been administered to the Board Members and all administrators to gauge our level of cultural intelligence. Each administrator and board member received an individual report showing how they scored in the areas of drive, knowledge, strategy and action. Each administrator is developing an individual growth plan to improve in an area of opportunity identifed through an analysys of their individual report. The District is analyzing the summary data to inform future action planning. Overall, raising our level of Cultural Intelligence is at the heart of what we are doing as a school district with our Cultural Competency practices. Cultural competence is our district’s way of gaining a better understanding of the lives and worldviews of our diverse students and families so that we teach all of our students more effectively.
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Officer Williams in Action Proof that positive interactions are key to relationshipbuilding, Rock Island Police Officer and RIMSD School Resource Office Doug Williams makes sure he spends time with students when making his rounds to the school buildings. Whether it’s a scheduled classroom visit or jumping into action on the playground or just crossing paths with students in the hallway, Officer Williams wants interactions with students to be positive. Frances Willard Teacher Brooke Banker commented “It is really neat to see the bond that has been created between him and the students.” One of Banker’s students remarked “I used to be afraid of the police but now I’m not and I like Officer Williams!”
Above: Williams at RICMS with students on the playground Below: Williams visiting a classroom at Frances Willard Elementary
Rocky Art Students Win Awards at Annual Invitational Several Rock Island High School students won scholarship awards last week at the Quad City Arts annual High School Arts Invitational at a recognition ceremony on Thursday, April 14. The exhibit features arwork by 200 high school students AND their teachers and is on display through May 12. Quad City Arts is located at 1715 2nd Avenue in Rock Island. Sophie Taylor won 1st place with a scholarship award for her drawing “Audry,” Iris Johnson won the Don Heggen Memorial award, Faith Mutum won the Juror’s Choice award, Derick Riesebieter won the WIU Award and Shadrake Niyonkuru and Faith Mutum won The Rock Island Art Guild Member’s Selection Award (pictured right with Guild member Jane Koski).
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Art Springs into Schools... Denkmann Elementary recently hosted a Fine Arts Night on Thursday April 14. Teachers and staff coordinated fine arts activities as well as guest artists, musicians, theatrical performances and student artwork on display. Approximately 215 people attend the event! Thurgood Marshall Head Start Teacher Andrea Quinn and assistant teacher Dora Manley, used their theme of the week - recycling - to have students flex their creativity. Students created Recycled Art People using cereal boxes, newspapers, milk cartons and toothpaste boxes.
Head Start Classroom at Thurgood Marshall Learning Center and their recycled art people.
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Rotary Club Honors Students Academic Achievements The Rotary Club of Rock Island announced the selection of the “best of the best” for 2015 in the areas of academics in Rock Island. Honorees from Augustana College, Alleman High School and Rock Island High School were introduced and presented a plaque at a special Rotary Awards Luncheon held on Tuesday, April 14th at the Quad City Botanical Center. Rock Island High School students Adam Cady (bottom right) and Elizabeth Moore (top right) were presented with an academic achievement award by Rock Island Rotary President John Phillips.
Movie actress Jaclyn Betham visited Rock Island High School last Friday during Rock Time to promote the Love GIRLS Magazine annual awards that took place at the Waterfront Convention Center last Friday. Several Rock Island High School students were included in this year’s Love GIRLS Magazine Awards Honorees: Ashley Allen, Alexis Davies, Amy and Amber Haskill, Ariana Kruse, Taylor Carter, Isabella Ndikumwenimana, Paw Kaw Ku and Teleah Thomas. The young women were honored for their accomplishments and the struggles they have overcome.
Teaching & Learning T&L Tip: Continuous Growth and Professional Learning As the fourth quarter quickly approaches week 5, it is important to look for ways to continually engage students and ourselves in continual learning. Last week, we share strategies to keep your students motivated and engaged. This week, we share opportunities for professional growth webinars that will assist you in your own professional growth. Take a look at one or more of the options below: • English Learners and the Common Core: http://bit.ly/1WhbNr8 • Prevention and Intervention: Formative Assessment Reimagined: http://bit.ly/1VGN0hH • Trends for the 21st Century: Preparing for the Schools of Tomorrow: http://bit.ly/22TmHUd
~Kathy
LEGO Professional Development Workshop May 12 The Quad City Career and Technical Education Consortium (QC TEC) is hosting an Elementary LEGO workshop on May 12, 2016 at the East Moline School District Center, 3451 Morton Drive, East Moline, IL. Educators from the area will be presenting on two different LEGO kits. In the afternoon there will be a round table activity so everyone can share what has worked well in their classes. Information will also be distributed about mini-grants that are available for LEGO product for the classrooms. It is a time to ask questions and talk to other teachers what has worked well in their classrooms. The registration form is located on the RIMSD Staff Web site www.rockislandschools.org/riec and is due by May 9. Questions can be directed to Deb Holmes at 309.752.1691.
Community Corner Spring Forward Learning Center (SFLC) is currently enrolling elementary students for summer camps. The camps are designed to provide students with a fun, supportive learning environment with the goal of decreasing summer learning loss. Camps are offered at no cost and being held at Frances Willard, RIA, RICMS, and Thomas Jefferson. Teachers are encouraged to refer students by contacting Mike Zeitler at 793.5900 X 250 or
[email protected].
March of Dimes 5K Saturday, April 30 Friends and community members are walking for the March of Dimes 5K on Saturday, April 30 on Arsenal Island to support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. A group has formed to support Hattie Deaner, daughter of RIA teacher Dawn Deaner. Visit www.marchforbabies.org/Team_Hattie for more information about the event.
Blood Drive at Washington Jr. High May 12 Washington Junior High School will host a blood drive on May 12th from 3:00-6:00 in our Big Gym. Please bring your donor card or photo I.D.This event provides much needed blood to the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. If you would like to call to set up an appointment or need more information contact Kristie Sullivan at
[email protected]
Walk-ins are welcome!
Community Corner High School Documentary Screening at Thurgood Marshall May 12 Thurgood Marshall Learning Center is hosting a unique opportunity to screen the documentary, Paper Tigers, a film that captures the pain, danger, beauty and hopes of struggling teens—and the way teachers are approaching the issues that are changing lives for the better. James Redford, director of “Paper Tigers,” documented the lives of staff and students of Lincoln Alternative High School in Walla Walla, Washington. Students at this high school had behavioral issues and poor academic performances and were usually suspended from school. After discovering the studies on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the high school changed its approach to handling the students with kindness and in-school suspension versus automatic punitive punishments. Thursday, May 12, 6:00 p.m. Thurgood Marshall Learning Center Gymnasium Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itEVrb-ZS5E Visit the documentary web site
http://kpjrfilms.co/paper-tigers/
After School Teaching Opportunity
The Lights on for Learning program at Washington Jr. High is in need of up to five teachers for our after school grade Recovery program at the school. Teachers will be paid $29.97 per hour and will have small groups of students (no more than 5) to work with to make up grades and redo assignments. The Recovery period will run from May 2 until May 20 (except Wednesdays), and teachers will be with the students from 3:30-4:30. Please nick.camlin@risd41. org as soon as possible if you would like one of these positions.
