Saratoga Union School District
November Educational Services Newsletter

In this issue:
Powerschool Notice, PD opportunities, Arts, Progress Updates (Report Cards), Project Cornerstone, Assessment Update, Embrace the Shake, Hour of Code, History, Khan, NGSS, Dreambox, Schoology, CCSS Math HW Resources, and more!
Professional Development Opportunities for SUSD Educators

Dreambox Webinar Training for New SUSD Users
Learn how to use Dreambox to differentiate math instruction and assessments, read and interpret reports, use teacher tools, and implement Dreambox with your students
Date/Time: Tues Nov 18 at 3:30
Location: Argonaut Computer Lab

Email Roberta to register. 


iPads & Common Core: Beyond Basics to Practical Classroom Uses for SUSD Teachers (Beginners)!
Turn the iPads in your classroom into tools to communicate, curate, collaborate, create and share learning using free, open-ended creative apps to meet the digital demands of the Common Core State Standards. This session will exhibit innovative ways to engage students in learning using iPads by demonstrating a variety of iPad apps. Bring your iPads and get ready to have fun!

Presenter: Martin Cisneros, Academic Technology Specialist, SCCOE

Date/Time: Nov 20th @ 3:30
Location: Redwood Middle School Library

Email Roberta to register


Google Apps Training for SUSD Teachers
You are all signed up for Google Apps for Education and you're ready to learn! But where to start? Come to this session to better understand the workings of Drive and all the associated Google Apps. Learn the best practices for setting up your Google Drive, no matter what your grade level. Although this session is considered "Basic", we'll share a couple simple geeky tricks that will make your colleagues and students ohh and ahh.

Presenter: Karen Larson, Academic Technology Specialist SCCOE

Date/Time: December 4th @ 3:30
Location: Foothill Computer Lab

Email Roberta to register.


Fractions in the Common Core Classroom
Fractions are a big idea and part of the major clusters in the Common Core State
Standards-Mathematics (CCSS-M) for grades 3-5. The Santa Clara County Office of
Education will be hosting  a series of workshops to support teachers with the
implementation of fractions in the CCSS-M classroom in grades 3 - 5.  Four sessions: Nov 15, Dec 2, Dec 9, Jan 13.

Click here for registration information and email Roberta if you are interested.


Tools for Advancing Language Scholarship, Comprehension and Expression within Upper-Elementary ELA and ELD

Presenter: Kate Kinsella

Participants will learn how to:
* Integrate and meaningfully address advanced social and academic language
* Support students in developing metacognitive language awareness and skills
* Address critical language functions for career and college readiness
* Integrate accountable listening tasks with relevant language targets
* Provide productive and timely feedback on oral language errors during lessons

Date/Time: Dec 2 8:00 - 3:30
Location: SCCOE

Click here for registration information and email Roberta if you are interested.


San Jose Area Writing Project Fall Saturday Seminars

 

Nov 8: Narrative Writing

Click here for more information! 

 

 

 

Krause Center for Innovation MERIT Summer Institute

The MERIT Program seeks to show through qualitative and quantitative measures that engaging technology in the hands of a well-trained teacher can improve student learning.  Participants have the opportunity to learn to use and contribute to a variety of resources for collaboration, and are required to design projects not simply to provide dynamic learning experiences for their students, but also create open educational resources that will be of value to other teachers and students near and far.  

 

 

 

 
Educational Services Meetings
& Trainings
all meetings are in the District Office Large Conference Room unless specified

Mon Nov 3    7:00 - 8:00 Khan Academy Training for Parents (RMS Flex Room)

Thurs Nov 6    3:30 - 5 Wellness Committee
 
Mon Nov 10    3:30 - 5 DLT

Thurs Nov 13   3:30 - 5 DELAC

Mon Nov 17    3;30 - 5  Progress Update (Report Card) Committee

Tues Nov 18    3:30 - 5 Dreambox Webinar (Argonaut)

Wed Nov 19     6;30 - 8 My Digital Tat2 Parent Training (Argonaut)

Thurs Nov 20    3:30 - 5 iPad App Training (RMS) 
SUSD Links for Teachers
Saratoga USD Links:
Elementary PD Calendar

RMS PD Calendar

Cool Links:

SCCOE Curriculum & Instruction Resources and PD:
Digital Chalkboard:  where California educators get connected, collaborate, and share the best practices, best resources, best strategies
A plethora of CCSS resources on Hawthorne School District website:
http://www.hawthorne.k12.ca.us/commoncore
Tech Support
 
   
Need Technical Support?

Send an email to helpdesk@saratogausd.org
 
Important: Powerschool Down

This notice is regarding a planned shutdown of PowerSchool for one or two days starting the morning of Nov 12.  We are switching to a hosted version of PowerSchool.  This will allow us to realize better service with PowerSchool and more timely updates.  During that time PowerSchool should not be used, any changes made will not be properly transferred.  Paper attendance will be taken those two days.  You will be receiving another message as the date approaches.

Service not available Nov 12 and 13th
Attendance
PowerSchool Admin
Parent Portal
Gradebook

Once we are back up on the 14th (or possibly the 13th) we will have a new URL for our PowerSchool:

saratogausd.powerschool.com/teachers  or   admin

The Tech Team
Arts in Education 

STEAM - themed workshops will integrate the CCSS for preschool through 8th grade teachers.

Saturday, Nov. 22nd
8 am - 12:45 pm
San Jose Museum of Art
Click here for registration information.
K-5 Progress Updates (Report Cards)

Kudos, praise, and recognition go to the following teachers for their positive leadership on the report card committee: Michele Calhoun, Michele Clement, Laurie Brandt, Tisha Pastega, Nicolle Wang, Matt Weber, Stacy Short, Lisa Green, Mardi Kambish. A special thank you goes to the Tech Team - Harry, Howard, and Marcus - for their amazing behind-the-scenes support!

Thank you to all K-5 teachers, principals, secretaries, and admins for your patience and understanding during the roll-out of the newly developed CCSS-aligned report cards!

Progress Update Resources:
SUSD Parent Guide
PTA Student Success Guide
Project Cornerstone Ideas for Educators: Helping Students Be Who They Want to Be
  • Help students find strong personal connections to the world,
  • Encourage their passions and focus their enthusiasm.
  • Make them feel they are an important part of your classroom.
Never mind the tired old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" While career choices will reflect parts of a student's personality and strengths, it is not the whole picture. Start asking "Who do you want to be when you grow up?" Answering this question is a challenge far more daunting and far more gratifying than making a list of possible professions. It forces students to be reflective about their actions and choices and the image they present to others. When a student begins to understand what type of person he wants to be, his life will naturally begin to have a purpose: the purpose of becoming that person. Read more about  Sense of Purpose.
 
Assessment Corner

Click here for SUSD's Assessment  and Accountability Update (SBAC, CST Science, CELDT, PFT) Future Assessments Implementation Timeline (NGSS, CELDT/ELPAC, and expanded assessments in other content areas)


Click here for the link to CA Smarter Balanced Practice and Training tests to use with your students.
Embrace the Shake
In art school, Phil Hansen developed an unruly tremor in his hand that kept him from creating the pointillist drawings he loved. Hansen was devastated, floating without a sense of purpose. Until a neurologist made a simple suggestion: embrace this limitation ... and transcend it.

Watch this inspirational (10 minute) Ted Talk by clicking here.
The Hour of Code is Coming!
December 8 - 14

Launched in 2013, Code.org� is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. We believe computer science and computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.

Click here to watch the Hour of Code video.

History Corner 

 
Join other Santa Clara County teachers in making history! It's because of you that our students have access to a high-quality education as they develop into global scholars. Click here for National History Day resources. 
Using Khan Academy to Motivate your Students!

Khan Academy is a fun way for students to practice math skills at their own pace. Each math mission on Khan Academy provides comprehensive coverage of a certain grade level or subject. The more your students learn, the more points, badges, and avatars they earn.

By holding a Khan Academy tournament, you can motivate your students to tackle the appropriate mission - either in class or on their own time. When students complete their missions, you'll know that they've practiced all the skills they need to
master this year. Even better, your students will see that they've accomplished something big and that they can learn anything when they put their minds to it!

Click here to learn how to set up a Khan Academy contest with your students!
NGSS Now!
(Next Generation Science Standards)
Read about 14 things you need to know now about NGSS (and a science fact)! Click here.
Math & Technology 
Perhaps the most important and challenging aspect of your daily classroom planning is to regularly create, adapt, locate, and consider mathematical tasks that connect to your students. Click here to learn how Dreambox can provide practical ways to integrate blended learning into your math program.
 
Schoology News

Visit the Schoology blog to learn 4 quick tips for busy educators:
  • Creating Standards-Aligned Assessments
  • Weaving Vocabulary into Lessons with Tooltips
  • Sharing Cross-Disciplinary Discussions
  • Creating and Organizing New Content on the Fly
Click here for the Schoology User Guides and FAQs.
Common Core Corner:

Math Homework Resources for Parents

Parents and guardians may notice that the homework and instruction their child receives in mathematics is different from what they remember when they were students. This is because math instruction has evolved over the years to adapt to advancements in technology and science, to incorporate results of research on student achievement in math, and to address high remediation rates in college. Adults may notice that the sequence of math topics is different, that more time is being spent on topics, and that students are being challenged to learn new skills and content. The reason for this is to help students develop numeracy-a conceptual understanding of how numbers work. Numerate students have developed a strong foundation that will help them excel when they study algebra, geometry, and other higher mathematics.

 

But how are parents and guardians supposed to support their child's learning if they're unfamiliar with the new ways of learning math? Click here for resources to share with parents. 

 

 


Click herefor the SUSD Strategic Plan infographic.
Roberta Zarea
Director of Educational Services 
rzarea@saratogausd.org
408.867.3424 x 206