Principal's Newsletter: Fall 2013 - Bloom Trail High School

Curriculum Corner >>>
Our Resident
Experts
On September 19, April Faoro and Suzanne
Nelson presented a session on
Creating and Sustaining a Professional
Development Program for Teachers and
an Affective Program for Freshman Students.
The presentation was delivered
at the AdvancED Fall Conference held in
Champaign, Illinois. AdvancED, the
world’s largest education community,
believes that students must be prepared
to succeed in a constantly-evolving and
diverse world and that educational institutions
have a deep responsibility to deliver
quality education to students from
all walks of life.
The presentation provided information
on how a school might consider planning
a teacher and budget friendly professional
development model. Simply,
Latino Club
New sponsor Mrs. Mattran and Latino Club
members create piñatas. Everyone is welcome
to join.
Peer Tutoring
NHS members are available every Tues. and
Thurs. morning in the library for peer tutoring!
For more information go to
www.BloomTrail.org
schools could schedule teachers to attend a
monthly professional learning community during
the regular school day while simultaneously
providing affective opportunities for students.
These affective sessions could include state
mandated issues that all students should be
informed about such as bullying and gang prevention.
But they could also include sessions
on organization, nutrition, goal setting, and
diversity. Financial impact is kept low by having
sessions provided by community organizations
i.e. Health Department, school support
staff, and other agencies. Since the students
are in these sessions and teachers are in their
professional learning communities at the same
time,
there is
no need
for substitute
teacher
expenses.
Kudos to
Sue and
April!
Important Dates >>>
Wed. Nov. 6
Mon. Nov. 11
Wed. Nov. 13
Thurs. Nov. 14
Fri. Nov. 15
Sat. Nov. 16
Wed. Nov. 27
Wed. Dec. 11
Thurs. Dec. 12
Tues. Dec. 17
Wed. Dec. 18
Thurs. Dec. 19
Fri. Dec. 20
Mon. Jan. 6
Wed. Jan. 8
Wed. Jan. 15
Mon. Jan 20
Fall Sports Awards @6:00 pm in the Trail Auditorium
No Classes (Veterans Day)
Early Release (12:20 PM)
BT Parent Co-Op @ 6:00 in the library
District 206 Foundation Dinner at Glenwoodie Golf Club @6:00
Shrek, The Musical @ 7:00 pm
Shrek @ 7:00 pm
Shrek @ 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
No Classes (Teacher Institute)
BT Parent Co-Op @6:00 in the library
District Winder Band and Choral Concert @Bloom @7:00 pm
Period 1 Semester Exam
Period 9 Semester Exam
Semester Exams (periods 2 and 3) - 11:45 am dismissal
Semester Exams (period 4/5/6 and 6/7/8) - 11:45 am dismissal
Classes Resume from Winter Break
BT Parent Co-Op @6:00 in the library
Early Release (12:20 pm)
MTSS
No Classes (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
The Multi-Tiered System of Support
(MTSS) staff is excited to announce
an extension of the summer reading
enrichment program, R.E.F.S
(Reading Ensures Future Success),
as part of the school day for our current
freshman class. This unique
and exciting new program, offered as
an additional course during 1 st period,
is designed to provide intervention
and support to assist students in
making gains in their reading ability
and comprehension. Ideally, this will
increase achievement throughout all
disciplines. Additionally, a .5 credit
will be awarded to students who successfully
complete the 16-week program,
thus giving them additional
credits toward graduation in 2017.
This program is offered in consecutive
quarters and we are currently
accepting enrollment for the second
and third quarter class. Enrollment
will be awarded to the first 20 freshman
students who register.
Mark Your Calendars
Look forward to the Winter Issue of Reflections From the Flame in
Mid-January!
Literacy Coaching Sessions
Focusing on Inference Skills
e are continuing the literacy coaching sessions piloted last year with our current
freshman classes. This year, the sessions are focusing on inference
W
learning. This strategy of gathering information, making hypotheses, and
drawing conclusions is challenging for students to master and teachers to teach;
and teaching students how to make inferences is more critical than ever for success
in life and school. Ultimately, it is our belief that this work on inference learning will
improve teacher instruction and, as a result, student learning.
Each month, content
specific teachers in
Math, English, Science,
and Social Studies
meet with our literacy
coaches to discuss
strategies aimed at assisting
teachers with
the delivery of effective
instruction. These
strategies include inductive
learning, mystery,
main idea, and
investigation. The
teachers will then collaborate
on an inference
lesson to be
taught by all of the
teachers in that particular subject. After the lessons are taught, observation
notes, student work, and personal reflections will be shared.
While the teachers are meeting in their course teams, our freshmen assemble in
the auditorium in smaller groups for presentations on skills to support their academic
success. The September and October presentations focused respectively
on how to succeed at Bloom Trail, and cyber-bullying awareness.
For November and December, we have a nutritionist slated to
speak to the students, as well a presentation on time management.
Finally, our Literacy Coaches are devoted to familiarizing themselves with
the latest research to use in planning these coaching sessions. Additionally,
they are available to the teachers in a variety of ways. Beyond the regularly
scheduled monthly meetings, the coaches are available for additional
assistance planning lessons, observing lessons, providing opportunities
for teachers to be involved in peer observations and other needs that the
teachers might request.
Trivia Contest >>>
Q:
Most of us are familiar with Marvin
Gaye’s version of “I Heard it
Through the Grapevine.” Name
three other recording artists who
covered this tune.
E-mail your answers to
dgraham@sd206.org
Yearbook in 3D
Hot Tips from College and
Career Counseling
1. Apply early. We recommend having all
college applications completed by October
31, 2013.
2. If you go to bloomtrail.org, click on students,
then click on counseling, to find
several helpful websites. We have links
to the ACT, our scholarship newsletter,
contact information for all colleges/
universities in Illinois, and
www.CareerCruising.com .
3. Make sure if you complete an online application,
you inform Mrs. Inka, Post Secondary
Counselor, so transcripts can be
sent. A college cannot accept a student
without an official transcript. All students
received a transcript request form in their
English classes.
4. The first four transcripts are free; after
that it is $5 per transcript to send to colleges.
Sending a transcript for scholarships
is free.
5. Make sure you check to see if the college/university
you are applying to needs
your official ACT test scores or if they will
accept scores from your transcript. If you
need to send original ACT test scores,
visit www.act.org , or see Mrs. Inka.
6. If a school requires a letter of recommendation,
please allow at least 10 days for
someone to write you a letter and provide
him or her with the background information
necessary to write a meaningful
letter.
7. Research the tuition/cost of attending all
colleges to which you are applying!
Directions: 1. Download the app on your phone or tablet
2. Search for BLOOM TRAIL under CHANNELS.
3. Click FOLLOW 4. Click on the CAMERA/VIEWFINDER and
hold up to this picture 5. Watch it come to life!
The yearbook is
excited to offer augmented
reality this
year. Try it out by
downloading the app
called AURASMA
and prepare to be amazed. Follow the directions below.