Franklin Folio

AUG. 29-2SEPT 11 CALENDAR

Mon, Aug 29 - Liliya Mezheritskiy’ s Birthday

Thu, Sep 1 – Girls’ Volleyball, Walker vs Franklin, Forester FH, 6:00 PM/7:00 PM

Fri, Sep 2 – Raechel Campbell’s Birthday

Mon, Sep 5 – NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)

Mon, Sep 5 – Toby Lopin’s Birthday Thu, Sep 8 – Student Council

elections; scholars should see Ms. Travis for details

Thu, Sep 8 – Girls’ Volleyball, Franklin vs Rusk, Hillcrest, 6:00 PM/7:00 PM

Fri, Sep 9 – Last day (4PM) to enter grades for 1st 3-wk Progress Report (You should have six grades recorded by that date.)

Fri, Sep 9 – Next newsletter deadline Sun, Sep 11 – David Green’s Birthday

If you are new to Franklin (or if I have missed your birthday above), please make sure Mrs. Velazquez (Wendy) has added you to her birthday list!

REMINDER: Be a COMMUNICATOR! If there is a game, event, activity, or meeting in the school that you want publicized to all teachers, please let me know as soon as you have the information. I will hold it and include it in the staff newsletter calendar so each of us can respond knowingly when asked about it. Thanks!

Planning for Engagement: 6 StrategiesJoshua Block, Humanities teacher at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphiahttp://www.edutopia.org/blog/planning-for-engagement-6-strategies-joshua-block

When I plan for my classes, I first think about desired outcomes for my students before I design specific units and lessons. Throughout the year I want to use backward design to plan for deeper student engagement. I've come up with a list of six different strategies that I'll refer to regularly as I plan my courses:

1. Authentic Learning: I strive to find ways to have my students do work that has meaning in the world, beyond classroom walls. As I plan, I will attempt to always have a rationale for learning content and a clear reason for doing the work that we do. In the past, I've had success designing projects that grapple with current issues or are created for an outside audience.

2. Inquiry: I want to remember that learning is most powerful when it's a process of investigation and discovery. I want to be sure that my students regularly experience the power of these processes, and that I do what is necessary to make this possible.

3. Collaboration: Collaboration makes me a better teacher. I want to find ways to set up new collaborations with both teachers and organizations.

4. Integrating the Arts: We are all creative beings, and when I structure learning and projects well, all students feel excited about expressing their ideas creatively.

5. Presentation & Performance: Engagement is greater when students are creating work that has a wider audience. Whenever possible, I want students to present and/or perform their work. Sometimes this can mean presenting or performing for the class, and at other times I want to find interested or relevant audiences that can witness and respond to student work.

6. Integrating Technology: When I am smart and strategic about how I integrate technology into my classroom, it allows my students to make their work stronger and reach larger audiences. I want to make sure that when I use technology, it is for a clear purpose and helps me achieve the goals above -- and my larger goal of increased engagement.

Deep engagement is a powerful process that all learners should be able to experience. As educators, it is important that we continually strive to find new ways of helping students discover their passions and abilities so that they can become truly immersed in the joys and struggles of learning and growing.

Staff News & Differentiated Professional Development Aug 29-Sept 11, 2016

Benjamin Franklin Middle School (BFMS) will host its first Open House of the school year for parents on Tuesday, August 30, from 5:00-7:00 PM.

Parents will be directed to the auditorium for a short program presented by the BFMS administrators. This program will include information about the block schedule, the IB program, and the 2016 STAAR test results. Parents will then be dismissed to visit their scholar’s classrooms. There will be NO FORMAL ROTATION of classes; parents will visit classes of their choice, ask questions, and get to know you.

Many parents may be coming from work and may miss the administrators’ presentation. Therefore, please make sure you are able to answer some basic questions about the IB program and the block schedule. (Mr. Bryan will be in the library to help answer IB questions.)

Also in the library: Brookhaven Community College Outreach Information; Girl Scouts Recruitment (Troop 7719); Dallas Public Library Card Sign-Up; BFMS eBooks & Online Databases Orientation; Starbucks Coffee & Canes Coupons; and more!

Some of the things you may want to have in your room: your IB poster completed with your lesson information, Learner Profiles, word wall, college flags, etc. Room should be welcoming, inviting, and easy for parents to move about the room. Other information you should know: Spirit-wear (or anything red, black, white) Have the following in your classroom

o Parent Sign-in sheeto Course syllabus*o Updated supply list (if not already on syllabus)o Post your tutoring timeso Post your contact information (school email at a minimum)

* Course syllabi submitted in Spring 2016 are loaded on your jump drive. Under the IB Master directory, look for Course Syllabus and select your subject and grade level.

FROM MR. SOTELOThe school year started off strong and fast! Orientation week PDs were solid,

especially the “differentiated” PDs you chose that best fit your needs.

Schedule pick-up the Saturday before classes, even with the rain, was a success. The majority of scholars picked-up their schedule (and a T-Shirt) rather than waiting for Monday.

The attendance staff and counselors have been working hard all week registering new scholars.

Teachers and scholars are using the IB language in their classes, and that was one of the many GLOWS we heard this week from our IB consultant.

Ms. Pickett (AP, Grade 6) has hit the ground running. Welcome!

You’ve set the bar high right out of the gate, so I know that we can continue to work with our scholars at that same high level.

Going forward, please remember to: Post your IB information, LOs, and

DOLs, and refer to them in class. Check to make sure scholars are

using their planners and capturing your assignments correctly.

Plan a variety of activities in each lesson to maintain scholar engagement and reduce distracting behaviors.

Include “brain breaks” for scholars Provide bell-to-bell instruction to

ensure all your content is covered before the next six-week test.

I appreciate all you are doing for our scholars. GO FALCONS!

--Sotelo

***PTA Membership: Please join your BFMS PTA this year!! Membership costs

FLAGS: The international flags are now up! (Thank you, PTA!) The 193 flags represent the member countries of the United Nations. If you see a flag from your family’s country of origin that you would like to have outside your door or in your hallway, feel free to change it out with another flag.

HELP: Does anyone have a contact with wallpapering skills that might donate some time to hang our world map mural? The mural is 13’ x 9’ and will hang outside the library. Please let Mr. Bryan know if you have a wallpaper volunteer.

Mini-School

Tuesday, Aug 30

5:00-7:00 PM