4.12

Hi All, 

I hope that you are all healthy. The germs are still really circulating, keep washing and hydrating. We've got a busy week ahead but we're almost to that Spring Break...we've got this! If you need a pick-me-up take a peek at the Artemis II footage and crew. Reading about them and watching footage definitely reminded me that there is good in the world!  

I wanted to thank you all for being flexible with me last week and helping this nugget at staff meeting. Christian was down and out last week...parenting and principaling down a partner is not easy!  Thank you all for supporting and being a village for me and my family, I appreciate you. 

Observations from the Field

• Staff stepping up/in to help out across the board to cover duties, support kids 
• Teams communicating challenges and solutions 
• Staff looking carefully at what will help students be successful 
• Staff asking for meetings and communicating directly with supports for families to ensure that students stay on track with attendance 
• Celebrating when students are making gains  
• Folks inviting other students in to celebrate learning 
• Staff providing multiple entry points and make expectations clear for students

News and Announcements 

• No Teacher PD This Week
• There will be no intervention services this week---any IEP services will still be delivered 
• We will be continuing testing with VTCAP next week. Please double check on space reservation. If we happened to double book something please allow the students to finish their assessments. 
• Please remember to: 
• Keep noise to a minimum in the hallways
• Do not enter a space that has a testing sign up
• Covering supporting information in your classroom (posters/anchor charts/etc.) 
• Here is the link to the VTCAP Training document that we utilized during staff meeting. It also houses the newest Test Administrator's Manual that was just updated last week! 
• Cards and supporting materials will be printed and distributed tomorrow. 
• Here are the testing days/schedule and locations for groups outside of the general classroom setting: 

Week 3  —- April 14th — April 16th
Day/Date	Time	Who	Activity: Focus	Space
Tuesday, April 14th	9:15-10:45	Downing	ELA Session 1	Addie — SPED Office   Jessica Maurais—  Conference Room
	1:00-3:15	Downing	ELA Session 2	Becky P—  SPED Office  Jessica Maurais - Conference Room
	9:15-!0:45	Rob	ELA Session 1	Christine – Jessica’s Office   Brittany—Music Room
	1:00-3:15	Rob	ELA Session 2	Christine— Jessica’s Office  Brittany– Music Room
Wednesday, April 15th	10:15- 11:30	Velez	ELA Session 1	Christine— Art Room
	1:00-3:00	Velez	ELA Session 2	Amadeus— His Space
Thursday, April 16th	10:15-11:30	Armstong	ELA Session 1	Becky P - Art Room Egizi - Her Space Sarah D - EEE/Speech Room Dorfman  - His Office
	12:50-2:50	Armstrong	ELA Session 2	Becky P - Art Room Egizi - Her Space Sarah D - EEE/Speech Room Dorfman  - His Office
	10:15-11:30	Wagner	ELA Session 1	Smith - Her Space Christine - Conference Room Jessica - Her Space Colby - Library Office
	12:50-2:50	Wagner	ELA Session 2	Smith - Her Space Christine - Conference Room Jessica - Her Space Colby - Library Office

Marshall Memo 1132

It might be a good time of year to check out the Best of Memo website collections on Literacy and Mathematics. Each has a super-curated collection of summaries that you can preview, download as a PDF, or listen to. You might also try using Claude, Gemini, or another AI tool to search the Best of Marshall Memo website with a well-crafted prompt. Since there's free access to the website's content, AI can search for anything that you're curious about.

This week's quotes and articles come from The New York Times, AI x Higher Ed, Education Gadfly, Kappan, 4QM Teaching, Educational Leadership, American Educator, The Harvard Gazette, Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, Education Week, Social Education, and Language Arts. Here are the headlines:

- Curriculum: what's intended, what's taught, and what's learned

• Making effective use of in-class checks for understanding
• "Storyboarding" a historical event
• Making science a curiosity-provoking adventure
• Cellphones and students' attention span
• How to be receptive to the other person during a disagreement
• Four ways to make professional reading a habit
• What happens when parents read daily to their kindergarten children
• Thomas Guskey on two false premises on grading
• Audio interviews with U.S. workers
• Recommended nonfiction books for children
• If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here.
• To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#1131), click here.
• For a podcast of this week's Memo, log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts.

If you're curious about origin story of the Marshall Memo and how it's put together each week, here's an interview I did a few weeks ago with Eric Worcester and Nathaniel Provencio on The Community Connection.

Here are some summaries I would suggest taking a peek at: 

https://www.bestofmarshallmemo.org/beliefs-about-students-top-13/**This has some learning about increasing student self-efficacy, something that is foundational to UDL practice. 

https://www.bestofmarshallmemo.org/grading-practices-top-12/

https://www.bestofmarshallmemo.org/making-learning-stick-top-18/

• Upcoming Events: 
• VTCAP Testing 
• April 16th: Reading to End Racism 9:15-10:15
• May 8th: 6th Grade Spaghetti Dinner 
• May 19th All School Dress rehearsal for Music Show ---- 1:00 pm 
• May 19th: Art/Music Show 
• June 10th--- Field Day/BBQ 
• Field Trips
• Tuesday, April 28 - BES Band and Chorus Students go to U32
• Friday, May 15 - 3rd Grade goes to Shelburne Museum
• Thursday, May 28 - 1st Grade goes to Book Buddies at U32
• Friday, May 29 - Kindergarten goes to Autumn Raynes Farm
• Friday, June 5 - 5th & 6th Grade goes to Great Escape
• Tuesday, June 9 - 4th Grade goes to VT Statehouse and History Museum
• Tuesday, June 9 - 1st and 2nd Grade goes to Montshire Museum

What's Happening at BES?

Monday 4/13	SST Self-Assessment 8:15
Tuesday 4/14
Wednesday 4/15	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  Community Library Night 5:30-7:30
Thursday  4/16	Reading to End Racism 9:15-10:15
Friday 4/17	Team Meetings K-2 Attendance/Behavior 3-6 Academic

Where is Celia?

Monday 4/13	SST Self-Assessment 8:15 Meeting with Kim 11:00-11:40 SPED Meeting 11:40 Curriculum Council 4:00-5:30
Tuesday 4/14	Student Meeting 9:00-9:30 Union Meeting 9:30-10:15 CLiF Meeting 12:30-1:30  Student Meeting 3:45 Steering Committee Meeting 4:00-5:00
Wednesday 4/15	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Senate/House Committee Testimony 9:15-10:15 WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room
Thursday  4/16	Reading to End Racism 9:15-10:15 BES SST 10:00-10:45 Scheduling Meeting 1:00-1:30
Friday 4/17	Team Meetings K-2 Attendance/Behavior 3-6 Academic

4.5

Hi All, 

What a weather weekend! I know I enjoyed the sunshine and spring weather yesterday. Today is feeling much more like a comfy, cozy day. Last week was a really nutty week with all the sickness. I appreciate your understanding and flexibility in all of the ways. 

Observations From the Field

• Teachers showcasing flexibility 
• Adults regulating before connecting with kids 
• Folks making VTCAP work in all the ways
• Students stepping up to be leaders---showcasing their best selves 
• People bringing connection by asking students genuine questions 
• Staff holding each other accountable to our norms in kindness and communication
• Folks noticing patterns of behavior in their class and taking steps to address the root cause.
• For example---wiggly bodies---introducing more whole class movement 

News and Announcements

• Letters of Intent: Please return your letters to Lori. If you have questions about your letter please let me know ASAP. 
• I'm looking into this Strategic Scheduling Bootcamp from the AOE. I'm wondering if a small group like 3-4 people may be interested in joining me. I know we've talked a lot about schedules and this seems like a great opportunity. Let me know by the end of day Monday if you're interested. Here's the link: Bootcamp Information.
• We will be testing with VTCAP next week. Please double check on space reservation. If we happened to double book something please allow the students to finish their assessments. 
• Please remember to: 
• Keep noise to a minimum in the hallways
• Covering supporting information in your classroom (posters/anchor charts/etc.) 
• Here is the link to the VTCAP Training document that we utilized during staff meeting. It also houses the newest Test Administrator's Manual that was just updated last week! 
• Cards and supporting materials will be printed and distributed tomorrow. 
• Here are the testing days/schedule and locations for groups outside of the general classroom setting: 

Week 2  —- April 7th — April 9th
Day/Date	Time	Who	Activity: Focus	Location
Tuesday, April 7th	9:15-10:45	Rob	Math Session 1	Christine – Jessica’s Office   Brittany—Conference Room
	1:45-3:00	Rob	Math Session 2	Christine— Jessica’s Office  Brittany– Conference Room
	9:15-10:45	Downing	Math Session 1	Addie — SPED Office   Jessica Maurais—  Music Room
	1:45-3:00	Downing	Math Session 2	Becky P—  SPED Office  Jessica Maurais— Music Room
Wednesday, April 8	10:15-11:30	Velez	Math Session 1	Christine— Art Room
	1:00-2:30	Velez	Math Session 2	Amadeus— His Space
Thursday, April 9th	10:15-11:30	Armstrong	Math Session 1	Becky P— Art Room  Kim Knapp– Her Space  Sarah D— EEE/Speech Room   Amadeus— His Office
	1:00-2:30	Armstrong	Math Session 2	Sarah D - EEE/Speech Room Amadeus— His Office  Celia Guggemos — Art Room  Kim Knapp— Her Space
	10:15-11:30	Wagner	Math Session 1	Megan Mitchell — Her space  Colby—  Library Office  Jessica Maurais– Her Office
	1:00-2:30	Wagner	Math Session 2	Megan Mitchell— Her Space  Jessica Maurais - Her Office Colby— Library Office

• • Upcoming Events: 
  • VTCAP Testing 
  • April 8th: Poetry in the Library 5:30-7:30 
  • April 16th: Reading to End Racism 
  • May 8th: 6th Grade Spaghetti Dinner 
  • May 19th: Art/Music Show 

Marshall Memo 1131

This week's quotes and articles come from Leadership Freak, The Guardian, Coaching Letter, Kappan, Education Gadfly, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Journal of the Learning Sciences, Reading Research Quarterly, The Paste Eater's Blog, Education Week, and Language Arts. The headlines:

• Tasks, time, teaching, and beliefs: what matters most?
• A teacher bonds with her struggling students over basketball
• Problematic and promising uses of AI in teacher evaluation
• Is artificial intelligence eroding our ability to think?
• Evolution: addressing misconceptions and scaffolding understanding
• Fifteen human rights in literacy classrooms
• Metaphors for high school
• Six-word epigrams for teachers
• Award-winning children's fiction

If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here. To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#1130), click here. For a podcast of this week's Memo, just log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts. A correction in last week's Memo: the author of item #5 is Tacey Miller, not Tracey Miller. My apologies! The corrected Memo is on the website.

What's Happening at BES?

Monday 4/6	HJC 8:15
Tuesday 4/7
Wednesday 4/8	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room  Community Library Night 5:30-7:30
Thursday  4/9
Friday 4/10	Team Meetings K-2 Academic 3-6 Attendance/Behavior

Where is Celia?

Monday 4/6	HJC 8:15 Union Meeting 9:15-10:00 Meeting with Kim 11:00-11:40 SPED Meeting 11:40 Celia and Julia 2:30-3:15
Tuesday 4/7	WCLT--- Celia Out until 12:00  Student Meeting 3:45
Wednesday 4/8	K-6 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20 Meeting 9:30-10:00 WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Staff Meeting 3:10-4:45 Art Room
Thursday  4/9	Student Meeting 8:00  Celia/Susanne Check In 10:00  BES SST 10:00-10:45 Meeting 1:00  2:55-3:25 Whole School Meeting
Friday 4/10	LAU Plan 7:30-8:30 Team Meetings K-2 Academic 3-6 Attendance/Behavior