The Holidays are Approaching!

At Willow Glen, a true sign of the holidays approaching is our annual Winter Concert. Last night's program was delightful! The music selected was the perfect mix of old and new seasonal songs. The finale' was one of the best that we've had...Lights dimmed and candles lit, as a representation of how our unity makes this season so joyful. A special thank you to Mr. Chris Shanaflet, Music Teacher, and the children in grades two and three...Superb performance!

Classroom Highlights...
As you can probably imagine, the classrooms are sprinkled with holiday cheer! The students are continuing to be engaged in the Daily 5 Reading Framework, with a touch of seasonal celebrations.  Many of their writing pieces are focused on Christmas, family traditions and gift giving. Santa has crept into stories, over and over again. It really is a magical time to be in a primary school!

Teacher In-Service Day
As you know, Wednesday, December 11th was a Staff In-Service Day. While the children were at home/day care, enjoying an afternoon off, the teachers were busy at work learning about the new teacher evaluation system in Wisconsin. We spent several hours together discussing the new system, called Educator Effectiveness. The 2014-2015 school year will bring a few changes to education, one of which will be Educator Effectiveness. The system balances professional practice with student outcomes; each counting for half of an educator's overall rating. It was a system designed for teachers, by teachers. The development team was grounded in the belief that every child in every classroom deserves to have excellent teachers and excellent building leaders who are supported in their ongoing professional growth. Research confirms that teacher and principal effectiveness are the two most important factors influencing student achievement. If you would like to learn more about this, please access the Department of Public Instruction's website and search for Educator Effectiveness.

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to read!!!!!