Department Meeting 12/12

Today we met in our department from 12:00-1:00 and discussed the following:

• signing up for Blogger
• signing up for Google Docs
• discussed __________ via Google Docs

Next Meeting: Talk about uses of department website.

Meeting 12/6

So we met yesterday and basically discussed the things laid out in the agenda. Here's a report of the major stuff:

Testing

• We will be holding the common midterm assessments during the week of January 7th-11th.
  
• Language! students will simply follow the assessment schedule.
• 9th graders will take the McDougall mid year assessment
• 10th graders will take the McDougall mid year assessment for 10th grade
• 11th graders will take task 2&3 of the Regents

Furthermore, we determined that we're shooting for February for the 1st practice ELA task. More information about the TOSCRF test will be delivered after my meeting on December 20th.

Tabled Items to be Developed Using Google Docs

• ELA vertical team planning
• Possible Electives
• All of McKinley Reads the same book...
• Writing Portfolio Per Grade Level
  

Agenda for Tomorrow's Meeting

Agenda - December 5th Meeting (Revised)

1. Donors Choose--submitting proposals
2. Extra Current Events magazines (esp. for Cheryl and Lauren)
3. Extra Newsweek
4. Setting up uniform mid-term assessments/per grade level
5. ELA Regents practice task (Organizing a practice Regents tasks 2 and 3 scheduled arond half-days for correcting (will be difficult with the ELA?)
6. Mandatory TOSCRF test in January and June for 9th T& 10th graders
7. Examine list of current senior cohort who must still pass 11th grade ELA...strategies
8. Possibility of the Redistribution of Mrs. Williams classes
9. Vertical Team items-dual-entry journals, portfolios, ssr, major works alignment
10. proposals of possible 12th grade electives for next year and possibly using as an alternative (Mrs. Barton)
11. Heavier utilization of the department blog, Using Google Docs to supplement physical meetings and stay in touch
    
12. A book for "If all mckinley read.." for this year if at all

Extra Class Sets of Books

No, I'm not trying to be humorous. Veronica inquired into the availability of novels in the building. She's trying to figure out any possibilities for her freshmen. Anyway, I've got the following books for the 9th grade level. If anyone else has any, add them to the list via comments.

• Solitary Blue, Cynthia Voigt
• Anthem, Ayn Rand (I may have lent these to someone. Any ideas anyone?)
• My Side of the Mountain (about 18 copies)

I know these aren't 9th grade books, but for the record, here are some other things I have in my room:

• White Oleander (about 100 copies) - Please. Someone. Take these. Them been in my room for like four years.
• Huckleberry Finn - about 20 copies

The following are books I use with my seniors for literature circles. If anyone could guarantee their safety, I'd lend them out:

• Feed, MT Anderson
• Enrique's Journey
• Pretty Birds (probably not appropriate for under 12th grade)
• The Things They Carried
• 1984
• Persepolis

I also have about 25 copies of The House on Mango Street. They were Cleary's, and I can't remember if anyone already dibbed them.

Meeting Thursday

We're going to be meeting Thursday in the Library at 7:40. We've got some important things to discuss. Here is a list of the items so far, and I know Mia has some things she'd like to toss around. Feel free to comment or add to the list. I've invited you all to join via email.