15 days...!
1. Dates for your diaries
Monday 5th Dec: Music Dept Christmas Concert
Tuesday 6th Dec: Year 10 PSHE Day (off timetable)
Thursday 9th Dec: Year 12 Parents Evening
2. Reports
Year 13: Should be completed
Year 12: Should be completed
Year 11: Should be completed
Year 10: Deadline Fri 2nd Dec
Year 7: Should be completed
3. Strike Day on Wednesday
The unions have voted in favour of strike action on Wednesday 30th November. Obviously it is up to individual teachers as to whether they strike or not - please notify your union rep of your decision. Please also see the Headteacher's communication re: strike action.
4. Mock exam marking
Hopefully you are all on track for the 5th December deadline for mock exam marking. If you aren't, please let me know and we can definitely help out. Remember to use Simon/Ruth to cover lessons if you want to get yourself some time to do some marking.
5. Storytelling
Many thanks to Paul for organising the Storytelling training on Wednesday. It was great fun and should have a real impact on our KS3 provision and beyond.
6. First Aid training
So far there's 5 of us signed up for the First Aid training: Wed 7th Dec, 2-4. If you would like to join us, please let me know.
7. Department Christmas meal
I need to confirm our booking at The Black Boy asap. Can people please:
a) let me know if they're coming
b) let me know what they want to eat (choose from one of the Christmas dinner menus: http://www.theblackboy.uk.com/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=8030; or order a la carte: http://www.theblackboy.uk.com/cp2.php)
c) if you are coming, give me a tenner for the deposit
Have a great week.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Bulletin - 21.11.11
Let the four-week countdown commence!
1. Mock exam
Year 11 English/English Language mock is today. Scripts will be passed back to teachers asap for marking. JKY will make marking, feedback and lesson materials available to Year 11 staff asap. Remember that we have Simon and Ruth available to cover lessons for marking and computer rooms have been booked for these two weeks. To book Simon or Ruth, email Charlotte Baker; to book a computer room, use the sheet pinned up in the Eng Dept office.
2. Lesson observations
All members of the team will be observed in the next few weeks. The schedule has been sent out, please let JKY know if there are any issues. I know that observations are often stressful for people on both sides of the equation, so please see this as a chance to have a conversation with a professional colleague that, if handled correctly, should be a learning experience for you both. I certainly feel I learn as much from observing other people's lessons (and stealing their ideas!) as I do from receiving feedback on my own teaching.
3. Storytelling workshops
On Wednesday, there is the opportunity for you to be a part of a two-hour storytelling workshop, run by members of the Storytelling Museum. See email from PWA for more details.
4. Christmas meal
We're booked in at The Black Boy on Mon 12th Dec. Please let me know if you are coming, what you intend to eat (either from the Christmas party set menu: http://www.theblackboy.uk.com/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=8031 or from the a la carte menu: http://www.theblackboy.uk.com/cp2.php) and give JKY a tenner for the deposit.
Have a great week.
1. Mock exam
Year 11 English/English Language mock is today. Scripts will be passed back to teachers asap for marking. JKY will make marking, feedback and lesson materials available to Year 11 staff asap. Remember that we have Simon and Ruth available to cover lessons for marking and computer rooms have been booked for these two weeks. To book Simon or Ruth, email Charlotte Baker; to book a computer room, use the sheet pinned up in the Eng Dept office.
2. Lesson observations
All members of the team will be observed in the next few weeks. The schedule has been sent out, please let JKY know if there are any issues. I know that observations are often stressful for people on both sides of the equation, so please see this as a chance to have a conversation with a professional colleague that, if handled correctly, should be a learning experience for you both. I certainly feel I learn as much from observing other people's lessons (and stealing their ideas!) as I do from receiving feedback on my own teaching.
3. Storytelling workshops
On Wednesday, there is the opportunity for you to be a part of a two-hour storytelling workshop, run by members of the Storytelling Museum. See email from PWA for more details.
4. Christmas meal
We're booked in at The Black Boy on Mon 12th Dec. Please let me know if you are coming, what you intend to eat (either from the Christmas party set menu: http://www.theblackboy.uk.com/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=8031 or from the a la carte menu: http://www.theblackboy.uk.com/cp2.php) and give JKY a tenner for the deposit.
Have a great week.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Bulletin - 14.11.11
Morning all,
1. Dates for your diaries
Wed 16th Nov: Double department meeting
Fri 18th Nov: Year 13 long reports
Fri 18th Nov: G&T register
Mon 21st Nov: Year 11 mock exam
2. Welcome
We have not one but TWO new faces in the department: Simon Cooke and Ruth Cadywould have joined us as English Achievement Assistants/Lesson Supervisors. They will be observing lessons over the next week or so, while receiving the usual lesson supervisor training via Phil Waters, and will start dealing with small groups/covering lessons in the coming weeks. I'm sure that they will both bring a huge amount to the department and that they will be made to feel very welcome.
3. Lesson observations
There is an expectation that all members of staff will be observed between now and Christmas. Obviously, this is a busy time of year for everyone so we have put together an observation timetable that will hopefully fit in with everyone's workload - this will be made available at the dept meeting on Wednesday. Talking of which...
4. Double department meeting - Wed 16th Nov
We have two hours on Wednesday, which is good because we've got a fair amount to discuss (I'm sure you've all got thoughts on the homework timetable for starters!), so I'll see you in C26 at 2pm. Agenda is on its way.
Have a great week.
1. Dates for your diaries
Wed 16th Nov: Double department meeting
Fri 18th Nov: Year 13 long reports
Fri 18th Nov: G&T register
Mon 21st Nov: Year 11 mock exam
2. Welcome
We have not one but TWO new faces in the department: Simon Cooke and Ruth Cadywould have joined us as English Achievement Assistants/Lesson Supervisors. They will be observing lessons over the next week or so, while receiving the usual lesson supervisor training via Phil Waters, and will start dealing with small groups/covering lessons in the coming weeks. I'm sure that they will both bring a huge amount to the department and that they will be made to feel very welcome.
3. Lesson observations
There is an expectation that all members of staff will be observed between now and Christmas. Obviously, this is a busy time of year for everyone so we have put together an observation timetable that will hopefully fit in with everyone's workload - this will be made available at the dept meeting on Wednesday. Talking of which...
4. Double department meeting - Wed 16th Nov
We have two hours on Wednesday, which is good because we've got a fair amount to discuss (I'm sure you've all got thoughts on the homework timetable for starters!), so I'll see you in C26 at 2pm. Agenda is on its way.
Have a great week.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Bulletin - 7.11.11
Hi everyone,
1. Dates for your diaries
- Sixth Form Open Evening - Wed 9th Nov (PTO: Eng Lit, JKY: Media Studies)
- Year 8/9 reports due - Fri 11th Nov
- Year 11 reports due - Fri 18th Nov
2. No dept meeting this week
College meetings, 2-3pm
Self-directed time, 3:15-4:15
3. Uniform
SOK has asked classroom teachers to maintain their vigilence on uniform in classrooms. Incorrect uniform is creeping back into circluation - if anyone isn't in appropriate school uniform, please send them to their college.
4. Year 11 Mock Marking
I've been thinking of ways to make our marking of Year 11 mock exams a) helpful for students, and b) not too much of a burden on teachers. To that end, I've put together:
- a self-assessment document for students to use
- a feedback document for teachers to record their feedback/marking
- a set of ready-made comments/targets for each of the questions that teachers can cut'n'paste into their own marking document
I'll show you examples of these briefly at briefing on Monday morning.
1. Dates for your diaries
- Sixth Form Open Evening - Wed 9th Nov (PTO: Eng Lit, JKY: Media Studies)
- Year 8/9 reports due - Fri 11th Nov
- Year 11 reports due - Fri 18th Nov
2. No dept meeting this week
College meetings, 2-3pm
Self-directed time, 3:15-4:15
3. Uniform
SOK has asked classroom teachers to maintain their vigilence on uniform in classrooms. Incorrect uniform is creeping back into circluation - if anyone isn't in appropriate school uniform, please send them to their college.
4. Year 11 Mock Marking
I've been thinking of ways to make our marking of Year 11 mock exams a) helpful for students, and b) not too much of a burden on teachers. To that end, I've put together:
- a self-assessment document for students to use
- a feedback document for teachers to record their feedback/marking
- a set of ready-made comments/targets for each of the questions that teachers can cut'n'paste into their own marking document
I'll show you examples of these briefly at briefing on Monday morning.
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