About Math for K and 1st...

From one of our Primary Math coaches, Michelle Ellis, comes with this advice about Math:

As you begin to plan for your classroom this year, your Math Workshop set up will be very important. You will need to have a place where you have your math mini-lesson. Debby and I have found it helpful to have a different meeting area for Math than the ELA meeting area. We use opposite sides of the room. In the math meeting area we have all of our math manipulatives, calendar math, number line, and math vocabulary wall. We usually bring the students to the floor for our mini- lesson unless we are using the document camera. We have our 10 minute lesson, then send students to either their tables or floor if they are playing a game for the work time. For the closing we either keep the students where they are if they need their work to share or bring them back to the floor for the discussion.

This coming year the math standards and learning schedules have changed. You will notice starting with week one you will be required to have a "Math Choice Time". This does not mean it is your choice whether to teach the games, but it is just another name for "math centers". Every week you should have Choice Time at least twice a week. That means you will need to set up an efficient way to keep these games. Many of the games you will revisit often through the year. Some of the games will change and become harder as the year progresses. It will make your life easier if you have a permanent area set up, the students will need to be able to easily and quickly get out the games each week. You should not have to pass out each game, each time you play. You will need to plan for a place to keep extra game sheets so the students can get their own when needed. When you teach the students how to play a new game, you will also teach them where the game will be stored, where to get the game sheet if needed, and how to clean up the game at the end of the work time.

Since this game time is called "Choice Time", you will need to think through the way you will tell each student what game they will play each time. Think about the students you would like to have a math conference with, you may choose their first game for them, then they can pick their next one. The students who you are not meeting with that day for a formal conference may just pick their game from the beginning.

I have started a discussion on the "ning" for new ideas on how to store math manipulatives, so if you are wanting new ideas or have some to share, please check it out. As always, if you have any questions concerning the new standards or learning schedules, my door is always open! :)Michelle

Blog Reader

One of the first things that new teachers can do during the summer to get to know their team and what goes on at their grade level is to read the blogs and web pages of other teachers at the school. To do this you will want to add an Blog Reader to your computer. The following short video from Common Craft will show you what a Blog Reader is and how it works.









To add a Blog Reader to your computer:

1. Go to www.google.com/reader and set up a free account.

2. Next go to the Chets blog sites to find blogs you want to read.

3. Paste in each url address to the reader service.

Adding all the bog sites might be an interesting start because the Reader will give you notice when each has been updated. Going through an entire blog of a teacher on your grade level last year will give you an overview of the year or looking back to August and September of last year will give you an idea of what to expect as the new year starts.

There are a few other blogs that you might find interesting:

The Principal's blog: Dream Leader

Chets Creek's blog of professional development: Live from the Creek

A Year of Questions and Answers to and from the staff: Pixie Pointers



Now if all this seems just a little too overwhelming and complicated, don't worry. Melanie Holtsman will be offering workshops on setting up Blog Readers and setting up your own Blog. Most of us had to attend the workshops to figure it out, so don't worry, you'll be up and running in no time!

Advice from Last Year

Nobody knows better what it's like to be a new teacher at Chets Creek than those teachers who have actually walked in your shoes. Here's some advice from last year's "new to Chets" teachers.

Advice from first year teachers
Advice from last year's "new to Chets" 2nd Grade teachers-
Denise Evanko (pictured 2nd from left on the top, who came straight from an Ohio college) says: Soak in and visit your team members' classrooms. You will be amazed by how much you can learn to help your class! Take mental pictures, or even real pictures, to help you remember.

Lourdes Santiago (pictured on the bottom far right, a Special Education major who took the General Education test last year to co-teach) says: Ask for help when you need it. I have not been turned down and have learned so much from members of my fellow CCE family.

Advice from 1st grade teacher Tenean Allyne (on the right) pictured with teammate, JJ Ossi -
Tenean (who interned at Chets with Debbie Harbour) says: For those teachers who will walk in my footsteps, I would tell you to continue to learn. Know that you are never done learning. Not just from fellow staff and teachers but also from your students. Learn from your mistakes, and master what you're good at.

Advice from Rachel Happ (on the left) who joined the existing dynamite Kindergarten team of Randi Timmons and Elizabeth Conte -
Rachael (who joined Chets when she graduated mid-year from UNF) says: If you have questions about the curriculum or you need help coming up with fun/ creative/ exciting/ meaningful lesson plans... go to dayle who is the high-priestess of pretty much everything!

Advice from teachers who transferred from other schools
Katie Symons on the far right is shown with friends Lindsay Hoffman and Lynn Patterson - Katie (who landed in 5th grade Math after being surplussed to Chets from Finnegan Elementary) says: Chets Creek truly is an amazing place. All of the teachers go above and beyond for their students. The teachers really become invested in the kids' lives and love them. Just come in with an open mind and open heart. Smile and have fun!


Cheryl Dillard shown on the left with her fantastic paraprofessional Nancy Phillips - Cheryl (who taught Kindergarten last year followed her best friend, Maria Mallon, to Chets even though she had been the Teacher of the Year at her the previous school) says: Always read the Memo -tons of great information to help keep you on track and organized.

Shea Boudreau on the right, is pictured with Jennifer Scarola. Shea has to be one of the most flexible "new to Chets" teachers as she began the year in regular education and then moved to Special Education when Jennifer left for maternity leave - Shea (a National Board Certified Teacher who transferred from St. John's county) says: The keys to being successful at Chets Creek are - Be flexible. Manage your time and stay organized. Communication is vital. Learn from a mentor (or two!). Read, read, read and research some more. Surround yourself with professionals. Avoid isolation.

Advice from those returning from the "mommy track"

Julie Johnson, on the right, is pictured with super paraprofessional Barbara Ellis. Although Julie was an experienced teacher, she returned to teaching last year after being at home with her 4 children!! She has two school age children at Chets and twins at home! Julie (who spent last year as a kindergarten safety net teacher out of Maria Mallon's room) says: Soak up all the knowledge you can!! There are so many people willing to help and lend a hand. If they don't know the answer, they will find someone who does. Visit as many different classrooms as you can!

Welcome Nina Thomas!

Nina Thomas is joining the Kindergarten Team at Chets Creek, coming to us from Pine Estates Elementary. Nina actually graduated mid-year on a Friday from the University of North Florida and started teaching the following Monday - that was three years ago and she has been teaching kindergarten ever since!

Nina says that she was drawn to Chets Creek because of the excellent work ethic. She describes herself as an over-achiever and a go-getter and says she wanted to be surrounded by other teachers who are as totally dedicated to this profession as she is!

Nina has been happily married to her best friend for 2 years and still feels like a newlywed. Her husband Randy is a technician who does work on commercial kitchen equipment. Nina's parents have been married for 25 years and have been excellent role models. Nina did not grow up in Jacksonville. Her Dad worked for USAirways during her childhood, so she lived in several different places along the east coast. She tells people that she grew up in Pittsburgh because she spent the most time there. Her husband comes from generations of fisherman who came to Mayport from Minorca. Almost all of his extended family live here and are also fisherman, so they now call Jacksonville their home.

Some of our Chets Creek family may know Nina from her dancing at Nancy Dance Studio. She still teaches dance part-time. Besides dancing and spending time with her husband, Nina loves the beach. She also likes scrapbooking and has 2 cats to keep her busy and entertained!

Nina is currently reading A Blueprint For Literacy Success and is waiting for her friend Cristina to pass along a comedy called Notes From the Underbelly, a story about a teacher who gets pregnant that didn’t want children. The book chronicles thoughts during pregnancy and Nina says the word is that it is hilarious!

Nina would love to travel more. She loves the culture of Paris and wants to go back to Italy and would love to go to Australia! For the longest time when she was young Australia was the only place she wanted to visit and still looks forward to the day when she can get there! Maybe she'll visit Australia virtually as she joins us for our trip around the world in 180 days!

Meet Heather Correia

Heather Correia is an Elementary Education major from the University of North Florida. She is not a new face at CCE because she was interning in first grade last year with Debby Cothern and Michelle Ellis. About her experience at Chets, Heather says, “I interned at Chets and immediately was enamored with the level of professionalism and skill that surrounded me. Everyone was so friendly and it felt like a big family. I learned more during internship than I did all through college. Debby and Michelle were such an inspiration and took so much time talking with me but also giving me creative freedom.”

We were so impressed with Heather as an intern that we quickly hired her to continue work in first grade this year. Heather is part of the Chao family, who are natives of Jacksonville Beach. Her father is a disc jockey and production manager for some local radio stations. Her mother has recently retired from the transportation business. She and her grandmother are especially close. Heather says her grandmother is definitely the center of the family. She probably spends more time with her grandmother than with anyone else. Heather also has a half-brother who is 15 and goes to Providence High School. He is a talented trumpet and piano player and also loves anything to do with computers.

Many Chets families might recognize Heather from Tae Kwon Do. When she was sixteen she started her own non-profit Tae Kwon Do school in Jacksonville Beach. Ninteen years later, she has taught many children and adults around Jacksonville. She says that when she walks down the halls of Chets, she often gets hugs from children who are very surprised to see her walking down the hall!

Heather has two dogs that she says are very spoiled. They love going to the dog park and walking on the beach! Heather plays the guitar and loves to sing…especially karaoke!

Heather has visited her extended family in Cuba several times, the most recent being five years ago. She says it was truly a life-changing experience because it made her appreciate what she has but also reminded her that happiness doesn’t come from material possessions.

We are thrilled to have Heather joining our first grade team. Welcome, Heather!

Welcome Back, Lauren Skipper

Lauren Skipper is rejoining our Chets family after being on the mommy track. She will be returning part-time and will be working in our gifted program. How lucky are those kids?!

Lauren started her teaching career at Rutledge Pearson Elementary after majoring in Early Childhood at Florida State. She spent 3 years teaching kindergarten there as well as serving as the “Magnet Lead Teacher.” Maria Mallon was one of her Pearson teaching buddies! Lauren left, what she calls, "her little pond as a BiG Fish" and came to Chet’s Creek (thanks to family friend, Lori Metzger) as "a little fish in a VERY BIG POND." She says she was more than overwhelmed during her first year at Chet’s teaching 1st grade! Then after only a year her husband’s job led them to Tampa where she taught kindergarten again at a good school with a VERY unsupportive principal and a faculty NOTHING like Chets'! During that time she kept in touch with her colleagues at Chets and read everything that her Chets' friends were reading. When she and husband were led back to Jacksonville after that one year, she says she went running back to Chets - this time really ready to embrace the fast paced learning and be part of a REAL COLLEGIAL LEARNING COMMUNITY again. She spent the next four years looping K-1, learning and growing along with her colleagues. She also became Nationally Board Certified, following in her sister's footsteps. She left Chets three years ago to stay at home with her little boy, Chase and has not regretted a minute of her time with him. During that mommy break, she was blessed with a baby girl, Caroline Faith. Now, believe it or not, baby Chase is not a baby anymore. He will be starting Kindergarten this year!

Even while she has been away, Lauren has remained on the grade level e-mail, just to keep up. She says Chets Creek is her second family, her home away from home. She can't imagine teaching anywhere else. While she has loved being at home and “just being a mom (ha-ha)” she says she has missed the personal relationships and the professional conversations that come with being a part of such a wonderful learning community. She says she is extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity this year to job share (I think we're the lucky ones!) and “have my cake and eat it too.”

Lauren has two absolutely beautiful and spirited children, Chase(5 ½ ) and Caroline(18 months). There is never a dull moment at the Skipper house. Allen, Lauren's husband, is wonderfully supportive and Lauren says, the best dad in the world. Lauren is also blessed to have her parents in town who are the BEST grandparents and her biggest cheerleaders.

Lauren says her family loves to read- especially at the beach and they spend as much time as they can there. She is currently reading Being a Great Mom Raising Great Kids by Sharon Jaynes which she would recommend to ANY mom. She loves reading fiction and has read a lot by Jodi Picoult lately (seems to be a Chets Creek favorite author!) She even says she's a little bit addicted! The last Picoult book she finished was Picture Perfect.

Lauren will be job sharing with Jen Zawis as they teach our gifted children - two mom that have figured out how to have the best of both worlds! Welcome back, Lauren!

Welcome Back, Rachel Bridges!

Rachel Bridges is returning to Kindergarten after leaving to stay home with her second little boy. She has a long history with Chets, having been originally hired for Extended Day by KK Cherney. She says when she met KK, she thought, “ I want to be like her when I grow up” - wouldn't we all?! She says she never felt so respected for wanting to take care of children. She was hooked! Rachel went on to graduate from the University of North Florida and did her internship with our own Lauren Skipper. We were so impressed with Rachel as an intern that we offered her a Kindergarten job when she graduated mid-year. She looped that kinder class to first grade and then spent a year co-teaching kindergarten with Julia Kolanda-Lewis.

Rachel says, "I absolutely love everything that Chets Creek stands for. I love foremost that the children are cared for and taught as individuals. Their dreams are respected and they are told they can be or do anything they can imagine. I also am grateful for the collegiality I found at Chets. I learned more by teaching at Chets Creek than I ever did in college preparing to be a teacher. You might say that experience is the best teacher, but truly I learned by watching and listening to my colleagues. I loved that even when I was just starting, I felt apart of the team and was respected for what I could give to it. It is an honor to teach at Chets. It is a place where learning is cherished and teachers truly are the leaders of tomorrow. "

The year that Rachel started teaching was also the year she married her best friend, Zach Bridges. They have two precious boys, Josiah ( 22 mo.) and Josh ( 7 mo.) seen with Rachel in the photograph above. Surprisingly, Zach's parents are actually long time friends with some of the teachers at Chets. Small world! Rachel also has three siblings that attended Chets Creek. Her sister Melody, now almost 17, attended Chets for Fourth and Fifth Grade. She also has twin sisters, Hosanna and Jubalee, who attended Kindergarten through Fifth grade at Chets. They always say how much they love the teachers at Chets and wish they taught middle and high school!

Rachel loves to read, especially fiction, and says she's doing more reading now that she's not spending her nights feeding her little ones. Her summer reads for this year have ranged from fiction to professional such as Little Lady and the Prince by Hester Browne, Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, How Writers Work by Ralph Fletcher, and Notebook-Know-How-Strategies by Aimee Buckner and Ralph Fletcher.

With a theme such as "Around the World," Rachel's travel experiences will come in handy. She
has traveled with her youth group, mainly doing mission work in Brazil. She and her husband actually met through that work. She has also been to Australia, Central America, and Scotland.

Welcome back, Rachel. We are thrilled to have you back!