Creekview Happenings! Nov 4 2013

Creekview Happenings!

Monday, November 4, 2013

A lot to celebrate and recognize at Creekview High School today!!

1.       I would like to thank all of the organizations and teachers that welcomed our visitors from Japan on Friday! They were very impressed with all of the organizations and their skill level. (As was I!) I can’t wait to see how those skills will be strengthened as we go forward over the next  128 school days that remain!

2.       Our Lady Mustang Volleyball team is making their annual playoff run with a game against Prosper tomorrow night.  The game is at 7:00 p.m. and will be played at Frisco High School! Get out there and support this hard working group of young ladies!

3.       The Mane Event school newspaper is out and our newspaper staff and their fearless leader deserve a shout out for their hard work and latest product! Check it out- there is some great information in there for you.

4.       Our speech team is at it again setting the bar for all others across the state!! This weekend they showed what they can do as they move forward to the state competition!! Congratulations to the Speech Team and Shep for a great showing this weekend!

5.       A lot of staff birthday’s this week!! Mr. Isaly, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Jouana, Mr. Read, Mrs. Toy, Mrs. Cofield, Mr. Madrigal, Mrs. Coxe, Mrs. Albright, Mrs. Reese, Mrs. Curtin!

6.       Thursday night football this week and I would say that it is a pretty big game!! Not only is it Senior night but the Creekview vs. North Forney game will be played to determine the last playoff spot in District 10-4A! Buy your tickets early from Mrs. Moss and let’s pack it in like we did against Smith.

7.       This Friday is the end of the 1^st 3 weeks grading period of the second 9 weeks!! Students- study  and use good strategies to keep the learning at high levels!! Only 15 school days until Thanksgiving and 29 school days until our December break and semester exams!!

Have a great week Mustangs!!!

-Joe

New Grading Procedures

“You are never a failure until you quit trying” and “effort produces achievement.”

I have said this countless times over the past decade as a principal in C-FB ISD. Now, with the adoption by the district of the new grading procedures the above statements and a reassessment can provide our students the opportunity to demonstrate they have increased their knowledge, skills, and or concepts from their previous assessment.

 In other words, if you put in the effort you can improve your grade and learn more of the material that you are being assessed on.

Learning takes time, and for each individual the amount of time varies. After two years of piloting the new grading procedures in various schools in our district, C-FB has now adopted the grading procedures district wide.

What does that mean for the Creekview students?

It means that the important concepts that you are being asked to learn and master on summative assignments will now have an asterisk by them. If you score below an 85 and meet the reassessment procedures for that assessment, you have the opportunity to improve your grade up to an 85. Let me remind you, this is not about the grade so much as it is about the learning or mastery of the subject matter. (You and your parents may think differently)

How will a second or third chance impact you as the learner?

Life is about choices. You can choose to ignore the opportunity to reassess or you can meet the conditions needed for the reassessment to occur and try again for a grade up to an 85. Responsibility for your learning is really on you, whether it is the first assessment or an additional assessment given at a later time. Sometimes, we all need a second or third chance in life to get it right and to learn more!

Why do we want to give our students reassessment opportunities?

A principle of learning is that learning takes time. For all of the conspiracy theorists out there the real reason for the change in our grading procedures is that we want each of our students to have an opportunity (if they so choose) to be able to learn the material that your teachers are asking you to learn.

At Creekview, so many of our students have learned the material, and have learned it well. Our SAT and ACT scores are the highest in the district. Our scores on these same tests actually beat the state average and yes, even the national average! In addition to this you may have seen our ERG (Educational Resource Group) scores and ranking from last year as I have celebrated our student’s remarkable accomplishment of being ranked #3 in the state when compared to the 200 largest schools in our great state. This ranking is based on passing rate on state assessments, the commended rate on the state assessments, ACT & SAT scores, and our graduation rate.

The grading procedures that have been piloted in our district are refined and are in place now for you. The reassessment procedures are there to do nothing more than to help you learn the material at even higher levels of mastery…that is if you need it and if you choose to take advantage of it.

 Choose wisely, show some grit, and continue to do great things as Creekview High School Mustangs!!

Sincerely,

Your Honored Principal,

Mr. LaPuma

“Offer the Best, Expect the Best, Be the Best”

Creekview America

Good Afternoon Creekview!

As we close out another week and hit the 1^st day of March, I wanted to thank everyone for their hard work and efforts in so many arenas. There are so many great things going on at Creekview and each of you are doing your part in a big way to make the great things happen. I won’t start listing events or naming activities, because just like in today’s announcements I will miss someone or get the dates wrong! Needless to say, it is the combined efforts of each of us that really makes Creekview a special place to be, work, learn, and educate our future. You all are making a positive difference in the world and in the lives of our students…and for that I appreciate and respect the job that each of you do.

Oh yes, one more week until spring break…and even at that many activities will be going on as usual for some of you during spring break!!

Have a great weekend, and the best to all of our students and your families- this weekend and every weekend!

-Joe

C-FB Blogabilities: Violinist Represents C-FB Well at TMEA Convention

C-FB Blogabilities: Violinist Represents C-FB Well at TMEA Convention: Creekview senior violinist Samantha Guu, placed 8th in the State of Texas at the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic and Convention...

Instructional Rounds Team Alpha!

Today is the 2nd time this year that Team Alpha has participated in our internal instructional rounds and our 4th day of rounds this year! I appreciate this groups efforts and dialogue around our problem of practice! Continuous improvement around the following areas is our goal:

• Strategic Questioning
• Challenging TASKS
• Discourse
• Student Engagement

We are fostering a culture where classroom instruction drives dialogue and serves as a catalyst for improvement and increasing student achievement! - Mr. LaPuma

TMEA -Creekview's A Cappella Choir Performs!!

Good afternoon and I hope everyone had a great weekend! Please indulge me while I share a bit about my weekend in San Antonio at this year's Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention. What a treat it was to be a part of our A Cappella Choir as they performed at TMEA on Friday. I could not be more proud of a group of students and teachers. Not only were our students focused and prepared, but they also behaved so very well! A few of our students even wrote and left thank you notes for the housekeepers who cleaned their hotel rooms!! The Creekview Choral department has a rich tradition of high achievement and added to that tradition and reputation with their performance this past Friday at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. In front of a large crowd of educators, parents, and other students from across the United States, the A Cappella delivered with six beautiful pieces. I would like to thank Tara Sikon, our choral director, and Brian Murray our associate director, for the efforts and commitment that each of you have made while working with our outstanding students! I would also like to thank our talented students for their efforts. Hard work and commitment (and of course talent) can sound so amazingly beautiful!

Our A Cappella Choir is a shining star in our district and a great example of the outstanding opportunities that are provided to the students in C-FB ISD and at Creekview High School!