Welcome Back to School!

Back to School Professional Learning

Fall 2017

Concord Professional Learning

District Back to School Events

Dear Concord Family,

I want to thank all of you for meeting with me and sharing with me the amazing learning opportunities that Concord offers our 754 students.  I was so energized by your commitment to our students, your strong professional knowledge, and your desire to develop a common vision for Concord’s future into personalized learning.

We have an exciting school year ahead of us with new learning spaces, new members of the Concord Family, and an opportunity to create an amazing school in Edina that will continue the high levels of student learning with personalized learning plans where students are owning their learning and are leaders in our school.

Our theme for this school year is Try Everything from Zootopia. Some of you may have watched the movie, but here is a clip to familiarize yourself with the song.  

Please take some time to listen to this song and think about how this message can be personalized for you as an educator and for your students.  Here are the  Lyrics for Try Everything as a reference.  I want to caution you it is not about trying everything because research shows if we focus on a few high impact initiatives we will have more success.  We will share what this song means to you and your students when we come together in August.  

Here are our plans for the Back to School Professional Learning.  
Concord Professional Learning
There is a considerable amount of time for us to move into our new spaces and collaborate in our PLC’s.  I know the importance of this so we will ensure our time together is focused and purposeful on building our strong Concord Family, focusing around our School Improvement Plan and sharing our work for our common school wide behavior expectations.  

I am looking forward to getting to know each of you and please let me know if I can support you in any way.  Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Susie

Concord Updates July 28, 2017

Here are the latest updated on the construction progress. 
It is looking good and is on track for completion.  
Chris is the lead for the Kraus- Anderson and he is happy with the progress and said crews will be working all weekend on floors, lights, and painting.

I will communicate completion dates as soon as I receive them. 

Landscaping and a new sidewalk on the lower level on the east side

Welcome to Concord!  Front door and new office lobby for secured entrance

 

Hallway connecting Principal's office and conference room

Hallway to health office

 

Workroom

 Media Center

Classrooms

Walls are painted

Lights are in and working!

Special Ed Learning Spaces

 

The gym is still full of materials

Please continue to check out the blog for updates.  

The Concord Dashboard is linked.  Thank you Laurie Holland!

The Master Schedule has been updated  by the specialists.   Music and phy ed have opted to share all classes for specialists. They will collaboratively plan curriculum, utilize similar expectations, and to collaboratively assess all students. This will provide a common daily schedule for students everyday. Thank you to the team for looking at solutions and opportunities for our students.

Next week some of us will be spending Monday and Tuesday at the Personalized Learning Summit in Chanhassen. We will share our learning.

Look for a back to school schedule next week.
I have a draft but am waiting on some finalized plans.

A Look Inside Concord July 20, 2017

 I just wanted to provide you with a look inside Concord on July 20, 2017!

Front secure entrance

 From the inside. 

This will be where the Danielle and Judy will work and buzz visitors in the school.

Here is my office and the conference room.  The wall is not up yet to separate the two spaces. 

Here is the wall and on the inside the new staff workroom.

Views of the media center.

Our new furniture has been arriving, assembled, and delivered to classrooms.  This new furniture will support a flexible learning space.

Here are some articles to get you thinking about how you can utilize this flexible furniture to support collaboration, engagement, and student learning.  

 Outstanding K-8 Flexible Classrooms
Flexible Seating for Student Centered Design
Classroom Makeovers

Rethinking routines for flexible seating

Please think about how you want your classroom to run.

1. Do you have spaces for large group teaching, discussion, small group work, collaborative work, individual work time?
2. How will you TEACH appropriate use of the furniture?  Poster
3. What happens if they are not using it appropriately?
4. Will students have assigned seating or will you let them choose?
5. How will you help them determine what helps them learn best when choosing seating? Who to sit by?   How they do their best work?
6. What materials do students need individually and what can be community supplies?
7. How do you want to communicate your vision to families?  Sample letter

Please comment on the blog ideas and resources to support flexible seating.

A Look into Concord Construction July 7, 2017

I know you may be wondering how the construction is going.  I took a tour yesterday  and want to share with you some photos.   

We are on track and excited and to complete the finishing touches and interior design.   We need to thank Kraus Anderson, Karen Bergman and all of the  teams for their great work to create up to date learning spaces for our students.  I will attend weekly construction meetings and give you updates as I learn from the process.

This is the new entrance and welcome area where our families will be greeted by Judy and Danielle and checked in to the school.  It will be a secured entrance so they will buzz guests in and force all traffic flow through the office during school hours.  

This is my office and the social workers office I believe:)

Here is the staff workroom. 

Here are some other construction views.  

You may recognize the locations better than I do.  I do know the media center is has a beautiful open concept feel.