Department Meeting Notes For Performing Arts

Submitted by: Joanne Magee

DEC 2019 – JAN 2020

The HS team were addressing practical concerns and items that impact us.

We discussed the way the summer Camp had left the set room and costumes. We need to ensure that the summer camp does not disrupt, destroy or leave our items disorganized. Joanne has contacted the summer camp folks.

We have a running spreadsheet of events and continue to work through the challenges of sharing the PAC and needing technical support for so much. We still feel we are not staffed with a theatre tech person to handle our needs or the many school events that tend to overlap in production times.

Standards Based Grading came up as the HS moves to an all school commitment to this method of grading. The MS have been doing this for years. We shared our standards with the HS teachers to give them the basis for the spiral system of skills within our disciplines.

The rotation of the 9th Grade Arts classes was discussed and we continue to look for opportunities to change this in the near future. A good idea put forth was the suggestion of making the rotation just 1st two trimesters with choice for 9th graders in 3rd trimester. To be continued! 

The organization of the props and costumes came up – we continue to need regular re-organization, culling and adding, with a record of where everything is. This is done somewhat effectively but we still need to re-organize each year and this needs to be budgeted for. Ana Nivelo has a good system but it needs re-doing each year. The costumes also need an overhaul after the four shows are complete. this is problematic as the summer camp arrives and we have no time to re-organize. Summer camp were also part of the disorganized state of things in September.

There was a mid- year hire for set work. The job description is somewhat unknown. We will follow up again for 2020 hiring.

 

World Language Dept. mtg.

Submitted by: Adele

Talked about Self study
Talked about launching oral communication this year.
Discussed attention level of the l.S. students  and need for simultaneous activities.
How do we address short attention span and develop / create speaking activiites to accommodate those students.
– need for speech therapy also an obstacle
– integration of skills, writing, speaking, listening.
Hopefully this year will give us an opportunity to develop strategies and curriculum.
How do we accommodate native speakers and the wide range of levels in our classes.
This year we will explore how we teach oral communication skills in our classes and throughout the divisions.

Future dates for department meetings will be shared.

English Department Retreat

Submitted by: Heather Brubaker

Confirming that our full-day Writer’s Retreat for MS/HS English will be:
Friday, January 24th
 
Our facilitator, Eve Becker, has secured space for us up at Teachers College. More specific details on exact timing/location to come.
 
Please note: All teachers should expect not to be at LREI during school hours that day. We are likely to begin at 8:30 up at TC, and to wrap up at 3/3:30pm. Thank you for planning accordingly! 
 
As a reminder, here are the ideas going into the retreat design:
  • Protecting substantial time during the day for individuals to write
  • Designing the workshop to work for everyone, whether or not they perceive themselves as writers or have an ongoing writing practice
  • Inviting work on whatever kind of writing feels meaningful: our own projects, writing about teaching, writing student models…
  • Opening space for feedback or sharing that will be low stakes, supportive, voluntary (not the classic workshop / critique model)
  • Emphasizing process and reflection
Thanks, everyone. Looking forward to it.
Best,
Heather