The Final Words |June 4, 2023
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What a party!
Field Day 2023 is in the books! We were able to come together this week and compete in water games and competitions, it was a blast! Shout-out to Coach Leshikar, Ms. Koch, and Student Council for planning and coordinating the activities! We had a ton of fun! Thank you all so much for a wonderful time!
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The Final Words
Team and Family,
Well, this year went by quickly! The last few days are here and there are lots of fun activities planned! What do you have planned this week with scholars? The last few days of school are always a great time to get our scholars reflecting and goal setting for next year. They should feel proud of the work they put in this year and feel motivated upon their return from Summer Break. This time must be strategically planned and executed with intention. Every minute matters and every second still counts. This is not the time to let go of your routines, procedures, and structures that have set students and our campus up for success all year.
This time of year is meant for you all to take some time to reflect on yourself as well. You have completed either your first or another impactful year of teaching; you have learned new strategies and techniques and have influenced scholars as they continue on their journey in the world of education. Thank you for all of your hard work!
We need all hands-on deck this week to finish stronger than ever. We must be firing on all cylinders with being hyper vigilant to catch disengagement early, practice routines and procedures, and never have students out of our sight - prioritizing student safety. As always, your leadership team will be here for you. We will be present during transitions, in classrooms, at lunch/recess, and dismissal. We are operating under our special early release schedule (see times below). Please factor this into your planning.
I am incredibly proud of the journey we've taken this year and I am looking forward to our final week together!
In Service to You,
Mr. Walker
Principal
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Teacher & Staff Spotlight |
Each week, we will celebrate teachers and staff members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to provide all scholars a high-quality education.
This week, we recognize:
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When you think of someone who is tough as nails, sweet as pie, and is an all-around world-class staff member, you immediately think of Mrs. K!
Mrs. K has been with our Flower campus for several years, serving in the role as paraprofessional. As a former educator, Mrs. K has been able to bring her knowledge, wisdom, and expertise to our AMS Flower community to benefit and enrich us for years. We know that Mrs. K comes into our campus community each and every day seeking to provide leadership, guidance, and support to not only our students, but to our staff as well. Mrs. K will drop everything to assist anyone in need. Mrs. K has been responsible for supporting our students in the classroom with small groups, one to one proctoring with testing, and has specifically been a key individual with the coordinating and proctoring of state assessments, such as the AzELLA with our EL student population, and with the AASA.
One of my favorite things about Mrs. K is that she can laugh with you, cry with you, and push you to be your best, when you are having an off.
We love and appreciate you, Mrs. K!
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School Culture & Events:
School Enrollment
For the SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, AMS Flower reigns supreme as the first school to reach 100% completion! Congratulations and huge shout-out to our front office office, teachers, and staff for making calls, Dojo posts, and impromptu in-person meetings to address re-enrollment with families! This was so important to complete as students who are not re-enrolled, go on a wait list. It is so important that we keep our students so that they truly benefit year after year from the positive changes we continue to make. The data shows that the longer the students stay with us, the more successful they are. We also need to continue to recruit new AMS Flower Turtles as well as we matriculate students through our systems and culture.
Please sign up for future marketing opportunities here!
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School Culture & Events:
Daily Attendance &
Family Communication Log
Our daily attendance average goal is 95%. We know that many variables for student attendance may be outside of our control, however, we must focus on what is within our control. Our families who provide unexcused absences must be contacted on a daily basis as a check in, to stress the impact of an absence, and to offer support - such as providing a clear plan for completing make up assignments. Our contact tracker is completed. We must continue to first call and then, rely on platforms such as ClassDojo, to reach our families. The graphic attached provides staggering statistics regarding the impact of chronic absenteeism.
Family Communication Log is below. Please update it on a daily basis.
- Go to your class tab
- Find the scholar
- Fill out all the required fields: date, time, reason, type of communication, outcome, and follow-up.
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School Culture & Events:
Move Up Day!
For the first time in Flower history, we had a morning where students had the opportunity to visit the grade level that they will be placed in next year! Students had the opportunity to meet the next grade level’s teacher, learn expectations of the next grade level, and they also ended the morning with fun activities! From science experiments with making ice cream to writing letters to new teachers to middle school trivia games, we loved the creative ideas! We also loved hearing how much fun the students AND teachers had!
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School Culture & Events:
Summer Send-Off Carnival
The BIGGEST party of the summer is right around the corner! Our Annual Summer Send-Off Carnival will take place on Wednesday, June 7 from 4-6 p.m. at AMS Flower! There will be food, games, water slides, dunk tanks, video game trucks, and much more!
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School Culture & Events:
Field Day!
What a party!
Field Day 2023 is in the books! We were able to come together this week and compete in water games and competitions, it was a blast! Shout-out to Coach Leshikar, Ms. Koch, and Student Council for planning and coordinating the activities! We had a ton of fun! Thank you all so much for a wonderful time!
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School Culture & Events:
Promotion Ceremonies
5th Grade Breakfast: 6/5 - 9 a.m.
Kindergarten Promotion: 6/6
Fontanez at 8:15 a.m.
Newbill at 9:15 a.m.
King at 10:15 a.m.
8th Grade Promotion: 6/7
Doors Open at 9 a.m.
Ceremony Begins at 9:30 a.m.
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School Culture & Events:
Parenting Classes (Chicanos por la Causa)
Please share the following message with families!
Are you or someone you know in need of support when it comes to addressing difficult conversations or topics with your children/teenagers? Or, are you interested in learning about family resources that are right here in Phoenix for you and your family?
In partnership with AMS and The Governor's Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, Chicanos por la Causa will begin offering FREE sessions to assist parents and families here at AMS Flower, beginning May 27, 8 - 10 a.m. Additional sessions will be offered throughout May and June. We hope to see you all there! Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/638234254837
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School Academics & Instruction:
Q4 Coaching Cycles
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This week is our last week of school! Your coach will be reaching out for any final O3/DDI Meetings. Remember that your EOY Checklist is here and you will need to finish by or before June 9! Check-out with Mr. Walker begins June 7! |
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School Academics & Instruction:
TLaC Focus:
Critical Thinking Skills
For each of your lessons this week, write out 2 to 3 questions ahead of time that you will ask during the class notes/guided notes section of the lesson. You can write them directly onto your key or write them on sticky notes and attach them to your key. Push yourself to make each question come from a different level of Bloom’s.
Here is a link to some great question stems:
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School Operations:
EOY Check Out
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Our EOY Checkout List is here! Please review. ALL teachers have until June 9 to complete list. If list is completed and signed off by Mr. Walker by June 7, you are free to go for summer. Please reach out with questions.
If something is not applicable to you, please write N/A and provide brief explanation.
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School Operations:
EOY Inventory
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All books in your classroom must be brought to cafeteria, beginning Tuesday, June 6. Please utilize students for this task. We will have designated spots for you to place books, separated by subject.
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School Operations:
Maintenance Tickets
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There is a new maintenance ticket system should you need maintenance support with items in your classroom. It is pretty straightforward, please be sure to provide as much detail as possible and include photos whenever possible to support the ticket. Please reach out if you have any difficulty accessing the ticket system.
Ticket Link Below:
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School Reminders & Resources:
Lesson Plan Objectives
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Lesson objectives must be posted in a visible place daily in 100% of classrooms. Objectives are a requirement and an AMS Essential. They guide your planning, set purpose for the lesson’s activities and should be aligned to your end of lesson exit ticket or assessment. Please make this adjustment, beginning Monday. |
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School Reminders & Resources:
Lesson Plans
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Lesson Plans must be submitted weekly via SharePoint. Each teacher has a folder labeled by their name. Within each folder, there are cascaded folders by quarter. If you have questions on how to upload to SharePoint or do not have access, please contact me immediately.
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School Reminders & Resources:
Unity Circle Plan
2 p.m. – Chipotle lunch Served in Gymnasium
2:30 p.m. – EOY Send-Off Message & Award Presentations
3 p.m. – Summer Send-Off Prep
4-6 p.m. Summer Send-Off Carnival
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Shout-Outs!
Words truly cannot express how much I appreciate you all and not just the work we do at Flower, but for the friends and family you all have become. All I’ve ever wanted for our campus is for each of you to feel a home away from home here. No matter what is going on outside of our school, I’ve always wanted Flower to feel like a place you all could go to and feel empowered and inspired as a leader in what we do for kids and our communities.
Love you all.
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2022-23 AMS Flower Calendar: |
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