Week 7, year 2018-2019 October 1, 2018

Wildcat Connect Besteiro Middle School – Vol. 07 10/01/2018

Besteiro Middle School (956) 544-3900
6280 Southmost Road Teresa Nuñez Principal
Brownsville, Texas 78520 Doug Tolman Assistant Principal
Nina Garcia Assistant Principal
Lourdes de la Fuente Dean of Instruction

Wildcat Connect Besteiro Middle School – Vol. 07 10/01/2018

Word of the Week

Definition Characteristics

Extremely Part of Speech
tiring and Adjective
demanding Synonym

Exhausting, wearing

Grueling Syllables

Head-way (2)

Example Non-example

debilitating, Easy, effortless,
taxing gentle, trivial.

Targeted Teaching Strategy of the Week:

Writing to Learn What is it? Is a strategy through which students can develop their ideas,

their critical thinking ability and their writing skills. Writing to learn enables students to
experiment every day with written language and increase their fluency and mastery of written
conventions. Writing to learn can also be used as formative assessment and as a way to
scaffold mid-and high stakes writing assignments and test.

What does it look like? Classrooms that engage in writing to learn activities where

students are given the opportunity to write using low stakes writing every day. Students may
write to explore, explain, evaluate or discover.

Measuring Effectiveness

 Students are given multiple opportunities to write in the classroom
 Students have specific writing that aligns with the goals and objectives for the class.
 Teachers use writing to plan for the class (i.e., responses from exit tickets)
 Teachers use low stakes writing as a way to increase writing fluency and mastery of key

concepts

Wildcat Connect Besteiro Middle School – Vol. 07 10/01/2018

The Brownsville ISD is now home to the
Hispanic Engineering Science and
Technology (HESTEC) Teacher of the
Year.

Claudia Mar, 8th grade science teacher at
Besteiro Middle School, has dedicated
many years as an educator. She says this
award motivates her to keep trying her
best everyday for students to learn all the
knowledge and skills they need.

Claudia Mar – HESTC Teacher of the
Year, "It's very important to make sure
they're confident when they leave our
classrooms. That they can pursue a
career. To make sure they are ready for
college and be successful. Have the
confidence that they can do it."

Mar's students say they appreciate her
interactions with them and the extra hours
she stays after school.

INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS

Student Centered Classrooms - So what exactly is a student-centered classroom? In short, a student-
centered classroom, or student-centered learning environment, is one where the focus of instruction is
shifted from the teacher to the student, with the end goal of developing students who are autonomous
and independent, by placing the responsibility of learning in the hands of the students. Many
proponents of student-centered learning would argue that it's one of the most effective ways to help
students develop the skills required for independent problem-solving and lifelong learning.

A student-centered classroom or learning environment can not exist without trust and open
communication. Trust and open communication are achieved by always being fair with students,
listening to them, and allowing them speak. Seem like a tall order? Well, it is. And it may not happen
over night. However, it's much easier to develop a student-centered classroom if you get started right
away at the beginning of the year. Getting started at the beginning of the year sets the tone and lets
students know what's expected of them the rest of the year

Wildcat Connect Besteiro Middle School – Vol.07 10/01/2018

Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
October 1st October 2nd October 3rd October 4th October 5th October 6th

Fluency Campus Meeting Coordination Department A-Honor Chess
Initiative during Day Meeting Roll Dance Tournament
Department by Leader @Stillman
New passage pick up period in Me Perfect
your set a Friday EDGENUITY Department by Attendance Football Game
before @ Front turn around 8th and 9th Manzano
Office training Lesson plans Department
workshop # Due. periods
21st Century
Tutorials and RTI Think Writing
Extended Day committee win -win Journals
Learning Start meeting from submit
according to
Open House from 3: p.m. calendar
5:30-7:30 to 4:00 p.m. #11 & 12
from 6th
period.
TURN IN AT
FRONT
OFFICE

“Find your voice and help others to find theirs”. -Steven Covey

Happy Birthday to our Wildcat Teachers!!!!!

Monica October

Cortinas 7