About the Publishing Party: 
"On Thursday October 10th Caliber Beta Lower had their first ever publishing party!  For the weeks leading up to the party, our Dragons participated in the writing cycle to create amazing narratives which they shared during the party with classmates and families.  Campus was decorated with balloons and each room had snacks and music as families and guests joined to hear our student authors. Check out one author’s experience below and join us for our next publishing party later this year!" 



 A recent interview with Kayla Caballero ( 3rd grade student): 
Tell me more about what the publishing party was about? 
“ The publishing party was about sharing a story written by you! During this time, we all sat together on the carpet and got to eat snacks while some of us read out loud. All the grades got to do this at the end of the day. It took us a few weeks to prepare for the publishing party, but we got to practice in our writing class a lot. We wrote a lot of drafts in pencil, but got to type our final draft!  


Tell me about what you wrote about? 
“I wrote about the first time I got my cellphone. I wrote about that memory because I wash shocked that I even got one! I was 7 years old and usually people get cell phones when they are 14 or older.” 
 

What is something you loved about the publishing party? 
“I liked that we had snacks! I also liked that it was towards the end of the day so we didn’t have class right after, but mostly that the students liked listening about the stories that were personal to us. I’m usually shy, but I really like sharing this story with my class.” 

 
Who is your writing teacher and what did you learn about writing? 
“ My writing teacher is Ms. E and we practiced a lot in her class. She taught us that we can turn anything into a story and write a lot of paragraphs about it. We can write about our opinions, a memory or anything we want to tell a story about!  I also learned that it’s okay if we make mistakes in writing. While writing my story, I made a lot of mistakes. You can always rewrite it, you can always change it.” 
 
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How did sharing your story make you feel? 
“I felt really good because I wanted to share how I felt when I got my phone. I got to share with my parents when I got home and it made me feel happy because this was the first story I typed and printed. My parents felt appreciated  that I included them in my story.”

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Learn more about the annual book fair @ Beta: Lower School

About the Annual Book Fair: 
Caliber Beta Lower completed their 3rd annual book fair last week!  Organized by volunteer school librarian, Jackie Grossman, Head of Ops, Frances Lizarde and a host of parent volunteers, for 4 days the Multipurpose Room was transformed into a wonderland of books.  More than fourteen parent volunteers assisted throughout the week and students purchased over $8000 in books!  Here is what one of the students and volunteers had to say.
- Andy Grossman (Beta Lower School Leader) 


A recent interview with Victoria Ruiz (parent volunteer) & Sebastian Valencia (4th grade student): 
Tell me about the book(s) you purchased at the fair? 
Sebastian: “I could only get one because it was time to go, but I purchased Amulet.  This book is part of a series- it’s #8. I’ve read all of them except this one, but it’s about stone keepers, and they have amulets they carry , which is why they are called that. In book 7, they have magical powers and the person with the red amulet lost control, so the amulet is controlling her--  book 8 will tell me what will happen next!” 


What is your favorite thing about the book fair? 
Sebastian: “My favorite thing is that there were a lot of books to choose from like weird animals, fiction, video games (books about video games) and  Youtubers!” 


What are you excited about for next years book fair? 
Sebastian: “Hopefully I can find book #9! I hope that more students come because it helps us with our reading and honestly I want to be able to read the newspaper when I’m older.” 

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Why do you think it's important to host a book fair for the students? 
Victoria: “ It’s important for students because it helps them with their reading skills. The book fair gives them a lot of book options. I think that reading in the classroom is great for their academic growth, but it’s also important for them to develop their own love for reading outside of the classroom.” 
 
 


Tell me more about your experience as a parent volunteer? 
Victoria: “This is the second year I volunteer for the book fair and I do it for two reasons. One, it’s a way to give back to the community and two, to support my child’s love for reading. As a parent, it’s rewarding to see your child be excited about seeing so many books in one place!”  
 


What is something memorable about the book fair? 
Victoria: “ I think that seeing the little kids get really excited and seeing their faces light up is the best part about volunteering at the fair.”



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Learn more about four teacher leaders (Alison Ford, Krystal Johnson, Brooke Grim and Megan Thompson) @ CMA: Lower School! 


A recent interview with them: 
Tell me what it means to be a teacher leader for you? 
Krystal: "Being a teacher leader to me means being on the front line  for others when issues arise and being a problem solver. Being a teacher leader for me means leading with others in mind especially children and figuring out how to maneuver others ways of thinking into a direction that is less self focused but more wholistic. Being a teacher leader  for me means being advocate for the voiceless who want change either personally or professionally and need someone to partner with them through the process."
Megan: “Being a teacher leader means growth and reflection to me.  It allows me to grow as both an educator in my classroom and a leader outside the classroom.  I'm grateful that Caliber has this role because it shows that they invest time into growing their teachers as leaders.”
Brooke: “Being a teacher leader to me means supporting my team. It is a unique role that I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to do, because as a teacher I have the opportunity to develop my skills as a leader, while also supporting the students and families in my class.”
Alison: “Being a teacher leads means to reflect what we want all staff to embody at Caliber.  It means that we have an open-door policy, are open to feedback, and model the best practices that we know work for our students.  It means to be a leader in every sense of the word...to come with our best selves each day.” 
 


Tell me more about your role as a teacher leader? 
Krystal: "My role as a teacher leader requires to uphold the mission and values of CMA with integrity and honesty. As a teacher leader I have to position myself  in an act of servitude to my fellow colleagues . Whether that is tapping in for a teacher that needs a break, teaching a lesson side by side with a teacher. My role as a teacher leader requires me to change my focus from own self and look at the benefits of the cohort and most of all the students."
Megan: “We provide a bridge between our grade level teams and the leadership team.  We lead data dives, grade level meetings, etc.”
Brooke: “My role as a teacher leader is to lead weekly grade level meetings, be a liaison between my team and leadership when necessary, and offer support to all teachers in many ways including instructional tips, organization, behavior management techniques, etc.” 
Alison: “As a teacher leader, we act as liaison between the CMA leadership team and our grade level teams.  We provide feedback and model the best instructional practices and management strategies for the teachers on our team.  Each week, we plan and run grade level meetings where our team can collaborate about all things associated with our grade level.  We also assist in looking at data and conducting data dives to help our students achieve the grade level standards.” 
 

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When did you know you wanted to become a teacher? 
Krystal: "I knew I wanted to become a teacher leader when I realized, my ideas, thoughts, and visions could propel people to be even greater in their teaching. When I would have ideas and my colleagues would come back and say, "Oh that worked", "I'll try that" or a simple "Thank you. I felt like okay Krystal your experience and hard work has paid off  and now you can begin to help others." 
Megan: “ My mom was a teacher, so every summer I would go into her classroom to help set up her room.  I loved helping her get ready for the year, so when I got to college it was easier for me to pick what I wanted to do!”
Brooke: “I've known I wanted to become a teacher for as long as I can remember. I am one of the few people who followed through on what they always said they wanted to be when they grew up. My aunt was a teacher and I spent a lot of time in her classroom which inspired me.”
Alison: “I knew I wanted to be a teacher leader after my first year of teaching at Caliber.  I believe so strongly in what it means to be a teacher at Caliber, and I knew that I wanted to be a leader on campus and a resource for teachers.”



One fun fact most people don't know about you?
Krystal: "I asked my husband what is one fun fact people don't know about you and he chuckled. He said, "People don't know that you have really sly comebacks to stuff, and if people aren't paying attention they will miss it." I was like yeah you're right."
Megan: “ I love to travel, and have been to 5 out of the 7 continents! Would love to get to Antarctica and Australia one day!” 
Brooke: “ One fun fact most people don't like about me is that I almost never watch movies. I have a short attention span, so when I try to watch a movie I either fall asleep or become distracted by other things.” 
Alison: “I went to college in Pennsylvania and taught at Amish schools during a semester.”