Friday Focus - November 19, 2021

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

Again...another week of subbing every day so I've only been in your classroom if you weren't and I needed to be, but I do know...

*Several of you were quick to help cover when a crisis came up. 
*When a student appeared down a few students (who haven't always had a history of being the kindest) went and sat with him and found out what was going on and helped cheer him up and then also reported the bullying he had experienced. It was so great to see this change in their empathy for others.

*I overheard a student helping his friend/teammate try to come up with a plan to stay on track in the classes he is struggling with (something they both struggle with!). The peer pressure for positive was so great to hear! 
*Several of you have seen our school report card and shared with me your thoughts and desire to keep working together on our mission to impact our students to the point that our report card shows it. 

*Our administrative hold ran smoothly.  As I walked the halls I could see that learning was continuing in classrooms, even if you knew there were locker searches taking place...it appeared calm and normal in your classrooms because YOU led them that way!

Upcoming Events: 

Wednesday: A WELL DESERVED Thanksgiving break!!!

Wednesday, December 1: MS/HS Faculty Meeting

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*With Mrs. Neis on maternity leave, Mr. Butson is now serving as her long-term sub (just in case you wonder why you haven't seen him in a while). 

*HS Faculty - the IEB document for next week is HERE.

*MS faculty - I will have a new Fun Friday selection choice for students to select on Monday after Thanksgiving. Please let me know if you want to add a new activity. 

Inspirational Thoughts:

We are at the point of "disillusionment" at this time of the year.

The best thing you can do for yourself at this time of year is to take care of yourself and take care of each other. Please take time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy your families, because I know you've been spending a lot of time here taking care of your classrooms. It's time for you to fill your cup so you can come back and pour into our students!

Friday Focus - November 12, 2021

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

*Students were working together in small groups to read a science article together. Each had a card with prompts to serve as the Predictor, Questioner, Clarifier or Summarizer for group discussion as they learned the content. 

*Our student leaders did an incredible job preparing for, leading/presenting at the Veterans Day assembly and then afterwards for the pictures.  Their incredible leadership comes from your incredible leadership to prepare them!

*I've subbed in several classrooms that were so well established that students didn't skip a beat of learning, because they knew where they were going next in their learning and they knew what was expected of them. I felt like I could have not even shown up to a few rooms and they would have continued on just as I saw them on their own!

*Our Academic Decathlon team scored the highest they have ever scored at their competition and are now on to Regionals in January!

Upcoming Events:

Friday (Today) - Safety Drill

Wednesday - Workout Wednesday
   YRBS administered in Aspire

   HS Faculty Meeting - continuing our Grading discussions

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*Please do not send students to a vestibule (in between doors area by an exit) to do school work or record videos. This is for safety/security purposes. The collaboration space (in both MS and HS) is an option. Additionally, you can check the IMC schedule with Mrs. Rollins.

*HS Faculty - next week's IEB doc is HERE. Mrs. Johnson will move student names to Mrs. Beaudo's room if they are opted out of the YRBS.

Blogs, Tweets & Quotes:

*The First Key to Connecting Well With Students is to Like Them; This Often Takes Work - The teacher who wrote this brings up a challenging question - when we have a student that seems impossibly behind and impossibly undermotivated, how do we communicate with them about school? The answer is in your control!

Friday Focus - November 5, 2021

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

*Our Academic Decathlon team stayed after school to prep for their competition challenging the teachers in a students vs teachers Kahoot. I love seeing students having so much fun flaunting their knowledge!

*Sometimes it takes time (a LONG time) of supporting a student to see growth and when you do, it makes all the hard work so worth it!  This week I listened to a student talk about how she was trying to mentor a younger student to make better choices and not lose her temper.  I took some time to pause with this student and point out to her that we had spent years trying to help her make better choices and now she has grown so much that she is helping others.  Her proud smile made my week and then she said to make sure I tell her mentor how great she is doing (and there's another plug for how incredible our Strive Mentors are!)

*Our AP Environmental Science students conducted water quality tests including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, coliform, and run-off nutrients on the campus water systems including the stream and pond. 

*When I shared with a group of students that their hallway is the messiest in the school, they started brainstorming ways to solve the problem so their peers wouldn't leave the hallway a mess. One student started to coordinate a plan for students to be responsible for the hallway on a rotational basis. It's so great to see leadership (now I hope we see follow through!). :)

Upcoming Events:

Please come support our students in the musical this weekend!

Sunday - You gain an hour with the time change! How will you spend your extra hour?

Wednesday - HS Faculty Meeting 3:15

Thursday - Veterans Day Program at 9:30AM in the HS Gym

Nuts & Bolts Notes:
*Just a reminder to dress professionally on Thursday for our Veterans Day assembly.  New staff - please connect with your mentor to know what to expect for the Veterans Day program. 

*Open Door Counseling - At the beginning of the year we shared that one of our new services to support students this year is the Open Door Counseling program, with a counselor here on Thursdays in the SDC to provide ongoing support for students. She has already been meeting with students and the PPS team continues to make referrals, but you can also help refer students.  This is the brochure that we have in the SDC that can be provided to students/families. 

*Did you see the exciting news from Dr. Thompson about our new regular sub in the district each day? Please help welcome Mr. Butson if you see him around. I also want to reiterate Dr. Thompson's message that if you know someone interested in subbing, please encourage them to come our way! :)

Blogs, Tweets & Quotes:

*Tell Yourself a Better Story