Tuesday September 1st, 2015

One of the great opportunities at Harrison for students, is our music program and choir. Here are updates for recorders:

Music

Please add December 7th to your calendar. We are going big for our Christmas Concert this year. We will be at Roper, with all students K-5 singing. Fourth grade will have a play included as well. A big thank you to Mrs. Dickinson for leading! This is a great free present for students to give to their families, listening to their children sing songs for the holiday season.

Here is a great thought for the day. I've heard many of you reminding students that they can do hard things, that they just need to try. We know that all students are capable:

Monday August 31st, 2015

Duties for the week: 

     AM Bus: Jensen
                  Porter
                  Simson
     PM Bus: Anderson
                  Moulson
                  Osborn
     Lounge: Nail
 
Meetings/Reminders for the week: 

   September 2nd, 2015- Wednesday- Eval Team

   September 3rd, 2015- Thursday- Friday Fun Day- Class Theme Colors:
   K-Pink, 1st-Yellow, 2nd-Purple, 3rd-Orange, 4th-Gray, and 5th-Green

   September 4th, 2015- Friday- Early Dismissal 1:10, and no school for Kindergarten

   September 7th, 2015- Monday- No School


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements: 

   Anderson- Habit #2: Begin with the end in mind


Friday fun is on a Thursday. That is so all students K-5 can participate. A big thank you to the fun committee for planning this!

Please help remind families about early dismissal being at 1:10 on Friday. 

As students are learning about leadership, this post with pictures would be great to share with students. There are examples of school wide jobs that students can apply for.

Pictures This Week

Student led conferences may seem far away, but preparing occurs everyday. As students use their leadership notebooks, reflect on goals, develop speaking and listening skills, and complete classroom activities: students are preparing for student led conferences. This article is a great reminder of the importance for student led conferences.
 
Student Led Conferences

This is a great thought that goes with our focus on creativity, innovation, and best practices:

Friday August 28th, 2015

These two articles are quick reads, and they have little nuggets of ideas for family involvement. One of the greatest resources in raising student achievement and increasing student growth for all areas of developing the whole child, is the power of family involvement. The second article mentions pre/k ideas, ideas for the whole family, and twitter as a tool. We have a school twitter feed that you can follow from the link on our school website.

3 Ideas

Fueling Engagement


Have a great weekend!

Thursday August 27th, 2015

We have several new students this year, in every classroom. Not only is the following thought posted below a great reminder for adults, but also students. Please continue to point out and recognize the desired expectations of behaviors and skills we expect of all of our students. Establishing habits early in the school year will make for a much smoother school year.

You can see the look on faces as students watch older students just stop in the hall to help a younger student tie their shoe, or students at lunch that just walk over to another table to help open a milk that a student is struggling with. The Leader in Me program has made a positive impact on the lives of students, and our school. I'm excited to see the growth of our students as the school year progresses.

Please remember to fill out our Caught Being a Super Husky form. Students love hearing on the intercom how a staff member was proud of them. Our students need to hear that. You might be the only person that has told them that you are proud of them. There are copies already made for you in the staff room and on my desk, and feel free to take as many copies as you would like. There is also an electronic copy on the staff blog, on the documents tab.

Wednesday August 26th, 2015

The staff meeting will start about 3:50 in the library. Please remember to bring a device, and I'll have the list of options that could be checked off your to do list. This is a great collaboration and learning staff meeting.

With the high temperatures, please remind students to be drinking water.

We will have the monthly staff kudos board again in the staff room. We have die cuts ready for you. This is a great opportunity to recognize staff members for the great things they do, especially when they think nobody has noticed. We have so many big hearts and helping hands that assist throughout the day.

A big thank you to everybody that assisted with the Robotics kick off Tuesday night! From the prep work of getting the potatoes ready, setting up, cleaning up, and throughout the evening. If you know Nick Cummins, please thank him for the potatoes.

Students are starting to apply for school wide jobs. Please encourage students to apply, and you might show them the job postings board as you walk in the hallways. When they get to high school and college, they will be great candidates for jobs as they will have had experience applying and interviewing for jobs.

Thought for the day:

Tuesday August 25th, 2015

The big event tonight is the robotics kick off, from 6-8 pm. We will also have the baked potato bar for $4.00, a fundraiser for student activities and classroom items.

Here is the newsletter going home this week:

Newsletter Front

Newsletter Back With Dates

If a student is late, or a bus is late, we have extra breakfast items in Mrs. Kenyon's room right by the office. Students can grab and go, and can quickly get started with learning. It's hard to focus and learn if students are hungry, so please check with a late student to ensure they have eaten breakfast. Often the reasons for being late are out of the student's control.

The following picture is from this article. This a great reminder of the power of a few seconds, even just smiling or letting students know you are glad they are at school. You might be the first smile they have seen in the morning, and that can help to set a positive experience for the day:

Genuine Connections

Monday August 24th, 2015

Duties for the week: 

     AM Bus: Sweet
                  Mason
                  Moore
     PM Bus: Bloxham/Ardito
                  Lindquist
                  Warner
     Lounge: Vandenbosch
 
Meetings/Reminders for the week:  

   August 24th, 2015- Monday- IRI Testing Starts

   August 25th, 2015- Tuesday- Robotics Kick Off 6:00-8:00 PM and Baked Potato Bar

   August 26th, 2015- Wednesday- Eval Team

   August 26th, 2015- Wednesday- Kindergarten Hearing Screening

   August 26th, 2015- Wednesday- Staff Meeting

   August 27th, 2015- Thursday- Lighthouse Team 


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements: 

   Hammond- Habit #1: Be Proactive


Here are a few pictures from the first two days of school. Going from half day Kindergarten to full day First Grade can be exhausting. The last picture from Mrs. Lent may have illustrated how many felt by the end of the week:

Pictures

Here is a great thought as we start a new week:

Friday August 21st, 2015

We just started school, and it's already Friday!

Thank you to everybody who jumped in and helped where ever they saw a need. From the kitchen staff helping children find their classroom during breakfast, a night custodian throwing a football with students for a few minutes while they waited for the bus after school, answering the phone, calling families, hugs and reassurance where there were tears or worries, covering duties, smiling and welcoming students and families, and so much more. Thank you for helping to make sure every student had a great first day of school!

Preschool paras have already met with me for our first quarter classified staff meeting. All others, please choose between two options on Friday. The first option is 8:20 in Mrs. Kenyon's room. The second option is 10:30, and we'll meet in my office so we have a computer to watch a short video.

Please let us know if students need school supplies, a backpack, assistance with fees, or any other needs. Between the office and our counselor, we have supplies and resources.

We will have 3 foster-grandparents this year, and they are wonderful. As they start this week and next week, please introduce yourself and help them feel welcomed.

Have a restful, and great, weekend!

Thursday August 20th, 2015

Today is the first day of school, and it's going to be a great school year! Let us know in the office if you need anything.

This is a great article with pictures of students overcoming health challenges, and starting the first day of school. The first day is a special day for all kids, so let's make sure Thursday is a great day for all students to remember:

First Day

Great thought for the first day of school. This isn't just about teachers, but every staff member at our school:

Wednesday August 19th, 2015

Thank you to everybody who helped with Open House! A big thank you to Chobani for donating the yogurt! We had an excellent turn out, with several new families. Here is a post on the school website. We had student leaders and two great moms helping:

Open House

This is a video from Mrs. Kenyon. Kid President is awesome, and this would be perfect to share with students sometime during the first few days of school:

Kid President

We have a monthly home and school resource that goes home to families, from Mrs. Jensen. The same company has a math and science monthly family note that has ideas for home. Both have been purchased for the upcoming school year, and they are great resources for families. Here are descriptions of the two notes:

Home and Family

Math and Science

This welcome sign is from Mrs. Moulson's first grade classroom door, and it is a great reminder:

Tuesday August 18th, 2015

The big event today is Open House. Let us know in the office if you need anything. We meet outside on the front lawn at 5:00 so I can welcome everybody.

Wednesday is a teacher work day, and you're getting your classrooms ready. Feel free to wear jeans and casual dress.

Here is the sharpen the saw staff video. Great family pictures:

Staff Video

This is a great article about the first day. We all have Billy's and Jenny's in our classrooms. Let's make the first day a great day for all students:

First Day of School

Here is a great article about never giving up on students, and the video is funny:

#KidsDeserveIt

Here is a thought for today. Every child, every staff member, every community member, and every family should feel welcomed at our school:

Monday August 17th, 2015

Duties for the week: 

     AM Bus: Lindquist
                  Terrell
                  Kenyon/Bloxham/Matlock
     PM Bus: Sweet
                  Sorsensen/Bloxham/Ardito
                  Fullmer
     Lounge: Coleman
 
Meetings/Reminders for the week:  

   August 17th, 2015- Monday- Opening Event at Roper: 8:30

   August 17th, 2015- Monday- Staff Retreat in Library: 1-4 

   August 18th, 2015- Tuesday- Teacher Work Day

   August 18th, 2015- Tuesday-Open House 5:00-6:30

   August 19th, 2015- Wednesday- Teacher Work Day

   August 19th, 2015- Wednesday- myON Reading Training in Library: 1-3:30

   August 20th, 2015- Thursday- School Starts 8:50

   August 21st, 2015- Friday- 1st Quarter Classified Staff Meeting: 8:20 or 10:30


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements: 

   Hammond- Habit #1: Be Proactive

A big thank you to Ms. Reese for leading the STEM camp! The activities were excellent and just awesome. Week two included dairy science, fruits and vegetable farming, dissecting rats, anatomy lessons, rockets, robotics, printmaking, art, synergy with games, science experiments, and more. There were so many smiling faces all week!

School starts on Thursday! Supervision outside starts at 8:25, with breakfast for 2nd-5th starting at 8:15 in the lunchroom. Kindergarten and 1st have breakfast in the classroom. The before school program will start in September, but we will provide supervision for students starting on the first day of school starting at 7:30 if families ask. Students can go to the library. Ms. Reese will have applications available for the before and after school program during Open House.

We will have a staff meeting for all classified staff on Friday. We will go over a variety of items, and will answer any questions that you have. Please choose the time that works best, either 8:20 or 10:30. The 8:20 meeting will be in Mrs. Kenyon's classroom, and the 10:30 option will be in the lunchroom.

For the staff retreat Tuesday afternoon, please bring a device. I'll email the powerpoint Monday morning. You'll be able to click on links, have resources, and have the agenda right at your fingertips. 

A big thank you to Chobani for providing yogurt for our Open House. I emailed back in June, and we will be providing yogurt to families as they visit. There will also be sign up sheets in the front entry way for families to sign up for different activities that they would like to help with. We have two moms already that are excited to help with the yogurt.

For both the classified staff meetings and the staff retreat, you will notice papers on the tables. You'll have question prompts and items to complete with your table group as people arrive. This is a great inclusion activity, as we continue to strengthen the great staff that we have at Harrison. 

As we start the new school year, please let me know if you need any help with your school gmail or google apps like drive. This is used daily at Harrison, and we have talented staff members that can assist.

10 Ideas for Google Docs

Leadership notebooks are a crucial piece of the puzzle for our students. These are more than just collecting data. Leadership notebooks empower students to own their own learning. There are goals, reflection, and victories. All of our students have one. Here is an article with a brief overview:

Leadership Notebooks

Tuesday August 11th, 2015

Most schedules have been updated for the upcoming school year. Let me know if you need help printing:

Schedules

We had a great opportunity Monday night to recognize two staff members. Here are pictures:

August Employees of the Month

Monday August 10th, 2015

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   August 10th, 2015- School Board Meeting at Canyon Ridge to recognize classified and certified employees of the month, Mrs. Vandenbosch and Mrs Mason- 7 pm

   August 11th & 12th, 2015- Kindergarten Open House, letters mailed with individual times, 5-7 pm

   August 11th & 12th, 2015- Late Night Registration for all grades, office open 5-7 pm

   August 11th & 12th, 2015- New Teacher Training

   August 13th & 14th, 2015- Summer Institute Training for Certified

   August 13th, 2015- Last Getting Reading for Kindergarten Night with United Way 6:30-8:30 pm


Here is a post from the school website with pictures from the first week of the STEM Camp. We had a great turn out of families for the Friday afternoon family event. Thank you Mrs. Pauley for helping with pictures! The faces in the pictures are priceless, love it:

First Week STEM Camp

We are hosting the Robotics Kick Off on August 25th. This is a community event. We will be having a baked potato bar fundraiser, with student leaders assisting. Money earned will go towards students and their activities this year, like field trips. Here is a flyer with more information, and we will make copies to send home as it gets closer:

First Lego League Robotics Kick Off

Hard to believe that school starts in 10 days. Attitude and being positive is important, and having excitement like a child. Here are two images for the day:

Monday August 3rd, 2015

The STEM camp starts this week. The line up of activities with CSI is excellent. There are so many great opportunities for our students.

Here is welcome video for the new school year. Please share this with students on the first or second day of school. We have so many successes and opportunities for students. If we want to close academic gaps, we have to close opportunity gaps first:

Welcome Video

This is a great article about restorative practices, and it relates very well to what we do at Harrison with discipline:

Restorative Practices

Here are the back to school papers that will be mailed to families this week:

Welcome Letter 

Opportunities to Help 

Fred Meyer

Target and Boxtops

School Spirit Wear

Volunteer Background Check and Safety Reminders