Tuesday March 1st, 2016

We have grade level teaming meetings today.

On Monday, we recognized February student leaders. This would be great to share with students:

February Student Leaders

We also recognized staff Oscars for February. It's always nice to recognize staff:

February Staff Oscars

Here are a few tips for grading student writing, and Google drive is mentioned. This would be good to bookmark and refer to later:

10 Time-Saving Tips for Grading Student Writing

So true:

Monday February 29th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Owens
                  Standley
                  Pauley
     PM Bus: Lancaster
                  Fullmer
                  Coleman
     Lounge: Lindquist
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
  
   February 29th, 2016- Monday- Principal's Lunch with February Student Leaders

   March 1st, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   March 1st, 2016- Tuesday- Grade Level Teaming 1st-5th with ESL, Resource, and Title 1

   March 2nd, 2016- Wednesday- Eval Team
 
   March 3rd, 2016- Thursday- Grade Level Teaming K with ESL, Resource, and Title 1

   March 4th, 2016- Friday- Friday Fun Day: Dress Like a Super Hero

   March 4th, 2016- Friday- Students Leaders Selling Caramel Apple Suckers

   March 4th, 2016- Friday- Idaho Day


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

    Osborn- Habit 3: Put first things first


We've been experiencing the effects of trauma everyday with our kids, and how not being able to regulate emotions can significantly impact learning. Children don't walk into a classroom and hang up their life like a backpack. We need to be constantly assisting and teaching both academic and social-emotional needs, the whole child. Here is a reminder about the importance of positive, supportive, and encouraging adults, as well as the importance of soft skills. A very relatable article:

Giving Students What They Really Need


A few pictures this week that demonstrate the habits in action:

Pictures This Week


Everybody has leadership skills:

Friday February 26th, 2016

Developing leadership in students, for the future, starts with the present. Short read:

Leadership Starts Today

Have a great Friday, and take the Kind challenge! This would also be great to share with students:

Thursday February 25th, 2016

Today is picture day, in the gym. We have two mothers helping. They'll start with Kindergarten as soon as school starts.

Asking questions is important:

A Case for Curiosity

So true:

Wednesday February 24th, 2016

The staff meeting after school will start about 3:50 in the library.

Please remind students about yearbook orders, and picture day tomorrow.

The end of the quarter is quickly approaching, and students are already talking about Sharpen the Paw. We love sharpening the saw! Let me know by the end of the week what activity you would like to lead.

Goal for the day:

Tuesday February 23rd, 2016

Please help remind students and families about Picture Day on Thursday.

This is a great article about service, and here is a quote from the article that we can relate to:

"That is what I want our students to experience everyday. A place where they can forget about their struggles or challenges and know that they will be accepted, welcomed, and loved.  A place where no matter their income or disability they would have access to more than a great curriculum; an experience."  

Create a Disney Experience for students and families:

Disney Experience

We are all constantly learning and growing, not just a few set aside days for professional development. Great reminder:

Monday February 22nd, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Porter
                  Triner
                  Simson
     PM Bus: Hammond
                  Osborn
                  Sweet
     Lounge: Kenyon
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
  
   February 23rd, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   February 24th, 2016- Wednesday- Eval Team
 
   February 24th, 2016- Wednesday- Staff Meeting

   February 25th. 2016- Thursday- Spring Picture Day Pre/k-5th  

   February 25th, 2016- Thursday- Staff Lighthouse Team

   February 25th, 2016- Thursday- 2nd Grade Dental Lesson AM with Senior Project

   February 26th, 2016- Friday- 1st Grade Dental Lesson AM with Senior Project


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

    Anderson- Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

Here is the agenda for the staff meeting:

1. Mileposts- Mrs. Terrell
2. Leader in Me- Ms. Ardito
3. Behavior/Academic Interventions with new books- Grade Levels

Here are a few pictures, including our Leadership Day. We had students taking pictures as well, so there will be more pictures coming. Thank you to everybody for helping, especially with students. It was a very successful event. These pictures would be great to share with students:

Pictures This Week and Leadership Day


This is a great reminder, out-lead and out-solve:

Friday February 19th, 2016

Today is our Leadership Day event! We start at 1:30 in the lunchroom.

As we are watching students shine today, remember that all leaders started by watching and learning from someone. Thank you for helping others to grow with their leadership skills everyday:

Thursday February 18th, 2016

The big task today is preparing for tomorrow!

We started Wednesday morning with a few students attending the CR staff meeting. They did a great job representing Harrison. Below is a post with pictures, as well as pictures of students preparing for Friday's Leadership Day.

So fun to see students putting first things first, as they strive to get their work done in class so they can also squeeze in practice opportunities for their leadership roles. Every student has something! Just imagine about 600 students leading an event. That's awesome! Students have been learning to plan, organize, prepare, make appointments for when to meet, learn to show up on time, follow through and be accountable, practice, and to complete all tasks. Future job skills! Click for a few pictures:

Pictures Preparing for Leadership Day

Love this article about a student who has autism, and she has found her voice!

Student Leadership and Finding Your Voice

Here is a great thought as we are preparing with students. It's their day on Friday:

Wednesday February 17th, 2016

Please send all box tops to the office.

Leadership Day is coming this Friday. You can feel it in the air! Students and staff are getting ready, and it's going to be a great event.

Building and maintaining positive relationships with students, or even colleagues, is essential:

A Relational Bank Account That Pays Dividends

Love this reminder:

Monday February 15th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Goodwin
                  Tahiri
                  Moore
     PM Bus: Anderson
                  Lancaster
                  Kenyon
     Lounge: Osborn
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
  
   February 16th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting
  
   February 16th, 2016- Tuesday- Once a Month Teaming with resource, ESL, and Title 1- for 1st-5th 
   
   February 16th, 2016- Tuesday- New York Life Rep in library after school, if interested for all staff

   February 17th, 2016- Wednesday- Harrison students at CR staff meeting, library, 7:15 am

   February 17th, 2016- Wednesday- Eval Team
 
   February 17th, 2016- Wednesday- Box Tops Due!

   February 18th. 2016- Thursday- Staff Lighthouse Team  
  
   February 18th, 2016- Thursday- Once a Month Teaming with resource, ESL, and Title 1- for K
 
   February 19th, 2016- Friday- Leadership Day 1:30-3:30!


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

    Porter- Habit 8: Find your voice, and inspire others to find theirs
    Lancaster- Habit 1: Be proactive

We have two habits this week to help us get ready for our Leadership Day on Friday!

The Leadership Day event on Friday is our big activity this week, and students are super excited to lead and share!

Please send all box tops to the office. We have student office leaders excited to help cut and glue on sheets if needed. Please make sure papers sent to the office have your classroom on them.

I love this! We have been integrating empathy and kindness all year, and those are crucial to school culture and climate. Those are essential for countering bullying, and they are free! This lesson idea is perfect for all grades, and such a great idea for addressing empathy and kindness. We need all students to feel welcomed and valued. That's teaching the whole child:

Popsicle Person Project

We had fun Valentine's Day parties, Tie Tuesday, and other fun learning this past week! Here are a few pictures:

Pictures This Week

Great thought to start us off for the week:

Thursday February 11th, 2016

Please send students to the office if they need Valentine's Day cards, or if they need help filling cards out. We have student office leaders who would love to help.

Please remind students that we start back next Tuesday.

Thank you to everybody who led and shared during the staff meeting! There are so many great innovative ideas occurring at our school.

This article should be titled: Qualities exhibited by leaders in education. I think many of us can relate:

11 Signs You Have The Grit Needed to Succeed

Have great Valentine's Day Parties today!

We have been riding a great roller coaster at Harrison, with never a dull moment. Enjoy the journey! Great thought:

Wednesday February 10th, 2016

We have a staff meeting after school in the library. We'll start about 3:50. This is a great opportunity to learn about integrating chromebooks with instruction and extensions. Learning, sharing, and asking questions from your colleagues!

Please help remind students and families that there is no school Friday and Monday.

Please help remind students and families that box tops are due by next Wednesday the 17th. We won't have another collection until the Fall, but they can keep collecting until then. We have collection sheets in the office and on the right side of the school website.

Great thought:

Tuesday February 9th, 2016

Recess is important, and several classrooms also have brain breaks during the day. That's sharpening the saw! Here is a quick reminder of the importance for recess:

3 Reasons for Recess

This is a great video with reminders and tips about teaching English language learners. Very relevant for our school, as we have several students who have not been in the country for very long:

English Language Learners

Here is a short article with a few tips about building relationships with families of English language learners, but could be applicable for all families. We are so lucky at Harrison to have so many languages and cultures that are reflective of the real world, and this also provides an opportunity for students to become globally literate/have geo-literacy experiences:

Building Relationships with Families of ELL's

One more:

10 Misconceptions about ELL's

Great thought for the day. Make learning engaging and relevant:

Monday February 8th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Warner
                  Enders
                  Moulson
     PM Bus: Miller
                  Porter
                  Simson
     Lounge: Tahiri
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
 
   February 8th, 2016- Monday- Student Lighthouse Team 8:20 am in Library
  
   February 9th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting
  
   February 9th, 2016- Tuesday- Tie Tuesday!

   February 10th, 2016- Wednesday- Eval Team
 
   February 10th, 2016- Wednesday- Staff Meeting
 
   February 11th. 2016- Thursday- Staff Lighthouse Team  

   February 11th, 2016- Thursday- 4th Grade walking to CSI IMAX: Lewis & Clark Expedition

   February 11th, 2016- Thursday- Valentine's Day parties in afternoon

   February 12th & 15th- Friday and Monday- No school for students


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

    Owens- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

The staff meeting this week will focus on the area of chromebooks and technology integration with instruction and extensions. The teachers leading and sharing are Kindergarten, Second, and Fifth. 

Our kids love to wear ties all year. Tuesday is a planned Tie Tuesday. Please remind students. Students can wear ties, bow ties, and scarves. 

Please let us know if students need Valentine's cards. 

So many great pictures this week! We had students giving service and spreading kindness as they helped shovel snow, learning with friends, and an excellent family engagement activity by students in Ms. Miller's classroom:

Pictures This Week

We model to students everyday, every staff member:

Friday February 5th, 2016

Bookmark sale today with student leaders, and Friday Fun as we dress wearing our favorite sports team!

We all have rough days, just like our students. Choosing to start a new day with a positive and proactive plan is important. The last sentence of this short article is the key piece:

"This week, my pride and confidence have been damaged, but I know that positive changes are coming because I am choosing to take responsibility, adapt and improve."

Hard Days

Have a great Friday!

Sometimes everything goes out the window, because students come first:

Thursday February 4th, 2016

Please help remind students about Friday fun, wearing their favorite sports clothing. Please also remind students about the bookmark sale on Friday.

February is Black History month, and there are several great resources here:

Black History Month

I saw this in Ms. Porter's classroom and thought it was very fitting for our school this year, especially as we enrolled four new students on Wednesday:

Wednesday February 3rd, 2016

It's school counselor week, and this article is a great reminder. Our students, staff, and families are very lucky at Harrison:

School Counselor Week

Mrs. Jensen shared this for today's blog post. So true to remember all the things done well, like when a student or adult is having a rough moment:

Tuesday February 2nd, 2016

Ms. Miller has planned a fun family involvement activity with her students for Friday at 1:30. The celebration of learning will include an assortment of individual and group projects students have been planning for several weeks, to showcase their learning. If you have a few minutes available, this would be a great activity to view.

The beginning of a new month is always exciting. We get to recognize awesome student leaders and amazing staff. The January student leaders pdf with teacher comments at the link below would be great to share with students:

January Student Leaders

January Staff Oscars

Everybody can have a little storm brewing at times. Thank goodness for friends, deep breathes, and for everyday being a fresh start. Great reminder as we have the great opportunity to be the umbrella at times for students, and even our colleagues: