Tuesday November 1st, 2016

Even with Monday being Halloween, students did a great job with behavior. Very impressive! Thank you to everybody for finding items for students to wear for the parade, and for helping to ensure that students had fun activities in the afternoon.

We also recognized October staff Oscars on Monday. We had 25+ nominations and the words were so kind. Just like we strive to recognize and find greatness with our students, I love that we do the same with staff. Recognizing greatness with our colleagues is a great skill of leaders:

October Oscars


We have a family note going home this week, and it is a bit longer in length. The office will make copies:

Family Note Front Side Page

Family Note Second Page

Family Note Back Side with Upcoming Dates

Leader in Me Family Note- Might Assist with Tardies


Thought for today:

Monday October 31st, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Schroeder
                 Sharp
                 Pauley
     PM Bus: Fullmer
                 Nail
                 Rodriguez
     Staff Room: Wolden
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
 
   October 31st, 2016- Monday- AM Kindergarten Parade 8:40 am

   October 31st, 2016- Monday- Halloween Parade 1:30 pm, and Parties After
  
   October 31st, 2016- Monday- Eval Team   

   November 1st, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   November 1st, 2016- Tuesday- Grade Level Teaming 1st-5th, with ESL, Title 1, and Resource
 
   November 1st, 2016- Tuesday- Art Lunch for 4th Grade with Mrs. V in the Library

   November 1st, 2016- Tuesday- Preventative Health and Flu Shots, 2:30 pm
 
   November 2nd, 2016- Thursday- Grade Level Teaming for K, with ESL, Title 1, and Resource
 
   November 4th, 2016- Friday- Friday Fun- Career Day

   November 4th, 2016- Friday- Bookmark sale with student leaders: .50 cents each

                                       
Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Thomason- Habit 3: Put first things first


If students don't have a Halloween costume, please send them to the office when it's a good time. We will help create or find something so every student can participate in the parade.

As classrooms are integrating classroom meetings and writing activities that include opportunities for social and emotional learning, we are hearing situations that are just heart breaking. This isn't just one or two students, but almost the whole classroom. School is truly one of the most safe and loving places for our students. Thank you for reaching out to students so they know they have people on their side.

The following two links are great resources that fit well with classroom meetings and writing prompts/discussions:

Control, Being Proactive, and Restorative Practices

Being Thankful


This is a great resource for increasing student engagement and voice in the classroom:

More Student Talk


A big part of our story at Harrison is providing learning, closing opportunity gaps, closing the digital divide, and ensuring our students have opportunities to be a kid. Many of our kids are living adult situations, and they need to experience laughter. The pictures this week are great examples of learning, smiling, friendship, spreading kindness, student leaders, and more. You can click on the pictures to see them larger, and these would be great to share with students:

Pictures This Week


Here is the weekly schedule post to share with families:

Family Weekly Note


We have such a great special education staff. Here are most of them, but we have even more awesome staff at the preschool. They all truly have such big hearts and advocate often for students, and that includes all students in our school:

Remember this thought as you check in with students this week. Sometimes you need to set aside the content and address the emotions. When student needs are met, the learning will take off. Thank you for finding even just a few minutes to talk with a student. Every staff member matters, especially to our students:

Friday October 28th, 2016

A big thank you to everybody who jumped in to help wherever they saw a need on Thursday, walked with students during the Move-a-Thon, and for exhibiting so many great examples of leadership. We also had our Leader in Me coach on site to provide coaching for our staff lighthouse/building leadership team, and he was very impressed as he walked out the door at the end of the school day.

Enjoy your weekend with your friends and families. Thought for today:

Thursday October 27th, 2016

Today is the Move-a-Thon! Everybody is welcome to come outside and walk with students on the track. You can run, walk, skip, and just move. This is a great sharpen the saw activity, and it's all towards updating the playground.

This thought for the day fits perfectly. The Move-a-Thon is a great opportunity to check in with students, mentor, give encouragement, listen, and more. Whether your own children or children at school, all children deserve to have a full cup. Look for cups to fill:

Wednesday October 26th, 2016

We have a staff meeting after school in the library and the goal is to start at 3:25.

This is a great resource to bookmark. There might be one idea that catches your eye, particularly with chromebooks:

25 Ways Google Can Help

Cherish the memories:

Tuesday October 25th, 2016

Kindergarten visits the pumpkin patch today.

We have our annual Title 1 family survey ready. Please share with families, and we will also have chromebooks with the survey available at our family night in November:

Title 1 Family Survey

I love this blog post. Whether you are a mom, an aunt, a sister, or a father: we all have family. We all have special people in our lives, even great friends. This post is a reminder that what you do everyday is important, even if at times it feels like it takes away from your family. Your classroom and the kids you work with everyday, like the post states, is an extension of your kitchen tables and living rooms. As the article also states, you are teaching your loved ones many important skills like passion and selflessness:

A letter to my children (or any family member/friend in your life)

This is a great article that reminds about the importance of working respectfully with others, even when there are differences. How we as adults work together is then modeled to our students. Whether they are online or in person with other people, how they treat and work with others is an important skill to learn. This might be a spoiler alert: people have differences. Those differences can be thought of as an asset in situations, or as a hindrance. That decision is up to you. As the article reminds, remember the good in people:

Together Everyone Achieves More

So true:

Monday October 24th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Enders
                 Rice
                 Bender
     PM Bus: Lindquist
                 Kenyon
                 Ardito
     Staff Room: Garcia
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
 
   October 24th, 2016- Move-a-Thon Check In 7:50 am

   October 24th, 2016- Monday- Picture Retakes 
  
   October 24th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team 

   October 24th, 2016- Monday- 3rd-5th Math Training with Rhonda Birnie at CSI 
 
   October 25th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting
 
   October 25th, 2016- Tuesday- Kindergarten to Pumpkin Patch

   October 26th, 2016- Wednesday- Staff Meeting

   October 27th, 2016- Thursday- Move a Thon

   October 27th, 2016- Thursday- Staff Lighthouse Team/Building Leadership Team 3:25

   October 28th, 2016- Friday- October Principal's Lunch with Student Leaders

Upcoming: Monday October 31st, 2016- Halloween Parade at 1:30 pm
                                       

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Moore- Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind


Staff meeting agenda for Wednesday:

1. United Way- Mrs. Craner

2. Information about students who are refugees and the countries they are from- Mrs. Buschhorn 


Please share the weekly note with families:

Weekly Note and Schedule for Families



We honor and see greatness in every student, and that includes more than just academics. This thought could be anywhere at school, like the lunchroom or classroom. Kindness and empathy:

Thursday October 20th, 2016

A big thank you to these three awesome ladies who participated in scratch for schools! They also won in trivia about Idaho History:

Have a great 3 day weekend:

Wednesday October 19th, 2016

Please help remind students and families that there is no school for Kindergarten on Thursday, and no school for all students on Friday.

First grade will be going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch today.

The teacher dinner tonight will be ready by 4:30.

We are half way through conference week. Thank you to everybody who has jumped in to help cover classrooms and duties, welcomed and assisted families, and helped where ever else you have seen a need. Thank you!

This thought is so true. We have an awesome staff and I've heard several positive comments from families this week during conferences:

Tuesday October 18th, 2016

Please help remind students and families that box tops are due Wednesday. We have student office leaders who are helping to cut them out, so continue sending them to the office if any need cutting.

This is a nice overview of restorative justice practices. As the article reminds, this is often much harder and more meaningful for all that are involved. We've seen great growth and positive changes with students. Empathy, brain development, healing for all involved, and more:

Restorative Justice Practices

So true:

Monday October 17th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Sorensen
                 Sweet
                 Terrell
     PM Bus: Vandenbosch
                 Music/STEM/PE
                 Wolden
     Staff Room: Schroeder
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
 
   October 17th-21st, 2016- Student Led Conferences All Week

   October 17th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team 

   October 17th, 2016- Monday- Scratch for Schools     
  
   October 19th, 2016- Wednesday- Box Tops Due
 
   October 19th, 2016- Wednesday- 1st Grade to Pumpkin Patch 11:00-2:15

   October 19th, 2016- Wednesday- Teacher Pizza Dinner During Conferences

   October 20th, 2016- Thursday- No School for Kindergarten

   October 21st, 2016- Friday- No School K-5

Upcoming: Monday October 24th, 2016- Picture Retakes
                                        

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Schroeder- Habit 1: Be Proactive

We have the school website updated. Let me know if you have ideas for things to add. I will post a weekly schedule for families, and include other important information. The link can then be emailed via your email distribution lists, and information can be shared anytime you are talking with families. Here is the link for families for the upcoming week:

Family Note With Schedule For Upcoming Week

Language skills are just as important as content areas like math. We need all students to be speaking, restating, writing, speaking again, providing evidence, and speaking again throughout the school day. There are a few video clips included with this article. Speaking/communication is essential to growth:

Art of Speaking is Important

Here are pictures from this past week, and several pictures from Sharpen the Paw. The older students were so kind as they assisted younger students. Super proud of them! You can click to see pictures enlarged, and the pictures would be great to share with students. You have to enjoy the yoga in the hall, all the art, mixed age groups with diverse populations, and all the smiling faces. Just imagine those same kids in the future, working with collaborative group projects. Whatever the chosen career, students will have had practice developing skills to ensure success:

Pictures This Week and Sharpen the Paw for the 1st Quarter

As we start student led conferences this week, most grades will be sharing new report cards. This is the survey that we are encouraging families to complete. Please share with families:

Report Card Survey

This thought fits with this past week, and pretty much every day at Harrison. Our students may face unstable situations at home, and display unloving disruptive behaviors, but they always have the same constant adults in their life at school that they are quick to seek out. Students know they have people, their tribe, at school ready with open arms and a few minutes to talk. Thank you for supporting kids. You matter more than you may realize, even with just smiles and a positive welcome:

Thursday October 13th, 2016

Today is a hold on to your hat day. We have several kids that really could benefit from some fun activities, and it's nice to provide a warm place that is full of smiles and laughter. That's a positive and loving school climate and culture. On Tuesday I heard a kid in the after school program telling a student to not run in the house. Yes, school is a second home for our students.

Here is the agenda for Thursday. We tend to go big:

   7:50- Classified staff meeting for PRC

   9:30- Classified staff meeting for most

   9:30- Caramel sucker sale classroom/staff orders to the office for student leaders, by morning recess

   11:25- Mayor will be visiting to walk on track outside for Mayor's walking challenge

   12:00- Classified staff meeting for preschool

   1:00-3:00- Sharpen the Paw for the 1st quarter

Also, it's our once a month Friday fun, but on Thursday. It's mismatched day! Thank you to the fun committee for planning every month.

The student lighthouse team met Wednesday morning before school. We talked about beginning with the end in mind and our school mission statement. They created a plus delta chart of the big picture, the school and goals from the eyes of a student. When you have a minute, please check that out. It's posted in the second grade hall by room 5/6.

Think of colleagues or students with this thought for the day. Sometimes we get the opportunity to help create the sunshine for others:

Wednesday October 12th, 2016

Please remember our staff meeting after school, in the library. Our goal is to try and start at 3:25.

Please help remind students and families about no school on Friday.

We try really hard to balance both academics and social/emotional learning, and blend them together. This article gives a nice overview of the importance. We need both life skills and skills for careers:

Social-Emotional Learning

We keep trying:

Tuesday October 11th, 2016

Today is Tie Tuesday!

Please help remind students about the caramel apple sucker sale on Thursday. We have student leaders who are excited to lead.

We strive to include art everyday with instruction, even just conversations about different types of art, and the before/after school program helps to further extend art opportunities for students. Students are currently creating their own Halloween costumes, learning about different art mediums, and other art techniques. Engaged students, developing a growth mindset, and developing skills to work with others/diverse populations- just a few skills. Here is a short article about the importance of integrating art with academics, educating the whole child:

Creativity and Academics

It's important to be yourself and find your people:

Monday October 10th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Pauley
                 Porter
                 Warner
     PM Bus: Nail
                 Kelly
                 Enders
     Staff Room: Enders
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
 
   October 10th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team
  
   October 10th, 2016- Monday- District K-2 Training After School With Rhonda Birnie

   October 11th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting
 
   October 11th, 2016- Tuesday- Tie Tuesday!

   October 11th, 2016- Tuesday- Kindergarten Art Lunch with Mrs. V in the Library
   
   October 12th, 2016- Tuesday- Student Lighthouse Team 7:30 am

   October 12th, 2016- Wednesday- My First Library Visit for Pre/K and K
 
   October 12th, 2016- Wednesday- Staff Meeting

   October 13th, 2016- Thursday Fun- Mismatched Everything

   October 13th, 2016- Thursday- Classified 2nd Quarter staff meeting
                                       7:50 PRC, 9:30 Most, and 12:00 Preschool

   October 13th, 2016- Thursday- Caramel Apple Suckers .50 cents each- with student leaders

   October 13th, 2016- Thursday- Sharpen the Paw 1:00-3:00

   October 14th, 2016- Friday- No School for students and end of the 1st quarter- Teacher Work Day


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Fullmer- Habit 8: Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs


Tuesday is tie Tuesday! Whether it is a scarf or a tie, our kids love to wear them. It creates a different feel in the classroom when students are dressed more professionally, and it's a great real life experience for college and careers. Please help remind students.

We have a great line up for Sharpen the Paw on Thursday! It's the end of the 1st quarter. Not only have students earned the enrichment and learning, but so have staff. This is a great opportunity to provide students experiences that they might not otherwise have, and to remember that balance is best. It's also a great experience that fits with the book Teach Like a Pirate:

1st Quarter Sharpen the Paw


The staff meeting agenda for Wednesday:

    1. American Fidelity

    2. School Nurse

    3. Istation- Ms. Pauley

    4. Housekeeping- Ms. Ardito


This article is a great reminder of the importance of including movement with learning:

Movement and Learning


This is a great resource that fits with leadership, social/emotional learning, and soft skills:

Leadership BINGO Card


We have the best classified staff! Our kids are very lucky to have the extra help and positive support that they provide every day. They give so many extras behind the scenes and are always positive. Thank you! This picture is from their training on Thursday:

Wednesday October 5th, 2016

Please help remind students and families about no school on Thursday and Friday. We sent a reminder note home as well.

The following article fits so well with the social and emotional learning pieces we are striving to put into practice to assist students. The culture and climate just feels different when students know they have caring adults around them. Our older students also complete every year a Gallup poll and school improvement survey that is similar to the questions mentioned.

Every student needs to feel like there is at least one adult at school that cares about them, won't give up on them, and that keeps pushing them towards the greatness that we know is in them. When that happens, we can begin to make progress towards other goals, like reducing behavior concerns:

Positive Relationships and Reduced Behavior Concerns

Here is a great kindness photo that relates. Everybody has hard days, and we all need someone who cares:

Kindness

Thought for today that also relates to this article:

Tuesday October 4th, 2016

The October Mayor's walking challenge has started, and a big thank you to Mrs. Petersen for outlining the track! Students were busy trying it out on Monday during recesses.

Please help remind students and families about the Walk to School day on Wednesday.

We had several great nominations for the August/September Staff Oscars. The student office leaders loved passing the statues out:

August and September Staff Oscars

This thought is a great reminder of spreading kindness and giving service to others, both of which are free: