Thursday December 1st, 2016

Today is the first day of Christmas fun, with the wearing of red and green colors.

Please help remind students about Friday: ugly sweater day and candy cane sale.

Here is a short article that mentions three things found in great schools. This includes a collaborative staff culture and educating the whole child. The last sentence reminds that 'education is about experiences as much as content':

Lessons Learned From Great Schools

Thought for today:

Wednesday November 30th, 2016

Thank you to everybody who attended the Christmas Concert Tuesday night, and a big thank you to Mrs. Dickinson! It was a great show full of student talent, loving friends and family members supporting in the audience, and such a warm and positive event to start the holiday season.

Please help remind students about tomorrow being the first day of the 12 days of Christmas fun, dressing with the colors red and green, and the candy cane sale on Friday.

It's that time of year, for the annual Macy's Letters to Santa. This is a great activity for Make a Wish:

Letters to Santa

Here is a great thought for the day. I think we have the best kids at Harrison, and they have the best staff at their side supporting and teaching them:

Tuesday November 29th, 2016

Please help remind students and families about the Winter Concert that is occurring tonight, at Roper. Doors will open at 6:00, and the program starts at 6:30. This is a great opportunity for students to welcome the holiday season with beautiful music, and every student has a part.

A big thank you to the Fun Committee for planning the 12 Days of Christmas again! The fun starts Thursday, and the office will have a note going home. Students can make homemade items at school, or even just wear Christmas colors. No fanciness is required, just a positive attitude. The holiday season can be hard on kids and families, but we can ensure that all kids have a positive holiday season at school:

12 Days of Christmas

You may have noticed the Christmas tree being set up in the front entry way. Students definitely noticed, because we had several asking to help decorate. We will be starting our annual food drive, but we are trying something new this year. We will still be donating food to our local community. New this year will be adding some of the food donations to our own school pantry that we have started. We have kids picking up food items at the end of the day, so they have food for dinner and their family.

We have a family note going home this week, and the office will make copies:

Front Side of Family Note

Back Side with Dates

Chose Joy:

Monday November 28th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Kelly
                 Alexander
                 Sharp
     PM Bus: Lancaster
                 Schroeder
                 Sweet
     Staff Room: Warner
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 

   November 28th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team   

   November 29th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   November 29th, 2016- Tuesday- Art Lunch for 1st Grade with Mrs. V in the Library
 
   November 29th, 2016- Tuesday- All School Winter Concert at Roper- starts at 6:30 pm

   November 30th, 2016- Wednesday- Principal Lunch with November student leaders

   December 2nd, 2016- Friday- Friday Fun- Wear Ugly Sweater Day

   December 2nd, 2016- Friday- Student leaders selling candy canes for .50 cents each

                                       
Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Kelly- Habit 6: Synergize and Wolden- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw


Please help remind students and families about the Winter Concert. Students have been practicing and they are excited to sing.

We had a great Title 1 Family Night. We've been striving to include more dads and families who are learning English for the first time, with school events and family involvement, and the pictures show that:

Fall Title 1 Family Night

We're beginning with the end in mind with the pictures from this last week. We have end of the year academic goals, family involvement goals, a new Science/Invention Fair planned for the Spring, leadership goals, kindness, the Winter concert, global learning while working with diverse groups, and more! The following pictures show students and staff reaching towards those goals, and the pictures would be great to share with students:

Pictures This Week

Here is the weekly note to share with families. I included a note about BINGO for Books and Christmas lunch:

Weekly Schedule for Families

Music is universal. Music can heard in every country around the world. This article is a great reminder of integrating music, particularly with second language learners. Music isn't just once a week when going to specials, but can be integrated cross content with other learning. The tips can also be applied for any skill second language learners are learning, not just music:

7 Tips for Engaging ESL Students in Music Education

Empathy is a skill we are teaching students every day. Empathy is walking in another person's shoes, and truly listening without judging. What a great skill that students can use at home, with any career in their future, and with their peers. Empathy is an essential part of learning:

Empathy and Learning in the 21st Century Classroom

We are striving to develop a love for learning, and not just compliance. This includes problem solving, performance tasks, endurance with multi-step questions to research, and working with others to find solutions. This article has a few images and tips for reflection, to assist with ensuring that learning is meaningful:

10 Ways to Make Learning Meaningful


Every student brings assets to the table. Differentiating, and knowing your students, helps with growth:

Friday November 18th, 2016

Thank you to everybody who helped lead with Thanksgiving lunch, Family Night, and all the behind the scenes planning and preparing! We had such a great turn out for both events.

We have some popcorn left over for students and families to buy on Friday. Please let them know.

Please help remind students and families that there is no school all next week. We have lost and found moved to the office area. Please find a moment on Friday to have students check it, so they have warm items to wear. Many kids think they live at our school, and they think lost and found is their closet. With no school for a whole week, they really need to take things home so they can stay warm over the break.

This article is great reminder of the importance for mindfulness, to help with teaching students to self-manage their emotions:

4 Simple Ways to Teach Mindfulness in Schools

So true:

Thursday November 17th, 2016

Today is going to be an awesome day! We have our Title 1 family night, college shirt/sweatshirt day, and Thanksgiving lunch. Family involvement isn't just a one night event. Family involvement is every day, every phone call, every smile and conversation in halls and bus/pick up lines, and more. Enjoy the day, and please jump in and assist. You might be the one that gets a family involved, who hasn't been involved at school before.

With all the great family involvement activities today, remember to breathe. We're beginning with the end in mind as we think of the great opportunities we are providing for students and families:

Wednesday November 16th, 2016

Please help remind students and families about the Title 1 family night activity on Thursday.

Thursday is also a day to wear college shirts or sweatshirts, and it's Thanksgiving lunch. Please help remind students and families.

Here's an article and video from Mrs. Craner that fits with strategies we include at our school, like yoga and deep breaths, to assist students with self-regulating their emotions:

Meditation and Breathing

I love these yoga pictures from Mrs. Moore. Just a normal activity at Harrison, like reading and math:

Every day is a fresh start:

Tuesday November 15th, 2016

It just wouldn't be a new week without new students enrolling. Thank you for welcoming and assisting our new students.

Choir students will be gone today, as they will be singing at care centers to help start the holiday season.

Science is everywhere, and this is just one idea:

Fish in the Classroom


This thought would also be great to share with students. Think positive:

Monday November 14th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Wolden
                 Bender
                 Enders
     PM Bus: Kelly
                 Nail
                 Lindquist
     Staff Room: Kelly
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
  
   November 14th, 2016- Monday- Grade level teaming 1st-5th Grade

   November 14th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team   

   November 15th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   November 15th, 2016- Tuesday- Art Lunch for 2nd Grade with Mrs. V in the Library
 
   November 16th, 2016- Wednesday- Student Lighthouse Team 7:30 am

   November 16th, 2016- Wednesday- Staff Lighthouse/Building Leadership Team 3:25 pm

   November 17th, 2016- Thursday- New Teacher Breakfast/Check In- 7:30 am

   November 17th, 2016- Thursday- Wear College Shirts/Sweatshirts Day

   November 17th, 2016- Thursday- Thanksgiving Lunch

   November 17th, 2016- Thursday- Title 1 Family Night 5:00-6:30- No After School or Tutoring

   November 18th, 2016- Friday- Kindergarten Teaming

Thursday is the best day this week! We have college conversations, Thanksgiving lunch, and Family Night!

The week of November 14th is Bullying Prevention/Kindness Week- October is the official month, but several countries recognize the third week in November. Regardless, intentional lessons during this week would be great. We strive to be proactive and talk about ways to prevent in the first place. Seek first to understand, then to be understood, often helps as a proactive way to avoid reactive behavior.

                                       
Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Warner- Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood


Here is the Weekly Schedule to share with families:

Weekly Schedule

The pictures from this last week are great examples of leadership, global learning, Veteran's Day, and evidence that education can completely change a child's future:

Pictures This Week

Friday November 11th, 2016

Please make sure to include information about Veteran's Day with learning today.

The first few minutes of the morning are just as important as the learning that will occur during the day. We have student leaders often greeting peers as they enter classrooms, as well as teachers, and that is a great way to assess student needs:

Morning Check In

Every student:

Thursday November 10th, 2016

I love this post about gratitude. It fits perfectly with November. It also fits very well with what is occurring in classrooms, such as bucket fillers and classroom circles. The post references school staff, and it is also very applicable for students and classrooms:

Gratitude at School

This thought for the day fits with Leader in Me and a growth mindset. Every child and every adult:

Wednesday November 9th, 2016

We have a staff meeting after school in the library, and we will be starting by 3:25.

As we are in November, it's a great month to remember all the things we are thankful for in our lives. Working at a school, in any position, has several thankful moments. Here are a few:

Thankful Teacher

We are always welcoming new students to our school. Thank you for always smiling at your door when the new face is greeting you. This link has several ideas:

Welcoming New Students

So true, sharpen the saw is important:

Tuesday November 8th, 2016

Today is election day! Please remember to take advantage of the great opportunity that we have to vote.

Every classroom has students who have a parent currently incarcerated, or a parent who has been in the past. School is usually the most stable place, with the opportunity to see the same familiar faces. We notice differences when a teacher or para is absent. Here are a few resources to assist staff with supporting students:

Tip Sheet for Teachers- Short

Educator Resource- Long


Thought for today:

Monday November 7th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Garcia
                 Thomason
                 Moore
     PM Bus: Kenyon
                 Terrell
                 Rice
     Staff Room: Anderson
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 
  
   November 7th, 2016- Monday- Rhonda Birnie visiting for number talks

   November 7th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team   

   November 8th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   November 8th, 2016- Tuesday- Art Lunch for 3rd Grade with Mrs. V in the Library
 
   November 9th, 2016- Wednesday- My First Books Grant- Librarian from Public Library visits 
   Preschool and Kindergarten classrooms
 
   November 9th, 2016- Wednesday- Staff Meeting

   November 10th, 2016- Thursday- Staff lighthouse/Building leadership team- 7:30 am

Please make sure to talk about Veteran's Day this week. We have a lot to be thankful for in our country because of Veterans. I love to travel and have visited other countries, but am always thankful to be home in the USA. We are very blessed.  

Upcoming: Week of November 14th is Bullying Prevention/Kindness Week- October is the official month, but several countries recognize the third week in November. Regardless, intentional lessons during this week would be great. We strive to be proactive and talk about ways to prevent in the first place. Think win-win includes emotional bank accounts and filling buckets, which fits perfectly.

                                       
Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Porter- Habit 4: Think win-win


There is a staff meeting on Wednesday. The agenda is a great one:

    1. Remind 101- Mrs. Garcia

    2. Mandatory Reporting- Mrs. Rice

    3. Number Trains- 5th Grade Team

    4. Reading Thoughts- Mrs. Kober

    5. Leadership Notebooks- Everybody- Bring 1 notebook that matches your/school vision, and 1 notebook that shows areas to grow. We will be discussing and have a gallery walk.


I love this updated social justice standards resource. There are different scenarios listed, for different grade levels. Almost every scenario listed is a real life situation we have seen and or heard at our school:

Social Justice Standards


This article is about school Principals, but really it is a great read for all staff. We all play an important part in the life of our students. There are great days, there are nights where we worry about our kids, and days of celebration and success:

Our Important Job- Our Calling

We had a practice lock-down drill on Friday. Both staff and students did a great job, especially with helping to keep students safe and calm. This is a great article with a few thoughts about lock-downs:

Talking to Kids about a Lock-Down


We had several great Halloween pictures from this last week, with a few pictures from learning and leadership blended in. Here are the weekly pictures, and they would be great to share with students.

Weekly Pictures


Here is the weekly post to share with families:

Weekly Post for Families


Here is a great thought for the upcoming week. Laugh, smile, learn, grow- Enjoy the journey:

Friday November 4th, 2016

Today is the monthly Friday fun, and it's dress like your future career. Student leaders will also be selling bookmarks.

This link has a few ideas for students who struggle with sitting, which in reality is almost everyone. Even adults need to get up and move throughout their day. Carrying items to classrooms, leadership, flexible seating and learning spaces- those are just a few ideas mentioned that are great strategies we've had students utilize. There might be one that catches your eye:

8 Classroom Accommodations

Have a great Friday:

Thursday November 3rd, 2016

One of our school wide WIG's this year, Wildly Important Goals, is reading. We're trying to develop a love for reading, finding the sweet spot with student interest and engagement. This is more than just a DOK level 1 test after reading books. This article is a great reflection piece. There are four areas to reflect upon:

4 Paradigm Shifts for Reading

We talk about paradigms often. That's part of habit 1, being proactive. Paradigms influence our reactions, our thinking, and everything else throughout the day. If you want a different day, or a different outcome, consider paradigms:

Wednesday November 2nd, 2016

Please help remind students about the Friday bookmark sale with student leaders, and the Friday fun activity about dressing as your future career.

This document is a bit long, but a nice resource to bookmark. This gives some background information about DRC/Congo, where several of our students have come from. We will be seeing several new faces join us over the next couple weeks.

These children have come from one of the poorest countries, witnessed violence that little ones shouldn't have seen, lived in one of the most undeveloped countries, and often had very little access to education. Thank you for always being so welcoming and kind. Teachers have already emailed asking for students to be placed in their rooms:

Congolese Background Information

I've never been to an ocean, beach, or other body of water that I didn't like. However, an island in a school just doesn't work. We strive to play nice in the sandbox, and surround our students with as much support and resources as possible. Collaboration gets results and we've seen that: