Thursday May 24th, 2018

We have one last post of school pictures. Short week, but really fun activities. Sharpen the paw, end of the year fun days, a goat, end of the year carnival, service project with flamingos, Canyon Ridge graduates, and more:

Pictures This Week


Today is the last day of school. Thank you for all your hard work this year, and for all that you do to support students. Have a great summer break with your friends and family. Remember to sharpen the saw, and to email me a picture for our August staff video.

On to summer:

Wednesday May 23rd, 2018

Today is the carnival.  We have kids who have told us they have never been to a carnival, and we have kids that have attended our carnival since they were in Kindergarten. The carnival is a day our kids look forward to all year, and it is during school hours at no cost. Enjoy the afternoon as much as the kids will. Everybody has earned it. Also, think positive thoughts about the weather. The carnival is 12:45-2:45.

Today is the last day of school for kindergarten students. All kinders attend school in the afternoon.

Please help remind families and students that school is out at 12:45 tomorrow.


As we end the school year, hopefully everybody can think of people who have been their support. This is a great thought for today:

Tuesday May 22nd, 2018

Here is the list of fun activities planned for today:

1. Kindergarten end of the year fun day

2. Fifth grade swimming field trip- This is our gift and send off to the fifth graders. There is no cost for them to attend.

3. Canyon Ridge graduates will be visiting around 12:00. They will walk in the hallways, so find a great spot to view around 11:45 to be ready. This is always fun to watch, as some of the graduates were our students at Harrison.

4. Third grade end of the year fun day is after lunch.

5. Second grade end of the year fun activity is after lunch outside on the back field.


Thought for today:

Monday May 21st, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   May 21st, 2018- Monday- Leadership Assembly for 4th quarter

   May 21st, 2018- Monday- Sharpen the Paw for 4th quarter- AM

   May 22nd, 2018- Tuesday- 5th grade end of the year swimming field trip- all day

   May 22nd, 2018- Tuesday- Kindergarten end of the year fun day

   May 22nd, 2018- Tuesday- Canyon Ridge graduates visiting- 12:00 pm

   May 22nd, 2018- Tuesday- 3rd grade end of the year picnic and outside games- PM

   May 23rd, 2018- Wednesday- Last day of school for kindergarten and all kinders attend only PM

   May 23rd, 2018- Wednesday- School Carnival 12:45- 2:45 pm

   May 24th, 2018- Thursday- Last day of school for 1st-5th at 12:45 pm


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Blair- Habit 3: Put first things first


Here is the list of activities for Sharpen the Paw:

4th Quarter Sharpen the Paw


The pictures from this last week include our May leaders of the month. We walked to Chipotle for lunch and it was so nice to provide an opportunity for students to find their voice as they ordered and none of the students had been there before. It's all about providing experiences, and the students are such amazing leaders.

We have pictures from both the Spring Concert and the Spring Play. A big thank you to all that staff that have helped prepare with students for several months. So nice to provide drama and performing arts for students just like we provide all the STEM/STEAM opportunities.

A big thank you to Ms. Shea's classroom for leading and hosting the weekly leadership art activity. That has been such a great opportunity for students to lead and find their voice. Students have also learned and practiced empathy and kindness in a very inclusive setting.

Second grade students went swimming for their end of the year field trip, and students who attend Mrs. Kenyon's classroom made homemade ice cream:


Pictures This Week


Have a great last week of school:

Friday May 18th, 2018

We have the school picnic today. Weather should be great for eating outside. The grade level times to eat lunch are the same as usual. We have students who would love to have a positive adult eat lunch with them if you are available during the lunch hour.

Tonight is the last performance of the Spring Play. Thursday was excellent.

Have a great Friday. So close to summer:

Thursday May 17th, 2018

We have our first Spring Play performance tonight at 6:30, at Canyon Ridge. We had great performances on Wednesday for students, so this is a night not to miss if you haven't seen the play.

Second grade will be attending their end of the year swimming field trip today after they eat lunch.

Please help remind students that student lighthouse applications are due tomorrow.

This is great resource to print and refer to for ideas that you might emphasize next year. This fits well with Leader in Me. We all want our students to have self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, positive relationship skills, and responsible decision making skills. We focus on these items daily, all day long:

Social-Emotional Skills in the Classroom


Thought for today:

Wednesday May 16th, 2018

Today is the play preview for all students. This is at Canyon Ridge. Let us know in the office if you need help finding a class to attend with. We have kids who would love having a positive adult to sit with. Here is the schedule for the day:

10:30- lunch for 1st and 3rd
11:00- bus boarding for 1st and 3rd
11:30-12:30- show for 1st and 3rd

1:00- bus boarding for K, 2nd, and 4th
1:30-2:30- show for K, 2nd, and 4th


Fifth grade students will be at CSI after eating lunch for the annual Careers on Wheels event.


Thought for the day:

Tuesday May 15th, 2018

Please help remind students and families about the Spring Play. It will be at 6:30 pm Thursday and Friday at Canyon Ridge. Students have worked really hard practicing for several months and they are excited to perform.


Thought for today:

Monday May 14th, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   May 14th, 2018- Monday- Eval Team

   May 14th, 2018- Monday- School Store
       AM recess: Hammond

   May 14th, 2018- Monday- 1st grade picnic lunch and end of the year fun- walking to CSI

   May 14th, 2018- Monday- Spring Concert- 6:30 pm- Harrison Gym

   May 15th, 2018- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting/MTSS

   May 16th, 2018- Wednesday- Play Preview at Canyon Ridge
         11:00: 1st and 3rd
          1:00: K, 2nd, and 4th

   May 16th, 2018- Wednesday- 5th grade COW Day- Careers on Wheels at CSI Expo Center- PM

   May 16th, 2018- Wednesday- School District retirement reception- 4:15-5:15

   May 17th-18th, 2018- Thursday and Friday- Spring Play at Canyon Ridge- 6:30 pm

   May 17th, 2018- Thursday- Principal's Lunch with May student leaders of the month

   May 17th, 2018- Thursday- 2nd grade Swimming field trip- PM

   May 18th, 2018- Friday- Student lighthouse team applications due

   May 18th, 2018- Friday- School picnic


Next Week: Monday May 21st is the Leadership Assembly at 8 am and then Sharpen the Paw


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Jolovich- Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

next week: Blair- Habit 3: Put first things first


The pictures this week include fun learning outside with Ms. Shea's classroom, Boise field trip, planting flowers, the choir field trip, Breakfast with books and student readers of the month being recognized, and three amazing ladies who are retiring.

The Twin Falls High School students reading their books in Spanish to students was really fun. Students loved visiting and reading with the big kids.

A big thank you also to everybody who assisted with the Google virtual reality event on Friday. The pictures are just a small snapshot of the fun learning. We could hear the laughing and astonished gasps in the office:

Pictures This Week


The following three articles are great resources for teaching second language learners. This first one is a great overview of common items we hear. One is that sometimes kids will say that a student doesn't know any English, so this post is very relatable:

10 Usually Wrong Ideas


This article discusses a common item we see everyday. Math can be a struggle, especially as we have seen with recent ISAT testing, because of the ELA integration. Reading with Math can often be a challenge for even our students whose first language is English:

Language Support in Math



One more about ELA:

Language Arts Integrated with Math



Thought for today:

Friday May 11th, 2018

We end the week with a yummy taco bar. Please stop by during the lunch hour.

Please help remind students and families about the Spring music concert on Monday at Roper.

The big event today is the Google virtual reality. This is going to be really fun.

This is a great video with two of our awesome teachers, Mrs. Rice and Mrs. Schroeder. We have Sharpen the Paw coming up, and this video helps to explain the importance for this fun learning activity we have at the end of every quarter. One activity this time will be pool noodle people with Mrs. Sorensen. You know the wind storm and rain that arrived Thursday afternoon? Yes, I was chasing the pool noodles in a skirt and with heeled shoes across the Fred Meyer parking lot. Sharpen the Paw is important:


Sharpen the Paw


Have a great Friday:

Thursday May 10th, 2018

We have our last ISAT test this morning. The last one. Fifth grade will be finishing their Math ISAT.

A big thank you to everybody who has helped with testing. This includes cooking and feeding yummy food, changes in the lunch line order so students aren't rushed during their test, giving encouragement to kids, keeping the hallways quiet, proctoring tests, investigating distracting noises, and much more. It's a team effort with testing and all the help is greatly appreciated.

Today is the last day of the after school program. A big thank you to Ms. Reese and all of our after school staff. They have done a great job building positive rapport with students, ensured students have a safe place to be after school, and led really fun and engaging learning activities.

Please check the staff room table. We have lots of mixed food items that are super yummy. We need to make room for more food that is coming. Like we often tell our kids, you can't say we don't feed you at Harrison. We have appetizers, meats and cheeses, and other snacks that will be ready around 1 pm. As we get to the end of the school year, what a great way to sharpen the saw with your colleagues as you eat and chat around the table.

We get to create change every day. That's one of the favorite parts of my job. Thought for today:

Wednesday May 9th, 2018

We have a great day today with fun activities for students, families, and staff.

Breakfast with Books is occurring this morning. We will also be recognizing our May readers of the month. A big thank you to Mrs. Marona and the kitchen staff for cooking and serving extra meals during this family event. Choir students will also be singing.

Kindergarten lunch is today. The morning class will be eating at 10:30 and the afternoon class will be eating at 12:05. Our full day students always love helping their peers, and the half day students love eating like the big kids. This is always a fun activity.

We have a yummy barbecue lunch today. A big thank you to Mr. Price for grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs. Please make sure to invite any support services staff who may be in the building during this time.

We have our staff retirement party after school. The weather should be nice, so the group will be outside by the gym. Chicken will be provided by the social committee. Please bring a side to share.

Then we end the evening with Kindergarten Open House. This a great event. We get to welcome new families that will be having students start Kindergarten in August, as well as meeting with younger siblings and cousins who will be joining their family members at school next year.


Thought for today:

Tuesday May 8th, 2018

Your first stop this morning should be the staff room. So many yummy breakfast treats, like cinnamon rolls and croissants with nutella. Come sharpen the saw with your colleagues.

Fifth grade is completing their Math ISAT test this morning. Thank you for helping to keep that hallway quiet.

Please help remind students and families about Breakfast with Books on Wednesday.

Thought for today:

Monday May 7th, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   May 7th-11th, 2018- Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

   May 7th, 2018- Monday- Eval Team

   May 7th, 2018- Wednesday- School Store
       AM recess: Rodriguez AM and Moore
       PM recess: Rodriguez PM and Johns

   May 8th, 2018- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting/MTSS

   May 8th, 2018- Tuesday- All 5th Math ISAT- 8:15 am

   May 8th, 2018- Tuesday- Choir field trip- after school

   May 9th, 2018- Wednesday- Breakfast with Books and Readers of the month

   May 9th, 2018- Wednesday- Kindergarten lunch- 10:30 and 12:05

   May 9th, 2018- Wednesday- Staff retirement party- 3:10 in the library

   May 9th, 2018- Wednesday- Kindergarten Open House- 5:00

   May 10th, 2018- Thursday- Last day of after school program

   May 10th, 2018- Thursday- All 5th Math ISAT- 8:15 am

   May 11th, 2018- Friday- Google Augmented Reality Experiences

   May 11th, 2018- Friday- School Store
       AM recess: Schroeder and Blair
       PM recess: Straubhaar and Wilkins


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Moore- Habit 1: Be proactive

next week: Jolovich- Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind


This week is Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. We planned for 85 each day. Please make sure to invite support services staff like at the preschool and PRC classroom, kitchen staff, CSI grandma, after school staff, and all the people that give often for our kids and families at Harrison. As it's Harrison, and I'm Italian, we always have room at the table for everybody:

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week


The pictures this week include writing with classroom buddies, chickens, and a class pet. Class pets are fun, but first grade students found out they are also smelly and include responsibilities. Service leaders made signs for teacher doors, for teacher appreciation week. We ended the week with O'leary middle school students giving a day of service, and they were so kind and gracious as they gave at our school:

Pictures This Week


A great thought to start the week:

Friday May 4th, 2018

We have students from O'leary at our school today for Helping Hands. Please thank them as you see them around our campus completing very kind acts of service.

Next week is Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. The whole week is all about thanking you! It's your much deserved vacation. While we can't afford to buy everyone a plane ticket, we can create a similar experience with yummy treats and meals:

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week


Have a great weekend:

Thursday May 3rd, 2018

Fifth grade is finishing their ELA ISAT test today, and fourth grade has their Boise field trip today. Thank you for helping to keep the hallways quiet.

Thought for today:

Wednesday May 2nd, 2018

We are on the home stretch as we have just a few weeks of school left. This time of year can often be hard for kids, and we are already hearing them talk about concerns. They get fed yummy food at school, heat at school, people who are positive and check in with them, friends to play with, a safe place. With the change to summer break, kids sometimes show their concerns in unloving ways. Thank you for staying positive the last few weeks of school, and for being extra patient with challenging behaviors.

And as we end the school year, the fun begins. Please double check this list of upcoming dates to make sure we haven't missed anything. The office will be making copies to send home with families:

Upcoming Dates and Reminder Notes


Thought for today: