Thursday November 1st, 2018

We have the safety and media class tonight for families, for adults. It is from 6-7 in the library.

Please help remind students and families about picture retakes occurring next Tuesday on November 6th.


Thought for today:

Wednesday October 31st, 2018

The Halloween parade starts at 1:30, with classroom parties starting afterward. Thank you for doing your best to maintain as much normalcy as possible. Just remember that we are going to have very happy kids today, and many of our students need that.

Let the office know if you need anything, like costume pieces or party items.

Please help remind students and families about the school sale Friday with student leaders, for airhead candies.

Thought for today:

Tuesday October 30th, 2018

We start today with our monthly leadership assembly. Our student lighthouse team has grown with new members who have applied and interviewed. They are an awesome group of students and they love leading the assembly every month.

Please help remind families about the internet and media safety class that our school counselor is leading on Thursday, from 6-7 pm, with our school resource officer. This has been more of a concern this year as students talk about things they are viewing at home. This is a great resource for families that will be helpful.

Thought for today:

Monday October 29th, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   October 29th, 2018- Monday- Eval team

   October 30th, 2018- Tuesday- Intervention meeting/MTSS

   October 30th, 2018- Tuesday- October leadership assembly- 8:05 am

   October 30th, 2018- Tuesday- Principal lunch with October student leaders of the month

   October 31st, 2018- Wednesday- Title 1 para check in- 9:40 am

   October 31st, 2018- Wednesday- Halloween Parade- 1:30 pm and parties after

   November 1st, 2018- Thursday- Parent/family class about social media and internet safety
                                                       - Counselor leading- 6:00-7:00 pm

   November 2nd, 2018- Friday- student leaders selling air head candies for .50 cents each

   November 2nd, 2018- Friday- Friday fun- Dress as the career you would like to be


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Thomason- Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

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



We have just a few pictures from this week. We have had very kind donations so students can receive free books every month. We also had the fire department visit and talk with second grade students about fire safety:

Pictures This Week


Putting aside your view on immigration, we have diversity at our school. We welcome all students regardless of where they were born. It's a great privilege we have, a free public education. Here is a resource and there are great resource links at the very bottom:

Migration, Separation, and Trauma


Thought for today:

Wednesday October 24th, 2018

We have a yummy pizza dinner tonight. We also have left overs for lunch from the Tuesday lunch. You know how we feed staff and kids. When we have meals, we eat for a few days. You are loved.

Conference week is always a long and exhausting week, but super nice to check in with families. So many successes to celebrate and new goals to set for the second quarter. As we are half way through the week, and the last school day for students, this thought fits perfectly as we reach towards the finish line this week. Have a great three or four day weekend depending on your work schedule:

Tuesday October 23rd, 2018

We have a yummy lunch today to celebrate the October staff birthdays.

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

Please send all Box Tops to the office.

Today is the first theme day for Red Ribbon week, traveling to Africa day. Wednesday is traveling to Asia day. If you have a chance, walking around and viewing the classroom doors with traveling and drug free decorations is a great gallery walk.

Thought for today:

Monday October 22nd, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   October 22nd, 2018- Monday- Eval team

   October 22nd, 2018- Monday- Book Fair in the library starts

   October 22nd-24th- Monday-Wednesday- American Fidelity is at our school

   October 22nd-25th, 2018- Monday-Thursday- Student led conferences

   October 23rd, 2018- Tuesday- Intervention meeting/MTSS

   October 23rd, 2018- Tuesday- Red Ribbon Week starts

   October 23rd, 2018- Tuesday- Fire Department visits with second grade- 8:30 am

   October 23rd, 2018- Tuesday- Box Tops due- bring to the office

   October 23rd, 2018- Tuesday- Staff October birthdays- Potato Bar lunch 10:30-12, in room #5

   October 24th, 2018- Wednesday- No school for Kindergarten

   October 24th, 2018- Wednesday- Pizza dinner for staff- starts at 4:30 pm

   October 25th-26th, 2018- Thursday and Friday- No school for all students


next week:

   November 1st, 2018- Thursday- Parent/family class about internet and media safety, 6-7 pm


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Brand- Habit 1: Be Proactive

Next week: Thomason- Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind


Here is information about Red Ribbon Week. This includes learning about different cultures and a food drive for our school pantry:

Red Ribbon Week Themes for each day


Pictures from this past week include Kindergarten and Third grade classroom leadership partners, our monthly parent/family class that taught about habit 1, and preschool students attending their weekly STEM class as they experienced being archaeologists. Several students are learning to tie their shoes and we have very kind friends who love to stop and help.

The big event was the first quarter sharpen the paw, and one of our custodians even jumped in when he noticed students needed more expertise with learning how to make paper airplanes. You can click on the pictures to see them in a larger size. Working in diverse groups, mixed abilities and ages, such kind peers, and great learning experiences. We love happy kids:

Sharpen the Paw Video

Pictures This Week


Thought for today:

Thursday October 18th, 2018

We have two great activities today. We have the first quarter sharpen the paw event that starts at 1:00 and we have a parent/family class at 6:00.

Please help remind students and families that there is no after school program next week. We need classrooms for conferences. We will still have the before school program.

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


Thought for today:

Wednesday October 17th, 2018

We have our staff meeting after school today.

Please help remind students and families about the parent/family class Thursday evening. The topic is habit one within the family and dinner is provided.

Thought for today:

Tuesday October 16th, 2018

We have grade level teaming today.

The Halloween parade will be occurring in a couple weeks. We always have students who do not have costumes, even for trick or treating at home later. We always are able to help because of the donations we have been given. If you have any past costumes to donate, or pieces that could be used to make a costume, we would love to pass them on to students. Also, homemade is always the best.


Thought for today:

Monday October 15th, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   October 15th, 2018- Monday- Eval team

   October 16th, 2018- Tuesday- Intervention meeting/MTSS

   October 16th, 2018- Tuesday- SIPPS training for Title 1 paras- 9:30 am, room #19

   October 16th, 2018- Tuesday- Grade level teaming 1st-5th

   October 17th, 2018- Wednesday- Staff meeting

   October 18th, 2018- Thursday- Sharpen the Paw 1:00-2:50

   October 18th, 2018- Thursday- Monthly Leader in Me Parent/Family Class- 6-7 pm

   October 19th, 2018- Friday- Kindergarten teaming

   October 19th, 2018- Friday- End of the 1st quarter and no school for students

next week:

   October 22nd-25th, 2018- Monday-Thursday- Student led conferences


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Day- Habit 8: Find your voice, and inspire others to find theirs

Next week: Brand- Habit 1: Be proactive



Thank you for leading great learning activities. With all new students in Kindergarten and over 100 new students 1st-5th grade, we have many students who have been wondering what Sharpen the Paw is and why all the returning students won't stopping talking about this activity. Students have so many great enrichment learning activities:

Sharpen the Paw for the 1st Quarter


The agenda for the staff meeting:
*American Fidelity
*Nurse
*Social Committee- reminder to fill out survey that they are preparing
*Family and Community Engagement Conference- Rachel and Hannah
*We ran out of time at last week's staff meeting to look at student leadership notebooks. Please bring a few samples to pass around so new staff can see examples for student led conferences. We'll pass them around while we listen to speakers.


There are so many great pictures from this past week. We expect our students to be learning, playing, working, and giving with service every day. Students need to be engaged with all four of those items.

We have a great picture of two fifth grade young ladies who helped walk kindergarten and first grade students to the bus after school, noticed a student behind the group crying, ran over to check on him, and then walked with him to his bus. That's kindness and exactly the service and proactive behavior that helps to prevent bullying. There is also a great picture of three young men from fifth grade who chose to spend recess working on the playground, giving with service. We also have students that love to wash tables at lunch as they give with service.

You have to love our school news team. The STEM grant this year has helped to strengthen video production skills and learning for our students.

There are also pictures from our monthly breakfast with books. It is warm and cozy in the lunchroom as we pack everybody in, and we had our awesome school choir singing. One new feature this year is that even the younger students can be in the choir.

There are great pictures of students learning in math, practicing their reading, and a writing paper from kindergarten. There are also great pictures of our Title 1 and Resource staff, and our students are definitely very blessed to have such kind and giving ladies who assist our students with their learning every day.

Playing is really important and we are definitely working on social skills. Add in kindness and service, and students have several opportunities to develop social and emotional skills.

Finally, there are great pictures from the first grade field trip trip to the pumpkin patch. The faces are the best. You might click on them to make them larger and share with students:

Pictures This Week


This is a great post about supporting English language learners:

3 Tips for Connecting with English Language Learners


We talk with our students often about mindset and being positive. This is also important for us, adults. Be kind to yourself:

Choose Your Words Carefully


This article is written for new teachers, but the tips are helpful for all of us. Make sure to plan time for yourself:

Getting Your To Do List Under Control



Thought for today:

Friday October 12th, 2018

As we finish the week, this is a quick read with important s's like simplify, smile, and self care. Productivity is the title of the article, but really the items listed are great tips to help focus on yourself and reduce stress:

Take Care of You


Thought for today:

Thursday October 11th, 2018

This is a great article about children and anxiety. It can be hard trying to find the trigger or cause of behaviors, because we know that behaviors at school often are from children trying to communicate something. Information and strategies:

What Does Childhood Anxiety Look Like?



Thought for today:

Wednesday October 10th, 2018

A big thank you to everybody for assisting with classrooms and students as we were short staff on Tuesday, being flexible with schedules, and maintaining as much normalcy as possible. Add in rain both outside and inside the school. The teamwork of our staff helps so much.

This is a very relevant article. What we hear in the news and see on the the internet or tv does also flow into our classrooms. We need to ensure that all of our students feel welcomed at our school. What a great opportunity that we have to learn from so many different perspectives, especially our students. It reminds me of traveling and sharing rooms with people, where every person has a passport from a different country and we all speak different languages. We all have perspectives and something to share. Those are experiences and learning that you remember. Global education:

Sharing Immigrant Experiences in the Classroom


We have walk to school day, Breakfast with Books, readers of the month, first grade to the pumpkin patch after lunch, and a staff meeting today. Today is a busy day full of activities and learning. How you look at the day will determine what you see. There are so many opportunities to plant seeds, especially with family involvement. Thought for today:

Tuesday October 9th, 2018

Please help remind students and families about walk to school day tomorrow, as well as breakfast with books in the lunchroom.

We have SIPPS training at 9:30 for our Title 1 paras.


Thought for today:

Monday October 8th, 2018

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   October 8th, 2018- Monday- Eval team

   October 9th, 2018- Tuesday- Intervention meeting/MTSS

   October 9th, 2018- Tuesday- SIPPS training for Title 1 paras- 9:30 am, room #19

   October 10th, 2018- Wednesday- Walk to School event

   October 10th, 2018- Wednesday- Breakfast with Books and Readers of the Month

   October 10th, 2018- Wednesday- District first year teacher training

   October 10th, 2018- Wednesday- First Grade visits the pumpkin patch

   October 10th, 2018- Wednesday- Staff meeting

next week:

   October 18th, 2018- Thursday- 1st Quarter Sharpen the Paw- 1:00-2:50


Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Wilkins- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

Next week: Day- Habit 8: Find your voice, and inspire others to find theirs


We start the staff meeting on Wednesday with TFEA visiting for a few minutes. Then we start a fun gallery walk through classrooms. I think it's going to be a really fun afternoon. It's a field trip for teachers. We'll start with preschool in Mrs. Popa's classroom, visit Mrs. Rose's classroom, and then visit every classroom first grade through fifth grade. We will also visit Ms. Bradley's classroom, Mrs. Kenyon's two classrooms, STEAM, PE, Music, and Mrs. Turpin's classroom. It's important to see the rooms that your students attend every day. You can ask questions and get ideas for your own classroom. If you are not a teacher, such as a para, you are definitely welcome to attend. We'll look at items such as:

1. objectives posted
2. number corner set up
3. We have been adding new desks and tables every year and almost every classroom has been updated.  You'll get to see different classroom arrangements for student learning.
4. flexible seating in some classrooms
5. classroom management/behavior charts/posted visuals and reminders
6. leadership notebooks for student led conferences


Pictures this week include a picture from the annual Scratch for Schools that three of our staff members attended. Third grade also had a really fun event at the end of the day on Friday to recognize student growth with Istation, and the happy faces are awesome. We might just see red capes, but there were several girls who really wanted the princess capes and they are going to try really hard to earn them next month.

Here is a video clip from the third grade Istation celebration event:

Video

Pictures also include service leaders, the after school program, bubbles and nice weather during recess, student lighthouse interviews, and our monthly Tie Tuesday. There is also an awesome picture of another classroom that had very generous donations so every student could receive a free book every month during the school year. Students were so excited to write their name on their very own book:

Pictures This Week


Thought for today:

Friday October 5th, 2018

We have the yummy taco social after school today.

We finish student lighthouse interviews today.

It's mismatched day and student leaders will be selling caramel suckers today.


Enjoy your weekend. Thought for today:

Thursday October 4th, 2018

You might notice some nervous students today. We start our student lighthouse interviews today. Students who applied are super excited. They have reminder notes on their desks and are excited to meet their interviewers today. We have a great student lighthouse group this year.

Please help remind students and families about Friday fun tomorrow, mismatched day, as well as the caramel suckers sale with student leaders.

Thought for today:

Wednesday October 3rd, 2018

We have our monthly building leadership/staff lighthouse team meeting after school today. Please let a rep know if you would like something added to the agenda.

This month the ASCD magazine is focused on social-emotional learning. This is truly the bread and butter of everything at Harrison. Students need to have their needs met, feel safe, and know that they matter. Social-emotional learning helps to build a positive school climate and culture. One piece is empathy. It is well documented that lack of empathy is a red flag for possible later involvement in the juvenile court system.

This first article is a great reminder of the importance for building a classroom community that feels safe and welcoming. Morning meetings might take time out of instruction, but they are dividends earned later:

Dignity in the Classroom


This is a great resource. It is long, so you might print and read later. Most of the ideas mentioned are strategies you are already using during the school day as you work with children:

Nine Competencies for Teaching Empathy


Thought for today:

Tuesday October 2nd, 2018

Play tryouts start today. Students do need to have a permission slip signed.

Please help remind students about dressing warmer for the colder weather. The weather is changing this week.

Thought for today: