Monday March 2nd, 2020

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   March 2nd, 2020- Monday- eval team

   March 2nd, 2020- Monday- February leaders of the month lunch with principal

   March 3rd, 2020- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting/MTSS

   March 3rd, 2020- Tuesday- Tie Tuesday/wear a bow, scarf

   March 4th, 2020- Wednesday- Idaho Day

   March 5th, 2020- Thursday- Dentist- AM

   March 5th, 2020- Thursday- Sharpen the Paw 3rd Quarter- PM

   March 5th, 2020- Thursday- Spring Concert- 6:30 pm at Roper

   March 6th, 2020- Friday- Dentist- AM

   March 6th, 2020- Friday- End of the 3rd quarter, no kinders, and early release at 12:45 pm


Next week:

  March 10th- Wear college shirts/sweatshirts

  March 11th- Breakfast with Books and Readers of the Month- 7:30 am

  March 11th- 5th Grade Arts on Tour at CSI- PM- walking

  March 12th- Spring Title 1 Family Night- 5:30- 7:00 pm

  March 13th- Friday fun- Dress as a Dr. Seuss character

  March 13th- Friday- School store leaders selling Dr. Seuss tattoos for .50 cents each



Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Himmelberger- Habit 1: Be proactive

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



We may have three months of school left, but school activities pick up speed this time of year. The weather also starts to warm up this year. Taking a walk around the building, like during your prep or during recesses, is a great self care activity. We also have a great walking path and exercise cards that you can check out from the office.

We've been very appreciative of the dental cleanings provided on site at our school. We were able to add more grade levels this year. We should be finished this week. We have also had outside dental offices visit with some of our grade levels. We should have the best teeth in the community after all of these very generous donations of time and services.

We have Sharpen the Paw this week. Here is the awesome line up of fun learning activities:

3rd Quarter Sharpen the Paw


Pictures this week include students applying for school wide leadership roles. We have a place for every student to assist. Please encourage students to apply. Not only do students get to develop leadership skills and skills for future careers, but students also get to give service to others.

When it comes to learning at Harrison, every adult has a role. This includes positive check ins, assisting with academic learning, ensuring students are safe and fed, and more. It's a team effort. Synergy of staff at Harrison is something I am really proud of and our kids at Harrison are very lucky to have such loving and caring adults. We have a picture of our school secretary. She has a few regulars that visit with her for a positive check in and academic learning practice.

Pictures this week include learning during STEAM, tutoring after school at Fawnbrook, and a very fun girls activity:

Pictures This Week


Experiences, both positive and challenging, help us grow. Thought for today:

Friday February 28th, 2020

We had a great girls activity Thursday night. Happy families, fun dancing, yummy snacks, fancy photo booth, and creative crowns. A big thank you to everybody who assisted with planning, set up, encouraging families to attend, assisting during the activity, and clean up.


Have a great weekend. Thought for today:

Thursday February 27th, 2020

We have our Girls activity today, 5:30-6:30 pm. Please help remind students and families. It is going to be a fun activity, Knight with a Princess.



Thought for today:

Wednesday February 26th, 2020

Please help remind students and families about the girls activity Thursday evening.

We have impact team training for fourth grade teachers this afternoon.



Thought for today:

Tuesday February 25th, 2020

We start the school day with our monthly leadership assembly.

We have grade level teaming for 1st-5th grade today.


Thought for today:

Monday February 24th, 2020

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   February 24th, 2020- Monday- eval team

   February 24th, 2020- Monday- Kindergarten teaming

   February 25th, 2020- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting/MTSS

   February 25th, 2020- Tuesday- Leadership Assembly- 8:05 am in the gym

   February 25th, 2020- Tuesday- 1st-5th Grade level teaming

   February 26th, 2020- Wednesday- 4th Grade Impact Team training- PM

   February 26th, 2020- Wednesday- Staff meeting

   February 27th, 2020- Thursday- Girls activity- 5:30- 6:30 pm

   February 28th, 2020- Friday- Fine work off day/service- library/media center

   February 28th, 2020- Friday- Staff February birthday lunch

   February 28th, 2020- Friday- February student leaders of the month lunch with Principal


Next week:

  March 4th- Tie Tuesday/Wear a scarf/bow

  March 4th- Idaho Day

  March 5th- 3rd Quarter Sharpen the Paw- PM

  March 5th- Spring Concert- 6 pm at Roper

  March 6th- No kinders, End of the 3rd Quarter, and Early dismissal 12:45 for 1st-5th.



Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

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

Next week: Himmelberger- Habit 1: Be proactive


As we are striving to improve writing skills, this is a nice post about peer feedback:

Peers to Improve Writing


The pictures this week are from our annual Leadership Day. The faces are priceless. You can click on the images to view in a larger size and share with students. It was awesome observing quiet students find their voice, listening to conversations students had with middle school and high school students, watching faces light up when they saw students that looked like them and heard languages that they hear at home, excited students sharing their learning with very gracious community members that made students feel valued, and more. So much love and kindness:

Leadership Day 2020



Thought for today:

Friday February 21st, 2020

A big thank you to everybody who assisted and encouraged students with our school Leadership Day. It was a great event and so fun to observe students finding their voice and increasing their confidence.


Have a great weekend. Thought for today:

Thursday February 20th, 2020

Today is one of our best days all year. Wednesday felt like Christmas was in the air. Students are so excited to lead at our annual Leadership Day. We will start at 12:15 pm. Thank you for being flexible with your schedule, so every student is included.


The recent Teaching Tolerance magazine has articles that match perfectly with recent situations we have had at our school. This is a free magazine and I highly encourage you to subscribe or read online. The articles match current events, provide ideas for how to address uncomfortable and or difficult situations, and assist in providing background for situations that you may not have experience with.


We definitely want all students to feel included, welcomed, and safe at school. However, it can be hard to know what to say during situations we have not had experiences with. This includes gender identity. This article matches situations we have had, recognizes student voice, and includes being respectful:

Standing Up- Gender


I love this article. We all talk often about the fifty states. What about the US territories?

Puerto Rico


Many of our kids think China is the only country in Asia. We have children born in Asian countries. We have children who have parents and grandparents born in Asian countries, but the children are born here in the states. With the coronavirus in the news and being discussed in homes, we have had situations that match this article. Thank you for including global learning and geography with learning, as well as reminding about respecting others:

Speaking Up- Racism


This article emphasizes the importance of inclusive environments. While we may not have shared experiences with others, we can listen and learn. Being culturally responsive and inclusive may not be visible and easy to notice. This article also brings up one of my platforms. Parent involvement is really family involvement. Parent newsletters are family newsletters. Our kids have different home environments and every human being has a support system that includes a variety of people. There's a reason we have before school activities, lunch, and evening activities- to include everybody. As the article mentions: it may not be your lived experience- but you can be a support:

Inclusion



Thought for today:

Monday February 17th, 2020

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   February 17th and 18th, 2020- No School for students

   February 19th, 2020- Wednesday- Staff lighthouse/building leadership team meeting- 3:10

   February 20th, 2020- Thursday- Box Tops due

   February 20th, 2020- Thursday- Leadership day- 12:15 pm

   February 21st, 2020- Friday- 4th grade Boise field trip


Next week:

  February 25th- Monthly leadership assembly

  February 26th- 4th grade Impact Team training- PM

  February 27th- Girls Activity- 5:30-6:30 pm

  February 28th- Library fine work off/service day



Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Spencer- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

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


Pictures this week include animal learning with our preschool students, readers of the month, Breakfast with Books, writing with our fourth grade students, and fun Valentine's Day parties:


Pictures This Week


It's a balancing act as we strive to respect and honor the cultural background of our students; while also exposing all students to community expectations that will assist with items like future employment. This is a nice article that reminds about the importance to have a culturally responsive school environment:

Cultural Lens



Thought for today:

Friday February 14th, 2020

Thank you for ensuring that kids have a fun Valentine's Day. Parties will be in the afternoon. Let the office know if any kids needs cards or if kids need help getting their cards filled out. We never have a problem finding a staff member to help with Valentine's Day cards.

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


Thought for today:

Thursday February 13th, 2020

We have the choir from RS visiting at 9 am. They will be singing for fifth grade students. This is a great activity to share with students, so they can consider being involved with music in middle school.

Please help remind studets and families about not having school on Monday and Tuesday.


As we finish Respect for All week, here is another topic to assist students with finding similarities with others- Thought for today is from Malta:

Wednesday February 12th, 2020

We start the morning with our monthly Breakfast with Books.

Fourth grade will be out of the building most of the day as they attend the annual Wagons Ho activity. This is a really fun learning activity that the kids always love.

We end the day with a staff meeting.


This article is intended for new teachers, but it is a nice reflection article for anybody who works at a school. Remember your why:

5 Tips To Stay Positive


This is a nice positive story:

Exercise


As the Respect for All week continues, we all love to engage in fun activities. Thought for today is from Poland:

Tuesday February 11th, 2020

We have grade level teaming today.

Please help remind students and families about Breakfast with Books tomorrow.



As we continue Respect for All week, we have more in common with each other than we often realize. We can assist children with identifying similarities.  Thought for today is from Japan:

Monday February 10th, 2020

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   February 10th, 2020- Monday- eval team

   February 10th-14th, 2020- Monday-Friday- Respect for All week/Bullying prevention week

   February 10th, 2020- Monday- Kindergarten teaming

   February 11th, 2020- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting/MTSS

   February 11th, 2020- Tuesday- 1st-5th Grade level teaming

   February 12th, 2020- Wednesday- Breakfast with Books and Readers of the month

   February 12th, 2020- Wednesday- 4th Grade Wagons Ho field trip

   February 12th, 2020- Wednesday- Staff meeting

   February 13th, 2020- Thursday- RS choir singing for 5th grade- 9 am in music room

   February 14th, 2020- Friday- Valentine's Day parties


Next week:

  February 17th and 18th- No school for students

  February 20th- Leadership Day

  February 20th- Box Tops due

  February 21st- 4th grade field trip to Boise



Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Pauley- Habit 6: Synergize

Next week: Spencer- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw


As we often notice, what students see via various media sources and what they hear from adults and peers around them- it eventually flows into the classroom. With our older students especially, the last couple weeks have included more racial and cultural situations that are not kind. We get the great opportunity to expose our students to different cultures and experiences, so they can develop a perspective that includes both sides of the aisle. All of our students should be able to attend a school where they feel welcomed and respected- that's an American public education. As it is Black history month, here is an article that reminds about the importance to recognize all year:

Culturally Responsive Teaching with Black History Month



This article is a great reminder of the importance for early childhood education, especially in regards to self regulation skills. The video includes a college professor sharing her thoughts about the importance. You might think about how it fits with brain breaks that you are already including during the school day:

Self Regulation


This week is Bully prevention week. The opposite is inclusion, respect, kindness, all the good stuff that we strive to include and recognize all year round. It should be a fun week with all the dress up themes.


Thought for today:

Friday February 7th, 2020

We have an full day today:

   *Friday Fun- Dress like a Super Hero

   *School store leaders selling writing notepads for .50 cents each

   *Shoshone Elementary teachers visiting classrooms

   *Dental learning for second grade- 10:15 am

   *Fourth grade hand washing/germs learning with CR student- 2:30 pm



So true- Thought for today:

Thursday February 6th, 2020

A big thank you to everybody who has assisted with testing this week, even the positive words of encouragement to students.

We have our literacy coach onsite today. The focus is writing.



Students driving their own learning- Thought for today:

Wednesday February 5th, 2020

We will have students completing their Winter Istation testing today. Thank you for helping to keep the hallways quiet.



Thought for today:

Tuesday February 4th, 2020

We have Spring pictures today. It felt like Spring last week and then Winter returned.

This is a nice article that fits well with a growth mindset. We all have moments that aren't the shiniest. We are all human. Those are learning experiences and sometimes an apology, even to students, may be needed:

Apologizing


The thought for today is what we often talk about- taking care of you: