January 4th, 2021

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   January 4th, 2021- Monday- School resumes

   January 5th, 2021- Tuesday- All students return

Next week:

   January 12th, 2021- Grade level teaming with Resource and ESL

   January 13th, 2021- Readers of the month

   January 15th, 2021- Friday fun- Wears favorite sports team attire

   January 15th, 2021- Student leader selling sticky lizards, .50 cents each

 

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Lancaster- Habit 1: Be proactive

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

Block Schedule- We are in week 2

We don't normally plan meetings for the first week back after the holiday break. Staff are usually driving or flying back after the break. I want staff to enjoy the holiday break and take a break from school. This year, we will need the first week back to focus on building community within classrooms, as all of our students will be together again. Reviewing routines, procedures, and safety practices is going to be really important. Please try really hard to social distance and spread out as much as you can. We will especially need patience with the lunchroom, for breakfast and lunch.

Enjoy the holiday break. Don't worry about school items. When we return in January and welcome 2021, it is brand new year. Let's all focus on hope, joy, and an end goal of an awesome summer holiday break- Thought for today:

Friday December 18th, 2020

We have B group students today.

As we end the week, and push 2020 out the door, we have several great pictures that would be great to share with students and families. Pictures include our student lighthouse team, preschool making homemade butter during the STEAM lesson, fun sharpen the paw activities, generous donations and gifts, synergy at recess with snow, our annual food drive, and kind Christmas cards for older adults living alone during this holiday season:

Pictures This Week

Have a great Friday. Enjoy the final parties with students. Dismissal is at 12:45. 

Thought for today:

Thursday December 17th, 2020

We have A group students today.

We start the morning with our monthly leadership assembly. 

We have Christmas part two with Christmas lunch and parties for grades K-5. 

Thought for today:

Wednesday December 16th, 2020

We have B group students today. They have been missed. Please make sure to check in with students today. We haven't seen them since last Friday.

We start the morning with a leadership assembly, via video.

We have Sharpen the Paw part two for the B group. We will start at 8:45.

We have fun Christmas party activities all day in kindergarten, for the B group.

We have a yummy Christmas lunch, free for staff and students.

We have a fun Christmas party towards the end of the day for fifth grade students, for the B group.

It was awesome seeing students leave on Tuesday with homemade gifts and special items in their hand. Homemade is the best. Thought for today:

Tuesday December 15th, 2020

We have A group students today.

We have Sharpen the Paw for our A group students. We start at 8:45 and we all need this, not just our kids. Enjoy the time to connect and build rapport with students, play the Christmas music loudly, pass out chocolate and snacks, sing loudly, and just enjoy a fun morning. It's not the test scores. It's experiences that students will remember. 

The new issue of ASCD is excellent. In fact, I started to have a few tears. It's been an overwhelming year for everybody. I picked out a few articles, but you might look at the entire list of articles available online. It is all about mental health for educators. We can all relate:

Takeaways

Coping

Taking Care of Each Other, Colleagues- If you need someone to talk with or cry with, you're at the best place. Please reach out. 

We're Not Ok

Burnout

We all chose our reactions, our focus, our interests, everything. Choose to be happy. Thought for today:

Monday December 14th, 2020

 Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   December 14th, 2020- Monday- Eval team

   December 14th, 2020- Monday- A Group and Early Release at 11:30 am

   December 15th, 2020- Tuesday- A Group 

 

   December 15th, 2020- Tuesday- Intervention meeting/MTSS- via video

 

   December 15th, 2020- Tuesday- Sharpen the Paw for A group- 8:45 am - 10:30 am 

   December 16th, 2020- Wednesday- B Group

   December 16th, 2020- Wednesday- December leadership assembly for B group- 8:05 am

 

   December 16th, 2020- Wednesday- Sharpen the Paw for B group- 8:45 am - 10:30 am

   December 16th, 2020- Wednesday- Christmas lunch for B group

   December 16th, 2020- Wednesday- ISAT accommodations and support check in with coach

                                                                           - video- 3:15 pm

   December 17th, 2020- Thursday- A Group

   December 17th, 2020- Thursday- December leadership assembly for A group- 8:05 am

 

   December 17th, 2020- Thursday- Christmas lunch for A group

   December 18th, 2020- Friday- B Group

 

   December 18th, 2020- Friday- End of second quarter, no kinders, 

                                                                  and early release 12:45 for 1st-5th

Next week:

   School resumes January 4th, 2021

 

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

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

Next week: Lancaster- Habit 1: Be proactive

Block Schedule in Orange- We are in week 1

We always make sure that every student makes something homemade to give as a gift to the special people that they live with. We also make sure that every student gets to experience a fun holiday activity. This is especially important this year, as most students will be experiencing a very different holiday break. Here is the list of classroom parties:

Holiday Party Schedule

We have a great list of activities for Sharpen the Paw:

Sharpen the Paw

 

 

Snow is starting to appear. Thought for today:

Friday December 11th, 2020

We have B group students today.

We have our literacy coach via video today. The grade levels: 3rd and 4th.

Have a great weekend. Thought for today:

Thursday December 10th, 2020

We have A group students today.

We have a staff lighthouse/building leadership team meeting after school, via video.

This is a nice resource. Digital literacy and media literacy is really important right now. It's important for students to be reading accurate online articles. We need students to be skeptical and cautious when reading anything online. This is also an ISAT skill, research and inquiry. Here are a few ideas for safe student news websites:

News Websites for Children

Thought for today:

Wednesday December 9th, 2020

We have B group students today.

Nurses will be here to give the flu mist to students at 10:15 am. Listen for the office to announce to help remind. 

We have our literacy coach via video this afternoon. This includes grades: 1st, 2nd, and 5th.

We have a staff meeting after school via video. We continue the great sharing and learning from staff. Those sharing today include: 1st, 3rd, 5th, preschool, counselor, PE, and Instructional Coach. 

This is a reminder that helps to put a smile on our faces and a spring in our step. A new year is coming. Thought for today:

Tuesday December 8th, 2020

We have A group today.

The nurse will be here to give the flu mist to students, for families that are interested.

Like Thanksgiving, the Christmas holiday season will be different for many families this year. I read this article and thought of several staff members, as well as myself. Some have lost family members this year, some aren't able to travel and visit family, finances, family structures have changed, and other challenges or sad experiences have occurred this year. There are great tips and reminders:

How to Celebrate the Holidays

Thought for today:

Monday December 7th, 2020

 Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   December 7th, 2020- Monday- Eval team

 

   December 7th, 2020- Monday- Hour of Code- virtual week of activities

   December 7th, 2020- Monday- B Group and Early Release at 11:30 am

   

   December 7th, 2020- Monday- No school for Preschool- screener day

   December 8th, 2020- Tuesday- A Group 

 

   December 8th, 2020- Tuesday- Intervention meeting/MTSS- via video

 

   December 8th, 2020- Tuesday- Flu mist for students- with nurse- 10:15 am

   December 9th, 2020- Wednesday- B Group

 

   December 9th, 2020- Wednesday- Flu mist for students- with nurse- 10:15 am

 

   December 9th, 2020- Wednesday- Literacy Coach via Video: 1st, 2nd, and 5th

   December 9th, 2020- Wednesday- Staff meeting- video

   December 10th, 2020- Thursday- A Group

 

   December 10th, 2020- Thursday- Staff Lighthouse- 3:10 pm- via video

   December 11th, 2020- Friday- B Group

 

   December 11th, 2020- Friday- Literacy Coach via video: 3rd and 4th, K asynchronous

Next week:

   December 15th and 16th, 2020- Sharpen the Paw- 8:45 am - 10:30 am

   December 16th and 17th, 2020- December Leadership assembly- video- 8:05 am

   December 16th and 17th, 2020- Christmas Lunch- free for both students and staff

   December 18th, 2020- End of the 2nd quarter, early dismissal 12:45 for 1st-5th, and no kinders

 

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:

   Yarbrough- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

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

Block Schedule in Orange- We are in week 4

I love the first two pictures with the Christmas tree. Most of our students have experienced gifts from others, from coats, to food, to socks, backpacks, and more. As students are contributing to our annual food drive, first grade teachers made sure that all of their students got to experience giving. Every student was able to put something under the Christmas tree. We are seeds planters. We are growing future adults and we want all of our students to know the importance of giving. 

The other pictures from this last week are awesome. You will see fun pajamas, student leaders taking care of the monthly sale of candy canes, a warm ambiance with that fireplace that we love on big screens, fun Christmas sweaters and attire, students creating Christmas cards for older adults that are isolated at this time, and happy kids. We are in the business of happy kids and fun positive experiences. 

Pictures This Week

 

 

A new year will soon be here. We definitely want to push 2020 out the door. You can start the new year early with this great reminder. Thought for today:

Friday December 4th, 2020

We have B group students today. We continue Friday fun so every student can participate. We have ugly Christmas sweaters, fun pajamas, and a candy cane sale.

As we approach the final two weeks before the holiday break, remember that the positive experiences are what students will remember. Even when the community and world outside our school doors is so unpredictable and dire at the moment, we get to create and ensure that school is a safe and encouraging place. Thought for today:

Thursday December 3rd, 2020

We have A group students today.

We recognize readers of the month during breakfast, for the A group. 

We have Friday fun, either ugly sweaters or pajamas. There is also a candy cane sale with student leaders.

Thought for today:

Wednesday December 2nd, 2020

We have B group students today. Please find a few minutes to check in with students. They have been missed. 

We start the morning recognizing our readers of the month, for the B group. 

We have a staff meeting today, via video. Our two December staff meetings are a great way for staff to learn and shine as they share something from domains 1 or 4 on their evaluation. The group sharing today includes: K, 2nd, 4th, Special Ed K-5, ERC, Music, and ESL. 

Thought for today: