Monday August 29th, 2022

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   August 29th, 2022- Monday- Eval Team

   August 29th, 2022- Monday- Preschool Screener

   August 29th, 2022- Monday- Collaboration Monday

                                                      Building choice: Get items checked off our to do lists

   August 30th, 2022- Tuesday- RTI/MTSS- room 14- 7:30 am

   August 30th, 2022- Tuesday- Grade level teaming with ESL and Resource- room 14

                                                      This is going to take a building effort to accomplish

   August 31st, 2022- Wednesday- Para training with Instructional Coach

   August 31st, 2022- Wednesday- Staff lighthouse/Building leadership team- 3:15- room 14

   September 1st, 2022- Thursday- Time with Instructional Coach- 1st AM and K PM- room 17

   September 2nd, 2022- Friday- Early dismissal- 12:45 am

                                                      We don't have half days kinders- so everybody K-5th is at school

Next week:

   September 5th, 2022- Monday- No school, Labor Day

   September 6th, 2022- Tuesday- No school, Data Day for certified staff

   September 7th, 2022- Wednesday- Choir starts for 4th and 5th- 7:15 am

   September 7th, 2022- Wednesday- Breakfast with Books and Readers of the Month

   September 8th, 2022- Thursday- Time with Instructional Coach, 2nd AM and 3rd PM

   September 9th, 2022- Friday- Friday fun is class colors

   September 9th, 2022- Friday- Student leaders selling fun dip candies for .50 cents each

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements- video:

   Coats- Habit 2- Begin with the end in mind    

Next week- Alexander- Habit 3- Put first things first

We have our first pictures to share. We love and need to see the pictures. They remind us of our end goal, the students- instead of all the crazy sauce.

We love our preschool students. We have two pictures that show students practicing math skills that include identifying shapes and learning spatial awareness. These two students started the new school year by now independently completing these tasks. 

We really appreciate South Central Public Health. They received a grant that allowed them to give back to our community. They painted an awesome hop scotch that I see students using during every recess. It is beautiful and inviting. They are going to also paint a four square for our older students.  

We also have pictures of readers in first grade. Reading is our big rock and WIG. We started learning skills on the first day of school and students are working hard to master foundational skills.

Pictures This Week

Thought for today:

Friday August 26th, 2022

We are finishing our first full week of school. For our first year teachers, it is a week they will never forget. It is all up hill and you never forget your first year of teaching. 

Please help remind students and families that school dismissal on Mondays is always at 2:00. 

Enjoy the weekend and find time to do something you enjoy:

Thursday August 25th, 2022

And we are on to plan four for the lunchroom and lunch recess. So close. 

Each of the following links caught my eye. Every staff member should relate to one of these. These are great ideas to consider:

As we have brand new teachers and staff new to education, it can be overwhelming or uncomfortable when trying to communicate with families whose first language is not English. As I travel and interact with diverse groups often, we have so much more in common versus differences. We have been out on the front lawn after school checking in with families, brought families into the school for immediate check ins, and attempted phone calls. Here are some tips to assist with supporting our students who are second language learners:

3 Tips

Speaking of new staff, our school definitely synergizes. Everybody jumps in and assists wherever they see a need. I appreciate seeing everybody working together, learning together, laughing together, and definitely crying together. It's only August, but it's all uphill from here. Even though the article says teachers, even our classified and support staff are teachers and teams:

Effective Teams

And then there is behavior and learning disruptions. It is crazy to think of what we have experienced in just one week of school, students toward staff. From scratches, hitting, kicked, punched, hair pulled, pinched, and more. Our Kinders and first grade students are our hardest this year. While not appreciated or deserved, we know that there are reasons for behaviors. Behavior is communication. Please continue to reach out for help, keep communicating with families, call the office when you need a break, go outside and walk on the walking path, and know that we have staff who will drop what they are doing and take your class for you if you need to step aside. Here are some thoughts:

When Students Push Your Buttons

Let's throw in a writing video:

Writing

Thought for today:

Wednesday August 24th, 2022

We have our first monthly leadership assembly first thing Wednesday morning. The student lighthouse team is really excited to lead and officially start the new school year. We will start at 8:05 am, via video. 

Thank you for patience with the lunch room and lunch recesses. We are on to plan three and Tuesday was the best day. 

There will always be a to do list. There is always be one more item to take care of. As we start the new school year and as we have new staff- make sure to remember you. There is no reason to live at the school. Leave school on time and enjoy the nice weather. The cold weather arrives too soon in my opinion:

Thought for the day:

Monday August 22nd, 2022

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   August 22nd, 2022- Monday- Eval Team

   August 22nd, 2022- Monday- Morning announcements start- video

   August 22nd, 2022- Monday- IRI testing K-3rd

   August 23rd, 2022- Tuesday- RTI/MTSS- we will wait one more week before meeting

        Let Pauley know names to put on the calendar

   August 24th, 2022- Wednesday- Leadership Assembly with student lighthouse team- 8:05- video

Next week:

   August 29th, 2022- Monday- Preschool Screener

   August 30th, 2022- Tuesday- Grade level teaming with ESL and Resource- room 14

   August 31st, 2022- Wednesday- Para Training with Instructional Coach

   August 31st, 2022- Wednesday- Staff lighthouse/Building Leadership Team- 3:15- room 14

   September 1st, 2022- Thursday- Time with Instructional Coach- 1st AM and K PM- room 17

   September 2nd, 2022- Friday- Early Dismissal- 12:45 pm

Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements- video:

   Lancaster- Habit 1- Be proactive     

Next week- Coats- Habit 2- Begin with the end in mind

This article is a great reminder of the power that comes from the people that you are around. Our school demographics include a high number of families that don't have high salaries. We have to remember that we are not only closing academic gaps, but also opportunity gaps. I have seen this in my own life. It is really important that we include opportunities to expose students to careers that can provide stability, peers and staff that can increase language and vocabulary, and opportunities that expose new experiences for students to learn from:

The Power and Potential of People and Experiences

This is exciting. We all know first hand the teacher shortage, as well as the diverse students within our schools. This gives hope:

Dept of Ed

Thought for the day: