Monday February 23rd, 2015

Duties for the week:

     AM Bus: Goodwin
                  Taylor
                  Moore
     PM Bus: Anderson
                  Lancaster
                  Kenyon
     Lounge: Osborn

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   February 23rd, 2015- Tuesday- RTI

   February 24th. 2015- Wednesday- Eval Team

   February 24th, 2015- Wednesday- Spelling Bee 6 pm at Roper

   February 25th, 2015- Wednesday- Staff Meeting and Dr. Dobbs

   February 26th, 2015- Thursday- Spring Pictures

   February 26th, 2015- Thursday- Lighthouse team at 7:50 am

The Wednesday staff meeting is for all staff members. Dr. Dobbs will be discussing the upcoming Supplemental Levy.  Everybody is invited to attend, not just certified staff. This is a perfect opportunity to ask any questions that you have about the levy. We will start at 3:45 in the library. Here is the agenda for the staff meeting:

1. Dr. Dobbs and Supplemental Levy
2. Upcoming Title 1 Family Nights in March and April- MaryAnn and Melissa

Student led conferences are quickly approaching. All of our students K-5th have leadership notebooks. Those are perfect to include with conferences, and it was very impressive to watch upper grade students use them during Fall conferences as they led their own conferences. Student led conferences are a great way for students to reflect on their personal goals, reflect on progress, share strengths, and identify areas to strengthen. Here is a great article about student led conferences, and it goes perfectly with developing leadership:

Student Led Conferences

Here is a thought to start the week:

Friday February 20th, 2015

Here is a post with pictures from the week. From telling time in third grade, to measurement with non-standard units, leadership integrated though out, and more:

Pictures This Week

PTA picked up Culver's ice cream after school. Please remind students about picking up garbage after school, and not creating more work for the custodians. Picking up trash is a proactive and responsible choice to make. The freezer is full and ready:

Thursday February 19th, 2015

With the secretary gone Thursday and Friday, patience is greatly appreciated in the office.

Today is the staff potluck during lunch. 

All of our students have potential, and where they are now does not determine their future. How we view our students matters. Here is an article about this:

Believe Students Can

A big thank you to PTA! We have new shirts, and they look awesome. They are on display in the office window. We have two Title 1 family nights coming up, and the first one in March will have the shirts available for students to purchase:

All of our students are so kind, and they love to help others. Here are two students reading by the office:

Wednesday February 18th, 2015

Please help remind students about the PTA activities: math-a-thon and Culver's ice cream on Friday.

Students in Mrs. Miller's 4th grade class created a newsletter for February. Students integrated technology and leadership skills that they had learned, with writing skills:

February Newsletter

Tuesday February 17th, 2015

Duties for the week:

     AM Bus: Warner
                  Enders
                  Moulson
     PM Bus: Miller
                  Porter
                  Simson
     Lounge: Taylor

Meetings/Reminders for the week:

   February 17th, 2015- Tuesday- RTI

   February 17th, 2015- Tuesday- 1st-5th Grade Teaming Meetings

   February 18th. 2015- Wednesday- Eval Team

   February 18th, 2015- Wednesday- PTA Math-a-Thon Math Tests in Rooms

   February 19th, 2015- Thursday- Kindergarten Teaming Meeting

   February 19th, 2015- Thursday- PTA/Staff Pot Luck

   February 20th, 2015- Friday- PTA Culver's Ice Cream $1.00- vanilla and chocolate


Trauma in children can have a big impact on learning and the school environment. The following article is a great reminder of stepping back and looking deeper. Here are a few quotes from the article that caught my eye, as they reminded me of our students:

“Not all of our kids have stories that make the news. But all of our kids have a story.”

“If you have a kid who fails a test, you don’t just say, ‘Well, you’re stupid.’ You say, ‘What didn’t you understand? ... or we need to go through this one more time.’

"The idea isn’t to excuse bad behavior, Forrester and others who advocate this type of approach say. Instead, they say it’s about trying to understand if there’s something underlying a child’s actions and, if so, to respond more effectively, to help him heal and change his behavior."

“We’re looking for people to understand, when they see a kid, rather than asking, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ we want them to know to ask, ‘What’s happened to them?’”

Trauma in Children

We had fantastic Valentine's Day parties! Here is a post with several pictures.

Valentine's Day Parties

We had a great Talent Show on Thursday! A big thank you to all the staff members who attended. Here are pictures:

Talent Show

Here are additional pictures posted on the school website. Our after school program is very lucky to have a partnership with the U of I extension program:

Pictures This Week

Here is a great thought for all of us. It doesn't matter what your position is. You matter to students. Your role is a very important piece of the puzzle:

Friday February 13th, 2015

We had a great lunch for our January student leaders. A big thank you to Chick-fil-A. You have to love hearing how the 7 habits have helped at home. One student said she knows they have helped, because she is nicer to her dog! Another young lady said she gets up earlier to feed her dog, to help her parents.

Please email me any pictures from your Valentine's Day parties. Every classroom had not only really fun activities, but also several family members helping.

Thursday February 12th, 2015

The talent show is tonight at Roper, and the program will start at 6pm. It really is a great event to attend. We have students who are really talented, and this allows them to shine. It is also the culmination of a senior project, and he has been working hard to plan and prepare.

Valentine's Day parties are after lunch. We can make it through the day, just remember the Kindergarten teachers who pretty much have a party all day long. Students are definitely excited! Let us know in the office if you need anything for the parties, or Valentine's Day cards.

Instead of punishments and consequences, striving for a proactive approach can create big results. We have had several students make big changes this year, and we have others continuing with goals to improve. Here is an article about the benefits of the The Leader in Me program:

Global Leadership and Behavior

Here is a picture from fourth grade Science block. Students were taking a virtual field trip to different zoos! Students were researching and looking for key details:

Here is a picture from robotics in the after school program: