Thursday December 1st, 2016

Today is the first day of Christmas fun, with the wearing of red and green colors.

Please help remind students about Friday: ugly sweater day and candy cane sale.

Here is a short article that mentions three things found in great schools. This includes a collaborative staff culture and educating the whole child. The last sentence reminds that 'education is about experiences as much as content':

Lessons Learned From Great Schools

Thought for today:

Wednesday November 30th, 2016

Thank you to everybody who attended the Christmas Concert Tuesday night, and a big thank you to Mrs. Dickinson! It was a great show full of student talent, loving friends and family members supporting in the audience, and such a warm and positive event to start the holiday season.

Please help remind students about tomorrow being the first day of the 12 days of Christmas fun, dressing with the colors red and green, and the candy cane sale on Friday.

It's that time of year, for the annual Macy's Letters to Santa. This is a great activity for Make a Wish:

Letters to Santa

Here is a great thought for the day. I think we have the best kids at Harrison, and they have the best staff at their side supporting and teaching them:

Tuesday November 29th, 2016

Please help remind students and families about the Winter Concert that is occurring tonight, at Roper. Doors will open at 6:00, and the program starts at 6:30. This is a great opportunity for students to welcome the holiday season with beautiful music, and every student has a part.

A big thank you to the Fun Committee for planning the 12 Days of Christmas again! The fun starts Thursday, and the office will have a note going home. Students can make homemade items at school, or even just wear Christmas colors. No fanciness is required, just a positive attitude. The holiday season can be hard on kids and families, but we can ensure that all kids have a positive holiday season at school:

12 Days of Christmas

You may have noticed the Christmas tree being set up in the front entry way. Students definitely noticed, because we had several asking to help decorate. We will be starting our annual food drive, but we are trying something new this year. We will still be donating food to our local community. New this year will be adding some of the food donations to our own school pantry that we have started. We have kids picking up food items at the end of the day, so they have food for dinner and their family.

We have a family note going home this week, and the office will make copies:

Front Side of Family Note

Back Side with Dates

Chose Joy:

Monday November 28th, 2016

Duties for the week: 
     
     AM Bus: Kelly
                 Alexander
                 Sharp
     PM Bus: Lancaster
                 Schroeder
                 Sweet
     Staff Room: Warner
 
 
  Meetings/Reminders for the week: 

   November 28th, 2016- Monday- Eval Team   

   November 29th, 2016- Tuesday- Intervention Meeting

   November 29th, 2016- Tuesday- Art Lunch for 1st Grade with Mrs. V in the Library
 
   November 29th, 2016- Tuesday- All School Winter Concert at Roper- starts at 6:30 pm

   November 30th, 2016- Wednesday- Principal Lunch with November student leaders

   December 2nd, 2016- Friday- Friday Fun- Wear Ugly Sweater Day

   December 2nd, 2016- Friday- Student leaders selling candy canes for .50 cents each

                                       
Habit of the week/Classroom leading morning announcements:
 
  Kelly- Habit 6: Synergize and Wolden- Habit 7: Sharpen the saw


Please help remind students and families about the Winter Concert. Students have been practicing and they are excited to sing.

We had a great Title 1 Family Night. We've been striving to include more dads and families who are learning English for the first time, with school events and family involvement, and the pictures show that:

Fall Title 1 Family Night

We're beginning with the end in mind with the pictures from this last week. We have end of the year academic goals, family involvement goals, a new Science/Invention Fair planned for the Spring, leadership goals, kindness, the Winter concert, global learning while working with diverse groups, and more! The following pictures show students and staff reaching towards those goals, and the pictures would be great to share with students:

Pictures This Week

Here is the weekly note to share with families. I included a note about BINGO for Books and Christmas lunch:

Weekly Schedule for Families

Music is universal. Music can heard in every country around the world. This article is a great reminder of integrating music, particularly with second language learners. Music isn't just once a week when going to specials, but can be integrated cross content with other learning. The tips can also be applied for any skill second language learners are learning, not just music:

7 Tips for Engaging ESL Students in Music Education

Empathy is a skill we are teaching students every day. Empathy is walking in another person's shoes, and truly listening without judging. What a great skill that students can use at home, with any career in their future, and with their peers. Empathy is an essential part of learning:

Empathy and Learning in the 21st Century Classroom

We are striving to develop a love for learning, and not just compliance. This includes problem solving, performance tasks, endurance with multi-step questions to research, and working with others to find solutions. This article has a few images and tips for reflection, to assist with ensuring that learning is meaningful:

10 Ways to Make Learning Meaningful


Every student brings assets to the table. Differentiating, and knowing your students, helps with growth:

Friday November 18th, 2016

Thank you to everybody who helped lead with Thanksgiving lunch, Family Night, and all the behind the scenes planning and preparing! We had such a great turn out for both events.

We have some popcorn left over for students and families to buy on Friday. Please let them know.

Please help remind students and families that there is no school all next week. We have lost and found moved to the office area. Please find a moment on Friday to have students check it, so they have warm items to wear. Many kids think they live at our school, and they think lost and found is their closet. With no school for a whole week, they really need to take things home so they can stay warm over the break.

This article is great reminder of the importance for mindfulness, to help with teaching students to self-manage their emotions:

4 Simple Ways to Teach Mindfulness in Schools

So true:

Thursday November 17th, 2016

Today is going to be an awesome day! We have our Title 1 family night, college shirt/sweatshirt day, and Thanksgiving lunch. Family involvement isn't just a one night event. Family involvement is every day, every phone call, every smile and conversation in halls and bus/pick up lines, and more. Enjoy the day, and please jump in and assist. You might be the one that gets a family involved, who hasn't been involved at school before.

With all the great family involvement activities today, remember to breathe. We're beginning with the end in mind as we think of the great opportunities we are providing for students and families:

Wednesday November 16th, 2016

Please help remind students and families about the Title 1 family night activity on Thursday.

Thursday is also a day to wear college shirts or sweatshirts, and it's Thanksgiving lunch. Please help remind students and families.

Here's an article and video from Mrs. Craner that fits with strategies we include at our school, like yoga and deep breaths, to assist students with self-regulating their emotions:

Meditation and Breathing

I love these yoga pictures from Mrs. Moore. Just a normal activity at Harrison, like reading and math:

Every day is a fresh start: