Monday Memo - Week of March 5

Great Things I Noticed Last Week:
*During literacy blocks I've seen many teachers moving around the room to confer with students.  This made me think of a previous Friday Focus in which I talked about teachers not sitting behind there desks here.
 When I've asked teachers why they move to where students, I've heard the following responses:

• I just move quietly to them so it doesn't interrupt the whole class to call a student. If I call out, heads look up and break stamina.
• It doesn't interrupt that student, they just read out loud from the point they're at in the book.
• It really breaks up the block for me, because I'm not just sitting at the table the whole entire time. 
• When I'm walking around the room to meet a student, I also get the chance to peak at kids that are in difficult to see spots from the reading table. 

Events this Week:
Unless I'm missing something,  I have nothing to put here! (Mark that on the calendar as a first!)

Next week: March Madness--We will once again be having the map in the commons to show where everyone went to college. In addition, all staff will be given posters to put on their doors that identify where they graduated from. We will also have facts on the announcements each morning about college.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes
*Spring Fundraiser Info:
Kick off assembly will be Tuesday, March 27th at 2:15, packets go home this day.  Packets will be due back to school on Wednesday, April 11.  Pick up for fundraiser will by May 3.  We will also be scheduling a family fun Inflatable Party some night in May with the fundraising company.
*I've started the Dodgeland Elementary Facebook fan page as a means to communicate information with parents.  I'll be sending home a note on Tuesday with the information for parents, but please feel free to include it if you send out a newsletter this week.  Until 25 people "Like" the page, it does not show up in a search, so for now, people need to go to: http://www.facebook.com/DodgelandElementarySchool  For those of you on facebook, feel free to "like" it...others will not be able to see if you did.  If you have any news you want me to share on there, please just let me know. 
 *Here's a post from Education Week featuring an interview with Gail and Joan ("The Sisters")

Tech Tips:
*I came across this blog that is filled with tech tips for elementary teachers each week: http://tjhouston.com/2012/02/cyber-monday-feb-21-2012/  This specific link is for just one post, but if you want to see all posts, just click on HOME at the top.