Final Friday Focus

Thank you to everyone for helping to make the End of Year Picnic run so smoothly. This was our 3rd year and I think we get better each time...there was nothing that stood out to me as an issue to change for next year. Everyone seemed to be enjoying family, friends and their teachers on the last day!


Before you leave for the summer I would like to give you (and myself) a


3-2-1 Challenge:


3 - Read at least three good books this summer

To be literacy leaders in our classrooms, we have to be readers and writers in our personal lives too. Regie Routman said it best in Teaching Essentials: “One of the first questions I would ask any teacher seeking employment is, What are you reading? What is your last favorite book? How do you choose a book? What have you learned as a reader?“. She goes on to state that we need to have a balance in our knowledge base, and reading a wide variety of genres can provide this.  
For me, I have quite a large stack for the summer that I'm not quite sure what to start with, but it does include the following:
Writing Essentials by Regie Routman
Talk About Teaching by Charlotte Danielson
Book 2 of The Mysterious Benedict Society (a couple of our 5th graders got me hooked into this series)
Don't worry, How Full is Your Bucket? is on my list, but I read this last summer, so this will be a quick reread for me.
I sent our students home with a newsletter encouraging them to read and to write/email me about what they're reading. Feel free to send me an email as you're reading or reflecting this summer!

2 – Participate in two new experiences

Think about your new students coming in next fall. They will be feeling anxious about who their new teacher is, what is expected of them academically and how they will get along with their classmates. Our students take part in new experiences annually. It might be wise to put ourselves in their place to get a better perspective. I am not talking about climbing Mount Everest; maybe it is becoming more familiar with mobile technology, or taking an art class. If you cannot think of something new, maybe consider mastering something you have already tried.  I want to try to learn how to play the guitar that my husband gave me as a birthday gift 3 years ago (I did try twice in Mrs. Kopfer's summer class last year, so I might have to try that resource again!)

1 - Learn how to utilize a new web 2.0 tool to enhance your professional growth or lessons in your classrooms.  I list my favorite web 2.0 tools in this post, but there are many more options out there. Or maybe you just want to spend time finding new ideas for your SMARTBoard or find ways to utilize the iPad cart next year.

None of these suggestions are required, or course, only challenges. I just want to encourage everyone to take time for yourself, as well as to reflect and think about how you will continue to grow and learn as a person and as a professional. Many of you do this already, so I may be preaching to the choir.

The last week of school!!

I cannot believe that it is already the last week of school!  In the midst of all the end of the year craziness, please take time to enjoy it with your students!

Events This Week:
Monday - Report cards will be printed at 7:00 AM and put in your mailboxes to review
Tuesday - 4:00 PM 4K Family Ice Cream Social
Wednesday - Report Cards should be sent home (so they don't get lost/left behind on the last day of school!)
  3rd grade field trip
  2nd grade walking trip to the public library
  5K Graduation Ceremony at 6 PM
Thursday - Last Day of School!  Please park in the MS/HS parking lot as close as possible to the shed.
   Dodgeland Pride Assembly at 11:00
    End of Year Picnic at 11:30 - please see Mrs. Donovan's email for the details.  There will be 2 check-out tables for parents to sign-out their students this year (a table for K-2, a table for 3-5) so you won't have to keep track of students leaving early.
Friday - Staff Appreciation Luncheon 12:00

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes
*Math textbooks (including teacher guides) will be getting boxed up to be donated to a school in Africa.    You are also free to box up the reading basals, however, we will be keeping them in storage.  Please just label the boxes either "Reading" or "Math" and put them outside your door on the last day of school if they're ready then--we'll utilize the MS/HS students that are looking for ways to help.
*As you go through your end of year checklist, you do NOT need to make copies of student report cards. I will just run a second set of them so that you do not need to spend your time at the copy machine!
*Any unwanted classroom/personal teaching supplies that you no longer want can be placed on the stage beginning on Friday, June 8th.  Everyone will be welcome to look through these discarded "treasures" and take what you would like.  Items not taken by Friday, June 15th will be donated to a Beaver Dam church.
*Curriculum Work-please see Mrs. Thompson's email for the time/pay specifics for curriculum work during the week of June 11th.  Please make sure to sign in at the office to be compensated.  This time is very open to what you need to use it for.  We will not have the new math curriculum yet, but I do have a training day booked for when we come back for in-service next August.  I've already heard from a few grade levels that plan to be using the time to work on planning cafe reading/writing mini-lessons. If you don't already have the common-core updated CAFE menus, you can find them in the shared drive (elementary; cafe).  Please let me know if this week if you have any other questions regarding the curriculum work time, because the admin team will be at a CESA 6 Training all week, so I will be unable to answer any questions next week. 
*Don't forget to sign up for the Regional Summer Teacher Academy if you plan on attending. Sign up is at http://bit.ly/RSTAregistration


Over the summer:
*We have 277 students signed up for session 1 of summer school!!! :) Most classrooms will be used for summer school--I will send out an email to the teachers that pertains to (it's almost everyone). 
*You will still be able to access the building with your key fabs throughout the summer, however, please call MaryBeth in the District Office to check ahead of time in case your room is being cleaned.  Mr. Schimmel will be keeping the D.O. informed of the cleaning/floor waxing schedule.
*Let me know if you will not have email access over the summer, because I will continue to send any updates via my blog/email and will send you "snail mail" or a phone call if needed.

*Start thinking about Bucket Filling for next year!!  We are going with the theme of "Bucket Filling" next year, which is basically just a great concept for building character and how people treat each other.  Today you will find the adult version of the book, How Full is Your Bucket? for you to read over the summer. Don't worry, it's a nice "light" read that is enjoyable! This was also purchased with Safe School/Healthy Student grant funds. At the beginning of next school year, I will read the children's book version to your class and leave your classroom with that copy.  I think this theme will be much simpler to embed throughout the school year than previous themes.  For now, here's some ideas I found on pinterest (for most of the images I included links to the blog posts they are explained in):

Read this teacher's post on how she uses bucket filling

Read more about how this is used in this post

Class created anchor chart I found at this blog post

Another class chart made with student input

Student activity I found in this post

 

Read about it in this post

Now remember, if you delete the email that is sent to you from my blog and you want to look back at the links later in the summer, just go to www.johnsonmemo.blogspot.com and you can find this post!