Friday Focus - Nov 11, 2016

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Students practicing the mental math of making tens...in Phy Ed! How awesome is it that we are so collaborative at Dodgeland that Mrs. Kuhn is even helping students improve in math?!!
*Students being taught to reread for deeper meaning, and then doing it! While still on the carpet, students reread a section of the text together, then did a brief turn-and-talk to discuss feelings and emotions while citing what the text said.
*Students writing positive comments to others in their small group to recognize what they noticed in their writing.
*Students passing on random notes of kindness. Love to see this bucket filling!
*With this heated election, I was unsure of whether or not to have a mock election, but am glad that we did. As you each came down with your class I witnessed so many great lessons by you to model for students of how we can have our own opinions and sitll get along, that we should learn as much as we can to inform our decisions, that no matter what we should always be kind. 

Events Next Week: 
Monday - Staff Meeting 3:10 (agenda below)
Tuesday/Wednesday - I will be out of the building for a conference
Friday - 1st Qtr Dodgeland Pride Assembly at 2:30

Food drive for The Gathering Source all week through Tuesday, Nov 22.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

• Monday's staff mtg agenda includes: information about going school-wide Title 1 and grade level discussions on writing. Obviously, there's not a LOT of time to discuss writing, so this will be focused on answering the question: What do you need on our 12/9 Professional Development day (i.e. time/structure/resources) for your grade level to discuss/plan/grow together in writing to support your writers?
• Please talk to your students about the Pride assembly so that any new students will know what to expect and for all to review behavior expectations. 

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Have you seen this great resource on DPI? Wisconsin Writes has videos of interviews with Wisconsin writers for students to learn about how they go through the writing process.
*Self-Assessment: Assessment Strengthens Writers