Friday Focus - November 17, 2017

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*I was so impressed with our students behavior at the Veterans Day assembly last Friday...starting from shaking hands/thanking our veterans all the way to their attentive listening throughout the assembly. Many of you saw I had to leave early for a student issue, but I got to see a recording of their singing and was amazed. I also heard a couple of students tell me that they liked the song they sang, because the words made them think about soldiers who died for our country.  Thank you for the time you each took to prepare our students for the assembly and the meaning behind it!
*I don't know if you realize this, but I think ALL of our students are working on non-fiction text right now...in both reading and writing. I have seen so many classrooms in which students are learning new strategies each day for reading non-fiction that go hand-in-hand with writing non-fiction. Just think about the deep connections our students are making to become stronger readers and writers!

Events Next Week:

Happy Thanksgiving Break (Wed-Fri) - Please take time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy your families, because I know you've been spending a lot of time here taking care of your classroom family!

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Just a reminder that moving forward, each month we will focus on a character trait with PBIS and our student of the month recognition will be specifically for that trait. I know we're getting a late start, but when you add your names for November, please nominate a student for demonstrating Kindness.
*Some of our students are already telling us that it's that time of the year...when stress from home with winter and holidays on their way affects them in ways that we don't alway realize. It could be overhearing the adult conversations about money to buy winter gear, arguing over where they will be for Thanksgiving, etc. Many of our students will enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with family and good food, but think of how many of our students would rather be at school than at home for five days. Just around that corner is the countdown to Christmas...another major stressor in their lives. Some of our students will be feeling the adult stress of everything that has to get done before Christmas, they might hear threats that "Santa won't be coming." For students in these situations, we are likely seeing the affects of this on them manifest in their behaviors/emotions.  We can't control what's happening in any of our students' lives, but we can control our classrooms to still be consistently structured (to not add more chaos to their days) and show them the caring relationships that they may not be getting at home right now. 

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Maybe Next Year
*3 Things Teachers Focus on in High Poverty Classrooms that Get Real Results

Click HERE for the link

Friday Focus - November 1, 2017

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*5th graders SO engaged in listening to their read-aloud book, that they asked for it to pause several times so they could jot down what they were thinking about the text. I don't think I have ever seen students so engaged in thinking about reading before!
*4th graders making personal connections to a non-fiction topic so they could make a commitment to read it...and then they did with eager curiosity as they dug into different topics!
*Students writing positive comments to others in their small group to recognize what they noticed in their writing.
*4K students starting out their day with calming yoga and breathing. (Ok, let's be real, I think I could start everyday that way!!)

Events Next Week:
Friday - Dodgeland Pride Assembly starting at 2:30
(I can hardly believe there's no other events this week, whew! Breathe.)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

• 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!!!
*Great blog post on all those issues with Writing Unit of Study that seems to go on forever: Units of Study that Go On Forever: Solving Predictable Problems
*Are you feeling stressed? Me to. I came across this post just when I needed it: Building Resilience, Preventing Burnout What action are you going to take to keep yourself energized?

Friday Focus - November 3, 2017

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Several teachers walking students through the process of rereading math word problems, stopping to ask questions reread for understanding: What is this problem about? What is it asking? What information does it tell us? Let's act what is happening.  These are all great strategies for students to learn how to keep rereading for meaning, those close reading skills that apply to math!
*Great collaboration for WIN...I've seen students excitedly changing rooms for "what they need." We know that in order to close the gaps and raise our higher students, we have to provide ALL of our students with the instruction that they need at their level. 
*Students in writing partners, providing each other with feedback and questions to help each other revise their writing to add in descriptive details.

Events Next Week:
Monday - grades due by 7:30 am

Wednesday - 1st quarter report cards distributed
- fundraiser pick up 3:00-5:30

Thankful Thursday - you can be thankful for jeans in place of our casual Friday since you need to dress up for Veterans Day.

Friday - Veterans Day Assembly starting at 9:30.  Please dress professionally on Friday as we will have many community members in our building for this event.
-No AM recess

Our 1st Quarter Dodgeland Pride Assembly is Friday, November 17th at 2:30.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Please review behavior expectations with your students before taking them down to the gym for the Veterans Day Assembly. Please also make sure to be there prior to 9:30 so they are not waiting for us to get started.  
*For 1st Quarter awards: I will share a google doc with you for On a Roll.  For Honor Roll there will NOT be a google doc. I am just going to go through all of the 3-5th report cards after their final reprints on Wednesdays to determine certificates. Please make sure to send home an invitation to the assembly for those that you know make Honor Roll (or On a Roll, or a Specials Award).

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Change the World, or Simply Maintain It? great post by George Couros