Johnson Memo: 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.