Friday Focus - September 28, 2018

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• ALL of our students did an incredible job at the Wednesday Homecoming assembly...it was much longer than we're used to, but they did a great job. I know this is due to everyone's efforts of sitting with students and "keeping tabs" of everyone around them (whether they were your class or not). We are a team!!
• 4K students taking turns at circle time sharing what emotion they were feeling and why (being able to identify feelings is an important part of being able to self-regulate emotions!)
• 2nd graders writing thank you letters to individuals that donated $ to their class to receive a free book order book. Each student was referring back to their book to share a favorite part of their book in their thank you letter to tell why they enjoyed receiving the book as a gift. 
• 3rd graders bonding as a class as they cried over what happened in the class read aloud story. 5th graders bonding as a class as they shared personal experiences they wrote about in their personal narrative. (OK, both of these situations involved some hysterical sobbing, but they were moments that pulled them together closer!)
• 4th graders digging in deep to analyzing their book, rereading their written visualizations, referring to the learning progression to see how they could "level up" what they wrote. 
• 5th grade Junior Coaches not only leading activities at recess, but also helping kindergartners transition into school. What melts my heart even more is seeing some 5th graders make positive connections with some of our kindergartners struggling with their behaviors and helping them to transition in successfully. WOW!
• Our Educlimber data is incredible for this first month of school. Last year for September 2017 we had 100 minors and 38 majors. For September 2018 (as of Wednesday) we had 20 minorss and 6 majors. Seriously. Read that again. That is AMAZING!!!! That significant change comes from all of your hard work at the start of the year---helping lead/reteach what was learned at the Trojan Rodeo Expectation Stations, rehearsing routines/procedures with your class, passing out Trojan Tickets to praise the positive behaviors, building relationships and building class and school community. WOW, just WOW!!!!!!!

Upcoming Events:
Today - I'm out of the building at CESA 6 until right before our 1:45 assembly. Please be packed up and ready for early dismissal at 2:20.
Homecoming Parade starts at 4:00.
Monday - New Teachers Mtg and Mentors Meeting (separate locations) at 3:15
Tuesday - mid quarter already! Hold on to your progress reports to share at P/T conferences
Wednesday - Vision Screening (see email/google doc from Nurse Miller)
Staff meeting 3:10 -please bring laptops for iReady info on the online instruction component and to get you set up with PLTW accounts.
Friday - I will announce our students of the month in the morning


"Nuts & Bolts" Notes: These come from our recent PBIS Committee Mtg...

• 1st-5th grade classrooms-please add a job to your class of having a student who is the "Commons Custodian." This student will be in charge of checking your class's tables for cleanliness.  They will get to wash your class's tables and check floors---this doesn't mean they clean up everything, but remind their classmates of messes they've made.  Thank you!!!
• When your class earns a Trojan Ticket celebration please take a celebratory picture and print/email it to Mrs. Haan.  This will be for a celebration bulletin board that will stay up all year. 

Blots, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!

*Overcoming Anxiety about Displaying Student Writing

Friday Focus - September 21, 2018

With picture day and being sick all week, I don't have anything in my "great things I noticed this week" section to share other than Thank You to anyone who probably pitched in an extra hand somewhere to help with something while I've been out. We have such an incredible team here! Now, make sure to get your rest, take your vitamins and use sanitizer and lysol, because the germs did not take a honeymoon!

Events Next Week: Homecoming!
Monday - Dress like your favorite book/movie character
3:15 EP Training in IMC (PPG/SLO/Surveys)

Tuesday - Crazy Color Day

Wednesday - Woke up like this day
K-12 Homecoming Assembly in the HS gym starting at 1:15 to 2:45

Thursday - Sports Day

Friday - Dodgeland Pride Day
-I will be out of the building at CESA 6 in the morning
K-12 Spirit Assembly in HS gym starting at 1:45 to 2:15 (be packed up before the assembly starts)
Early dismissal at 2:20, Parade at 4:00, Football game at 7:00

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*2 Pieces of information that I didn't get to share with you at the staff meeting, but still want to share now for you to start thinking about:

• SLO's this year - these should be grade level/team goals utilizing data for the entire grade level. Interventionists/Special ed teachers will join in a grade level as well for the team SLO. You each obviously have different roles in the team, but you are a team, so the team SLO makes sense. 
• Dodgeland Pride Assembly - with our new journey into target based learning I see that it is time to change the focus of our student recognition from that on grades instead to character and their approach to learning.  I haven't decided for sure what this means we will recognize yet, but it does mean no more Honor Roll. If you have any ideas on this, please share with me!

*All staff: please remember to move, scan and interact on recess duty...or join in a game!

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!

*What's In Our Reader's Notebook

*Be the One...That Knows Their Story

Click HERE to read a blog post of ideas for blurting.

Friday Focus - September 14, 2018

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• 2nd graders building their read to self and listen to reading stamina. 1st graders reading with partners--they used ro-sham-bo to decide who reads first and also did a great job with echo reading while in partners.
• After a reading round when the class gathered on the carpet, the teacher asked several students to share some of the post-it note jots they had recorded that were good examples for others to learn from. 
• A teacher timed a class transition and then recorded on the board--students were excited when they did it 6 seconds quicker than before. Every moment for learning counts!
• Some of our classes have been so quiet in hallway/gathering area transitions that I couldn't even hear them!
• Teachers joining in with students in core activities at recess. If you're curious to learn new fun games, with exercise...we are working on after school staff Playworks plans. :)
• Our 5th grade junior coaches have started leading activities with the k-2 students at recess and some of our 4th graders have started leading as hallway monitors to transition k-2 students from lunch to recess. It is so great to see the student leadership!

Events Next Week:

Monday - Picture day (we will have a parent volunteer calling classes down-come down to the music hallway with pictures on the stage. Staff need to get pictures taken too!) Feel free to have students bring a book to read while they're waiting in line.

*Start of fundraiser - good news, NO assembly to rile your class up! I will have a video to show your classes on Monday. Please make sure to show it in your room before sending home the packet on Monday.

Tuesday - Recess Playworks Crew mtg at 3:10 in the Art room

Wednesday - Elementary staff mtg in the IMC at 3:10

Thursday - FFA Food for America program - times to attend are HERE

-After school flu shots. Kids are already dropping like flies with viruses--if you don't get a flu shot then make sure you're taking your vitamins!!! :)

Friday - Popcorn Friday starts! 

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*ThinkCentral should be set to go for you to add your students if you would like to use it. I will email login credentials. Let me know if you forgot your login and need to be reset. 

*If you are using ClassDojo for parent communication-please add me. I love getting to see the class stories!

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...OH My!!!!

*How a 1 Second Strategy Can Motivate Your New Class

Friday Focus - September 7, 2018

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Teachers practicing and positively reinforcing hallway transitions to instill good routines/good habits early on.
*Teachers taking the extra time to help out at lunch/recess and indoor recess. It was so helpful to have extra hands in the beginning to get routines going...it really is like herding kittens in the beginning!
*Classroom community builders like: Guess Who, Mingle Icebreakers, oreo challenge, get to know you skittles, escape/class breakout challenge, partner interviews. What a great start to the school year for our students to build class community and friendships.
*Playworks success: So many high fives and cheers on the playground in blank slate 4 square and champ vs. challenger. After being taught "Watch your back tag" one time, the 3-5th graders were already pros at playing it and using "ro cham bo" for tag ties.  I also heard a student say, 'I love playing champ vs challenger, because Lightning was so chaotic, now I actually get to practice making shots!" I even heard kids playing "ro cham bo" in the grass at last night's football game!
*I already received my first 100% positive parent contacts made card. What a great start to building positive connections with families!



Upcoming Events:
Today - elementary assembly starting at 2:30 (pack up and bring backpacks with--we will dance for dismissal from the gym
-RTI Bootcamp starts next week!
Is that it? Am I forgetting any events next week?!

The following week:
Monday, September 17 - Picture Day and Start of the fundraiser (don't worry--no assembly for this!)
Wednesday, September 19 - Elementary staff meeting
Thursday, September 20 - FFA Food for America (this is the event that got cancelled last spring due to weather. Mr. VanEgtern will have info out to us soon regarding this)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Here's the quick 1st day/week survey to give your input: First Day/Week Survey

*If you haven't already completed your online Bloodborne pathogen training (this was in an email from SafeSchools), you need to complete it by September 14th. Print your completed certificate to give to Kimi.

*Our automated attendance calls start next week so you MUST MUST MUST have attendance in each morning by 9. We do NOT want parents to receive calls for absences when they really are here.

*How many Trojan Tickets for a class incentive?  The answer to that is...How many does your class have right now?  Please have a discussion with your grade level team to come up with a common number with a good first goal that helps build the excitement for the Trojan way....high expectations, but attainable and it can increase for the next one too.  Now remember...many of the incentive ideas do NOT have to take much time--bring a stuffed animal, hat day, etc.  Also--we are going to be learning SO many fun Playworks games that a 20 minute reward once a month for a playworks game would be fun for your whole class and not take much time.
If you click HERE this google doc will first require you to make your own copy and then you can edit the document of incentives to personalize it for your class.
Also to clarify...YOU can also give your class a Trojan ticket!

*How did you live out our collective commitments this week? Did you notice a colleague living out the commitments?  Did you let them know you noticed?

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*What Happened When One School Banned Homework - and asked kids to read and play instead
*Important Questions to Ask Your Students  - great opportunities to create positive conditions for learning.