Friday Focus - January 11, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• Our CESA 6 Director, Ted Neitzke, was SO impressed with the elementary...he could see the passion and joy for teaching and learning and see how much our staff care about the students. I was so proud to share with him all of the great work that you are doing for our students!
• A weekly classroom message on the board: "Find power in your mistakes."
• Staff members taking the time to assist guest teachers or with the class for a guest teacher--even going above and beyond to take a student into their classroom because the child was struggling with a guest teacher, but could continue the day learning successfully with another trusted adult. Wow!
• Guidance with Ganser lessons on assertiveness--I got to see multiple great class discussions on the difference between being passive, assertive and aggressive. Better yet, I've witnessed 3 different times this week students being assertive (without being rude) to get a peer to stop doing something (students that typically come to an adult for everything).  People---this stuff is working!!!!
• 4K students identifying letters in the daily message and then practicing the Jolly Phonics sound/action.
• Our 5th grade band is sounding incredible...it's like a night and day difference to think back to how they sounded at the beginning of the school year!
• The simple teacher strategy of "I'm still waiting for two people" to get the entire class quiet and ready to listen. 
• I have already heard several teachers mention some incredible gains made by students on their mid-year iReady. I cannot wait until all are done testing to start digging into our growth!

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday - I will be out of the building with several other staff for Trauma Invested practices training. 

Wednesday - Ms. Ganser and I will be out of the building in the morning for a training

Thursday - Final day of 2nd quarter. 

    12:20 Early Release for Report/Planning

Friday - PD Day - bring your #OneWord rock

Monday, Jan 21 - grades due by 7:30AM

Wednesday, Jan 23 - report cards distributed

-"Kilowatt Kitchen" theater presentation: 10-10:30 for K-2, 10:45-11:15 for 3-5.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*Some of you have asked to see what everyone's #OneWord goal is so please, please, please...I will have a table set up in the hallway by the ICE room on Friday morning to put your rock on it before we start our PLTW training so I can take a picture of all of them. That way you can have it back by the end of the day. 
*Reminders for report cards...as always, there should be no major surprises for parents. If you've got a student with sliding grades, please call home to discuss. In Powerschool--no blank grades or *asterisk*. Instead use P (pass), because it generates errors.
*Just a reminder to complete your Employee Engagement Survey (see the link in the email from Dr. Thompson on Jan 7th). I look forward to reflecting on the feedback you share. 

*Is your class wanting to have the Trojan cart for an incentive? Check it out!!

This is filled with all sorts of academic goodies--fun pencils, erasers, etc. 

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Dispelling the Myth of "Math" People