Friday Focus - March 22, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Kindergartners using the SMARTNotebook app on their iPads at math time. They were so engaged on the carpet to solve the problems the teacher displayed on the smartboard.
*Kudos to the 3-5th grade teachers in preparing their students for the upcoming Forward exam. I've seen teachers thinking outloud for students to learn how to use process of elimination to answer a question that they don't feel they have the answer to. I've seen a teacher model how to read every answer choice to make sure they pick the right answer and not answer too quickly. I also saw students analyzing sample writing with a scoring rubric to understand what is expected of them in the writing portion of the Froward exam. During this, they made a list of "tips and tricks" for when they will be completing the writing session of the Forward.
*I've seen so many classrooms having conversations about colleges (or I saw the work after, like college pennants or student goals for college). I've had several students tell me at lunch time about the colleges they were researching. And of course I am in LOVE with the pictures of students in their future jobs. And if that wasn't cute enough, here is a picture from the Class of 2034...

Upcoming Events:
Wed-Friday Spring Break!!!  Rest, relax, rejuvenate!
Monday, April 1 - grades due by 7:30am (no joke for April fools day, that's for real!)
-EP Training (doc log/slo)
Tuesday, April 2 - Forward Proctor training (I don't have groups ready yet. If you've proctored before, plan on proctoring again. Please come to the training!)

Wednesday, April 3 - report cards to be distributed
 -Elementary staff meeting (including support staff) on trauma invested practices




"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*Make sure to put in your "back from spring break plans" to spend time rehearsing procedures and making time for relationship building. Don't forget the "Significant 72." By the way....I still have Greg's book if you want it!

*One of the questions in your feedback was regarding consistent expectations for coats at recess. I know that a black or white policy would make it easy for everyone, however,  that also creates battles with kids. Why? Because everyone feels different at the same temperature. I am freezing in my house at 68 degrees and my husband is warm. We all bundle up at 45 degrees in October, yet I've seen many already pull out sandals at 45 degrees now.

We are OK with kids taking their coats off at recess. If they are playing hard they start sweating and it's ok to take it off. Just think back to hard you played in our back to school Playworks training, how hot and sweaty you got. Now imagine putting your coat on.   We want kids to learn how to self-regulate their emotions...we can have them self-regulate if they need the coat on or off too.

If kids are cold, they will put the coat back on.

Don't sweat the small stuff. :)




Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My
*I Got Nothing Done and It Was Great

Student names go on the back side of the post-it so you know how they're feeling

Friday Focus - March 15, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*4th graders celebrating the end of their writing unit by walking around to read each other's published pieces. (Secret tip-they got to have the treat of a tootsie pop, which meant they were all silent too!)
*Students reflecting individually on their recorded readings, evaluating themselves for their fluency and expression. 
*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: College and Career Awareness week (remember-if you participate in our color dress up you get to wear jeans while promoting college/career awareness!)
Monday - Red
Tuesday - Blue
Wednesday - Green
-Elementary Staff meeting at 3:10 (I'll send an email regarding the agenda)
Thursday - Yellow
Friday - Purple

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Whatifs on How Adults Interact with Kids - Challenge to you all - do more Whatiffing!!

Friday, March 8, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*I saw SO many students excited about our College board....looking at each teacher, asking questions about colleges, I even saw some students drawing logos for colleges on their own time. Wow!
*In between reading sessions a few students gave a quick book talk to the class to share the book they were each reading. A couple of students asked if they could have a book next when the student was finished. Such a great way to build a reading community so students are getting book recommendations from each other!
*While working on figurative language, the book about Volcano Mouth tied in perfectly with everything students are learning in Guidance with Ganser. They got literature and social-emotional learning all at once!

Events Next Week:
Monday - Please share THIS VIDEO with your students to prepare them for Friday

Friday - College/Career Awareness day-dress up for what you want to be and green screen photo



"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*I will be out of the building Thursday/Friday attending a conference.

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Healthy Brains? It's Up to You!
*Starting Early on College and Career

Friday, March 1, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Teachers leading with passion to inspire kids to enjoy reading!! I saw guest readers in classrooms, buddy reading, teachers modeling enjoying reading during the blizzards...you all made this week awesome for kids!
*First graders writing pages and pages of nonfiction writing about a topic they are passionate about, including their table of contents, diagrams and all. Yup...you read that right, 1st graders!
*3rd graders using their self-talk to persevere through some tricky math problems.
*5th graders having deep discussions at the Kindness retreat about how to make our school a better place and how each of us can be a part of the change. They were outstanding at the kindness retreat as our staff engaged in the day and connected with our students in so many ways!
*I also saw this several times this week:

Look closely...those are buffalo charging through the storm. What you can't see is they are also staying in their upstairs brains!  I saw this several times this week, along with staff members working together to support each other in some really challenging times.  We can do anything together!

Events Next Week:
Monday - 3:15 new teachers meeting
Tuesday - I will be out of the building with our Pupil Services staff to learn about something awesome to help benefit all of you (Compassion Resilience) thanks to the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation
Wednesday - 3:15 Elem Staff Meeting (see below for agenda)
Friday - HS FFA fundraiser  Donkey basketball (in case you want something fun to do on Friday night!)


"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Consumable Supply packets are due on Monday.
*Reminder to fill in your college info in THIS google doc so we can have everyone represented on the college board
*With the addition of our 2 make up days March 25/26 that also pushes back our final day of  the quarter to March 26.
*Please remember to walk with your class for hallway transitions (to recess, lunch, milk, etc.) When you don't, it gets loud, crazy and your kiddos start to resemble this:

*Staff meeting will be split into 2 groups:
-K-2 will learn about another feature in iReady to take our students even further with their skills (need to pick a classroom for this).
-3-5 will also learn about this, along with Forward information in the IMC.

Blogs, Tweets & Pins....Oh My!!!
*Are You Making Your Most Difficult Students Worse?