Friday Focus - April 26, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Kindergartners focused independently to write a persuasive letter with details in 3 sentences. (Yes, you read that right...kindergarten!)
*As 4th graders started a new PLTW unit, representatives from John Deere came for a visit to see our future engineers at work. They were so impressed with how engaged and collaborative our students were!
*Our students performing in the Talent Show each did an incredible job on stage sharing their passions with us. In addition, our incredible staff pulled together for yet another entertaining act to close out the night. You all never cease to amaze me! HUGE kudos out to the talent show committee for making this annual even such a great success!

Upcoming Events:
Monday - 3:15 EP Training *Optional* Doc Log/SLO work/support time in IMC
Tuesday - Mid-Quarter -please send progress reports home
  -I will be at the trauma training with the rest of the team attending this to bring back the learning
Wednesday - Elementary Staff meeting -this trauma training will be on the next 2 R's: Responsibility and Relationships
Friday - Crazy Socks Day/Inflatable Party in the HS Gym (the crazy socks day is so they all have socks on for the inflatables!) The party is put on by our fundraiser company, but I selected the date to be a great conclusion to our 3-5th graders taking the Forward test. Here are our times:
10-11:00 Grades K/1
12:30-1:30 Grades 4/5
1:45-2:45 Grades 2/3
3:10-3:30 STAFF :) :) :)

Monday, May 6 - Spring Concert for all grades K-5
Wednesday, May 8 - Budget requests due
Friday, May 10 - Grandparents Day

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Please complete the GG survey by April 30th if you haven't already:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd95zCfc39PVRyWV1hVlKQ-iAMwGNtVox2DkemivPc__BFfyw/viewform


Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*How to Make a Quiz Work Harder for You
*End Your School Year with What Matters Most "Beginnings set the tone, but endings don't just come together on accident. There's something special about a narrative that ends really well."
How do you plan to end your year?

Thursday Throwdown - April 18. 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Kindergartners engaged in their PLTW projects. When I asked each student what they were making, I was so impressed that they each went right into explaining the function of each part to me!
*3-5th graders applied their stamina, focus, and test taking strategies for Forward exam testing. We had some students that spent hours on writing one essay, because they wanted to do their best.  While this was happening I saw, but didn't hear, several K-2 classes walking through the hallways SO silently to help maintain focus for testing. Thank you!
Thank you also to everyone who helped make testing the most conducive for our students by switching specials/recess schedules, proctoring a small group, helping out with extra duties, etc.
*So many great ideas shared about helping students build their self-regulation skills in our staff meeting.

Events Next Week:
Monday - 3-5th graders are Forward testing throughout the mornings. Please keep hallways quiet!
-After school-Talent Show rehearsal

Tuesday - 3-5th graders are Forward testing throughout the mornings. Please keep hallways quiet!
2:30 Talent Show school preview

6:00pm Dodgeland's Got Talent!

Thursday - I will be out of the building
Thursday/Friday - 4K screening

Mark your calendars for Friday, May 3rd Inflatable Day (in HS gym):

10:00-11:00 grades k/1

12:30-1:30 grades 4/5
1:45-2:45 grades 2/3
3:10 STAFF!!!! :) :) :) I am not kidding...they are going to keep them running for us to have fun!!!!

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*We have some smelly lockers...please have students clean theirs out before the 3 day weekend. The custodians found a few VERY old snack pack bags. Yuck!!!

*We could use parent helpers for the inflatable day. I'd love it if you could post the date/time for your grade to your Class Dojo to see if you have any interested parents. They can call/email/message me on Dojo. Thank you!

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*We Must Maslow Before We Bloom

Friday Focus - April 12, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*4K students reading books by memory---5K teachers you've got readers coming your way next year!
*1st graders made posters for our lunch room to encourage all students to clean up after themselves, because they want our lunch room to look nicer (this was their choice in their current Lucy writing unit!)
*3rd graders incredibly engaged in coding during their PLTW time, coming up with creative touches to their coding while still completing their requirements for each and then writing about it.
*4th graders put all the knowledge they learned in PLTW about energy into creating a vehicle restraint system for an egg with the intent to not crack the egg as it rolled down an incline plane intot he wall. My favorite was watching their slow motion videos they used to see what went wrong so they could tweak it (learning from failure!)
*All of you brought the excitement for the state send off! I had a high school student tell me after that we made it so much more fun!

Upcoming Events:
Today - rescheduled Tornado drill at 1:45 (pm recess will need to end a little early)
   2:30 3rd quarter pride assembly - have your teacher iPads ready for another fun Class Kahoot challenge!

Monday - Wednesday: State Forward testing for 3-5th graders throughout the mornings. Keep the hallways quiet please!

Monday - Brewer Day (yes, jeans too!)
Wednesday - Workout Wednesday, Elementary staff meeting
Thursday - A videographer will be here throughout the day to record in some classrooms, at recess, in the halls and on a walking field trip for Blue Zones (this got rescheduled thanks to the April blizzard)
Friday - No School. Rest up. Relax. Rejuvenate, because the fast roller coaster ride to the end of the year is approaching! 

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Just a reminder to complete the survey sent about by Dr. Thompson last Monday regarding trauma informed practices for schools (before you leave for your 3 day weekend).

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!!
*No Student is Unreachable

Friday Focus - April 5, 2019

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*5th graders presenting to the class about the career they researched. They learned about new interesting career possibilities and eliminated some they know they won't like!
*4th graders in a "teacher" math center where they got to take turns sitting in the teacher chair (they used rochambo to decide) and gave their small group of students a problem to solve and check before trading with a new "teacher."
*Students sharing videos of their PLTW project with the class, along with what they learned from their mistakes/what they would do differently.
*3rd graders showing reading stamina and test taking strategies to tackle tricky reading passages to practice for the upcoming Forward exam.


Events Next Week:
Monday - New Teachers/Mentors meetings (separate, but at the same 3:15 time)
Tuesday - I'll announce students of the month at 8:05
 9:30-11:25 4th Grade Forward testing Shhhh-quiet in the halls!

Wednesday -  9:30-11:25 4th Grade Forward testing Shhhh-quiet in the halls!

Thursday - FYI: A videographer will be here throughout the day to record in some classrooms, at recess, in the halls and on a walking field trip for Blue Zones.

-Statewide tornado drill 1:45
-Talent show auditions after school

Friday -3rd quarter Pride assembly starting at 2:30. Classroom teachers-please be ready with your iPads for the class Kahoot challenge :)

Future date: Friday, May 3rd is Inflatable Party Day!!! We will have 2 grade levels at a time in the gym for the party :)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Our attendance rates took a big hit in March, but we can get it back up. Thank you to everyone in your work to help make students want to be in school (greeting at the door, hugs, high fives, and genuine concern reaching out to families when students are absent).  Just a reminder that each class is competing for the top class of ALL HERE by earning those flowers that will go up on the board next to your grade level.  Please also help promote this in your classroom and on your class Dojo or Facebook pages. 

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Label Our Clothing, Not Our Students