8/31/15 MMM

Hey folks,
I learned a great lesson this week about the potential of kids.  We all have kids in our classes who are hard either because they don't have a supportive family background, they are slow, or they just have bad behavior.  The important thing to remember is that we don't know the potential of these kids.  We cannot prejudge or judge at all because they may be our hardest workers, may make the greatest growth, and end up being someone very successful in life.  What we need to remember to do is expose them to opportunities to grow, problem solve, learn from failure, and learn from being successful.  Remember Growth Mindset.  Remember some of the most famous and successful people were ones who did not perform well in school.  We need to make sure we are encouragers, not discouragers.  We need to help the kids find their AWESOME!  We all have AWESOME in us!
I found a great article on the impact of class sizes on learning.  I think it would be a good read for all of us considering how big some of our classes are.  It is interesting that as much as we get concerned about how big our classes are, it is not even close to the most impactful thing to our kids' learning.  Read this article and then do some research on John Haddie.  I know this is a touchy subject and I'm sure we can have a great discussion on it.  I'm not choosing one side or the other.  I know from experience it is a lot easier with smaller classes than with larger, but when faced with a large class, there are things we can do that can be very impactful.  Read the article and tell me what you think.

To Be Aware Of

• Fire Drill on Wednesday at 1:30.  For the first few drills, you will know when they are so you can train your kids.  Eventually, they will be unannounced to make them more real for us.
• At our assemblies, we have expectations that our students pay attention and show respect to those who are up front and presenting.  We need to make sure that we practice those same expectations.  Please don't bring your computers or homework to assemblies.  We need to pay attention as well.
• Keep track of what duty you have each week.  There have been a few times where there hasn't been someone out on duty.  We need to make sure the kids are safe.  Here is a link to the duty list for quick reference
• The Grovecrest Faculty Passion Project google classroom page is open and you all have been invited.  Here is a link to the page.  I've only had a few share on this page.  Take a look.  It is easy and I would like to know what everyone is thinking about.
• The Monday Assemblies Zack and I will be doing are going to be every 4th Monday, or the last school Monday of the month starting in September.  We will call them Edivate Assemblies since you will be working on Edivate during those times.
• The first faculty Mtg that will be devoted to your passion projects will be on September 16th.  This may change, but there will be 4 of our faculty meetings devoted to that.
• Our PD day in October will be in an edcamp format.  Information about this will come to you throughout the coming weeks in preparation.
• Zack and I will be scheduling Oliver Button readings soon.  Monthly Kyle reads will be scheduled each month as well.

I will let you know the evaluation schedule when I get it.

Cleaning Schedule

Sept.  Office

Oct. 6th Grade

Nov.  5th Grade

Dec.  3rd Grade

Jan.  2nd Grade

Feb. 1st Grade

Mar. 4th Grade

Apr. SPED and Computer Specialist

May  Kinder, Life Skills, & P.E. Specialist

Lunch Schedule

1st

11:31 Higgins

11:32 Hull

11:33 Mac

11:34 McKell

2nd

11:25 Connell

11:26 Herman

11:27 Fisher

11:28 West

3rd

11:56 Schafer

11:58 Wilson

12:00 Whipple

12:02 Nichols

4th

11:55 Austin

11:57 Fiorucci

11:59 Durrant

12:01 CJohnson

5th

12:20 Green

12:22 MJohnson

12:24 Oswald

12:26 Day

6th

12:21 McCleskey

12:23 Allen

12:25 Krall

12:27 Rooke

Save The Date

9/1 Reading Committee Mtg 8:15

9/1 Alio/Skyward Training 1-4

9/2 Power IEP Training 9-10 Kyle

9/2 Fire Drill 1:30

9/3 Parent Ballroom Mtg 4pm

9/4 4th grade Planet Aquarium In School Field Trip

9/7 Labor Day No School!

9/9 School Community Council Mtg 2-3

*Look at the Faculty Calendar on Google for other events.

Happy Birthday

2nd Meredith Durrant

Celebrations

I have to celebrate Ryan getting down on his hands and knees doing math with his kids.  They were finding numbers on a 10,000 chart and he was right down there with them.

Congrats to Melinda and Jessica for surviving the first week of Kindergarten.  We have to remember this is the first time for both teaching Kinder and they did fantastically!

Hunter Weight from Casey's class figured out Casey's 9 challenge.  Ask Casey what it is.  The first child in 13 years.

Thanks for the amazing Back To School Night.  We had more at our parent meeting than any other time since I've been here.  I've also been the recipient of some very positive remarks of how we do things at Grovecrest, especially from those who are newcomers.  Great things are happening here and we need to celebrate that.

Great Video of the Week

We watched a Kid President clip today in the upper grade assembly.  It was great.  Kid President has another Pep Talk to students and teachers that is pretty good as well.  Take a few minutes and enjoy.

 

Great Read of the Week

Same article from above.

Have a Great 1st day and an Amazing week!

MMM 8/24/2015

Hey folks,
The first week was awesome!  I really appreciate those who participated in the Blue Carpet event.  Parents were very impressed and enjoyed that morning event.  I have heard from some parents that said they felt bad they missed it.  I know it was a bit chaotic, but we will make plans to make it better for next year and we will advertise it better as well.
This is our first PLC Monday of the year and I hope all will set aside time to look at Edivate today.  Some teams have talked to me and said that it was in their plans.  I wanted to share one of the video clips I have watched.  It has to do with STEM.  Here is a link.  Let me know what you think.  It will also be in the video of the week section of this MMM.

To Be Aware Of

This Thursday will be our Back to School night from 5-7.  Please publicize this with your kids and parents.  We will be sending home a note, putting it on Facebook, Twitter, Remind, School Messenger, and the website.  However, your help in getting the word out by your means will be helpful.  Just so you know, this Back to School night will be a lot more interactive for parents in the big parent meeting.  There will still be the PTA budget part of it that All parents LOVE to attend, but there will be an exercise I will put parents through as well.  This is why we need more parents there than we usually have and this is why I need your help in getting the word out.

The Grovecrest Faculty Passion Project google classroom page is open and you all have been invited.  Here is a link to the page.

The Monday Assemblies Zack and I will be doing are going to be every 4th Monday, or the last school Monday of the month starting in September.  We will call them Edivate Assemblies since you will be working on Edivate during those times.

The first faculty Mtg that will be devoted to your passion projects will be in September.  This may change, but there will be 4 of our faculty meetings devoted to that.

Our PD day in October will be in an edcamp format.  Information about this will come to you throughout the coming weeks in preparation.

Zack and I will be scheduling Oliver Button readings soon.  Monthly Kyle reads will be scheduled each month as well.

I will let you know the evaluation schedule when I get it.

Cleaning Schedule

Sept.  Office

Oct. 6th Grade

Nov.  5th Grade

Dec.  3rd Grade

Jan.  2nd Grade

Feb. 1st Grade

Mar. 4th Grade

Apr. SPED and Computer Specialist

May  Kinder, Life Skills, & P.E. Specialist

Lunch Schedule

1st

11:31 Hull

11:32 Mac

11:33 McKell

11:34 Higgins

2nd

11:25 Herman

11:26 Fisher

11:27 West

11:28 Connell

3rd

11:56 Wilson

11:58 Whipple

12:00 Nichols

12:02 Schafer

4th

11:55 Fiorucci

11:57 Durrant

11:59 CJohnson

12:01 Austin

5th

12:20 MJohnson

12:22 Oswald

12:24 Day

12:26 Green

6th

12:21 Allen

12:23 Krall

12:25 Rooke

12:27 McCleskey

Save The Date

8/25 Council PTA Mtg - Kyle 9:30

8/27 Hearing Screening

8/27 Back to School Night 5-7

8/31 NetSmart Assembly

9/1 Reading Committee Mtg 8:15

9/1 Alio/Skyward Training 1-4

9/2 Power IEP Training 9-10 Kyle

9/3 Parent Ballroom Mtg 4pm

9/4 4th grade Planet Aquarium In School Field Trip

*Look at the Faculty Calendar on Google for other events.

Happy Birthday

Last week:

17th Connie Beck

17th Marcy McLendon

19th Wendi Austin

This Week:

24th Rashel Fiorucci

24th Andrea Hemenway

25th Sheila Chipman

There were several Birthdays this summer. Happy Birthday to you as well.  Not in any particular order:

Susan Bertele

Ryan Green

Cody Larsen

Tambee McKell

Alyssa Nichols

Alyssa Richins

Christi Banks

Suzanne Boren

Nicke Brown

Marty Langworthy

Sandra Priddis

Mary Raddatz

Celebrations

I was able to make it to every class every day last week either through rules rotation or a quick visit.  That is my goal this year and I hope to make it.

Heather Connell was having her kids do idea maps for autobiographies on just the third day!  Can you believe that? 2nd graders doing idea maps and not even a week in.  Awesome!!

Tess McClesky put her students through the Mindset Questionnaire found on page 12 of the book.  She said it was a great discussion.  I know because my daughter who is in her class was talking about it at home.  Great thinking to do that with your students.

Great Video of the Week

Edivate video. 

Have a Great 1st day and an Amazing week!

First Week 2015 MMM 8/19/2015

Hey folks,
This first one is not going to be real fancy.  I let the cat out of the bag in our training this morning and said something about staying up late.  Well, guess what. I'm up late again, but I promised to get this to you so I'm going to.  The biggest reason for this is to get the lunch schedule out to everyone.
The training yesterday with iReady I hope was beneficial.  I know some of us don't have as ready access to devices to do the activities.  This is why it is very important to plan open computer lab times for your classes.  Get on the schedule so we don't double book those times.
I'm also excited to start sharing with each other the Mindset Challenge from before the iReady training.  Remember, I want all of us to try something new this year that would make our school better.  This could be something you try on your own, with a partner, or as a team.  It doesn't have to be a save the world type project.  Just something new you want to try that you are passionate about.  I've provided a place for all of us to reflect together in a new google classroom.  I invited all of you to join it.  I chose google classroom to learn more about it and to show all of you another option for your own classroom.  I really do want us all to share and reflect with each other, but if public reflection is not something you want to do, I would encourage you to reflect in some way for yourself.  I like to write because it makes my reflections more permanent.  I also like to publicize my reflections for two big reasons: I want to be an example to our students in publishing work to a broader audience and I get suggestions/comments from others that help me grow.  You decide what you want to do, but please try something new and please reflect.

To Be Aware Of

As mentioned above, the Grovecrest Faculty Passion Project google classroom page is open and you all have been invited.  Here is a link to the page.

The Monday Assemblies Zack and I will be doing are going to be every 4th Monday, or the last school Monday of the month starting in September.  We will call them Edivate Assemblies since you will be working on Edivate during those times.

The first faculty Mtg that will be devoted to your passion projects will be in September.  This may change, but there will be 4 of our faculty meetings devoted to that.

Our PD day in October will be in an edcamp format.  Information in this will come to you throughout the coming weeks in preparation.

Zack and I will be scheduling Oliver Button readings next week.  Monthly Kyle reads will be scheduled each month as well.

I will let you know the evaluation schedule when I get it.

Cleaning Schedule

Sept.  Office

Oct. 6th Grade

Nov.  5th Grade

Dec.  3rd Grade

Jan.  2nd Grade

Feb. 1st Grade

Mar. 4th Grade

Apr. SPED and Computer Specialist

May  Kinder, Life Skills, & P.E. Specialist

Lunch Schedule

1st

11:31 Mac

11:32 McKell

11:33 Higgins

11:34 Hull

2nd

11:25 Connell

11:26 West

11:27 Fisher

11:28 Herman

3rd

11:56 Whipple

11:58 Nichols

12:00 Wilson

12:02 Schafer

4th

11:55 Durrant

11:57 CJohnson

11:59 Austin

12:01 Fiorucci

5th

12:20 Oswald

12:22 Day

12:24 Green

12:26 MJohnson

6th

12:21 Krall

12:23 Rooke

12:25 McCleskey

12:27 Allen

Save The Date

8/25 Council PTA Mtg - Kyle 9:30

8/27 Back to School Night 5-7

*Look at the Faculty Calendar on Google for other events.

Happy Birthday

Celebrations

Great first PD and contract days.  I feel we learned a ton and in the process, we were able to serve another school as well.  I'm excited to see how iReady works for everyone.

Your rooms all look amazing. Great places for our students to learn.  Did you see Melinda's hallway display?  Pretty awesome!

Great Video of the Week

None this week.

Have a Great 1st day and an Amazing week!