New Year's thoughts

Educators have an interesting yearly cycle.  We start with a new group of students in September but also have a chance to restart once the new calendar year begins.  I'm not one for resolutions as they seem to start strong and fade quickly or are forgotten almost as soon as the calendar year begins.  But the start of a new calendar year is also a chance to start something new with our kids, something we haven't tried before or a twist on something that we've always done.  When you arrive at school on Monday, we have a chance to renew relationships with one another, refresh relationships that might not be going as we'd like, and recharge relationships with our kids.  Day one of the 2016-2017 school year began with all staff greeting the students outside.  With the uncertainty of the weather, I'd like to make sure that all staff greet the students to start the day somewhere different than their "normal" spots.  If you normally meet students outside your rooms, why not meet them at the door, or in the commons, or outside, or at the buses.  Shake it up a little bit so that they know that you missed them as much as they missed you.

Calendar

Monday, January 2nd

• Welcome back!  Let's meet the kids as they come back!

Tuesday, January 3rd

• Basketball practice 7:00-8:15
• Homework Club 4:15-5:15

Wednesday, January 4th

• Basketball practice 7:00-8:15

Thursday, January 5th

• Basketball practice 7:00-8:15
• Grade level and specials meetings
• Homework Club 4:15-5:15

Friday, January 6th

• Basketball practice 7:00-8:15

Saturday, January 7th

• Choirs singing National Anthem at the Milwaukee Wave game!

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

Play Your Drum in 2017 (from Dave Burgess- Play the heck out of your drum!)

M.A.D. (from Matthew Meyer, a #principalsinaction colleague)

My 2016 year in review (from me- What would be your monthly highlights?)

Collateral Beauty (from Kelley Begley McCall, a #principalsinaction colleague)

Love what you do (from Eric Ewald, a #principalsinaction colleague)
There weren't too many tweets from @mertonint or on the #mertonint hashtag, so I thought I would put a link to the #kidsdeserveit hashtag from Wednesday night's chat.

One word challenge

If you remember last year, I challenged you all to come up with one word for the year.  It wasn't a resolution or a goal, but a word that would guide you for the year.  Mine was focus, and admittedly sometimes I was in focus and sometimes I was out of focus.  Regardless, I always had that word to go back to when I was unsure of the path I was taking or the path we were taking.  Ted Huff, one of my middle level colleagues, put out the challenge again this year to our Leading in the Middle and PTCamp Voxer groups so I decided I would take the challenge.  My word for this year is priorities.  I'm sure there will be a blog post about that before the end of the semester.  If you had to pick a word, what would it be and why?  Here is a graphic that will be on my wall on Monday.

I was happy for our Winter Break and my time with family, but I am ready to get back to school.  I hope that you are, too.  See you on Monday.

Be the one!

Jay

Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

2016 year in review

As is always the case, Lindsy Stumpenhorst of our #principalsinaction Voxer group has challenged the group again.  This time it's not a photo going down a slide or a tricycle ride in the hallway or a dance party welcoming the students to school.  It's a reflection on our year that includes questions like "What would you change?" and "What did you learn?" and "What was crazy amazing?"  The are all great questions, each worthy of their own blog, so I'm going to focus on the crazy amazing.

• January allowed me to coach basketball again.  The relationships that I was able to foster with some of our 8th grade boys helped me to get to know them better and helped them to get to know me differently.  The honor of having them call me coach is something I will always cherish.  We also had a visit from Mr. Mark Flynn, our former superintendent, as he discussed the work he is doing with students in the South Sudan.  The students organized a penny war and it was great seeing the reach our students and families have by supporting the work that Mr. Flynn and his wife are doing with these students and their families.  Here's a picture of our Student Senate and their advisers showing their support.
  
• February saw Dave Burgess joining our district for a professional development day.  Do I need to say anything else?
• March provided me with the opportunity to be a student for the day.  It was great traveling around with two different students to see what a day can be like in the eyes of a student.  Other than lunch and recess duty, I was a student all day.  Here is a link to my blog post for my shadow day.
• April brought Google Expedition to our school.  It was a great experience for our staff and students, so much so that our district is buying a set for our school to be used by most students to extend our Social Studies and Science curriculums.  The learning that was seen in just one day will certainly be extended even further when we have this opportunity for all of our students every day.
  
• May found some students stepping of for others.  Avery and Lucy, two of our 7th graders, decided that it would be a great idea to make blankets for kids at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  What started out as something small just continued to grow.  Project Linus grew and grew and involved way more than just Avery and Lucy.  By the end of may, well over 100 blankets were created and delivered to Children's Hospital.
  
• June ended the school year, but the biggest deal for me was my daughter getting her license.  In fact, she got her license on my birthday.  We also got to travel as a family to Niagara Falls.  It was a tremendous experience, shared by just the three of us.  One thing I hope I learned about this time together is to not take it for granted.  I look forward to finding many more vacations with just our family as our daughter continues to become more independent.  For those of you who have young families, don't let your time at school get in the way of your time with your family.
  
• July saw our Community garden really taking shape.  I was lucky to have students help with the weeding and upkeep throughout the summer.  The harvested food was given to the Hartland Food Pantry with our final donation given in October.
  
• JEDI (Journeys in Educational Design and Instruction) training got many of our staff off and running in August.  Mary Iwanski put together a 3 day training for staff to better understand technology as well as to find ways to infuse technology into our lessons and classrooms.  Learning together with teachers from many grade levels and subject areas was enlightening and provided opportunities to build relationships.
  
• September was the start of the 2016-2017 school year.  Some of our 8th grade National Junior Honor Society helped our 5th graders feel welcome by becoming their mentors.  This relationship has continued throughout the school year and has really made the transition from the Primary School to the Intermediate School a smooth one for our 5th graders.  The student leadership of our National Junior Honor Society has been a highlight of the school year so far.  And there was also the honor flight trip with my dad to Washington, DC, too.
  
• Our new playground was installed in October thanks to the generosity of our PTO and district.  The students are really enjoying it.  I also got to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.  I was able to spend the weekend with my family and family friends, touring the city, the White House, the Pentagon, and the Capital.  I ran the marathon with Sarah Johnson, an awesome principal from Spooner, WI.  (Apparently I like to be on the left side of pictures when I'm in Washington, DC.)
  
• November was our second annual Veterans Day celebration, all organized by our National Junior Honor Society.  One of our students, Joey, put together this incredible video to document the day.  The incredible respect our students showed our veterans and their guests is something I will always remember.

• December turned into DeSTEMber for our students and staff on the 11th.  There were awesome speakers and activities for the entire day.  Mary Iwanski, our technology and STEM integrator, organized the entire day and it became something that I think will happen every year.  We also had one more example of the giving nature of our students, staff, and family- our Giving Tree.  Presents were provided for needy families in our community thanks to the efforts of Darlene Hafermann.  The Giving Tree is one more thing that makes me proud to be the principal of our school.
  

These are just the highlights, my highlights, of 2016.  I have much to be thankful for- family, friends, colleagues, students, our students' families- and much to look forward to in 2017.  As I think about these highlights, I realize that I'm leaving out many of the great things that happen every day in our school- reading, writing, math, Science, Social Studies, music, art, Spanish, PE, and most of all, relationships.  On Fridays when I send out our staff nuts and bolts, I always start with "Good morning, Merton family!", and I mean it.  My Merton family is important to me, but not as important as my own family.  As I look forward to 2017, I realize that I need to do more with and for my family.  That's my resolution and one that I know my wife and daughter will hold me to.

Relax, renew, and recharge

It's an overused quote from Aaron Rodgers, but it is fitting at this time of year.  R-E-L-A-X.

You deserve it and, more importantly, you need it.  Please take time away from all things school related for as many days as possible.  Relax on the couch or in your favorite chair or on a walk or wherever you best relax.  Renew your goals for the school year or alter them, if necessary.  Recharge with a friend or family member or colleague.  I've found a new interest in Board and Brush with Jen and Lauren so maybe we'll find a day to go back there.  Or maybe I'll get outside for a run when it's light out and the temperature and wind cooperate.  Or maybe I'll find a book or two to read.  Whatever it is that you do over break, come back with that beginning of the year mentality and see how long you can ride the wave.  It will make things better for you and for our kids.
*Speaking of books, I think that I lent out two books recently- "#KidsDeserveIt" and "Thanks for the Feedback."  If you have either of these, just let me know.  If you're finished, I'd love them back.  If you're not finished, keep on reading.

Great things I saw this week...

• Kids working together on videos for health class, and taking responsibility for their part of the project.
• Kids reading whenever they had the opportunity.
• Staff checking in on students that they know might have a difficult time this week due to the uncertainty of their break.
• Students sharing their learning with one another.
• Staff showing love to Jim and sending him off in the best way to see his family.
• Article in the Lake Country Reporter on DeSTEMber.
• Staff stepping in to help students they don't even work with regularly.
• Great brunch provided by the PTO.  Wow!
• Maintaining expectations for learning every day this week.
• So many staff using the #mertonint hashtag to share all that is Merton!
• SST meeting before school to discuss what can be done here at school to make things better for a student.
• Lots of school spirit for the Student Senate Spirit Week.

Calendar
Monday, January 2nd

• Welcome back!

Tuesday, January 3rd

• I start coaching 8th grade basketball
• Practices are 7:00-8:15 almost every morning
• Homework Club 4:15-5:15

Thursday, January 5th

• Grade level and Specials meetings all day
• MAPs schedule discussion
• Homework Club 4:15-5:15

Friday, January 6th

• Good calls home
• One call per teacher
• Send down when it's convenient for you (Barb will find me!)

Saturday, January 7th

• Choirs sing at the Milwaukee Wave game

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying...that he is wiser today then he was yesterday."- Alexander Pope, poet
10 Simple Rules for Learning (from AJ Juliani)
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."- Albert Pike, writer and lawyer
"I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed, and had done the very best you could."- Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady, diplomat, and activist
"Mistakes are a part of being human.  Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way."- Al Franken, politician, writer, and entertainer
With just one simple tool (from Pernille Ripp)
@mertonint on Twitter
#mertonint on Twitter
Merton Intermediate School Facebook page
Board presentation from 12.19.16
Family smore from 12.22.16

Don't forget about our assembly at 3:45 in the gym today.  The Jazz Band will be playing and we'll be singing some holiday songs, too!  Which of you will be like Buddy the Elf?

It's a Wonderful Life
Although "Elf" is my all time favorite Christmas movie, followed closely by "Christmas Vacation" and "A Christmas Story" (Notice a theme there?), I am also a big fan of "It's a Wonderful Life".  The main character, George Bailey, reminds me so much of each one of you.  The impact George has on the little town of Bedford Falls is immeasurable.  He saves his brother who saves a transport of soldiers during the war.  He saves the town during the Great Depression, canceling his honeymoon in the process.  He saves Mary from a life with Sam Wainwright.  He saves the people of the town with an alternative to Pottersville.  And he does all of this without asking for anything in return.  You all remind me of George because of your selfless nature with our kids and each other.  This quote from Clarence the angel sums it all up for me- "Strange, isn't it?  Each man's life touches so many other lives.  When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
I hope that you realize the impact that you have on our kids.  As Zuzu Bailey says at the end of the movie, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."  Know that when the bell rings to end the day today, you will all have earned your wings.

Be the one!
Jay Posick
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

It's a Wonderful Life or Teachers are angels

Although "Elf" is my all time favorite Christmas movie, followed closely by "Christmas Vacation" and "A Christmas Story" (Notice a theme there?), I am also a big fan of "It's a Wonderful Life".  The main character, George Bailey, reminds me so much of each one of you.  The impact George has on the little town of Bedford Falls is immeasurable.  He saves his brother who saves a transport of soldiers during the war.  He saves the town during the Great Depression, canceling his honeymoon in the process.  He saves Mary from a life with Sam Wainwright.  He saves the people of the town with an alternative to Pottersville.  And he does all of this without asking for anything in return.  You all remind me of George because of your selfless nature with our kids and each other.  This quote from Clarence the angel sums it all up for me- "Strange, isn't it?  Each man's life touches so many other lives.  When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
I hope that you realize the impact that you have on our kids.  As Zuzu Bailey says at the end of the movie, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."  Know that when the bell rings to end each day, you will all have earned your wings.
Thanks to all teachers who are angels for our kids, and especially those who are angels for my daughter.
Happy Holidays!

Keep focused!

Today is the final Friday of the calendar year.  Next week is our last four days of the calendar year.  That being said, it's important to keep the expectations up for ourselves and our students.  It's important that the students recognize that you take each learning experience with them as a gift, a special moment that comes only once, a chance that you might provide an "Ah ha" and not an "Oh, no".  Find a chance to sit down with a student you haven't gotten to know as well as you'd like so far this year and make a connection.  It may be the one bright spot of their year to this point that they will always look back on.  We started the year with three words of challenge- BE THE ONE!  Look back on your year to this point.  Who considers you to be their one?  Who is your one?

Great things I saw this week...

• Students and staff learning together on Wednesday.
• Staff stepping up for one another and our kids.
• Kids reading and writing in all areas of the school.
• Former Merton students stopping in to help out with Homework Club.
• The Giving Tree

Calendar
Monday, December 19th

• Wear Red and Green
• School board meeting at 7PM

Tuesday, December 20th

• Ugly Sweater and Jeans Day
• PTO brunch in the lounge

Wednesday, December 21st

• Workout Wednesday
• Holiday Hats for the students, too

Thursday, December 22nd

• No grade level or specials meetings
• Raffle gifts
• Pajama Day for the students (Polar Express- Join in if you'd like!)
• Last 15 minutes of the day we'll be in the gym.  Jazz band will play and we'll sing some holiday songs.
• (Adjusted schedule for 7th/8th grade will be provided next week. Each hour (6th-9th) will be 4 minutes shorter.  Thanks to Jonathon and Michael for agreeing to do this.)
• Staff get together after school (location to be determined)

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
Look for the One (from Pernille Ripp)
"So many dreams at first seem impossible.  And then they seem improbable.  And then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."- Christopher Reeve, actor and director
The Forest for the Trees #kidsdeserveit (from Todd Neslony)
"Strong, deeply rooted desire is the starting point of all achievement."- Napoleon Hill, writer
"Every child is an artist until he's told he's not an artist."- John Lennon, singer and songwriter
The Basement or the Balcony (from @benjamingilpin)- I hope that you know I am always in the balcony for you!
"A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind."- Robert Oxton Bolt, screenwriter and playwright
@mertonint on Twitter
#mertonint on Twitter
Merton Intermediate School Facebook page
Family smore for 12.16.16

In discussing Wednesday's DeSTEMber speakers and activities with most of you the last couple of days, two things came out loud and clear.  The first was that Mary did a fabulous job planning, organizing, and implementing a great day.  It was amazing.  The second was that people who aren't educators don't realize the magic that you do each and every day.  I witnessed speakers going to lunch a session early (I helped her get reset for her final session) and heard speakers saying they couldn't imagine being with our kids all day, every day.  I heard speakers say they were scared of our kids (I'm sure that it was fear of the unknown) and honestly telling me that you are all saints.  It's nothing that I didn't already know.  You amaze me.  You amaze each other.  We have five more days, including today, to keep making magic.  I know that you can do it!

BE THE ONE!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

It's what we do

I had a day on Thursday.  We've all had one of those days.  We have a schedule with events we know we must take care of with space for maybe a couple of unexpected issues.  And then it happens.  The "script" you thought you had for the day takes a drastic change.  Sometimes the change is for the best and sometimes it's not and sometimes it's a little bit of both.  I won't go through the list, but know that I wanted to be in classes more than I was but I just couldn't.  Thursday is over and today is another day, and it's also a Friday.

So here's my challenge for you all.  Please realize that the kids know it's almost Winter Break.  Some of them can't wait because of some phenomenal things that will happen with and for them.  Some of them don't want anything to do with the break because there is so much that is unknown.  Please keep that in mind.  As many of you say, the 7 plus hours the kids are with us every day might be their best 7 plus hours of the day.  What can you do to make this time their very best?  I know that it gets difficult to keep up the energy in these days before break, but I also know that you are all here for the kids and don't want to disappoint them.  Keep sharing your ideas with one another to spread the wealth of ideas that you have.  If the kids are engaged and enjoying their learning, there will be fewer issues in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, recess, and the bus.  And as always, let me know if I can stop in to help you with anything.  My favorite days are the days when I spend the majority of time in classrooms, so don't hesitate to invite me in!

Great things I saw this week

• Teamwork by students and staff to prepare for our concerts.
• The work ethic of our kids is outstanding.  I saw this first hand while covering for Colleen on Monday afternoon.
• Students responding to blogs from other students, both ours and students from other schools.
• The Giving Tree tags are disappearing and wrapped presents are showing up in their place.
• Soloists in band and choir fearless while performing beautifully.
• Smiles on our students and their families throughout the holiday concerts.
• Supportive staff attending the holiday concerts.
• Kids coding and teaching each other (and staff).  I had a blast with the 7th graders on Tuesday!
• Discussions in Science about geomagnetism and the relationship of the sun and moon.
• The true concern that staff show for our students who are dealing with things we can hardly even imagine.
• Students helping one another during Inventor 2 as I was literally no help.
• Students stepping up to clean up in the cafeteria even though they didn't create the mess.
• Presents continue to come in for the Giving Tree.
• The wonderful support you are showing to Jim as he continues to battle cancer.

Calendar

Monday, December 12

• 4th day of Christmas
• Bagels in the lounge!

Tuesday, December 13

• 5th day of Christmas
• Thermal Tuesday (Wear flannel or thermal shirts and jeans)

Wednesday, December 14

• DeSTEMber all day (See emails from Mary about this.)
• 6th day of Christmas
• Donuts in the lounge!

Thursday, December 15

• Team meetings (last ones of the calendar year)
• 7th day of Christmas
• It's a surprise!

Friday, December 16

• 8th day of Christmas
• Lunch on Jay and Jen (but you know Jen does all of the work)

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
How to Cultivate a Growth Mindset with Your Children (from parent.co)
"The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination; it is essentially a part of it."- Charles de Lint, writer
Grow like a lobster (I found this during #mybad16, a Twitter chat on Monday night.  Please take 1:31 to watch.  It's worth it.)

"Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save."- Will Rogers, humorist and entertainer
The ABCs of Middle Level Education (from AMLE)

Storify from #satchat on Saturday morning where we discussed homework.
7 Keys to Positive Classroom Culture in the Middle School Classroom (from TpT, a good reminder)
3-D printed prosthetics model future (from ThisWeek Community News)
"You can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."- Dale Carnegie, writer and motivational speaker
@mertonint on Twitter
#mertonint on Twitter
Merton Intermediate School Facebook page
Family smore for 12.9.16

I said this in my opening paragraphs, but I need to say it again.  This time of the year is difficult for some students.  And the same is true for some staff.  Please be mindful of that.  John Gunnell's quote is even more important now.  "Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself."
Be the one!
Jay

Growth mindset reflections, and nuts and bolts

Growth mindsets.  I'm sure that you've all heard the term.  The question is, how can we make sure that we help build growth mindsets for our students, ourselves, and the families we interact with?  It's something that I've been contemplating ever since I started reading "Mindset" by Carol Dweck, a book discussion through our Mustang University facilitated by Corinne.  We've had one face to face meeting and the rest of our learning has been reading and reflecting, something we should all find the time to do more often.  When we reflect, we have the opportunity to grow, celebrate the things we've done well and adjust the things that might not have gone so well.  A growth mindset helps us find ways of getting better by our effort and not our innate abilities.  I have tried my best to keep that in mind when I speak with our students and especially when I speak with Lauren.  Lauren has always had a mindset that she isn't good in math.  I've been working on speaking with her about her effort and preparation, not her ability or intelligence.  Here's our texting conversation from Monday.
Lauren- "guess what"
Me- "What?" (Did you notice that I used capital letters and proper punctuation?)
Lauren- "i got an 86% on my math test"
Me- "Woo-hoo! You worked hard for that."
Lauren- "i know so happy !!"
Lauren- "hopefully my grade goes up"
Me- "Keep working hard and it will."
As I have said to our students many times, it's not what you say but how you say it.  Think about how you praise our students or your own children and keep this growth mindset in mind.

Great things I noticed this week...

• Great 7th grade field trip to see "The Christmas Carol".  The behavior of our kids was, and is, awesome!
• Staff collaborating on projects for Innovator's Mindset book talk.  I hope to be able to share some of these, with permission, before winter break.
• Encore choir and Jazz band performances on Thursday night's tree lighting ceremony.
• Thank you video created for our PTO by our kids.
• Kids really contemplating what tags to take off of the Giving Tree.
• Reading, reading, reading!
• Cool 6th grade Science/LA research about the impact of space on human body systems

(Please invite me in to your classrooms next week for any innovative, creative, or hands on activities I can share with everyone!)

Calendar
Monday, December 5th

• Primary School Holiday concerts (It would be awesome for you to consider donating baked goods to their annual Holiday concert sale.  Home made or store bought.  Thanks!)

Tuesday, December 6th

• Intermediate holiday concerts
• Bands at 5:30
• Choirs at 7:00

Wednesday, December 7th

• "12 days before Winter Break" begins (Look for announcements from me for special dress up and food days!)

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.- Alan Alda, actor, writer and director

@mertonint on Twitter
#mertonint on Twitter
Merton Intermediate School Facebook page
Family smore for 12.2.16

And from A.J. Juliani about what is important
“Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls.  The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity.  And you’re keeping all of them in the air.  But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball.  If you drop it, it will bounce back.  The other four balls - family, health, friends, integrity – are made of glass.  If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.  And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.”  [James Patterson]

I hope you can find some balance this weekend.
Be the one!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself (John Gunnell)