Fourth quarter- We can do this!

Not only is today the end of the 3rd quarter, it also takes us one more week closer to Spring Break.  When given the opportunity in unstructured situations at this time of the year, our kids will sometimes make a bad choice or two.  Honestly, I've been known to make a bad choice in unstructured situations at this time of the year, too.  Providing some parameters to these unstructured times will help keep the kids focused as we get closer to break.  Please let me know if I can be of any assistance with anything next week.

On an unrelated note, I'll be trying to get as many makeup tests done for the Forward Exam next week as I can, especially in the mornings.  I know that it's not ideal, but that's the time I'll have available in the STEM lab.  Every afternoon I'll be out and about in classrooms.  If you want me, or need me, to be in your classes, just let me know.

Great things I saw this week...

• Continued great effort by our students with the Forward Exam
• A return to content once the Forward Exams were over
• Volleyball tournament at lunch, and great effort by our school's volleyball teams
• 6th graders learning to play the guitar
• Comments from 5th grade students and families about our school (Ask the 5th grade team!)
• Students going out of their way to be good friends (Ask Patrick!)
• Genius hour in 6th grade has the students focused on something they want to learn about
• Laughter at grade level meetings
• Sphero Club is growing
• Great discussions about kids

Calendar
Monday, April 3rd

• 7:30-8:15  coaching
• 3:00-4:00  cover Patrick
• 5:20  volleyball games @ Erin

Tuesday, April 4th

• 7:15-8:30  volleyball practice
• 10:15-11:45  Dave observation
• 2:30-3:00  Heather
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club

Wednesday, April 5th

• 12:22-1:03  7th/8th grade meeting
• 1:30-3:00  A-team meeting

Thursday, April 6th

• 8:55-9:40  6th grade meeting
• 9:45-10:30  5th grade meeting
• 1:30-2:00  Specials meeting
• 2:00-3:00  NJHS induction (adjusted 7th/8th grade schedule/ no 5th hour)
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club

Friday, April 7th

• I am gone all day (visiting UW Oshkosh with Jen and Lauren)

Saturday, April 8th- Monday, April 17th

• Spring Break

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
The Vulnerability of Learning (from George Couros)

EdCampElm session notes (I attended along with our own Vickey Moore, one of the organizers.)

10 Commandments of Innovative Teaching (from George Couros)

@mertonint on Twitter

#mertonint on Twitter

Merton Intermediate School on Facebook

Merton Intermediate School on Instagram

Board presentation 3.27.17

Family smore for 3.31.17

I can remember someone saying once they had a bad day.  I don't think that can actually happen.  You can have bad things happen in days, but you can't really have a bad day.  The same is true for having a bad week.  It can't happen.  I challenge you to think back on any day and not find something positive.  You woke up, didn't you?  That's positive.  Sure, you may have stubbed your baby toe on the bed frame, but you woke up.  And I'm sure there was a time in your day where you smiled, or maybe even laughed.  Sometimes that laughter might be the turning point in your day.  So let's start our day with a laugh or two at breakfast this morning as we get ready to flip the calendar to April.

Be the one!

Jay

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

Testing week- Thank you!

A week of testing and family conferences has gone by and I need to say thank you.

• Thank you for your work on test preparation.
• Thank you for your dedication to our kids.
• Thank you for providing a testing environment that kept the focus on the kids' opportunity for success.
• Thank you for your flexibility with our testing schedule.
• Thank you for having fun with our kids when they needed down time.
• Thank you for sharing your thoughts with your colleagues and me to make adjustments as the week progressed.
• Thank you for connecting with our students and their families, face to face.  The power of face to face is so much greater than an email or Skyward message.
• Thank you for Being the One!

Me and my shadow...

You may have noticed that Lynsey Bakkum, first grade teacher at the Primary School, was shadowing me on Thursday afternoon.  We took part in lunch and recess duty, walked through lots of classrooms, asked students what they were learning, spoke to a couple of students about their behavior, watched students take the Forward Exam through classroom windows, and saw Spheros in action.  Lynsey was impressed with our school and spoke about how quiet it was.  Some of it was the testing environment upstairs, but I also told her that you all have put procedures and expectations in place that help students be more successful.  And I almost forgot.  Lynsey saw me conduct the 5th grade band.  It was just a regular day at Merton Intermediate School, one that I sometimes take for granted.  I apologize for that.  Our school isn't a great school by accident.  It's a great school because of all that you do with and for our students.  So this is another thank you.

Calendar

Saturday, March 25th

EdCampElm- held at Brookfield Central High School

Monday, March 27th

• 7:30-8:15  coaching
• 7PM  School board meeting (SIP team members are welcome to join me.)

Tuesday, March 28th

• 7:15-8:30  volleyball practice
• 12:22-1:03  Makey Makey showcase
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club

Wednesday, March 29th

• 7:15-8:30  volleyball practice
• 4:30  Reading specialist interviews

Thursday, March 30th

• Grade level and Specials meetings
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club
• 4:30  volleyball games at Merton
• 7:00  School board meeting

Friday, March 31st

• No office day!

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

(from Pinterest)

@mertonint on Twitter

#mertonint on Twitter

Merton Intermediate School Facebook page

Merton Intermediate School on Instagram

Family smore for 3.24.17

4300
There is a reason for this number.  Our students will be with us, after today, for 4300 minutes until Spring Break arrives for us all.  It is important for us to take advantage of each one of these minutes, provide a focus for our students and each other, and make every minute count.  If you provide learning opportunities that engage our students in learning, and learning something new, they will provide you with a fantastic effort like none you have ever seen.  Keep up your energy.  Walk the halls with a colleague during your prep period.  Walk the halls with the students.  Visit another teacher during your prep period.  Check on your students in specials or study hall.  Eat lunch with the students.  Eat lunch with a colleague you haven't spoken with in a while.  Let the students know that you are keeping an eye on them, and do it with a smile.  Call home with a student after class to let their family know they had a great day.  Take a picture of a student being kind or safe or doing their job and send it home in an email or post it on Twitter.  And do one more thing.  Reflect on the good you do every day for our students.  Write it on a post it note and put it on your computer monitor or desk.  If you start today, you'll have 11 positive reasons for why you are a teacher, and I bet each one will mention what you have done for a student, or group of students, that shows your impact on them.
As always, Be the One!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

Mirror or window?

Saturday morning I had the chance to read Pernille Ripp's post entitled "It's On Us".  Please take a moment to read it.  And then this blog, "I Cried at School Today" came across my Twitter feed, thanks to Mark French, a principal from Minnesota, tagging me in his tweet.  Please take a moment to read it.  It made me think of a few things but two in particular I'll share with you.  Lauren, Jen and I recently visited Marquette's School of Nursing for a tour.  We went into their learning lab and saw some of those fun one way mirrors, you know the ones that someone on one side can look through while those on the other side see only a mirror.  The other was the title of this post, and I found a blog post entitled "Are You a Window Person or a Mirror Person?" written by Bill Zipp which really hit home.  Please take a moment to read it.  The following image, which is a brief summary, is taken from Mr. Zipp's post.

Now I know what you're thinking.  "Jay, you want us to read three blog posts?"  Yes I do!  These three posts made me reflect on being a husband, being a father, and being an educator.  I'm sure they'll make you reflect, too.  So I have just one question, are you looking at a mirror or through a window?

Great things I saw this week...

• Volleyball practice has started, and the kids are really enjoying it!
• Kids having fun playing in the snow on Monday.
• Socratic seminar in Science (Visit Dave's class to see it in action)
• Kim stepping in for Matt while he is presenting and learning at the @shapeamerica conference in Boston (#shapeboston).  Thanks goodness Matt got to Boston safely on Monday.
• An outstanding choir and band concert on Tuesday night.
• Coding spheros in 5th grade Science. (Stop in and see!)
• The overall effort and focus with test preparation and your willingness to change our testing schedule to benefit the students.
• 5th and 6th graders skiing during PE class.

Calendar

Monday, March 20th

• 5th and 6th grade Forward Exam
• 7:30-8:15  Coaching
• 4:15-5:15  BLT meeting
• 7:00  Volleyball coaches' clinic

Tuesday, March 21st

• 5th and 6th grade Forward Exam
• 7:15-8:30  Volleyball practice
• 2:30-3:00  Heather
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club

Wednesday, March 22nd

• Final group pictures and candids for yearbook in the AM
• 7:15-8:30  Volleyball practice
• 9:30-11:30  A-team meeting
• 1:15-2:30  5th grade interviews

Thursday, March 23rd

• 7th and 8th grade Forward Exam
• No grade level meetings with me due to Forward Exam week
• Lynsey Bakkum shadows me in the PM (She's going for her administrative license.)
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club
• 4:30-6:30  Volleyball games at Swallow
• 4:30-8:15  7th and 8th grade arena conferences

Friday, March 24th

• 7th and 8th grade Forward Exam
• 7:15-8:30  Volleyball practice

Saturday, March 25th

• 8:00-3:30  EdCampElm (Brookfield Central)

Tweets, blogs, and quotes

(from Pinterest)

Stuck in a Rut or in a Groove? (from George Couros)

(from AJ Juliani. I know it's small, but it's powerful!)

@mertonint on Twitter

#mertonint on Twitter

Merton Intermediate School Facebook page

Merton Intermediate School on Instagram

Family smore for 3.17.17

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you were pulled in what seems like a hundred directions?  Me, neither. (Just kidding.)  This week was one of those weeks.  But I wasn't pulled in a hundred directions.  I was pulled in just one direction- trying to find what's best for each of our kids.  Think about your week here at school, and probably on your drive and at home, too.  You were going in a hundred directions, too.  And I bet your focus was on kids, ours here or yours at home, most of the time.  That's one of the things that impresses me about you- your focus on the kids.  Remember when we used to say "What we do is for kids"?  Well you all still live those six words.  Have a great weekend watching basketball, or dance, or hockey, or gymnastics, or whatever, and come back focused on our kids again.  Next week will be a great week because of what you do for and with our kids.

Be the one!

Jay

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

Don't lose sight of today

This may shock you.  I was in a Twitter chat on Sunday night.  The topic was how you focus on this school year while looking forward to the next school year.  Reflection came up a lot.  People blog.  People use post it notes.  People use a journal.  People use apps.  People run and think.  My response had to do with concentrating on this school year when the students are in the building and thinking about next school year when the students aren't in the building.  As I reflected on the chat, my thoughts went to this theme- "Don't lost sight of today."  I have concentrated on this all week, realizing I need to give my full effort to today and making it the best day it can be.  It can be a challenge, but it's the only way to get the most out of every day.  Let's challenge one another to be focused on who we are with, be involved in the conversations we are in, and giving a full effort to our kids the rest of this year.  They deserve it.

Great things I saw this week...

• Collaboration among students in all grade levels and content areas.  Seriously, every class I was in I saw great examples of this.
• Great effort in PE classes.
• Students being challenged by activities and not giving up.
• Staff and parents coming together for the benefit of students.  I was physically involved in two of these conversations but I know they happen all the time.
• This note from a parent I received on Tuesday.  "This past Saturday, our 6^th grade Merton white team won the AMSAC tournament!  It was very exciting and fun to experience.  However, I want to tell you all about something that was equally awesome.  We have a great team of kids and three exceptional players that also play ABC basketball.  They are Thomas, Riley, and Aidan.  On Jan. 24^th, we played Richmond and it was obvious we were the stronger team  Our two coaches, Coach Erickson and Coach Curry, were both gone due to business travels.  Mr. Zirgibel and Mr. Mickol helped coach. However, our ABC players took charge and worked VERY HARD to make sure our less talented NBA superstars could shine that night!  They took over the clipboard, drew out and methodically explained plays so some of the other kids who aren’t as strong could have their moment.  For 6^th grade (11-12 years old) that was SO IMPRESSIVE to me that I wanted to share it with all of you.  Those three young men didn’t hog the ball, they didn’t run up the score…they became the young leaders they are and rose to the occasion!!!  Congrats Thomas, Riley and Aidan! Simply impressive!!!  I KNOW there are MANY stories about the bad things that occur during sporting events…I wanted to share something GOOD!"
• The kids and parents who helped out for our 8th grade basketball tournament.  Dan, Ron, and Jim were pretty awesome, too.
• The sportsmanship of our players, fans, and coaches in the tournament was pretty awesome, too!
• Mary working with our 5th graders on PLTW and spheros.  The kids are really excited about the opportunities.

Calendar

Monday, March 13th

• 7:30-8:15  coaching
• 2:30-3:30  PTO grants

Tuesday, March 14th

• 7:15-8:30  volleyball practice
• 8:15-8:30  Coopetition celebration
• 9:45  IEP meeting
• 11:00  IEP meeting
• 2:30-3:00  Heather
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club
• 5:30  Mid-Winter Concert

Wednesday, March 15th

• 8:55  SST
• 3:00  IEP meeting
• Culver's Night

Thursday, March 16th

• 7:15-8:30  volleyball practice
• Grade level/specials meetings
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club

Friday, March 17th

• 7th/8th grade Band/Choir trip
• 8:45-9:15  Trinity Irish Dancers

(from Pinterest)

(from Pinterest)

(from Pinterest)

(from Pinterest)

@mertonint on Twitter

#mertonint on Twitter

@mertonint on Intstagram

Merton Intermediate School on Facebook

Family smore for 3.10.17

Have a great rest of your Friday, and I'll see you on Monday.
Be the one!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself- John Gunnell

Choice or chance

As I get older, every day, I think about things a little differently.  A friend of mine recently found out that her job will be changing, and it caught her a bit off guard.  We have spoken a few times on Voxer and our focus has been on what to do next.  The quote below struck me as I thought about her.  I know her, but I don't know her near as well as I know each of you.  Think about those things that you are faced with every day and the choices you make regarding these things.  Do you blame others or focus on what you can do?  Do you celebrate others' successes as much as you celebrate your own?  Think about all that you come across every day and ask yourself this...Do I decide to live by choice or by chance?  If you're like me, I bet you'd rather live by choice.

(from Pinterest)

Calendar
Friday, March 3rd

• 5:00  Student Senate Carnival

Saturday, March 4th

• 5:30  PTO Trivia Night

Monday, March 6th

• 7:30-8:15  coaching
• 1:30-2:30  facilities
• 4:30-8:30  8th grade basketball tournament

Tuesday, March 7th

• 8:00-8:30  SST
• 3:00-3:30  Heather
• 4:15-5:15  Homework Club
• 4:30-8:30  8th grade basketball tournament

Wednesday, March 8th

• No RtI Wednesday assembly due to Triinity Irish dancers on Friday, March 17th at 8:50
• 7:00-8:00  practice
• 8:00-8:30  SIP team (All are welcome, but SIP team members should attend)
• 8:55-9:40  6th grade meeting
• 9:45-10:30  5th grade meeting
• 12:22-1:03  7th/8th grade meeting
• 1:30-3:00  A-team meeting
• 4:15-4:45  Dave

Thursday, March 9th

• 7:30-9:30  Principal Center (Discussing personalized PD)
• Data Conference in Green Bay the rest of the day

Friday, March 10th

• Data Conference in Green Bay all day
• 4:30-8:30  8th grade basketball tournament

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

"The more innovative I have become, the less classroom management I have to deal with." (from George Couros)

(from Pinterest)

The Fear of Sharing (from George Couros)

(from Pinterest)

Fresh Starts for Hard-to-Like Students (from edutopia)

(from Pinterest)

What Students Remember Most About Teachers (from edutopia)

(from Pinterest)

(from Pinterest)

@mertonint on Twitter

#mertonint on Twitter
mertonint on Instagram

Merton Intermediate School Facebook page

Family smore for 3.3.17

Do you know we can learn anywhere?  So can our kids!
Wednesday night, I was supposed to co-moderate a chat with Ted Huff, principal at Francis Howell Middle School in Missouri.  That was the chat I invited you all to participate in.  No one from Merton joined us, but the chat went on anyway.  Hopefully you can join us next time.  Any way, I wasn't at home on Wednesday night.  Jen and I were at a car dealership looking at a new vehicle and while we were waiting, I grabbed my Chromebook, connected to their wifi, and went to participating in the chat.  Why do I mention this?  We live in a world now where you can learn anywhere, anytime, and with anyone.  We shouldn't make excuses.  We should make the time.  This doesn't go just for us.  It goes for our students, too.  Let's remind one another, and our students, of the awesome opportunities we have to learn every day.
Be the one!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell