Staff appreciation week- It was amazing!

I don't know about you, but I was blown away by the show of support from our PTO and families this week.  Every day was just one more reminder about how our families feel about us as educators.  You should also know this.  Although there is one week designated as Staff or Teacher Appreciation Week, we are fortunate to live in a community where we are appreciated nearly every day.  Think about the emails you get, or the phone calls you receive, or the conversations you have.  The support of our families is evident in each of them.  You might have to look or listen closely, but it's there.  Keep the focus on our kids over this last month.  They are the reason we are here.  You are the reason they are here.  If I don't say it enough, I apologize, but it is a pleasure to work with and for you each and every day.  Happy Staff Appreciation Week!

Calendar
Monday, May 15th

• 7:30  IEP meeting
• 4:15  Final BLT meeting

Tuesday, May 16th

• 4:15  Homework Club

Wednesday, May 17th

• 8:00  All staff meeting
• 1:30  A-team meeting
• 4:00  Final Sphero Club meeting
• 4:00-8:00  Culver's Night

Thursday, May 18th

• Grade level/specials meetings
• 4:15  Homework Club
• 5:30  Spring Concerts

Friday, May 19th

• 1:00  4th grade transition
• 3:00  5th grade HG&D

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
Fly me to the Moon (from Jeff Zoul)

The Full Story (from Pernille Ripp)

In the Small Details (from Pernille Ripp)

Get Excited to Teach (from We Are Teachers)

8 Ideas to Make the End of the Year Race Better (from Pernille Ripp)

@mertonint on Twitter
#mertonint on Twitter
Merton Intermediate School on Facebook
Merton Intermediate School on Instagram
Family smore for 5.12.17

If you don't read anything else, please read this
While on Twitter or Facebook last night, watching NHL hockey, I came across this letter that I just had to share.  Please read it, carefully, and keep it in mind when we have discussions with each other and with families about students in our classrooms and schools.  It is a powerful message.
Letter to a parent

One final thought
I've been reading a lot of blogs over the past week and in one of them, or maybe in a combination of them, I remember reading something like this-

We don't have bad days.  We don't have bad mornings, or afternoons, or evenings.  We have bad moments.  And what we do after a bad moment determines how it will impact the rest of our day.

I don't know why this is important to me this week.  Maybe it will be important to me next week, or later today, or next year.  But it was important for me to share with you all today.  Maybe it's important to you today.  This video, shared by my mentee in Idaho with her staff, brings some of these thoughts to light.

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

P.S.- Don't forget to be at the flagpole by 8:35 this morning and I hope to see you at the get together after school.