Friday, March 22, 2019

Spring B-R-E-A-K

Spring Break is upon us.  I want you to concentrate on the B-R-E-A-K part.
Be with family and friends.
Relax and refresh your mind.
Enjoy your time away from school and school work.
Alone time should be scheduled.
Know that all of your school stuff will still be here when you return.
But first, let's focus on today, and make it the best Friday of the week!

Great things I saw this week...
A student really helping another student with a project (provided suggestions, and more suggestions, and never gave up).
A Zoom session with an author, in Math class.
The Student Showcases from our 5th graders and 6th graders.  They were so good that Mike and I didn't do a Principals' Report.  Thanks, Heidi, Becky C., Sarah, and Becky P.!
60 8th graders taking the Spanish placement test altogether in the Little Theater.  Boy was it quiet!
The 8th grade Underground Railroad simulation kids did a great job, at least in the library where I was.
Watching the 8th graders struggle with Vex robotics and then watching, some of them, figure it out with some guidance from Dave.
Annotating poetry and writing essays in Language Arts, on the Wednesday before Spring Break.

Calendar
Intermediate School Special Events
Forward Exam Schedule

Saturday, March 23rd- Sunday, March 31st
Spring Break

Monday, April 1st
Start of  4th quarter

Wednesday, April 3rd
Final Yearbook group pictures

 Thursday, April 4th
Grades due at 8:00AM

 Tweets, quotes, and blogs
We speak of educating our children. Do we know that our children also educate us?
Lydia Sigourney,
poet 
3 Important Questions to Help Measure the School Experience of Students (from George Couros)



It doesn't matter what your background is and where you come from. If you have dreams and goals, that's all that matters.
Serena Williams,
tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles among active players 


Every Day (from Pernille Ripp)

(seen at volleyball practice)

Lack of effort bends me out of shape.
Bernadette Locke-Mattox,
first woman to serve as assistant coach for a men's NCAA Division I basketball team


8 Ways A Child's Anxiety Shows Up as Something Else (from GoZen, and I think it applies to us, too!)


Somewhere in the Middle (from George Couros)

(From Jon Spencer, and it doesn't just pertain to new teachers!)

On Forgiveness... (from Pernille Ripp)

I place a high moral value on the way people behave. I find it repellent to ... behave with anything other than courtesy in the old sense of the word -- politeness of the heart, a gentleness of the spirit.
Fran Lebowitz,
author 


 How You Might Be the Best Part of "That" Student's Day (from Bored Teachers)

If there's anything you've wanted to do for yourself, just get out and go for it.
Arlene Pieper,
first woman to finish a US marathon (Pikes Peak Marathon, 1959) 


Do you know, or remember what's behind these closed doors?
It's our outdoor classroom, complete with a whiteboard.  There are benches that go along with this, too.  With the weather changing for the better, at least I hope, it's a great place to take a class for a new experience.  There is no sign out, so please communicate with everyone if you are going to use it.

I hope that you have a great Friday.  Take a moment to make a difference to one of our students today, especially the ones that might be testing the limits a bit today.  Reread the first paragraph after school is over today, and have a relaxing Spring Break.
Be the spark!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell
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Friday, March 15, 2019

Conversations

Have you ever read something and it just stops you in your tracks?  Well, this post from Jon Harper did just that to me last Friday morning.  Please take a moment to read his post.


Anyone else get a gut punch while reading this?  I sure did.  So  here's the challenge.  Call, don't text, a family member or friend or, better yet, go to their home, and just have a conversation.  Put your phone down on the counter, face down, sit in a comfy chair, and just have a conversation.  And then make it a habit.  Sometimes we don't take the time to sit down and talk with someone.  I encourage you to have a conversation Saturday, and Sunday, and then begin to make it a habit.

Great things I saw this week...
Pull toy collaboration in Science.
Hockey skills in PE.
Treble fest pictures from Michael.
The excitement of one of our 6th graders finishing a book, telling her teacher, and running to the library to check out a new book.
Math teachers working together with Martica to discuss enVisions and ALEKS, our new Math programs, and the needs of our kids.
Spanish review to get ready for next week's Arrowhead placement test.
The focus on test prep to get our students ready for the Forward Exam.  You are taking this seriously so our students are taking it seriously, too.
The volleyball season started!
The excitement of students with an Escape Room in Math.
Circuit training in the Little Theater.
Lots of laughter during grade level meetings.
Pi Day fun in Math, even during test time.

Calendar
Intermediate School Special Events

Friday, March 15th
Art show 4:00

Tuesday, March 19th
1:00-2:30  8th grade Spanish placement test

Wednesday, March 20th
Workout Wednesday
Final Yearbook Activity pictures (volleyball and Mary Poppins Jr.)
Culver's Night

Thursday, March 21st
8th grade Social Studies Forward Exam in the morning

Friday, March 22nd
End of 3rd quarter

Saturday, March 23rd- Sunday, March 31st
Spring Break

Monday, April 1st
Start of  4th quarter

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
Five ways to approach every behavior crisis knowing that we help (from Allyson Apsey)

(from Danny "Sunshine" Bauer)

Change obstacles into challenges. You might have to step back and go a different direction, but you can achieve.
Raye Montague,
naval engineer who revolutionized the design process for naval ships, and US Navy's first female program manager of ships 

3 Simple Ways to Help Shift the Thinking of Others (from George Couros)

(Tweet from Monday's #LearnLAP chat)

I am interested in people who swim in the deep end. I want to have conversations about real things with people who have experienced real things.
Amy Poehler,
actress, comedian, director and producer

It's Not Too Late (from Jeff Kubiak)

(taken from a Tweet by Chris Legleiter)

Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.
Mae Jemison,
engineer, physician, NASA astronaut and first black woman to travel into space

Why Teaching Middle School Is So Hard (from We Are Teachers)

It doesn't matter what your background is and where you come from. If you have dreams and goals, that's all that matters.
Serena Williams,
tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles among active players 
Family smore from 3.15.19

9-1-1
If you ever need to dial 9-1-1, all you need to do is pick up your room telephone and dial 9-1-1.  You don't need to dial a "7" or "9" first.

Please read this!
This blog stands by itself because of the powerful message.  You may have read everything I shared with you or you may have read none of it.  That's your choice.  But please humor me, read this post by George Couros, and let it resonate with you this weekend and next week.
That's for you, George.
Be the spark.
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell
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Friday, March 8, 2019

Concerts and Conferences

It was an incredible week.  We had our concerts on Tuesday and conferences on Thursday.  The concerts were a celebration of our musicians and the conferences were, hopefully, a celebration of all of the great things you're doing with our kids and their families.  Thank you for your time, your energy, your efforts, your smiles, your tears, and your passion for our students, our families, each other, and for Merton.  I'm so proud to serve as your principal.

Great things I saw this week...
Kids working on hockey skills in PE.
Reforms research in Social Studies.
Positive thoughts about Forward Exam test prep (Be positive with this every day!).
The focus during Math tests.
Circuit training in PE.  Love how the students are learning this life long skill.
Learning about Science during Language Arts class.
Conversations with coaches and teaching staff to bring new ways of learning to our kids.
On a tour with a new family, the new students commented about how quiet it was and how much learning they saw our students doing (The students made that comment to me, not the parents.).
Getting outside for recess on Tuesday.  It was still cold, but we needed to be outside.
The excitement of Wisconsin Math Hoops.  Just ask Brian Klink.
I know I already mentioned this, but the choir and band concerts were amazing.
Our custodial crew did fantastic work setting up for and cleaning up from the concerts.
The conferences were amazing, you were all smiling at the end of the night, and so were our families.

Calendar
Intermediate School Special Events

Friday, March 8th
Katie's shower  8AM

Tuesday, March 12th
Primary Principal final interviews

Wednesday, March 13th
WIN Wednesday

Friday, March 15th
Art show 4:00

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
Personalized Learning Opportunities for Students is a Team Effort (from George Couros)

(from Mindshift)

Why We Shouldn't Give 100% (from Jon Harper)


The Opportunity to Become Successful Learners (from George Couros)

(from Jeff See)

Restorative Recess (from Allyson Apsey.  So much of this looks like what we have in place for PBIS, but it also includes some SEL ideas.  Let's discuss this at our grade level meetings next week, so please read this in advance.)

It's the rough side of the mountain that's the easiest to climb; the smooth side doesn't have anything for you to hang on to.
Aretha Franklin,
singer known as the Queen of Soul 

(Jen shared this with me.)

Three Reasons to Love Middle Schoolers (from Psychology Today)

Never give up. And when you think it's impossible, just remember to say this piece of advice I got from a very wise woman: I did my best, and my best is good enough.
Hannah Beachler,
first black woman to win an Academy Award for production design 
(from Positive Promotions)

I Get to...(from Theresa Stager)

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.
Gloria Steinem,
journalist, feminist and activist 


Focusing on the Positive Possibilities for Our Students (from George Couros)

Honesty helps. You get a long way in life as far as I'm concerned. You tell the truth, ask for help, instead of saying I know what I'm doing.
Penny Marshall,
actress and director
March is Women's History Month
Family smore from 3.8.19

Relax this weekend.  Read a book this weekend.  Binge your new favorite show.  Watch a movie.  Go out to dinner with family or friends.  Keep the school work in the bag, at least for most of the weekend.  I give you permission to focus on the last part of John's quote below.  You need to have the energy for these next two weeks.  And if I owe you a GOOSE, don't forget to organize that with me.  You know who you are.
Be the spark!
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell
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