Stop, collaborate and listen!

This week we were supposed to speak about evidence in all of our grade level meetings.  Sometimes the plans just don't work out and you need to readjust.  You do this an uncountable number of times every day and we'll just need to take a look at our evidence next week.  Student discussions should always come first, and that's what happened in our meetings today.  So why the reference to the Vanilla Ice song?  We just needed to stop what we had planned, adjust (not part of the song, I know), collaborate, and listen to one another.  The evidence will be there next week, but the student issues may need to take center stage again.  If not, we will definitely spend our grade level time on evidence.  With that said, it would be very helpful for you to take a look at your MAP data prior to the meeting next week.  Share it with the rest of your team so that they have a chance to be prepared as well.  I look forward to our evidence discussions next week.

Great things I saw this week...
the support for each other, for our kids, and for the Sauld family.
solar robots and Lego robotics.
an 8th grader (ask Leah) escorting the 4Kers in during the massive downpour on Tuesday.
participating in Heidi's Math class, because the kids asked me to.
only one indoor recess, and it went pretty well.
the kids putting forth incredible effort in classes.
lots of sweaty kids after PE. (This is the "saw" section, not the "smelled" section.)
BLT meeting with great ideas for encouraging positive culture and school spirit.
hands on activities in lots of classes.
more of you posting things from your classrooms on Twitter!

Name it. Claim it. Explain it.
Thanks to Becky for playing along last week.

Calendar
Please continue to review the Intermediate Special Events Calendar at our weekly grade level and specials meetings, too.

Friday, October 4th
PTO Obstacle Course (5th and 6th grade during specials, 7th and 8th grade 12:00-12:45)

Tuesday, October 8th
Flu shot
8th grade Career field trip
AWSA Middle and High School advisory committee meeting in Madison 9:30 (Jay)
Special Education file review 1:00

Wednesday, October 9th
WIN Wednesday- vaping assembly (Please sit with your homeroom)
All day SEL meeting
Vaping forum 7PM

Thursday, October 10th
Picture retake day
A-team meeting 1:15

Friday, October 11th
PTO meeting 2:30

Tuesday, October 15th
Living as a Leader coaching session 8:00 (Jay)

Wednesday, October 16th
Culver's Night

Thursday, October 17th
Requested family conferences (Make sure to have your list to Barb by October 7th)

Friday, October 18th
PTO Fall Fest

Saturday, October 19th
EdCampWalkersPoint 8:00-3:00

Monday, October 21st-Wednesday, October 23rd
Red Ribbon Week

Thursday, October 24th
PD day- No students

Friday, October 25th
No School

Monday, October 28th
School board meeting

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

The fun for me in collaboration is, one, working with other people just makes you smarter, that's proven.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer, lyricist, singer, actor, playwright, producer

We All Deserved to be HANDLEd with Care (from Allyson Apsey)

You are perfectly cast in your life. I can't imagine anyone but you in the role. Go play.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer, lyricist, singer, actor, playwright, producer

Illustrated 6-Word Memoirs (from Pernille Ripp)

It's Never Too Late to Start Something New (from George Couros)

#mertonint on Twitter

#MertonProud on Twitter

Merton Intermediate School Facebook page

mertonint on Instagram
Family smore from 10.4.19

I continue to enjoy coming into your classrooms and providing written feedback.  What is even more enjoyable is when we have a conversation, in person or via email, about some of the things that I see.  It is also good for me to disconnect for those 10 minutes so that I can focus on what I'm observing.  I hope that this is carrying over to our face to face conversations, and by that I mean I am technology free and focused on you.  I am also working on being more empathic and the book I'm reading for Mustang University, Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, is really making me reflect.  I even wrote a blog post about working on being more empathic.  If you're interested, the link is here.

Have an amazing Friday, relax this weekend, and come back ready for another awesome week!
#JustInspire
Jay
Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell