Communication

Conferences are just one form of communication with our families, but they are important.  The conversations that we have with the families of our students can never be underestimated.  I know how often you reach out to families, either with emails or video calls or phone calls.  Those communications are so important, but I must urge you to find times to reach out for the good times and not just during the struggles.  You know how much a positive comment can lift your spirits, and I'm so fortunate to make Good News Calls of the Day once in a while.  I  need to do that more, and not just for our kids but for you as well.  If you'd like to nominate one of your colleagues for a call, just send me an email.  I'll even cover your responsibility so that you can make the call!

Calendar

Wednesday, March 3rd    Intermediate staff meeting

Thursday, March 4th    Conferences

Friday, March 5th    Half day (5th grade schedule, 6th grade schedule, 7th and 8th grade schedule)

Monday, March 8th    BLT meeting  4:15PM

Tuesday, March 9th    PTO meeting 2:30PM

Wednesday, March 10th    All staff meeting (Chapter 10 of Onward)

March 15th-21st    PTO Culver's Week

Wednesday, March 17th    Team and personal planning

Thursday, March 18th    Network Photography new student photos and classroom candids

Monday, March 22nd    School board meeting 6PM

Wednesday, March 24th    Team and personal planning

Friday, March 26th    End of third quarter

Saturday, March 27th-Monday, April 5th    Spring Break

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

"If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down."-

Toni Morrison, writer, editor, educator

(This was slid under the red office door last weekend.)

"Hard work does not guarantee success, but lack of hard work guarantees that there will be no success."-

Jimmy Valvano, head coach of North Carolina State

Shifting from Self-Care to Wellness (from Allyson Apsey)

"It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do."-

Moliere, playwright, actor and poet

Who is in Your Circle? (from Todd Nesloney)

"Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.  How do you get it?  You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit."-

Gordon Parks, photographer, film director, musician, writer, co-founder of Essence magazine

"Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be.  But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today."-

Ernest Hemingway, writer, journalist, Nobel Prize winner

Personal day handbook language

With the addition of the extra COVID personal day, I wanted to make sure that we all had the information regarding personal days that appears in our staff handbook.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

2.  Approval of Personal Leave and the Total Number of Employees on Personal Leave

A. A request in writing to the Administrator shall be made as far in advance as possible, normally not less than five (5) days. Emergencies may delay the submitting of the written statement until the employee returns to work.

B. The Administrator has the right to approve or disapprove all requests.

A. No more than three (3) employees per building may take personal leave on any given day when school is in session, unless the District Administrator or his/her designee grants approval to exceed the three (3) employee limit.

It's All In How You See It (An excerpt from an email from Jon Gordon)

"It’s a game of failure." I kept hearing these words from baseball players and coaches while speaking to MLB teams during spring training over the years   After all, even a hall of fame player will fail to get a hit 2 out of 3 times. And most players will fail to get a hit 3 out of 4 times. A pitcher will give up hits and home runs and fielders will make errors. Yes, baseball is a game where you fail often. But when talking to the teams I offered a different perspective. I said, "I don't believe baseball is a game of failure. I believe it's a game of opportunity!" No matter what happened on the last play, pitch, or at bat you get the opportunity to make the next one great.  In the words of Babe Ruth, "Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." It's the same way with life. Anyone pursuing anything worthwhile will fail and fail often.  I certainly have failed many times but when I look back I realize I wasn't failing, I was growing. I wasn't failing, I was becoming.  I've learned that you can dwell on the past or look forward to making the next opportunity great. You can see life as a game of failure or opportunity. It's all how you see it.

Thanks for a great week. With conferences last night, it sure would be nice to wear jeans and a t-shirt, so let's do that! See you all soon.

Jay

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

Who is your "go to" person?

The title question is rhetorical, but one that is important for you to answer for yourself.  I feel fortunate that I have a number of "go to" people- Jen, my parents, Mark French, to name a few.  My "go to" person is dependent upon the situation that I'm in.  The best thing about a "go to" person is that you can be pretty certain that they aren't going to share the situation with someone else.  I encourage you to find a "go to" person and to be a "go to" person for someone else.  We can only get better as educators, and people, if we are helping each other out.  I've witnessed so many instances of this in the last few weeks and am encouraged by the possibilities these types of relationships will create for our kids and each other.

Calendar

Monday, February 22nd    Board meeting 6PM

Wednesday, February 24th    7th and 8th grade meeting at 7:45AM (ACP)/team and personal planning

Thursday, February 25th    Conferences

Wednesday, March 3rd    Intermediate staff meeting

Thursday, March 4th    Conferences

Friday, March 5th    Half day (5th grade schedule, 6th grade schedule, 7th and 8th grade schedule)

Tuesday, March 9th    PTO meeting 2:30PM

Wednesday, March 10th    All staff meeting (Chapter 10 of Onward)

March 15-21    PTO Culver's Week

Wednesday, March 17th    Team and personal planning

Thursday, March 18th    Network Photography new student photos and classroom candids

Monday, March 22nd    School board meeting 6PM

Wednesday, March 24th    Team and personal planning

Friday, March 26th    End of third quarter

Saturday, March 27th-Monday, April 5th    Spring Break

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

"People often say that motivation doesn't last.  Well, neither does bathing- that's why we recommend it daily."- Zig Ziglar

"Success isn't about the end result; it's about what you learn along the way."-

Vera Wang, fashion designer

"When you start a new trail equipped with courage, strength and conviction, the only thing that can stop you is you!"-

Ruby Bridges, civil rights activist, first Black student to desegregate an all-white elementary school in the South

(from @mich_lee11)

"There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction."-

Frank Kafka, writer

A-team summary

Covid Update: Merton will not have COVID vaccinations by March 1 due to vaccinations being prioritized to 65+ years and “essential” workers. People are going to pharmacies to ask to be on the “next in line” list to be called as well. HERE is a more thorough update.

BOE Meeting Monday @ 6pm

Staffing: C&I Position- Interviews being conducted in March. More information coming from Ron.

Health Insurance: There will be an INFO ONLY volunteer meeting on Tuesday, February 23 @ 4:15 in the Little Theater. See Ron’s email from yesterday.

Master Building Schedules: IS and PS are in draft format at this point. Monday, February 22nd, Lori, Becca, Ron, and I will meet to look at these together. We are appreciative of the feedback and input from staff.

I was speaking with some of you who said this 4 day week was really long. Others thought that it went by really quickly. There are so many variables that guide the way we think about our weeks. Take a moment and reflect on the week and write down one thing that you are extra proud of, personal or professional. Put it somewhere that you will see every day next week- on your mirror, on your monitor, on your calendar- and see if it doesn't change your thought about next week. If nothing else, it should bring a smile to your face.

Have a great weekend. Take time for yourself and your family. Monday will be here soon enough, and with it a chance to make a difference in the lives of our kids.

Jay

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

A little better tomorrow

I will be better today than I was yesterday.

No matter who or what comes my way, I'll do my best.

It's not the situation that you're faced with but how you face the situation.

When I say these things, it sounds easy.  But it isn't easy.  It's downright hard.  Every day it's hard.  The words are easy but the action is tough.  I come to school every day with the belief that I am going to do my best, and I do.  Sometimes, though, it's the best I can do at that moment, and that's alright.  No one comes to school wanting to do their worst.  We all come to school wanting to do our best.  As we continue the school year, I encourage you to get into the habit of reflecting on your day and finding the bright spots.  Those are the ones that matter and make your day, and probably someone else's day, too.  As I reflect on yesterday, I have found more than one bright spot, and that bright spot is going to help me be just a little better tomorrow.

Calendar

Monday, February 15th    Professional Development Day (Team time/ curriculum time/ planning time/ staffing and schedule discussion)

Monday, February 15th-Sunday, February 21st    Merton Culver's Week

Monday, February 22nd    Board meeting

Thursday, February 25th    Conferences

Wednesday, March 3rd    Intermediate staff meeting

Thursday, March 4th    Conferences

Friday, March 5th    Half day

Wednesday, March 10th    All staff meeting (Chapter 10 of Onward)

Wednesday, March 17th    Team and personal planning

Thursday, March 18th    Network Photography new student photos and classroom candids

Wednesday, March 24th    Team and personal planning

Saturday, March 27th-Monday, April 5th    Spring Break

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

"Let's try not to get downhearted, we will get through this, whatever is thrown at us and together we can ensure that tomorrow will be a good day."-

Captain Thomas Moore, Veteran who raised more than $45 million for the UK's NHS by walking circles in his garden at the age of 100

(Just something to make you think.)

"Your optimism will never be as powerful as it is in that exact moment when you want to give it up."-

Amanda Gorman, poet, first National Youth Poet Laureate

(Just something else to make you think.)

"Sometimes you can have the smallest role in the smallest production and still make a big impact."-

Neil Patrick Harris, actor, singer, comedian, writer, producer

(from George Couros)

4 Questions to Support a Student's Path to Personalized Success (from George Couros)

"When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand, nor can your hand pick up anything."-

Alex Haley, writer

"Sometimes it's not the rejected stone that's the problem, it's about the tools that we use."-

Akil Ross, keynoter, principal of Chapin High School

"Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help."-

Alex Haley, writer

Ditch That Textbook

If you don't know Matt Miller, I hope that you will check out his website.  There is some amazing stuff there, and I've also signed up for his weekly email.  He shares some amazing things.  Maybe there's something in there that will spark an idea for you, or for our kids.

A little fun...(second request)

If you would humor me, I'd love to have you share a picture of yourself from when you were younger.  It doesn't have to be a baby picture, just a picture when you were a youngster (I just sounded like my dad.).  Anyway, the reason for the request is that I'd like to put these up in the showcase to see if kids, and each of us, might be able to figure out who is who.  We'll keep them up until the last week in February when we'll put up one of your current pictures.  If you are interested, please put your picture (no names on them) in my mailbox.  Thanks for playing along!

I'll see you all in just over an hour in the gym.  I look forward to sharing our schedule with you, knowing that it will still need to be tweaked just a bit (SEL time needs to be added).  I look forward to talking to you about your kids and conferences.  Our morning has some meetings, but you still have some time to work on your own or with your colleagues, whether it's on curriculum or on grade level things.  Our afternoon has more time for individual work, and I'll be available after lunch except for a new family tour that starts around 2:15.

See you all soon!

Jay

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

Opportunities

On Wednesday we had the chance to see what the remodel of the "75 wing" might look like.  There are still a number of things to work out, but what I saw is pretty exciting.  I think that the opportunities this space provides for our kids are unlimited.  My hope is that you see yourself using some of these spaces, either with our kids or to pursue a passion or investigate something new.  But aren't waiting until the remodel to do provide opportunities for our students.  There have been therapy toys, poetry, Vex, animation, Ceramics, creation electives of all kinds, and being in the snow with cross country skis (just ask Matt).  These are but a few of the opportunities that you are providing our kids and I just know there are many more.  I so look forward to seeing what is yet to come this school year, and I hope that you invite me in to be a part of some of these opportunities.

Calendar

Saturday, February 6th    EdCampMadison (online event this year)

Wednesday, February 10th    All district SEL (discussion of chapter 8 in Onward)

Thursday, February 11th    Materials pickup!

Friday, February 12th    No School

Monday, February 15th    Professional Development Day (Team time/ curriculum time/ planning time/ staffing and schedule discussion/ BLT meeting?)

Monday, February 22nd    Board meeting

Thursday, February 25th    Conferences

Thursday, March 4th    Conferences

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

"If each person in this world will simply take a small piece of this huge thing, this amazing quilt, and work it regardless of the color of the yarn, we will have harmony on this planet."-

Cicely Tyson, actor

(from George Couros' blog)

"I want to believe that there is a mountain so high that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it."-

Cicely Tyson, actor

"Don't give them what you think they want.  Give them what they never thought was possible."-

Orson Welles, actor, director, screenwriter, producer

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."-

Orson Welles, actor, director, screenwriter, producer

"Be a light, not a judge.  Be a model, not a critic.  Be a part of the solution, not the problem."-

Stephen Covey, educator, writer, businessperson, speaker

"I am not a product of my circumstances.  I am a product of my decisions."-

Stephen Covey, educator, writer, businessperson, speaker

Disrupting Our Assumptions About Our Own Failures (from Permille Ripp)

If you have a few minutes...

I was contacted by an educator in Wisconsin, Amanda Lange, who is asking for 6th through 12th grade teachers to respond to this survey question-  "How confident are current public educators in teaching social justice?"  Amanda states- "The survey takes about 8 minutes. I am also an educator, so I realize how valuable time is for teachers during this strange time of Hybrid or HyFlex instruction. I do not ask for participation without expressing sincere gratitude for everyone's consideration and responses."  Thanks for your consideration.

Remember-lutions

I was going to share these at our meeting on Wednesday but I forgot.  That gives us all a month to write down more remember-lutions to put in the jars in the teachers' lounges.  As I spoke to my coach Thursday morning about my 360 feedback(a topic of a future email to you all), we spoke about the fact that we often focus on the negatives and rarely on the positives.  The reason I love doing the #GoodNewsCallOfTheDay is because of the joy I hear on the other end of the call and the smiles on the faces of those students who are listening about all of the great things their teachers have said about them.  So please, take a moment over the next couple of weeks and write one or two or five remember-lutions and put them in one of the jars.  Or, if you'd prefer, put it on your desk or in your car as a reminder of the great things you do with and for our kids every day.

A little fun...

If you would humor me, I'd love to have you share a picture of yourself from when you were younger.  It doesn't have to be a baby picture, just a picture when you were a youngster (I just sounded like my dad.).  Anyway, the reason for the request is that I'd like to put these up in the showcase to see if kids, and each of us, might be able to figure out who is who.  We'll keep them up until the last week in February when we'll put up one of your current pictures.  If you are interested, please put your picture (no names on them) in my mailbox.  Thanks for playing along!

Stay warm today.  Stay warm this weekend.  Put your feet up.  Read a book.  Binge watch your favorite show.  Rewatch your favorite movie.  Just relax.  You deserve it!

Jay

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