Jay's Journal

mertonint on Instagram
Principals' School Board presentation 1.27.20
Family smore from 1.31.20

Fire drill reminder
As part of our A-team meeting on Thursday, we had a conversation about fire drill procedures. Please make sure that you do the following three things.
1. Take your class list with you to take attendance.
2. Turn off your lights.
3. Lock your classroom door (so you'll need to take your keys, too!)
Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

February 29th
I'm amazed that today is the last day of January. The year has certainly gone by quickly, from my point of view. I think it's gone quickly because of one thing- you. You have developed classroom expectations and guidelines that have helped our kids be focused, engaged, and successful. Keep it up! February is upon us, and it's a leap year, so let's take advantage of the extra 24 hours this year. What is something new you will try? Who will you collaborate with that you may not have collaborated with before? Which student or staff member will you make a new or improved relationship with? Let's use the extra February day as an opportunity for making our school, our students, our colleagues, and ourselves just a little better.
#JustInspire
Jay
Take care of the kids. Take care of each other. Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

Friday, January 24, 2020

Being positive

You probably all know that I enjoy reading George Couros' blog posts. Here is an excerpt from one of his blogs over the weekend. Pay particular attention to the quote in the middle.

Something Profound

A blog I have been reading forever and love is "Marc and Angel Hack Life – Practical Tips for Productive Living." For lack of a better way to describe it, there is a ton of great information on being human on this blog. I rarely read a post that I do not take something away from.
This was one of my favorite recent quotes from a post, "20 Powerful Affirmations We Should Repeat to Ourselves This Year":

"Being positive does not mean ignoring the negative. Being positive means overcoming the negative. There is a big difference between the two.”

This quote really sums up how I try to live life and find solutions where it is hard to do so.
You can check out the entire blog at marcandangel.com.

We all have a choice of being either positive or negative. I do my best every day to choose positive. Do negative thoughts pop into my head? Of course they do, but I have a choice to focus on the negative or change to the positive. Is it easy- No! But a change in your mindset can cause a change in the mindset of others, and who doesn't want to be in a climate of positivity? Let's see what being positive can do for all of us.

Great things that I saw this week...
All of the awesome discussions and participation during SEL training on Monday
The start of the third quarter!
Creating healthy snacks in Health class
Read alouds (Raymond's Run) in LA focusing on SEL
The flexibility of Becky and Matt to make 3 on 3 basketball work this quarter
The flexibility of Becky and Sarah so that I could do MAP makeups
Your flexibility so that I could do MAP makeups
The effort of the kids while doing MAP makeups, and we're almost done!
Students observing in Science
Snow at recess
Honest conversations during grade level meetings

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

Calendar

Friday, January 24th

Staff gathering at Sarah Phillips' house- sign up here

Sunday, January 26th
PTO Bowling at Sussex Bowl

Monday, January 27th

BLT meeting 4:15PM
School board meeting 7PM

Thursday, January 30th

A-team meeting 1:15PM

Tuesday, February 4th
8th grade Junior Achievement field trip

Thursday, February 6th

PTO meeting 2:30PM

Tuesday, February 11th

Restorative Practices training

Wednesday, February 12th

WIN Wednesday

Yearbook Activity pictures taken

Restorative Practices training

AWSA conference

Thursday, February 13th

AWSA conference

Friday, February 14th

PD Day

AWSA conference

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

(LessonsLearnedInLife.com)

When Things Don't Go As Planned (from Beth Houf)

(Getting Relationships Right by Kent Pekel- shared by Jessica Cabeen. It is worth 15 minutes of your time.)

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.

Frida Kahlo,
artist

10 social media-inspired learning activities- no accounts necessary (from Matt Miller)

mertonint on Instagram
Family smore from 1.24.20

We have incredibly lucky kids and I am one lucky principal

On Wednesday I was at Teachscape training. I watched three separate videos of teachers in their classrooms. They each knew they were being videoed (Is that a word?). Two of the teachers were pretty good and did some of the things you all do every day, but not all of the things you do every day. One of the teachers, honestly, was difficult to watch. I joked with Ron that I would have provided that teacher with an application to Menards. Not that there's anything wrong with Menards, but this particular teacher was doing a disservice to the kids and herself. I say that our kids are lucky because you provide them with amazing learning opportunities every day. I am one lucky principal because I have the incredible opportunity to see you with our kids, and each other, every day. I don't take this for granted at all. Thank you for all that you do for our kids and each other.
#JustInspire
Jay
Take care of the kids. Take care of each other. Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

Friday, January 17, 2020

Take care of yourself.

By now you might not even realize that I end every one of our staff nuts and bolts with this line from my good friend, John Gunnell, a principal in Baraboo.

Take care of the kids. Take care of each other. Take care of yourself.

He shared it in a Twitter chat long ago and I have remembered it ever since. Last weekend and this week I have learned the real importance of the last part- Take care of yourself.

I don't get sick very often, but when I do it will put me down for the count. Literally all I could do was lay in bed or on the couch, drink lots of fluids, and rest. I did continue my running streak, but I only ran when Jen was home so that if I passed out, someone was there to help me. Yes, I have a problem, but you all knew that already.

As educators, we hate not being here for our kids. I would argue that it's worse for us, and for our kids, if we come to school not feeling above 60% (I use that number because that's where I was on Tuesday when I came back). Two things can happen if we do come to school- our sickness lasts longer than it should and/or we will share our illness with our kids and our colleagues. If you're out sick, we will take care of the kids and you should take care of yourself. Keep that in mind as we continue through this wonderful flu season.

Great things I saw this week...

Kids working on Rube Goldberg projects

Kids taking the MAP tests seriously

5th grade boys basketball action

Kids having fun with broomball

Emmit posters in Science (just ask any of the 7th graders)

Financial literacy activities in 7th and 8th grade Math

This thank you note in the lounge

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. I need your help with lunch and recess on the highlighted dates. GOOSE passes for all who help out!

Monday, January 20th
All Day PD

Tuesday, January 21st
First day of the third quarter/second semester- It's a B day!
Leadership Camp until 12:30
MAP makeups at 1:00 in the STEM lab (Bring devices!)

Wednesday, January 22nd
EE recertification all day

Friday, January 24th
Staff gathering at Sarah Phillips' house- sign up here

Monday, January 27th
School board meeting 7PM

Thursday, January 30th
A-team meeting

Thursday, February 7th
PTO meeting 2:30PM

Wednesday, February 12th
WIN Wednesday
Yearbook Activity pictures taken

Friday, February 14th
PD Day

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

(Jen shared this with me so I had to share it with you!)

A Story About Change (from Brad Gustafson)

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.

Gail Sheehy,
writer, journalist, lecturer

(from the Leadership Vault by Melinda Miller and Amber Teamann)

Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's.

Billy Wilder,
filmmaker, screenwriter, producer

mertonint on Instagram
Family smore from 1.17.20

I seriously cannot believe that today is the halfway point of the school year. There is so much for us to celebrate, both professionally and personally. Think about those people you could celebrate over the weekend. And have the courage to share those things on Monday when we meet. There is a time for shoutouts so take advantage of that. Sometimes it takes even more courage to walk up to the person and give them a personal shoutout. Will you take the time, that one moment, to do that? Imagine if it was you receiving the shoutout. Wouldn't you feel awesome? I encourage you to find one person on Monday and give them a shoutout, but if you want to do it today instead, go for it!
#JustInspire
Jay
Take care of the kids. Take care of each other. Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell

Friday, January 10, 2020

Values

This week, I shared the district values with our students at our monthly assembly. I included some quotes, some videos, a read aloud, and some personal stories. This is the second time that I have shared our district values with our students. This time I was more specific. I know that each of you has a copy of the district values. I posted mine on my office door and I encourage you to post these in your classrooms and refer to them with our students. I'm hopeful that we can share these values with our kids on a more regular basis. Be Exceptional. Be Kind. Have Integrity. Be Persistent. Be Inquisitive. Be Courageous.

Great things I saw this week...
7th and 8th graders playing broomball in PE.
Students writing and reading a lot.
Financial literacy lessons in 7th and 8th grade Math classes.
5th grade students, staff, and Mary not giving up on supersaturating sugar to make rock candy.
Incredible Rube Goldberg machines.
The kids' behavior during the read aloud at the assembly on Wednesday (It's because of the expectations that all of you have put in place that they were so well behaved. Thank you!).
The in-depth conversations that we had about kids at our grade level meetings this week.
Jennifer's work with our students and staff while covering for Jackie.
Kids working really hard at Homework Club.
The way that students and staff returned from break. As I told the PTO yesterday, it was seamless the way you all got back to learning.

Name it. Claim it. Explain it.
Thanks to Dave for playing along. Here's the one for this week, and I even got to try it out when I covered the class later that day!

Calendar

Please continue to review the Intermediate Special Events Calendar at our weekly grade level and specials meetings, too. I need your help with lunch and recess on the highlighted dates. GOOSE passes for all who help out!

Monday, January 13th
5th grade Reading MAP testing
School Safety training in Madison all day

Tuesday, January 14th
7th/8th grade Reading MAP testing

Wednesday, January 15th
5th grade Math MAP testing
SEL committee all day
Culver's Night 4-8PM

Thursday, January 16th
A-team meeting 1:15
Staff Axe Throwing at 4:45

Friday, January 17th
Friendship Olympics- see Carey's emails
Half day- noon dismissal
Last day of the first semester

Monday, January 20th
All Day PD

Tuesday, January 21st
First day of the third quarter/second semester- It's a B day!
Leadership Camp until 12:30

Wednesday, January 22nd
EE recertification all day

Monday, January 27th
School board meeting 7PM

Thursday, January 30th
A-team meeting

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

(Yes, I took these from Wednesday's presentation!)

Lauren sent me this in anticipation of the weekend- https://twitter.com/i/status/1215437208636809216

mertonint on Instagram
Presentation from Wednesday's assembly
Family smore from 1.10.20

I want to ask you to do something. Think back on the week with kids. What is one thing that you thought of that you did really well for the kids? How much work did you put into that one thing? Was it planned or did it happen because there was a teachable moment? Did you share it with anyone or did you keep it to yourself? If you shared it with someone, how did they react? If you kept it to yourself, why did you do that? I remember years ago something Brian Fleischman said to me when we were in Atlanta- We are our best resource. But we can't be a resource if we are always keeping our ideas to ourselves. We need to be better at sharing. We need to have more shoutouts. What is one person's normal is another person's eureka moment! Let's find ways to share- in grade level meetings, in the hallways, at lunch- so that we can all become better for our kids. We are pretty good right now. Imagine how great we could be if we shared. Be Courageous!
#JustInspire
Jay
Take care of the kids. Take care of each other. Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell
P.S.- Don't forget that it's Packers Day! Go Packers!

Friday, January 3, 2020

Right back in the swing!

Upon our return to school, I did my best to see each of you in action with our kids on the first day. Because of your focus on getting back to learning, it looked almost as if we hadn't even been gone for Winter Break. I saw students writing, reading, working on Math, playing dodgeball, working on Spanish vocabulary, and so many other things. Your dedication to providing our students with meaningful learning experiences every day is something that many take for granted. They don't know what you do to be prepared for the variety of learners in our classrooms every day. I see it when I visit during your planning times and see you working individually or as a team to prepare. I don't see the time outside of school, but I know you spend a great deal of time outside of school to create learning experiences and provide feedback for our students. Thank you for all that you do for our students and each other every day!

Great things that I saw this week...
It was amazing see all of you get right back into the swing of things yesterday.
Financial literacy getting started in 7th/8th grade Math classes.
Read alouds starting up again in LA and Math.
Our cafeteria staff back at it with a positive attitude, as always!
The smile on Barb's face when she told me "the news" (ask her if you don't know).
A beautiful January recess.
Dave using Totem in Science.
Lots of kids in Homework Club on the first day back!
Students working together on their CP toys for 6th grade Science.
Students proudly presenting information to their classmates in 5th grade.

Name it. Claim it. Explain it.

Calendar

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

Tuesday, January 7th
7th/8th grade Math MAP testing
AWSA podcast 1PM

Wednesday, January 8th
WIN Wednesday

Thursday, January 9th
PTO meeting at 2:30PM

Monday, January 13th
5th grade Reading MAP testing
School Safety training in Madison all day

Tuesday, January 14th
7th/8th grade Reading MAP testing

Wednesday, January 15th
5th grade Math MAP testing
SEL committee all day
Culver's Night 4-8PM

Thursday, January 16th
Staff Axe Throwing at 4:45

Friday, January 17th
Half day- noon dismissal

Monday, January 20th
All Day PD

Wednesday, January 22nd
EE recertification all day

Monday, January 27th
School board meeting 7PM

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
20 Inspirational Quotes to Start Off 2020 (from George Couros)