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