January 27, 2017

What's your focus?  Do you need to adjust it?  Are we still focused on all students achieving, staying positive, coming to GVMS with our students best interest in our hearts?  About this time, I need to re-center myself and remind myself of my focus: student achievement, student engagement, supporting our staff, and always making decisions in the best interest of our students and staff.  What's YOUR re-center moment?

Sean Anchor argues that happiness inspires us to be more productive!  The more kindness you sow, your mindset will shift to live and lead a happier life.  That's his Ted Talk above =)

 #kindnessmatters Did you know that a smile, a kind word, a helping hand or a simple note of thanks on a sticky note can truly make someone's day?  These are SIMPLE acts of kindness that can be LIFE CHANGING for many on our staff.  Happiness researcher (yes, it's a real thing), found that if you perform random acts of kindness for two minutes a day for twenty-one days, you can actually retrain your brain to be more positive.  WHO IS IN WITH ME?!?!?!

Check out THIS LINK to get involved in the Paradigm Challenge, to help teach our youth how to change the world!  What a great writing project, STEAM/STEM project and it comes with lesson plans and a chance to win MONEY!!!

We offered once and will offer now to purchase this for anyone interested.  Many have already started reading it and it's an easy ready!  This book give 10 things we can ALL do to fuels our life, work, and teams (home, school and more!).  As super heroes, we could ALL benefit from easy ways to stay focused on the positive and support each other!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

• SUPER shout out to Elizabeth for the Great Kindness Challenge that we would LOVE all year long!  Spread the love people!
• SUPER shout out to Kristy for the awesome chalk notes for each classroom!  Feelin' the love!!
• SUPER shout out to Laffey, Phillips, Matteson, McNamara, Farley, Husted, Rice, Marks, Love, Mansour, Booker, Morace, Russell, Wheeler, Peckham, Pereira, Cherry, Lucero, Rosa/Mimi, Robinson, Schwarzbach, Olvera, Morace, Toll, Kinder, Pozzesi, Walton, Phan, Patterson, and Bates for already completing Student of the Month for "Fairness"!  Control F allows you to see who has already been chosen!
• SUPER shout out to Mimi, Sarj, Susan, Michele R., Elizabeth, Ken, Don, Sue, Alisa, Kristy, Jamie, Kimberly, Lynn, Christine, Peckham, Christen, Rosa, Carol, Teesha, Heather1, Cristina, Lacey, Allison, Heather 2, and Julie for already writing Good News Referrals! Keep them coming and we CHALLENGE YOU to write at least ONE in January.  C'mon!  It's SUPER easy to find something nice to say about our kids here!
• We have had 194 for JANUARY already- SO AWESOME!!! Keep them coming!  Can't wait to see how POSITIVE and FABULOUS the rest of this year is!!! **We have had 8 referrals in January so far...
• What to nominate a fellow SUPER HERO to be recognized at our next faculty meeting?  Click HERE!!  

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

*January 31- Collab Meetings as determined by grade level
*February 2- GATE Fair at DO

*February 6, 7, 8, 9- BLOCK Schedule for Writing Test- schedule coming!

*February 9- Teacher of the Year Board Meeting
*February 10- Makeup Writing Test in library
*February 13/20- No School
*February 22-24- PODs for Science/Math
*February 24- Parent Conferences 3:15-5:15
*February 24- Min Day., NAEP Testing., Academic Olympics (Whew!)

*April 24-May 12- Block Schedule for CAASPP test!

*May 23- Nightmare on Puberty Street Assembly- Assembly schedule!

January 20, 2017

We offered once and will offer now to purchase this for anyone interested.  Many have already started reading it and it's an easy ready!  This book give 10 things we can ALL do to fuels our life, work, and teams (home, school and more!).  As super heroes, we could ALL benefit from easy ways to stay focused on the positive and support each other!

Many teachers believe that reading is ONLY the "job" of any English Department or elementary teacher so check out THESE strategies for techniques for building reading strategies in ANY subject.  Reading is a skill that is needed in EVERY single subject and aspect of school (and life for that matter!)!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

• SUPER shout out to Laffey, Phillips, Matteson, McNamara, Farley, Husted, Rice, Marks, Love, Mansour, Booker, Morace, Robinson, Schwarzbach, Olvera, Morace, Toll, Kinder, Pozzesi, Walton, and Bates for already completing Student of the Month for "Fairness"!  Control F allows you to see who has already been chosen!
• SUPER shout out to Kristy and Heather for helping Dustin and Dave M. submit their DonorsChoose.org project!
• SUPER shout out to Mimi, Susan, Michele R., Elizabeth, Ken, Don, Sue, Alisa, Kristy, Jamie, Rosa, Teesha, Heather1, Cristina, Lacey, Allison, Heather 2, and Julie for already writing Good News Referrals! Keep them coming and we CHALLENGE YOU to write at least ONE in January.  C'mon!  It's SUPER easy to find something nice to say about our kids here!
• We have had 84 for JANUARY already! Keep them coming!  Can't wait to see how POSITIVE and FABULOUS the rest of this year is!!! **We have had 6 referrals in January so far...
• What to nominate a fellow SUPER HERO to be recognized at our next faculty meeting?  Click HERE!!  

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

*January 24- IB Info Night here
*January 24- Department Meetings
*January 27- 6th/7th grade registration in class
*January 31- Collab Meetings as determined by grade level
*February 2- GATE Fair at DO

*February 6, 7, 8, 9- BLOCK Schedule for Writing Test- schedule coming!

*February 9- Teacher of the Year Board Meeting
*February 10- Makeup Writing Test in library
*February 13/20- No School
*February 22-24- PODs for Science/Math
*February 24- Parent Conferences 3:15-5:15
*February 24- Min Day., NAEP Testing., Academic Olympics (Whew!)

*April 24-May 12- Block Schedule for CAASPP test!

*May 23- Nightmare on Puberty Street Assembly- Assembly schedule!

January 13, 2017

About this time of the school year, I start asking myself if I am doing enough for our students and you all.  Have I spread the message of positive reinforcement, positive intentions, and changing the way we do things so that we always do things in the best interest of students?  Have I supported you all enough?  Have I made GVMS a better place for our students to be before they go to high school?  The questions go on and on and on....

We all must look at what we are challenged with and, if we see something in our selves, our classroom, our students, our school that we don't like, we must be the change that WE wish to see in our own world.  We must determine what we could do differently to bring about the change we want. The genesis of the change we desire must be rooted in POSITIVITY!!  Once we are ALL committed to making the positive and productive change, it will become habit!

Many have heard Albert Einstein's famous quote, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".  Let's not do that =)

Who's got the HEART? 

YOU can make a DIFFERENCE! 

Many teachers believe that reading is ONLY the "job" of any English Department or elementary teacher so check out THESE strategies for techniques for building reading strategies in ANY subject.  Reading is a skill that is needed in EVERY single subject and aspect of school (and life for that matter!)!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

• SUPER shout out to Lynn, Julie and Cristina for working with us on not going to camp and rescheduling for June 5-9!
• SUPER shout out to ALL that come to yard duty and meetings on time! With the exception of emergencies (please communicate with us!), all meetings have been put on your calendars way ahead of time!  Set a repeating alarm on your phone for yard duty please!
• SUPER shout out to Susan, Michele S., Michele R., and Brenda for organizing our new awards stuff!
• SUPER shout out to Don, Anita, Katherine, Lacey, and Heather for rolling with the punches when camp was postponed!
• SUPER shout out to Laffey, Farley, Husted, Booker, Morace, Toll, Walton, and Bates for already completing Student of the Month for "Fairness"!  Control F allows you to see who has already been chosen!
• SUPER shout out to Jason for checking to see what 6th grade needed due to the changes!
• SUPER shout out to Sue for the tech and updating our emergency tree for our faculty meeting!
• SUPER shout out to Kristy for sending out info for Donor's Choose! PLEASE DO THIS!!
• SUPER shout out to Heather P. for Donor's Choose project wording AND sending QR codes home with her kiddos to get the word out there even MORE!
• SUPER shout out to Mimi, Susan, Michele R., Cherry, Elizabeth, Ken, Don, Sue, Alisa, and Julie for already writing Good News Referrals! Keep them coming and we CHALLENGE YOU to write at least ONE in January.  C'mon!  It's SUPER easy to find something nice to say about our kids here!
• We have had 26 for JANUARY already! Keep them coming!  Can't wait to see how POSITIVE and FABULOUS the rest of this year is!!! **We have had 6 referrals in January so far...
• What to nominate a fellow SUPER HERO to be recognized at our next faculty meeting?  Click HERE!!  

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

*January 16- No School
*January 17- Leadership Meeting
*January 18- RHS Showcase for incoming freshman
*January 24- IB Info Night here
*January 24- Department Meetings
*January 25- Career Day
*January 26- Basketball @BGW
*January 27- 7th grade registers for 8th grade in History
*January 31- Collab Meetings as determined by grade level

*February 6, 7, 8, 9- BLOCK Schedule for Writing Test

*February 10- Makeup Writing Test

*April 24-May 12- Block Schedule for CAASPP test!

*May 23- Nightmare on Puberty Street Assembly- Assembly schedule!

January 6, 2017

WELCOME BACK and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We hope you had a relaxing, safe, and awesome break!  We are ready to tackle the rest of this school year focused on so many wonderful things!  

Here is a great pic (hard to see so click the link to take you directly to it) about 10 things every teacher should be able to do on Google Classroom, including manage multiple classes, invite co-teacher to a class, create a resource page, create quick exit tickets and polling (my FAV!!) and MORE! Check it out!

Please don't forget to read your small section (by department) for our meeting this coming Tuesday!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

• SUPER shout out to Kristy for reviewing commitments and agreements with her students first day back!
• SUPER shout out to Sue for the awesome tech we will use at our meeting!
• SUPER shout out to Don for really utilizing Khan Academy with his kiddos!
• SUPER shout out to Liz and Jamie for wanting to be a part of Girls on the Run, coming to GVMS!!  So excited!
• SUPER shout out to Dalal and Sue for taking on MAP testing make ups!!
• We have had 20 for JANUARY already! Keep them coming!  Can't wait to see how POSITIVE and FABULOUS the rest of this year is!!! **We have had 3 referrals in January so far...
• What to nominate a fellow SUPER HERO to be recognized at our next faculty meeting?  Click HERE!!  

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
*January 9-13- 6th grade at Science Camp

*January 10- Faculty Meeting *NOTE DATE*

*January 11- Kris Corey here to visit
*January 13- Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance Rally Schedule

*January 16- No School
*January 18- RHS Showcase for incoming freshman
*January 24- IB Info Night here
*January 25- Career Day

*February 6, 7, 8, 9- BLOCK Schedule for Writing Test

*February 10- Makeup Writing Test

*April 24-May 12- Block Schedule for CAASPP test!