August 31, 2018

Have you ever looked through an "at-risk" student's file and seen a DRAMATIC change in their smile from Kindergarten until now?  What do you think is going on?  What happened?  Did you know that there is a HUGE DRASTIC change in many of our students around the 3rd or 4th grade and it can carry on through middle school?  Take a few minutes, come down to the records room, pull out a student's file that you know is already at risk, and check out their photos, report cards and more....

How do we inspire our students, all students at-risk or not, to WANT to come to GVMS each day?  How do we encourage them to wake up excited that we get to hang out together?  ENGAGEMENT, CARE, SYMPATHY, EMPATHY and LOVE.  Not rocket science.  Our students are more alike than we think and they need what we ALL need.

Take a look at THIS article on some VERY easy ideas to continue to reach all of our students.  

We have gone over student engagement multiple times and it's a topic we will visit A LOT!  Student performance and student behavior is SO MUCH more positive when you foster these with high levels of student engagement.  It creates an emotionally and intellectually safe classroom, decreases behavior and boredom concerns, and increases academic performance.  Check out THIS ARTICLE for easy peasy ways to increase student engagement!   We CANNOT stress how important student engagement is. We have asked these questions over and over AND they're worth asking again:

WOULD YOU WANT TO BE A STUDENT IN YOUR CLASS???

IF YOUR STUDENTS DIDN'T HAVE TO BE IN YOUR CLASS, WOULD THEY SHOW UP ANYWAY??

Back to School Night was an overall positive experience for all and a great night!  If there are suggestions or feedback that you want to share, please email me!  Thank you!

Soul Shoppe is COMING and we are excited for the positive impact for our students AND our staff!  Need to remember what it's all about?  Check out their website at www.soulshoppe.com

The dates that they are coming to GVMS are:

September 25, 26

October 2, 3, 9, 10

March 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20

Once we get more of a confirmed timelines and bell schedule, we will share it.  In the meantime, please put a note in your calendars!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

(27)

• SUPER awesome shout out to Michele, Michele and Susan for staying for B2S Night and all your help!! 
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T for the SUPER HERO data display case!  THANK YOU for making that happen before B2S Night too!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lorraine for making beautiful curtains for my classroom! ~Megan
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T for always going above and beyond to help me! ~Megan
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lorraine for providing cute door curtains for the English Dept!  Jason- yours are coming! ~Heather T.
• SUPER awesome shout out to Karron for starting this year off making sure we felt like a team!  It feels like she has been a Viking all along! ~Ryan
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for lunch date this past Friday and Dustin for setting up Fantasy Football! ~Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sandy, as well as, the rest of our History Department for helping with Mr. Fulton's class while he is out! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to Karen and Annette for checking out all of the History textbooks!  It was crazy but you both kept your smile! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia and Carol for the invites to the lunchroom on Friday! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to our Math Department for implementing the new adoption, ROCKING IT, and working on the timing of the lessons! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T for arranging the 504 meetings! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carla for helping me get my caseload on track!  She is keeping me on track! ~Lilia
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carol for taking on dept chair like a champ and keeping History informed.  Also thanks for helping Fulton's sub and checking in with all of the History teachers! ~ Sandy
• SUPER awesome shout out to Rosa for coming into my classroom to help!  She is always available for us! ~Kimberly

August 24, 2018

Seems like a no brainer...ALL relationships matter.  The ones between collegues here, the ones at home, the ones with our students.  HERE are 4 benefits to building positive relationships with students including higher academic achievement, less behavior issues, and more.  Even when we get frustrated with students and they challenge us...take a deep breath, a step back, and pause for a moment to remember: WE ARE THE ADULTS.  WE are the ones who need to act like it and we have no idea what may be going on in the lives of our students outside of GVMS. 

Back to School Night is Wednesday, August 29th, beginning at 5 PM .  Be sure to mark your calendars!  Families will go through their Vikings' schedule, moving from class to class as the bell rings and ending in the gym for food from Napa Deli for purchase and information from GVMS PTC, Watch D.O.G.S representatives, Experience Church, Attendance Liaisons, Child Nutrition, and more!  

Soul Shoppe is COMING and we are excited for the positive impact for our students AND our staff!  Need to remember what it's all about?  Check out their website at www.soulshoppe.com

The dates that they are coming to GVMS are:

September 25, 26

October 2, 3, 9, 10

March 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20

Once we get more of a confirmed timelines, we will share it.  In the meantime, please put a note in your calendars!

Now that (some) of the dust has settled, here is who is doing what at GVMS!  Please let me know if I have left anyone off accidentally!

• Department Chairs: Ken Booker (Science), Cristina DeVries (6th ELA), Tamia Farley (SPED), Alisa Keffer (PE), Sue Kinder (Math), Lynn Laffey (6th Math), Heather Toll (English), Carol Walton (History)
• Athletic Director: Sarj Singh
• Flag Football: Sarj Singh
• Boys Basketball: Nate Peila, Sarj Singh
• Girls Basketball: Ken Booker
• Track: Nate Peila
• Cross Country: Liz Hirsch
• Girls Soccer: Alisa Keffer
• Boys Soccer: Sarj Singh
• Volleyball: Cristina DeVries
• Robotics Club: Tom Vohs
• Knitting Club: Heather Phillips
• THE Club: Ryan Lapid
• College and Career Club: Peter Pringle
• Garden Club: Katherine McKenna
• Intramural: Alisa Keffer, Nate Peila
• Honor Society: Heather Toll, Megan Layne
• Battle of the Books: Annette Cottman
• Student Activities/Leadership: Sandy Robinson
• Yearbook: Dave Fulton

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

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• SUPER awesome shout out Karen, Annette, CJ and Peter for ROCKING the Chromebook check out, Math check out, and Springboard check out!  YOU ALL ROCK!!  ~Heather T., Aubry
• SUPER awesome shout out to the ELA Department for being so flexible to get our kiddos the Chrome BookS! ~Heather
• SUPER awesome shout out to Chris, Lynn, Jacki and William Laffey for opening their home to all GVMS Staff!  Thank you for all of the delicious food and beverages (my stomach is dreaming of your wood fire pizza!).  Thank you for helping to set a positive tone for the school year! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to Michele S., Susan, and Michele R. for making things run so smoothly in the office amidst all of the chaos! ~Brenda
• SUPER awesome shout out to Elizabeth for bringing a lost student to my new room! ~Tara 
• SUPER awesome shout out to Admin and all the office ladies, your help since August 6 has been without question the brightest part of my move here to GVMS. 
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia!  You rock!  Learning a new site can be a challenge but with a colleague like you, it's going to be a breeze! ~Tara
• SUPER awesome shout out to Ryan for putting together my new chair AND making a set of copies for me!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Ms. Kristy for all of her help and support getting ready for the school year and "protecting" my parking space! ~Heather P.
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn for having tremendous patience in helping me finish setting up my grade book! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to Cristina for making an all-inclusive 6th grade Lesson for Digital Citizenship and sharing it with our team! ~Julie
• 
  

August 17, 2018

ARE. YOU. READY? (Borrowed ideas from Jas Bains Wright!)

Annnnndddd just like that another school year is here!  Some of our #positiveschoolculture is already alive and well and THRIVING!  AND:

Are you ready?

For 180 days of awesomeness, fun and laughter??

Are you ready?

For ALL Vikings to be included, loved, cared for, cared about, and noticed?

Are you ready?

To be available to help, visible to support, intentional and KIND??

Are you ready?

To make a positive DIFFERENCE?  FOR EVERY VIKING? NO MATTER WHAT?

Are you ready?

To have a super engaged, student centered classroom?

Are you ready?

To make mistake, learn from them, grow and try again?

Are you ready?
To connect and collaborate with peers, admin, families AND students?

Are you ready?

To show up?  Every day? Ready to make a positive impact?

Are you ready?

To empower our students, advocate for our students, support our students, inspire our students?

Are your ready?

To reflect on what took place each day so that our kids YEARN to be in our classrooms?

Are you ready?

For changes in behavior that we may not understand and, yet, making connections, accepting, loving and supporting our Vikings?

Are you ready?

To be ALL IN?  To be POSITIVE?  To SQUASH the NEGATIVE?

Tell me...

ARE. YOU. READY???

WE ARE!!!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!

(15)

• SUPER awesome shout out Karen, Annette, and Peter for taking on the Chromebook check out, Math check out, and Springboard check out!  YOU ALL ROCK!!  ~Sue, KC, CL, 
• SUPER awesome shout out to my team for helping me with my questions and going out of their way to make me feel welcome! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to the awesome English and Math Departments!  You all ROCK!  All of the check outs when very smoothly!  Thanks for all the help! ~Karen
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn and KC for opening their homes for staff gatherings! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carol, Dustin, and Sandy for getting Dave's room and plans together! ~KC and CL
• SUPER awesome shout out to Carol for being so supportive of me! ~Kevin
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T, Sue, Ryan, and Kristy for leading PD for our retreat! ~ALL OF US!
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sue for her dedication and hard work to ensure that all Math dept have access to grade level pacing and more, as well as, presenting the lesson in our math meeting!  We all truly appreciate you! ~Paula
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather P. for taking the new math curriculum for all grade levels and making folders for lessons and other materials!  It's greatly appreciated! ~Paula
• SUPER awesome shout out to Ryan and Kristy for their ideas and suggestions to use!  I used them successfully in class already! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn for our awesome get together!  I need a pizza oven in my life! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather T. for being beyond AWESOME for all she has done for our English Department and making sure everyone felt prepared to begin the school year! ~Aubry
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALL that were able to join us in the front to welcome the kids on the first day! ~Cristina and KC and CL
• SUPER awesome shout out to Heather P. for a great first day together! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to all the SPED teachers who came by and helped their/our students to have a great first day! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia, Carla, Anita, Megan, Cristina, Brenda,CL and KC for helping this week! ~Marlys
• SUPER awesome shout out to Brenda as she is so helpful with an amazing attitude!  Thank you for helping me get settled at GVMS and making me feel welcome!  ~Lilia
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for taking the lead with SPED SQUAD!