September 7, 2018

Have you ever sat and thought about how we have the best job ever?  Do you ever question it sometimes?  It's human nature, we understand!  Check out THIS ARTICLE about 11 reasons why we have the BEST JOB EVER, including how middle school students tell it like it is, they have a ridiculous sense of humor, you have an endless supply of humor at any part you go to, and more.  It's an easy and fun read, AND a FABULOUS reminder of our WHY.  What is your WHY???  WHY do you do what you do??  WHY do you want to work with our students?

Things to Remember About Feedback

1.       Feedback is not advice, praise, or evaluation. Feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to a goal. This is why we come into classrooms DAILY!!

2.       If students know the classroom is a safe place to make mistakes, they are more likely to use feedback for learning. If our staff know it is okay to make mistakes and it's safe, then you all will take more exciting educational risks!

3.       The feedback students give teachers can be more powerful than the feedback teachers give students. Think about this!!

4.       When we give a grade as a part of our feedback, students routinely read only as far as the grade. Feedback is much more meaningful!

5.       Effective feedback occurs during the learning, while there is still time to act on it. And then change if needed!

6.       Most of the feedback that students receive about their classroom work is from other students – and much of that feedback is wrong. Their discussions aren't wrong, just the information sometimes!

7.       Students need to know their learning target—the specific skill they’re supposed to learn—or else “feedback” is just someone telling them what to do.

“Data doesn’t belong to the teacher.  The data belongs to the student and is on loan to you.”  --Damen Lopez

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!

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• SUPER awesome shout out Megan for helping me with MAP Testing! ~Marlys
• SUER awesome shout out to Sue for ALWAYS being willing to lend a helping hand and putting positive postcards in my box!~ Marlys
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tamia for being an awesome Dept Chair! ~Marlys
• SUPER awesome shout out to Cristina for being a great co-teacher! ~Marlys
• SUPER awesome shout out to Julie, Heather, Karron, Katherine and Ryan for your help and advice with a difficult parent!  ~ Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Jason for coming to my rescue during Friday dismissal! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to Anita for sharing her ideas and checking in on me as a new team member! ~Karron
• SUPER awesome shout out to Ryan for coming in to support during an IEP~ Tamia and KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lorraine for helping me with the SBAC bulletin board!  You are a super hero! ~Heather T.
• SUPER awesome shout out to Rosa for helping me with a student who needed to work in the main office! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to Admin for coffee at B2T Night! ~Sandy
• SUPER awesome shout out to Elizabeth for always being able to talk about how to help students! ~Sandy
• SUPER awesome shout out to Tom and Larissa for letting me borrow supplies for a project!  I think our Science Team works so well together! ~Ken
• SUPER awesome shout out to Sue, Megan, Admin, Cristina, and SPED squad for collaboration! ~Marly
• SUPER awesome shout out to Voz for sharing his "grabber" with me! ~Lynn
• SUPER awesome shout out to Alex, Jason, Dustin, and Carol for helping me bring things in from my car!~ Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to GVMS Staff for being flexible for students to complete MAP Testing, especially those that were going on IS! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to Lynn for organizing our field trip to the marsh! ~Ryan

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!

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• 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!

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• 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!

June 8, 2018

Thank you for being a part of making this a great school year!  We have had so many successes: adding more Chrome Books, growing our garden, celebrating our high Honor Roll/Attendance rates, having more electives in all three grades, utilizing technology and more programs for students in department, writing and awarding over 2,500 Good News Referrals (more than last year!!!), successful Challenge Days, successful Career Day (whew!), more parent nights, a successful Color Run, a successful Spring Fling (4th!), new staff coming on board, and SO MUCH MORE!  We LOVE watching our students, staff and culture CONTINUE grow!!

As we go into the summer, please take this time to rest, relax, and recover.  It's been an extremely hard year and I can't actually put my finger on why it was exactly.  What I can say, with ABSOLUTE certainty, is that I am looking forward to coming back ready to conquer next year as a super hero, continue to build our positive school culture, see tutorial into successful year, stay student focused, and support one another.  I have 5 professional books that I am ready to dive right into, to help be grow as a professional and focus on our positive staff culture!!

I am always, even in July, available via text or email if you need me =)

When we return, Alex and I will have a concrete plan of chrome book distribution, charging stations for classrooms and extra chrome books for those students that forget.  Contract for each student must be signed prior to assigning their chrome books!  Thanks for bringing all of your devices to the library as Alex is ALREADY jumping on this!  SUPER EXCITING!

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!  KEEP THEM COMING!  We love the "I Noticed..." and will add as many as we can!

Click HERE to add! (285)

• SUPER awesome shout out to ALLISON, JACOB, JOSIAH, CHRISTEN, DAVE M., DON, JAMIE AND BARB for their love, dedication, collaboration, smiles, hugs, laughter, insight, care, consideration, and more on our campus!  You all will be missed!

• SUPER awesome shout out to Bates, Rosa, Karen, Annette, Booker, Farley, Keffer, Kinder, Laffey, Lapid, Layne, Marks, Patterson, Peterson, Peckham, Perriatt, Phillips, Schwazbach, Reimer, Vargas, Walton, Silva, Lopez and Admin for writing 255 Good News Referrals for 5 days in JUNE!  WAY TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

June 1, 2018

The end of the school year is always a fabulous time to reflect on what you have taught, how it was received, how much of positive difference you have made, and what you want to change for next year.  It's also a FABULOUS time to ask our students how THEY felt the year went, what they wished would change, and their best moments of the year.  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE about some fun ways to get their feedback to help you grow as a educator.  We never stop learning and growing!

Another powerful way to end our school year is to map it out with your students.  Have them map out the year which gives you a powerful way to relate to each student and how they feel the year has gone.  Check out THIS ARTICLE for more in depth details!

We have all experienced feeling tired, burnt out, or ready to quit.  Building, promoting and maintaining a positive school culture takes WORK.  A lot of work.  ANNNNNDDDDD it's one of the MOST rewarding accomplishments that can take place on a school campus.  THIS IS OUR FOCUS moving forward and what we will be focusing on at our staff retreat on August 9, here at GVMS!  We are TOTALLY looking forward to continuing our momentum and positive steps in the RIGHT DIRECTION!!

I have already registered, have you?!?!  Don't miss out on this exciting and engaging PD where you can learn all new ways and ideas for engaging students, increasing your technical knowledge, and all while attending an "unconference"!!  Sign up NOW and don't miss out!  It's going to be FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!

We have our annual site walk through scheduled for Monday, June 25 so please be sure that you have taken personal items home, discarded items that are obsolete, and de-cluttered our classrooms.  Extra supplies need to make it back to the supply closet and if you want anything donated to charity, please leave it on the table outside the mail room by Friday, June 8 and it will magically disappear for you =)

We will be going 1:1 next year and, in order to make that happen, this is what we must do:

• Remove all markings of room number/teacher name
• Have all chrome carts with chrome books delivered to library starting Monday, June 4
• Deliver ALL chrome books that are in lockers to library beginning Monday, June 4
• If there are ANY repairs that are needed, enter the FMX ticket NOW!
• Those students that do not remember to bring their device will have to check one out in the library in the morning and return it in the afternoon
• Alex will spend summer accounting for our devices so that they are ready to be assigned to students for 18-19

SUPER HERO SHOUT OUTS!  KEEP THEM COMING!  We love the "I Noticed..." and will add as many as we can!

Click HERE to add! (285)

• SUPER awesome shout out to ALLISON, JACOB, JOSIAH, CHRISTEN, DAVE M., DON, AND BARB for their love, dedication, collaboration, smiles, hugs, laughter, insight, care, consideration, and more on our campus!  You all will be missed!

• SUPER awesome shout out to RYAN for spreading positive energy wherever her goes! ~Heather P.
• SUPER awesome shout out to SARJ, NATE, and CHRIS LAFFEY for cooking this morning! DELICIOUS!!!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to those that brought food to help with this morning's feast!
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAN PECKHAM for being a musical magician to pull all o four kids together for music! ~Sue
• SUPER awesome shout out to SHARON and JULIA for sticking with it for this entire time!! ~K&C
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA, CRISTINA, CAROL, ALLISON, PAULA, JULIE, HEATHER T., LORRAINE, AUBRY, MEGAN, ALISA, KRISTY, AND SUE for showing support during the Restructuring Committee Meeting!  LOVE to see staff coming together in such a positive way!! ~K&C, Sue, and Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to KRISTY, DUSTIN, LYNN, and RYAN for coming together to work for our positive school culture retreat!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVE F and TAMIA for their hard work on tutorial! ~Cristina
• SUPER awesome shout out to CAROL for helping in my room during Field Day! ~Katherine
• SUPER awesome shout out to SUE for taking care of ALL OF US all the time!  You are loved by all and one of the strongest people we know! ~Kristy
• SUPER awesome shout out to DAVE O for trusting me and giving guidance when I needed it!  I appreciate it! ~Kristy
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA, CHRISTEN, JACOB, and JOSIAH for working as a team to support ALL of our students!  Your ideas and suggestions work wonders and so many of them grew! ~Kristy
• SUPER awesome shout out to SARJ and CREW for noticing that OUR STAFF needed to come together for breakfast! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to HEATHER P., LYNN, and KATHERINE for supporting each other and making each other laugh during these final crazy days! ~Ryan
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALLISON for handing over so many of her supplies and sharing before she retires! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA for providing great questions for an assignment and sharing it! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to KARYN for saving me when my tow truck was MIA! ~Christen
• SUPER awesome shout out to GWEN, SANDY, KRISTY, and FLOR for keeping TAP running smoothly!!  They handle my stress and emotions!  They need hazard pay! ~Christen
• SUPER awesome shout out to Bates, Booker, Campus Monitors, DeVries, Diaz, Hafich, Kinder, Laffey, Lapid, Love, Layne, McKenna, Patterson, Peterson, Perriatt, Pozzesi,  Rice, Russell, Schwazbach, Reimer, Walton, Wheeler and Admin for writing 311 Good News Referrals for MAY!