Rested and Ready

Well team, we FINALLY had a few days away from work to rejuvenate and refresh ourselves.  I hope each and every one of you took some time to spend with family, eat lots of great food, and just some time to rest up!

We only have 18 and 1/2 school days left in 2015 to impact kids, educate, and change lives!  Let's really work to make them the best days of the school year so far!

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans should be completed through December 11th.  Please remember we need to be teaching bell to bell.  There have been quite a few times recently where we've seen lots of "down-time" in the classrooms.  Please make sure you are utilizing every instructional moment.  Our kids don't have a moment to waste.

Team Planning

This week's team planning schedule is below.  Please bring up to date Istation and MobyMax data as well as your data binders.

Monday - 5th Grade

Tuesday - 4th Grade

Wednesday - 3rd Grade

Thursday - 2nd Grade

Friday - 1st Grade

Science Lab

The Science Lab has been categorized, alphabetized, and organized.  Kathy Eckermann (from STEMscopes) will be in the lab all day tomorrow working with 5th Grade Classrooms.  I will be creating a schedule for any other grades looking to use the lab.

PLEASE make sure that when you use items you put them back and that when we're running low on items let Mallory know and she can put in a PO to get some more.

December 3rd and 4th

December 3rd and 4th is the Global Skype-A-Thon!  I hope you'll check out THIS link and consider participating.  Let me know if you need any help or have any questions!

Kids Deserve It

Every week I do an interview (with my friend Adam Welcome) on our Kids Deserve It show.  We recently interviewed Angela Maiers who in my opinion is one of the most inspirational people I know.  Right up there with Kim Bearden.  You can check it out below if you're interested! (you can also follow the hashtag #KidsDeserveIt on Twitter)

Important Things This Week

Tuesday - Social Studies Vertical Meeting - 3:15pm

Wednesday - Team Leader Meeting - 7:00am

UPCOMING: December 8th - Christmas Family Fun Night

Blogs/Articles

Just Talk To Me

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Stressed, Tired, Rushed: A Portrait of the Modern Family

Volunteering In My Wife's Classroom Opened My Eyes

and MY Favorite: "A student told me I couldn't understand because I was a white lady"

Rockstar Educators

Make sure you celebrate this week's rockstar educators!

Alex Anthony - Alex teaches 2nd grade here at Webb.  I love any time I get to visit Alex's classroom because it's always filled with laughter, love, and a sense of calm.  Alex cares so deeply about each of her students and is willing to do whatever she has to to make sure that they can get what they need.  I am so glad Alex is on our team and I know that she is a huge asset to us!

Kevin Bradford - Where do I even start with Kevin?  High energy, creative, wild, unpredictable, but most of all has the biggest heart for kids.  And not just kids at Webb.  Kevin is incredibly intelligent and had SUCH a great idea on Crash Course Day!  He recently got his first Donors Choose Project fulfilled and is in the midst of our food drive for KBTX.  Thank you Kevin for all you do!

Well here we go!  Let's welcome our kiddos back with open arms, huge hugs, big high-fives, awesome fist bumps, and warm smiles.  Our kids love coming to school.  Let's make sure they're welcomed back properly!

I really enjoyed this video, and wanted to share it as we work closer and deeper with kiddos!

Let's Crash this Course

The time is near....the arrival of Kim Bearden!

But even more exciting for me, is seeing/hearing/feeling the excitement on campus.  I can't wait to see the incredible things you all are going to do on Monday for our kiddos.  And I can't wait for you to meet and hear from Kim Bearden as well.

We've all worked so hard and tirelessly with NO BREAK for months!  And our week long break is near!!

Let's fill this week with amazing lessons, belly laughs, big hugs, high fives, cheers, celebrations, and most of all, love.

Holidays can be a tough time for so many of our kids.  The uncertanity of food or shelter.  The potential of being stuck with family who may be verbally or physically abusive.  And so much more.

Let's wrap our kiddos with lots of patience, kindness, and love this week.

I am right now, sitting in an airport on my way home from a conference called Miami Device...and this conference was very different for me.  First of all I was incredibly torn to be gone for several days while you all were working tirelessly at campus.  And on the other hand, I found myself tearing up many times as I shared stories of the work you guys were doing for kids, or as people came up to me to ask about some of you because of the tweets or blog posts they had seen.

The work you do is impacting far more than just the students and families of Navasota.  It may be hard to believe, becuase it's still hard for me to fathom, but I see it every time I travel.

You guys are incredible and there is NO team that I would rather be a part of.

A friend of mine, John Spencer, shared this video this week.  I fell in love with it.

Team Planning

There will be no team planning meetings this week.  Our Camp leaders have worked tireless this year with most of them not even getting a conference period.  This week, they'll have that 7:45-8:30 time to hang out in classrooms and visit with kids in a different element.

As administrators we will be dropping by and checking in with teams and team leaders all week this week.

BECKY HARRISON will be here on Thursday.  Please know where your kids are academically, what you're doing to help them, interventions, and data.

Book Fair

Book Fair begins this week!  This is a great fundraiser for our library!  Book Fair will also be open at STEM night! Tell your kiddos!

Important Things This Week

Monday - Crash Course Day (training with Kim Bearden after school)

Tuesday - Nesloney is gone at AIE Conference (for priority schools)

Science Vertical Meeting - 3:15pm

STEM Night - 5:00-7:00pm

Wednesday - Nesloney is gone at AIE Conference (for priority schools)

Thursday - Becky Harrison on Campus

Friday - Fire Drill

Blogs/Articles

How You Can Help Victims of the Paris Terror Attacks

12 People on the Kindest Thing a Stranger Ever Said to Them

Evaluate and Elevate Your Why

Rockstar Educators

Geralyn Jackson - Geralyn has one of the biggest hearts on our campus.  She is always looking to help kids emotionally, financially, and physically.  She steps up everywhere she's needed and will never back down to celebrate or help out a kiddo.  When I met Geralyn a year or so ago, I knew she was something special, and she re-proves it every single day.

Evangelic Sipp - Evangelic is such a creative force.  She's always looking for better ways to do things and isn't afraid to ask for help.  She's also got such a heart for her kiddos.  She always has a smile on her face even when she's at her wits end.  I love talking with her because she's always got such a great attitude and belief in her students potential and ability.

Birthdays

Cassie Reynolds - November 17

KVon Lambert - November 23

Dorothy Sargent - November 24

Andrea Day - November 28

Let's make this week the best week of the school year so far!  The Kids Deserve It!

Lift Up Your Hands (When You Can't)

One thing that I've written, read, and spoken about on many occasions are the hidden battles everyone faces.  The fact that each of us has our own craziness going on in our lives yet we still show up each and every day ready to give everything we have for these kids.

It's hard and it can become exhausting.  Especially if you're trying to do it on your own and you're not leaning on those around you.

One thing I personally lean on is my faith.  I know not everyone believes what I believe, and that's the great thing about living in this country we live in, that we can all choose to believe what we wish.

But yesterday while driving to Houston, I heard this new song by one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Mark Shultz.  It's called "Lift Up Your Hands (When You Can't".  You can see a little of the lyrics below (as well as the entire song embedded in this post).  Here's a few....

"Well I know that your heart is past broken

and it feels like you've got nothing left

and you can't find your song cause you can't even speak

you're just tying to take the next breath

and you find yourself here in this moment

we have all gathered to praise

and though you wish that you did, you got nothing to give

it's enough that you're here anyway

so let me stand up and sing of His goodness

let me lift up a song in your place

cause i know that He'll always be with us

even when we can't see His face

I'm gonna sing to the one who is faithful

though the battle is not over yet

and I'll be your voice til your able

and I'll lift up your hands when you can't."

When I heard this song I immediately thought of you guys.  As the captain of this ship, it's my job to look after you.  To help you.  To lift up your hands when you can't.  I take that job very personally and know that I have a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do to be great at it, but I'm trying.

I wanted the intro to the blog post this week to be one where you know that at any point, when you need to cry, to vent, to seek out help, all of us in that front office are there to do just that. We want ALL of us to succeed, and if one person has fallen overboard then we haven't done our job.

So please don't ever be afraid to see us out.  Cause we're here to lift up your hands when you can't.

Crash Course

We have the final two chapters to read this week, in preparation for Kim Bearden being at Webb on Monday the 16th!  The book talk this week will be on TUESDAY at 3:45pm.

NOMINATIONS FOR DINNER WITH KIM ARE DUE BY EMAIL TO ME ON TUESDAY!!!

Team Planning

For TP this week you'll need to bring your data binders, before/after school tutoring plans, and one station to share with the team.

Monday - 5th Grade

Tuesday - 4th Grade

Wednesday - Veteran's Day Program

Thursday - Kinder; 3rd Grade from 3:30-4:15pm

Friday - 1st Grade

Important Things This Week

I will not be approving any absences for Monday or Wednesday as we already have people out for PD.

Tuesday - Ident-A-Kid will be on campus.  That doesn't affect any of your planning I just want you to be aware

Math Vertical Meeting at 3:15pm

Wednesday - Veteran's Day Program - 7:45am in Cafeteria (just like PTO fundraiser)

Kinder will leave cafeteria at 7:35am to prepare for Field Trip

Thursday - Nesloney will be out. 

Friday - Nesloney will be out.

PreK Field Trip (Garrett will be attending)

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans are due through Thanksgiving

Blogs/Articles

The Day I'll Finally Stop Grieving 

Strengthening Executive Functioning Development with Students with ADD

Academic Choice: Comprehending and Retelling a Story

When Was The Last Time You Just....Played?

Rockstar Educators

Anna Wilkerson - Anna is a 4th grade Math/Science teacher here.  She's very quiet, but does a great job in her classroom and comes with a wealth of knowledge.  I've watched her grow and bloom so quickly with her students and she takes advice hungrily!  Plus this weekend I got to see her in action at the Houston Zoo (where she used to work) and could see her love of people and animals shine even brighter.  We caught a big winner with this one and I really encourage you to get to know her!

Jeanette Enriquez - Jeanette works in our front office with Annie.  I don't know what we would do without her.  She's always got a smile on her face and willing does anything asked of her, but even more importantly she does it WELL!  Jeanette feel into our laps through a series of circumstances, but we are so glad that she did!  If you haven't told Jeanette how much she means to you, do it this week!

Birthdays

Melinda Colin - Saturday, November 14

We are in the midst of the month of thankfulness.  Make sure those around you, including your families, know how thankful you are for them.  Find little ways to celebrate them and remind them.

Maura Pavlock sent me this video this week, and I absolutely loved it and knew it'd be the perfect way to end this week's post.  Let's make it another amazing week!

Students with learning disabilities give their teachers some heartfelt advice. (Via Brain Highways)

Posted by Upworthy on Wednesday, November 4, 2015