Well we're back at it again starting Monday! We've got a little less than a month until Christmas Break! If there's one thing I've learned it's that being an adult is hard. There's constant decisions that have to be made, jobs to keep up with, bills to pay, and so much more. Sometimes we feel like we're spinning our wheels and getting no where. Or sometimes we may feel like it's all just too much, too hard, to overwhelming.
There is a way for us to make "adulting" a little bit easier though. How you might ask? Well it comes down to the simple fact of remembering what it's like to be a kid. To live those childlike moments and embrace them.
To run barefoot down the beach. To sit and build something out of play-doh. To lay in the grass and try to figure out what shapes the clouds have made. To go out and order a Happy Meal just so you can play with the toy that comes with it.
Sometimes the best way to maintain perspective and to not get to overwhelmed is to embrace your inner child.
As educators we have a leg-up on the rest of the adults. How so? Well we get to be around children all day long. Kids who can help us remember what it's like to dream big, to believe in the impossible, and to imagine things can be better.
My all time favorite quote is "Adults need to have fun, so children will want to grow up" by Erica Bauermiester. It's so true. Why would a child ever want to be anything like us, if we look like unhappy, angry, grumps.
Let's find ways this week to tap into our inner child.
Week at a Glance
Monday - School Board Mtg - 6:30pm
Tuesday - Math Vertical - 3:30pm - TP Room
Wednesday - Cecil Wedding Shower - 3:30pm - Library
Thursday - Community Connections Voluntary Mtg - 3:45pm - Library (more info below)
Friday - End of Progress Report Grading Period (3:45pm)
Community Connections Mtg
In an effort to reach more of our students we are looking to crowdsource what connections we as a staff may have. We'd love for you to join us for a voluntary meeting just to share some of our connections and to explain ways we're working to better meet some of our students social/emotional and academic needs.
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans should be updated through December 9th.
Birthdays
November 28 - Andrea Day
November 30 - Mallory LaPlant
December 3 - Allison Guy
December 4 - Tamera Boyd
Christmas Family Fun Night
TP Time
We will continue to dive into lessons. Please bring one lesson for a TEK you're teaching or will teach. Each team member should bring a DIFFERENT lesson for a different TEK. Please know the TEK for your lesson before our meeting.
Monday - 1st Grade
Tuesday - 2nd Grade
Wednesday - 5th Grade
Thursday - 4th Grade
Friday - 3rd Grade
T-TESS
If you have not already decided on a date for your observation, please note that may reflect in part of your T-TESS observation rating, as you were instructed to decide on a date with your evaluator BEFORE Thanksgiving Break. We would like all observations done before Christmas, and with Benchmarks and other things coming up, I know all of our calendars are already almost full.
Kids Deserve It
Episode 50 is an interview with "Ada Twist, Scientist" NY Times Bestselling Author, Andrea Beaty.
Blogs/Articles
Rockstar Educators
Geralyn Jackson - Geralyn is our counselor. I really don't know how our campus could function without her. She is a huge champion for kids and the broken. She is constantly counseling with kids, meeting with parents, handing out food or supplies, doing 504 things, and so much more. Geralyn is light hearted, compassionate, and extremely hard working. I have had the pleasure of getting to spend all three years of my admin position with Geralyn as part of the team and I know that I am a better person for getting to work alongside her each and every day.
Vivian Stenseth - Vivian is one of our PreK teachers. She is a powerhouse in the classroom. Even though she is very soft spoken and always so calm, I am consistently blown away by her creativity and the thought she puts behind each of her decisions. She challenges her students, but also loves on them so much. She gives them freedom to express themselves, but also structure to learn and grow. She's extremely patient and always loving. I love every moment I'm able to spend in her classroom because I see a teacher who's heart is truly there for the kids, but I also always leave the room with another idea or lesson learned!
Evangelic Sipp - Evangelic is a 5th Grade Math and Science teacher. I can't tell you enough how blown away I am by the growth Evangelic has shown in the past year. She's only in her second year of teaching, but she takes such deep thought to all of her lessons and ideas. She's the first to jump on board with a new teaching strategy and she's always hungry to learn more. She's also excellent at connecting with her kids emotionally and looking for ways to grow them academically as well as socially. I am thankful we have teachers like Evangelic on our campus.
In Closing....
Kids are resilient, creative, and can do so much more than we often give them credit for. They believe in the impossible, want to change the world, and they keep getting back up when they're knocked down.
Let's take this week to learn from our kids. Start each morning talking with your class. Share your joys, your pains, your successes, your failures. Share your heart.
And most of all, find the kid in yourself. Play at recess. Stay for their PE class. Invite your students to stay after school one day for a game of kickball. Let them see you care about them more than just a score on a sheet, and in the process you'll find some joy too.
