Saturday, April 27, 2019

It's Gonna be May

Can you believe it?? May will finally be here next week! Let's go out with a BANG!

Worry

BY MADISYN TAYLOR
Worry is an extension of fear, and can also set you up for attracting that which you don't want in your life.
We have all had the experience of worrying about something at some point in our lives. Some of us have a habitual tendency to worry, and all of us have known someone who is a chronic worrier. Worry is an extension of fear and can be a very draining experience. In order for worry to exist, we have to imagine that something bad might happen. What we are worrying about has not happened yet, however, so this bad thing is by definition a fantasy. Understood this way, worry is a self-created state of needless fear. Still, most of us worry.

One reason we worry is because we feel like we're not in control. For example, you might worry about your loved ones driving home in bad weather. There is nothing you can do to guarantee their safe passage, but you worry until you find out they have reached their destination unharmed. In this instance, worry is an attempt to feel useful and in control. However, worrying does nothing to ensure a positive outcome and it has an unpleasant effect on your body, mind, and spirit. The good news is that there are ways to transform this kind of worry so that it has a healing effect. Just as worry uses the imagination, so does the antidote to worry. Next time you find that you are worrying, imagine the best result instead of anticipating the worst outcome.

Another reason we worry is that something that we know is pending but are avoiding is nagging us--an unpaid parking ticket, an upcoming test, an issue with a friend. In these cases, acknowledging that we are worried and taking action is the best solution. If you can confront the situation and own your power to change it, you'll have no reason to worry.

Week at a Glance

Sunday - Grades due by Midnight
Monday - MAP, Istation, and F&P End of Year Testing Begins
Bass Wedding Shower - 3:30pm
Tuesday - Nesloney, Short, Argueta at Principal Meeting all Morning
Wednesday - Boy Scouts at 7:40am to all students (5 min)
Thursday - Kinder to Dewberry Farms
Staff Prayer Time - 7am - TP room
National Day of Prayer - 7pm - VFW
Friday - Last Day to Have EOY T-TESS Meetings
4th Grade to AG Day at Fair Grounds

Birthdays

May 3 - Jennifer Short

MAP, Istation, and F&P End of Year Testing

You have the entire month of May to get this done. Tested grade levels, you should NOT do MAP testing until after STAAR.

EOY T-TESS Meetings

If you have not scheduled your End of Year T-TESS Meeting, those must be completed by Friday.

Morning Car Duty

I know I've said this before, but if you serve morning car duty your job is to OPEN DOORS.  Please make sure you're not just standing there, or talking with co-workers.  Please open car doors and greet children and families. Two teams last week did not do this.

PLCs

 There will be NO PLC this week but still morning duty.

Monday - Kinder and 5th on Duty
Tuesday - 1st & PreK on Duty
Wednesday - 2nd on Duty
Thursday - 3rd on Duty
Friday - 4th on Duty


Quote Shirts

Just ONE day left to get your Kids Deserve It quote shirt.  It says, "When you listen to a child you give them back their voice".  Get yours HERE.

Tell Your Story

This week's conversation is with elementary educator, Mike McGowen.


Blogs/Articles




In Closing...

It's so weird to think that I'll be leaving at the end of the school year. Some days I wake up and don't believe it. I get a hug from a child, a parent says something, or I see one of you doing something funny and it hits me and hits me hard that I'm leaving.

The last 5 years in Webb have been some of the best of my career and you all have become family. Though change is hard, and change is sometimes needed, I am choosing to not worry (Just like the opening of this blog says).

I wanted you to know that I accepted a job as the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership at TEPSA (Texas Association of Elementary Principal and Supervisors Association).  I'll be doing a lot of different things including running all their social media accounts, visiting schools, amplifying member voice, building membership, creating new partnerships, and more.  The next step is new and different for me, but one that I know God has directed my path to.

I will write a more meaningful letter to you all soon, but I am so excited to finish this year strong with all of you and make it the BEST ending to a school year EVER!

(and if you need a great new pop song to jam to, check out Taylor Swift's newest!)



Thursday, April 18, 2019

4 Days

A 4 day weekend is the perfect time to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy some time with those you love. Come back ready to tackle the final weeks!

Week at a Glance

Monday - No School
Tuesday - House Game Meeting 3:30pm - Library
Wednesday - Nesloney off Campus at Region 6 Training
Thursday - Staff Prayer Time - 7am - TP Room
Friday - 5th Grade Math Fair
End of Progress Report Grading Period

House Game Meeting

We will have our Final house games on May 10th.  If you would like to help plan that activities for that game please plan to attend a quick House Games meeting at 3:30pm on Tuesday!

5th Grade Math Fair

The annual 5th Grade Math Fair will take place Friday.  Your kids will get to experience it during their CAMP time. This is a great opportunity to celebrate our 5th graders' passions. Please plan to stop by as well. Do not just drop your kids off and leave.

Morning Car Duty

I know I've said this before, but if you serve morning car duty your job is to OPEN DOORS.  Please make sure you're not just standing there, or talking with co-workers.  Please open car doors and greet children and families. Two teams last week did not do this.

PLCs


 There will be NO PLC this week but still morning duty.


Monday - No School
Tuesday - 1st & PreK on Duty
Wednesday - 2nd on Duty
Thursday - 3rd on Duty
Friday - 4th on Duty

Birthdays

April 18 - Lauren Mulgrew
April 20 - Elizabeth Griesbach
April 26 - Ashley Arrington

Tell Your Story

This week's conversation is with Principal Melanie Rucker.


Blogs/Articles





In Closing...

Trauma leaves behind scars we don't often see right away. Many of our students are coming from places of immense trauma and we need to take that into consideration before we demand an extreme consequence or punish them severely.  Every case is different.  I encourage you to watch the video at the top of THIS article.  It's a powerful reminder.



Friday, April 12, 2019

The Holidays

As educators, many of us look forward to the longer weekend or extra days off.  It's a time to refresh and refuel and gives us just that extra boost to make it through another few weeks.

But something I'm often reminded of is how not all of our students feel the same way.  This next week is our first of 2 four day weeks.  I have already had several students ask me if we have to have those days off.  If they can come to school instead.

It breaks my heart to remember that not every child we serve goes home to a loving home. But I'm also encouraged by the simple fact that they want to be here. That you all have worked to build an environment that students don't want to leave.

This time of year we can easily lose sight of the impact we're making. But I know each of you are leaving your imprint on this children's hearts.

Week at a Glance

Saturday - Beauty and the Beast at 1pm and 6pm
Monday - Start of Rattlers Read One Week
Faculty Meeting - 3:45pm - Gym
Tuesday - Lauren Musick PLC Meeting - 3:30pm - Her Room
Wednesday - 5th Grade Field Trip
Thursday - Kinder Photos
Staff Prayer Time - 7am
Nesloney Off Campus
Friday - No School

Birthdays

Lauren Mulgrew - April 18th

Staff Meeting

We will have an all Staff Meeting on Monday at 3:45pm.  Please come ready to discuss Chapters 3-6 of the Power of Moments.

Thanks

Big shout out to Mrs. Argueta for all her hard work in organizing and leading STAAR testing this week! We had a successful first round! It's not an easy task and we are so thankful for the work that Mrs. Argueta does.

Also a shout out to Mr. Haliburton for all the extra work and time he (and his helpers) put in to bring us and our students special events that are so amazing.

Tell Your Story

This week's conversation is with guided math extraordinaire, Reagan Tunstall.


Blogs/Articles





In Closing...

We all have to remember that every action we take and every word we choose will leave an impression. I hope one day we all get to experience something as heartwarming as the video below.


Friday, April 5, 2019

Grief is Important

Grief Is Important

BY MADISYN TAYLOR

Change is something that happens each and every moment in our lives. Since nothing is constant, it may sometimes seem as if we are losing something whenever things do change. Understanding that this is part of our daily existence and that there will not only be gains but also losses in our lives can help us more readily accept and deal with whatever happens.
Whenever we lose something or somebody we love, it is important for us to take time out for ourselves and truly feel the weight of what we are experiencing. Although it may seem that doing so will push us into a deeper state of sadness, truly giving ourselves permission to be with whatever arises actually creates space for us to begin the healing process. This is because the act of grieving is a natural process, allowing us to sort through the range of emotions that are present in our everyday existence. 


Even though it may sometimes seem easier to involve ourselves in activities that take our minds off of our sadness, this will only make the route to healing more difficult. Unless we listen to where we are in the moment, the emotions we experience will only grow in intensity, and our feelings will manifest themselves in more powerful and less comfortable ways. Once we consciously acknowledge that these emotions are present, however, we are more able to soothe the sorrow of the moment. In so doing, we become more open to our natural ability to heal ourselves. 

Grieving doesn't have to be a process that keeps us rooted in our thoughts of fear and sadness. For the moment we might feel despondent, but by expressing and coping with our true feelings, we face the sadness head-on. When we allow ourselves to accept and deal with our loss fully, we will then be able to continue our life's journey with a much more positive and accepting outlook. This will make it easier for us to see that our grief is ephemeral and, just like our moments of happiness, it will also come to pass.


Grieving doesn't have to be a process that keeps us rooted in our thoughts of fear and sadness.
Week at a Glance

Sunday - Grades due by Midnight
Monday - Start of Assistant Principal Week
Tuesday - 4th Grade Writing & 5th Grade Math STAAR
Wednesday - 5th Grade Reading STAAR
PTO Meeting - 5:30pm - Library
Thursday - #LoveMySchoolDay
Staff Prayer - 7am - TP Room
Webb Singers at Brosing All Day
Friday - Webb Singers at Brosig
Beauty and the Beast - 7pm - Brosig Auditorium
Saturday - Beauty and the Beast - 2pm and 6pm - Brosig Auditorium

Birthdays

Darla Davis - April 10
Jocelyn White - April 10
Giovana Toscano-Zavala - April 12

PLCs

This week we will have morning duty but NO PLC time.

Monday - Kinder & 5th on Duty
Tuesday - 1st & PreK on Duty
Wednesday - 2nd on Duty
Thursday - 3rd on Duty
Friday - 4th on Duty

Book Study

At our faculty meeting coming up in two weeks, we'll continue our conversation over our book The Power of Moments.  You'll need to read chapters 3-6.  Please come prepared to discuss.

Thanks

HUGE thank you to Becky Madison.  Not only is she a fantastic nurse and all around brilliant and kind human being but she's brought us the Rattler Store, had the idea for cooking hotdogs, and brought us Orbit last week! Thank you Nurse Madison!

T-Shirts

Many have asked about the Quote shirts or Tell Your Story shirts.  If you'd like one you can get one HERE.  I make ZERO money off of these, just to be clear. All money is donated back to YOU and Donors Choose projects as well as Title 1 Schools in memory of my mother, Sally Rost. The shirts are made of that super soft material.

Tell Your Story

This week's conversation is with viral YouTube and social media mogul, GloZell Green.


Blogs/Articles




In closing...

This next week our 4th and 5th graders (and teachers) will be filled with anxiety and worry. Let's do everything we can to encourage our kiddos. To show them they've been taught the materials and they've got this! Let's high five their teachers and remind them of all the hard work we know they've put in.

Together we're always better. Remember the research behind having others color with crayola crayons and how it reduces stress.  Remember the research behind goal setting. Remember the power of a single word.

We've got this!