January 31, 2020

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Classrooms took advantage of the free Virtual Field Trip to the Omaha Zoo about sharks.  We learned that there were some HUGE pre-historic shark ancestors!  They were very engaged.
• PLTW is going strong all over the building.  Our Dodgeland student engineers are building compound machines, exploring sound, and coding/programming.   
• A parent of a new student to Dodgeland emailed me yesterday to share how pleased she is with the education that her child is getting at Dodgeland.  Her last line was, "Thank you so much for everything your school does every day."   This is all because of the incredible, caring staff that make Dodgeland great!
• The guests in our building on Tuesday, including Wi First Lady, shared how inspired they were by the work the Dodgeland staff has implemented to help students build SEL skills. In fact, I wish you all could have heard them praising your work.  It brought tears to many of our eyes!

What is Happening at Dodgeland?

• Friday, January 31
• Last day to add attendance tickets to the grade buckets.
• 1:30pm - Dance Team run for state
• 2:30pm - 2nd Quarter Pride Assembly (Please have kids packed up before arriving)
• Monday, Feb. 3
• 5th Grade Field Trip to Schauer Art Center (11:30-2:30)
• Jeans for Heart week starts (Add your donation to the envelope in the mailroom)
• Tuesday, Feb 4
• Jump rope for Heart Packets distributed to students.
• Wednesday, Feb 5
• Math committee observation out of the building from 11-3:30
• NO Grade Level data meeting
• Thursday, Feb 6
• 4th and 5th grades on Field Trips
• Referendum Update meeting for Staff 3:20-4:00
• Friday, Feb 7
• National Wear Red Day

Nitty-Gritty

• Survey - Last minute reminder...
•  If you haven't completed the Employee Engagement survey, please do so today.  It ends on January 31.  The link is below.
•  Dodgeland School District Employee Engagement Survey
• If your students have not taken it yet, please have them finish it today.  Let me know if you need the QR code again.  I sent it out last week in an email.

• Referendum Update meeting for Staff
• All staff is invited to attend a meeting in the IMC on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3:20pm to receive updates to the referendum and facts related to the ballot question for the April 7th referendum. 

• Lunch Reflection
• Just a clarification.  Students with Educlimber incidents that require a lunch detention, often will meet with Kevin (sometimes they meet with me if there is a schedule conflict) as a lunch reflection activity .  The lunch reflections are usually coordinated by Erich or myself with Kevin's schedule.  The purpose of this 1:1 time is to talk through what happened, and help the student reflect on another way to handle this situation as well as ways to help make it right.  If a student is doing a reflection more than once, the student will call home to talk with parents about this incident.  Parents should be communicated with frequently so that this phone call is not the first time they are hearing about incidents at school.  If you need help or support with this, please let me know.  Students benefit from open communication between school and home.

• Student Behavior
• In the last week or two, there have been many reports brought to me about students being unkind to one another, using inappropriate language including swear words, threatening others, disrespect towards staff and other disappointing choices.  In some cases, the situations have been going on for quite some time. Our expectations have not changed at school.  Please be vigilant and observant throughout the day but especially during recess (before and during school), lunch and any unstructured time periods.  Students should not feel uncomfortable by the words that others are using around them, or afraid that they are not safe at school.  It is not okay with any of us for students to feel like this and it does not fit with our vision of how we want our school to feel and be like.  Thank you in advance for your support and for being consistent messengers of our expectations.  Our students can be kind, respectful and responsible, and they deserve our high expectations for their behavior.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

• Students of the Month
• Please fill in the student of the month chart for your class before Tuesday, Feb 4.  I will be announcing them on Wednesday morning.  Click here for the student of the month chart.

• Jump Rope for Heart
• February has lots of opportunities to participate in this fundraising program.  Please see Mrs. Scholfield's email for a list of all of the exciting plans the committee has in store for our school.

PD Spotlight

This is not a new graphic, but this week I wanted to review it again.  After spending the last week or so reflecting on all of the things we do at Dodgeland to help address SEL needs of our students, I found myself needing to return to the foundations of this work.  At some point in the near future, I want to be able to know these competencies so well that I can use them in conversation and in problem solving for student needs.  However, I am not here yet.  I was asked to take a survey this week regarding them as well, and one of the questions asked me to tell which of the 5 competencies was the most important and why.  I found it to be a very difficult question.  As soon as I thought I had it in an order, I second guessed myself.  I think it is because they are all so connected that it is hard to say that one is more important than another.  What do you think?  Click here to reread the descriptions of these competencies.  It is a good reminder of what skills we are trying to help our students develop while they are going through our system.

Friday Funny

It's only funny because it's true!  (Except I would rather have a book!)