Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Dodgeland has always been a special place for me and my entire family. I am so grateful that I get to call you my Dodgeland Family. I care about all of you so much and am so thankful that I get to work alongside such wonderful people. I hope you all have a relaxing and happy thanksgiving break.
Thank you for . . .
Alicia - using humor and high energy to build rapport with students that encourages them to make good choices throughout the building!
Amara - using your calm and friendly, yet consistent ways, to help students get back on track. We are lucky you chose to join our team!
Amber - recognizing the strengths and gifts our youngest learners bring to school with them every day!
Amelia - communicating clearly with me to help a struggling student in your classroom and working so hard alongside your cooperating teacher.
Andrea S - taking on Junior Great Books at the elementary level and researching my many, many questions!
Ashley - all of the help you provide for our EC and 4K students with patience, kindness, and consistency!
Ben - asking questions and working hard at all of the brand new things you get to learn this year.
Bethany - being positive and encouraging with our kindergarteners each and every day. I love watching them flourish in your room!
Brad - putting up with my millions of tech questions and explaining the answers in a way that I can understand!
Brenda - encouraging students and colleagues alike. A kind word and email are just what we all need!
Bryce - putting up with Ella. (Just kidding). I appreciate that you help out colleagues and students by giving so much of your time.
Caroline - asking questions to find out more information to make our planning even better.
Cathy & team- providing delicious food for our students and me!
Chris - consistently following routines that help our 4K students succeed in school.
Chrissy - stepping in to help out when the unexpected happened and for asking great questions along the way!
Christina - your dedication to our students and staff to provide books and PD even with all of the challenges in place this school year!
Connie - doing such a great job of sharing strengths and challenges realistically and precisely for parents and staff to truly understand students' needs.
Courtney - jumping in and providing awesome art lessons and also for starting the process of getting ready to move the art room. That is a BIG undertaking for the first year here!
Dixie - commiserating with me on AIMSweb and helping to problem solve this situation for next year!
Gabrielle - finding joy in the little things that happen all day long; an interesting student observation, new learning, celebrating student progress, etc.
Hailey - your expertise in working with students with a wide range of needs and always encouraging every student at Dodgeland to do and be their best!
Holly - learning about our COVID world so quickly and being a compassionate nurse to all of our students.
Jahra - teaching and modeling for our students how to greet guests, use their manners and enjoy learning every day!
Jerry - working so hard at all of the things that are needed to keep this big building functioning including the finicky HVAC system.
Jon - your willingness to step in at the elementary for lunch coverage or teaching PE and many other places. I am glad you chose to start your career at Dodgeland!
Josh - giving gentle reminders when you are STILL waiting for me to get information to you. Thanks for your grace and patience!
Kari - responding to the numerous radio calls from all over the building with patience and efficiency. What would we do without you!
Kathy - continually looking for ideas and plans to support students who are struggling. Students benefit from your problem solving skills every day.
Lance - finding and fixing the numerous supplies that teachers need; everything from replacing/reattaching a knob on the play stove to finding another desk for a new student.
Lindsey - recognizing students' efforts and celebrating the small wins on the way to BIG wins.
Lisa - not only understanding my random voicemails, but also for answering those same random questions!
Liz - always being so conscientious on safety measures for our students and staff, as well as making sure staff is well trained and comfortable with new procedures and tasks.
Lynn - providing information to everyone in our system with efficiency and kindness even though your plate is overflowing!
Lynnae - joining our team and becoming a sounding board for me with my HUNDREDS of Covid questions!
Mandy - your patience, your organization, and your loving ways that allow our 5K students to blossom in your room.
Marie - keeping me in line and providing support for everyone in the school; kids, staff, and parents.
Marlene - always sharing your new learning and thoughtful questions with me. I love learning from you!
Mary Jo - providing feedback and creative solutions to issues that arise throughout the year to professional conversations with your team and myself.
Michael - joining the elementary team to continue to provide a strong PE class for our students.
Mindy - planning and implementing a systematic SEL program for all of our students. It is essential for our work at Dodgeland.
Mitch - taking on a new reading program and giving our oldest learners exactly the instruction they need to help them become stronger readers!
Moriah - being professional at all times and working so hard alongside your cooperating teacher every day.
Natalie - being dependable and calm for your team and all of our students. Knowing what to expect allows our students to thrive!
Nicole L - your positive, calm and friendly interactions that you have with your students that creates a wonderful learning environment for everyone.
Niki - working hard at providing what each of your students need; academically, socially and emotionally.
Patrick - making me laugh and find joy in the day-to-day events at school. Your humor and collegiality are noticed and appreciated!
Paula - always stepping in all over the building to help out teachers, students, parents, etc. I appreciate being able to collaborate with each and every day!
Rachael - communicating with students, parents and staff frequently to keep everyone in the loop so that students can succeed.
RaChelle - sharing stories with others that make people laugh. The virtual field trip story about animal scat has made me laugh for weeks now!
Rose - showing how much you care about our students and all of the extra time you spend translating things for me.
Sabrina - taking on 5th grade including PLTW and a brand new Science TechBook with organization and skill.
Shanalyn - identifying students' strengths and problem solving with your team and colleagues on how best to help students succeed at school, academically and behaviorally.
Stacey - sharing the adorable stories and musings from the world of 1st grade. It always makes me smile and warms my heart.
Stephanie - sharing your thoughts, ideas and questions with me frequently to help me learn more and more about 4K students and their needs. I'm starting to get this age group!
Steve - taking such great care of our grounds so that there is always a safe place for our children to play at recess.
Sue M - keeping me up to date on the ins and outs of Title 1 and also for your attention to detail with progress monitoring. Your hard work is appreciated more than you know!
Sue O - taking on a brand new role with energy, competence and patience. Our entire school benefits from your expertise.
Tammy - working so hard alongside your team to provide a loving and caring learning environment for students to thrive in.
Taylor H - your communication with parents, colleagues and myself to provide students the home-school connection that our students need.
Taylor R. - advocating for yourself and your own professional learning, and at the same time becoming a role model for our students.
Teresa - organizing and creating a schedule for your team that benefits all of your students and is easy to follow for everyone involved, especially me!
Trisha - finding and sharing with me amazing resources that help me grow as well as your colleagues. I love opening these emails from you!
Vicky - always using your unlimited patience to guide students to make wise choices. It is a pleasure to work alongside you every day!
May your Thanksgiving be relaxing and peaceful.
Stay Safe and Be Well,
Jenny
