October 1, 2021

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Teachers have been working so hard planning and teaching Bridges math lessons.  I walk in and it seems like you have been teaching this for years, rather than only weeks.  I don't know if you realize it when you are in the trenches all the time.

• Students are building writing stamina all over the building.  For some, just coming up with an idea can be so difficult, but I see students finding small moments in multiple classrooms.  

• Teachers working together to design lessons to provide the instruction in the skills and standards that they need most.

• Teachers and Support staff have been communicating between each other so that everyone is on the same page to support students throughout their day.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 4
• MisMatch Monday
• THE LIBRARY Opens for Students!!!! (See below)
• Bus Duty for the week (Chambers, Lucht, Zastrow)

• Tuesday, October 5
• Mad Hatter Hat Day
• Fundraiser Money Due
• Pyramid Model Leadership meeting 1-2pm (Room 110)
• Social Media posts due to Josh (Piekarski, Chambers)

• Wednesday, October 6
• Colors of Wonderland Day
• Jenny in meeting from 9:45-10:45am
• Academic Grade Level Meeting (3rd Grade - 12-1pm)
• September Citizenship Grades should be in your gradebook by 3pm.

• Thursday, October 7
• Pajama Day
• SEL Grade Level Meeting (5K - 11:35-12:25pm)

• Friday, October 8
• Purple Pride Day
• Jenny leaves at 12:30pm
• Early release for students:  2:20 for bus students, 2:30 for walking/parent pick-up students
• First day of Weekend Snack Packs

Nitty-Gritty

• September Citizenship Grade
• Don't forget to give your students a grade in your homeroom for September's citizenship grade.  If you need a refresher on how to do this, click HERE and HERE and HERE to watch the videos from last school year.

• Important Update for end of the day
• Our custodial crew has been working extremely hard for months in spite of staff shortages and a number of additional tasks on their daily lists. To support their work, please help (and/or have your students assist) each day with these tasks.
• Please place your garbage and recycling cans in the hallway before you leave.  All trash cans/bins will be placed inside the door each day for you to return to the places you prefer within your room.
• Please spray and wipe each desk/chair at the end of the day and place the chair on each desk.  This will allow them easier access to sweeping the floor.  (Older students could each do their own desks before leaving.)

• Homecoming News
• Please feel to join in the fun with the dress up days for Homecoming next week.  It is always a fun week showing our school pride!
• UPDATED Times:  The pep assembly will start at 1:35pm.  Please have your classes seated by then.  At 2:05pm, elementary students will be dismissed as soon as the school song ends.  The assembly will continue for MS/HS students with the announcement of winning class events.

• Library Opens!
• Starting Monday, October 4th, the IMC is fully functional! Check your email for a reminder of what the first day of library will be like. Since we are all learning new behaviors in our new space, please plan to join your class for the whole library lesson the first week. There is no way we could have gotten this huge task organized and ready without the amazing work of Holly Blattner and Bethany Nummerdor (library TA) so please thank them when you see them. As staff, feel free to check out the learning commons to bring your whole class down for an activity. To check out the learning commons, please stop in to talk with or email Ms. Rollins.

• Lunch Duty
• Is there anyone that would be willing to help out with lunch duty on Friday, October 8 from 12:30-1 and 1-1:30?  Please email me if you can.

• New Month of Duties!  :-)
• It's OCTOBER!  For some of you, your AM or PM duty changes for the month of October.  Please check the schedule HERE.

• Book Fair News
• Scholastic Book Fair is finally back! It will be open to our families Thursday, Oct. 14th and Friday, Oct. 15th from 4:00-7:30. In addition, I will have the book fair open for staff to shop Wednesday after school until 4:30. We will have books from birth - young adult. This is a great way to get a head start on holiday shopping or just to make someone smile because who doesn't like a surprise book?! You can also enjoy shopping online starting Oct. 11th with free shipping to your house. Get all your book fair information HERE.

• Weekend Snack Packs
• The Gathering Source is once again sponsoring snack packs for families that have signed up.  At the elementary these will be delivered to student's lockers on Fridays.  If any students/families ask you about this, please send them my way to get them signed up.  There may be students/advisor in our hallways putting these into lockers on Friday.  For the first couple of weeks they may need your help, especially with common names.

• Surplus of Supplies
• You may or may not know that we have many (like more than 20) boxes of binder combs that were moved out of the elementary office.  Do you have a project that you would like to do that incorporates these?  Every student in the school could make more than one book with the number of binder combs in storage down by Kimi.  Seriously.  Please help yourself!
• Paper. Paper. and more Paper.  It seems to be everywhere.  Have you checked out the paper in Ms. Mook's art room lately?  What can you use this month?  Whatever is used for our students, your classroom and learning will not have to be moved again at the end of the year.  Check it out!
• We have many extra backpacks and school supplies under the table behind Marie as well.  What do your students need?  I'm pretty sure we have it!

PD Spotlight

This week's SEL area that I am highlighting is called Relationship skills.  I have had a number of these types of issues come through me in the past couple of weeks.  This area is about not only creating positive relationships with others, but maintaining them as well.  This area includes learning to have effective communication between yourself and your peers. it also relates to skills that center around resolving conflicts with others and avoiding negative peer pressure that would adversely affect a person.  This is a skill area that students will need for the rest of their life.  They will engage with others in a variety of settings in the world of work and school.  They will be asked to complete a task with others in most career paths and especially at school.  At schools, we often ask students to work in a group and we teach how students will work together and how to communicate throughout the process.  Click HERE to watch a 4 min. video that explains this in more detail.

Friday Funny

This is a little bit like how my brain worked this week. :-)

September 24, 2021

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Staff members are sharing concerns and feedback with me.  I value your feedback and thoughts. I have the same goal as you; to make our school the best place for students to learn and staff to work.  I know it is hard work, and I see you all working so very hard.  Kelly Gallagher says, "You are most proud of the accomplishments you have worked the hardest for."   

• Staff members are checking in on their colleagues to see if they can help out by providing breaks, student assistance, and math support.

• 5K students were engaged in learning a new work place game and already knew the routines of the calendar collector job during Number Corner.

• 1st graders loved showing off their sketch book drawings in Art today.  It is Week 3 and they knew exactly what the beginning of class routine was.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, September 27
• Bus Duty for the week: TCaine, Vertz, Murphy

• Tuesday, September 28
• Social Media posts due to Josh: Lisiecki, any others?

• Wednesday, September 29
• Workout Wednesday
• Jenny in an online meeting all day. (Title 1 meeting for new coordinators)
• Academic grade level data meeting: 4th Grade 12:35-1:30pm in 4th grade room

• Thursday, September 30
• SEL Data meetings: 1st grade - 12:05-1pm in a 1st grade room

• Friday, October 1
• Kris, our Bridges Coach will be visiting for the day.

Nitty-Gritty

• EP News
• Last Monday, Jessica had a session on the Effectiveness Project and the forms that are due next month.  If you have any questions for me regarding those, please let me know.  Next week, Jessica will share a screencast regarding the Rapid Cycle Feedback form.  Once those forms are completed, I can begin the observations and feedback for you regarding the standard focus you chose.

• Students of the Month
• Please fill out the Students of the Month nomination by Tuesday at 3pm for your classroom HERE.

• Newsletter news
• The digital newsletter will be sent out next week.  If you have any other news that you would like highlighted in the newsletter for families, please send them to Marie or myself by Monday morning.

• Seals on Wheels
• We have been partnering with Seals on Wheels for a number of years.  This program offers free teeth cleaning and sealants for students in grades 4K-12.  Unfortunately, many of the families did not sign up online at registration this year.  I sent out the link on Class Dojo today, but if you have any family newsletters, etc. please share the link with families as well.
• https://sealasmile.wisconsin.gov/Consent/Home/About

• Homecoming Updates
• Roni has shared this document with us regarding the dress up days and the assembly.  The elementary homecoming planning committee will be providing information soon as well.  Homecoming is October 4-8.  We plan to return to our all school assembly and a parade this year.  If you are new to our district, please check with your mentor about some of our unique Dodgeland traditions and how our elementary students are involved.

PD Spotlight

The next SEL competency area I want to highlight is Social Awareness.  This area is the ability to empathize and take other people's perspectives.  This skill allows people to read facial expressions and body language to understand others feelings and sometimes this is enough to prevent conflicts between others as well.  This 4 min. video helps describe this area in more detail and why it is important for children and grown ups to have skills in this area.  I find myself misreading cues at times, but when I use skills in this area I can appreciate the perspective of others and it helps me to reflect on an issue in more detail.  I also then can appreciate the viewpoints that differ from my first thinking as well.  I find that when I work with students in conflict this is an area that students struggle with.  When they are calm enough to talk through an event, building skills in this area allows students to move on from the conflict in a much healthier way.  Do you notice the same in your classrooms?

Friday Funny

Some of these sentences were so easy to read, but others I had to read 3-4 times to get the pronunciations accurate.  Still, I found this to be funny.

September 17, 2021

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Alicia, Brooke, Natalie, Marie, Michelle, Kimi and Laura have all been working so hard to get the offices ready for the construction company to start on Monday.  Thank you so much everyone!

• The interventionists have been working double time to get the Rise intervention organized and up and ready to go for next week.  I can't wait to see it in action!

• Teachers are working together to find the best way to organize their Bridges materials for their classroom.  Some of us like binders, some like file folders, some like individual cases for the pieces.  I love being part of a team that works together and supports each other!

• Teresa Chambers went out of her way, way out of her way, to help one of our little 1st graders this week.  I can not possibly say enough about how much I appreciate your quick thinking and problem solving!

• Great job everyone on leading the first fire drill in more than a year.  It was successful and quick! 

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, September 20
• EP Meeting in the IMC at 3:15pm (Topic is PPG, SLO and Surveys)
• Newsletter articles due to Marie (3rd grade and 1st grade)
• Bus duty for the week is: Stampfl, Chambers, Ganser
• School Fundraiser begins - Please hand out packets today and show the video to your class.  See below for more information.

• Tuesday, September 21
• Social Media posts due to Josh - (Miller)
• Playworks Coach Courtney visit
• Recess Team Meeting in room 120 after school

• Wednesday, September 22
• Work Out Wednesday
• 5th grade Academic Grade Level meeting 12:30-1:30 in Rm 140
• Staff meeting 3:10-3:45pm

• Thursday, September 23
• 2nd grade SEL Grade Level Meeting 12-1pm

• Friday, September 24
• Bridges Math Coach Visit - Kris Meffert will be here for the day

Nitty-Gritty

• WebEx and Texting
• If you are still experiencing issues with texting from WebEx, please see the Staff Resource page to watch the How-To video of downloading the Tango Bot to your laptop so that you can get this to work.  If you still have issues, please put a help desk ticket in.

• Office Renovation Information
• Construction on the offices officially starts on Monday, 9/20/21.  Please refer to Dr. Thompson's email from Thursday with the details regarding this work.  There may times with some loud noise throughout the next few months.

• Bridges visit
• On Friday, September 24, Kris will be here to observe as many math classes as she can throughout the day.  She returns just two weeks later on October 1.  There will be more time to sit down and talk with her then too.  To prepare for her visit, if you have any questions that you would like her to answer, please add them to this document.

• Fundraiser
• The fundraiser begins on Monday.  The kick-off includes a video for you to show your classes.  Please take the time to show this to your class on Monday at some point that works in your daily schedule.

• Yearbook Folders for Elementary Photos
• Mrs. Kohlhoff is the yearbook advisor this school year.  Since she has a small yearbook staff this year, she is requesting our assistance with photographs for the project.  If you can upload photos of events/learning/etc to the google folders, they would be able to use them as they put the book together.  Watch your email for the grade level folders from Google.

• Educlimber
• We are aware that there are some issues with the Educlimber sync with PowerSchool.  Brad and Jessica are working on this so that we can use it to its full capacity.  In the meantime, if you have incidents that we need to document, please send me an email so that I can keep track of them.

• Homecoming
• Unbelievably, Homecoming is coming up in just a few short weeks.  Mrs. Kohlhoff sent out information regarding plans for this as well.  If you need a float form, click HERE.  Make a copy first, then fill out and turn in to Roni Kohlhoff.

• Updating Devices
• Per Brad's email this week, please make sure that you have updated both your laptop and your ipad.  Your laptop should be on version 11.6 and the iPad is on version 14.8.  Please make sure this is done before Monday.

PD Spotlight

This week I am highlighting the SEL competency of Self-Awareness.  Often this competency goes hand-in-hand with the competency I highlighted last week, Self-Management.  Self-awareness includes the ability to recognize the strengths and limitations that we possess.  Self Awareness also includes having a growth mindset, acting with integrity and honesty and knowing your own emotions. 

In my personal life this week, I experienced an event that I instantly recognized was a trigger for myself and feelings of extreme fear and stress.  I even had to contact my mom who as we all know has plenty on her plate.  Yet, Her calm response was to say, "You got this!  You can fall apart later!"  :-). I share this only because I am aware of the emotions I am feeling and now I can utilize my self-management skills to keep these emotions in check long enough to handle the problem.  Click HERE to watch a 4 min. video that explains the self-awareness competency in more detail.  I hope you find it helpful!

Friday Funny

She is now 6 months old and has started to roll to where she wants to go.  She's like a ninja though.  No one ever seems to see her go from one spot to another and then they find her in the most awkward spots.  She sure looks like she is studying something very interesting under there though doesn't she!  :-)

September 10, 2021

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• So many of you stepped in to help out all over the building.  From extra people at bus duty, to hallway help in the morning, to lunch help.  I can not possibly thank you enough.

• Teachers that are getting to know their students by putting relationships at the forefront of their goals for the week.

• Teachers working so hard at delivering Bridges math lessons.  I know that this is so much reading and planning and preparing and thinking.  You got this.  Please use your resources to help you.  Digital, paper and especially people resources!

• Kids in PE are having so much fun this week.  I love to hear their voices as they participating with their class with Mr. Schweitzer!

• Teachers giving me open and honest feedback on procedures and routines and ideas to make them better and better.  I can not express enough how much I value you all.

• Teachers working together to make sure that all of our students are safely on their way at the end of the day.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, September 13
• GG starts for the year
• Bus duty for the week is: Bingen, Crane, Miller
• Mentor/Mentee Mtg @3:15 in the IMC

• Tuesday, September 14
• Picture Day

• Wednesday, September 15
• Workout Wednesday

• Thursday, September 16
• Friday, September 17

Nitty-Gritty

• Kids Heart Challenge SEL resources
• This year, we will return to participating in the Kids Heart Challenge. (Formerly Jumprope for Heart).  Our rep sent me some resources on SEL that I thought you may find useful.  There are calming music clips and mindfulness strategies including mindful breathing.  Click HERE for the resources.

• Picture Day
• Picture Day is on Tuesday, September 14.  Watch for more details on Monday afternoon.  We will start with our youngest students and work our way through the elementary.  There are extra picture forms in the mailroom.

• Fundraiser starting soon
• Just an FYI for all of you.  The elementary fundraiser will be starting on Monday, September 20.  Very soon Marie will be putting packets in your mailboxes.  Please do NOT send them home until Monday, 9/20.

• Grade Level Planning Meetings
• Please share with me in the next couple weeks your grade's day of the week and time that you plan to meet to plan together.  Please make sure to also include Christina to your meetings to keep her in the loop with your learning targets and plans so that she can support in the library.  Also, please include the interventionists and special education teachers so that everyone is in the know to support students' learning as well.  I would like to know in case you need me for anything from me.

• New Staff Member
• Next week, Michelle Wolff (you may remember her from last spring when she subbed in Mrs. Chambers room) will be starting to work with Marie in the office area for a few hours a week.  She will be with us Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays for partial days. Please help me welcome her back to Dodgeland!!

• i-Ready Testing for grades 3-5
• Please connect with your teams if you need support with proctoring the i-Ready assessments. The testing window is open for 4 weeks to complete both reading and math.  

PD Spotlight

During last week's inservice week and this week's staff meeting, we have talked about SEL skills.  For the next few weeks I want to use the PD spotlight section to highlight one of the five SEL competencies.  This week I am highlighting the area of self-management.  I know we only had a 4 day week, but for me it felt like it was 30 days long!  (It's probably because I was here way earlier than I typically arrive at school!)

However, it was also because it is the start of the school year.  Every year, the list of items to get done at the beginning of the year always seems impossible to complete.  But then, it turns into October and all of sudden I can hardly remember what happened at the beginning of the year.  In my head I know it logically, but my emotions and stress sometimes get the best of me.  I am still a work in progress on my own self-management skills.  Click HERE to watch a 4 min. video that describes it in the context of students and school, but I also was able to relate it to my own skills too.  I hope you find it useful as well.

Friday Funny

So this week's Friday Funny comes from Bethany Donovan.  She shared her observation with Christina, who shared it with me.  Once you see it, you can never unsee it!  The speakers or lights or wifi or whatever this is in the commons looks exactly like a frog looking over at all of us.  This made me laugh and I will never look at them the same again!  Thanks Bethany!