December 3, 2021

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• I watched an adult talking with a 5K student today about a choice she was making with peers.  She was calm, kind and very clear about how the choice she was making was affecting other children.  By the end of the conversation, the student was hugging the adult and had made a safer and kinder choice.  The SEL skills that we teach in the moment is so automatic for so many of the adults in our system.  It is so exciting and rewarding to watch.

• Staff welcomed back our students with joy and ready to make the most of our days before break. Students seemed ready to learn and genuinely glad to be back in the building.

• Kris shared that teachers' hard work with implementing Bridges math units and number corner is paying off.  She is very impressed by how things are going across the building.  Way to go!

• 4K students sharing their alphabet bags with their classmates for the letter "T."  One of the students told me he brought a golf tee.  "It sounds just like the letter."

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, December 6
• Bus Duty (Klink, Lucht, Zastrow)
• GG Lessons for the week (Perspectives for gr 3-5, self-talk for grades 5K-2)

• Tuesday, December 7
• Social Media posts due to Josh (Schweitzer, Chambers, Koenings, Braunschweig)
• Pyramid Model Leadership Mtg 1pm in Room 110
• Staff meeting in the IMC @3:05pm

• Wednesday, December 8
• Workout Wednesday
• Jenny in a meeting from 9:30-11am.
• Grade Level Data meeting 1st grade @ 12:05pm in room 122
• Fundraiser Pick-up from 3:15-6pm

• Thursday, December 9
• Jenny in a meeting from 8-9am
• Elem. concert dress rehearsal (See Ben's email for more information)
• SEL Grade Level meeting 4th grade @ 12:35pm in Room 138
• Elementary Winter Concert @ 6:30 for grades 5K, 2 & 4

• Friday, December 10
• Elem. gym is being used for FFA fruit sale sorting due to construction.  Watch for email about location/plan for Elem. PE classes that day

Nitty-Gritty

• Fundraiser Pick-up
• If you are available on Wednesday afternoon, please stop down in the elementary gym to help families collect their fundraiser items.  Many of the families will arrive right after school and the faster we can help them find their items, the less stressful it will be for them.

• Sunshine Committee
• Watch your emails for updates from the Sunshine committee and added dress up days for the month of December.  Thank you to this committee for adding holiday cheer to our month!

• Staff Meeting
• If you are unable to attend on Tuesday, please let me know so that I can catch you up on what you missed.  (Since I needed to move the date, please know I truly understand if you already have things on your calendar that day and can't make it.)

PD Spotlight

This is the article that I needed this week.  I hadn't realized how very stressed I was feeling in my personal life until Wednesday afternoon when things turned out well.  At that moment, I wanted to sit down and cry.  Weird right?  But the relief was overwhelming!  All of us have moments, situations and stressors that we are dealing with each and everyday.  It is not necessary for all of us to know the specific details of what stress each other is dealing with to be kind and empathetic with one another.  This time of year causes additional stress for many people, including our children.  It is important to remember this as we prepare for the holiday season.  Click HERE to read a very short article about 9 stress management techniques that every teacher needs to know.  Technique number 4 and 7 really spoke to me.  I enjoy my work, I want to do a good job and I know at the end of the day that I gave everything I had to my work.  I love the sentiment that doing good work does not have to mean burn-out.  How can I be proud of the good hard work I complete without it leaving me so exhausted that I think I can't function?  What techniques speak to you?

Friday Funny

Below is a picture of my nephews.  They were born on the exact same day, 13 years apart, and are so sweet to watch together.  Spencer, who just turned 18, is unbelievably patient and loving with his 5 year old cousin.  Johnny thinks everything Spencer does is amazing.  However, Spencer uses that to his advantage and can convince him he has special magic powers.  He would use a secret knock by the back door in order to get it to open, so then Johnny wouldn't even try the handle unless Spencer used his magic powers.   It was hilarious to hear him tell his mom that he can not get in the door until Spencer gets there.  Of course, Spencer kept telling him he would get those same powers when he gets older. :-)