December 16, 2022

 FYI: Shortened Blog this week, hope to get back on track next week.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, December 19
• Wear Red/Green (or ugly sweater day) and don't forget to get your picture taken in the Green Screen Room!  Everyone that participates gets their name in a drawing for a gift card!
• Bus Duty: Bingen, Juech, Vertz
• School Board Mtg @ 6:30pm
• MS Winter concert @7pm

• Tuesday, December 20
• Social Media posts due: Palen, Jenkins, Schuett
• Santa's Workshop Imposter Day
• Jenny in Mtg from 8-9am
• SEL 4th gr Data meeting 12:35-1:25pm
• HS Winter concert @ 7pm

• Wednesday, December 21
• Wake Up & Go Wednesday (PJ Day)
• Academic 1st gr Data Meeting 12:05-12:55pm

• Thursday, December 22
• Christmas Character Day
• Jenny in mtg from 8:30-9:30am

• Friday, December 23
• Ugly Sweater Day

Nitty-Gritty

• Summer School Info
• It's time to start thinking about next summer already!  This year we will have two sessions to choose from for teaching.  You can choose to teach in both, or just one of the two sessions.  Please click HERE to indicate your interest.  This summer we will not have construction to work around, all areas of the building will be available for students and staff, AND we will hopefully not be quarantining for COVID either.  I am not even sure I remember what our typical summer school sessions looked like anymore.  :-)

• Please consider teaching as it is a fantastic way to connect with students in another way, teach subjects that are focused on student and your interests, and the opportunity to work with new things and other grade levels as well.  Our summer school session offers a lot of enrichment options as well remedial and credit recovery options for older students.  For our younger students, it is a fun way to practice routines before the school year starts and meet their upcoming classmates too!

• Bulletin Board
• Please help communicate with your students about pulling on the staples and thumbtacks on the big bulletin board outside the commons.  It may be happening when students are lining up there after lunch too, but if we all send the same message, it will help with the consistency for students as well.  Plus, Courtney works really hard on displaying their work and I would hate for this to be wrecked because students' are touching it.  Plus, students could get hurt if they continue to play with these items.  Thank you in advance for your help.

• Mental Health Grant Consultant
• On Monday, Jessica sent an email to introduce our new mental health grant consultant.  Her name is Nicole Mashock and she will be in the district most Tuesdays and the last Thursday of the month working on putting the mental health grant together for our districts.  You may see her in our SEL data meetings and she is available to help with individual teachers with students that are exhibiting specific behavioral concerns.  Watch for emails from her in the near future with more information.

• PLTW Planning
• We are just about halfway through the school year already.  It is very hard to believe.  I wanted to put a reminder out there to make sure that you have worked with your grade level to plan when you will be teaching your grade's PLTW modules.  The goal is to teach two modules by the end of the year.  It is an important part of our district-wide initiatives with the emphasis on STEAM and our community's values in this area.  If you have questions or concerns, please see me or Mrs. O'Toole to help with this.

• Mid-Year Assessments
• To plan for January, please know that the mid-year assessments for i-Ready and FastBridge will start on Monday, January 9 and will be open for the next 4 weeks.  Please coordinate with your colleagues about when you will be giving these assessments so that there are resources and adults available for students with accommodation plans.  Please see me if you need any additional help for this. 

• Winter Break
• While many of our students and us are looking forward to the holidays and for the long break, please be in-tune for any students that seem to be struggling more this week.  For some, the break provides a week where the routines are off, an unknown about where they are going each day, stress passed on from families that are under more stress, and anxiety about food.  If you notice anything like this, please reach out to the pupil service team or myself so that we can provide help. 

Tech Know Tip

Tis the season for a little fun! BreakoutEDU is an immersive learning game platform with both physical and digital puzzle elements to solve. A physical BreakoutEDU “room” can be time consuming to set up, so that’s where a digital BreakoutEDU “room” can come in handy. BreakoutEDU is provided to all classroom teachers through the IMC- that means you can use the pre-created materials from the site, you can create digital breakout “rooms” specific to your content, and you can create classes of students to view progress and statistics of any of the BreakoutEDU puzzles. Digital BreakoutEDU puzzles can be shared with students via link or QR code- what a fun thing to do as a soft-start/bell ringer, study hall, or end of the day fun. For those not already connected, you will receive an email to get started sometime today. Until then, check this one out as an example!

Friday Funny

I laughed at this for an unusually long time. :-)

December 9, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• During the para educator meeting this week, lots of feedback was provided about recess and routines.  When we are consistent, the students benefit most.

• The 5K, 2nd and 4th grade students did such a great job at the concert tonight.  The 5K students were cuteness overload, the 2nd graders got us in the holiday spirit, and the 4th graders brought down the house with their excitement and joy in their performance.  Shout out to Ben for putting a wonderful concert together for us all to enjoy!

• The logistics team brought tons of ideas to the table this week and we have a plan to implement next week.  (See below for more details.). Thank you all for your feedback and your work to implement a smoother (hopefully) procedure for after school.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, December 12
• Apple Guests visiting Dodgeland
• Mad about Plaid Jeans Day
• Bus Duty: Chambers, Schweitzer, Johnson

• Tuesday, December 13
• Wear a college shirt 
• Social Media Posts due: Donovan, TCaine, Huso
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10am
• SEL Data meeting - 5th gr (12:35-1:25pm)

• Wednesday, December 14
• Workout Wednesday
• 2nd Gr Academic Data meeting 12:05-12:55pm
• Staff Meeting in the IMC 3:10-3:55pm

• Thursday, December 15
• Bucks Day (or any sport)
• 2nd Grade Field Trip to the Milwaukee Public Museum
• NED assembly at 2pm
• Mentor/Mentee Meeting in IMC @ 3:15pm

• Friday, December 16
• Dodgeland or Christmas Colors Day
• Dodgeland Den staff meeting 11:30-12:00 in Elem. conference room
• Jenny in mtg from 12:30-2pm
• Yo-Yo Sale before and after school only

Nitty-Gritty

• Cellphones at School
• More and more of our students bring their own cellphones to school each day.  Our student handbook discourages students from bringing them to school.  However, if a student does have it, our handbook prohibits students from using it during school hours.  They can use it before and after school hours.  However, they should not be used in the bus lines outside after school.  They can use them on the bus or while walking home/parent car.  To be good models, we should not be on our cellphones during the day while working and with students.  Checking the time is one thing, but answering phone calls, texting others, scrolling through your phone while with students will send a message that it is okay for them.  Please limit your personal cellphone use to your preps, lunch periods and before and after school.

• Friday Lunch (12/9)
• The woman from Grand Canyon University is returning on Friday to provide a pizza lunch, with a veggie tray and dessert in the elementary conference room starting around 11:30am.  Sorry for the late notice, but I was a bit wary after what happened last time.  This way it is a nice surprise, but you still have a lunch in case she isn't able to make it.

• Snow Video
• Please make sure you have signed up to have Mrs. Chambers come visit your classroom to talk about expectations with winter recess.  Click HERE to see and show the video to your classes.

• Updated Bus/After School pick up procedures
• The logistics committee met this week and determined new procedures to help with the behavior of students and in turn the stress of the supervisors as well.

• New Bus Procedures for after school
• Line up in recess lines by the classroom teacher just like when we line up to come inside in the morning.
• 4K and 5k will each have a cone to line up by.
• Jr Coaches will be on hand to assist with these two grades.
• Students will be dismissed by the classroom teacher's name to go to the buses starting with the 5th grade classes.
• Any older students needing to meet a younger sibling (not friend) will wait by the pillars holding up the playground sign until the younger siblings class is called.
• Students should stand in line, hands to themselves, iPads and phones put away.
• Any students that are struggling to follow expectations will be asked to stand against the wall or sit on the bench and will be the last ones to be dismissed.

• New Parent Pickup Procedures for after school
• Students will line up by grade level (cones will be out)
• Students will stand in line, hands to themselves, watching for their ride.
• They will walk to their vehicle once they're ride arrives.
• If their ride or parent is here when they walk out, they should go straight to their vehicle or parent.

TechKnow Tip

The holidays can be a stressful time of the year and we are knee deep in it! Take a moment to think about your digital wellness. Digital wellness is the pursuit of an intentional and healthy relationship with technology. Take a look at this graphic, “Boundaries for Digital Wellness”. Reflect on yourself as a technology user and think about starting a conversation with students about this too. Digital wellness is one facet of being a well-rounded digital citizenship, something all students and staff are aspiring to be.

PD Spotlight

This week has been something else!  I actually found myself going home twice this week and going to bed just to avoid thinking.  I didn't want to think about my day, or what I need to get done, or what I haven't got done or all the people I am disappointing.  So sleep became my tactic.  It didn't really help much though.  Just kicked the issue to the next day.  So when I watched this episode of the PinkCast, I thought he was speaking directly to me.  I needed something to use in the moment so that I can be much more helpful to you.  I am working on using this much more often to see if this does what I need it to do.  At the bottom of the video are some links that give more information that I have read as well.  They are short, but incredibly informative and helpful if you want to know the science behind this psychological sigh.

Friday Funny

File this picture under, "How you know that you are getting older?"  Yes, I may have needed the flashlight so I could read the menu.  Yes, I may have drawn lots of weird looks from others.  And, yes, I may have been laughed at by people at my own table.

Laugh it up, Lexi and Ella!  Your time is coming.  Remember you share half my DNA.  Everything you laugh about now, will be your reality in 20-30 years.   HA!  :-)

December 2, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Teachers reaching out others to problem solve and brainstorm ideas of ways to address students that are struggling in the classroom.

• Teachers sharing feedback and thoughts with me about concerns they have relating to our system and student behavior.

• Data meetings that celebrate student gains and contain open conversations about ways to improve out intervention instruction for small groups.

• Teachers spending time reviewing classroom and school expectations after having an extended break from school.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, December 5
• Bus Duty for the week: Miller, Schwoerer, Klis

• Tuesday, December 6
• Social Media posts due to Josh: O'Toole, Bingen, BCaine
• Jenny in a meeting in Watertown (out of the building from 8:30-10:30am)
• SEL data meeting for 5K: 12:05-12:55pm
• Paraprofessional meeting @3:05pm in Elem. Conf. Rm (Recess focus)

• Wednesday, December 7
• Workout Wednesday
• 3rd Grade Academic Data meeting 12:05-12:55pm
• Logistics team meeting at 3:10pm in Elem. Conf rm (topic is bus duty, feel free to join even if you are not on the logistics team)

• Thursday, December 8
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-9:30am
• Elementary Winter Concert 6:30pm (for grades K, 2, 4)

• Friday, December 9

Nitty-Gritty

• Extra Duty Forms
• Did you turn your extra duty forms in?  In order for them to be added to your next paycheck, you must have them turned in to me on Friday.  I then have to go through them and sign for Laura G.  Please add them to my mailbox and I will get them handed in on time. Remember to include the times that you pick up extra recess or lunch coverages, or lose a prep time during the week.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

• Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
• In case you missed it, HERE is the link to the 6 min gratitude scavenger hunt.  I love seeing the things, people and places that you are grateful for.  While I was at the Dr this week, the nurse asked me where I work.  She asked me about what I liked about the job and I had to brag to this woman who doesn't know me or anything about our school.  I told her that I work with the most incredible people that are gifted educators and truly care about our students.  I am so very grateful for the Dodgeland Elementary team.

• Gift Card Sale from FBLA
• Amanda Beaudo sent an email out on Thursday about the opportunity to purchase gift cards from the FBLA club as part of their fundraiser. The list of gift cards is HERE.  Orders (including the money) are due to Amanda before December 8th.

• Apple Classroom Changes
• Did you read Brad's email on November 29th this week about the changes to Apple Classroom?  It can now be used on laptop, but there are a few things for us to remember so that it works well for us.  Please save this email in a location where you can access it quickly to help you when you need it.

•  Bus Duty Issue
• If you haven't added feedback and thoughts to the google doc, please do so today.  On Monday, I will combine the feedback/info into a usable form.  Then, I am asking the logistics team to go through this feedback on Wednesday, Dec 7.  As a team, we will make a plan that we can put in place for the bus duty that starts the following week.  

TechKnow Tip

Remember to take a moment to look around your room before you leave for the day. Be sure to unplug holiday lights and turn off your ViewSonic board. For a touch ViewSonic board, long hold the power button until you receive a message regarding shutdown. For a display only ViewSonic board, use your remote control and aim it at the bottom right-hand corner of the TV.

Friday Funny

I would LOVE this Christmas tradition at my house and I'd take it at school too! :-)

November 25, 2022

Modified/Shortened Dodgeland Download this week...  Thanks for being understanding!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, November 28
• Bus Duty: Donovan, Lucht, Palen
• School board Meeting @ 6:30pm

• Tuesday, November 29
• Badger Wear Day
• Flu Vaccine clinic in the El. Conf Rm (permission slips went out last week) 8-12pm
• 1st Grade SEL data meeting @ 12:05-12:55pm

• Wednesday, November 30
• Workout Wednesday
• 4th gr. Academic data meeting @12:35-1:25pm
• Staff Meeting 3:10-3:55pm

• Thursday, December 1
• Jenny gone to a Dr. appt until noon
• 2nd Grade SEL data meeting @ 12:05-12:55pm

• Friday, December 2

Nitty-Gritty

• Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
• Have you submitted your photos for the scavenger hunt yet?  The more photos you submit, the more chances you have of winning a gift card to spend on anything you'd like!  Click HERE for the categories. You can submit more than one entry in each category.  Here's how to submit your entry:
• Take a photo of your entry.
• Upload it to the appropriate google folder HERE.
• Label the picture with your last name. (If you submit more than one, number them please.)
• All photos will be used to create a bulletin board in the lounge for you to enjoy as well.
• Drawing will take place during the staff meeting on Wednesday, November 30.  :-)

• Winter Recess Expectations
• Because we live in WI and the weather can't decide what it wants to do, we have this ongoing issue about whether boots and/or snow pants are required for recess.  Because the only thing that is consistent is that the weather will be inconsistent, we will follow these guidelines.  Boots and snow pants will be required to be on the grass areas and the playground equipment.  The turf holds water pretty well and this will help us prevent kids from getting wet and cold at recess.  For grades 1-5, if they do not have these things, they will be on the blacktop only.  For grades 4K/5K, the supervisors discretion will be used to determine whether students can be on the turf without boots/snow pants.  However, if the turf is very wet, students will need to be on the sidewalk area.
• Finally, we have had a number of donations of boots, snow pants, hats, gloves, etc.  If you have a student or family that is in need, please let me know.  We can get them things to use at school and at home if necessary.

• Returning from Thanksgiving Break
• There is a good chance that many of our families visited with relatives over the break.  It would be to our advantage to make sure that we beef up our hand washing routines and our sanitizing routines when we come back.  (Not that we ever really got lax with them, I just want to put a gentle reminder out there again.)

• Welcome Mr. Prod
• Ryan Prod will be joining our staff for the next 12 weeks while Sabrina is at home enjoying her new little one.  Please help me welcome him to our team.  I know you will all make him feel a part of our team and help him with anything that he needs.

• MyView Online Tutorials
• Our Savvas rep sent me this link for online tutorials for a number of on demand training videos.  Feel free to check them out if there is something that you want more support or examples on.

• Wolflink Virtual Learning Programs
• The International Wolf Center in Ely, MN offers a number of FREE programs on their website for all ages.  Click HERE to read about the options and see if they fit with your curriculum and lesson plans for your classes.

Friday Funny on a Tuesday!

This meme reminds me of a story that my grandmother always told about my dad.  He came home late from work the day before the holiday.  My grandma had made 3-4 different pies and had them in a pie rack, covered and stacked in the kitchen ready to take to the family dinner.  My dad came home late that night and chose a pie from the middle of the rack, cut himself a piece and then put it back in the rack without her knowing anything about it.  When she got to the family party, she was LIVID when she went to serve the pie and found that there was a piece missing from a pie.  However, the whole family (and her) knew exactly who had done it.  This is definitely a Larry Schultz move!  Now it makes for a fun story for all of us!

  

November 18, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• You all did a fantastic job during the Lockdown drill this week.  The officer I was with commented on how impressed he was with our students and staff here.  He does these type of drills 12-15 times a year and ours was a very smooth drill!

• Staff coming together for individual students that are going through difficult situations to come up with a plan to work together to help them thrive.  I love listening to the expertise of our colleagues when they problem solve together.

• A special education teacher sharing complicated information to parents going through the evaluation process for the first time.  The teacher was clear and made sure the parents were a part of the process and truly understood the information being shared with them so they could make a decision for their child.  It was truly impressive.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, November 21
• Bus Duty: Crane, Mosher, Murphy

• Tuesday, November 22
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10am
• Social Media Posts due to Josh: Juech, Johnson
• Free Lunch from Grand Canyon University in the D.O conference room
• 2nd Grade SEL Data Meeting 12:05-12:55pm (get your free lunch first though!)

• Wed-Friday - NO SCHOOL!
• Enjoy your break with your family and friends!

Nitty-Gritty

• Rise and HD Word Interventions
• Due to the modifications made to meet students' phonics needs, our Rise/HD Word intervention groups (including those that are using HD Word in WIN) are going to remain constant until at least February 1st.  This way the students have the opportunity to dive deeper into the more advanced phonics skills that are affecting reading progress. If you have students that you are concerned about, that are currently not being seen, please make sure to talk with the interventionists or bring them up at the next grade level data meeting.

• Literacy Coach Visit
• I had to change the literacy coach visit schedule since I was one sub short and also had 2 other partial day sub shortages.  Thank you for being flexible.  I truly appreciate it.

• Next Week's Library Schedule
• Here is the temporary library book checkout for Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd. Thank you again for your flexibility! ~Christina~

• Snow Reminders
• We had MANY instances of students throwing, kicking or unsafely playing with the snow and ice chunks at recess today.  Can you please give a firm reminder that snow stays on the ground before recess on Friday?  Snow is for building with only.  There were too many injuries and luckily there wasn't anything more serious than the bruises and cuts.  Some of those cuts were much too close to major things that would have caused serious problems.

Tech Know Tip

Discovery Education is an educational streaming service that provides downloadable and copyright compliant videos for the classroom. Along with digital content, they have a Spotlight on Strategies (SOS), a plethora of strategies that can be used in tandem with any video content. The goal is to help students actively engage with the video being shown, and this resource has 130 strategies to choose from to assist with that.

Friday Funny

This week I am giving sharing a 5 minute clip of another one of my favorite comedians to watch.  He is a very smart and clever man, but he uses self-deprecating humor in his stand-up routines that I do enjoy.  

I hope this makes you laugh today as well.  :-)

November 11, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• So many of you pivoted quickly when our assembly was canceled at the last minute.  I can not express to you how much I appreciate your ability to go with the flow when it was out of our control!

• Michelle keeping me in line and sane!  (This could be in the blog each and every week!)

• Small groups of students working on reading and math that are so engaged in their instruction they barely notice anyone walking by their table!

• Teachers collaborating to create plans to help students find success throughout the school day and how to allocate resources.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, November 14
• Bus Duty: CaineT, Huso, Huelsman
• Jenny in meeting from 9:15-10:15am
• No Nurse Lynnae for the day

• Tuesday, November 15
• Social Media posts due: Miller, Mosher, Murphy, Braunschweig
• SEL Grade Level Meeting 3rd grade, 12:05-12:55pm

• Wednesday, November 16
• Workout Wednesday
• 5th grade Academic grade level mtg, 12:35-1:25pm

• Thursday, November 17
• Do we dare add in a Packers 
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-9:30am
• Jenny has to leave for dr appt by 3:30pm

• Friday, November 18
• MyView Literacy Coach visit - 8-1pm
• rotating subs will be in the building

Nitty-Gritty

• Dodgeland Apparel
• Looking for some new Dodgeland apparel? Well, you're in luck! The Dodgeland Athletic Booster Club Clothing Sale is open until Wednesday, November 16. Check out the awesome new styles and designs at this link: https://bit.ly/3DI5nOl

• Rescheduled NED assembly
• The NED assembly has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 15.  It will be at the same time, 2-2:45pm.  Please mark your calendars.  Please hold onto the yo-yo forms until then.  

• MyView Literacy Coach Visit
• Allison will be in the building on Friday (11/18) to meet with teams.  I know that she would like to see your classrooms too, but I am struggling to get a schedule where she can see your rooms and also have time to meet with you individually.  For this visit, I created this schedule so that each team has time to ask specific questions with her.

• Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
• Starting on November 15, we will be participating in a gratitude scavenger hunt.  Watch for an email on Tuesday that will describe the "hunt" and how to participate.  The items you find, the more chances you have of winning a gift card at the end of the month.  Plus, we know the research on gratitude and how it helps with stress management and mindset.  Win-Win!  Plus, I love a good scavenger hunt!

Tech Know Tip

Cult of Pedagogy is a great website by Jennifer Gonzalez for all things instruction, classroom management, and technology. She has outstanding blogs, podcasts, and videos about the art and science of teaching. I particularly love her article “What to Do on Lame Duck School Days” where she shares 30 alternatives to movie watching on “lame duck days” such as the days before a holiday break. She has the activities broken down into low, medium, and high-prep to help find a good fit for you and your classroom.

PD Spotlight

The past few weeks I have noticed an increase in unkind behavior and words from more and more students across our building.  These situations seem to be increasing and affecting our students, their families and our classrooms.  I know that it is going to take time, repetition and consistency in order to help our students create habits of being kind to one another.  One way to teach and create a common experience centered on kindness is to use literature.  I came across a site called teaching expertise and it has a number of awesome resources on it.  But it also gives examples of titles to use to help start a conversation about this topic (and others).  There is a great post about books to teach about honesty on this site as well!  Click HERE to see some ideas if you are looking for ways to engage your classroom in a discussion about this as well.

Friday Funny

Oh, so true.  :-)

November 4, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Mentors and Mentees making plans to observe each other to build their craft.  Please reach out if you want to participate in this activity too!

• A teacher explaining his classroom procedures and instructional practices in a way that helped them to understand the situation better and also come to a plan for moving forward.

• Special education teams working together to come up with ideas and plans to help with students struggling with behavior in multiple settings in the building.

• Staff members sharing all the positive skills and improvements their student has made in the last IEP year.  It brought tears to her eyes!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, November 7
• Bus Duty: Braunschweig, Klink, Zastrow
• Fundraiser Pick up from 3-6pm in the Commons area.

• Tuesday, November 8
• Social Media Posts due to Josh: Palen, Schuett, Jenkins
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10am
• 4th gr SEL data meeting in El conf rm, 12:35-1:25pm

• Wednesday, November 9
• Workout Wednesday
• Staff Meeting 3:10-3:55pm in IMC
• 5K Academic data meeting at 12:05-12:55pm in El conf rm
• Jon Schlender is in the building for those that work with him.

• Thursday, November 10
• Purple Pride Friday on a Thursday!
• NED Assembly from 2-2:45pm in Elem. Gym

• Friday, November 11
• Jenny out until 9:30am
• Before/After School Yo-Yo sale in Commons
• Veteran's Assembly @ 9:30 in HS gym

Nitty-Gritty

• Elementary Parking Lot info
• Many parents need to walk their students into the building in the morning.  In order to make this process smoother, I am asking you to leave the 8 spaces that are around the crosswalk to Door 29 empty for parents. Please see the graphic below to show where these spaces are.

• Lockdown Drill 
• Our first district lockdown drill for this year will be the week of November 14.  This one is announced to staff ONLY.  Please do not share with students that you know the week it is occurring.  However, please remind students of the expectations for a drill like this next week so that they have heard the information before the drill comes up.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

• Recess Information/Updates
• PowerPlayers Returns: Starting Monday, we will be bringing back PowerPlayers for grades 1-5!  Please watch for an email from Mrs. Chambers with a short video explaining the program and check your mailboxes for tickets. Please remember, PowerPlayer tickets should only be given for the target recess skill which will be kindness.

• There have been several students playing "chase/tag/running" games ON the playground.  PLEASE remind students that the only place they should be running is in the tag zone or grass.  We never run on the turf/playground (at 1st-5th grade recess). Again, kids are not in control of their bodies when they are running by the playground and kids are getting shoved into the poles and getting injured.

• Heelys:  Students have started to wear Heelys to recess.  The rule is NO wheels at recess (or in school.) Students are not in control of their bodies and are running into each other.

• NED Assembly
• There will be forms to send home that describes the assembly and includes information about yo-yo's that students can purchase.  The profits made from the sale goes to pay for the next school's performance.  (This assembly is free for the schools they perform in.  They only make money off of yo-yo's that are purchased.). In addition, you will see some posters in the hallway to let kids know about this assembly as well.

• Veteran's Day Assembly
• The Veteran's Day assembly will start promptly at 9:30am.  Please make sure to dress professionally that day as we will have many visitors from our community in attendance that day.  (We can move purple Friday to Thursday next week!). In addition, if you are a specials teacher and normally have a class at that time, you should plan to sit with the group that you have at that time.

• Graham Fletcher Videos
• Did you see Sue's email about the videos from Graham Fletcher.  She has reminded us how important our work is for laying the foundation for math.  The link is HERE for the videos.  A reminder that Sue would be more than willing to debrief about them as well.

• Looking Ahead
• The Dodge County Health Dept will be holding a flu vaccine clinic at Dodgeland for students on November 29.  They will start at 9am and hope to finish all students K-12 before noon.  Students must have a signed consent form returned by 11/22/22 in order to participate.

TechKnow Tip

Have you opted in for text notifications from Dodgeland yet? 

To enhance communication to parents and staff, Dodgeland uses the BrightArrow telephone, email, and text communication system which enables school personnel to notify all households and parents by telephone, email, text, or app alerts within minutes of an emergency or unplanned event. It is also used to communicate general announcements and reminders.

 

To opt-in to text alerts, you may text “YES” to the short code 87569 at any time. You must have your phone number on file with the school to receive text messages. This is an opt-in mechanism, not a subscribe mechanism. Once you opt-in, BrightArrow will send you a confirmation that your phone number is opted-in. Once a phone number is opted-in, all text messages will come from the short code 87569.

 

If you are unsure of the number you have on file, stop by Kimi in the district office. You can always go through the opt-in directions a second time, just in case.

PD Spotlight

Behavior and classroom management continues to be a top priority for many of us throughout each day/week/month. Over the summer I was researching other ideas to help with this piece for myself as well. I cam across the Needs Focused Teaching site. It is from the UK, but the information hits home for me and I appreciate his work. Click HERE to read a blog post that has ideas that you may or may not have tried already. Please make an appointment to see me if you want to problem solve together about a student or situation. You are not alone. Ever. Please reach out to get help for your own sake as well as your students.

Friday Funny

Some of you may not understand this meme. But for those that do, your childhood was probably AWESOME! LOL

October 28, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Field trips are so much work, but thank you for putting so much time into planning them.  Our kids benefit so much from these experiences.  Thank you for putting them together for them.

• Greg was so impressed by the professional dialogue on Monday.  He enjoyed how you problem-solved together and supported one another through difficult situations.  You probably don't even realize how impressive this because you've done it so naturally for so long, but it always reminds me of how much I love to be a part of your team.

• Teachers celebrating student progress since conferences.  I love to hear the pride in your voices when you share this information.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 31
• EP meeting @ 3:15pm in IMC
• Bus Duty: Bingen, Juech, Vertz
• 3rd Grade Lunch/Recess Switch begins

• Tuesday, November 1
• New Monthly Support Staff Duties for November
• Breakfast: Blasia, Vicky
• AM Circle Drive: Chris V
• PM Circle Drive: Karissa, Lexi
• Social Media Posts due to Josh: Huso, Donovan, CaineT
• Jenny in meeting from 9-10am
• 5th Grade SEL data meeting 12:35-1:25 in Elem. conf rm
• Para-educator Meeting @3:05 in Elementary Conf. Room
• Pyramid Model Training @3:30pm in EL PLTW lab

• Wednesday, November 2
• Jenny in meeting from 8:15-9:15am
• 1st Gr academic data meeting 12:05-12:55pm

• Thursday, November 3
• Jenny out for appt until 10am.
• Free Covid Vaccine Clinic at the Gathering source from 4:30-7:30pm
• Community Event from 5 Stones at 6:30pm at Harvest Church

• Friday, November 4

Nitty-Gritty

• Families in Need
• Earlier this week, Jessica sent out an email describing resources available for our families in need. If you have a family that would benefit from one of the following resources, please tell them you can share their name with Jessica for an email with online application.
• Dodge County Toy Bank - provides gifts for children ages 15 and younger in a family that qualifies
• A Child's Smile: Sponsors about 40 families/ Approximately 120 children with gift cards from Walmart.  This is not exclusive to age 15 and under.
• Holiday food basket

• EL tip for Staff
• The Cesa 6 Language and culture center has monthly tips that they send out for staff with practical ideas to use to help improve skills.  The tips are not limited for just EL students either.  Click HERE to read this month's post.

• Veteran's Assembly
• Please mark your calendars for the annual Veteran's Day assembly.  It will be held on Friday, November 11 at 9:30am.  Please plan to have your students in the gym prior to 9:30 so that it can start right on time.  

Friday Funny

Do any of you live in a Haunted House?  :-) My friend sent this to me as she has two teenage boys in her home.  Thought it fit with the theme of this weekend.

October 21, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Seriously.  I can not express my gratitude or how truly impressed by the Dodgeland team tonight.  Your professionalism, your preparation and organization and your relationship building with families was truly inspiring.  Thank you so much for all you have done.

• Interventionists are working so hard to provide instruction with students that are in need of extra practice and re-teaching.  I love listening to colleagues problem solve together when a student is in need.

• Listening to 1st graders sincerely offering up compliments and apologies to one another at the end of the day as a reflection was so remarkable.  What a wonderful way to provide a space to practice social skills as well.

• I would like to publicly thank Lexi and Ella for delivering the food Thursday and to Amber for helping to set it out for us.  I appreciate it so much!

What's Happening At Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 24
• PD day 7:30-3:30pm
• Dodgeland Den open from 6:30-5:45pm
• Bus Duty: Chambers, Schweitzer, Johnson
• School Board meeting 6:30pm

• Tuesday, October 25
• MyView Coach Visit from 8-2pm
• Social Media Posts due to Josh: Koenings, Mosher, Turcotte, B Caine
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10am

• Wednesday, October 26
• Workout Wednesday
• 5th grade field trip
• 2nd Grade Level Academic Meeting 12:05-12:55pm in elem. conf. room
• Staff meeting 3:10-3:55pm

• Thursday, October 27
• 3rd grade field trip
• 4K field trip
• 5K half day field trip
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-9:30am

• Friday, October 28
• Seals on Wheels visit

Tech Know Tip

Happy Digital Citizenship Week! We do so many great things here at Dodgeland that every week could be considered Digital Citizenship Week. Not only do we teach our students grades K-12 the Common Sense Media digital citizenship lessons every year, you all have meaningful conversations with our students about their digital lives. We know that the best way for students to learn about themselves as digital citizens is for adults to demonstrate what a digital citizen is through examples and discussions, as well as reinforcing ideas throughout the year in your content specific lessons. Remember that any of the Common Sense Media lessons can be retaught through the lens of your content specific lesson. Looking for some more resources to use throughout the year? BrainPOP digital citizenship has a variety of short videos that are always accompanied by a quiz and activities. Google’s “Be Internet Awesome” includes interactive lessons accompanied by online games which give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge. Finally, Discovery Education has a great teacher portal which breaks down different topics within digital citizenship and suggests resources to support each topic.

Nitty-Gritty

• Schedule Update
• The logistics committee met this past week to discuss some recess and lunch procedures.  Our 1st and 2nd graders are struggling more than any other grades during the unstructured parts of their day with extreme reactions to conflict, eloping and other unique behaviors in these two locations. Due to these student needs, we discussed rearranging 3rd grade's lunch/recess.  This would mean that our 3rd graders would eat at noon and then go to recess at 12:30pm.  This does require a bit of a movement of supervisors and other routines, but we decided it would be worth it to try it. It will provide more time and resources for re-teaching and direction for our 1st and 2nd graders so that more successful recess/lunch periods allow them to return ready to learn in the afternoon.  It also gives our 3rd graders an opportunity to become leaders and positive role models for our 4K/5K students.  Please watch for an email this weekend with specifics.

• NED show is coming to Dodgeland
• Please mark your calendars for an assembly for our 4K-5th grade students on Thursday, November 10.  NED stands for Never give up, Encourage others, Do your best.  The purpose of the show is to talk about positive behavior, character and building growth mindset. The show will take place from 2 - 2:45pm in the multipurpose room.

• PD Schedule
• The PD agenda/schedule is HERE.
• Greg Wolcott is returning to continue our discussion on SEL skills, relationship building and routines and reinforcement.  We began this school year talking about ways to help our students that have had an increase in dysregulation and behaviors at school.  Now that we are almost 1/4th of the way through the year, it is a good time to re-engage in this conversation to help our students thrive in our classrooms.  
• You will notice in the afternoon a Q/A section on grading. I have had a few questions lately about grading so I have this time period built in for staff and teams to meet with me about questions.  If you have specific questions, please add them HERE so that I can make sure to answer your questions.
• Finally, there is time built into the schedule for you to plan and work with your grade level.  If you are piloting MyView, please work as a grade level team to determine what questions or materials you would like Allison to discuss with you.  A schedule will be sent soon.

• Recess Doors Information
• The doors that we use for recess are on a time schedule for each day.  In order for the doors to be unlocked for students/staff during the schedule, someone must swipe their key fob after the door is scheduled to be open in order to activate the schedule.  Each door must be activated individually and if you swipe your key fob prior to the beginning time, it will not stay unlocked for the duration.  Below is the schedule for each door for your reference.
• Door 26 (4th/5th hall) & Door 27 (1st/2nd/3rd hall)
• 9:15-9:45 & 12:00-1:05
• Door 29 (3K/4K hall)
• 9:00-9:30 & 11:30-12:30pm

• IXL Resource
• HUGE shout-out to Gabrielle for taking the time today to create a 3 min. screencast to show us all how to use the textbook resource under skills plan in IXL so it can be tied to Bridges or for those piloting, MyView, especially when planning for WIN.  Please watch her video HERE to learn how to do this yourself if you are interested.  Thank you again Gabrielle!

• Seals on Wheels
• The first visit for students participating in the Seals on Wheels program is scheduled for Friday.  The hygienist will be using a cart to go from classroom to classroom to grab students and do the fluoride treatment quickly in the hallway so that students do not miss very much class.  A list will be shared with you as soon as I receive the final list from them.

• Did you Hear?
• The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation has been a large supporter and champion for our work.  Thanks to their work and their support we have been able to implement long-lasting changes and improvements to our system.  They had an exciting announcement this past week.  Read their press release HERE on the amazing donation that they just received to continue their awesome work. 

Friday Funny

I am SOOOOO excited about Friday night.  I am going to see one of my favorite comedians, Nate Bargatze.  His delivery and content always makes me laugh. Stand up comedy is one of the ways that I use to relieve stress.  Watching comedians makes me laugh, which makes me feel better.  I am sharing this link with you HERE so that you can enjoy a little bit of his material as well.  Have a great weekend!

October 14

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Paula, Michelle, Teresa and Holly (and so many others) all stepped in to help while I was gone this week.  I can not ever express to you how much I appreciate your help!

• Teachers worked so hard to prepare for conferences.  I was able to sit in on a few and was truly impressed by the professionalism and clarity that you shared important information with parents.

• Teachers and staff advocating for their students and their needs.  I am always open to discussions to find solutions for struggling students.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 17
• Bus Duty: Miller, Schwoerer, Klis/Huelsman
• Michelle will be out all day
• Logistics Committee meeting 3:15-3:45pm

• Tuesday, October 18
• Social Media Posts due to Josh: Mook, Murphy, Lisiecki, Mosher
• 5K SEL grade level Meeting 12:05-12:55pm

• Wednesday, October 19
• Workout Wednesday
• 3rd gr Academic grade level Meeting 12:05-12:55pm

• Thursday, October 20
• Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:30pm
• Book Fair: 4-7:30pm

• Friday, October 21
• SAEBRS and MySAEBRS assessments should be complete by today.

Nitty-Gritty 

• SAEBRS/MySAEBRS Assessment
• Now that we have been in school for at least 6 weeks, it is time for us to complete the SAEBRS assessment.  For students in Grades 2-5, they should complete the MySaebrs assessment.  All classroom teachers should do the SAEBRS assessment for their own class in grades 5K-5th grade.  Click HERE for the video on how to do the SAEBRS assessment on FastBridge. (The only thing that is different from this video is that FastBridge is on the District Tab at the top.). The MySAEBRS assessment is also on Clever for students.  They would go to Clever on their ipad, go to the district tab, and click on FastBridge and then on the MySAEBRS assessment on the screening page.  If you need assistance with this, please let me know.

• MyView Coach Visit
• Alison will be in the district to observe and meet with individual teams to see lessons and also to answer questions individually.  I will create a schedule for her to come to each grade level.  However, I would like to know if you want her to observe a phonics lesson, a word study lesson, or a reading/writing lesson.  Please click HERE to indicate your preference.

• Parent Teacher Conferences
• On Thursday, I will have food in the lounge for you all to enjoy before or during conferences.  I know these are long nights for you all, so please take time to get a snack so that you at least don't have an empty stomach too!  Again, if you have any conferences that you would like me to attend, please let me know.

• My Calendar
• If you want to make an appointment to meet with me, the link to my calendar is HERE. Feel free to use this at any point.  I know that I am not always easy to find, but I will do my best to honor all appointments.  If an emergency comes up, I will connect with you to reschedule.

• Virtual Field Trips
• Did you see Jahra's email this week about possible virtual field trips for your class?  Click HERE to see the pdf of details in case it fits with your curriculum or what you are reading/studying.  I am certain that Jahra would be willing to answer any questions about her experiences as well.

• Purple Purpose Room
• The NHS is the group that mans the Purple Purpose room that is located in the High School.  Below is information that they would like us to know about this room/initiative.
• The Purple Purpose Room is now open to all students in need of school supplies, clothing, and hygiene supplies. It is located in Room 340 in the high school (take the hallway next to the concession stand, third room on the left). We will try to be open before school, 7:30-7:45am, and from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Here is the website link of details as well.

• CESA 6 Looking for Volunteers
• The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation is looking for volunteers to evaluate applications for the 2023 awards. Anyone can be a reader! You just need a computer and the internet. Scoring takes approximately 20-30 minutes per application. There is a brief online training is required before beginning. Click HERE to register to be a reader.

TechKnow Tip

Network and Data security is a major focus as we become more dependent on digital platforms. Keeping your personal data, students data and the district data protected is a major priority for the Dodgeland Technology Department.

One of the most common ways hackers breach a system is through phishing (email) attacks. We recently did a simulated phishing test with all of our staff members. 20% of our staff clicked on the simulated phishing email. To ensure staff know what to look for you should receive a KnowBe4 Tech Tip later today. We will continue the tips next week, with a new email tip each day. These KnowBe4 tips are not to scare you, but educate you on what to look for in a suspicious email.

PD Spotlight

During the past two weeks, I have had the privilege of attending a couple of sessions through the Foundation and AWSA.  One of the things that was similar about these sessions was inspiring messages about the importance and gratitude that others have about what we get to do everyday.  I don't know about you, but there are many days where I am so physically and mentally and emotionally exhausted, that I lose sight of my why and the reason I chose this career. I beat myself up about the errors I have made or the things I have forgotten to do. Today, the speakers talked about courage and bravery and grace.  Their message was that our work is not easy.  We do not always receive gratitude from others.  The days can be long with tremendous stress.  But.  The courageous action is to do the things that scare you.  To show up each day ready to take on the challenges.  To never give up and accept that you are NOT going to know all the answers. To give yourself grace and keep going with hope for the future. While I can appreciate these messages, it is not an easy message to carry around with me each day and remember. Then there are things that occur in my life that help me put things in perspective and reflect on what is truly important in life.  

Below is a picture of 6 very wonderful people.  Two of these people are my parents.  (They are the middle two in the top picture.). This group of people have been a part of my life since I was an infant.  They all met in their early 20's and have been friends for almost 50 years. They have celebrated many milestones together and yes, have grieved together as well. Between them there are 10 children, all of whom know these people very well because they have been present at almost every milestone event. 

As a child (and even still today), I loved watching them and listening to them talk.  They were highly entertaining.  When I look at the first picture, I can actually hear their distinct laughs as I look at it.  They care about one another, they help one another, they sometimes disagree with one another, but they always show deep love for each other. They are a true definition of lifelong friendship.

Why do I include them in the PD spotlight?  Because this group of people have had more than their share of adversity, especially in the last couple of years. Yet, when my mom's surprise party came around, (bottom picture), this group of friends dropped everything to be there for her, even though it was not easy. They spent time together laughing, reminiscing and catching up.  It was just like so many events of my childhood.  Except this time it was different.  This time, I look at this picture (bottom picture) and while I still see joy and can still "hear" the laughter, I also see pain and worry. No one knows the future, but they are all about to enter a time where they will need to do things that scare them too.  They don't know all the answers. (Although, as a kid, I certainly thought they did.)  They are supporting one another by giving and offering help.  They provide a listening ear and are protective of one another. They are still guiding us "kids", modeling for us about life and bravery, and how to reflect and have hope for the future.

So while, this is not a professional development section on teaching practices, I am hoping this section resonates with you.  If you have felt that deep exhaustion in the past few weeks, perhaps this section helps give you pause and encourages you to give yourself grace, to be courageous, to ask for help when you need it, and to see this group that you may have never met as inspiring you to reflect on what models you have in your life of bravery, grace and hope.  How do your models affect how you see your day-to-day challenges?  What support can I offer or provide?  What can I do for you?  Please see me if you need my help or support. You are all important to me.

Friday Funny

So, Michelle might not find this as funny as I do as she went three rounds with the Fed Ex people in the last week, but how about you?  Any of you relate to this?  :-)

October 7, 2022

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Staff members asking great questions of the MyView literacy coach.  I love how you are thinking and advocating for your students.

• Staff working together to help out when students are struggling with their own SEL skills.  It always seems better when you have colleagues and others to lean on when these situations become stressful.

• The para-educator meeting was full of really great questions and idea sharing to help us all understand issues and be on the same page. Thank you for your professionalism.

• Michelle went through all of the fundraiser packets and organized the orders to be sent in amongst about a million other things that she did this week.  Thank you so much Michelle!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 10
• Jenny in meeting from 8:15-9:15am
• Bus Duty: Donovan, Lucht, Palen

• Tuesday, October 11
• Jenny in a meeting from 8:30-10am
• Social Media Posts due to Josh - Bingen, Chambers
• 1st Gr SEL meeting 12:05-12:55pm
• Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:30pm
• Book Fair 4-7:30pm

• Wednesday, October 12
• Workout Wednesday
• 4th Grade Academic Data Meeting 12:35-1:25pm
• Jenny leaving for a conference at 9:45am

• Thursday, October 13
• Jenny gone all day

• Friday, October 14
• FFA Petting Zoo (9am-2pm)
• Picture Retake Day (on stage)
• SLO/PPG forms due for EP
• Jenny gone all day

Nitty-Gritty

• FFA Petting Zoo
• Here is a message from Carley Nehls from Dodgeland FFA.
• The FFA is excited to once again host the Annual Petting Zoo on Friday, October 14. The members are working hard to develop their educational stations that your classes can rotate through. Please sign-up for a time slot on this Google Sheet. Attached is a letter that you can share with your families regarding the event.

• Parent Teacher Conferences
• Please let me know if there are any conferences that you would like me to sit in on.  In addition, I will have some food set up after school for you to snack on both nights before, in between or after your conferences.  This is just a little something to show you how much I appreciate all the hard work you are putting in to prepare for these important conferences with your families.

• Passwords
• Did you change your password yet?  Some of us may have had passwords that expired this week, if it didn't, it will soon.  Brad sent out an email with directions for us last week.  In case you need some reminders of how to make a password that matches the Dodgeland Password Policy requirement, it is below. Click HERE to see the video on how to create a strong password.
• Must be 10 characters long
• Must have a symbol
• Must have a number
• Must have a Capital Letter
• Password expires every 370 days
• Cannot contain words or phrases such as Dodgeland, Trojans, Juneau, password, teacher and other common dictionary words
• Search for Brad's email from last week and this week that describes the process of how to change your password.  The subject line was Password Portal/Change Network Password.

• Substitute Teacher folders
• Below are the details that Christina emailed out this week.  Please keep these in mind as you create your lesson plans in the folders when you need to be out.
• Add your daily sub plans and emergency sub plans to the Google Shared Drive titled "Substitute Teacher Plans". Emergency plans will most likely stay the same throughout the year unless you end up using them. Daily sub plans are for the plans for your scheduled absences. 
• Title your daily sub documents with the dates you will be absent. (Example: 10-10-2022)
• Create your plans in Google Docs. You can add hyperlinks to websites and resources that can be accessed easily for substitute teachers with one click.
• Substitutes will be able to look at your seating charts through PowerSchool, so be sure to keep them up to date.
• Check out more information on the staff resource page here. 

PD Spotlight

Below is a summary of the virtual meeting with our MyView literacy coach.  She will be visiting in person on Tuesday, October 25.  She will be coming to observe classrooms during literacy for as many as she can and then meeting with grade levels/individuals to answer any questions and provide guidelines as you continue the pilot for those involved.

• If you would like to see a detailed scope and sequence, you can find this in the Savvas Realize learning system.  You would need to go to the browse resources section, find the gettting started link.  From there choose the grade level and then scope and sequence.  This will give you a pdf of the entire year.  From there you can see what skills spiral and particular routines that repeat throughout each unit.  (For example, you will see genres spiraling throughout the units and also from grade to grade.)

• Not every skill is expected to be at mastery during the year.  For example, the 5K curriculum has about 90 high frequency words that are intended to provide exposure and emphasize and teach the difference between decodable and non-decodable words.  Plus, many of these words are then repeated in 1st grade where they do become mastered words.

• Independent reading by students does not need to tie to that week's genre.  The important part is that they are reading during independent reading.  You could encourage students to read from a number of different genres throughout the year though, but be careful not to make it mandated that they read from each genre which could cause more harm than good in reading enjoyment as well.

• Pacing - 
• The goal is to finish 4 units by the end of the year.  When planning for the lessons, set aside the time that you need for certain sections and then plan the other parts around that.  For example, if you want to have small group instruction going set those 30 minutes into the schedule first.  Then put the other lesson parts around that time period.  One day's lesson may take 2 days and that is ok.  Looking ahead, will you be finished, or close to finished by November 11?

• Spelling - It is not necessary to give weekly spelling tests to put in the gradebook, but you certainly can.  The word study section is one of the weakest areas for our students currently, so some of your students (or many of your students) may need to have a shortened list to work on or a list from a previous grade.  Work with your team to determine what would be best for students in your class.

• Student page:  "Just because there is a student page, it doesn't mean that the kids have to fill it out.  It could be done as a discussion, or a whiteboard lesson, etc."  I wrote this down verbatim from Allison because I thought it might be something you need to hear again down the line.

• The writing from Weeks 1-5 is meant to build from one week to the next with a published piece at the end of that week.  This was a point of confusion with myself and many others.

• Finally, Week 6 is the project and the writing project there is separate from the writing from weeks 1-5.  This was done by design.

• Clever - In order to get in to the MyView online portal for anyone that is not in yet, please login through the Clever app on your ipad and go to the District tab.  OR Go to Clever.com and log in using Google and go to the District tab.  Some have shared that they are going in with the demo site yet, but this should work for us all.  Please enter a helpdesk ticket if you are unable to get in through Clever.

Friday Funny

In honor of the book fair that is next week, here's the Friday Funny for this week.  This is exactly how I felt when I was a kid and the book fairs came to school too!