March 1, 2024

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• It was wonderful to be back in the building and definitely was good for my mental and emotional health. For all that gave up instructional time for the kids to sign the sign for me, it meant the world to me.  And every time a student asks me if I saw their name, I say emphatically, "OF COURSE I DID!"  And then hope they don't ask me what color it was in or some other identifying detail! :-)  I am aware that I am not back to 100% and haven't even seen all of you in person yet.  For that I am truly sorry.  Please do not hesitate to contact me or make an appointment.  While the to do list will always be there, my colleagues, team and students are far more important to me!

• The Read Across America Team has planned and organized another fantastic week for us this next week.  Thank you all so much for your hard work on this.  I can't wait for our annual Vocabulary Parade and our family night.  Shout out to Christina, Stacey, Melissa, Sue and Brenda!

• The Academic meeting this week reminded me of the skilled and amazing educators I get to work with each day.  When you talk about your students, I am reminded of the connections you are making to your students and how much you truly know what makes them tick and your true concern for some of them and willingness to problem solve about them is inspiring.  I know that all of our teams do this, but it was a great meeting to sit in on my first week back.  Shout out to Team 3rd Grade this week!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, March 4
• Bus Duty: Schweitzer, CaineB, O'Toole, Braunschweig (3K/4K playground)
• Read Across America Week starts: Hunting/Fishing Day-Wear blaze orange/camo or fishing gear

• Tuesday, March 5
• Social Media Posts due: Riege
• Camping Day - Wear PJ's
• Buddy Up Reading Day
• Lunch Detention Supervision
• 12:00 - Stampfl
• 12:30 - Zastrow
• 1:00 - Open
• SEL Data meeting 3rd Gr - 12:05-12:55pm
• ParaProfessional PD meeting @ 3:15pm in IMC
• Reading and Math Under the Stars family Night 6-7pm

• Wednesday, March 6
• Wild Animal Wednesday - Wear animal print or shirt with an animal on it
• Jenny and Teresa in a meeting from 8-9am
• Academic Data mtg 2nd gr - 12:05-12:55pm

• Thursday, March 7
• Outdoor Sports Day - Wear a shirt/hat from a football or baseball team
• Lunch Detention Supervision
• 12:00 - Open
• 12:30 - Turcotte
• 1:00 - Open

• Friday, March 8
• Vocabulary Dress-Up Day
• 3K/4K Screening meeting 1-2pm in Elem. Conf room

• Saturday, March 9
• Happy Birthday Hailey!

Nitty-Gritty

• New Faces at Dodgeland
• Starting next Monday, you may see a few new faces around the Dodgeland Elementary.  We will have a student teacher from Maranatha teaching with Jahra.  Her name is Allie Gaul and she will be with her until May 1st.  Another new face will be volunteering in the 3K classroom on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  She may be familiar to some though as she is a former graduate of Dodgeland.  Megan Schaalma will be in the 3K classrooms from 8-11:30 three times a week.  Finally, Jessica Bauer is officially on leave to have her new little one starting Monday.  Jenny Kilburg will continue to be here each Tues and Wed in Blasia's room.  On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, Samantha Keberlein will be subbing for Jessica.  Samantha may be familiar as well, as she has children in our district. Both Jenny and Samantha will be here until the end of the year. Please help them all feel welcome at Dodgeland.

• AI Mini-Sessions
• Last week, the first AI session was presented by the Tech Team.  Those that attended found the session informative and the perfect length of time to learn such a valuable new tool. I would highly encourage you to attend these sessions as AI is becoming more and more prevalent.  In addition, there are some pretty great tools (many of which are free) that can help streamline your work or help save you time with tasks that you need to accomplish.  The sessions are planned as mini so that it hopefully fits in your schedules better.  The first 15 min. will be the presentation, and the last 15 min. will be exploration, questions, and finding ways to use the tool in your personal work.  The next session is March 7 and will talk about using a tool called Curipod AI to create Slide Decks. Please consider attending this session.

• Colorcycle Program
• Shout out to Ms. Amis who in the near future will be organizing the Colorcyle program at Dodgeland to collect dried up markers, highlighters, etc to be recycled.  It is another way for us to do our part in preventing these things from ending up in landfills.  Please watch for more information from Sandi in the near future.

• 3K/4K Screening Days - FYI
• In case you have any parents asking, or any ties to families with young children that are interested in our 3K or 4K program, our screening days will be coming up next Month.  There will be two days in two different locations. (April 10 and 11). A flyer will be sent home with families next Tuesday, but it will also be out on the website, FaceBook, Class DoJo.  In addition, flyers will be available to put out in the community. If you have a location and would like to take a flyer with you, please let me know and I will get one to you.

• Weight Room and Buddy System
• The weight room has some available times during the day where staff can use the room, but you must have a "buddy" to fulfill our insurance rules and to make sure it is safe for all.  The MS/HS wing has created a calendar to sign up for a time.  If you there are two names at a single time period, feel free to use the room and equipment. If there is a class in the weight room, it can not be used by staff however.  Most days the room is open during the following times:
• 7:50-8:30
• 10:53-12:00
• 12:50-3:05

Behavior Specialist Information

Please let me (Teresa) know if you need support on your upcoming field trips.

Recess Information

With the weather starting to get nicer, just a friendly reminder, please do not schedule any extra recesses or outdoor activities in our recess spaces during other grades already scheduled recess. Additionally, please do your best to be on time for your recess duties and please remind students that they can not be outside until their grades supervisors are outside to supervise (meaning 3rd-5th should not go to recess without 3rd-5th grade supervisors even if the K-2 supervisors are outside as they are trying to transition their group in, not supervise the next group). TIA

TechKnow Tip

This week’s AI mini-learning session was all about utilizing generative AI for lesson planning. No matter what AI tool you use (Magic School AI or Chat GPT for example), the AI response is only as good as the prompting you give it. Generative AI prompting is the information you feed the tool in order to get a response. For the best results, you will need to provide a lot of clear information. Prompting can be overwhelming and a bit frustrating, so HERE is a great resource to get you started! This Little Book of Generative AI Prompts for Teachers was created by Mark Anderson, an educator from the UK. These prompts are categorized by subject matters and are meant for you to use, tweak, or just get the juices flowing when using generative AI. There are also some great resources at the end of the book to keep your learning going!

Friday Funny

Last weekend, I finally had an opportunity to see a couple of very old friends of mine.  (In longevity of the friendship, not by age! :-)) While talking, we decided that adulting is not really all it's cracked up to be like we thought when we were teenagers and met each other for the first time.  Then my friend shares this joke with us about how "adulting is stupid, no one cares to ask what our favorite dinosaur is!"  I came across this meme below and then just like, it happened in my real life!  I got to talk to a 4K student today that told me the names of the lacing dinosaurs he was given to practice fine motor skills. He then proceeded to tell me which one was "a carnivore and that means they eat meat, Mrs. Huelsman" and the other is a herbivore and it eats plants.  And then I realized that before we both know it, he won't be talking about his favorite dinosaurs with others, but thankfully I got to be a part of it today!  What does that mean about my own adulting, I wonder...  :-)

February 23, 2024

 What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, Feb 26
• Bus Duty: CaineT, Riege, Juech, Vertz(3K/4K playground)
• School Board Meeting @6:30pm

• Tuesday, Feb 27
• Milwaukee Bucks Day! Wear your Bucks apparel.
• Social Media Posts due: Klink
• SEL Data Meeting 4th gr (12:35-1:25pm)
• Lunch Detention Supervision
• 12:00 - Open
• 12:30 - Zastrow
• 1:00 - Open
• AI in Education Mini-session: Lesson Planning in IMC @ 3:15-3:45

• Wednesday, Feb 28
• Workout Wednesday
• Jenny in a meeting from 8:30-10am
• Academic Data meeting 3rd Gr (12:05-12:55pm)
• Staff meeting in IMC 3:10-3:55pm

• Thursday, Feb 29
• It's Leap Day!
• Lunch Detention Supervision
• 12:00 - Open
• 12:30 - Turcotte
• 1:00 - Open
• Jenny in virtual mtg from 1-2:30pm

• Friday, Mar 1
• Jenny at Cesa from 11-3pm
• NEW Support Staff Duties start
• Breakfast: Lexi, Vicky
• AM Circle Drive: Karissa
• PM Parent Pick-up: Ann, Sandi

Nitty-Gritty

• Personal Update
• I have to return to the doctor on Monday and am hoping that at that point, I will be cleared to come back to work.  So at this point, I am planning to be back in the building on Tuesday, Feb 27 barring any unforeseen events.  I will share that I do get tired easily and my two little "mother hens" will be my chauffeurs for the week.  This may mean that I will not be able to stay as late as I usually do after school.  So if you need to meet with me, please sign up on my calendly link before 3:30 each day. I am missing you all and am looking forward to being back at work with you and our students.  As always, if you have questions for me, please let me know.

• Budgeted Items
• As Jessica's email stated this week, please make sure to turn in PO's for budgeted items before the end of March so that there is no forward spending.  If there is something that you must purchase after that point for this school year because it is time sensitive or is specific for lessons in April or May, please let me know so that it can be noted for the auditors in the summer.

• Read Across America
• Read Across America Week is coming up the Week of March 4.  The committee has sent out important information regarding the week's festivities.  Click HERE if you need to read through this again.  Thank you to the committee for your planning and hard work!

• AI In Education Mini-Sessions
• There are a number of AI sessions coming up for staff to learn about using AI to help with your tasks as educators.  See below for a list of dates and the topic for each session.  I highly encourage you to attend as many of the sessions as you can.  

TechKnow Tip

Did you know you can make any physical text into an audio book! Check it out here!

Friday Funny

One of my favorite scientists to listen to is Neil deGrasse Tyson.  He's entertaining, wildly intelligent, and seems like he is interviewed in so many places.  When I saw this exchange online, I couldn't help but laugh.  Hope this makes you smile as well!

February 16, 2024

 What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, February 19 - PD Day
• Bus Duty: Anderson, Miller, Huso, Mosher (3K/4K playground)
• HS Forensics Meet starting at 3:30pm
• Schedule for the day is HERE

• Tuesday, February 20
• Social Media Posts due: Huso, Lucht
• 3rd Gr Field Trip to Schauer Arts Center
• SEL Meeting 5th gr - 12:35-1:25pm
• Lunch Detention Supervision:
• 12:00 - Stampfl
• 12:30 - Wedel
• 1:00 - Open

• Wednesday, February 21
• Happy Birthday Ann Peters!
• Workout Wednesday (Please have professional dress for conferences though.)
• P/T Conferences 4-7:30 pm

• Thursday, February 22
• Lunch Detention Supervision:
• 12:00 - Koenings
• 12:30 - Turcotte
• 1:00 - Open

• Friday, February 23

Nitty-Gritty

• HS Forensics Meet
• Dodgeland High School will be hosting a Forensics meet on Monday, Feb. 19 starting at 3:30.  No Elementary classes will be used for the meet, but the wing will be closed off from the rest of the building, so be sure to take your keys with you if you leave the wing.  The commons, media center and concession stand areas plus a number of MS/HS classrooms will be used though.  I share this as an FYI, in case you are in the building Monday evening.

• PD Day Reminder
• Please remember that there will be a small group of students in the building on Monday in the Dodgeland Den for the day.  Students in grades 3K/4K will still have a rest time in the afternoon, so there may. be some students in room 137 as well.  In addition, if you have something that they could help you with, I am sure that Alexis, Ella or Chris would be glad to have them help you if you need them!  :-)

• Schoology Backup
• As you continue to go through the rest of the year, please start to backup your resources, items. etc that are on your schoology teacher page.  We are not switching over to Google Classroom right now, but it will be easier to start putting them in a place so that you will have them when we do.  One option is to create a folder in your Google Drive for each class or subject to place these items in so that it is easily accessible later.

• Parent Teacher Conferences
• At the conclusion of the night, please email Trisha the number of conferences that you had that evening.  It will be assembled for Kimi for the school board report.  Again, if you need any help or support for a conference, please let me know.

TechKnow Tip

Videos can be a great way to introduce a topic, take students places or show students things

that are otherwise unreachable, and videos can be a great way to wrap-up or review a topic.

Here is an article from Edutopia: Teaching Students How to Learn From Videos. The bigger question is:

Where do I find quality, enriching videos for my class?! Check out these great places:

• Brain POP - Short (less than 10 minute) videos introducing a variety of topics in student friendly language. Each video has embedded questions that will pause while watching for great discussions. Videos are organized with grades K-3, grades 3-8, Spanish, and French.

• Discovery Education - A variety of videos that can be shown in smaller segments. Videos can be downloaded and added to slide decks or our learning management system (Schoology or Google Classroom). Shout-out to having all the Reading Rainbow episodes!

Friday Funny

I am still so sad about missing this, so to make me feel better I find little clips to make me laugh. Of course, I have the best daughters in the world, and they found another time when he is in WI and bought me a ticket! Aren't they the best! Enjoy this clip!

February 9, 2024

 What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, February 12
• Bus Duty: Caine-Arnes, Chambers, Zastrow, Koenings (3K/4K playground)
• EcoGuardians Assembly starts at 1:30 for grades 3-4-5, 2:15 for grades 4K-2 (plus St. Johns students)
• Mentor/Mentee Meeting @3:15 in IMC for teachers in years 1,2 & 3

• Tuesday, February 13
• Social Media Posts due: Koenings, Miller, Braunschweig, Mosher
• SEL meeting is scheduled for 5K @ 12:05 - We just met, do we need this one??
• Lunch Detention Supervisors
• 12:00-Huso
• 12:30-Wedel
• 1:00-TCaine

• Wednesday, February 14
• Happy Valentine's Day / Workout Wednesday
• Jenny in mtg from 8:30-10am
• Academic meeting for 4th gr @ 12:35pm
• Staff Meeting @3:10 in IMC

• Thursday, February 15
• Happy Birthday Laura Grossman!
• Lunch Detention Supervisors
• 12:00-Open
• 12:30-Turcotte
• 1:00-Anderson

• Friday, February 16
• 4K SEL meeting at 11:40-12:25
• Pyramid Model Leadership Mtg @ 1pm

• Saturday, February 17
• Happy Birthday Christina Rollins!

Nitty Gritty

• Assembly on Monday, 2/12
• Juneau Utilities sponsors the National Theatre for Children each year.  This year the performance is titled Eco Guardians.  Click HERE to get resources for your classroom.  Select your state and then click on the Eco Guardians logo for resources for your class on energy efficiency, etc.  The assembly is about 25 minutes long and they will be setting up in the gym at 1pm.  This will affect afternoon PE classes for 3rd and 4th grades.  Also, St. Johns' students will be joining us for the 2:15pm show.

• Parent Teacher Conferences
• If you need to send letters home for students for conferences, the link is above.  Trisha sent this out earlier this week.  If there is a conference you would like me to sit in on, please let me know as soon as you can so that it is on my calendar. 

Behavior Specialist Information

• Please remember to send work with students if they are being sent to the office either sick or for behavior as often they have to wait for a while and we don't want anyone missing out on learning time.

Recess Information

• Snow piles remain closed and students have had PLENTY of warnings about staying out of the snow and mud. If students are in either, please have them sit on the bench right away for a period of time; this includes before and after school.

TechKnow Tip

Roses are red, violets are blue, catfish and hackers, are on dating apps too! As Valentine's week

approaches, let's extend our care to the digital well-being of ourselves and loved ones. While online

dating can be a genuine way to connect and find love and happiness, we need to navigate with wisdom

and caution. It is important to be aware of romance scams, which unfortunately do exist alongside

genuine connections. These scams often involve creating fake profiles to win hearts. However, it's not all

doom and gloom!

The key is to approach these interactions with a healthy dose of skepticism and informed caution. Encourage verifying identities, perhaps through video calls, and be wary of rushed declarations of love or requests for money, which can be red flags. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Practice Digital Literacy and Caution: Encourage the use of video calls to verify the identities of online acquaintances and maintain privacy settings on all digital platforms. Use reverse image searches to check the authenticity of profile pictures, a simple yet effective tool in identifying fake profiles.

2. Establish Financial and Emotional Boundaries: Never send money or share financial information with someone you’ve met online. Remember that genuine connections are built on trust and respect, not on financial transactions or rushed declarations of affection.

3. Foster Open Communication: Create an environment where discussions about online interactions are welcomed and encouraged. Utilize educational resources to stay informed about the latest digital citizenship practices.

Stay Safe Online

Friday Funny

IF you understand this meme, it might be because you are close to my age.  If you don't, I wonder what cartoons you watched as a child... :-)

February 2, 2024

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Second graders are graphing and analyzing results with strong vocabulary and critical thinking skills.  I love listening to their thinking!

• Shout out to Blasia, Hailey and Trisha C who shared details with parents in such a kind and celebratory way that it brought tears to my eyes.  The mother walked out feeling very proud of their child and the hard work they have put in for the past year.  Plus, they were realistic about present levels and next steps.  Very well done!

• The SIT meeting process always reminds me of how observant and in tune staff are with their students.  Plus, I love hearing the planning for next steps for students.  Our students are very lucky to have such talented and caring professionals that are advocating for them.

• Shout out to Stephanie Plewa and her amazing organization skills and her ability to keep us all on track to complete the numerous steps of evaluation, answer our questions clearly, and participate in professional conversations that makes me think and problem-solve to benefit students!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, February 5
• Bus Duty: Klink, Lucht, Wedel, Schuett (3K/4K playground)
• Jenny at a dr appt - Should be in by 9am
• Start of National School Counselor Week!  Wear Neon/Bright Colors!

• Tuesday, February 6
• Jenny at a different dr appt - Should be in by 11am
• Crazy Hat Day 
• Social Media Posts due: Juech, CaineT
• SEL Data meeting - 1st gr 12:05-12:55pm
• Lunch Detention Supervisors
• 12:00 - Open
• 12:30 - Wedel
• 1:00 - Schwoerer
• Paraeducator staff meeting in the IMC - 3:15-3:45pm

• Wednesday, February 7
• Workout Wednesday/PJ/Comfy Day
• 100th Day of school
• Academic Data Meeting - 5th gr 12:35-1:25pm

• Thursday, February 8
• 101st Day of School
• Wear Yellow to Brighten Someone's Day
• Playworks Coach will be visiting - 9am-1pm
• Lunch Detention Supervisors
• 12:00 - Open
• 12:30 - Open
• 1:00 - Open
• Are your devices updated?  If not, they will automatically upstart at 11 am on Friday!

• Friday, February 9
• Happy Birthday Jessica Johnson!
• College Apparel or Dodgeland Gear Day
• Device updates start at 11am today.

Nitty-Gritty

• Device Updates
• Per Brad's emails in the past week, we are in charge of making sure that our devices are updated on time.  Our laptops should be updated to 14.3 and our iPads should be updated to 17.3.  If you need help with this, click HERE for video directions for your laptop or click HERE for directions to update your iPad.  Make sure you find time to do this before Friday morning.  Otherwise, it may update in the middle of a project or your teaching that could be very inconvenient.

• National School Counselor Week - Sophie's message is below!
• It is here! National School Counseling Week 2024 is the week of February 5-9!  NSCW is where we highlight the contributions school counselors, across the nation, bring to the educational system. School counselors play a vital role in promoting the academic, social/emotional, and career development of each child through a comprehensive school program. I am here to help you.  Support you. Care for you so we can do awesome things for students! Stay tuned for facts about the school counselor in the week ahead. There may be some surprises in the mix as well!  Don't forget the dress up days!  Click HERE to see the flyer!

• AWESOME PLTW News
• We were just notified that today that Dodgeland Elementary is a recipient of a $5000 PLTW grant.  A HUGE thank you to Sue O'Toole for working on the grant application and for keeping us on track with what needs we have for PLTW.  Look for coming details regarding what we will be using the grant money for!

• Reading/Math Family Night
• Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the Family night on Tuesday, March 5. This year we will be combining Reading and Math activities for the evening.  The Read Across America and Math committee will be organizing this event.  Watch for more details in the coming future!

Behavior Specialist Information

Please make sure that you continue to use the Help Me, Help Me document or call the office if you need to send a student down for a break or discipline. Also please ALWAYS send them with their work or at least a book as often they have to wait on someone to be able to address the situation and we don't want anyone missing valuable learning. :-)

As some of our student behaviors have begun to settle, my goal this semester is to be able to pop into classrooms more often. If there is anything specific that you would like feedback on, please reach out via email and we'll set something up. Otherwise, hopefully you'll see me just popping in and out.

Recess Info

Coach Maggie will be in the district on Thursday, February 8!

TechKnow Tip

Have you looked at Sora lately?! Not only are there amazing digital and audio books to help celebrate the month of February, there are also magazines to fit every reader in your room! Magazines like DOT (great for ages 5 and under), Bluey, Peppa Pig, Pokemon, Lego, and National Geographic Little Kids. Each magazine can be checked out by your WHOLE class or a small group of students to be read together. Once you find a magazine you like, you can even go to back issues from other years and keep reading! Magazines are a great way to expose students to different types of reading, give them agency, and gives them a chance to get excited about what they’re reading! An added bonus: as adult readers, you have access to over 280 magazines including Popular Science, National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens Holiday, Magnolia, and Outdoor Life. There is literally a magazine for everything!

Friday Funny

My parents are currently on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii.  They are touring each island and have a full itinerary for their vacation.  Why do I include it in my Friday Funny?  Because since they have left, they have texted periodically, forgetting that they are 4 hours behind us and of the most hilarious things.  My brother's exact words were, 

"When people ask me if my parents are enjoying their trip; I'm going to say that they must be--with all the awesome photos of AC units, stones and feral cats they've been sending.."   :-)

They also sent a picture of the place where "Steve and Dano used to work on the tv show Hawaii 50." and then proceeded to tell us there were no cats there because the statue had a sword in his hand.  (insert eye roll)