December 20

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• So many wonderful memories made this week at school...Thank you to all of you for providing a structured learning environment, yet still taking a few short moments of time to provide experiences for them that they will remember for a long time!
• 4K students excitedly telling me that they are looking for the Gingerbread Man!  (When I asked a student today about whether they ever found the gingerbread man, she said, "He's gone. We ate him!")  This age group is teaching me SO much this year! :-)
• Impressive 3rd grade writing pieces about a informational topic of their choice.  I read about Nerf guns, fishing, comic books, candy corn, Dodgeland, Roboblox, dance, etc.  There were great leads in them, and so many text features including pictures with captions, a Venn diagram, charts and glossaries.  So great to read and hear about their excitement in pride in their work!
• 4th graders practicing how to start a conversation with others.  They learned they can ask questions, notice and comment on something, compliment others, use their knowledge of the other person.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Winter break!  I sincerely hope you have a relaxing, peaceful and safe break.  Please take care of yourself and spend time with those that make you happy!

Nitty-Gritty

• iPad Updates: Please update your iPads to the latest software version before heading off to break.  The latest iOS version is 13.3 as of today.  Please check your software today.
• Class DoJo: In a continued effort to communicate and share the awesome learning and activities that happen in our building, please share your class DoJo pages with Christina Abegglen from the IMC.  This will give her another way to communicate with families.
• FaceBook Features - This is the other way we can get information out to our community about the students' experiences and learning in our building.  In January, I will begin the Staff Member Feature for the week.  I will be coming around to get information from you. (This is my heads up!) . Thank you to those that have already sent me the information for this upcoming post feature.
• Literacy - I have read all SLO and PPG forms that have been submitted by Elementary Staff.  The majority of you are working on individual or team SLO goals related to reading.  In an effort to support this work, I will be sharing information through the weekly blogs, in person, through feedback and tapping into staff member's expertise to share at Staff meetings.  The goal of this communication is to help us all elevate students' reading achievement, learn and grow in our own teaching craft, and ways to reflect on our classroom and student progress.
• i-Ready - Looking ahead: The winter i-Ready testing window is from January 7 through February 1.

PD Spotlight

This week's PD spotlight is more about a topic that is timely for me right now.  Click here to read the article on the importance of sleep.  Sadly, the part I am looking forward to during break is getting more sleep.  However, I have to figure this out for every week, not just trying to catch up.  It is a myth anyway.  You never actually "catch up" on sleep,  This article just made me think.  I share it with you as so many of us have had an exhausting week.  Take Care everyone!

Friday Funny

This week it is a short video clip.  I saw this online on Monday, and Ella and I enjoyed it so much I felt I had to share!  (It is a 3 year old video, but I had never seen it before.  Be sure to watch all the way to the end.)

December 13, 2019

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• 5th graders celebrating their writing pieces in front of parents and other guests.  What great figurative language I read in so many pieces!
• Students singing their hearts out at the winter concert.  A huge shout-out to Ms. Hudson and Mr. Muenchow for their hard work to make the concert a success.
• 3rd graders writing informational text features in their writing.  How cool is that?!
• Staff members stepping in to help out colleagues when emergencies arise or students are struggling to regulate. This makes us all feel supported and encouraged.  Thank you!

What's Happening at Dodgeland

• Monday, Dec 16
• Cozy Christmas Day for Staff - Hot chocolate in the lounge
• 1st and 2nd graders - Field trip to Schauer Arts Center until noon
• Math Curriculum Analysis Committee meeting at 3:15-4pm in the District Office
• School Board Meeting @ 6:30
• Tuesday, Dec 17
• Wednesday, Dec 18
• Workout Wednesday
• 2nd grade - Field Trip to Milwaukee Public Museum (all day)
• 5K Data Level meeting at 12:05 in the D.O. conference
• Thursday, Dec 19
• Goodie Table Day
• Friday, Dec 20
• Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
• Break from December 23-Jan 1
• See you on Thursday, Jan 2!

Nitty Gritty

• Food Service Survey - As you finish the paper surveys for grades 4K-3, please place them in my mailbox.  Grades 4-5, I will send you and your students a link on Friday. Please plan a time for students to take the survey before next week Friday.
• Break is coming up - For some of our students, they do not look forward to winter break.  The uncertainty of their days, the stress of the holidays on family, and other adverse childhood experiences cause students to have more difficulty with regulation skills and focusing just before breaks start.  The best way to help our students is to continue to be the compassionate, kind and consistent educators we are every day.  The more we deviate from our normal schedule the harder it is for students already struggling to have successful days.
• Target Based Grading - Please watch for an email and/or video with some follow up information from concerns and questions brought up on Wed. night.  

PD Spotlight

Please check out the part of an article about how to find renewal during Winter Break. My greatest wish is that you all have a peaceful relaxing break doing the things that allow you to renew and come back in January ready to take on this exhilarating, but complex profession. The article is by a man named John Spencer, a former MS teacher, now college professor. He writes a blog (among other things) and emphasizes how to help students and teachers tap in to their creativity.  Please click here to read this VERY short piece about strategies to find renewal during winter break.

Spencer, John. “Finding Renewal on Your Winter Break.” John Spencer, 6 Mar. 2019, www.spencerauthor.com/seven-teacher-tested-strategies-for-finding-renewal-on-your-winter-break/.

Friday Funny

I was reading some meme's about dad jokes and came across the one below. This made me laugh out loud for two reasons.

1. Born in a car, so his name is Carson!  That's funny! 

and 

2. It reminded me of my late husband.  When Mason was born, Matt started telling people that we named him Mason because he was born in May and he's our son, so he's our Ma-son!  Then he laughed and laughed.  I groaned, and it became a running joke in our household ever since!

December 6, 2019

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• First graders working hard on story problems using math mountains and a missing addend.  They really had to use their reading skills in math. :-)
• 4K students helping to read the pictures in a Santa book in the library.  They learned a hard word to say-- ornaments!
• I'm excited to see the finished doors for the contest.  So many creative and fun ideas!  
• Students working on using their inside voices during lunch.  Thank you for reinforcing this in classrooms too.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, December 9
• Mid-Quarter for Qtr 2 
• Milwaukee Bucks Attire day (students and/or staff)
• Wear your Christmas Bling (staff only)
• Board Workshop in IMC at 6pm (School Perception community survey results will be presented)
• Tuesday, December 10
• Wednesday, December 11
• 1st grade Data meeting at Noon
• Staff meeting in the IMC @3:10 (Bring your target based grading materials to the meeting)
• Thursday, December 12
• Elementary Winter Concert for grades K, 2, 4 at 6:30 (Kids arrive at 6:05)
• Friday, December 13
• Santa's Ho-Ho-Ho Down (wear your flannel and western wear)

Nitty-Gritty

• FaceBook reminder - Please let me know if I can feature you for a FaceBook weekly post.  The more we can connect with our community, the more they will hear the positive things we do each and every day here.

• Playworks Update - Coach Jena emailed out a follow up after her last visit to our classrooms.  This is her final visit to classrooms, but she will be here a couple more times this year during our recesses though.  I encourage you to continue to use the Playworks games, activities and attention getters to develop/practice SEL skills and build community in the classroom. The few minutes that these activities take will pay off in upcoming lessons when students are ready to learn and focused.

• Food Service survey - The school board has asked that students be surveyed about breakfast and lunch.  Please watch your email next week for the link and/or procedure for giving the survey to our elementary students.

• Summer School - Yep, you read that correctly!  I'm going to begin planning for next year's summer school session.  The dates are: June 15-July 23 (Mon-Thurs from 7:30-noon).  Watch for an email in January with more information!

PD Spotlight

I am sharing a short article this week about managing teacher stress.  I truly believe teaching is a calling and one of the best careers in the country.  It comes with the opportunity to make a difference each and every day.  It also means that we make hundreds of decisions day after day.  We get to work with lots of different people that have a variety of perspectives.  The work is exciting but also can cause stress.  How we handle the stress is the key to taking care of our own well-being and enjoying this career.  I came across this article and thought about how I needed it after today in particular.  I want to draw your attention to numbers 8 and 9 specifically. (All of the tips are good, but I want to emphasize these.)  As a part of the elementary team, I want us all to find it easy to use these two tips here at Dodgeland.  Let me know if you need me!

Friday Funny

November 26, 2019

Thanksgiving Week Quick Blog Update

This two-day week is a whirlwind!  Thanks for keeping the focus on learning.  When we return it will be a fast 3 weeks before our winter break.  When we keep our focus on the routines/procedures and the learning we get to do, our students' behavior and/or anxiety stays in check.  The more we disrupt their routine, the more struggles our students seem to have.  Thank you in advance for helping them to stay regulated during this time of year.  For some students, this time of year is more difficult and stressful.  Continuing to be the consistent, caring people and places in their lives will help them tremendously!

Nitty-Gritty

• Sharing with our Community - FaceBook and beyond
• FaceBook is a wonderful social media tool that reaches a large portion of our community.  It is a way to showcase our celebrations and get important information out to stakeholders in our community.  However, it can also be a place where others can spread negativity or complaining.  DES has a lot of things to celebrate.  The education and experiences that our students get while in our care are important to share with everyone.  Let's fill our school's FaceBook page with the awesome learning that is happening here each and every day.  Many of you already do this on your DoJo site or your class FaceBook sites.  
• If you have pictures from your classes, please share them with me and a sentence or two to describe the learning.  I will place it on the DES FaceBook page.  If you have a classroom page, allow the DES page to Share it on theirs.  This can be any learning; experiments, collaboration, reading, problem-solving, etc. 
• The goal is to have something to share each and every day.  Our students are constantly learning!  Let's make sure everyone knows about it!!
• In addition, another way to connect with the community is with a Staff member of the week.  This means we would highlight one staff member each Friday on Facebook.  Here's our chance to connect with our community and share why we work at Dodgeland.  Please share with me:
• Your hometown/where you graduated from
• Your Career experience (this could be years taught, previous positions/schools, etc.)
• Family, hobbies, fun Facts that you are comfortable sharing
• Why you love Dodgeland
• Pictures of you, your classroom, your family...again what you are comfortable with (I can take pictures here at school if you like too, but you might have fun pics that would work even better.)
• Taylor graciously allowed me to play with this idea.  Below is a sample of what it would look like.  (Thank you Taylor!) -Click here to see the whole feature.

Also, check out what happened in the Elementary office while we were gone...No more running in to someone at the copy machine in the mail room!  Thank you to the custodial staff and Brad for coordinating this project!

Last but not least, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday week that is full of relaxation and all the things that fill your bucket.  I have all three of my kids home for the weekend and we are planning a Toy Story marathon on Black Friday.  See you all in December!

November 22, 2019

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• 5K students practicing their skills with quickly and quietly transition from lockers to the classroom. 
• 4K students enjoying their teacher reading the book called "The Book with No Pictures." They were so engaged in the literacy activity.
• 3rd graders writing equations for 2-step story problems.  Listening to them explain how they got the equation was so insightful!
• I can't wait to see Dodgeland's version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Students during library have been hard at work making their own "floats" for the parade!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, November 25
• Coach Jena will be here for recess from 11-1:30pm to watch our playworks activities in action
• School Board meeting @ 6:30
• Tuesday, November 26
• Winners of the Attendance challenge will be announced at the end of the day
• Last day of school before Thanksgiving break
• November 27-November 29
• No School.  Enjoy your break with your family and friends!

Nitty-Gritty

• IMC- The IMC is a busy, busy place!  Almost all of our 330 Elementary students enter this location weekly. (Not to mention how many of the 400+ MS/HS students enter the library every week.) 
• The goal of the IMC is to be a resource for students, a place to learn new skills, share a love of books, ask questions, create new things, and get help with technology.  It is also a place for staff to find professional resources, help with planning or organizing resources for upcoming lessons, and learning from peers. 
• Click here to see a weekly schedule of the predictable events that take place in the library.  Use this calendar when planning to use the IMC for projects, research, book checkout, etc.  

To accomplish these IMC goals, it is important to have a system that allows all of them to be met, in some cases simultaneously.

• First, when students come to the IMC, they should be aware of their purpose before arriving.  To help with this and to aid in clear communication, there will be copies of IMC passes put in mailboxes by next Tuesday, Nov 26.  The pass will be similar to the nurse and Oasis passes. It will help adults assist students, and also to keep them accountable for their time in the IMC.  This would include students that need assistance with technology/devices.

• Second, our tech integrationists (Kay and Christina) strive to be helpful when planning lessons, units or projects that utilize technology.  In order to support the learning objectives, they need time to research and gather materials, plan alongside teachers, and help teach the skills needed to complete the activity.  Please utilize their expertise while keeping in mind that the more time devoted to planning, the more successful the project will be.  A week's notice prior to teaching the lesson is usually adequate.

• Lunch Procedures: After the break, I'd like to have a refresh of lunch procedures on Monday, Dec 2 in the morning.  Students have been getting louder and forgetting manners more often in the past couple of weeks.  I will be putting together another video to help our students see and understand the expectations of the lunch period.  Just giving you a heads up.

• Reminder:  If you need tech assistance right away, please call ext. 1222.  If there is no answer, you can call ext 1000 and ask Marie if she can radio for help. 

• Hallway Door entrance - FYI: The doorstop to the door by the elementary office has been removed.  There is a time setting on the locks so that the door is unlocked at the following times: 


• 6:30am - 8:00am
• 12:00pm - 1:05 pm
• 3:00pm - 6:00pm 

PD Spotlight

I don't know if it is because I am more aware of it, or if it is because Thanksgiving is around the corner, but I seem to notice so many students and adults interacting positively and thanking others.  Below is a link to a very short blog post from George Couros.  As a mom, I tell my children that even if others are not always kind, it will always feel good to be kind to others.  Respecting yourself and being kind and positive is more important than responding to unkindness with negativity.  That interaction might feel good in the moment, but it won't last.  I like how Mr. Couros adds another layer to that here, by adding in, that you will never know which kind word or action will have an impact on another.  Wouldn't you rather that impact be a positive one?

https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/tag/the-importance-of-kindness-in-education

Friday Funny

I am okay with not doing this for awhile though... :-)

November 15, 2019

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Staff members supporting each other with students that are struggling with following the Trojan Way at school.  When we help each other, we all feel supported and encouraged. 
• A young man was beaming about his first EVER award certificate after the pride assembly yesterday.  He even initiated a hug with his teacher!
• Shout out to Christina Abegglen for working so hard at helping our students share the expectations of how to behave at an assembly!  Thank you so much!
• Third graders sharing their table of contents with me about their informational writing pieces.  I learned about fishing, skateboarding, and cats!

What's Happening at Dodgeland

• Monday, November 18
• Last full week before Thanksgiving!  Make every moment count!  :-)
• Tuesday, November 19
• Newsletter articles due to Marie.  Optional: Include a picture (or two) if you have one.
• 3rd Grade Data meeting
• Wednesday, November 20
• Workout Wednesday

Nitty-Gritty

• Thank you for your time on Wednesday during the staff meeting.  I hope you were all able to get an idea or two from your colleagues that helps.  If you have a situation that you would like to talk through with me, please let me know!
• If you haven't shared the priority standards document for your grade level, please do so.  I would like to work with them to compile them in a format that allows us to see the whole school in one chart.  If you have already done this, thank you very much!
• An email went out to staff members that notified me that they would like to work on a math or phonics analysis team.  If you would like to join this team, please let me know!

PD Spotlight

• I wanted to use this week's PD Spotlight to highlight the PinkCast video that I showed on Wednesday for all staff that may not have been able to be there.  Click here to watch the 100 second video.  I am challenging us to do this every day here at Dodgeland.  I wonder what effects, if any, there will be on our work environment.  Will our students mimic us?  How will that affect the climate at our school?  I think it is worth our time to try to influence others in a way that helps build habits of kindness.  It will take time, but I believe it will happen!  Every day, every minute is important.  What a great career we have!

Friday Funny

Saw this and thought it was funny.  Hope you do too!

November 8, 2019

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Flexible teachers with the Playworks coaching this week.  The schedule time periods were off a bit, but thank you for rolling with it when Jena arrived.
• AND, the playworks games you taught tied in so well with Mindy's GG lessons.  MANY of you related it back to lessons they have all had before.  This is so Awesome!
• Staff members stepping in and helping out and providing a productive learning day even when a substitute was not available for a colleague!
• 2nd graders learning about similes and even working on creating their own!
• 4K students persevering through putting on all the snow gear by themselves.  That is hard work!

What's Happening at Dodgeland

• Wednesday, Nov 13
• 4th gr Data meeting at noon
• Staff Meeting in the IMC at 3:10
• Thursday, Nov 14
• Packer Day - Wear your Packer Attire
• 5th grade - Can we reschedule your grade level meeting to Nov 14?
• 1st Quarter Pride Assembly
• Friday, November 15
• EC/4K Playgroup 9-10am
• Tuesday, November 19
• Newsletter articles are due

Nitty-Gritty

• Veteran's Assembly Today - 
• There will be a modified recess schedule for Friday morning due to the assembly.  Grades K-2 will go outside for recess from 9-9:15.  (This will hopefully give everyone enough time to get to the gym for the assembly before 9:30.)
• Our Veterans LOVE to shake hands with all of the Elementary students as they enter the gym.  (Really all the kids love it too!) This does take awhile though, 3rd-5th grade please start arriving by 9:15 so that all students can be seated by 9:30 to start the assembly on time.
• Remind students of the purpose of this assembly and appropriate behaviors for assemblies before coming to the HS Gym.
• Staff Meeting - 
• Please bring a device with you to the staff meeting on Wednesday.
• 1st Quarter Pride Assembly - 
• During the assembly on Thursday, we will announce Students that are "On-a-Roll" this quarter.  This can be for academic reasons or behavior/SEL reasons.  Click here to nominate a student for this award.  Interventionists, specialists, support staff, etc, feel free to nominate here too.  
• The Tech Ninjas are also working on a short video to share at the assembly as well.
• Teachers, please bring your iPad to the assembly.
• PLTW
• The PLTW sign up is here.  Not all classrooms have signed up yet.  Please check out when you'd like to teach your module so that all students have access to the modules for their grade by the end of the year.  Just trying to head off frustration for students and staff with supplies and space to work.  Thanks everyone.

PD Spotlight

As the 1st quarter ended, it occurred to me that 25% of the year is already over.  How can that be?  It made me think of all the learning that our students still get to do this year.  It also made me think about teaching/leading with a sense of urgency.  It ties in beautifully to our attendance initiative.  Every day matters.  Every class period we get to spend teaching, coaching and prompting students through their learning is a gift.  As the adults in the room, it is our responsibility to protect those instructional minutes.  We all know how many tasks and things we juggle in a day.  I, too, find myself getting thrown off course some days.  I get to the end of the day, and think, what did I do today?  How is the day over already?  All of us have found ourselves in this situation, however, this has the potential of losing minutes to things that are not a part of most important pieces of school: Instruction and guided/independent practice by students.  Below is a quote from Regie Routman that resonates with me and is helping me regain my own sense of urgency. 

Friday Funny

Q: How do you cook an alligator?

A: In a Croc-pot!