12-18-2015

In case you want to come in over winter break the building can be accessed Mon-Thurs, both weeks of break from 8am-3:30pm. No Fridays or Saturdays.

We thank Cynthia Frantzen for her many years of service in helping kids.  We will definitely miss your kindness and expertise.

Read Roger Ebert's review of the original Star Wars movie to get ready for the Force Awakens!
http://www.rogerebert.com/chazs-blog/a-collection-of-rogers-star-wars-reviews …

Thanks to Colleen, Rich, Jackie and Lauren for ending their 50's unit with the Soc Hop yesterday.  Giving students lots of classroom background and research activities made this fun event more meaningful for the students. Great Job!

We wish Jessica and her family the best of luck in their next adventure in their life.  

I use this video every year, just because it is cool..The Christmas Piano at Union Station:

Thanks to Lynnette and Lyn for their weeks of hard work in putting on the 5th/6th grade talent show.  Also thanks to Melissa for her accompaniment during the show.  I can't wait to see it!

Use #BigHistory's complex texts to integrate #ELA with social studies, history and science:
login as a lifelong learner to check it out and then you can register as a teacher to explore more...free and really cool.
https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive?WT.mc_id=20151218_CP_bhptw&WT.tsrc=BHPTwitter&linkId=19686590

We were very happy to see the picture of Elliana Nicole Giacalone yesterday and are extremely happy for Lauren and her husband in this new chapter in their life.

Last minute kid holiday shopping with age appropriate gift guide:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/guide/holiday-gift-guide-2015?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=csm


Jessica E did another great job with her students in the latest edition of the tiger times.  Hard hitting investigative reporting with entertainment.  Who would guess that their music reporter and I would have listened to a similar band! :)

Man eats only Junk food for a month and loses 11 pounds.  Legendary!
http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/junk-food-diet-jeff-wilser?mbid=social_twitter

I have attached a link to some New Parcc resources that are worth while to check out from the ISBE website.  Scroll down to Parcc Score Wrappers and you can look at your grade level during team or department time.  http://www.isbe.net/hot-topics.htm?col2=open#toolkit

Thanks to Chris, Melissa F, Julie S., Debbie and Melissa L for taking our 5th graders to sing holiday carols to the elderly in the assisted living residence and nursing home.  Going with to supervise(not to sing) I could see in the patient's faces how much it meant to them.  What a great way to show the kids the true meaning of the holiday's.  

I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and kind words they have shared with me over the last two days.  My receiving the IPA award would not have been possible without all of the people past and present that I get to work with and learn from. For me, the most exciting part of my job is being able to learn and grow from those around you everyday.  I hope everyone is able to spend some time with family and friends in the coming weeks.

12-11-2015

Melissa and Mark put on a great concert last night.  The students sounded amazing and the holiday spirit came shining through in their performances.

As a follow up to our coding hour this week.

I would like to welcome Sherry Anderson to the Benjamin Family.  She is going to be our new Spanish teacher and is here today to shadow Jessica.  She comes to us after teaching HS Spanish for over 10 years in the Naperville and Willowbrook area.  Please make sure you say hello.

Also, Julie Seeman will be taking over for Lauren Giacalone when she has her baby.  Julie has been a parent, teaching assistant and sub in the district and has completed multiple leaves at Evergreen.  I am happy to have someone of her quality teaching our 5th grade students.

Finally, as Megan Swiertz finishes her last day of student teaching, I am happy to report that she will be taking over as a teacher assistant when Cindy Frantzen retires.  I look forward to seeing how these teachers will bring their talents to our district.

As education and technology continue to move into the future together Open Educational Resources will be an important factor.  This will allow teachers to find and adapt/remix available curriculum resources as an alternative or in addition to their textbooks.  Please check out this introduction:
http://www.edutopia.org/open-educational-resources-guide

PTA will be selling gift cards at the Holiday Bizarre today at Evergreen,  They will also be placing an order if you need any for the holiday season that aren't in their stock.  The order will go in today and will be delivered on December 18th,

I appreciate grade level teams making time for me to come in and talk about our PARCC data.  After break we will look at the data one more time at our staff learning meeting and then we will be working with Greg and Ellen to make sure that from a planning and technology side we are ready to take the test again in May.

Thanks to the science department for meeting with me yesterday after school, we found many strengths and opportunities for future growth.

Thanks to Jessica E for the work she has been doing with the WordMasters, newspaper club, enrichment and reading support among other things.  We appreciate all of the many hats that you wear.

Seven Strategies of Highly Skilled Readers
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-students-skills-expert-readers-tricia-hilliard?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

I am looking forward to the health speaker coming in today to talk to our 6th grade students.


"It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste." ~Henry Ford

12-4-2015

Thanks to Melissa, Lyn and Jim for organizing the 7th grade Field Trip to the Art Institute today and also to Cathy, and Lauren D for chaperoning this great cultural trip.

Not looking at the politics just the simple and powerful message of this article on mass shootings.
http://www.upworthy.com/a-furious-heartbroken-response-to-san-bernardino-that-everyone-needs-to-read?g=3&c=ufb1

Best of luck to our chess team this Saturday at the tournamaent we are hosting.  Just a reminder that their will be a lot of people in our building and that Joe will "wrap" the teacher desks of the rooms that will be used.  Please put away any breakable or expensive items as a safeguard.

Middle School Maker Space Top 20 technologies:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/making-makerspace-top-20-technologies-tools-kevin-jarrett

Thanks to Mike D who organized our participation with an Hour of Code next week.  It will organized through the special teachers so a big shout out to their willingness to adapt their curriculum for a day.  

8 short videos for English Language Learners...the first seven are for Betty, the last one is for everyone.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-fest-ell-video-resources

Thanks to Megan S for the great job she did with student teaching this trimester and the best of luck to her in her teaching future.  

50 best books for kids to read before their twelve.  (might have shared before, but I love common sense media)
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/50-books-all-kids-should-read-before-theyre-12?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=csm#


Don't forget that your newsletter article is due to Ellen Trush today.

While not completely aligned with our staff meeting on Play....this video is a great follow up on the importance of play for people of all ages.  About 25 minutes long so when you have time...  Thanks for the discussion on Wednesday!

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. --Ernest Hemingway

 As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. --John F. Kennedy

11-20-2015

What a great celebration yesterday as we celebrated the coming birth of Baby Giacalone!  It's awesome when our staff can come together to celebrate like a family!

The kids really got a kick out of  Dr. Ehrhardt and myself carving the turkey's for their lunch.  The 5th grade even thought I cooked it!  Thanks to Ellen for driving the idea into a reality.

As American (Fe)Ed-U-cation Week ends today, I would like to thank everyone for the work that you put in not just this week but every week.  Their were many positive comments from parents about what they saw in the classes and I was able to see some of Mrs. Dunne's students Poem Presentations.  I'd also like to thank Dr. Ehrhardt and the BOE for the awesome lunch on Wednesday, Michelle, Barb, Jessica, Jessica and Mike for the Birthday Treats yesterday and the PTA for the breakfast this morning.

The ISBE is using a play on words as they make PARCC PLACE the weblink for resources for educators.  Despite the corny name, take time during team or your plan to check out the educator section.  http://www.isbe.net/parcc-place/default.htm

The next link is one that keeps on giving...in the sense that within the link there many other resources.  The article is about using video observations to learn and grow as a teacher.   The downloadable toolkit inside is from Harvard's Best Foot Forward Project that shows how to use video technology to rethink traditional approaches to teacher observation and PD.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/video-classroom-observations-new-toolkit-ashley-cronin?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20EdutopiaNewContent%20%28Edutopia%29

Look at this Large info-graphic from Common Sense Media that details student media use:

Here is a really cool video called Everything's a Remix.  It first came out in 2010 and was just re-released and updated.  It's about how everything we listen to, watch, write etc...is a remix of something else from the past.  It is pertinent to today's digital world and the projects our students might create.  It is also just really cool and fun to watch.  You can watch the 4 parts separately or all together.

http://everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series/ 

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with friends and family.  See you soon.

11-13-2015

Every time I go by the gym Lynette has her class actively engaged and is in the mix, modeling the skills and game-play.  Keep up the great work!

Our kids did an outstanding job of collecting over 230lbs of candy to turn into troops. It shows the giving nature of kids!
Check this out, Nasa just released 8400 moon landing photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive/albums

Thanks to Nicole and Rich for presenting at our learning meeting.  Learning from our talented staff is the best PD we have.  Please let me know if you have an idea for our next meeting.

Melissa L did an outstanding job of planning the Veterans Day assembly and Mark C had the band sounding patriotic.  What was most amazing was sitting down with the veterans afterwards and hearing their stories and how much they appreciated the ceremony.

Creating a Project Based Learning gaming Unit for your class.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-gamification-go-great-together-heather-wolpert-gawron

Food...food and more food.  Next Wednesday is lunch by Admin and BOE, next Thursday is the turkey feast (sign up in office) and Birthday Treats (Fiorini, Ogorek, Adams, Droste, Erickson) and

next Friday morning is Breakfast by the PTA!  Happy American Education Week.

I'm excited for the parent visitation day on Tuesday.  This gives parents the chance to see the great work you do in the classroom on a daily basis.  

I appreciate everyone's efforts yesterday as we discussed student needs and brainstormed the best ways to help them.  Hearing different points of view and working through problems can be a difficult but necessary process to help our students.

Thanks to Meghan S for bringing in the pretzels from Gnarly Knots 

I don't think I have shared this video before it is a fascinating video on the the Paradox of Choice:

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." -Mark Twain

11-6-2015

Wow....candy mania has hit Benjamin, Jim "19 lb" Allard, classrooms holding bags of candy back for a big turn-in, Nicole walking around with an over-sized stuffed heart filled with germs, all done for two great charities.  Huge thanks to Nicole and Melissa L for making this happen!

Thanks to Ellen and Pat for putting together our two awesome dinners for PT Conferences this week.  Don't forget that Thursday will be the soup (and more) dinner from the Women's Prayer Group.

Thanks to Jen for bringing rugby experts into our school to teach the sport to our 8th graders.  What an awesome experience!

Keep this one bookmarked and watch when you can. Library of videos on the Growth Mindset, how to praise children, and effort.
https://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/videogallery.aspx

Thanks to all of our special teachers as they man the phones and make contact with parents who have yet to schedule conferences.   Their goal is to fill Thursday night conferences for every teacher that doesn't have to man the phones. :)

All reports are that PT conferences are going great.  This is a huge opportunity to communicate and work with our parents to help our students.  Thanks for all of the brainstorming, planning, peer collaborating, data researching blood, sweat and tears that goes into preparing for these three nights, not to mention the work you do in the classroom everyday.  

Thanks to Jim Allard and Melissa Lamantia for serving on Monday Night's Superintendent advisory committee.  I know how packed this week already was and your extra effort is appreciated.

So I started listening to a new podcast called The Hidden Brain(yes, I am a nerd) and they talk about topics like Switchtracking, using stereotypes to your advantage, the science of Fear, and this one on Teacher and Student Relationships.  Give it a listen when you have a chance, it is episode 4 on this link.
http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510308/hidden-brain


Thanks to Melissa Falkos who has been serving on the elementary ILAR textbook adoption committee. This is important to ensure our voice in what is chosen.  We will have a meeting soon for 6-8th Grade.  More information to follow.

Newsletters are due to Ellen today.

Please remember to plan accordingly for our Veterans Day Assembly which next week, thanks to Melissa L for putting this huge event together.

Thanks to Lynn and Meghan for putting together a Banner for School Board Appreciation.  We will have children sign it today at lunches and it will be unveiled at Monday Nights School Board meeting.

Finally, I know I am late with this, but I want to thank everyone for the kind words and gift card I received on Bosses Day.  It means a lot to me.  Now that we have been together for more than a year, I am still amazed at the level of dedication by the staff as a whole as well as the individual talents staff members possess that come together to make Benjamin what it is.  We have also seen each other at our less than best (mine would have been yesterday), but being able and willing to do that means that we are more like family because you are more willing to show your true emotions to the people that you are closest with.  I remember having a conversation with Greg when I started about how I use to wear white socks with my dress clothes and you will know that I am comfortable in this district when I wear white socks.  I wore white socks on Wednesday for the first time...so thank you for enabling me to be less fashionable than I already am...if that is possible. :)

10-30-2015

What an awesome Halloweenie celebration feast yesterday.  Thanks to Ellen for organizing and to Michelle for helping out in the office as needed.

Jessica A. shared a sight to use the Sphero outside the Maker Space in Subjects like math and science.
http://dailygenius.com/teaching-with-sphero-the-robot-in-math-science-and-beyond/

Nicole and Melissa L did an amazing job of organizing Character Education week.  From the Make Their Day Fish Notes to the Be There slips, Trivia Call In, to the music in the hallway, it was a week balanced with thoughtful activity and Play.  We will end the week today with a double assembly with Camfel Productions Ready Set Go for the 5th/6th grade which has a goal setting theme.  7th/8th  grade will watch Be Amazing which will focus on achieving personal excellence.

Learn about OER Open Educational Resources
http://www.slj.com/2015/10/technology/a-librarians-guide-to-oer-in-the-maker-space/#_

Thanks to Michelle for putting together the DEAR activities for our students opposite of the film, your hard work is appreciated.

Lynette and Lynn were doing their best America's Got Talent judges impersonations yesterday as they got the 5th and 6th grade students  ready for the upcoming Talent Show.

Thanks to Colleen for putting together all the work necessary for a gardening grant for our school.

Thanks to Alex for organizing the Halloween dance tonight, and to all of the teachers who are chaperoning.  Thanks for Being There for our 7th and 8th grade students.

Melissa and Danielle were burning the midnight oil finalizing the roster after analyzing auditions all week for FOTR.  The long journey to the March musical is underway.

I know I got chills watching this...how about you? #starwarsnerdforlife

Please check out this powerful cyber-bullying website.
http://mayorlaw.com/cyberbullying/



Wednesday night was filled with recognition and good spirits as Bill, Rich, Abby, Cody, Matt, Doreen and Keriann honored our fall student athletes at our awards night.

Thanks to everyone for getting ready for Parent Teacher Conferences.  This is a great opportunity for two way communication and to get extra support to help students.  Many of you probably already know of this resource, but the teaching channel is an unbelievable resource for many things to do with teaching, here is a video on P/T Conference Tips.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/parent-teacher-conference-tips

"People are not your most important asset. The RIGHT people are." -Jim Collins

10-23-2015

Check out this Learning Differences and Special Needs Guide to Apps from Common Sense Media.  Lots of different categories and skill levels to chose from.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/guide/special-needs


The Outdoor Ed Trip is going great thanks to the hard work of Jim, Rich, Colleen, Lauren, M.J., Alex, Bill, Jackie, and Cody.  Special thanks to Mark who has been on the trip for 28 years and whose leadership pulls everything together.  Please ask Colleen why her new name is Merciless Morgan after what I experienced yesterday.

Nice short blog entry, that I think we all feel at times with technology and teaching in general...It's OK to pause.
http://technicallyteamann.com/its-ok-to-pause-the-firstyear/

Thanks to everyone who is donating food or time to the Foundation's Fall Festival on Sunday.  It should be a great time for Benjamin families.  I will be on the grill if you get hungry.  Thanks to Melissa L and Cathy for promoting and organizing the baked goods drive.

So here is this weeks must read, most of us have heard of Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule of practice to be an expert, but he actually learned that from researcher Dr. Anders Ericsson who actually said the most pivotal point is not how much we practice as it is HOW we practice:
http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/4-steps-experts-take-to-learn-faster-than-you/

Megan Swiertz, Lyn's student teacher has been doing a phenomenal job in the art room.  If you haven't had a chance to say hi, please stop by the art room and do so.

Thanks to Greg, Ellen B, Alex, Tom, Manny, and Frank for moving three rooms worth of "stuff" to make the Maker Space a more efficient and productive space.  It was a lot of work and is appreciated.

Watch this three minute Ted Talk about success..powerful and funny.  (There is one curse word at the end as a word of caution)

I was popping into some of the rooms that had substitute teachers in them on Wednesday and came away with two conclusions, we have a solid group of substitute teachers and they were left meaningful work to do with our students.  Often overlooked, substitute teachers are an important part of our school!

  

10-16-2015

I want to thank Karen O who has done an amazing job starting with last Friday and going back to every teacher institute or School Improvement Day, of setting up and providing both Benjamin and Evergreen with snacks and drinks as well as meeting the needs of our speakers and administrators.  Her attention to detail on meeting everyone's needs is unmatched and appreciated!

Thanks to Keriann for providing the school board with a comprehensive overview of our athletic program on Tuesday night.  Her use of students(via GoPro camera footage) was a great addition the board appreciated.  Here is the video:

Information and Resources on how to empower students through Digital Storytelling Projects.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/empowering-students-through-multimedia-storytelling-michael-hernandez

I'd like to thank the Melissa L, Nicole, Christine, Lauren D, Jim and Mark B for not only meeting with me monthly during our Leadership meetings, but for leading your teams and this building on a daily basis.  I could not do my job without you during yours.

I was amazed to see the dedication and collegiality that took place Wednesday after school on our early release day.  Teachers discussing their ideas and concerns about their content area as well as departments getting their hands "dirty" and digging into curriculum across grade levels really reinforced for me how special this school district is.  Thank you to all Benjamin staff members!

Great Image on principles of great digital citizenship.

Congratulations to Matt T, Doreen, Bill and Rich as they led their teams in the first round of the playoffs yesterday.  It was exiting to watch our home teams play hard hard and put their skills and sportsmanship to use as they represent our school.

Thanks to Alex and Colleen for continuing to coordinate the magazine sale activities.  Today is Bingo and the Limo Lunch for students that earned it.

If you only read one thing in the blog this week....then you're fired...JK:)....then read this:
What we can learn from Carly Rae Jepsen and the Harvard Baseball Team
http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5694


On October 30th we will have our three screens assembly for students and our Drop Everything and Read event.  We will be on a double assembly schedule with 5th and sixth grade being pulled first for the movie and 7th and 8th grade participating in reading activities(more to follow).  Then the 7th and 8th will watch their movie and 5th and 6th will participate in the DEAR.  I will need to pull the 5th and 6th grade a little early for their film showing so we finish the complete program on time for the end of the day.

Please encourage students to join our chess team.  I would like to have our Chess Team built back up in the tradition it once was.  It will begin on Thursday at 6:00pm in the multi-purpose room.  we will make announcements but any push into making chess a "cool" experience would be appreciated.


How awesome will the musical this year be...I am excited to see what Mrs. Lamantia , Mrs. DeChristopher and the Benjamin Theater Club do with Fiddler on the Roof.  In the great TRADITION of what they have done in the past I am sure it will be spectacular.

10-09-2015

Thanks to Melissa L for organizing and running the Bus Evacuation Drill yesterday.  I was impressed with the instruction given by our bus drivers and the behavior of our students.

Thanks to Shelly and the wellness committee for putting together the wellness screening this morning.  We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of our students.

9 Educational App Benefits for Modern Education.

http://www.fromdev.com/2015/10/educational-app-benefits.html

I am looking forward to attending STAR Custom Training today.  Hopefully this will be a valuable learning session that will enable us to pull and create questions that will challenge our students and make them grow.  

Thanks to Melissa L, Lynette, Jen, Lynn, Mark C, and Cody for bring in a Birthday Treat Feast.  A little bit of healthy and a little bit of chocolate was the perfect combination!

The room rearrangement has begun! Thanks to all involved to make the transition a smooth one.  

Abby and Cody had their Cross Country party yesterday to celebrate the student athletes hard work.  Their season will come to a close on Tuesday at the cross country Championship being hosted at Harvest Christian.

How one teacher teaches the Growth Mindset in her classroom.

A huge thank you to Keriann who will be presenting our Athletic Program to the Board on Tuesday, October 13th.

Mark once again informed 8th Grade parents of the wonderful opportunities that exist on the Washington D.C Parent Meeting.  Hopefully our 8th grade students will take advantage of this great trip.

Good Article on Why we send students to school.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/a-teacher-like-you/justin-aion-why-do-we-sen_b_8261292.html

Thanks to Manny, Frank, Tom, Jose, Brenda, and Alicia for helping out with all of the set-ups yesterday to get ready for the events of yesterday evening and today.

From The Onion(Joking...but only slightly) article on Student Growth

New Statewide Education Standards Require Teachers To Forever Change Lives Of 30% Of Students

SPRINGFIELD, IL—In an effort to hold classroom instructors more accountable, the Illinois State Board of Education unveiled new statewide education standards Friday that require public school teachers to forever change the lives of at least 30 percent of their students. “Under our updated educator evaluation policy, teachers must make an unforgettable, lifelong impact on at least three of every 10 students and instill a love of learning in them that lasts the rest of their lives,” said chairman James Meeks, adding that based on the annual assessments, if 30 percent of students don’t recall a particular teacher’s name when asked to identify the most influential and inspiring person in their lives, that instructor would be promptly dismissed. “We are imposing these standards to make certain that a significant proportion of students in any given classroom can someday look back and say, ‘That teacher changed the course of my life, making me who I am today, and there’s no way I could ever repay them.’ Anything less is failure.” Meeks also confirmed the implementation of another rule aimed at ensuring that no more than 40 percent of a teacher’s students end up in prison.
Cartoon of the week.

10-02-2015

Hats off to the Road Warriors as Bill Wadman, Rich Feffer, Matt Tylk, and Doreen Thill have had many away games this week(VB 3 and Soccer 4) They are doing an awesome job with our fall sports teams along with Abby Adams and Cody Anderson for Cross Country.

Comic Books in the classroom:  Many idea and uses.  

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-minute-film-festival-comics-classroom?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow&utm_campaign=RSS

Don't forget to get your newsletter articles into Ellen today.  Thanks 

Coding in the classroom:  Lots of creative ideas including Math and ILAR integration.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/coding-in-the-common-core-tara-linney?utm_content=blog&utm_campaign=coding-in-the-common-core&utm_source=twitter&utm_term=link&utm_medium=socialflow

Thanks to Angela Anthony as she meets with and recruits students who will be learning about Universal Design and Assistive Technology.  She already has a large group and will be working to narrow it down for students who will eventually be working with UIC Engineering students to develop projects to solve design problems for students who need help.  

Very Cool website with thousands of primary source documents to bring history alive!

http://docsteach.org/

Blog isn't as long this week but please take time to explore "The Article of the Week" article along with a couple of videos.  

http://www.davestuartjr.com/article-of-the-week-assignment/

9-25-2015

Thanks to Lauren D, Colleen and Rich for bringing in Kay McKeen today from scarce.  She puts on a very informational assembly for all of our 6th grade students about limiting waste and recycling/reusing materials that will help our environment.  This information will come into use on their outdoor ed trip and hopefully beyond.

Please don't forget to turn in/meet with me about your 2 growth goals by October 1st.  It has been nice to talk with so many teachers over their student data and possible goals.

Read this article with the mindset that our "customer experience" is how we work with students and parents.
https://disneyinstitute.com/blog/2015/09/customer-service-versus-customer-experience-whats-the-differenceand-why-it-matt/375/

Thanks to Michelle for bringing Newberry Award winning author Cynthia Lord in for grade level presentations.  It will be exciting for students to hear from a successful author about her experiences
and writing tips.

If you haven't met Carol Hayes yet, please stop down to the LMC and say hi.  Carol is doing her clinical hours in library science at our school.

I want to thank the hard work of Steve and Laura in the directions room.  They have had to deal with some difficult situations recently and are doing a great job with their students.

Thanks to Michelle F for securing some student prizes from scholastic that we can hand out on Friday's in return for Fish Slips.  Please continue to hand them out for students that are Being There, Making Your Day, Playing, and Choosing your attitude.

More than 400,000+ high resolution Art images, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online

Please give any boxes that you might have to Alex and Colleen for the upcoming student council food drive.

I want to thank all of our staff for working with our students on the ALICE safety training.  Those difficult conversations make all of us safer and better prepared.

Ten Great Ted Talks for Lead Learners
http://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/forget-business-school-just-watch-these-10-ted-talks.html

Please note that next Wednesday is the 5th Wednesday in September so we do not have a meeting after school.

How you can get introverted students to collaborate.
https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/how-you-can-get-introverted-students-to-collaborate?
utm_content=20153604&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

9-18-2015

It's been great getting into classes this week, yesterday Chris F, M.J. and Debbie O, were working in perfect harmony, actively supporting the students in 4th period math.   It was awesome to see all of the students needs being met with teamwork.

The next link comes from Dr. Ehrhardt.  This school found 100 year old teacher writings and drawings on old chalkboards as they were renovating.  This is really neat to see and read about.  Click on the pictures and watch the video at the end.
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/36940

Please remember that we will be on an AM assembly schedule on Monday to go over the ALICE Script with students. Detective Mowrer's discussion during our learning meeting was a good refresher and provided us information to use as talking points with our students on school safety.  I will follow up with the intercom access and Manny and Frank will be installing the secondary locks next week.

Article on Parent Teacher Conferences:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/conference-time-chatting-with-parents-nick-provenzano
Also based on teacher feedback our Finalized Conference Times are as follows:
November 3  4:00pm-7:30pm
November 5  4:00pm-7:30pm
November 12 4:00pm-7:00pm

I am looking forward on Wednesday to Jessica Adam's student presentations on simple machines that they built.  What a great idea to have parents come in and show off the Maker Space as well.

Bizarre Productivity Hacks from the worlds greatest minds:
http://www.inc.com/molly-reynolds/17-bizarre-productivity-hacks-from-the-world-s-greatest-achievers.html?cid=sf01001

Thanks to PST Team for organizing and compiling the data for our grade level data meetings.  Special thanks to Nicole for leading the charge.  Yesterday was filled with meaningful discussions on helping students based upon test scores, classroom grades and teacher input.  We are doing a lot of things to be proud of at BMS!

Colleen Morgan is working with our grant writers to establish an edible garden on school grounds.  Thanks for stepping up to the plate for this green initiative.

Fun history of Pizza in the United States:

I'm looking forward to the Author visit from Newberry Award Winner Cynthia Lord on Friday of next week.  Thanks to Michelle for putting together this wonderful opportunity for students.

It was nice to recognize newly tenured teachers Jessica E and Michelle F along with new staff members Courtney M, Jackie P, Ryan H and Cody A at the school board meeting on Monday.  As an added bonus they got to listen to the fiscal year Final Budget presentation by Dr. Clark.  Please feel free to ask them any questions on the school budgeting and funding process!

Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 - 1980)   

History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821)   

Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)   

By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity. Another man's, I mean.

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Following the Equator (1897)