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. :)