12-16-2016

A huge thank you to Karen for organizing, setting up, decorating, and taking down the big district breakfast today.  I heard many comments on how nice the multi looked today!

Thanks to Sherry for organizing a cultural event in her class today, Not only did the kids get to eat the homemade tamales, but they got to learn about the process to make it and had moms in the room to serve them.

Band and Choir sounded nothing short of phenomenal Tuesday Evening.  Big props go out to Mrs. Lamantia and Mr. Turek for inspiring the love of music in our students!

Duck it's a Flying Drone! Thanks to Angela for setting up a coding drone station in the imsa flight class.  Students took turns in groups trying to fly it through a hula hoop by using code.  Kids had a blast and there was only one major injury....JK:)

Thanks to Victoria W for doing a great job Student Teaching with MJ, we appreciate all the help you have given our students!

Basketball is on a roll.  Dan and Matt Tylk have done a great job of working with the boys on fundamentals and we are starting to see improved play and a few W's.

Just a reminder that we have a learning meeting on the wednesday we get back from break.

Thanks to Jessica for another excellent edition of the tiger Tiger Times, and for setting up a skype with another newspaper club from California.  that club sought us out because of the quality of our paper.  

Thanks to Megan Dusing...for encouraging Nicole and Jackie to write the wonderful story "The Holiday Barbeque Sauce Miracle" which is in the Tiger Times this week. I strongly suggest you read it as Nicole put it.  "It is going to make us famous "

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday break.  I thank you for your gift and hope you enjoy a small token of my appreciation that was in your mailbox this morning.

12-9-2016

  Thanks to the 5th Grade Team and Melissa L for doing a wonderful job with caroling at two area nursing homes yesterday.  The kids singing meant so much to the residents and the kids came away with a great feeling of selfless giving.



Need some gifts ideas? Here's our list of must-reads for kids, by age:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/content/50-books-all-kids-should-read-before-theyre-12?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=mlp1216&utm_medium=social&utm_term=organic&utm_content=50books


It's that time of year again, no not the holidays.  Time to take the 5 Essential Survey.  Please take a few minutes during your plan or team to complete the survey.  Thank you!



I'm looking forward to the book fair next week.  thanks to Michelle and Barb for assisting the PTA to make this event a success.  Also thanks to all of the ILAR teachers for bringing your kids down.



Good luck to the Choir and Band as they play this weekend for the PTA Breakfast with Santa.  Melissa and Matthew have been working hard to get the students ready for this event along with our assembly and concert on Tuesday.

Make a talking QR Code with Google Drive:


Please do any prep work necessary for Wednesday's Subject Area Meeting in the LMC.  We want to make sure that every subject areas online curriculum actually reflects what you are teaching.  In the future we will worry about format and consistency.

Stephen King's top 20 rules for writers.
http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers.html


Thanks to all of the Special teachers for leading The Hour of Code next week.  Here are some code resources.
http://classtechtips.com/2016/12/01/24-hour-code-resources-teachers-schools/




Don't forget about the Holiday Breakfast next Friday!

12-2-2016

Thanks to Jim, Melissa F, Colleen, Mark, Lynette, Jen, Matthew and Melissa L, for coming in on Thursday night and Saturday morning to engage with community members about our upcoming improvements.  The extra time you put in will benefit everyone in the district.  Thank You.

Just a reminder that we have the big Chess tournament this Saturday.  Please make sure you put away valuables/breakables before you leave today if we are using your room.  This is a huge event for our Bengal Chess Players!

Want to become smarter?  Neuroscience research says to try this simple habit.
http://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/want-to-raise-your-iq-by-23-percent-neuroscience-says-to-take-up-this-simple-hab.html

Courtney has arranged for a Jockey to come in today and talk to some of the Evergreen students on what it is like in his career to be racing horses for a living.  What a cool experience for those students!

Thanks to Alicia and Angela for doing a great job teaching the music/tech and IMSA classes.  I talked with all of Mike's students today and sent a letter home to communicate with parents.  Also a big thank you to Melissa for working with Alicia on the music classes.

Google might hold a contest to make one city the city of the future.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-j-ryan/google-sidewalk-labs-contest-city-of-future.html


Another super creative idea from Michelle Fiorini, make sure you send her your "Shelfie"(picture of your bookshelf) so kids can match the shelfie to the bookshelf.  Fun!

Speaking of super-creative, Lynn has figured out a way to take a picture of a student holding their artwork and through photoshop turn it into a coloring page to take home.  Ask her to see an example, they are awesome.

An ELL super strategy:
http://superell.com/turning-students-teachers/

Congratulations to Dan on securing a victory last night for the varsity boys bb team.  Matt and Dan have been working hard with the boys to emphasize growth in play and character.  Great Job!

Big props go out to Jessica and Lauren for the prep work they are doing to get NJHS launched this year.  It is going to be a great year of student leadership.

This periodic table actually tells you how you can use all of the elements.  Awesome!  Click on the link, the picture below is just a preview.
http://elements.wlonk.com/ElementsTable.htm

Speaking of student leadership, hats off to Colleen and Alex for all of the fundraising, activities, spirit weeks that Student Council has put together this year.

I will be at a writing conference with Bill, Adrienne, Lauren and Danielle on Monday and Tuesday.  This should be a great conference that will help us raise scores but more importantly make our students better writers.  

18 Digital tools to Make Better Readers and Writers  (Really good resources/article)
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/08/19/18-digital-tools-and-strategies-that-support-students-reading-and-writing/



Thanks to Sherry for organizing the Friday get-together after school.  Please attend if you have a few minutes.

Mark your calendars, the Holiday Breakfast served by the admin team and board members will be on Friday, December 16th. Get up early, and bring your appetite.

"I'm starting to think humans don't even like winning free cruises".

11-18-2016

Thanks to Lynette and Matthew for being at the board meeting on Tuesday night and accepting more grants.  Lynette helped find both of the grants, field hockey and band. Another awesome job.

Thanks to Ellen for for Organizing Wednesday's lunch and Karen for doing the same on Thursday's. Both were delicious.  Thanks to Dr. Ehrhardt for recognizing the work you do for American Education week.



Danielle was doing a great job teaching about the rainforest with Penny a representative from Pearson.  The kids were engaged and learning how to interpret and break down informational text.

The science team did a great job of using their subject area meeting to put together their "Science Story"  for the upcoming Open Houses at Evergreen on December 1st and 3rd.  Thanks to all of the staff who are going to be participating in those events.  Your participation is valued.

Here is your informational text lesson of the day.  NY Times piece on the two America's, a visual breakdown of how the Presidential Election went.  Interesting.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/16/us/politics/the-two-americas-of-2016.html?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&_r=0



s Yesterday (and Wednesday) was another great round of data meetings.  Getting information from the classroom teachers is the most important intervention we have for making adjustments to help our most struggling learners.  Thank you.



Big props go out to Alicia Wisted and Angela Anthony who are taking over for Mike D in his absence.  It has been a quick learning curve and you guys have been awesome.

Teaching Students to Drive their Brain through Metacognition.
http://blogs.scholastic.com/rodberger/2016/11/teaching-students-to-drive-their-brains-through-metacognitive-learning.html?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=drrodberger&utm_content=Teaching%20Students%20To%20Drive%20Their%20Brains%20Through%20Metacognitive%20Learning#.WC8gjdUrLIX





The Jazz Band put on an Awesome first gig at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the bike path on Tuesday.  Thanks to Mr. Turek for getting them ready with his Monday morning practices.  Also thanks for Student Council and Angela with her Hope Group for being there to represent our school with the Mayor and other community members.  The bike path will be a great asset to our students once completed.

How awesome are our aides this year, Kim, Gail, Debbie, Michelle, Megan, Jennifer, Marisa, Cody and April have been working hard to help students and teachers.

This morning I attended a HOPE group presentation on the bike rack that we should purchase as researched by students in the group.  The students were well researched and well spoken.  Great job Angela!

Donald Duck realizes the importance of Math in everyday life.  A classic.

Hope everyone relaxes and eats lots of Turkey....or Ham..or Soybean product(vegetarians...vegans...I don't know) and enjoys time with family and friends.

11-11-2017

I'd like to thank Melissa LaMantia for all of the hard work and effort that went into the planning of the Veterans Day Assembly today.  It takes a lot of planning and organization to make it come together just right.  Thanks also to Matt and Melissa for the wonderful performances by the band and choir respectively.  Thanks to all of our Veterans including Rich and Bill.



Just a reminder that we have subject area meetings on Wednesday of this week.

Reboot: 5 Resources for Teacher Inspiration

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/reboot-resources-for-teacher-inspiration-monica-burns


Tim K has already started to make an impact in his first week at Benjamin 25.  It is nice to see him getting his hands dirty and working with the day and night crew to make sure tasks are being followed through on.

8 Things Everyone Should do Before 8A.M.
http://www.inc.com/benjamin-p-hardy/8-things-every-person-should-do-before-8-am.html



Nicole has really done a nice job with the cheerleading squad.  From the new uniforms to the choreography the team seems much improved this year.

Thanks to the 5th grade team for taking the 5th graders to see Peter and the Starcatchers at WCHS on Wednesday and also for agreeing to run the PTA Art Awareness program for its last year.  I appreciate your flexibility.

Common Sense Media Seal of Approval for TV Shows for Kids...out of the 37 shows only one for Kids 13 years old or older.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/news/press-releases/common-sense-media-recognizes-largest-crop-yet-of-common-sense-seal-for?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social#


Just a reminder that the Week of Food otherwise known as American Education Week starts next week.
  Tuesday-you could sign up for the Turkey hot lunch($3.05) the kids get during lunch.  Dr. Ehrhardt and I will be carving!
Wednesday- Staff Catered Turkey Feast (sign-up to bring something or $5.00)
Thursday-Taco Buffett brought to you by the Ad Center and the Board of Education
Friday- 18th Breakfast provided by the PTA.

8 Ted Talks to Watch When your Family is driving you Nuts!  Probably not applicable for anyone here.

http://www.ted.com/playlists/260/talks_to_watch_when_your_famil


We have reached the end of the first trimester.  It's hard to believe we are 1/3 of the way through the school year.  Michelle F found this in a Fish Philosophy Blog.  The full post can be found at this link
but I think the following is appropriate to remember when we may be feeling beaten down or overwhelmed.  Bringing your whole self to work.
http://www.fishphilosophy.com/3-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-fish-philosophy-part-1/

When filming was done, Steve flew home. John stayed in Seattle an extra day and visited the Pike Place Market, where he saw the fishmongers in action. He was immediately hypnotized by the energy and the flying fish, but the longer he watched, the more it became obvious that selling fish is cold, exhausting work. Where did all the energy come from?

Then he remembered David Whyte’s observations about wholeheartedness. Suddenly it made sense. The fishmongers were bringing their “whole selves” to work—their personalities, their humor, their desire to make a difference, all of it. John knew instantly he must make a film about them. FISH! was the result.

How much of “you” do you bring to work each day? You may have good reasons for what you leave outside. As David says, work may have so much of you already that you have decided it can’t have “what is most precious” to you too. But how good would it feel if you did? 

Thanks to Kim for working the Late Night Shift for conferences the last two weeks.  She has been a big help getting everything organized and running smoothly.  

I'm pretty sure that I have sent this before, but it is my favorite "parent conference" cartoon

11-4-2016

I would like to thank Lynn for giving students opportunities to participate in art contests.  This has enabled them to put their creative juices to use outside of school.  She also developed a foldable booklet that allows each of her students to display pictures of their trimester artwork and take it home for others to see.  It is truly innovative and will be very appreciated by parents.

Cybrary Man's Universal Design for Learning Page.
http://cybraryman.com/udl.html

Thanks to Nicole and Melissa for their hard work on Red Ribbon Week.  The variety of activities kids were involved in created a positive environment for students to reflect on their daily actions.  I am looking forward to the assembly tomorrow.

Why is that song stuck in your head?  Find out.
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/earworms-those-songs-that-get-stuck-in-your-head-elizabeth-hellmuth-margulis

Thanks to Colleen and Alex for a great breakfast put on by the student council kids this week.  It was certainly a unexpected "treat" and the kids did a fabulous job.

The short story that was the basis for a Nightmare Before Christmas. Please continue to encourage your kids to bring in Halloween candy for the troops.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nightmare-before-christmas-poem_us_580f9209e4b02444efa594fa?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004



Thanks to all of the ILAR and Special Ed teachers for your hard work and time put into the exploring the possible new curriculum resources and meetings attended.  I know it takes a lot of effort and organization to carve a way minutes to research and try these new tools and I appreciate it.

Self Actualization and the difference between pride and self esteem
https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/12/18/bruce-lee-artist-of-life-self-esteem/.


\
Survey says......we have awesome teachers.  Multiple parents expressed their gratitude for the work our staff is doing for their kids after talking with them at conferences last night.  Great job!

Innovation means creating something new & better through invention OR iteration. Does NOT mean tech.



Parent visitation for American Education week will be Tuesday, November 15th.  Parents will call to the office to make a reservation to visit your class and see the wonderful things you are doing to work with their kids.

Thanks to Melissa L for all the work she is putting into organizing the Veterans Assembly for Friday the 11th.

If you need more of a Cubs Fix watch this 45 minute film on What it meant to be a Cubs Fan.  Well done.

10-28-2016

I hope everyone gives a welcome to Marisa Nichols who is our new teaching assistant.  She is an Evergreen and Benjamin(2001) alumni and among other things has worked teaching English in South Korea.  We are happy to have her on our team.

Meemic Foundation & Jan Stauber grants help Ben25 middle schoolers uncover Internet Mysteries w/ help of Sherlock Holmes' novels. Thanks Michelle F!


I can't wait for the 5/6 grade talent show today.  I know the kids, Lynette and Chris have worked very hard to put on a great show for everyone.  Also thanks to Danielle and Melissa for putting together and organizing the sound system.

Speaking of today's assembly, I know that we have had two author visits, the talent show and will have Veterans Day Assembly and the Red Ribbon Assembly packed in in a small period of time. I appreciate everyone's willingness to come together for these learning opportunities/shared experiences.  I know that we have to be respectful of learning time, but at the same time balance that with what the students are learning in the assemblies while still maintaining a schedule where students get all of their classes on a shortened schedule.  We have a pretty established schedule of assemblies and in the future I will try to provide any additional opportunities to grade levels with their input.  The second author visit is an example of something we don't normally have and could have been presented for certain grade levels and not the whole school.  Thank you for your patience and your commitment to academic excellence.

How Writing Novels expands Student expectations
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/21/how-writing-novels-expands-students-expectations-of-themselves/

Thanks to Bill Wadman, Danielle DeChristopher, Rich Feffer, Dan Baker, Cody Anderson and Matt Tylk for recognizing our student athletes at the Fall Awards night this past Wednesday.  The students really appreciate it.  Special thanks to Keriann Moore for organizing everything to run smoothly.

Kids can create their own Graphic Novels with this cool tool.
http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/


Thanks to Matthew Turek for securing two Timpani's (large drums for us non-band folks) from WCHS as well as securing a clarinet clinic at District 33. Both of these opportunities spawn from Mr. Turek's willingness to reach out and collaborate with other schools to help our students.



Thanks to Melissa L for bringing in Michael Miles, professional musician to play and teach our music classes.  I was able to sit in on the 8th grade lesson and was surprised to see the amount of questions they asked and their willingness to participate enthusiastically.  I know Melissa sends out an invite for teachers to come and sit down, next trimester give this some consideration as he is here all day.

A little humor.  How to be late for work video.  Not that we see any of these in the office.

10-21-2016

Mark, Colleen, Jim, Lauren, Jen, Alex, MJ, Bill and Rich were all doing a spectacular job of keeping our 6th grade students engaged and learning, all while the kids were having a blast at outdoor ed yesterday.  No wonder they all write about this trip as one of their best memories at the end of eighth grade year.  Special thanks to all the staff that is holding everything together in their absence, you guys are awesome!

Short animated videos on the history of ideas.

Lynette and Chris have been hard at work getting the 5th and 6th grade students ready for the upcoming talent show.  It will be nice to see the variety of acts the students have planned for us.

20 things that you can learn in ten minutes to be a better teacher,  Great list with links.
http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-things-you-can-learn-in-10-minutes-to-become-a-better-teacher/?utm_content=bufferc92fb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

What impressive numbers Melissa and Danielle had for the musical audition clinic and the parent meeting that evening.  Word has spread, the theatrical production of Oklahoma is the place to be!

Tony Robbins, mastering the game of life.
http://www.inc.com/marli-guzzetta/tony-robbins-on-how-to-master-the-game-of-life.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter


I am looking forward to award winning author, Neil Shusterman who is coming in on Monday to talk to our students.  Thanks to Michelle for setting this up.

Strategies to Help Students ‘Go Deep’ When Reading Digitally
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/16/strategies-to-help-students-go-deep-when-reading-digitally/?utm_content=bufferaff3d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer



In case you have been living under a rock for the past month and didn't hear, the Fall Fest is this Sunday from 1-4 right here at Benjamin.  If you have time try to stop by.  Thanks to everyone who has baked or volunteered.  Special thanks to Megan D for her efforts towards making this event a success.

California police buy bike for walk to work teen
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/01/us/california-police-bike-teen-trnd/



Congratulations to the Varsity Girls VB team and Dan for winning the conference tournament last Saturday.  Three tough match-ups meant they had to earn every victory,  Great Job!




I want to thank everyone for the generous gift I received on Monday from the social committee.  I truly appreciate it.  Being able to come to work with a tremendous staff everyday, really makes my job easier.  Thank you for all you do to help me make this a great school.

10-14-2016

What a time to be alive: The @USNatArchives is now curating a collection of history GIFs:
http://giphy.com/usnationalarchives

Hat's off to Bill Wadman and Danielle DeChristopher for their hard work in building a great cross country team.  The kids did great yesterday at the conference meet, with girls taking 3rd and the boys 4th.  More importantly most of the team had their season best time!  Great Job!


Good Luck to our Boys soccer and Girls Volleyball team as they compete today and into the weekend in the end of season tournaments.  Dan, Matt and Rich have put a lot of effort into making this a great season for all of the athletes.

Please read this interesting article:  The emotional Weight of Being Graded.
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/13/the-emotional-weight-of-being-graded-for-better-or-worse/


In band news, the Band kids and Matt did a great job at the West Chicago High School football game last Friday.  The parents that I was sitting with were very proud of their kids.  Also Matt helped recognize former Benjamin Student, Luke Madden at the board meeting Tuesday night for his unbelieveable contribution of the instrument cabinets he built for the band room.

Bob Dylan just won a Pulitzer Prize
Click this link to read his thoughts on the Unconscious Mind, and How to Cultivate the Perfect Environment for Creative Work
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/05/21/bob-dylan-songwriters-on-songwriting-interview/
and then
 Click below to hear 74 tracks of him playing with the Grateful Dead for Free.  Groovy Man!
http://www.openculture.com/2012/08/bob_dylan_and_the_grateful_dead_rehearse_together_in_summer_1987_listen_to_74_tracks.html


Don't forget about the Foundation Fall Fest on October 23rd, volunteers and bake sale items are needed!

Lots of Educational Grant Opportunities
http://www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources



How literary fiction teaches us to be human.
https://medium.com/@penguinrandomus/this-is-how-literary-fiction-teaches-us-to-be-human-53d468dba179#.f71ncx911

Thanks to Keriann, Marcia and Jignasa for trying out a new system for tryouts with the Bengal Cards.  Also thanks to Jignasa and Marcia for putting out all the fires small(the I'm not feeling well) and large ones (concussion paperwork hedaches(pun intended) and phone calls)  to get kids back to class or home to recover from illness.  we appreciate your hard work!

Watch this 5 minute video.  Embracing Failure;  Building a growth mindset through the Arts.

We have been able to secure grant funds to send some of the team leaders and other teachers to the National Learning and the Brain Conference in February.  This is a great opportunity to bring valuable information back to us to improve student learning and engagement.

10-14-2016

What a time to be alive: The @USNatArchives is now curating a collection of history GIFs:
http://giphy.com/usnationalarchives

Hat's off to Bill Wadman and Danielle DeChristopher for their hard work in building a great cross country team.  The kids did great yesterday at the conference meet, with girls taking 3rd and the boys 4th.  More importantly most of the team had their season best time!  Great Job!


Good Luck to our Boys soccer and Girls Volleyball team as they compete today and into the weekend in the end of season tournaments.  Dan, Matt and Rich have put a lot of effort into making this a great season for all of the athletes.

Please read this interesting article:  The emotional Weight of Being Graded.
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/13/the-emotional-weight-of-being-graded-for-better-or-worse/


In band news, the Band kids and Matt did a great job at the West Chicago High School football game last Friday.  The parents that I was sitting woith were very proud of their kids.  Also Matt helped recognize former Benjamin Student, Luke Madden at the board meeting Tuesday night for his unbelieveable contribution of the instrument cabinets he built for the band room.

Bob Dylan just won a Pulitzer Prize
Click this link to read his thoughts on the Unconscious Mind, and How to Cultivate the Perfect Environment for Creative Work
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/05/21/bob-dylan-songwriters-on-songwriting-interview/
and then
 Click below to hear 74 tracks of him playing with the Grateful Dead for Free.  Groovy Man!
http://www.openculture.com/2012/08/bob_dylan_and_the_grateful_dead_rehearse_together_in_summer_1987_listen_to_74_tracks.html


Don't forget about the Foundation Fall Fest on October 23rd, volunteers and bake sale items are needed!

Lots of Educational Grant Opportunities
http://www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources



How literary fiction teaches us to be human.
https://medium.com/@penguinrandomus/this-is-how-literary-fiction-teaches-us-to-be-human-53d468dba179#.f71ncx911

Thanks to Keriann, Marcia and Jignasa for trying out a new system for tryouts with the Bengal Cards.  Also thanks to Jignasa and Marcia for putting out all the fires small(the I'm not feeling well) and large ones (concussion paperwork hedaches(pun intended) and phone calls)  to get kids back to class or home to recover from illness.  we appreciate your hard work!

Watch this 5 minute video.  Embracing Failure;  Building a growth mindset through the Arts.

We have been able to secure grant funds to send some of the team leaders and other teachers to the National Learning and the Brain Conference in February.  This is a great opportunity to bring valuable information back to us to improve student learning and engagement.

9-30-2016

Thanks to the 6th grade team for bringing in a guest speaker from Scarce today.  This is always an informative presentation for the students.

Just a reminder that we have the Staff Learning Meeting on Wednesday.  An agenda will be forthcoming for Friday's Institute.

Thanks to Angela for going to teams and demonstrating the new Swivel recording device.  It will be great for student presentations, teacher self reflection or flipped classrooms.

Please consider giving your time or donation to the Fall Foundation's Festival on October 23.  See Megan's email for details.

Please join the Benjamin PTA for only $5.  I would like to get 100% participation for all the help they give our school.  Please see Ellen if you need a form.

Thanks to everyone for writing and re-writing your student growth goals.  Your attention to detail is appreciated.

This week I'm letting best selling author Daniel Pink do the heavy lifting for me.  Below he recommends many different blogs or newsletters for your reading/learning pleasure.  I have read many of them and they are worth your time.  (Brain Pickings has been where I have been getting many of my Blog articles lately.)  The easy thing to do would be to look at the list and then close the blog, Don't!  Promise that you will browse at least 4 or 5 of the blogs and read one article!

11 NEWSLETTERS WORTH YOUR TIME For my money, email newsletters remain the digital world’s single most efficient source of ideas, information, and insight. I subscribe to more than 40 of them — and once or twice a year I tweak the list, adding new entrants and removing those that no longer do the trick. Here, in alphabetical order, are 11 newsletters — a few of which I’ve recommended before — that these days I always read and always find valuable: Austin Kleon — Each week, writer and artist Kleon, who lives in the Texas city that bears his first name, sends 10 links about what he’s reading, watching, and thinking about. Barking Up the Wrong Tree — Eric Barker’s newsletter promises "science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.” He delivers — every Sunday Brain Pickings — Maria Popova is the uber-curator of all things literary and scientific on the Internet. Her weekly e-zine helps me try to keep up with her. Farnam Street Brain Food — Another idea-driven newsletter that will make you think. Longform — A weekly roundup of the best in longform journalism. Matt Thomas New York Times Digest — Didn’t get a chance to read the Sunday New York Times? Fear not. Matt Thomas has done the work for you and highlighted the good stuff. Next Draft — I know I’ve recommended this before. I’m doing it again. Just subscribe, OK? Quartz Daily — Daily newsletters from established media outlets aren’t my favorite. But this one is different. Every day, it uncovers something that I hadn’t seen and want to know about. Ryan Holiday Reading Recommendation Newsletter — Ryan seems to read more books than any human being alive. Fortunately for us slow readers, he recaps the books is an amazingly rich newsletter. Seth Godin — Seth had been blogging every single day for many years. This daily dispatch delivers his posts, always smart and thoughtful, directly to your inbox. Washington Post’s Inspired Life — A weekly (but not treacly) roundup of stories of real people doing things that are kind, courageous, and often inspiring.

9-23-2016

Thanks to everyone's cooperation in getting our emergency drills done this week. The lock-down and lock and teach have gone extremely well.  We will  finish up with the tornado drill this morning during homeroom at the end of announcements.

The Periodic Table of Elements Scaled to Show The Elements’ Actual Abundance on Earth
http://www.openculture.com/2015/10/the-periodic-table-of-elements-scaled-to-show-the-elements-actual-abundance-on-earth.html


Megan Peterson found this on "blind Kahooting"  check it out!
https://getkahoot.com/blog/the-art-of-blind-kahoot-ing

If you are on the observation cycle please make sure you have met with me about your student growth goals and set up your first observation or met with me about your alternative evaluation.

How the Fish Philosophy helps teams function and meets human needs.  Good article.
http://www.fishphilosophy.com/effective-teamwork-skills-human-needs-fish-philosophy-brings-together/

5 ways to help students value questions over answers.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/help-students-become-better-questioners-warren-berger?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

We continue to work with the Harvard night staff to make sure your rooms are clean and procedures are being followed.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.  Juan and Frank have done a tremendous job of completing the work orders.  Continue to email me if something is not being cleaned or getting completed.

How writing to-do lists helps your brain!
https://www.fastcompany.com/3063392/your-most-productive-self/how-writing-to-do-lists-helps-your-brain-even-when-you-dont-comple?cid=ps002ros&utm_content=buffer72e4c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


A big shout out to Michelle for setting up the author visit with Dan Poblocki.  I heard students talking about "orbs" in the hallway, the spooky stories are sure to drive more students to reading!



The Oktoberfest feast yesterday was unbelievable.  Thanks to everyone who participated and a huge thank you to Ellen for the theme, decorations and hard work that went into making it a success.

Great article on:

The Psychology of Writing and the Cognitive Science of the Perfect Daily Routine

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/08/25/the-psychology-of-writing-daily-routine/

Thanks to everyone for participating in the subject area goal setting on Wednesday.  If you have not sent me your department's initial plan, please do so.

Another great read. 8 Fundamentals For Developing Mental Strength
http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/8-fundamentals-for-developing-mental-strength/



Bobby McFerrin Hacks Your Brain with Music!