12-20-2017

It was great honoring all of the straight A students last Monday at the school board meeting.  There was a great turn out of students who were proud of their achievements.

Helping others is not Universal.
https://medium.com/@harvardeducation/helping-others-is-not-universal-b6f357bdbb8f


What a great holiday assembly and concert we had thanks to Melissa and Matt. I don't think I have ever seen the large gym so filled with parents as I did Wednesday night.

Thanks to Matt for the idea, Angela for filming and everyone else for their natural music talent as they helped put on a very entertaining video for students and parents at the concert last Wednesday.  It was very well received.

The cookie share was just another example of staff coming together to bond and talk over food.....which you don't have to wait long at Benjamin as today will be the tamale party.  Thanks to Ellen and Sherry for organizing these events.

Focusing on the process and letting go of product expectations.  https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2017/12/17/focusing-on-the-process-letting-go-of-product-expectations/


I hope everyone enjoyed breakfast and getting together with peers district wide at last Friday's Holiday Breakfast.  I had many comments about how great my egg casserole....I mean the WCCHS  A Capella Choir was. 


Benjamin has Talent and I know the kids enjoyed the musical talents of the 5th and 6th grade last Friday afternoon.  Thanks to Lynette and Chris for all of the hard work and practice that went into the event.


Thanks to Alex for taking students on the reward trip today to Enchanted Castle.  This is for the magazine sale high achievers.

The questions to ask when kids aren't reading.
https://pernillesripp.com/2015/12/17/the-questions-to-ask-when-the-kids-arent-reading/

The 5th grade students and teachers brought joy to residents of two St. Charles assisted living facilities on Monday.  Residents really enjoy hearing the kids sing and receive cards from them.  My favorite was one gentleman who said loudly   "that's a good one" at the start of every song the kids sang!   Thanks to Melissa for organizing the music and rehearsals for this event.


Believe it or not with all of that activity going on I still saw students engaged in learning activities as I popped around to classes.  Thanks for keeping the rigor high even as the kids get excited for break.

I'm sure you are excited for break as well, and it is well deserved.  I hope you have a relaxing time filled with holiday spirit and joy.  Thank you so much for the amazon card, I'm sure it will be put to good use.  See you soon.

12-8-2017

The Bengals had a jam packed game last night with POMs, Pep Band NJHS Selling concessions and Mr. Feffer and the scoreboard team on top of the action.

Thanks to Sherry and Keriann for doing an outstanding job of running an interactive and informative learning meeting on break-out lessons Wednesday.

Choose Optimism.
https://disneyinstitute.com/blog/2016/05/leadership-lessons-from-walt-disney-choose-optimism/


Thanks to Melissa and Matt who are leading the choir and band at Saturday's PTA breakfast with Santa.  Your dedication to helping our school community is much appreciated.


"Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else." ~ Sydney Gurewitz Clemens



The deca-door contest is in full swing, as homerooms try to gain the title of Supreme Holiday Champion.  Word on the street is that 6th grade has spies...I mean scouts out reporting progress of other grade levels.

Anxiety and teenagers.
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/11/resilience-anxious-students?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Usable+Knowledge


Thanks to everyone who brought in their unique ornaments for the office.  They are beautiful and bring a special warm feeling when you enter the office.



Please make sure we are keeping students in our classes until the end bell 8th period.  We have quite a few students unsupervised by the front door at the end of the day.

Meta-cognition boosts achievement.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-metacognition-boosts-learning?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow


Please make sure you take the 5 Essential Survey next week when you have time. Feel free to use team time for this activity.   Everyone should have received an email with a link.  The shortcut will be put on student desktops for your teams to arrange a time for 6-8 grade students to take the survey.  This is an important reflection of what we do here at BMS.



I'm looking forward to the book fair next week.  If enough books are sold I will get the privilege of dressing up like The Grinch!  Thanks to Michelle, Kathleen and Mrs. Paskar for all of the hard work they will put into this.

Using comic books to boost reading comprehension and analysis.
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/12/comics-classroom


Thanks to Jignasa and Marcia for all of the work they have done this week.  The nurses office has been a busy place!