3-22-2019

Congratulations to Melissa, Danielle, April and Bill for an outstanding job done with the Newsies Performances last weekend and the cast party on Monday.  Though it was a lot of work, what a wonderful avenue for the students to express their talents.

What's going on in their brain when students play music.
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46193/whats-going-on-inside-the-brain-when-we-play-music


Thanks to Kim and Ellen for getting report cards ready for students last Friday. It takes a lot of work and it is appreciated.



Courtney, Bill and Abby have started the track tryouts this week and Matt will be starting soccer tryouts after spring break to start our spring sports season.

Lesson review Idea from Twitter:
1. Take any normal worksheet with review questions. 2. Cut the sheet into slips. 3. Hide those slips in plastic eggs. Teams collect and egg at random then race back to their team compete to solve as many as they can before time expires! Rinse and repeat.

I thought the latest edition of the Tiger Times was extremely well done. Thanks to Jessica for getting the students to put together a school newspaper that is so comprehensive. Please give it a read and complement one of the hard working student journalists.

Please let me know if you are interested in the homebound tutoring position or the summer school positions I emailed yesterday.  These are a great way to help our students and earn some extra $.

The power of a positive phone call home.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/power-positive-phone-call-home-elena-aguilar?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=twitter


Newsletters are due today. Please send them to Ellen.

Thanks to the testing superstars, Chris, Melissa, Danielle and MJ all gave the CogATs  to our students on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of this week.  Melissa and Mark also administered the state science test this week to our 5th and 8th grade students. These assessments will help us gage our students readiness and understanding.

Don't forget another Growth Mindset lesson coming your way soon.


Matt and Dan celebrated our winter student athletes on Wednesday night at our sports awards.  Hats off to them for coaching 6 separate teams between the two of them, as well as to Dan for doing a great job as the athletic director. The night ended with our Championship JV boys team getting their medals for conference and tournament champs.

Our 5th grade students will be celebrating an internal reward trip today with a Culvers lunch and a movie.  This is a nice way to celebrate the 5th graders hard work for the second trimester.

Using video content to amplify learning.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-video-content-amplify-learning?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=twitter

Thanks to Sherry for having her talk with 6th grade students interested in joining Spanish next year.  Providing the students and parents information about this opportunity will help them make an informed decision.

Words all kids appreciate: 1. I love having you in my class. 2. Please & thank you. 3. I believe in you. 4. Here’s one thing you are good at. 5. When I was a kid I did that too.

I will be putting your IAR official booklet in your mailbox today.  Please make sure that you have checked your online session TODAY if you have not done so already.  This will ensure a smooth testing experience on Tuesday.

You have seen the Ken Robinson RSA Animate on creativity now watch this one on finding your Element (passion).  Only 3 minutes.

I hope everyone enjoys their spring break and has time to rest and relax before coming back. 

“We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by living fully in the present.” -- Marianne Williamson

3-15-2019

In 1899, the streets of New York City echoed with the voices of newsies. On every corner you saw them carrying the banner. Bringing you the news for a penny a pape. Poor orphans and runaways, the newsies were a ragged army without a leader, until one day all that changed...and that day is today.  Best of luck to Melissa, Danielle, April, Bill and all of our students as they put on the production of Newsies today for our school, tonight and tomorrow afternoon and night!

Thanks to Todd for sharing this awesome math website.

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/

Thanks to Betty and Dr. LeBlanc  who put on a parent night last night for our EL families.  Taking extra steps to make sure all families feel welcome and connected to their schools is important and appreciated.  

Check out this website for a free photoshop alternative you can use in your classroom.

https://www.photopea.com/

We have some testing going on next week.  5th grade will be taking the ISA on the 20th and the CogAT's on the 18th, 19th and 21st.  8th graders will be taking the ISA on March 19th.  Thanks to all teachers involved for making this happen.  Special thanks to Greg and Ellen for getting it ready.  

Making learning stick.  Read or listen.

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/stick/

Big thanks to Tony, Frank and Tim for all of the extra work they have been putting in the last couple of weeks.  We couldn't do it without you.  Please let me know if there are any items around your classroom, outside the normal cleaning that needs to be completed.  I will add it to the list for spring break.  

On Tuesday some of our staff and community members met again to continue planning the Benjamin 175th Anniversary.  More on this to come. Thanks to Lauren and Melissa for representing our staff.  

Jessica's student engineers created straw bridges two weeks in a row to see if they could improve their design. Sometimes we learn the most from failure.  

It can get a little nutty around here next week.  Thanks in advance for being proactive with supervision in your classrooms, hallways and other unstructured areas.  Your presence makes a difference!

70% of what is taught in the classroom the pupils already know! It’s so important to know where your learners are starting from. Imagine how much more engaged our learners would be if this was always the starting point

Thanks to everyone for having the BB 300 News Broadcast Link up and ready for your class.  Listening and seeing the announcements are an important start  to our day.  

Thanks to Megan D and Alex for keeping up the Star Bengal Cafe with our core classroom.  This experience gives those students a lot of pleasure while practicing important life skills.

Good luck to Courtney, Bill and Abby who kick off the track and field season next week.  

Thanks to student council  and NJHS, your penny wars and bake sale are both drumming up excitement and funds for good causes.  

Using Art in Assessments

https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-art-assessments?platform=hootsuite

Thanks to Lyn for presenting some student artwork at the school board meeting Monday Night.  It was nice seeing her students talk about their pieces.  

To do two things at once is to do neither." -- Publilius Syrus

3-8-2019

Thanks to Greg for doing a great job with the IAR presentation on Wednesday.  I will have information to you next week on how we are going to divide the extra time from having 5 tests this year instead of 6.

Newspaper article on how a pilot PE program in some of our neighbor high schools might change the way students participate in PE.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/news/ct-ecn-u46-independent-physical-education-st-0308-story.html

Please make sure you are supervising how the students are treating their computers.  In year one with our new devices  Greg has seen students putting stickers on their devices, masking tape, coloring in the thinkpad letters with a sharpie marker, along with other writing and damage.  The week before spring break I am going to go on a lunchroom tour where I talk about the IAR, taking care of their computer and also remind them about safe computer use, not putting a VPN on their computer etc....

Questions teachers should ask before implementing a new idea.


Thanks to Jen and Lynette for having a Teen Decision speaker in to talk to the 8th grade students this week and next.





Melissa, Danielle and April are working hard going into tech week and the home stretch before the Newsies performance on March 15th and 16th.  I am looking forward to seeing the student performances.

How letting students choose their own seats in class can make a difference.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/optimal-seating-plan-letting-your-students-choose-emelina-minero



Field trips and reward trips are the order of the day.  Wheaton Academy, Chocolate Factory and Enchanted Castle are the destinations.  Thanks to Melissa L, MJ and 8th grade team for organizing these outings for our students.



Good luck to Matt Tylk, Dan B, Andrew and the girls basketball team as they started the basketball playoffs Thursday night and possibly into the weekend.

Help your brain get stronger.  10 tips
https://www.fosteringresilientlearners.org/blog


We have a lot going on next week with the School Board Meeting on Monday, 175th Anniversary planning committee Tuesday, Early Dismissal with Sexual Harassment overview on Wednesday, PTA and EL Parent Night on Thursday and Newsies on Friday and Saturday.  All these moving parts represent a lot of people working hard for our school district! 



I have non-tenure evaluations complete, working on Tenure and am waiting for Alternate evaluations to be turned into me.  Please make sure that you are checking in with me next week.  It is always great to get to observe and give feedback to great teachers.

6 ways to challenge gifted and talented students.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/apr16/vol58/num04/Six-Strategies-for-Challenging-Gifted-Learners.aspx

The "Soups On" Celebration was possibly the best feast we have had this year.  Thanks to Ellen and Kim for organizing, Melissa for adding some soup, salad and Chilli from Hawthornes BY and everyone who brought in soups, sides and deserts.  Special shout out to Judy B for bringing in the Red Lobster biscuits, they were the talk of the building yesterday!



Congrats to Megan P for getting another Donors Choose project funded with some great low seating.


She also found this link to these printable posters for Women in Stem
https://womenyoushouldknow.net/downloadable-stem-role-models-posters/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow


A lot of you know that I listen to podcasts a lot, Here is a link to a pretty great one on leadership from the Tim Ferriss podcast with author Jim Collins.
https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/

We are travelers on a cosmic journey. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment,a little parenthesis in eternity. __ in “The Alchemist” (1988)