4-16-2021

 Thanks to Betty for providing valuable and informative professional development speaker on Wednesday.  It is available online if for some reason you missed the presentation.  

If anyone is interested in the Check in Check out or HW club position we may be opening them up for extra students support.  

Monday the School Board will be walking through our building and we will be popping into a few classrooms with Dr. Woell.  This will happen 1st and beginning of 2nd period. 

Please consider participating in the PTA Celebration of You with their mixology event next Friday.  Friday they will deliver packages for you to bring home.

Student Led Collaborative Learning  to Empower math students.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-student-led-collaborative-learning-empower-math-students

Please make sure that you fill out Greg's survey on your laptop choice ASAP.

Dr. Woell also sent out a very important survey on your interest in teaching summer school.  Once we know your interest we can plan different levels of support and programs we can offer.

A History of Philosophy in 81 Video Lectures

https://www.openculture.com/a-history-of-philosophy-in-81-video-lectures

Thanks to all of the lunch supervisors and morning and after school lot workers.  You guys are helping things run smoothly in more unstructured environments and I appreciate it.   

Thanks to Mark and Melissa  for continuing our state testing with our 5th and 8th grade students in science this week.  I appreciate your extended dedication to keeping the students focused and motivated.  

Good luck to our track team today  at their first home meet.  Thanks to our coaches and everyone who signed up to work the meet.  

Thanks for continuing to enforce students social distancing. I understand how frustrating it can be as the kids continue to need constant reminders.

How and why to Introduce Visual Notetaking to your students.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-and-why-introduce-visual-note-taking-your-students

Team Leaders will be talking with you on your thoughts and ideas for the beginning of next school year  and things we can do to improve.  

The man who does not read has no advantage over the man that cannot read.  

Mark Twain

There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

4-9-2021

 Thanks to Melissa LaMantia as we wind down on Assistant Principal Appreciation Week. I know we are all very appreciative of everything she does for our school.  Just this week that includes organizing the upcoming safety drills and the 4th grade student visit/parent night. 

The Academic Power of Friendship

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56979/what-the-research-says-about-the-academic-power-of-friendship#:~:text=Students%20with%20no%20friends%20%E2%80%9Creceive,of%20the%20journal%20Educational%20Psychologist.

Thanks to everyone for a successful first day of IAR testing. From the tech team providing support to teacher proctors helping their students and specials teachers giving relief, everyone pitched in to make it happen.  Please make sure you are marking which students miss tests each day so when materials are turned in we can tell who needs make-ups.  

Two types of Independence Growing Tweens need to practice.

Independence Growing Tweens

Thanks to Dan for working on different aspects of spring sports to make sure we have meets and games  that can be played safely.  

As mentioned previously we are excited to have our 4th grade students and 4th grade parents visit Benjamin on Tuesday April 27th.  Students will be here from around 9am-11am and parents will come for a presentation at 6:30pm in the evening.    Any staff that wants to come to parent night and help give short tours is more than welcome.

Including students in the assessment process.  

students assessment process

Julie, Erik and Morgan are doing an awesome job helping our students learn and grow.  I am so happy that we have such great new editions to our Benjamin Family.

Angela and Danielle have another great podcast to listen to.  Such great information!

Snacktime Podcast

Thanks to everyone for putting together the similar grouped class rosters.  This will help us down the road to identify close contacts.  Also thanks to everyone who helped get bus seating charts organized on Tuesday.  Continuing to work together and helping when and where it is needed is why we are such a great faculty. 

13 Effective Study Strategies to Help Students Learn

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57644/13-effective-study-strategies-to-help-students-learn

Betty is securing a guest speaker for next Wednesday's district early release for our second EL professional development.  A zoom link will be sent out with the details.

Thanks to Kim for doing a super job in a very busy office this week and to Marcia and Megan S for helping out in the morning certification process.  

https://youtu.be/RcGyVTAoXEU

I can't wait for the Lucky Duck drawing today. Thanks to Sherry for putting this together, what a fun way to reward staff!