11-18-2022

 Thanks to Bill and Marcia for doing such a great job on the scoreboard/book at all of our home basketball games.  It's nice not to have to worry about that!

Thanks to Jessica and the NJHS workers who were selling concessions at the game Thursday night.  Learning service skills and raising money for charity and having fun!

Building a culture of gratitude in your classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPMPrYiQZ2M

Thanks to Melissa for organizing the field trip to the Art Institute Friday for the 7th grade!  It is such an awesome place for appreciating some of the great works of Art!  Thanks to the 7th grade team and other chaperones for making this happen.  

5th grade is also having a home reward trip for their students.  Celebrating our student successes is an important part of what we do!  

Thanks to Ellen for organizing the Turkey dinner....both for students and for staff!   It was great to have a special lunch for students and it is always great and so important for all of us to eat and laugh together!

Thanks to Chris F, Melissa L, Angela and Kathy H for all their help in putting together our board appreciation presentation.  

Thanks to Dr. Woell and the school board for their wonderful Sporty's salad bar dinner in appreciation for American Education Week. 

"Except for love there is no greater gift other than the gift of growth" — Marshall Goldsmith

Thanks to Julie for running the BPAC Meeting on Wednesday night.  Building relationships and giving advocacy to our EL families is so important.  

Keep reminding your students of our coat drive.  Carol Stream Rotary already picked up a whole bin full of coats.  This is running through January and all coats get delivered locally.

Repeat yourself in class that much?  Try this article for some help to get kiddos to listen the first time.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-strategies-improve-students-listening-skills

The PTA meeting was well attended Thursday Night.  They are a great partner with our school.  Please consider signing up to attend the next meeting.  

Thanks to all of you for everything you do for our students.  I think we are really hitting our stride this year and the reason is YOU!  Keep encouraging the students and each other to keep our light shining!  Enjoy your break.  

"Whenever you fall, pick something up." -- Oswald Avery

"If you are on the right path you will find that invisible hands are helping." -- Joseph Campbell

"The more simple we are, the more complete we become." -- Auguste Rodin

 

11-11-2022

 I'm super excited for the Veterans Day Assembly.  Please remember to keep your 2nd period kiddos.  I will be calling students down right around 9:05am.  Melissa and April have been working hard to make this event a great celebration for those who served in our armed forces.  

Thanks to Kim for her late night work during conferences this week.  It really helps me out and is much appreciated.  

5 ways to get teens to open up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqDz4UarQTo

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom...hopefully all of your Zoom conferences went well.  We will send out a staff and parent survey to analyze the need for keeping Zoom for next year or moving back to in-person for all three nights.  

Did you sign up for the Turkey Day Lunch?   Wednesday the 16th is the date, don't miss out.  

5 ways teachers can maintain a professional online presence.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-to-maintain-a-professional-online-presence

American Education Week is next week.  Time flies when you're having fun!  Monday we will have Sporty's Salad Bar for lunch courtesy of Dr. Woell and the school board.  

Put your dancing shoes on.  Student Council's first dance is Friday, November 11th.  This dance is for 7th and 8th grade Benjamin students only. It will be from 6pm-8pm.  If you want to join the celebration we can always use more chaperones.  Thanks to Alex and Colleen for their work putting this together. Also thanks to Lynette for her work in helping with decorations.  

Ed Tech Tools to connect students to a global community.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60090/7-edtech-tools-to-connect-students-to-a-global-community

Don't forget that the Wellness Fair is tomorrow morning in the small gym.  

Thanks to Michele Davis for sharing one of her students Outsiders video, it was informative and entertaining.  Her students do a great job!

April Tepe had her 7th grade students racing their tractors for her Out of the Silo IMSA Stem Class.  they were fully engaged!

 

Jessica had the whole school asking me and other staff what their greatest fear was today.  I love how the scavenger hunt/quizzes get these students motivated! Hopefully they don't use this information against us 😂

I have been impressed with Mauricio's initiative in figuring things out for our chess team and upcoming tournament on December 3rd.  I may be reaching our for some additional help on that day if people are interested in earning some extra $$.  

Our basketball and cheer teams have three home games this week!  Thanks to coaches and supervisors for burning the midnight oil!

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." -- Albert Einstein

"Sing like nobody can hear you, dance like nobody can see you, and love like you've never been hurt." -- Dick Van Dyke

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”

Elmer Davis

11-3-2022

I want to thank everyone for staying late and discussing your students at Parent Teacher Conferences tonight.  These meetings are so important to helping the kiddos all year long.  Parents and teachers working together to help students with frequent communication being the main ingredient.  Let's do it again on Monday! (4pm-8pm)

Thanks to Angela and Danielle for their excellent Snack Time Podcast discussing Nearpod.  If you have some time it is well worth your effort and you may find a new resource that can make your teaching life easier.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1741124/11573242

Graphic Novels and Middle Schools a great combination!

https://heavymedal.slj.com/2022/11/02/graphic-novels-middle-school-a-newbery-medal-combination/

Institute Day reminder, tomorrow from 8:00am -1:30pm.  We will have the sign in and out in the office. Please make sure you have your iein number. The institute agenda was sent in an earlier email.  I also sent everyone a link, for those that need it for curriculum mapping.  If you would like to see some maps that are completed or near completion ask Chris and Melissa in 5th grade if they would share their documents with you as a great example.  We need to make progress on the maps this year.   We will have donuts and coffee in the lounge first thing tomorrow morning.  

Just a reminder that our Veterans Day Assembly is this Friday.  It will run approximately from 9:15am to 10:15am.  Morning Double Assembly (33 minute classes)  I'm looking forward to this great assembly!

How productive struggle fires up learners!  Great video about hitting that sweet spot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEaJ_VASrR0

Mauricio Mejia is our new chess coach.  He currently coaches some kids in Naperville and had his first meeting with our kids last night.  If you happen to see him on a Wednesday night say hello.  We will be hosting our annual big tournament again on Saturday December 3rd.  

Thanks to Tim and the custodians for getting ready for conferences with a very quick turnaround time with a 4pm start.    We would also like to welcome new custodian Ester to our building as we say goodbye to Maria.  Ester is working with Maria this week.  

Language that encourages learning in Middle School.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/language-that-encourages-learning

We will be working with the Carol Stream Rotary on a coat drive from November 7th-January 25th.  We will have announcements advertising this and will have a bin at the front of the building.  This is a worthwhile cause with coats, hats, gloves being delivered weekly to local families in need.  

Morgan Martin has been doing a wonderful job with the the band students.  I get to listen to them at their morning practices before I go out for bus duty!  I have also been impressed with her parent communication via emails of important upcoming events.  Keep up the great job Morgan!

Sherry had a great day of learning with her Day of the Dead Celebrations.  I also love how she takes advantage of parent volunteers in her classroom!

Thanks to Chris for covering the office in the morning and for everyone for offering to pitch-in and help yesterday with both of our secretaries out! #thebenjaminway #bengalpride

"Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working." -- Henri Matisse

"At first, people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done--then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago." -- Frances Hodgson Burnett

Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning.

George Carlin