12-22-23

 I want to thank Danielle, Angela and Melissa for the Blog Help they provided the last three weeks.  There were a lot of activities that needed recognition and I appreciate them stepping up.  

I have heard nothing but praise about the Chicago Symphony Orchestra assembly.  What a special opportunity that most schools will never have.  Thanks to Melissa for organizing this. 

Mrs. LaMantia and the 5th grade teachers and students went Caroling to three local nursing homes.  This was not only a fun event for our students but also brought out empathy and caring skills from our students.  

7th grade is going to the Art Institute today.  What a rich cultural experience they will have in one of the best showcases of art in the country. 

Holiday Spirit Week was a blast this week.  Thanks to Colleen, Alex and student council for planning these fun spirit days.  

34 ways to quiet a rambunctious class.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/34-ways-quiet-rambunctious-class?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=BTS+23&utm_id=Social&utm_term=back+to+school&utm_content=rambunctious+class

The Tiger Times came out with a new edition.  I was super impressed with the number of high quality articles the kids put together.  Thanks to Jessica for guiding this group of student journalists.  

Dr. Salamone hosted a great Special Education celebration for both buildings on Wednesday.  Conversation, laughter and bonding was the order of the day.  

Sherry put together another great student parade with the help of  Megan and Angela.  Please check  out this short outtake below.  The rest of the video will be sent via email.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bLB5f6LeRl23pLFG77IXKiQaFarb7gG4/view?usp=sharing

Thanks to Dan for putting together the student vs. staff BB game.  A great time was had by all.  

Before you start your day on Friday please pick up a holiday appreciation gift from Melissa and myself in the conference room and then go to the lounge for some breakfast treats.  We hope you guys have a fun and restful holiday with your family.  You deserve it.  

"Your child’s life will be filled with fresh experiences. It’s good if yours is as well." -- Margaret Rutherford

"When two people meet, each one is changed by the other so you've got two new people." -- John Steinbeck

"Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world." -- Lauren Bacall

 

11-17-23

 Huge thank you to Michele Davis, Lauren Dunne, and Sherry for helping to Organize the Staff Turkey celebration!  The food was great, the conversations and comradery was better!

Friday Dr. Woell and I will be carving turkeys in the lunchroom for the kiddos and staff.   I appreciate Elise's and Evelyn's extra assistance getting this organized.  Kids will not be rung up in the lunchroom but we will still need the lunch supervisors help in checking the list.

10 teacher picks for the best classroom tech tools.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-teacher-picks-best-tech-tools?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Fall+23&utm_id=Fall23&utm_term=fall+school+season&utm_content=tech+tools

Melissa L and Morgan took some of our 7th and 8th grade band and choir students to WCCHS for  great day of articulation with the music programs.  Our kids had a blast and learned a lot about high school opportunities.  

Don't forget about Sherry's tamale day email so you can get an order in for December 14th.  

Our teaching assistants were recognized at the school board meeting on Monday.  They are such an integral part of our success with students.  I want to thank Sue, Holly, Lori, Michelle S, Nicollette, Michele D, and Carrie for everything they do to help students and teachers.  

I appreciate that there is always a BEA rep at the school board meetings.  Keriann Moore had the honor this month (and it was a long one!)

At Tuesday's PTA meeting we were given a generous donation for Joe and Jen's hard work at the fun run.  I would love to see a  teacher rep at the PTA meetings and if you haven't signed up to be a PTA member yet (Benjamin is standing at 24) then you should! 

5 strategies for students who struggle with reading comprehension. 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-support-students-who-struggle-reading-comprehension/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Fall+23&utm_id=Fall23&utm_term=fall+school+season&utm_content=reading+comprehension

I enjoyed going around to the different subject area meetings  Wednesday after school and talking timesheets, purchasing processes and  answering capital project questions.  Speaking of the capital projects, I appreciate Dr. Woell's leadership in getting these improvements approved and communicating his vision to different stakeholder groups.   

I know it seems far away but we have our Chess Tournament on Saturday December 2nd.  We will be setting up the building (gyms and classrooms) on Friday December 1st after school.  

The data meetings we had on Thursday were filled with meaningful conversations and ideas.  

Thanks to Kim for getting all of the grades imported correctly into the report cards and to Evelyn for getting the report cards in the envelopes.  We will come back to homerooms at the end of the day to hand them out to students.  

Jen H's 5th grade School Board appreciation presentations and Michelle F and Carrie L's book dedications were well received by the school board on Monday night.  I appreciate their effort on these projects.  

Please make sure that you check out the email Solly sent out and save the date for the Holiday Breakfast.  Friday, December 15th, 6:30am in the Benjamin Small Gym.  

It is great seeing Greg in the building and he gave a great presentation on the state of tech in our district at the school board meeting on Monday.  I would also like to welcome Ellen B back who will be helping us out from time to time with technology.  

I know we are all wishing Kerry K the best of luck with her maternity leave and the new addition to her family that will soon be arriving.  

As we wrap up American Education Week I hope each of you know how much I appreciate the individual talents you bring to our school and how strong we are together. I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and enjoy the week off.  You deserve it!

"Negative thoughts were treated by Cherokee healers with the same medicines as wounds, headaches, or physical illness. It was believed that unchecked negative thoughts can permeate the being and manifest themselves in negative actions." -- Wilma Mankiller

"Belonging starts with self-acceptance. Believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic." -- Brené B

"The minority is always stronger than the majority, because the minority is generally formed by those who really have an opinion."

-- Soren Kierkegaardrown

11-10-2023

 I am looking forward to the Veterans Day Assembly on Friday.  For me it is one of the highlights of the year. I truly appreciate the amount of time and effort that Melissa puts into this event to make sure it is special for our Veterans and their families.

Danielle and Angela have been all over the building (and the district) giving lots of support to people in many different ways. I appreciate their flexibility in working with individual staff and meeting them where they are at (geographically and readiness)!

Thanks to Evelyn for getting out the newsletter. I appreciate her patience with someone who had not turned in his article after numerous reminders!

We now have grade level colored fish slips!  Please use these as a motivating factor in the classroom to reward students for giving their best or going out of the way to help other students.  Friday during study skills is when they can shop at the Fish closet and this Friday we will have a drawing for a $25 prize or two. 

Working with Nicole C's help I have sent about twenty letters to parents in regards to their child's attendance.  In addition I put something in my (late) newsletter article about the importance of on time daily attendance.  

Please sign up for our Thanksgiving Potluck on Wednesday November 15th.  Thanks to Lauren and Michelle D for helping to organize this fun bonding event!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, we will be serving Turkey to the students and staff on Friday November 17th.  Any help that you can provide in making sure your homeroom students sign up for lunch each week (Thanksgiving or otherwise) would be appreciated!

Article highlighting great ways to group students for Cooperative Learning.

Cooperative Learning Strategies

Thanks to the Specials Team for their Fabulous Thanksgiving theme student of the month bulletin board.  I'm honored to be "driving the truck"! 

Thanks to all of the Game Day supervisors for the work they do at each game to supervise the students and families attending our sporting events.  Special thanks to Megan D and Jessica who each had to handle a situation last week as a supervisor.  This message was sent out to all parents tonight.

Student attendance at Basketball Games

Students are allowed to go to the JV (4pm) and Varsity (5pm) basketball games.  We have adult supervisors for these games.  Students need to be picked up promptly at the finish of these games which is usually one hour after start time.  

Students are only allowed to go to 6th grade games (6pm and later) as a spectator if they are accompanied by their parent.  We do not have supervisors after 6pm.  After the varsity game supervisors will bring all unaccompanied students out of the gym to call home for a ride.  All students are expected to follow all school rules while in attendance at the games and listen to the game day supervisors directions at all times. Any students not following the rules or not listening to the supervisor will be asked to leave and call home for a ride.  Thank you for your support in reinforcing these guidelines with your children. 

Congrats to Melissa Falkos for getting her GoFund Me  microscope project funded in just one week.  This project adds to the growing list of GoFund Me successes for our teachers that benefit our students.  Special thanks to Janice and Lisa for all of their hard work and effort to make these projects successful.  

Please take a look at the April's theater needs list and see where you might be able to help.  

I appreciate Greg, Vanessa and Michelle F's hard work to make the Gamers Club Minecraft Education edition up and running for our students.  The students were engaged and having a great time this week.  

"People didn't believe me when I told them I practiced harder than I played, but it was true. That's where my comfort zone was created. By the time the game came, all I had to do was react to what my body was already accustomed to doing." —Michael Jordan

"You can't have an up without a down. You can't have a left without a right. This is duality. If you have a problem, you must already have the solution. The question is, do you really want the solution, or do you want to perpetuate the problem?" -- Byron Katie

"We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can take for us, an effort which no one can spare us." — Marcel Proust

11-3-2023

 Huge thank you to Danielle and Angela for putting a lot of time and effort into the presentations for Friday.  Your hard work and professionalism are appreciated.  

Thanks to Solly for getting a good breakfast for us to start our day with on Friday.  I am looking forward to Dr. Woell's presentation and hearing your feedback.  We have a busy day so make sure your computer is charged!  I sent out the evaluation to your email tonight.  

Also thanks to Tim and our custodial staff for getting everything set-up for our great day of learning tomorrow.  

Halloween week ended in a blast with costumes for both students and adults.  Thanks for participating in spirit week and thanks to Colleen and Alex for guiding the student council kids in coming up with the ideas!

The fish store is replenished with desirable goods!  I will be stopping by teams to hand out new fish slips.

Thanks again to everyone for responding quickly and following directions/procedures to ensure student safety during our Halloween Kitchen Situation.  Students followed your lead and we were able to quickly get back to learning.  

strategies for guiding the learning process  (click the link for bigger image)

I know it came out last week but I just got done reading the latest edition of the Tiger Times.  Very impressed with the scope of articles from a through history of the Premier Soccer League to sage advice from an experienced student on the ill effects of homework.  Outstanding work as usual.  

Thanks to everyone for making valuable use of your team and plan time everyday.  I am always amazed at what you can get accomplished in that short amount of time.  

9 good classroom uses for AI    (These are pretty cool!)

Parent teacher conferences went off very well today.  I will talk with Dr. Woell and Mrs. Smith to relay that the level of participation with Zoom meetings significantly dropped this year.  In person parents I spoke with talked highly of the time spent with teachers and the timeliness of schedule.  Great job everyone.

Special thanks to Kim for getting all zoom and in-person conferences scheduled through our online platforms.  I am very grateful that  I can count on her to get the job done. 

The fascinating history of Cemeteries

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-fascinating-history-of-cemeteries-keith-eggener/think

Don't forget your health clinic appointments if you made them for tomorrow AM.  Thanks to Dr. Filas for organizing this event.  

I enjoyed getting to see Michael Miles in music class and Sherry's day of the dead activity celebrations.  Our students are so lucky to have these opportunities/experiences to learn from.  

"If there is knowledge, it lies in the fusion of the book and the street." -- Studs Terkel

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work hard on the days you feel good.” -- Jerry West

"In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." -- Paul Harvey

10-27-2023

 It was a busy day after school on Thursday, Art Club, Newspaper, Book Club, Maker Space, HW Club, Theater Club tryouts, dance & cheer and three basketball games.  As a mom told me yesterday "My kids go to the best school!"

The Chess Club Season also started again on Thursday.  The new coach is Roy Wolski, a retired teacher and chess coach who will be starting on Nov 7th.  Thanks to Joe H for filling in last night.

How to get students to think of their own learning.

Thinking about their own learning

Thanks to Colleen and Alex for working with our student council kids to organize a great  Spirit week. There was some great "student" and "teacher" costumes.  Hope everyone is ready to jam with the spooky tunes on Friday.  This picture is pretty scary...not sure if it's teachers dressed like students or an outtake from the movie "The Warriors"  I would not want to meet this group in a dark alley!

I appreciate Angela getting great pictures at all of our events like the fun-run, staff costumes...sporting events to just name a few.  

Everyone is capable of setting in motion the mightiest waves of change. Everyone.

I appreciate everyone getting ready and being prepared for parent teacher conferences that start next week.  This is an outstanding opportunity to work with parents in a partnership to help students.  

Please make sure you follow the directions Danielle sent out for setting up your zoom conference link for November second.  Please do not wait until the day of to do this.  If you need any help just let me know.

The November 3rd Institute agenda was sent out.  Please review the agenda as Dr. Woell will be starting us off  after you get breakfast.  There will be a building specific agenda sent out soon that will coincide with the district agenda but provide pd options for those of you not in the original sessions.  

3 research based ways to take better notes

I want to take a minute to thank all of our teaching assistants:  Carrie, Nicolette, Holly, Lori, Michelle S and Michele D, we couldn't do the job that we do everyday without the hard work you put in to help our students (and teachers)!

Getting over the October Slump

https://www.edutopia.org/article/avoiding-october-burnout?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Fall+23&utm_id=Fall23&utm_term=fall+school+season&utm_content=fall+slump

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you." — Walt Whitman

"Getting stuck is a feature rather than a glitch on the road to thriving." -- Adam Alter

"If you hit a wrong note, it's the next note that you play that determines if it's good or bad." -- Miles Davis

10-20-23

 Bill did a choral reading poetry project from HMH in his class and Danielle proposed that one of the groups perform at the school board meeting. Danielle explained the project to the board and the girls did a great job! Thanks Danielle and Bill.

Dan, Bill, Matt, Joe, and Megan S did a great job at the Fall Sports awards on Wednesday evening.  I appreciate their willingness to work with students after school on their athletic skills and their sportsmanship.  

You can now write and draw on Google slides

write on google slides

I appreciate Nicole sitting down with me to help tighten up our attendance procedures.  

Melissa, April and Danielle had a great theater club clinic and parent night Tuesday after school.  Tryouts are next week!

Designing lessons with digital tech with careful pedagogy

designing digital tech

Morgan has been working hard getting our band students ready through practice, practice practice!  Performances will be here before you know it.  

Dr. Salamone did a great job organizing the multicultural night Tuesday evening at Evergreen.  While there middle school families there, I really enjoyed meeting the K-4 kiddos who came to my arts and craft table to create works of art!

Using Claim, Evidence and Reasoning in the science classroom.

https://blog.tcea.org/cer/

I know we have been advertising the Sneaker drive and Coat drive to our Kiddos but don't forget that you can bring in some items to donate as well.  I will be cleaning house this weekend to see what I can bring in.  (sneakers are being recycled so they can be torn up!)

Today (Friday) is the PTA Fun Run!  I am so appreciative of Jen and Joe running this through their PE classes all day.  I am also thankful for all of the hard work that Mrs. Hart put into organizing the communication and prizes.

8 proactive classroom management tips

classroom management tips

Colleen and Alex are getting ready for the student council Halloween spirit week starting on Wednesday of Next week.  

New staff alert!!! Jamie Begley is a brand new sub and will be in the building today in 8th grade.  Please stop by and say hello and answer some questions if you can.  

Thanks for all of the social studies teachers for meeting with me Wednesday after school to discuss the new standards, mandated units of study, and how they both affect our curriculum maps.  

I appreciate Marcia and Megan S doing all the behind the scene emails and phone calls to get our students in compliance and did not need to be excluded from school.  

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." -- Derek Bok

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." -- Helen Keller

"I don’t have to tell you it goes without saying there are some things better left unsaid. I think that speaks for itself. The less said about it the better." -- George Carlin

10-13-Story

 Thanks to Michele D for hosting our HMH writable PD on Wednesday and for making enough "unbelievable" perogies to feed our entire staff!

I appreciate everyone chipping in this week to make the outdoor ed trip happen. This includes all of the chaperones on the trip, our wonderful subs, our outstanding teaching assistants, support staff and teachers that came together to make the trip work at Loredo Taft and back at Benjamin.  This required a lot of flexibility and extra effort and not only do I appreciate it but so do all of the kids.  

I appreciate Kim getting the parent teacher conferences time slots together....we will be going forward with the following schedule November 2nd 4pm-8pm (6pm-8pm will be zoom conferences) November 7th 4pm-7pm and November 9th 4pm-7pm.  PTA will be providing a 3pm dinner on the 7th. More info to follow.  

Monday Morning our 8th grade students will be taking the PSAT test for high school placement.  

We just finished with the fall sports season and we are off to the races with the Winter season as boys basketball  and Cheer have started practicing.  

Thursday is always a busy club day.  Mr. Karris has got the Maker Space Club operating on full blast with multiple projects happening at once guided by student interest!  

We have a busy week ahead of us with the rescheduled school board meeting on Monday Night, EL Multicultural Night on Tuesday Night and Fall Sports Awards on Wednesday Night.  

Pretty Cool Story on Leadership I came across.  

60 years ago. Before NIL deals & sponsorships, one college football star: Won the Heisman Trophy, then served in Vietnam, then won 2 Super Bowls as a QB, made 2 HOFs, started a company & sold it for $600+ million. And it almost didn't happen. This is the story of how one decision turned a Cincinnati kid into an NFL & business icon:

1/ Spring. 1958. A HS football coach in Cincinnati wants to revamp his team. He's got players but not a leader. He surveys his roster. He needs a new QB. His eyes settle on one name. A tall, athletic junior who had never played quarterback in his life: Roger Staubach 2/ Young Staubach is confused about the change. He asks why they want him to be quarterback. "Because the other guys listen to you," the coach says. "That conversation changed my life," Staubach says now. "If they hadn't seen me in that role, you wouldn't be talking to me." 3/ Staubach goes full bore all summer. Kills himself during two-a-days to win the starting job as a senior. Loves running the huddle. Leading his peers. Feels natural. He graduates and plays QB for one year at the New Mexico Military Institute... 4/ In 1961 Staubach enters the Naval Academy. He sits as a freshman. Early in his sophomore year the Midshipmen's offense is sputtering. Flat. Lifeless. Staubach gets his shot. He leads Navy to 6 TDs and a 41-0 victory over Cornell. The job is his... 5/ Junior year. Staubach is 21 and becomes a household name. He leads Navy to a 9-1 regular season record. Plays for a National Championship. Wins the Heisman Trophy. Gets the cover of Time Magazine when that was a life-changing honor... 6/ After an injury-filled senior year, Staubach is drafted by the Cowboys. "I know I sound corny but there is no way in the world I was going to break my commitment to the Navy," Staubach says. "They could have offered me a billion dollars." The NFL is on hold. For 4 years. 7/ Instead of commanding Dallas' offense for Tom Landry, Staubach is in charge of several dozen enlisted men in Vietnam. He's a Supply Corp officer. Practices leadership daily. "There's a way to do things in life," he says. "And there's power in setting a good example." 8/ Staubach quarterbacks a few squads in the service to keep up his skills. He spends a year in Chu Lai... He has the Cowboys playbook and uses his military leave to practice with the team. In 1969, he officially joins the Cowboys as a 27-year-old rookie. He earns the starting spot in his second season. 9/ 1972. This is the year it all happens for Staubach. A 10-game winning streak. A Super Bowl victory against the Dolphins. Super Bowl VI MVP. "Captain America" becomes the face of the NFL... 10/ Roger Staubach goes on to play in 4 Super Bowls. He wins 2 and loses 2, both to the Steelers. He's a 6x Pro Bowler. A member of the 1970s All-Decade Team. But quarterbacks (even stars) in that era didn't make big money. Far from it... 11/ By the end of his career in the late 70s, Staubach has 3 kids and is thinking about his post-football life. He'd been working in real estate in the off-season for the esteemed Henry S. Miller company, preparing for this moment. He launches The Staubach Company... The Staubach Company starts off strong. A few office buildings. Regional tenants. But Roger thinks bigger. He starts working with major corporate clients. Residential development. Apartment complexes... Quarterbacks his business. For 31 years the Staubach Company grows. Roger works with Jerry Jones. Ross Perot. All the iconic Dallas magnates. Then, in 2008, he sells the company for a whopping $600+ million. He becomes the wealthiest retired NFL player. All because a HS coach moved him to QB.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"There's no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day." -- Alexander Woollcott

“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.” ― Robert Frost