3-21-2025

 I am so excited to see the Bye Bye Birdie musical today!  The Benjamin Musical is always a cumulation of hard work from staff, students and parents.  Thanks to Stephen, Danielle and April for going above and beyond to put on a great show.  We are on a double morning assembly schedule today.

Speaking of hard work and a combined effort.  Thanks to everyone for the effort put into executing the IAR testing this week.      Obviously, beyond this weeks test execution is the hard work everyone has put in all year teaching the content  and supporting our students to help them learn and grow!  Special shout out to Greg for all the work he did on the back end to get testing ready, Kim for entering accommodations and to Vanessa for preparing student devices and on the spot tech support.  

We have another fantastic parade video from Sherry and her STEM students.  Of course her trusty sidekicks Megan P and Angela are there to join in the fun along with other staff and students in the after parade film roll.  Thanks to Angela for her film/editing expertise.  

https://youtu.be/Qpm7m7cCGkY

I want to thank the team leaders for always being there to help me guide our school in a positive direction.  Being able to bounce ideas off of them along with their problem solving and communication skills are a big reason why we work together as a solid team.

Great ideas to keep students engaged when they finish early.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/fast-finishers-school-keeping-students-any-grade-engaged

I appreciate Mrs. Smith giving my principal report at The PTA meeting on Tuesday as well as Jen V's  kind gesture of providing some "healthy cooking" food  for people to eat.  The PTA also provided a fun event on Monday with Lynette and Kerry K being crowned the Rock, Paper Scissors Champions!

I appreciate Jen and Joe's flexibility in working around the musical for tech week.  With bad weather coming in this week it required extra planning.  

Thanks to Tim, Frank and Isidro for all the help with the set-ups required for this busy week.  

Thanks to Dr. Salamone for helping to get the DLM testing up and working. 

 This is your weekly reminder that the deadline for spending out of the district accounts is March 28th.  

Please make sure that you get your news articles into Margaret for the newsletter.  

Thanks to Lauren and Colleen for their hard work in getting a new Outdoor Ed plan put together for approval. They are almost at the finish line.  

Better to look weak and be strong than to look strong and be weak.

Laura Moncur (1969 - )

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.

Colette (1873 - 1954)

3-14-2025

Thanks to the ELA teachers for letting me take some of their class time this week so i could pull each student and talk with them about their IAR scores last year and tips for taking the test this year.  The students seemed interested and were good listeners.  

I appreciate staff members who made scheduling their summative meeting with me a priority the last two weeks so I could make my deadline.  These meetings are always valuable as opportunities to talk about strengths and areas for continued growth.  

The Winter Sports Awards were held on Wednesday night.  I appreciate Dan, Matt and Nicole for their hard work this past season and for preparing their thoughtful speeches.  Huge thanks to Kim for running all of the fun and creative certificates for students.  

Thanks to Greg for the IAR presentation.  We have scratch paper, graph paper and headphones in the office available for pick-up.  I will let everyone know when the folders that Greg prepared are ready with scripts, math forms and student tickets included. Please have students login to test Nav on Friday or Monday at the lastest so we can eliminate any login problems before testing.  I will confirm all non homeroom test administrators on Friday as there were a few switches when we moved some 504 students around on Thursday.  Specials teacher will be available for breaks and communicating testing problems to our tech support team.  Please let me know if you have any other questions.  

Stephen, April and Danielle are preparing for tech week next week. With IAR and tech week happening at the same time I appreciate the staff's willingness to not give hw next week.  (as talked about with your team leader)  

Ensuring Math Instruction provides opportunities for all.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/strategies-differentiate-math-instruction

We have a PTA meeting on Tuesday and and they will be providing a fun St. Patricks Day activity for staff on Monday.  

NJHS packed the multi-purpose room on Monday to have their regular meeting.  Thanks to Jessica and Jen H for all of their hard work to run this organization.  

Thanks to Grade level Teams for getting all of the student 5Essentials Surveys completed.  If you haven't taken your personal survey please do that soon.  

If anyone would be willing to host a College of DuPage student observer please let me know.  It is only a 20 hour commitment. 

"We just don't recognize life's most significant moments while they're happening. Back then I thought, "Well, there'll be other days." I didn't realize that that was the only day." - Field of Dreams

Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything. Sydney Smith

The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken too seriously. Nicholas Butler

3-7-2025

 I want to thank Danielle and Angela for running the book club this past Wednesday.  I was able to pop in and see some pretty lively discussions.  Anytime spent together having great discussions is valuable, when it can help educators help students it is even better!  If you missed out on this book club this time here is a 13 minute animated summary of the book. 

Please don't forget that we have our new IAR Training this Wednesday, March 12th at 2:00pm in the multi-purpose room.  I will get more details from Greg about the training and I will get testing booklets in your mailbox by Monday if you are testing a group of students.  I want to thank Kim who is helping me get all the student testing groups together for Greg.

Here is a great article about the science behind happiness.   Oh and it is written by a former Bengal!

https://wildcatchronicle.org/28632/features/no-more-fake-smiling-the-scientific-pursuit-of-happiness/

I went to an IASB dinner at Addison Trail high school on Wednesday night with superintendent Langton and school board member Dennis Peterson.  Mr. Peterson received recognition for his years of service on the board and we saw a very interesting presentation on K-12 career pathways.  I look forward to learning more about this topic and sharing with you in the future.  

Don't forget the deadline for spending is Friday March 28th.  

Congratulations to  Matt, Dan & the girls basketball team. Thursday night they defeated Harvest Christian by the score of 18 to 5. On Saturday they will play in the semi-final of the SWAC tournament.  Good luck Bengals!!

Visual Book Summary of Deep Work by Cal Newport

If you want to help out Marquita's daughter win a girl scout contest trip to medieval times.  Just click the link below and you vote for their castle!  

https://woobox.com/ytptxw/gallery/unkkPzkycII

I appreciate Dr. Salamone and Solly securing subs for our Thursday SPED meetings.  Having coverage makes the day so much smoother.  

If you are looking for dinner this Tuesday night stop by Chipotle and help the PTA.   Use code NM73926 from 5pm-9pm you can order online or in person.  

Thanks to Michelle and Carrie for running the March Book Madness.  I believe teachers can also get in on the fun and vote online.  

It was fun to have 100% student attendance on Thursday.  What a great opportunity to push all of our students forward with no worries of make-up work.  

I will send out a schedule to ELA teachers for my student data talks next week in preparation for our IAR tests.  

Teaching teens to separate fact and fiction.  

Thanks to Angela and Vanessa for their help with technology for the Superintendent focus groups this week.  It is always a team effort to have these events run smoothly!

Between the 8th grade reward trip and the combined 7th grade & theater club (all grade) field trip we will have a lot of the students having learning experiences outside the building today.  Thanks to all of the staff that helped put together and supervise these trips. 

"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for." -- Harper Lee

"Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults." -- Benjamin Franklin

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

Sidney J. Harris