4-26-2019

Congratulations to Ellen T who welcomed a new grandchild over the past weekend!  Everyone is doing well.  

Thanks to Namita for doing a great job filling in for Ellen T in the office this week.  She has been doing an outstanding job!

Choose your habits well.  

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/principle-43d-choose-your-habits-well-ray-dalio/

Grant presentations went well yesterday with a lot of teachers applying for grants.  We will definitely be looking for ways to fund as many of these great ideas as possible for student learning.  

Adrienne Moreno and the 7th grade team have the career fair organized and ready to go.  Lots of 7th grade parent volunteers with a wide variety of careers make for an exciting and educational day for our 7th grade students.  

Evergreen's National Blue Ribbon  Award parade on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ge1QS1O5Tw

4th grade student orientation and parent night was a great success.  It could not have happened without the help of a lot of people including Melissa L, Chris F, Melissa F, Danielle D, Alex A, and Matthew.  Also thanks to Ellen and Kim for helping with the parent communication and lunch portion of the day.  

Newsletters are due, please send your newsletter in sometime today. 

What a wonderful day for a Cubs game as the 8th grade teachers brought the 8th graders to Wrigley yesterday for their reward trip.  The score did not match the great time that the students had.  

A library full of virtual field trips.  Check them out!

https://newlearningtimes.com/cms/article/6157/a-library-of-virtual-field-trips-at-your

Dan Baker has been doing a wonderful job as the AD.  We appreciate his willingness to roll up his sleeves and jump in when needed.  

Here is the link that I sent earlier in the week for the great PD opportunity in Aurora for the SAMRi Teacher Camp.  Check it out.

 For more information, to register, or to submit a presentation proposal, please check out our website.

Thanks to Marcia who has been working extremely hard to meet the varied needs of our students and staff this week.  

Melissa L had an awesome cooking class for some students last Wednesday as they prepared gnocchi among other things, how fun!

Matthew and the BMS band played a gig out in the community last night, what a great experience for these developing musicians!

George Orwell's 6 rules for writing

Thanks to Tim, Tony and Frank who were among the staff members asking Megan P's students to read their poems to them  on "poem in your pocket" day.  

8 ways to encourage older students to develop a sense of imagination.  

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/50429/how-to-help-older-kids-develop-a-sense-of-imagination

Megan D helped two students get a picture of them holding their current book they are reading, signed by the author, pretty cool.  

Ted Talk on Vulnerability

“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.” - Will Ferrell

4-18-2019

Thanks to Jessica and Lauren for adding the NJHS Pizza Dinner experience to our Red White and Beautiful night, many grateful parents and teachers for the added convenience.


Lyn talked to me about having to go home and ICE her knee etc...from all of the artwork she hung throughout the last two weeks.  The halls look awesome and is a tribute to her wonderful curriculum.

Good article on how books can help (not fix) teens with mental health issues.  Including a list of books.
https://motherwellmag.com/2019/04/02/how-to-help-teens-tackle-mental-health-issues-with-reading/


The Wings of Hopes and Dreams was another wonderful addition that April Spearheaded.  Parents loved taking their child's picture with the wings to create a Kodak Moment.  (younger teachers, Kodak wasa camera and film company before cell phones and Instagram)



Michelle F and Kathy were working hard last night at the bookfair, it was a busy place and when one of the registers went down it was all hands on deck.  Having a lot of parents buying books is a good problem to have.



The Dynamic Duo of Melissa and Matthew put on a great show to a gym packed with parents and family members on both sides of the bleachers.


Jen and Lynette had the hallway smelling great with their healthy cooking samples last night. Having students help made a real difference.

Chris and Lynette are getting the talent show practices underway. I'm looking forward to the variety of acts and students displaying their talent.

The important role of teachers in technology integration.


Bill and Megan are busy with student "How To" Speeches, this is another great way to not only strengthen their academic writing but for students to display their knowledge, interests and skills.

Many people put in grant proposals for the Foundation!  I am looking forward to the presentations on Thursday, April 25th.

Teacher check-in chart for feelings goes viral.
https://www.boredpanda.com/students-health-check-board-erin-castillo/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic


4th grade students will be in the house on Tuesday, along with parents that evening. Thanks to Melissa L for organizing this day and to the 4th and 5th grade teachers for their participation.  This is a great day and evening to ease nerves and talk about our transition process.

Shout out to Laura P and our Evergreen brothers and sisters who will be celebrating their Blue Ribbon Achievement with a Community Parade on Wednesday. Great Job!


"For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned." --Benjamin Franklin

4-12-2019

Thanks to Courtney, Bill and Abby for doing a great job coaching the first home track meet yesterday.  Weather conditions weren't ideal but they got it in the books.  Also, thanks to Dan, Lori, Matthew and Marcia for helping time the meet and Jessica for running concessions for NJHS.


The 8th grade students were able to visit West Chicago High School on Thursday.  What a great event to continue the transition for next year. 

The role of metacognition in learning and achievement.
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46038/the-role-of-metacognition-in-learning-and-achievement

Melissa, April and Danielle did a great job recognizing the Newsie volunteers at Monday's Board meeting. Showing appreciation for all of those behind the scene people that help make the theater club presentation happening.

There is no avoiding pain, especially if you’re going after ambitious goals. Believe it or not, you are lucky to feel that kind of pain if you approach it correctly, because it is a signal that you need to find solutions so you can progress.


Jessica and Allison also did a great job presenting the findings of our Assessment Committee to the school board on Monday.  It was a lot of work this year and is appreciated. 

Thanks to Michelle who is doing our IAR make-up testing today and early next week.  Our attendance during testing was pretty great so it should not take more than a couple of days. 




I am looking forward to Red, White and Beautiful next week.  Lyn has been putting up artwork all over the building band and choir are getting ready and Healthy Cooking will be making an appearance again from Lynette and Jen.  NJHS will also be selling Pizza prior to RW&B for teachers and families. 

Tips for teaching realistic optimism to students.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/tips-teaching-realistic-optimism


The Anderson book fair is happening next week as Michelle and Kathy will be running the fair to raise more money and books for our library.  Please check it out. 


Good luck to Colleen, Alex and student council as they head out to Convention this weekend. This is a great leadership experience for the students. 



Matthew Turek and the Band will be playing at the Chicago Wolves game on Saturday.  Our students sure have a lot of opportunities to attend great experiences and share their talents. 



Thanks to Ellen and Kim for organizing the It's Always a Party on Tuesday.  The spread was spectacular as usual.

Betty went out of her way to have Megan P meet one of her favorite authors...well almost.


MCDonalds was the place to be last night as  Adrienne, Jim , Matthew, Nicole, Mark, Sherry, Kerry, Kathy and myself all worked with the Evergreen staff to serve A LOT of Benjamin 25 families!  The place was packed.  Thanks to everyone for pitching in and raising funds for the PTA. 

4-5-2019

Thanks to everyone for doing a great job with testing.  It has run very smoothly.  Special thanks to Greg, Ellen B and Angela for their tech support. 

Ten guiding principles that make up Effective Success Plans for students from the Education Redesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School.  More information can be found in the link below.

https://edredesign.org/personalized-supports-and-opportunities/

Courtney, Bill and Abby are doing a great job getting the track team ready for their first meet next week.  Running inside relays and other exercises throughout the building due to rainy weather. 

70 places to publish teenage writing from the NY Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/learning/out-of-the-classroom-and-into-the-world-70-plus-places-to-publish-teenage-writing-and-art.html


Best of luck to Jessica as she leads a student trip to the Engineering Expo in Madison Wisconsin today.  What a great opportunity for these students. 

Sherry will be showing her 8th grade spanish class  movie projects today during 6th and 8th period.  I am looking forward to seeing their finished green screen projects. 

Continuous Learning Mindset


In all of the excitement of meeting the new superintendent at our learning meeting I forgot to announce Bill as the employee of the month.  I delivered his card yesterday for his stunning performance of Joseph Pulitzer in Newsies!

Looking forward to "It's always a Party" on Tuesday, don't forget to sign up!

Art as Text: Bridging Literacy and the Arts

Just a reminder that Red White and Beautiful is coming up on April 17th for all staff.  It is a great showcase of our student creative endeavors. 

April 11th is the PTA McDonald's fundraiser.  I have attached the link if you have time to help out. 
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508044babad2aaaf49-mcteacher

10 things to do when students say "I got nothing!"


Thanks to Alex and MJ for representing our school at Tuesday nights Technology Advisory committee meeting.  It was a good meeting with parents, students, teachers and community members giving their feedback on technology items like the students devices and communication possibilities. 

Grant applications are due on April 15th.  Please give me a copy when completed. 

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)