1-13-2023

 Kerri Snyder has jumped right into our office and has done a great job of helping out.  I have received many compliments from staff  about the fine job she is doing in her first week!

The Boys Varsity Basketball season ended with a loss on Thursday night.   Dan and Matt have done a great job of keeping the student athletes focused on doing the best job they can on and off the court. 

Thanks to the 8th grade team for facilitating the WCHS counselors this week with our students.  This is an important time for our 8th grade students and their transition to the high school.   

7 Attention getters to use in class.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-attention-getters-use-instead-raising-your-voice

Nicollett has done a great job helping fill needed gaps in our support this week and will work her way into supporting our check-in/check-out students starting next week.  Thanks to the grade level teams for giving us students to start this intervention with.

As we start the second half of the school year please remember to keep the structure and rigor our students need in the classroom and the hallways and other common areas.  Teaching & re-teaching expectations is how our students will learn and grow.  

I'd like to welcome Kim Anderson to Benjamin 25.  She will be making her way around our building to become more familiar with our school and has already been a great help at the ad center in many ways.  I am sure you will here more from her in the near future. 

Thanks to Jessica who gave a wonderful presentation on Wednesday at our staff learning meeting. All three pedagogies (chat stations, movement, and in-class flip) seem like they would benefit our students.  I am excited for you to try them out in your classroom.  

Now from Cult of Pedagogy here are 6 tech tools to try in 2023:

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/6-ed-tech-tools-to-try-in-2023/

Thank you to Kerry K, Jen Vidic and Joe H. for attending the PTA meeting Thursday night.  Jen and Joe were also honored for their work with the PTA on the Fun-Run earlier in the year where the district raised $6,000 and the PTA decided to match those funds!  Great job guys!

Please don't forget staff on cycle: ...it is up to you to schedule your second formal observation with me and/or check in with me on your alternate evaluation progress.  Also, please keep checking in on your student growth progress.  Let me know how Melissa and I can help.

Thanks to everyone for the work that you continue to do in teams to help students.  Whenever I pop in I am always amazed at the dialogue and problem solving that is taking place to do what we can to support struggling students.  

Thanks for the work that was done on curriculum this past Wednesday.  One question that came up Wednesday that I want to share as I believe it would benefit other people.  On the standards section, don't just list the numbers actually list what the standards are with the numbers.  this makes it much easier for everyone when they reading the curriculum map to understand what is being taught in relation to the standards.  It is a little more time consuming when you first type it out, but then can easily be copied and pasted for other curriculum units.  Please let me know if I can help answer any question on curriculum mapping.

Resources for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

A collection of lesson plans, curricula, and multimedia resources for teaching the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 https://www.edutopia.org/article/resources-martin-luther-king-jr-day-matt-davis

I know that some of the March 4th County-Wide PD opportunities are opening up.  You do have permission to attend an out of district conference.  I know many of these are free or minimal cost.  Please see me before you register as we need to do two things:

1.  have an accurate account of where people will be on this day

2.  Figure out the best method of payment for those that charge.  Many conferences have different procedures for registration and if we have multiple people going to the same conference we want to consolidate payment as much as possible.  

All people going out of district need to fill out the conference request form regardless if the conference costs money or not

Staff that is staying in-house I will send you a form that you will need to fill out with your agenda for the day.  This will allow me to request PD hours for the day with the ROE. Evergreen will be doing the same. Please see me if you have any questions.  

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." -- Voltaire

"By walking, I found out where I was going." -- Irving Layton

"Make small commitments and keep them. Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. Be a part of the solution, not the problem." -- Stephen Covey

12-16-2022

 The concert Wednesday Night was a great success with an absolutely packed house.  Congratulations to Melissa, April and Morgan for a job well done. 

 

Sherry had a great tamale party on Tuesday.  It's not just about the food but learning about the process and culture with a fun crafty activity as well.  There were also lots of parent volunteers on hand to lend a hand.  

I think everyone had a wonderful time at Ellen's retirement celebration.  Thanks to Lauren, Keriann, Michele D, April, Kim, Melissa L and Chris for making it a special event.  I know I speak for everyone when I say that Ellen will be missed.  

Building a strong staff culture takes work.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-positive-staff-culture-takes-work

The 8th grade was alive with the Sound of Music as they went to the Paramount theater and were able to see a wonderful show.  

Dec-a-door mania has hit Benjamin Middle School as dedicated students use their creativity and artistic talents and teachers hidden competitive side come out.  Can anyone beat Mrs. Falkos and her crew of 30 students?  Only time will tell.

Thanks to Colleen and Alex for not only organizing the Dec-a-door, the Toy Drive and the Spirit week, next week.  

Thanks to the PST team for meeting with WCCHS and their new special ed director.  Working together to help the transition for our students is so important.

Congrats to Nicole for completing the Dance and Cheer season. Best of luck to Matt and Dan as they finish up the boys basketball season and gear up for the girls basketball season. Also thanks to Bill and Marcia who do the book and clock for almost every game.  

Thanks to Josh for bringing his technological know how and some needed direction to our maker space club this year.  The kids have been having a blast.  

Thanks to Angela for taking all of the wonderful pics for our many events.  Also thanks to Tim, Frank, Isidrio and the night crew for their hard work during this busy season.  

I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy breakfast and the wonderful WCCHS Choir on Friday morning.  Thanks to Dr. Woell and Solly for organizing this event and to our school board members for "being there" to thank you for a job well done.  

"If you can't be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped." -- Izaak Walton

"Choose to be kind over being right and you'll be right every time." -- Richard Carlson

12-9-2022

 I hope you guys had as great a week as I did.  I was lucky enough to do  pop-ins in almost every classroom this week.  It is awesome to see the excellent staff and diverse teaching strategies and activities our students experience.

Thanks to Nicole and Todd for presenting our mandated trainings on Monday.  We appreciate the time that went into the planning of this important information.  If anyone has any follow up questions please do not hesitate to reach out to either of them.  Specific make-up information will be sent out soon.

Just one article in this weeks blog:  The 10 most significant studies of the year.  Check it out.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/the-10-most-significant-education-studies-of-2022

Jessica brought in a great speaker through Zoom to her newspaper club! Joe Hogan, Producer of Retro Report "How to Fact-Check History," talked with the students about fact checking.  If you have never checked out Retro Report it is a pretty cool website with short educational videos connecting history, science and government to the present.  Check out this great free resource:  https://www.retroreport.org/education/

Thanks to all of the work that staff has been doing meeting about the academic and SEL needs of some of our students.  Trying different approaches and working together as a team = success!

Kerry and Kendra did a beautiful job working with their students on  Kuhn's Tree Farm.  The really cool thing is that people have been randomly and without asking adding random ornaments to the tree!

Best of luck to our 8th grade team as they take their students on the ice skating reward trip.  I'm sure students will enjoy this fun activity they earned through hard work this first trimester.  

Thanks to the people that have replied about 2nd observations.  Check your calendars and let me know.

Please remember to keep using Fish Slips as a positive reinforcement with students.  We will be doing another drawing right before winter break.  

It's  a busy week next week!  I am looking forward to the final home basketball game on Monday and choir and band assembly and concert on Wednesday as well as our Flannel Celebration with Ellen.  These are only a few of the events taking place!

Are you ready for the Student Council Holiday Dec-a-Door contest? How many winners? 

"Don't plant your bad days. They grow into weeks. The weeks grow into months. Before you know it, you got yourself a bad year. Take it from me - choke those little bad days. Choke 'em down to nothing." -- Tom Waits

"Never let your fears be the boundaries of your dreams. Happiness is a direction, not a place." -- Sydney J. Harris

“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.” —Jack Handey

 

12-2-2022

 Looking forward to seeing the choir and band perform at the Sweets with Santa on Saturday at Evergreen.  Thanks to Melissa, April and Morgan for working with the PTA to make this happen.

Guiding students to be independent learners.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/guiding-students-be-independent-learners

The Big Benjamin Chess Tournament is also this Saturday.  Good luck to Mauricio as he leads this event for the first time.  Huge thanks to Bill and Joe as they are helping to work the event.  Thanks to NJHS and Student Council for finding a few student volunteers for concessions. Thanks to Ellen for doing some data entry for me.  Thanks to Leslie for helping me getting the monetary aspects of the tournament taken care of.  Finally I appreciate the maintenance staff for all the set-up and clean up that this event requires.

I am so appreciative of the hard work that our ELA Curriculum Resource Committee is doing.  Tough conversations, working through materials (in your free time lol) and keeping an open mind to change does not an easy committee make.  

Which of these 4 habits is keeping you from being a great communicator

https://blog.ed.ted.com/2017/11/14/which-of-these-habits-is-keeping-you-from-being-a-great-communicator/

Very excited to have Kerri Snyder come over from Evergreen and take over for Ellen Trush after winter break.  She is doing a stellar job covering the leave position at Evergreen and we are happy that she will continue to be an asset to the district.  

I appreciate Todd and Nicole presenting the mandated trainings at our next meeting staff learning meeting.  This training is mandatory for all staff members.  

If you are on cycle please reach out to me and schedule your second formal observation.  If you are doing an alternative please make sure you are progressing with your goals.  Everyone continue to look at your student growth goals.  

Congrats to Dan and Matt as the JV and Varsity BB teams travelled to Schaumburg Christian and came away with one basket victories!

Getting students excited to revise their writing.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-steps-to-get-middle-school-students-excited-about-revision

Thanks to Colleen and Alex for sending out the information on the Student Council Door Decorating Contest, Toy Drive and Spirit Week.  Please review this information with your students. 

Once we hit December things can get crazy with interruptions and excitement in the anticipation for winter break.  So please stay vigilant in following procedures with students,  keep supervision tight and lets all keep an academic focus until we do get to break.  

"Treat the cause, not the effect." -- Edward Bach

"The future will be different if we make the present different." -- Peter Maurin

I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet.

Rodney Dangerfield

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