2-23-24

 Hey Guys, was trying to catch up on some work last night so no regular blog this week. But here is a video on how stress can be good for you.

If the inserted video doesn't work click the lank below

https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend

2-16-2024

 Thanks for everyone's hard work on Wednesday's early release.  Shout out to Chris F and Melissa F for completing the training for proctoring the CogAT online this year.  

How to guide students in self-reflection during a project.  (pretty great article with some impressive videos)

https://spencerauthor.com/reflection-pbl-process/

Bravo to Melissa L, Danielle and April for getting cast and crew ready for an outstanding performance at the Theater Preview Monday Night.   The school board and Benjamin families were impressed!

Check out this cool piano video!

Looking forward to Kerry K coming back from her leave on Tuesday.  She has been popping in the last couple days to get prepared.  Also want to thank Jamie B for doing an outstanding job taking over the resource position the last few weeks. 

I'm working on finishing up 2nd observations, and beginning work on summative evaluations.  Please send me your domains 1 & 4 reflections when you can.  If you have questions please let me know.  

NJHS ran a super impressive bake sale on Valentines Day to raise money for charity.  Thanks to Jessica and Jen H for everything they are doing with NJHS!

How teaching builds entrepreneurial skills.  

Building Entrepreneurial Skills in your students.

I appreciate the hard work that Vanessa and Greg do for our technology needs everyday.  I know I personally just dumped a huge pile of work on Greg with our online CogAT testing tech needs and Vanessa is always so efficient in hands on problem solving for everyone.  Thank you!

Student Council has had a very impressive Spirit Week this week.  Thanks to Colleen and Alex for making it happen.  

Presidents Day is coming up.  I hope everyone enjoys there three day weekend and you can start with this super cute Presidents Day video from our 5th grade music students.

 “Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?”

-- Frederich Nietzsche

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." -- Mark Twain

"If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be 'bad at following directions.' " -- Matt Roller

2-9-2024

 Thanks for everyone's participation in the staff learning meeting on Wednesday.  I appreciate everyone's contributions to our SIP.  

Matt and Dan have had a game filled week with the girls basketball team.  I appreciate the hard work and effort they put into coaching and supporting the girls.

Megan P brought in  several author's to talk with her 7th grade students for World Read Aloud Day!

Jen V and her 8th grade students gave back to the community by making food for the Carol Stream Firemen.  

 

Student Council is hosting a great spirit week next week. 

February 12th- NFL  Jersey Day

February 13th- Pattern Day- clashing is encouraged.

February 14th- Red, White and Pink Day

February 15th- Pajama Day-red, white and pink colors if possible.

February 16th- Hat Day

Making Every Lesson Count

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c47c0b3e17ba324ad0c9d7f/t/64b3f6b8cd3730794afbf858/1689515705526/MELC.pdf

Thanks to Carrie L for all of the hard work she is putting in to making the LMC a place to be for students.  

Thanks to Kim for sending the club supervisors their Activities Account totals.  Please see me if you have any questions or think there are any errors.  

I appreciate the improvement Evelyn has made in working with Elise to make Lunch work efficiently and how quickly the  PO's get submitted.  We still need HR teachers assistance in reminding students to sign up for lunch.  

Enhancing retention in the classroom.

With the bells and intercoms going down early in the week and then Saaspass yesterday I think people might relate to this: 

I appreciate Colleen and Alex helping to coordinate the rotary food drive with our student council.

Thanks to Sherry for putting together the Taco Bar for Friday.  The days when everyone comes down to the teachers lounge and eats together are the best days.  

"Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own." -- Paulo Coelho

"Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power, and fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free." -- Jim Morrison

"My dad always said that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard enough." -- Katee Sackhoff

2-2-2024

 I am very happy to announce that April Tepe will take over the assistant to the principal role next year.  She is very excited to display and develop her leadership skills to help our school community.  

Thanks to Nicole for moderating our data meetings and organizing and sharing our notes. As always our complex discussions on students just helps us all learn, grow and work together.

Jen V has been busy this week delivering cookies with her healthy cooking 8th grade students to staff and  first responders as well as working with Lisa and Janice to earn another donors choose program for the health curriculum.  Way to go!

Thanks to Dr. Filas, Evelyn and Leslie for being quick and efficient with the PO system.  Being able to have confidence in it's efficiency makes all the difference.  

Lets make sure we are keeping up with parent communication in relation to student learning.  Communicating both positive praise and concerns strengthen our ability to help our students.  

Thanks to all teams for allowing me to come in this week and have discussions on the school improvement plans.  I appreciate everyone's efforts towards our goals.

I appreciate Nicole johnson's efforts to get our EL students access testing completed.  It is a big job!  Thanks to Vanessa and Greg for their tech assistance as well.

Please make time to take the 5 essentials survey this month.  I appreciate Kim working with team leaders to get students their state ID for taking the survey.  

Thanks to Michele S, Sue B, Lori E, Holly H, Nicolett M and Michele D for everything they do to help our students and teachers on a daily basis.  We couldn't do it without you!

6 Ways to Capture Student Attention in Class

getting student attention

Melissa, Danielle and April are working hard with our Newsie cats and crew to get ready for their big day coming up soon.  I am getting excited to see our talented students put on an amazing show!

Groundhogs Day!

"Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get." -- George Bernard Shaw

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." -- Henry Ford

"The power is in you. The answer is in you. And you are the answer to all your searches: you are the goal. You are the answer. It's never outside." -- Eckhart Tolle

1-26-24

Jen and Joe have been doing a great job with the healthy cooking and Roller Skating for our PE students.  What a fun and engaged time to be a PE student.

Professional musician Michael Miles visited us again on Thursday and created engaged classes with music, discussion/questions and hands on learning.

Whether your students are in elementary or high school, these strategies will help them develop the emotional literacy skillset they need to better understand—and react—to their feelings

edut.to/48kaEJr

The Zoom PTA meeting was well attended on Tuesday.  Just as a reminder Benjamin still has 

money for classroom incentives in their budget $150 per teacher if you are a PTA member and haven't already used those funds.  Also they will be looking for some staff volunteers at Culvers for their March 11th fundraiser.  It ia a Monday evening before the board meeting.  Looks like fun and a great way to see some of our kiddos and their families outside the classroom.   Link below

Culver's Volunteer Sign Up

I have had a very busy week with observations, post observations, meetings both here and at Evergreen.  Since I have been less available than usual, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or problems I can help solve.  

The way you answer questions can force students to think rather than look to you to do the thinking for them.

5 ways to stop thinking for your students

Thanks for everyone's attendance and participation at our staff learning meeting.  Going through the 5 essentials data can be tedious as we work through and identify weird, prompts, bad questions but also genuine areas for growth.  

Congrats to Megan P on her employee of the month recognition.  We are all proud of her NBCT status!

I am very grateful to the Specials Team, Melissa L, Michelle F, Michele Davis, April and Lynette for taking over the student of the moth bulletin boards each month.  Such creativity and artistic talent!  Special shout out to Michele D for identifying a need and replacing and beautifying our Lounge bulletin boards that were in desperate need of an upgrade.  

Edutopia's 60 second strategies are now all in one place.  Check it out for some fresh ideas and quick PD. 

60 second strategies

Good Luck to Matt, Dan and the girls basketball team as they have their first home game on Friday.

Team Leaders please send in your e-learning attendance for your grade when completed.  

Just to put a smile on your face at the end of a long-short week.  The Norfolk police department was challenged by another police department in Texas to a Lip-sync battle.  They shot this in one take, pretty sure they won.  #havingfunatwork

"It is either easy or impossible." -- Salvador Dali

"It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over." -- Paulo Coelho

1-19-2024

 I know I speak for everyone when I say how much we appreciate the hard work the custodians put into clearing the snow/salting to keep our students and staff safe last Thursday through this Tuesday. Thank you!

I want to thank everyone for putting meaningful assignments and activities into your E-learning plan lessons last Friday.  It sounds like our completion rate is pretty high overall from the informal teacher conversations I have been having. 

Students tend to perform up to their teachers’ expectations for them—whether good or bad. Let *all* of your students know that you expect great things from them.

high expectations for all

Jessica and Jen H did a wonderful job organizing and running the NJHS ceremony on Wednesday night.  These student leaders will be a wonderful addition to our chapter and will certainly contribute to our school.  

I appreciate the work that was done on Wednesday after school in the subject area meetings.  Having dedicated professionals that can work independently and with their subject area groups allow us to accomplish a lot of varied objectives.  

6 Evidence-Based Instructional Practices Drawn From Cognitive Science

These research-backed strategies have the capacity to help students learn and retain more information. (pre-tests are #1)

6 strategies

Thanks to the Team Leaders, not for only meeting on Wednesday but for all of the communication and hard work they put into making sure the teams operate efficiently and meet their goals of helping students all year.  I appreciate their effort.   

Please make sure you fill out the County Wide Institute Day form that Sarah sent out.  This is for everyone regardless of what your plans are for March 1st.  Please see me if you have questions.  

The Maker club was packed Thursday afternoon.  I appreciate Josh's ability to keep this club actively engaged with different activities to match the interests of the kids.  

Please see Greg's email on STEAM Camp.  There is a lot of interest from students/parents but we need more teachers with ideas for "classes".  It is only one week (June 10th-14th) and you can earn some $$$ to fund the rest of your summer activities!  Let Greg or I know if you have any questions.  

Thanks to teams for organizing the STAR testing this month and for emphasizing to the students the importance of giving effort and trying their best on these assessments.  

Please set up your second formal observation if you have not done so yet.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." -- Arthur Conan Doyle

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -- E.E. Cummings

"It has to be an awfully good meeting to beat having no meeting at all." -- Boyd K. Packer

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