11-19-2021

 Thanks to Dr. Woell and the school board  for the awesome turkey lunch yesterday for American Education Week.  Also thanks to Jen S for facilitating it.

During Friday's lunch the students will be getting their turkey lunch. Thanks to the lunchroom supervisors for supervising this special lunch and to Ellen for working with Kurt & Elise from Sodexo, and Dr.Woell for making this happen. 

The Turkey that Kerry and her class put together and for the hallway looks great. Thanks to all of the staff who contributed feathers to state what they are grateful for.  It looks like we have a lot to be thankful for.

When we get back from Turkey Break the 8th grade students will be taking their graduation pictures on Tuesday November 30th in the Multi-purpose room.  This event should be complete by lunch that day.

Thanks to Kim for all of the hard work she puts into report cards.  Please make sure that report cards get passed out at the end of 8th period when we call students back for a special homeroom.  

6 strategies for building empathy in the classroom.  

https://blog.tcea.org/what-empathy-how-practice-empathy-classroom/

Thanks to all of our club supervisors, Jessica, Lynette, Chris, Jen H, Alex, Colleen, Michelle F, Danielle, April and Sherry.  I appreciate the time and effort you are putting into these extra-curricular opportunities that students enjoy/need.

Thanks for meeting in the subject area meetings on Wednesday.  I enjoyed my time with the math team and the discussions we had on curriculum and assessments.

Morning line-up/duty will switch to inside after Turkey Break and recess will also be staggered with 5th and 6th grade having recess at the beginning of the lunch period and 8th and 7th at the end.  

Using oral history projects to boost SEL.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-oral-history-projects-boost-sel

I hope everyone enjoys a restful break with their family.  You deserve it.

"The best teachers have three things in common: They are all about the students. They always bring positive energy into the classroom. They are relentless about getting better." ~ via 'Essential Truths for Teachers'

11-12-2021

 It's been a long week. Thanks for finishing off parent teacher conferences with a bang with in-person and Zoom meetings.  Communication with parents is essential and remembering that we are in a partnership with them to help their child will result in good outcomes.

Speaking of positive feedback, I cannot remember a time when so many staff members came up to me about an assembly.  Hats off to Melissa for organizing the assembly and to April, Morgan, Danielle and Angela for all of their help making it a success.  Obviously thanks to Frank and Tony for all of the set-up and takedown and thanks again to our very own Rich and Bill for their service to our country.  Honor Flight Chicago and the Carol Stream Police Color Guard made the first assembly in two years even more special.  

Michelle and Kathy did a great job organizing a Caudill book talk with our students as an activity for students when they were not in the assembly.  Getting students motivated about reading is always important. 

How to embed SEL in your lessons:

Please read Kerry's email about Turkey feathers and consider adding one of your own.  What a great idea!

The How of building deeper relationships with your students.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-building-deeper-relationships-students

Sue has done a great job transitioning over the last two days as a Benjamin Staff member.  Getting thrown out in the rain with an umbrella for her first morning duty shift and getting to know the students in her class are just two examples of the great job she has done already.

Don't forget about your wellness appointments tomorrow.  Thanks to Jen s for getting this event set up and organized.  I also realize that people will have health screening appointments and even booster shot appointments that will conflict with the days planned activities.  Just go to your appointment and join back in with the learning fun when you are finished.

This guide helps students to write a developed & analytical lit essay. from Duckworth.

https://bit.ly/30b2dkQ

Thanks to Dan, Matt, and Nicole for the great job they are doing with the Winter sports season.  Also thanks to everyone who signs up for scorekeeping and supervisor roles.  We need everyone to make this work.  

Thursday, Nov. 18 is the staff lunch provided by Admin and BOE. This will be the REAL turkey feast as Jen is ordering it from Sportys. Then, we have the "leftovers" option on Friday, Nov 19 with the turkey sandwich from Sodexo. The Google form was sent to everyone. 

Marzano's 9 Instructional strategies

https://bit.ly/3n3YzlR

Thanks to Todd for helping to kick-off our Fastbridge meeting tomorrow with our math, ILAR and Sped teachers.  I appreciate his expertise in introducing this program. 

Let's make better slideshows

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/slideshows/

 Everyone please make sure you look over your schedule for tomorrow to see where you need to be throughout the day and please make sure you sign in and out in the office on the attendance sheet.  You need your iein number as well.  

"The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness." -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." -- Henry Van Dyke

11-5-2012

 Thanks to everyone for doing an outstanding job at P/T conferences. Parents I talked to said things went well and the conferences were starting and finishing on schedule. Also thanks to Kim for checking all the parents in and helping set-up our awesome PTA dinner.  Please make sure your Zoom link is working for Tuesday and that if you have a new computer that you have tested your camera and mic like Greg has mentioned.

This Monday at the school board meeting we will be honoring the school board for School Board Appreciation Week.  Angela is setting up a Kudoboard like we did for Matthew Turek.  Melissa or I will be sending out directions today.  If you could please take a minute to input a message before Monday it would be greatly appreciated.  

Push students past simple recall into deeper thought and engagement by adding this short follow-up question to your repertoire.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/question-teachers-should-ask-often-possible

We are gearing up for the Veterans Day Assembly this Thursday.  I look forward to having our first assembly in a long time and celebrating our Veterans.

Dr. Woell will be sending out a summary of our Evaluation Committee meeting last Wednesday.  Please read it over and feel free to ask either of us if you have any questions.  Thanks to the teachers that served on the committee.

Teachers need more Than Good Wishes

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDCnL1bWQAAD6WM?format=jpg&name=large

Please see Greg's email on adding the facility calendar to your account.  Also we have started to have outside groups use our gym on the weekend.  I have checked with Tim and they will be following the same process as you do if they are entering the building.  As an example, Community Fellowship will be using the gym this weekend.  When they come in their group leader will be entering through door 1 and signing in on the clipboard.  If you see a name on the clipboard when you are leaving the building don't set the alarm (just like always).

Thanks to Colleen, Lisa K and Janice for securing the outdoor ed grant for next year.  Their timely efforts will pay dividends for us next year!

Here's one way to finish each class as strongly as you started it—try an optimistic closure, which helps students connect, reflect, and look forward as you wrap for the day.

Thanks to Ellen for putting together the newsletter each month, also for putting up with late article she is always waiting for (mine lol)

Sherry did a great job with her Day of the Dead celebration for Spanish class this year.  Having the food in the gym was a great accomodation and I love having the parent volunteers in the building.

How PE can help kids bounce back from isolation.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/kids-are-feeling-isolated-phys-ed-may-help-them-bounce-back/2021/11

Congratulations to April as she became a grandma this week, expanding our Bengal Family!

Please remember to check out one of the podcasts I sent out on Wednesday for our annual podcast learning meeting.

Please consider signing up for our wellness day on November 12th.  It is a great opportunity for you and your spouse!  Thanks to Jen S for sending out the reminders.

"The only reality you can control is the one you're willing to face." -- Karen Marie Moning

"Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash causes all the trouble. They fight." -- Johnny Cash

10-29-2021

 Basketball is in need of two game supervisors for Monday's game. Please sign up on signup genius if you can help out and earn some extra $.

Thanks to the 8th grade team for putting together a schedule for November 5th to give all of the 8th grade students their STAR test that will be used as part of the high school placement process.  

Just a reminder that we start our Parent Teacher conferences next week, please make sure your web link is ready as Kim will be sending them out on the morning before the first Zoom conferences.  See Angela or Danielle if you need assistance.

Melissa, April and Danielle finished up auditions Thursday evening.  I am looking forward to the Cast reveal Friday afternoon. 

Helping all students feel like they belong.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-sel-can-help-make-schools-feel-more-inclusive

Eligibility officially started on Thursday.  I talked with students and created a letter to better inform parents of the eligibility process.  Please remember that it is the teachers responsibility to reach out to parents and the coach/activity sponsor.  I will share the letter with staff on Friday as it may be a helpful resource when you are talking with parents of ineligible students.

Thanks to Dr. Woell for helping guide the school board visit on Thursday with myself and Melissa.   Special thanks to Chris,  April, Jim, Bill, Michele D and Joe for letting us see the fabulous work they are doing with our students.  

Kim has done a great job this week in keeping the office organized and running smooth.  We appreciate it.

Thanks to Joe, Morgan, Michele D, Alexis and Carrie Z for attending the mentee meeting on Wednesday.  Hopefully the presentations on P/T conference and classroom management will be helpful.  Thanks to all of the mentors who are meeting with our mentee teachers regularly and going over the monthly topic list and giving other assistance.  

Activities to help your students and yourself.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/8-activities-students-and-teachers-create-mindful-classroom

Thanks to Sherry and the BEA leadership team for being active in communicating with their peers and working in partnership with admin to make decisions that benefit the students of Benjamin SD 25.

I appreciate the grade level teams letting me stop by this week and give an overview of the IAR scores.  There was good feedback and I will be working on more data from the state and other local school districts. 

 W.E.B. Dubois’s Magnificent Letter of Advice to His Teenage Daughter

https://www.themarginalian.org/2016/02/23/w-e-b-du-bois-yolande-letter/

Thanks to Colleen and Alex for helping the kids put together a great spirit week this wee.  It was fun and the students and staff enjoyed it.  

Melissa and I want to say thank you for the awesome engraved pens we received last week for Principal/AP appreciation month.  They are already getting good use.  

"You will never be greater than the thoughts that dominate your mind." -- Napoleon Hill

"The greatest gift is not being afraid to question."

-- Ruby Dee

10-22-2021

 I had a great time at ML Night Tuesday Evening. We had lots of families take advantage of this educational and entertaining evening.   On a personal level, it was fun interacting with the little kiddos and showing them the robots and the concept of taking turns and sharing.  Betty did a great job organizing the event and April helped out with set-up.  

Checking in with Middle School students:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-better-check

It was neat to see Michael Miles in the building again.  He did a great job as usual and I was super impressed with the questions that our 5th and 8th grade students were able to ask when I popped in. 

https://twitter.com/fitzG/status/1450838020345716741?s=20

Sports awards were Wednesday night and we were able to celebrate the fall athletes in the main gym with parents in chairs and students spaced out in the bleachers.  The Coaches did a great job celebrating their athletes accomplishments and personal growth.  

Finding more ways to praise and keeping track.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/necessity-finding-more-ways-praise

Thanks to all of the subject area teams that met on Wednesday after school and discussed learning loss among other topics.  I am proud of the hard work that has gone into making this minimal for most of our middle school students.

Using Video to improve instruction

https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-classroom-video-improve-your-teaching

Have you listened to the new Danielle and Angela tech podcast yet?  What are you waiting for?

https://edtechsnacktime.buzzsprout.com/

I appreciate Team Leaders spending Time with me after school on Monday and communicating our discussions back with you.  Their leadership is invaluable to running this school.  

22 Diverse book choices for all grade levels.  

https://www.edutopia.org/article/22-diverse-book-choices-all-grade-levels

Thanks to Sherry and Colleen for running HW club this week and to Nicole for helping to put it together.

Teaching Writing with this fun exercise!

Student Council is having a fun spirit week next week.  I am looking forward to participating and showing off my school/halloween spirit!  Thanks to Colleen and Alex for putting this together.

Melissa, April and Danielle had a great Audition clinic/Crew meeting followed by a parent Zoom meeting tonight and the start of the theater season officially has begun.  

Why reading books should be your priority according to science.

https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/why-reading-books-should-be-your-priority-according-to-science.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter

I enjoyed getting into classes this week both as a sub and as an administrator. I saw students that were appreciative of in-person learning and excited to be able to interact with their friends and learn from their teachers.  

F.A.I.L. means "First Attempt in Learning". E.N.D. means "Effort Never Dies". N.O. means "Next Opportunity". 

-- Abdul Kalam

 

10-15-2021

 I have so much appreciation to our teachers that went to outdoor ed.  All of the planning and organization to adjust the trip this year as well as supervision and dealing with less than ideal weather was worth it to the 6th grade students and the awesome experience they had.  

I'm also very appreciative of the subs that helped cover the teachers on the trip as well as Sam who did an excellent job of working with the students who stayed back from the trip.  

Hamlet was wrong....how these three words can help you take action.

https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/malcolm-gladwell-says-3-words-separate-people-who-achieve-from-those-who-only-daydream.html?cid=sf01001

IAR scores of individual students will be given to Team Leaders on Monday.  Please take time to look through them.  I will be analyzing and breaking down the school summary reports and other data that I will have for teams in about a week.

It's great to see all of the art that is filling our school from Lynette's students. It really makes a difference in the school seeing the different styles and projects fill the blank walls.  

There is a new PO form that will be published as a google form that Ellen and Leslie created.  I will be sending out specific directions on how to efficiently make a purchase using a PO.  How to use the check request form to make a purchase out of the activity account.  Also, how and when to use the P-Card instead of these two options.  

Some of our new teachers were recognized at the board meeting on Tuesday as well as April for receiving tenure.  Congrats to all.  

Helping students set academic goals.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/guiding-students-set-academic-goals

Tim has alerted me that the new water bottle filler on the second floor has been completed and is in operation.  Unfortunately this coincides with problems with the sixth grade water bottle filler having problems that require someone to come out and service it.  Thus should happen early next week.  Thanks to Tim and the guys for their work and for staying on top of this.

Helping students stay accountable for their own talk.

Melissa has scheduled Michael Miles to come out next week for her and April's music classes.  I strongly suggest that anyone who has not seen him perform use your plan or team to go in and see him.  This is not some local guitarist coming in to sing camp songs with the kids this is a highly skilled professional musician who has toured around the world and shares his stories, experiences and talents with our lucky students.  

Thanks to Dan and Matt who went straight from their Fall sports season to Basketball tryouts without a break.  I really appreciate it.  Our sports awards will be the evening of the 20th to recognize our fall athletes and coaches.  

I am looking forward to helping out with our ML night on the 19th.  What a great opportunity for our ML students and families.  Huge thanks to Betty for organizing the event.  

For ML learners to thrive culture and community are necessary.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-10-12-for-english-learners-to-thrive-community-and-culture-are-necessary

Please finish up your health trainings if you have not done so already.

"If you light a lamp for another, your own way will be lit." -- Nichiren

10-8-2021

 Excited for our 7th grade movie night tonight. Thanks to our PTA for sponsoring the event and to the teachers who are chaperoning on a Friday night long weekend.  

Millions of teachers + students use @YouTube for learning every day. When it comes to classroom learning, your success with YouTube will depend a lot on how you use it. Get best practices with our Teachers' Essential Guide to YouTube.

https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-youtube

Congrats again to Bill and Joe for doing an excellent job with our cross country team this season.  Congrats also to Kerry and Dan as they won their tournament volleyball games last night to play on this Saturday and to Matt T and the soccer team who won the semi-final game last night and started to win the championship game 1-0 before it got called for lightning.  They will finish the game tonight at home.  Go Bengals!

How to Engage Students’ Memory Processes to Improve Learning Strategies like connecting new information to students’ prior knowledge guide them to store what they’re learning in long-term memory. 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-engage-students-memory-processes-improve-learning

If you are a coach or club/activity sponsor you will need to start entering building use in Facility Tree for all of your practices/meetings/games and events.  Don't panic, there are features that allow this to be an easy process especially for repeating events or even random multiple days.  Tim also said that he would be willing to do a training session for us.   

We have had a couple student hallway incidents in the last couple weeks.  Please do the following two things when you can to help reduce these situations.  Get out in the hallway during passing period whenever possible.  PLEASE do not let kids line up at the door at the end of the period as this leads to a "push" to get out the door and unnecessary possibilities for conflict verbally and physically. 

Navy Seals use this 7 step process to achieve any goal and you can too!

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/navy-seals-use-this-7-step-process-to-achieve-any-goal-you-can-too.html?cid=sf01001

So happy that the Bengal Cafe is back for our Core students.  Thanks to Megan for running it and to all the teachers who buy coffee to keep the students busy delivering your drinks.  

Our IAR scores are in.  I will be delivering individual and school reports to teams to look at and will be coordinating the delivery of the reports home in coordination with Evergreen.

The Case against Zeros. 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/case-against-zeros-grading

Thanks to Betty for providing engaging activities for us to delve into based upon our interests and to all of the teachers who submitted their reflections.  Melissa created a really cool world cultures Jeopardy Game as just one example of thoughtful reflections completed.  Please make sure if you didn't submit your reflection on Wednesday do so by this Wednesday.  Also, Megan P does not get to hold onto the traveling trophy for a second month.  This Month's Employee of the Month is Jessica Erickson.  Jessica has been busy helping students with reading helping assess Benjamin and Evergreen students, leading multiple clubs, planning NJHS kick-off  and providing insight about our enrichment program to help provide information and programming options to Evergreen.  Congratulations Jessica!  

I was able to jump into a lot of classrooms this week and see some excellent teaching.  The great thing is that no two classrooms I went into had the same approach/style/learning activity but they all had engaged students led by knowledgeable and thoughtful staff.  Please make sure you set up your first formal observation if you are on cycle.  

This Wednesday and Thursday our 6th grade students will be heading to Outdoor Ed  thanks to all of our teacher chaperones as well as our subs who are covering classes for our non 6th grade teachers who are going on the trip. Also big thanks to Mark and Colleen for organizing this trip. 

"We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter." -- Denis Diderot

"There is no improving the future without disturbing the present." -- Catherine Booth