March 4, 2011

Recess Concern - As I've mentioned before, 1+1 does not equal 2 when it comes to recess supervision. I cannot continue to have student issues from recess reach my office and discover that 2-4 adults were standing together while the incident took place. Those on duty and myself will be liable if something were to happen on the playground and our supervision was not supervising. We cannot 'catch' everything that goes on, but we do not have excuses if we are talking to each other instead of walking around the playground. This is for those assigned recess lunch and afternoon duty, those subbing for duty and those staff members monitoring 1-2 specific kids during recess. The same can be said about PM attendance - its just one of those things we need to do even if we don't like it.  I appreciate everyone giving this attention.   


Conferences - **Reminder** If you have a conference you would like Lyndsay or I to attend, please let us know that soon. During mandatory times, Lyndsay will be here on March 9th as I will be at my own children's conferences.  I will be here March 10th.


Department of Education Site Visit reminder - next week: March 8-10!  See last week's post for more information, but they will be at Maple Grove on Tuesday, March 8. They will be meeting in the instructional coaches' room (rm 407) throughout the day!


DonorsChoose.org Update - Yeah!!  Grote & Huisman's projects have been fully funded!! Between the two of them, their classrooms will be receiving 11 CD players valued at nearly $240.  We have nine additional projects posted and awaiting funding.


TIME for Kids - Please have all packets turned in to the office by Monday.  Please remind kids on Friday that they have the weekend to get the post cards completed and returned.  For those class(es) who did not receive them in time (Bode & Jones), you have a couple additional days.  :-)  Replacement ducks?  I'm sorry - if a student lost them, they are lost.


Kindergarten Round-Up - Those involved in K Round-Up have a planning meeting tomorrow morning at 8:00 am.  The actual event will take place the evening of March 22nd at 6:30 pm.  If you have parents ask, please refer them to our district website as the link is located on the main page.


Bus Evacuation Drills will be held the morning of Friday, March 25th.  Lyndsay will be getting a schedule out to teachers in the near future.


Technology Items - Ray Coffey updated us about a couple items during the past two admin meetings that I would like to pass along:

• Computers will do updates on their own the first Tuesday of the month which is why your computer may have been slow this past Tuesday.  Expect this each month. 
• At some point over the next couple weeks, teacher/admin passwords and usernames will change on PowerSchool due to some needed updates.  It will all look the same and I will provide the new passwords/usernames to teachers before the updates happen.  

Other District Updates - A few other items to pass along to you from today's district admin meeting:

• Do not hold cash and checks if you are collecting money. Funds need to be to district office in a timely manner.
• Summer classes through our Community Education program can still be created and submitted to Connie Tow. Please get them to her by Monday, March 21.  
• An AEA/DE survey will be coming to your email soon. Please take time to complete the survey as your input is needed.  
• Capital Improvement Plan budget items should be approved by mid April so we will know if we can install at least 12 projectors!  
• Please login to iVisions and update your contact information. Everyone may want to do this just to make sure it is correct.

Spring Break - Anyone ready?

Final Thoughts for the Week

...where I keep talking/typing and you 

don't necessarily have to continue listening/reading. 

Sometimes you don't need to think.  
You just need to laugh.  
Bet you can't watch this and not laugh. Have a good weekend.

He who laughs, lasts

DB