April 8, 2011

Join the Killer-B's at Bang Bang Mongolian Grill tonight from 5:30-7:30pm!

Broich, Broich, Beyers and Barry!

Jump Rope Assembly - Please refer to JoAnna's email about the jump rope assembly tomorrow (Friday). Our 3rd-5th graders should be packed up and ready to go in the rooms prior to heading down to the gym as the assembly will end near dismissal time.

PTO Carnival!! Please remind students today of our PTO Carnival taking place this Saturday from 2-4pm! It is a great FREE event for Maple Grove families. Please bring your own family to help out and partake! The raffle baskets look AWESOME!!

Also this Weekend - 2nd grader, Callie Willham, and Tara Broich will be recognized during a ceremony at Barnes and Noble this weekend. Callie's essay, My Favorite Teacher, written about Tara was chosen as the store winner!  The ceremony will be 11:00 am at the Barnes and Noble located at 4550 University Avenue in West Des Moines. It is open to staff, family and friends.  They are also running an Educator Appreciation week were teachers receive 25% off books, games and puzzles all week. In addition, there will be coffee, treats, free classroom materials, prizes and a chance to win a $500 gift card for any teacher who comes! The B&N at Jordan Creek will have their open house from 1-3 pm so you can hit both ($25 gift card door prize)!!

Building Use - If you are using the building in the evening for something more than just you (e.g. PTO event, book club, etc.), you must secure the room/building area through Sonya Nelson at district office.

Spring MAP Begins next week. This is our last go around with MAP this school year. Please follow the schedule Carrie emailed out to teachers.

Class Roster Meetings will begin later this month. A memo will be coming out next week with the schedule and details. BLT members should facilitate these conversations. Any questions about the process after the memo comes out, please see me.

Access Cards - If you were assigned an access card and you do not know where it is, you need to contact Amy Patters immediately so it can be deactivated and you can be assigned a new one. This is a safety issue. Thanks!

Recess Reminder - Better weather does not always equal better behavior. As mentioned before, staff on duty should be proactive by spreading out (1+1 does not equal 2 analogy) and engage with students who are 'playing' rough during recess.

Staffing Update - The hiring season has officially started! Interviews for 4th grade will begin next week so we will have several guests in the building.

PTO Spelling Challenge - You will receive a letter in your box explaining the upcoming Spelling Challenge fundraiser the PTO is trying this spring. Please review the information you are sending home and the note for you. Encourage students to participate but it is not mandatory! It is something new for Maple Grove so feedback during and after the process is helpful.

Other Important Dates to Note - Google Calendar below is the final word
Mon - PBIS Core meeting
Tues - 1st & 5th swap lunch; 5th grade Fine Arts Night (6pm)
Thur - Language Arts curriculum mtg
Fri - PTO Spelling Challenge begins
Fri - ITPDPs due via email to Marron/Barry
Fri - Barry hosts Elem Admin mtg

Final Thoughts for the Week

...where I keep talking/typing and you 

don't necessarily have to continue listening/reading. 

Why Tweet? - I will admit, I'm new to the Tweeting world. My wife finds it funny that I'm on it now because I often made fun of Twitter and had also recently quit Facebook because I just ran out of time and energy to keep up with it (and multiple other reasons that don't fit in the FWR). I have found Twitter worthwhile from the educational and personal learning end and have been amazed at how many resources can be harnessed with a simple post or five minutes of reading. Dr. Buck had sent out a link to an article, How to Use Twitter to Grow Your PLN (Personal Learning Network), a while back (not sure if was to everyone or just admin) that is worth sharing in case you didn't get a chance to read it. If you're on Twitter, you can find me at @djbarry98.  PS - That's my youngest, Lewis, in the Spidey mask, not me. :-)