April 26, 2013

There is a lot of info below - please make sure you read the FWR each week

and make note of dates, changes and expectations. You can always refer back

but everyone being on the same page sure helps as we close the year. Thanks.

Please welcome Jodi Vogt to MGE as she will be our 1/2 time at-risk counselor next fall! Jodi is currently the guidance counselor at Walnut Hills and will transition to being shared between Shuler and MGE next school year. She will be on days opposite the assistant principal and we ARE THRILLED she is joining our family next fall. Update on the asst. principal process - we are currently in the screening stage and interviews will take place on May 7th.

Attendance - It is EXTREMELY important for teachers to correct attendance or call Paula if a student comes after attendance has been completed and does not have a pass. Calling home to report an absence when the student is present creates quite an emotional conversation on the phone with parents. Please help us not have to have those conversations.

Lunch Recess - Since it is warming up, classroom teachers should begin walking outside to meet their class as they line up for recess. This helps our recess staff with behaviors and get to the next group of students. This would be the expectation for the remainder of the year. Thank you!

Class list meetings start next week. Memos will be coming to teams soon. Support teachers (ESL, RA, SPED, ELP) will be in attendance as well. Although we will use the same process as last year, we will also be separating the Woodland Hills students in to sections.

Tech Tip - [This is one I need to start doing too] I.T. recommends you not only have your laptop plugged in to your purple cord as often as you can, but to also shut down each day and do so while plugged in to your purple cord. Updates are pushed out throughout the year and by shutting down each day and logging back in, you will receive those updates in an ongoing fashion.

Speaking of tech tips, the Google mail conversion email from Mark Toland will come from me tomorrow. Although this is a process you will do on your own next week, district I.T. will be here on Wednesday and Thursday from 7:45-8:45am in the computer lab (rm 431) to assist staff who have issues or questions. If you don't have it done by Wednesday, please go to lab one of those mornings to ensure it gets done.

Upcoming classroom of grade level presentation or gathering? If you or your team is planning an upcoming event where multiple parents are invited in to your classroom, please let Paula know the date/time so she can prepare sign-in's if needed and have name tags ready. You should also add those dates to the "Dates to Remember" document. Thanks!

Store Room - We have had a number of items come up missing, last of certain items taken without Paula being notified and trash (discarded wrapping, boxes, etc.) left in the store room the past week or so and throughout this year. Unfortunately, the door will be locked and you will need to have Paula, Diann or I let you in when something is needed. Thank you for understanding.

Quote of the Week "So then you decide, 'Well, I'm sick of myself.

I'm going to think of how other people can be happy. I'm going to get up in the morning and think, what can I do for even one other person, even a dog, my dog, my cat, my pet, my butterfly?' And the first person who gets happy when you do that ... you..." An excerpt from Bob Thurman during a TED talk

April 19, 2013

Benchmarking starts next week. Your BLT member has the schedule. We will send the sub(s) to the BLT room each day to be "distributed" appropriately. Please begin to enter those results in the grade level Google doc (SPRING tab) as you do them.

Summative/Annual Conferences start taking place next week. If you have not signed up, please do so today! Please mark your time as we will not send out reminders. If you need coverage, we'd need to know that soon as we do not have subs in place. Associates will have their review the last week of school.

Fine Arts Panera Night is Tuesday from 5-7pm. Please join us as 10% of proceeds come back to MGE. We raised $1700 from our Pizza Ranch Nights and over $3000 from the basket raffle (Family Fun Night) - wow!!  

Google mail is coming soon. You will be sent an email on Monday, April 29th, with directions to update to "@waukeeschools.org" address if you have not already. You will be able to do this on your own, but district IT staff will be available to support the transition during two mornings that week. Right now...just check to see if your email (the @waukee.k12.ia.us) is correctly listed on our staff page. If it is not, complete an IT ticket. More info to come. :-) 

Parent Email - Paula needs current parent emails. She will put a copy in each staff mailbox of what is currently on PowerSchool. Teachers need to mark any changes, and return to Paula. We need current emails because fall registration will be sent out to parents this summer based on what we have on PowerSchool.

Inquiry Learning - I appreciate the conversations, sharing and collaboration that took place this past Wednesday. Some great ideas/plans were shared and I look forward to the sharing out on May 1st, but I feel even better about the effect your conversations and practices that will take place within the classroom because of your learning together this spring. Teams will have 30 minutes to collaborate during our May 1st PD before you share for 5 minutes each. If you have time, I'd like to get some quick feedback on your thoughts so far.

Final Thoughts for the Week....

(...and you thought I was done with this segment)

My brother sent me this video last Friday as a "laugher" (he's a counselor and knows I am in need of counselor...I think), and as I watched it the first time, I did just that --- laugh. Of course, knowing he's a counselor, I also assumed there was a deeper meaning to the video (he's been analyzing me since he started his counseling program 10+ years ago). I think what the video is telling me is that I sometimes get so focused on what I think is "right" or "good" for me or others (family, admin team, building, etc.) that  I am not open to other ideas...even my own (i.e. biting my own foot sometimes to save or protect my ideas or plan). 

I will let you make your own self-analysis and application to self...not to me, please. ;-)

Now, I could be completely off on my own psycho-analysis, but either way, I'm sure my brother will chart my behavior and send me another video next week. :-)

April 12, 2013

Project Warm Fuzzy

A warm fuzzy is any person or thing that gives others comfort, reassurance, or a friendly feeling.   

Take a minute to share a friendly feeling with MGE staff and post it on our warm fuzzy wall in the lounge OR put it in your colleagues box as a warm fuzzy surprise.  :)  The first Warm Fuzzy slip will be in your mailbox and  additional copies of these slips will be located near the copy machine. Please take time to complete and pass on throughout the month of April and May.

...not real warm and fuzzy, but Annual Conference forms are due today (April 12) - Certified staff only. I do get all warm-and-fuzzy reading them though!

Classified Staff - end of year evaluations will take place over the last two weeks of school. More info to come.

Welcome to Amanda Robinson who will be Becky Goerend's long term sub (Congrats Becky!). As I told someone on Monday, "1 down, and 3 to go!"...I heard Baugh is running the pool for when (and who) our next MGE Baby will arrive.

Professional Development - If your Personal Learning Network (PLN) has not added your inquiry learning focus and team members to the Danielson 3rd Inquiry Groups Google.doc, please do so today. All teachers may access next week's agenda on the document (below the team list). More information will come to teams next Monday.

PBIS Core Team will meet again on Friday, April 19th. The goal for the team that day will be to draft a 2013-14 PBIS Goal for the BLT's May 6th CSIP meeting. Those team members who cannot attend, please pass along your ideas/information to another core team member before the meeting.

Leader In Me Book Study - The books are in! I am looking to get past annual conferences and assessment before we begin. I have set up three times so staff members can choose any of the three book study teams to be a part of in May. Please make your choice here and there is still available slots if you want to join us! As you sign up, please attempt to even out the teams but also make sure they are dates/times you can attend. Once you sign up, I will get you your book. I would like to set up one time (2hrs) in June to get as many from the teams together to wrap up the book study and thought process together. We will set that date as we proceed with the book study. If you cannot join us, but are interested in the learning, I hope to post the book study questions and conversation summary on a Google.doc so you can follow along.

Tired of me saying, "Please check out/edit/add dates to the Dates to Remember?" :-) I have appreciated several of you catching conflicts, keeping your team posted and helping make sure our last 6-8 weeks goes as calendar-conflict-free as possible! Keep it up.

If you can't beat them, Love and Logic Them...

First, since there are multiple definitions of the term, "beat," let me clarify the definition

I am using within the above sentence:

Beat - to defeat or subdue, as in a contest.

Now that it is clarified, :-) I wanted to share a resource from the Love and Logic website

that may be helpful during the last month of school when you may feel you've run out

of gas or patience on certain days. The Love in the Loo resources our Related Arts team

has been sharing all year have been great and appreciated! Another way to continue to 

receive wonderful tips, ideas and resources this summer without visiting the MGE Loo, is

to sign up for the Love and Logic "Insiders' Club" on their website. You will then get 

delivered a newsletter to your email box each month with similar tips. I've enjoyed it over

the past few months and I hope you will too:

http://www.loveandlogic.com 

(top right corner - enter your email)

April 5, 2013

Family Fun Night is Saturday, April 13, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Please consider helping our PTO by volunteering for an hour that evening. The kids LOVE to see you there and we had a great turn-out last year despite the torrential down-pour that evening! To sign up, please visit www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4FACAE2BA75-20131/3288348

Change in schedule next week as PBIS/PSC will meet on Day 4 (Wed, 4/10) at 8am in the library. 4th grade PLC will be on Day 5 (Thur 4/11) so if you cover a 4th grade classroom during PLCs, please  note the change in date!

Materials movement and MGE map for the 2013-14 year has been finalized and there was one change since the last draft was emailed out. Please note on the 2nd page of the map and memo <---click here=""> that teachers taking materials should also take WTW student print. Likewise, teachers leaving materials in their room should leave WTW student print. Questions - let me know.

Class List Dates are set and on the "Dates to Remember" list (all are 8:00-8:35am). Please get those on your own calendar. The "prep" sheets will be in your box a few days prior to your meeting. Related arts team should designate one member to be present and help at each meeting.

Waukee University - There were some minor errors in the document emailed to you. The link has been updated and can be found here. There are some GREAT classes being offered! Hopefully you can find time this summer to join in the learning.

Technology Grant - Last week I mentioned the Centurylink Technology grant but provided no link :-) so here it is http://www.ia-sb.org/centurylink.aspx

Next week highlights from Dates to Remember:
4/8-4/12.  MON - Resident Art Week (No assembly this week!)  Schedule here 
4/9    TUES - MAP testing begins
4/10  WED - Square One Art (fundraiser ENDS)
4/12 FRI - Annual Conference forms due to Barry/Williamson
4/13 SAT - PTO Carnival - YMCA (6:30-8:00pm)  (Sign up to help here)

Our PTO has been wonderful support for our building since it has opened. Many parents have been instrumental in providing over $50,000 for our students and staff. Here in the next two weeks, I will be ordering document cameras for every classroom, an additional iPad cart with iPads and finish out installing the projectors in a few of the smaller classrooms. The last PTO meeting of the year will be on Monday, April 15, at 7:00p in the library. We have several parents, including current VP Allison Hamiling and past VP Heather Doocy, who will be moving to Woodland Hills next fall. If you can make it to show your support and appreciate, please do. If you cannot make it, we will have a poster in the lounge next week for all staff to sign.

A note from PTO...