Friday, March 8, 2013

March 8, 2013


Staff social after school today. Join the MGE crew at Mickey's for appetizers, laughter and decompressing. 

Thank you for planning, preparing and facilitating another successful round of student-involved conferences! If you have parents who did not make it, please reschedule. If you run in to challenges, please let Diann and I know and we will try to help get it scheduled or do a home visit with you if needed.

Thank you for hosting our Instructional Rounds. The team was very impressed with what they heard and observed. The team spent the morning engaged in inquiry based learning around mindsets, feedback and student involvement. Your input, point of view and your work was important to the learning of our team members.

Thank you Amanda Robinson! She will be closing her long term subbing position for Allison Costa today. We appreciate the time and work you put in and we will see you in April. :-) 

Lost & Found - If you want to have some extra items in your classroom, please come down to the Lost and Found today. We will be sorting, stocking the nurse's closet and getting rid of remaining items soon!

The Mad Dash begins (...you're thinking, "When did it ever stop?") after Spring Break. Communication is always important but it becomes even more vital as we close the school year with field trips, classroom events, activities, etc. Please visit the "Dates_to_Remember" document to review the calendar of events and more importantly add any events not listed.

Parking lot changes - A recent change is all Beyond the Bell pick-up and drop-off cars have been asked to park in the lot when they pick up their child instead of parking along the fire lane. This has lead to more in-and-out traffic in our parking lot and I'm going to ask staff to either be VERY careful when they pull in the lot from the south OR drive through the parent drop-off lane to enter from the north. We've had some near accidents recently. If you want the long story for the changes...catch me at the staff social and I'll share. :-) 

Book Study Opportunity - REPEAT from last week: After some interest in learning more about Brookview's engagement in learning around The Leader in Me, I am offering a book study opportunity for any staff member (certified, classified, nutrition, etc) to learn more about the process. Please sign up here (we'd start after spring break). To learn more about The Leader in Me, visit their home page at http://www.theleaderinme.org

The Book Fair profits will go toward a grade level set of books for each section next fall. Those will be ordered by Pam and delivered in the fall. The Pizza Ranch nights raised nearly $1600 in all ($1200 for MGE and $400 for WDE). I appreciate your help in promoting both events and for volunteer time at Pizza Ranch!

Dates to Note
  • Please review/edit/update Dates to Remember document!
  • 3/11 - Costa returns! Student teachers begin in Huisman and Bode
  • 3/12 - Barry @ Cognitive Coaching class (all day)
  • 3/12 - Kindergarten Parent Night (6:30-7:30p)
  • 3/14 - An old woman in the office gets a year older ;-)
  • 3.15 - Spring Break begins!

You gotta laugh...
After a week of conferences, day long class and Instructional Rounds, this
could have been me this morning. :-) Hope you find it as humorous as I did.
I think Paula would put me in a time-out prior to me taking over
the intercom, though. Don't mess with my Camry though... ;-)

Friday, March 1, 2013

March 1, 2013 (WHAT?!?!? It's March already??)

Thank you to staff who helped out at our Pizza Ranch 
events over the past month. Totals raised will be shared once
I have them from PTO. Last night was a HUGE success!

Assemblies today so we are running an early out schedule. K-2 at 2:00p and 3-5 at 2:45p. Students who have met their reading goal will get to throw a cup of water at a staff member...guess I need to bring a towel today. 

ALL STAFF - PLEASE, PLEASE, please...make sure when you're coming or going from the building, you ensure the door closes/locks behind you. During the extremes (hot/cold), the doors tend to stick a bit more. We are finding doors open way too often. Thank you for your help.

Book Study Opportunity - After some interest in learning more about Brookview's engagement in learning around The Leader in Me, I am offering a book study opportunity for any staff member (certified, classified, nutrition, etc) to learn more about the process. Please sign up here (we'd start after spring break). To learn more about The Leader in Me, visit their home page at http://www.theleaderinme.org

Teachers:

Conferences begin tomorrow! I will be in an out tomorrow as I have my own boys' conference at Eason. I will be present until 6pm on Wednesday and 8pm on Thursday. If you have conferences you'd like me to be present at or "in the area" during, please let me know today. We have 43 students left unscheduled. Please let me know if cannot reach parents as conferences are mandatory. Diann and I would be happy to help by reaching out to parents too.

AESOP item to note for certified staff: When entering quarter day leave for appointments (self or family), you must select the 1/4 day option. If you do not, your leave will be counted as 1/2 day. If AESOP does not allow you to select 1/4 day, it means you're out of them and would have to use the 1/2 day or reschedule. 

Recess and Illness - There are often times when parents ask you to have their child stay in for recess. I've included our policy from our handbook below. Please be consistent in following it as you communicate with parents. Students should come to the office with something QUIET to do. You also need to communicate with Paula and Kary if you send a student down as sometimes we have multiple students in the office. These are times they will let you know whether it is okay to bring a friend or not. 
When students return after being absent, make-up work will be given at the discretion of the teacher. If your child is recovering from an illness, we request a note from you indicating your desire for them to stay in from recess and/or PE under these special circumstances. WE CAN HONOR A NOTE FROM YOU FOR A MAXIMUM OF TWO DAYS FOLLOWING AN ILLNESS. IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO STAY INSIDE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD FOLLOWING AN ILLNESS (THREE OR MORE DAYS) YOU WILL NEED TO SEND A DOCTOR’S EXCUSE TO COVER THIS EXTENDED LENGTH OF TIME.  (p.7 handbook)
Rescheduled Rounds - Are this coming Thursday. Visitors will be out-and-about between 9:15a and 10:45a. REMINDER: The focus is on the learners (the visiting team) and not you. If you still have questions or concerns, I can stop in during your lunch to put you at ease. 

Dates to Note

  • Sat   - Conferences begin
  • Tues - Barry @ Cognitive Coaching class (all day)
  • Wed - Early out (conferences)
  • Thurs - Instructional Rounds / Conferences PM
  • Fri   - SPED PLC 
  • 3/11 - Student teachers begin in Huisman and Bode
  • 3/12 - Barry @ Cognitive Coaching class (all day)
  • 3/12 - Kindergarten Parent Night (6:30-7:30p)
  • 3.15 - Spring Break begins!

Final Thoughts for the Week

Where I keep typing/talking and you
don't necessarily have to keep reading/listening.
I have been thinking a lot about priorities and focus the past couple weeks. Over the past 2 1/2 years, I've come to realize that individually and collectively, Waukee staff members are just an extremely focused bunch of people. Whether it is sitting in PLC meetings, the classroom or just talking with you, there is a constant thinking, wondering, collaborating and planning for how to improve your practice....and this goes beyond instruction and the classroom teacher. These conversations take place with associates, office staff, etc. My thoughts the past week though have also made me realize that your priorities and focus are in the right place. Don't get me wrong, all the above statements, beliefs and practices are a great (and needed) focus, but the reason I love being where I'm at is even with all the focus on being better professionals, educators and employees, each of you still focus on your own family, your students' families and your colleagues' needs first. We've had a rough few weeks with deaths and illnesses within our colleagues and students' families and each time I see others step up and help out...and you do this without skipping a beat in your professional responsibilities. I appreciate all you do and hope you're able to use our upcoming spring break to refresh, relax, rejuvenate and "reload" as we close out the year. Thank you for focusing on the right things and making MGE a great place to be for everyone who walks through the door.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

February 22, 2013

Bo Bishop of Horace Mann will be in the teachers' lounge by 10am
with treats and be giving away prizes. Come visit and hang out!

Rescheduled Rounds - Some of you may believe I control the weather, but I don't (would be handy though). I've talked to a few of you who have questions about Rounds being rescheduled on the Thursday of conference week. This has happened before. It is great learning experience for the visiting team. Instruction in the classroom on conference day is business as usual. It will be a great day!! The focus is on the learners (the visiting team) and not you. If you still have questions or concerns, I can stop in during your lunch to put you at ease. 

Indoor Recess [TEACHERS] - Do not lock your doors when you go to lunch if we have inside recess. Our associates do not have room keys.

Evaluation Process - Reviewed the April process yet? If not - please see the memo on the FWR-Professional Growth tab today!

Woodland Hills FYI - Parents of students attending Woodland Hills next fall will receive a letter from our district office by early next week. You can read the letter here.

Two Student Teachers start next week. Jolyssa Ginkens with Lindsey Millsap and Justin Gutknecht with Jennifer Latcham. Many of you have already met Jami Thompson with Mrs. White. Be sure to say hello and introduce yourself to all three!

Our last Pizza Ranch Night is next Thursday from 5-8p. Pre-school and kindergarten start the evening and 3rd grade will be closing the night.

Updated Progress Reports/Conference - 89% of conferences have been scheduled online! The parent window closes Sunday night so one last push to get parents to sign up online! 
  • Feb 25 – Parent window closed; teachers contact/schedule parents who have not scheduled
  • Feb 25 - Related Arts complete progress reports by 4pm 
  • Feb 26-Mar 1 – All remaining conferences scheduled by classroom teacher and parents notified
  • March 1 - Progress Reports completed by teachers; PS Parent portal opens at 4pm 
  • March 2 - Conferences begin!

Did you know...I learned this new bus riding tidbit this week and thought I'd pass it along: A student can ride home on the bus with another student if he/she (1) already ride another bus and (2) he/she have a note from the school or parents. First Student does ask parents call the dispatch office and set it up prior to the student needing to ride. 

Next week is Dr. Seuss Reading Celebration Week. A parent email was sent out this week and it was posted on our website yesterday. We will have assemblies on Friday (K-2 at 2:00p and 3-5 at 2:45p). Students who have met their reading goal will get to throw a cup of water at a staff member...just the water, not the cup. 


  • Marvelous Monday: Everyone reads in the hall from 10:00 - 10:30 am
  • Topsy Turvy Tuesday: Wear mismatched clothes
  • Wacky Wednesday: Wear a crazy hat
  • Theatrical Thursday: Dress up as your favorite Dr. Seuss character or favorite book character
  • Fun in the Sun Friday: Beach Day - wear your favorite beach clothes (no swim suits please!), and bring a beach towel.