Personal Best Staff Bulletin
Volume VIII Number 1 September 6, 2019
Thank you for being amazing!!!
At least 5 staff members have told me this week that their children started middle school this year. I have had four children go through middle school so far, one more to go. Personally, this year was my 34th “first day of middle school”. Like you, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Everyone to whom I spoke said they were quite nervous about their own children starting middle school. You’d think it would be different for us… but it’s not. We work in middle school, we know how great it is, but we’re still apprehensive about our kids going there.
Middle school is the most difficult school transition kids make. Kindergarten kids, they’re five years old, they essentially look forward to everything, because everything is a new adventure (please ignore those couple of crying kids who won’t let go of mommy’s leg and come in the front door). Then, first grade, still, just six years old, same thing, another new adventure. High school, nervous about all the homework, but they’ll have a driver's license soon so it's all good. College, are you kidding, “First class isn’t until 11 am and I have off Mondays, what’s not to love?” There’s no argument, middle school is the most challenging transition that kids make in their school careers.
And yet, Tuesday, our first day of classes went beautifully for our new 6th graders. All day I saw the smiling faces of kids getting to know new friends and reveling in their new-found independence: walk by yourself from class to class, sit wherever you want in the cafeteria, decorate your locker, what could be better? I felt so great about the day! Until, on my way out of the building, I found a boy with his mom, standing in the hallway, trying not to let anyone see the tears in his eyes. Nothing specific, he was just overwhelmed organizing his locker, couldn’t seem to get it right. I helped him put a foldable shelf in his locker (those things are tricky!) and he seemed to feel better. It was then that I was reminded that, lurking behind those smiles I saw throughout the day on our sixth-grade faces were thousands of little acts of kindness that our incredible staff did to help our kids feel comfortable and loved at their new school. You are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Practice
Watching Ted Lucher electrocute a pickle on the first day of school never gets old. Just think, this will be one of those enduring memories every kid who passes through his classroom will have of middle school.
Choose one or more sentence starters:
I was given my name because…
I like / dislike my name because…
My name is / isn’t a good fit for my personality because…
People assume _____ about me because of my name….
Getting to know kid’s names is so important. Kids used Flipgrid to share their responses.
Ask Pam Travis about her gummy worm cooperative learning activity. It involves a gummy worms, a gummy worm ring, paper clips, a cup and three kids. The kids had so much fun learning that there are some things you just can’t do unless you have a team and you cooperate.
Links and resources
Calling home
Great article about “Positive Phone Calls”. They make you feel as good as they do the parents on the other end of the phone!
Cause that's helpful
Principal's Staff Bulletin
Email: dgately@jerichoschools.org
Website: dfgately.com
Location: 99 Old Cedar Swamp Road, Jericho, NY, United States
Phone: 516-2-3-3620
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JerichoMS/
Twitter: @Donald_Gately