Redbird Roundup, Vol. 4
Friday, September 6, 2019
Our Mission and Vision
Norris Middle School prepares all students for their future by providing a safe, caring, and diverse school environment that maintains high expectations, academic excellence, and respect for all. Success, achievement, respect…It’s a Redbird thing!
La Escuela Secundaria Norris prepara a todos los estudiantes para su futuro ofreciendo un entorno escolar seguro, atento y diverso que mantiene altas expectativas, excelencia académica y respeto para todos. Éxito, logro, respeto…Es una cosa de los Redbirds!
Principal's Greeting
Happy Friday Norris Staff!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. The weather was great, and hopefully you had time for rest and activities with friends and families.
I want to start with a huge shout-out to Sara Newman and all her hard work in getting iPads out to students. It is no small job to gather paperwork and insurance money for 1,200 kids and distribute iPads. She stayed late many nights, and was always available to answer questions and help out. Thank you so much Sara.
Also a huge shout-out to Dave Dinslage. Re-imaging 1,200 iPads, in addition to all his other duties, is also no small job. Dave and the building tech. from Marrs worked closely together this summer to have a system and helped each other out. I would say our "soft rollout" was a huge success this year.
MAP testing is upon us, with an alternate bell schedule on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Please review procedures for testing with your RBB, and encourage students to rest and eat breakfast. We want our Redbirds to rock MAP.
Fall sports are also off to a great start. Cross country had their first meet at Buffett on Wednesday, and volleyball traveled to Davis on Thursday. Please get out and support our Redbird athletes.
Please check out the calendar below for more important events coming up.
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Carr
September 9-13
Monday, September 9: Faculty Workshop, after school
Tuesday, September 10: MAP Testing (Reading); Make-up Faculty Workshop for Coaches/Sponsors at 7 a.m. in room 129; Varsity VB Home vs. Hale, JV Home vs. Hale
Wednesday, September 11: MAP Testing (Math) Cross Country at McMillan
Thursday, September 12: MAP Testing (Science); Varsity VB at Davis, JV at Davis
Friday, September 13: Football home vs. McMillan
MAP Testing
Up Next Week in the Redbird Roundup
I do three staff introductions each week. You'll be getting an email from me with questions. Even if you have done it before, please participate and do it again! Please respond and include a picture by Thursday! I will do the first week.
Up next: Dennis Damewood, Tatiana Eskridge, and Ryann Pratt.
Mary Goltl-ESL Teacher
Name: Mary Goltl
How many years have you been teaching/in education? 24
What is your favorite thing about Norris Middle School? The positivity and school pride
What website/app do you use most often? Twitter
What is the best thing that happened to you this week? We had our annual family golf outing.
What is the worst food you ever ate? Cilantro
Would you rather go 30 days without your phone or an entire lifetime without dessert? Phone
What TV show would you binge watch if you had the time? The Great British Bake Off
What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home? Cuernavaca, MX
What would you sing at karaoke night? Friends in Low Places
Michaela Sullivan-Speech Language Pathologist
Name: Michaela Sullivan
How many years have you been teaching/in education? About 1 month
What is your favorite thing about Norris Middle School? How helpful and willing the staff is to answer my questions!
What is something we would never guess about you?
I used to powerlift in high school, and I still volunteer coach there during the competition season.
What is the funniest thing you have ever seen a kid do?
A girl really didn’t want to eat her lunch, so she said she was allergic to meat. She then proceeded to “prove” it by sneezing repeatedly.
Would you rather go 30 days without your phone or an entire lifetime without dessert?
My phone! I probably shouldn’t use it so much anyway!
What TV show would you binge watch if you had the time?
I am currently trying to catch up on Grey’s Anatomy, so probably that one.
What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?
Spain. I went as a graduation trip in 2017!
Justina Tibbs-Instructional Facilitator
Name: Justina Tibbs
How many years have you been teaching/in education? 13 years. 8 middle school and 5 elementary
What is your favorite thing about Norris Middle School? The pride and organization that everyone has.
What website/app do you use most often? Pinterest
What is the funniest thing you have ever seen a kid do? While checking in with a student he leaned over and smelled my armpit!
Would you rather go 30 days without your phone or an entire lifetime without dessert? I am a sugar addict sooooo goodbye phone!
What would you sing at karaoke night? Since u been gone by Kelly Clarkson
Is a hot dog a sandwich? Why or why not? Technically yes! Its meat between a piece of bread. Even though I would never ask for a hot dog sandwich.
Staff Introductions
Wellness Word to the Wise
Norris Walking Club
Powerful Practices
Our Library=Amazing
Learning Goals
More Learning Goals
MAP Training
Positive Recognition Through Redbird Bucks
Ms. Jacobberger runs our Nest and stocks it regularly with the coolest things. She has even started to have it open over lunch, which provides even more access to our students. Thanks Ms. Jacobberger for all you do!
Each team has also developed their Redbird Bucks reward list. I'm featuring 8A's list below, including some additions Mr. Smith has made for his room. Very cool!
Procedures and Routines
Career Paths
Norris Staff and Students Seen and Heard
Norris Video
Have van, will travel
Our after school program, RASA, is under the umbrella of Completely Kids. CK serves so many students in the Omaha area with after school and summer programming. Their numbers at Norris are over 100, and they have programs at many of our feeder schools. They utilize vans during their program time to get kids to activities, field trips etc, as well as to provide transportation when the weather is bad. Sadly, their van has broken down, and they are raising funds for a new van. I have included a link where you can donate if you choose to this worthy cause. We can speak specifically to the value of RASA/CK in our school, and I have no doubt the impact on our community is just as valuable. Thank you for taking the time to read!
#CompletelyKIDSMovesMe
Let's Play Football!
Redbird Posse
Teambuilding
Final Thought
How do we maintain that first day excitement?
Check out this article by one of my favorites, George Couros, on maintaining the excitement of the first day of school.
The first day and the last day of school for each year are the ones that are often most celebrated, but the days in between are the ones that often matter most.