Friday Connection
K-3 Staff Weekly Newsletter - Week of May 25, 2020
Memo from Mary
I hope this finds you well and your summer off to a great start. Thank you for all the help last week as we checked students out. It could not have gone smoother and we couldn't have done it without you. You are the very best.
I cannot thank you each enough for the hard work and dedication you put forth all year, but especially the past two and a half months. You have shown up every day, done the hard things, and excelled. YOU have set the standard for surrounding schools and districts. Although your lessons, continued to be incredible, what hit me the most is the extreme effort each of you put in to maintain and strengthen the relationships with each of our students. For this, I am forever grateful.
To our friends that will not be returning next year, we wish you all of the best in your next journey. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
As we embark on an unknown summer, it is my sincere hope that each of you take time to rejuvenate and relax. You each deserve an amazing summer, and even though plans may have gotten shifted and changed, I hope each of you find joy, peace, laughter and happiness this summer.
It is my true honor and privilege to serve beside such an incredible staff. Thank you for your hearts, thank you for your dedication, thank you for making New Vision Charter School the best place to grow.
End of the Year Celebration
Staff Updates
Coach Corner
It has been such an honor working next to you and alongside all of you at K-3 this year. I am in awe of the immense talent, dedication, professionalism and knowledge of the educators, staff and administrators in this building. I appreciate the opportunity to help you grow, even if just a little bit, or provide a word of encouragement on a hard day. Even though I was bouncing back and forth a lot this year, I always felt like such a part of the K-3 fabric and I am so grateful and thankful for that. I'm only an email, text or phone call away. Please take much needed time to rest, recuperate and relax this summer. Don't rest too long in the what ifs of what's to come. I feel like Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, "What lies behind us, and what lies before us are but tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
Shout Outs
From Todd:
ALL STAFF-GREAT JOB WITH STUDENT CHECKOUT PROCESS
From Tona:
Our whole building-We did it! Have a fantastic summer friends! ️
From Lauren:
I would like to celebrate Autumn Christmas. She has helped me so much through this process without a complaint. She is always willing to give advice and offer assistance. I really appreciate her!
From Nikki:
I want to thank Becky for getting me up and moving with her staff workouts. It is something I look forward to every week.
From Savannah:
Shout out to all NVCS staff for working so hard the past couple months. This change was not easy, but we all handled it with grace. Such a phenomenal group of people!
Shout out to Aaron for putting together all the wonderful videos. The videos all turned out so amazing. THANK YOU!
From Sara:
Shout out to Shelbey Rehg and Julie Sullivan (from district), and the MTSS Team for all of your support of a third grade ELL student. She made .6 growth on ACCESS testing which is more than a year’s growth in the short time we had her here at NVCS. This is team work at it’s best for the sake of the student. Exceptional support for a student who also worked her butt off and stole all of our hearts. Thanks Team!
From Charlotte:
To Aaron Hollingshead- Aaron, thank you for the most amazing Kindergartner Graduation video ! It is a wonderful gift for parents and students. Perfect! Thank you for all you give to our students and staff every day. We will miss you sorely at the K-3 building next year! Fantastic job , Aaron! Thank you a thousand times over for putting all the video announcements together, the teaching videos for us as teachers, and just all you do for NVCS. And for blessing families with the graduation video!
Tona Greco- Thanks , Tona,for being an amazing leader this year in Kindergarten. With 3 new staff members and 3 additional classrooms of students, you helped us be cohesive, and flow together as team, yet each teacher soared in their individual teaching style. Thank you for your leadership.
To the Kindergarten Team: I am so grateful for each one one of you. You each brought something unique and special to our team that made this Kindergarten crew an amazing, cohesive team! It was such a great year working with and learning from each of you. You are wonderful, hardworking and caring people. Thank you for a great year!
Ella Rice- I am grateful for the chance to meet you and work with you. I will miss you, my friend! As You move forward from here, I wish you all the best , wherever the road takes you.
Heather Willett- This is happening right now as I write... Heather you have been a ray of love, joy and song in the Kindergarten hallway for several years. We will miss that love,joy and song at our end as you take your special gifts and Reach out to touch the lives of each student in the K-3 building. We know we will hear that special song of love and joy and music as it begins it’s new echo throughout all the halls of our campus next year, and it will bring a smile to our faces and our hearts to know you are sharing one of your deepest loves with children, WITH your deepest love for them. I will miss you in Kindergarten, so very much, but I wish you all the best as you share your love with all the students at The K-3 campus. Be you, be great, be a ray of love and joy in song . All the best in your new adventure. I love you , sweet friend! (Now I am doing this..)
To the TA’s
Each of you are phenomenal women. You step up to the plate in a heart beat and do ALL the things whether hard, simple, taxing, icky, or mundane... you give your heart an do it all well. I am so honored to be a part of your team. As I watch you engage with students, I am blessed by your interactions, your affirmation of the students and your love and compassion for them and to see them succeed. You each hold a place in the hearts of the students you work with. I am so grateful that you were hired to be part of this staff at such a time as this. You’re coming on board could not have been more timely and you are all such a perfect fit for this job you do so graciously and with such passion.
You each bring a different piece to the puzzle that completes the big picture. We’d be lost without you.
Thank you for your devotion, dedication, love , support and willingness to serve in whatever capacity you are called upon.
You are fantastic.
You are Fun.
You are engaging.
You care tirelessly.
You try every trick under the sun to make the cafeteria A peaceful, and Enjoyable place to eat and monitor!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for who you are and all you do.
I Love you each so much.
Charlotte Lesko May 22, 2020, 7:38 AM (4 days ago)
to me
To Mary and Todd
Thank you for leading us through this time of uncertainty with strength and wisdom. Thank you for being there for every question no matter how big or small. Thank you for walking us through struggles and being there to share the joys and triumphs. Your leadership and support helped to make us strong.
Thank you for affirming us as teachers and Reminding us that we are capable and valued. Thank for leading with a servants hand and heart. Thank you for living the mantras you tell us every day:
You can do all the hard things
You are loved
You are cared for
You can do it
You are valued and important
You are making a difference.
YOU, Todd and Mary, are making a HUGE difference in the lives of each one of us. Thank you.
From Autumn:
Jessi- For always showing me some love and helping 3rd grade be successful! We love having you!
Mary- For being our fierce leader during this!
Becky- For making me smile and setting up the sweet field day!!
From Melissa:
Hi! I wanted to share that Liz watched the kids on Monday for me and she was super impressed with the teacher and how they have put together all the videos and are still educating the kiddos during online learning. She was super impressed with Maci writing full sentences as well!!
From Todd:
Sheryl, Rudy, Whitney, Aaron. Julie, Nicole, Melissa
For helping clean out lockers
From Debbie:
To Nicole:
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and how lucky I feel to work with you. You have been such an enormous wealth of help and knowledge on our project. You make me laugh and smile and are just a ray of sunshine! I LOVE you!
From Denise:
To all the amazing staff at New Vision... I appreciate you today and every day. ️
From Nicole:
Aaron- you are a ray of sunshine and a wealth of information. Thank you for everything you have done for NVCS this year.
From Ashley:
Anita for doing such a beautiful thing in supporting first responders at MCR.
Autumn for having my back and doing something that meant so much to me.
Brandy for having such fun google meets with her students & for keeping a smile on her face even after the 3,456th time my daughter wants to show the class her puppy. As my husband said, "that woman is an angel."
Shelbey for being such a master at handing parent feedback and for always putting her kids first.
The kindergarten team for spending such a long time and being so thoughtful in putting together classes for my team. We love & trust you all completely!
Becky for creating a virtual field day - so fun!!
The wellness team...as I ran my race last weekend, I thought of all your smiling faces at Mile 9 and you encouraged me so much, even virtually ;)
Mary for working tirelessly on curriculum inventories!
Ali for never giving up on our families, especially when things get hard.
The K-3 family...i love you all.
From Summer:
HUGE PROPS to Hannah and Aaron for helping me so much and with such a quick turn around! I'm new to the teacher side of IC and google classroom and they have answered all my questions and helped me out a ton to make everything flow. THANKS!!!
May, June, and July Birthdays
18 - Todd and Anita
19 - Melissa
20 - Aubrey
June -
2 - Ali
11 - Tim
July
8 - Aaron
10 - Debbie
21 - Tona
26 - Heather