Hall Elementary Teacher Newsletter
November 17, 2014
Upcoming Events
November 18- Thanksgiving Dinner
November 21- Turn in Progress Reports
November 24-28 - NO SCHOOL
TO DO
This Week
Monday:
Math Coaching Community Meeting - visitors in the building
Tuesday:
Thanksgiving Dinner
Wednesday:
Instructional Partners Meeting- visitors in the building
Thursday:
Friday:
Progress Reports due to the office
Box Top Winners
Reminders
Phones
From the Other Mrs. Mitchell
AR is looking great for this week. Keep up the good work. Remember, only 10% of your students can have a red arrow by their names on the Diagnostic Report for the week. This is 1 student if you have fewer than 20 students on your roll, and 2 students if you have 20 or more.
All student library books should be turned in Thursday at noon for the long Thanksgiving break.
Library will be closed on Friday. I will be attending a workshop.
The library will be sponsoring a Christmas Gift Shop this year. Students will be able to purchase gifts for their entire family. Each item will cost $1.00. I will let you know when and where the event will take place.
Document Links
Weekly Professional Development
Over the last month I have included excerpts and pictures from Eric Jenson's books about poverty in the newsletter.
Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do about It
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement
It has been over a decade since Hall teachers have been trained on teaching students of poverty. I feel that it is time to revisit this learning. I have ordered materials and we will begin studying Jenson's work when we return from the Holidays. We must understand the kids that we teach. It has always been a rule that we do not blame students at Hall. It is our job to find a way to reach every child in the building. I have made it a priority to build personal relationships with students and parents. I expect that everyone in the building is doing the same. Please study Jenson's Emotional Keyboard and read the blog post that goes along with it. Reflect on the hardwired emotions that our students come to us with compared to the emotions that must be modeled and taught. It was an AHA moment for me to see this. How many times do we say, "What is wrong with our kids?" and then wonder why they are angry, uncooperative, lack compassion for others.... perhaps this is a missing piece in our classrooms. We hold students accountable for emotions that they can't give if they are not exposed to. And yes, these should be modeled and taught at home. But what if they are not? If not us, who will? What can you do as a teacher? What can we do as a school family?
submit reflections by Sunday, November 23.