Hackberry Howl
Vol. 3 No. 15
LOVE-SERVE-CARE
Tis' the Season
Tis' the Season
I love this time of year!!! I don't know many people that love Christmas as much as me. I enjoy it so much because of the cheerfulness, weather, and food.
I have a very close family and I’m so very lucky for that. I also have a very tight-knit friendship group, which I’m equally lucky for. Christmas is such a special time of year for me because I get to forget any worries and focus purely on spending quality time with my loved ones.
Here is a list of three things that will help make this time of year more enjoyable!
One: Be Grateful
Plan: Make a plan to write one person each day in the month of December telling someone how grateful you are for them. Everyone loves to be encouraged and a personal note is always a great way to do it.
Two: Spend more time than money with your family.
Plan: The best thing to spend on your children is time. Focus on the memories, not the material objects. Time to get out the board games and have a little family fun. I encourage you to spend one night each week playing a family board game.
Three: Play music to sing and dance with your family
Plan: This is one of the easiest ways to bring your family together. I love to sing and dance-acting goofy with my kids. As they get older I'm sure they think I'm weird, but I know these are memories that will last forever.
These three things can help make this Christmas Season the best for you and your family! You have the power to make memories with your family that they will remember forever.
You have the power to get the family together and bust out the old board games. You have the power to sing and dance your way through life. Make it the best Christmas for you and your family creating memories that will last forever!
Keep Howling!
-SR
Our One Thing: Early Literacy
The Alphabetic Principle
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/alphabetic-principle
Recommended by Darcie Brodsky & Ashley Measles
AVID-Strategy of the Week
QuickWrites:
Quickwrites involve asking a question, giving people a set amount of time for responding (usually between one to ten minutes), and either hearing or reading the responses. The quickwrite can be modified endlessly, depending on circumstances. Quickwrites encourage critical thinking warm-ups: use the quickwrite at the start of a class to get students focused on a new concept, or the material from last class, or preparatory reading material, etc. Student-directed quickwrites: have students lead the quickwrite session, having prepared a question in advance and thought through a method for fielding the responses. Class-closers: as with the warm-ups, use the quickwrite to prompt reflection through summary, synthesis, explanation, a question.
By: Ruth Morales
Education Galaxy
Classroom Strategy of the Week
Ignore negative behaviors
It's not always possible to overlook negative behavior (particularly if there is a potential safety issue), but to the greatest extent possible, redirect your child to a positive activity or action. For example, if your child is screaming at you, try responding with, "I can't understand you when you're screaming, but when you are ready to use your regular voice, I’ll be more than happy to listen to what you have to say." This is a more respectful manner of interacting with her than screaming back or isolating her. If you treat your child with respect and expect it in return, you model the behavior you want her to use when she engages with others — and in the process, you support her social-emotional learning.
Article of the Week
5 Principles of Outstanding Classroom Management
Getting into the Christmas Spirit!
1. Jeans when we return from Thanksgiving break through the Christmas Break!
2. Elf on the Shelf- Starting Friday, December 1st Jill and I will hide an Elf on the Shelf in the building...Your job is to find Elfie and bring him to the front office. The staff member that finds the Elf each day and bring him to the front office will receive a fun Christmas prize!
3. 12 Days of Christmas Treats begins on Tuesday, December 5th. Be on the lookout for some AMAZING videos!
4. Make sure to RSVP for the Christmas Party. It is going to be a fun night with our Hackberry Family!
Christmas Door Decoration Contest
Hackberry Happenings!
Monday, November 27
- Anyone that can stay and help put up Christmas Decor after school. 4:00pm
- RTI Meetings
ATTIRE: JEANS
Hours: 7:45am-4:00pm
Tuesday, November 28
- Pack Meeting 4:00-4:45 (Remember to do the Leaders of Learning Study)
Attire: Jeans
Hours: 7:45-4:00
Wednesday, November 29
- RTI Meetings
Attire: Jeans
Hours: 7:45-4:00
Thursday, November 30
- All Day Faculty-PLC Room (Myon Training)
Attire: Jeans
Hours: 7:45-4:00
Friday, December 1
- Door Decorating Contest Complete
November Pack Rally
- 3rd-5th @ 8:15am
- PRE-K AM @ 9am in the Kinder Hallway
- K-2nd @ 10am
- Pre-K PM @ 2pm in the Kinder Hallway
Attire: Jeans
Hours: 7:45-4:00
Howl Outs!
Beulah howls to the Social Pack Committee for bringing all the snacks and helping out with the Turkey Bowl!
Beulah howls to Sarah R. for getting the Turkeys!
Beulah howls to Flores and Wells for being flexible with our classes on Monday!
Beulah howls to Richardson for his words of wisdom... (Doesn't happen very often)
Beulah howls to Ashley for her amazing handwriting skills
Beulah howls to Lawley for sharing her "homemade crack"!
Beulah howls to Karla for everything you do!
Beulah howls to Carol for getting the monthly birthday cake this week!
Beulah howls to Beerley for always being so positive about EVERY situation.
Beulah howls to Myers for his constant support!
Beulah howls to everyone who already RSVP'd for the CHRISTMAS PARTY!
Beulah howls to the 4th grade team for being the greatest team on this campus!
Morales howls the Social Pack for organizing the fun turkey bowl!
Morales howls Vergara for helping me find a cart for the student voting booth.
Morales howls 3rd, 4th, and 5th for participating in the Student Election.
Brodsky howls to Karla for hanging all of the signs around the building. They look fantastic!
Brodsky howls to Jasleen. You are so sweet and I am grateful to have you as a friend :)
Brodsky howls to Head, Hatcher & Lawley for their hard work and flexibility with teaching 3rd grade.
"Escobedo howls to Granados for all her help and support in my classroom."
Delvalle would love to give a hackberry howl to our PBIS team!!! Thank you for being amazing collaborators and coming up with great ideas to improve our campus!!!
Whiddon HOWLS to Sawhney, Olssen, Burzyski, Lawson, Webber, and Marquez for coming to my phonics training! You girls were an awesome audience ;)
Christi howls to all of HBE. I am so very thankful to work with such amazing people. I am daily blessed by you guys-thanks for making Hackberry such a special place to work!
Rogers howls to the 4th grade team! Wishing ya'll a happy, restful Thanksgiving break :)
Rogers howls to Flores for being the turkey bowl champion!
Rogers howls to Sandoval for working McTeacher Night at the last minute. Thank you!
Rogers howls to Mathews for coordinating the Christmas Party and Austin Field Trip. You are super appreciated!
Rogers howls to Wells for always finding a way make all of us laugh. Best team comedian ever.
Martin Howls to the cafeteria staff for the awesome Thanksgiving Feast they prepared for Hackberry students and families.
Whiddon HOWLS to Moya for bringing me tamarind candy!!
Wells howls to Measles and Northcutt for setting up the guided reading observation with Chavez, it was beneficial to see it at another school!
Wells howls to Flores for taking home the Turkey Crown for 4th grade.
Wells howls to Social Pack for setting up the awesome turkey bowling event, it was short, sweet, and a good time!
Whiddon HOWLS to Ratliff for saving boxes for me. The last thing I want to do is pack up, but at least I don’t have to hunt for boxes now ;)
Hatcher sends a howl to Lawley and Head for awesome planning time snacks.
Stephen HOWLS out to the PBIS team for coming up with creative ideas to improve classroom behavior!
Stephen HOWLS to all that helped cover classes to ensure all our staff members could eat with their children!