Hackberry Howl
Vol. 4 No. 3
LOVE-SERVE-CARE
***PLC's & Clubs start on August 27th
The First Day of School!
I was pondering this week about the upcoming first day of school – the excitement, the nervousness, the fun. As I think, I realize that between my own schooling, college, grad school, my children, and my career, I have had 31 years of “first days” of school!
Despite the fact that Wednesday will be my 32nd, I still am just as excited and will be unable to sleep the night before as I was on my very first-first day of school. In what other profession can it be said that we hold the education of future engineers, scientists, teachers, mechanics, lawyers, and a myriad of professions we haven’t dreamed about in our hands? We may be nurturing students who have within them the capabilities to cure cancer, solve the energy crisis, end global warming and feed the planet. We are certainly shaping the lives of those who are our future global citizens and upon whom someday we will rely. That is an AWESOME responsibility! No wonder I still can’t sleep the night before!
We are blessed to be serving our Lobos and each other every day. We are blessed to be in a country that values public education. And we are blessed to be at Hackberry. Count your blessings, and have a wonderful first day!
Keep Howling!
-SR
5-Ingredients for a Successful Team
1. Get to know each other.
It’s incredible what asking a few questions and getting to know the people in your team can do. It brings you so much closer together. Showing your strengths and weaknesses to one another doesn’t make you vulnerable; it’s what makes you human.
2. A pat on the back goes a long way.
Kind words of encouragement and belief in your team mates’ abilities can make a HUGE difference to them and to team morale on the whole.
3. Talk. A lot.
I’m not saying that you need to disrupt productivity or constantly get in the way of your team mates’ focus, but finding time to share ideas, ask questions or tell relevant stories, keeps everyone feeling like they are a part of something, rather than sitting alone as silos.
4. Laughter is the best medicine.
Without a doubt, some of my most memorable moments (at work or at play), have been around solid belly laughs with my team mates. Try and take things a little less seriously once in a while. See the humour in your or other people’s mistakes. Share, and laugh and learn from experiences together. It will bond you, and you’ll find that you want to show up for more!
5. Pull your Weight but also Lend a helping hand.
One thing I really love about volleyball is that it’s completely acceptable to yell out “help” when you’re struggling on the court and need someone on your team to be there immediately. If only we could all do this at the workplace without raising any eyebrows. But without having to yell it out, we should all encourage helpful work environments where no one feels intimidated to ask for help, and when we do, a team mate should be more than happy to lend a hand.
Article of the Week
Hackberry Happenings!
Learning with Michelle Whatley
Strategic planning, specially designing the work, and then measuring/documenting the student progress- learning plans and teacher conferencing with students
- Pre-K-2nd 8:30-10:00
- 3rd-5th 10:30-12:00
- 8:00-12:00- Working on Canvas Courses Time (If you are not in with Michelle Whatley)
- Lunch provided by PTA- Costa Vida 12:00-1:00 (15 minute APEX Meeting during---Keeps us from staying after school)
- 1:00-3:00 Working on Canvas Course
- 3:00-3:30- Dry run with Arrival and Dismissal Procedures (Meet in the Cafeteria)
ATTIRE: Comfortable Work Clothes
Hours: 8:00-4:00
Tuesday, August 14th
- Teacher Work Day- Be ready to Run!
- Breakfast-Waffle and Pancake Bar
- Lunch-Eat with your team (Get out of the building Last time before kids come back)
Attire: Comfortable Work Clothes
Hours: 8:00-4:00
Wednesday, August 15th
First day of school!
- All Hands on Deck in the AM (White will communicate locations)
- Arrival at 6:45am unless you are dropping of your child and your drop-off forbids you from doing so that early then you will need to communicate with your team.
- Doors open at 7:00am
- Quick Faculty Meeting at 4:15pm to reflect and revise
- All teachers eat with their class
Attire: Business Casual
Hours: 6:45-4:30
Thursday, August 16th
- K-3 Eats lunch with their class
Attire: Business Casual
Hours: 7:45-4:00
Friday, August 17th
- K-1 Eats lunch with their class
Attire: Jeans and Spirit Shirt
Hours: 7:45-4:00
HOWL OUTS---HOOWWWWLLLLL!!!!!
Beerley howls to our office staff-goodness, you’ve worked hard to get everything ready for a new year-thank you for all you do!! And to all of you amazing teachers-you have worked so hard this week and it’s paid off-your rooms look amazing and you’re ready for our awesome kiddos! I’m praying for you as you continue to prepare for a great year. And I’m praying for supernatural rest! And to Stephen and Jill, thank you for sacrificing all that you do and working SO hard and for pouring in to the staff so that HBE can be the special place that it is. There’s no place I’d rather work and no one I’d rather work for. ️
T. Martin Howls to Zuli for decorating the kinder hallway for meet the Teacher night!
Karla sends a HOWL to Beerley, Whitehead, Myers and Richardson for helping distribute Pre-Packaged school supplies.
Karla sends a HOWL to everyone for the most perfect Meet the Teacher Night EVER! Way2go!
Karla sends a HOWL to Sylvia for helping me organize the office supply room.
Masai Howls to HBE for an amazing meet the teacher night!
Masai Howls to Head for ordering and picking up the balloons for my classroom!
Masai Howls to Crutchfield for setting up the awesome photo booth in our hallway!
Branch Howls to Measles, Brodsky, and Beerly for helping putting finishing touches on rooms for meet the teacher.
T. Martin Howls to the office staff and Hackberry Admin for all the things they did to make the first week run so smoothly!
Branch Howls to Masai and her student teacher for making copies and getting folders put together for meet the teacher.
Branch Howls to Zuli for getting Kinder/Pre-K hallway boards covered and pirate themed and for loaning her daughter to me and helping get last minute papers put in folders.
Branch Howls to the Kinder/Pre-K team for being amazing.
Miss Biggs howls my awesome third grade team!!! You girls are amazing! Thank you for your help, expertise and kindness. It is going to be a wonderful blessed year!
Mrs Biggs howls Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Whitehead for always helping us to succeed in school each day! Thanks for food you provided last and this week.
Huge HOWL to everyone at Hackberry for making meet the teacher a success! Our school looked beautiful and inviting.
Sandoval Big howl to the 4th grade team for being awesome! Our video really showcased our awesomeness!
Sandoval howl to Ellen for completing our video.
Sandoval howl to Christina Biggs for helping me translate when my brain was dead.
LAY HOWLS TO OUR ENTIRE HACKBERRY FAMILY. YOU ALL WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT A SUCCESS.
LAY HOWLS TO CAROL, KARLA, SYLVIA. YOU HAVE ALL WORKED SO HARD THIS WEEK AND HAVE DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB. I'M SO BLESSED TO BE A PART OF YOUR TEAM.
LAY HOWLS TO MR. RICHARDSON. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
Northcutt Howls out to Mrs. Vergara for helping me clean out the Science Lab. She helped me go through each bin and organize each investigation and the materials. Thank you Mrs. Vergara.
Northcutt Howls out to Stephen, Jill and Karla for all the head work they have done to make our return ready, welcoming and just AWESOME. You guys show so much appreciation and love for all of us!
Morales howls 5th grade team for being so collaborative and ready to get the ball rolling!
Morales howls Moreno! I’m so excited to have a you as my partner. It’s going to be a great year. :)
Morales howls the front office! You ladies always rock and go above and beyond. Thank you for making our copies for Meet the Teacher.
Morales howls Kelli! It’s great to have your positive energy on this side of the building.
Morales howls Stephen and Jill for allowing us to have a work day before Meet the teacher. It felt great to be prepared for our students and families!
Northcutt Howls out to Mrs. Vagara for helping me clean out the Science Lab. She helped me go through each pin and organize each investigation and the materials. Thank you Mrs. Vagara.
Northcutt Howls out to Stephen, Whitehead and Karla for all the hear work they have done to make our return ready, welcoming and just AWESOME. You guys show so much appreciation and love!
Wells howls to the incredible 4th grade team, I love you guys!
Wells howls to Romig for the Texas history posters and the tables. I was able to go with flexible seating this year, thanks so much!
Wells howls to the office staff for getting the building ready today.
Wells howls to Richardson and Whitehead for a great first day back with fun challenges.
Wells howls to Flores for editing our “Meet the Teacher” video.
Wells howls to Mathews for hosting the team and always offering to drive/show off the new car.
Wells howls out to Sandoval for always being a fantastic collaborator. We’re going to have science and social studies discussions.
Wells howls out to Rogers for being the glue that holds Fourth grade together. Your laugh is infectious and we all missed it this summer.
Wells howls out to Morales for being the second pair of eyes in my classroom and never being afraid to tell me I can do it better.
Wells howls out to everyone involved with the canvas courses. Training was so much better delivered this way.
Wells howls out to Hackberry for being the best dressed in the district. We looked amazing today and people noticed.
Romig howls out to Northcutt for helping get the Science Lab cleared out!
Romig howls out to her new 5th Grade team for all the help they gave me leading up to Meet the Teacher Night! It’s gonna be a great year ladies!
Flores HOWLS to the 4th grade team for starting off the year on an incredible note. Thank you for being my team and famiLE!
Flores HOWLS to Karla for just being AMAZING in everything you do!
Flores HOWLS to Brena for her new awesome music room set up!
Flores HOWLS to all of Hackberry for starting off the year running!
My incredible third grade team for working so hard and never complaining! We are going to have a great year and accomplish so much together!
Jill, Stephen, Karla, and the rest of the office staff for kicking rear to make sure the school looked great and keeping us all on our toes. So proud to work with you guys!
Measles, Moya, Northcutt, and anyone else doing LLI!! You started school early to help get those babies where they need to be! Thank you!
Stephen HOWLS to the office staff for holding everything together and making sure everything runs smooth!
Stephen HOWLS to Carol for making all the scheduling look easy this year! I know it was not!!!
Stephen HOWLS to everyone that helped implement the CANVAS course!
Stephen HOWLS to all the specialist that ran around helping teachers get prepared!
Stephen HOWLS to Brodsky, Measles, Northcutt, and Moya for helping a group of our incoming 1st graders get ahead with reading by providing LLI Intervention prior to school starting!
Stephen HOWLS to Jill for helping with anything and everything and doing so with a smile. Also for keeping everyone upbeat and positive, that is not an easy task working for Richardson and you do it well!!!
Stephen HOWLS to Karla keeping me in line and on task...Again not easy but you do it well!