Mustang Message
December 14, 2015
A Principal's Perspective
We are almost to the finish line for the end of the first semester and 2015 year! Although a busy season, this is the perfect time to reflect about the success and progress of your students for the first semester of their school year. The time to reflect about the instruction in order to tweak instructional plans and lesson design to meet the varied academic needs of your students for the next semester. We will work hard these final days with impactful learning opportunities, time to have fun and join together as a school family to celebrate the season.
I have been thinking about January, yes already. How will we continue our vision? Working in education is hard work! It is not for the faint of heart for sure! How will we remember to fuel our vision with optimism, passion, perserverence and belief about what we are all about at GP? We can have a positive, fun school family environment while striving and expecting excellence of our students.
I love the clip below by Jon Gordon. He is the positivity guru, writer of many books such as The Energy Bus and a motivational speaker to many top corporations in the country. I was in one of his workshops before he became "famous" and in high demand. His words of wisdom have a lasting impact. If you start the clip at 4:00, that will get you to the major concepts that he shares. But, in the clip he compares a carpenter to a craftsman. We want to be craftsman where what we do is a work of art full of care and passion! He encourages us that despite adversity, negativity and doubt, we can fuel a positive vision. He also challenges us to remember our purpose. He states that "vision is where you start with grit." As educators, we are craftsman where we care so much about the success of our students we pour our heart and soul into our craft.
That passion takes grit! It also is an indicator of a much needed break! So, make the next few days impactful. Rest and relax over the holidays with family and friends. Take some time to think about the spring 2016 semester. I like this quote, "Success is not given, it is achieved." What will we achieve together in 2016?
Be Legendary - See the possibilities!
Donna
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Holiday Trivia - Holiday Minds Want to Know!
* In the movie The Santa Clause, what Christmas carol does Tim Allen's heart beat sound like?
* What is the #1 most popular Christmas tree?
Morning Duties of the Week
Morning Assembly (7:30): Lindner
Gym (7:20): McGregor
Cafeteria (7:20): Helfeldt
Bus (7:20 - Buses/ Cafeteria after all buses arrive): Magnuson
Parent Drop Off Traffic: Simpson
Parent Drop Off: Williams & Simmons
Counselor Schedule: Small Group Instruction
Librarian: GP
Week at a Glance
Jean Week!
Monday: Gift of Time 1:30 (please see sign up); Progress Monitoring & Grades due to SPED; Frosty Lunch for staff catered from Texas Roadhouse!
Tuesday: Gift of Time 1:30; Literacy Books Study @3:20 in library
Wednesday: Gift of Time 1:30; Open Tech Support with Parr
Thursday: Classroom Party/Food Day; Make-Up SIT Meetings; 2nd Grade Polar Express; Secret Santa Reveal; REACH Caroling at Diana Duke's home (evening)
Friday: Sing-A-Long @8:30; End of 3rd Six Weeks; Early Release at 12:45 (see Livebinder for schedule changes)
News & Notes
Substitute Personnel Requests: Please request sub ASAP especially in the morning. Subs that are requested after 6:00 am are getting harder to fill.
Answer to Trivia - I know you were wondering!
* Jingle Bells
* Fraser Fir
Mustang Yee Haws!
* What a wonderful 4th grade performance! A wonderful reminder of the impact that we do make as a teacher like Mrs. Fezziwig. Love the quote, " You need to see how what you do affects what you become." A great reminder to remember that we do make a difference which makes our work meaningful and purposeful! I also think this next powerful quote is something that we take to heart at GP where all staff members are teachers impacting our students. "We walk the halls year after year. We see them come and go. Custodians are teachers, too. You can learn from what we know."