The Gator Tales
The weekly staff newsletter for Glenwood Elementary School
Week of November 20
Wednesday, November 22- Gator Bowl 9:00 am
Adjusted Dismissal
Thursday and Friday November 23 and 24- Thanksgiving Holidays
Important upcoming dates and events
Friday December 1- Citizen of the Month
Monday, December 4- Grades 2-4 Gifted Testing
Friday, December 8- PTA Winter Wonderland
Friday, December 15- Progress Reports Issued
Monday, December 18- PIRATE DAY
Wednesday- December 20- POLAR EXPRESS DAY (adjusted dismissal)
Thursday, December 21 through Monday January 1- Winter Holidays, schools closed
Grateful Gators!
Kudos to Teri Ennis and Brittany Bookout for jumping right in as part of the 4th grade team! Near and far (literally), they've effortlessly become part of our team by being flexible and seeking out ways to make student transitions as easy as possible! We're lucky to have you, and so are the kids! Jen Haws
Kudos to our Glenwood family for the overflowing food donations for the SCA food drive - wow! And thank you especially to John McFarland for gathering, sorting, and boxing up the donations after school while I was out - you're the best! Kudos to Alexa Ambrose for ALWAYS being there as we figure out all of the new and exciting ways to teach our kiddos - it's great knowing I can count on you to share ideas, problem solve, and have a great laugh! Kudos to Sandra Kechter for holding down the fort in the Library Learning Commons - it's appreciated! P.S. Your storytelling voice is excellent! Kudos to Susan Cotthaus for her retirement after many excellent years at Glenwood! You've touched the hearts of many, and will be GREATLY missed! Kudos to Caroline Altman for getting 4th grade our beloved giant planning calendars for collab. We were SO excited to get them - and all the way through June! It’s the little things that matter . Jen Malit
Lindsey Recine for encouraging me when I was trying to teach subtraction a new way and then helping me "clean up" the lesson when it completely fell apart. Barbara Kimpan
Kudos to Mark Kay for patiently guiding me through the grade reporting process this past week. Her assistance has been invaluable. Thanks to Mrs. Olds and Mrs. Jones for always being available to provide help when needed and for doing so with a smile. Shout out to the awesome Mindy Tomchik for her amazing work with our shared students. A huge thank you toMrs. Doss and Mr. Thietje for stepping in and helping with my students on Tuesday while I was without a TA sub. I am truly appreciative to our Great Gator staff for your abundant support. Michelle Jackson
Kudos to Mr. Rouse for filling in for Mrs. Carson classroom during her absence and going above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. Joshua Cake
Kudos to EVERYONE for working together and getting through the first quarter!
Kudos to Tina Repa for helping to deescalate a student and being available at a moment notice! Elisabeth Arroyo for offering and extending her support during a parent teacher conference and SEC meeting! Stephanie Marshall
What Great Teachers Do Differently- 17 Things That Matter Most Todd Whitaker
11. Be the Filter
Teachers are the filters for the day-to-day reality of school. Whether we are aware of it or not, our behavior sets the tone. If students overhear us whining or complaining about something, it may be the talk of the school for days even if it was something minor. By the same token, if we always approach things in a positive manner, then this is what the students reflect. The most effective educators understand this and choose their filters carefully.
PERCEPTION CAN BECOME THE REALITY
As educators, we understand that perceptions can become reality. People who say, "this is the worst group of kids", soon start to believe it. Eventually, they start to treat them that way and, unfortunately, the students will start to behave accordingly. Effective educators understand that one of the best ways to alter perceptions is to provide other perceptions.
We are fortunate to work in education. Sometimes we just forget how blessed we are. by consistently filtering out the negatives that don't matter and sharing a positive attitude, we can create a much more successful setting. Consciously or unconsciously, we decide the tone of our classroom and our school.
Great teachers consistently filter our the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude.