Si, Se Puede
Yes, we can!
PODER is our Word of the Week
Poder, Spanish
1. auxiliary verb, to be able to
Yo puedo = I can
2. masculine noun, power, ability and influence
I am very excited to explore this word of the week at Franklin. While I have not usually made the rationale behind our word of the week explicit, as this is our first non-English word, I'll share at least part of my thinking:
I believe poder is fitting for many reasons. 1) It builds on last week's "hopes and dreams" with a focus on the abilities and power of our students to accomplish those dreams. 2) It develops our month-long focus on Latino Heritage. 3) Through exploration of this Spanish verb and noun, students will become more familiar with a range of Spanish vocabulary, preparing them for the range of texts they will encounter during Latino Read-Alouds the following week. 4) This word will encourage teachers to draw upon and highlight the linguistic experiences and knowledge of our Spanish-speaking students and families. Students can share their understanding of poder and its many conjugations and meanings. 5) I hope this will encourage teachers to reach out to their Spanish-speaking colleagues for advice and collaboration on how to bring this word of the week alive in our classrooms. 6) It will model for us the exploration of a wider range of "words" as we continue through the year. 7) Poder is a word of amazing power, of individual and collective power.
Sí, se puede, Spanish for "Yes, it is possible" or, roughly, "Yes, one can" is the motto of the United Farm Workers. The phrase has been widely adopted by other labor unions and civil rights organizations and drew widespread political and media attention as a rallying cry during the 2006 U.S. Immigration reform protests. The saying Sí Se Puede has long been a UFW guiding principle that has served to inspire accomplishment of goals even in what at times may seem insurmountable situations.
Below are a few resources and links to get your thinking started on how you might bring this word alive this week. As always, I'm eager for your feedback.
Poder San Francisco
PODER’s mission is to organize with Latino immigrant families and youth to put into practice people-powered solutions that are locally based, community led and environmentally just. We nurture everyday people's leadership, regenerate culture, and build community power. We organize in San Francisco’s Mission, Excelsior and other southeast neighborhoods, & forge alliances to achieve transformational change.
Back to School Night
Digital Citizenship in the Media Center, 2nd - 5th grades
"Digital citizenship" is an umbrella term that covers a whole host of important issues. Broadly, it is the guidelines for responsible, appropriate behavior when one is using technology. Tt can cover anything from "netiquette" to cyberbullying; technology access and the digital divide; online safety and privacy; copyright, plagiarism, and digital law, and more.
Produce market
Finally... Franklin Staff T-Shirts
Go Tigers!
Tomorrow's PBIS Walkthrough
Joyce Hum, our Positive Behavioral Support Systems Coach, will be joining us tomorrow for a campus visit. While her visit is formally called a "walkthrough," Joyce will be here with the primary goal of getting to know Franklin so that she can support our School Climate Team and our collective work this year. She will be visiting a range of classrooms across all grade levels and programs as well as spending time in our many collective areas (e.g., yard, playground and hallways).
Hi Franklin Team,
I hope you are having a wonderful start to the 2016-2017 school year. My name is Joyce Hum and I'm the district PBIS coach supporting your school with PBIS planning and implementation.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Best,
Joyce Hum, M.S.Ed
Network 3 Partner
Positive Behavioral Support Systems Coach
Behavioral Health Unit
Oakland Unified School District
Every Student Thrives!
www.ousd.org510.852.9992 cell
School Site Council
Have a great week.
Ingrid