Weekly Staff Letter
November 19th - November 22nd
Traveling Iron Cardinal of the Week:
Jenny Rhinaman has passed the Iron Cardinal to Mike Johnson. Mike's genuine care and concern, giving nature, and dedication to all of the students at GVHS is seen in his daily activities and interactions with the students. He is the first to volunteer to assist a student in need whether it is a student that needs extra support, a pair of shoes, a coat, or shorts and a shirt. He never seeks any recognition for his efforts, which we believe to be the true meaning of giving. Jenny was proud to pass the Cardinal along to him and acknowledge and thank him for all that he does! Nice work Mike!
This award is to be passed along from one colleague to the next every Friday. The weekly recipient selects the next recipient and so on. The goal is to select an unsuspecting person outside of your regular contacts and to recognize their contributions to GVHS. (selection ideas...custodians, secretaries, teachers, paras, advisors, counselors, lunch ladies...ect.)
We're almost there......All Hands on Deck!
Resist the urge to ease up on your behavioral expectations.
Easing up the week before a break will backfire completely and it puts added stress on your colleagues. When the teacher is lackadaisical, it just adds to the environment of chaos that the students are slowly creating and makes it harder to get the class back on track. Take a moment to review your Codes of Conduct, it will be time well spent! It may have been a few weeks or months since you’ve articulated or modeled them. Remind students, “Yes, it’s almost Thanksgiving Break, and yes, you still have to do this.”
- Be visible in the hallways
- Be out and about before and after school
- Be on time for your duties
- Be the adult in all situations (Empathy goes a long way. Some kids do not know what next week looks like for them and typically act out or push the limits.)
- All hands on deck Thursday and Friday (All on Duty before and after school. After school please work your way down to the front atrium as students are leaving. If an issue happens it's usually within the first 5 min of the bell.)
- Take 5 min and make a pass through the lunchroom and the front atrium during lunch Thursday and Friday. Use this time to continue building relationships.
Week at a Glance:
Tuesday, November 19th:
4:30 - Board Workshop and Meeting in the Career Center
Wednesday, November 20th:
Thursday, November 21th: (All Hands On Deck)
12-24-1:00 - Take a quick 5 min and pass through the atrium and Cardinal Hall (Increased adult visibility decreases student discipline issues.)
Friday, November 22nd: (All Hands On Deck)
8:00- Craft Fair set up
12:24 - Staff Pot Luck in Cardinal Hall (Thanksgiving Break Potluck Sign-up)
12-24-1:00 - Take a quick 5 min and pass through the atrium and Cardinal Hall (Increased adult visibility decreases student discipline issues.)
Sign-up for Mid-year Review before you leave, see below (Mid-year Reviews Dec. 3rd-Dec. 13th)
Saturday, November 23rd:
All-Day - Craft Fair
Mid-Year Reviews: (Dec. 3rd - 13th)
Questions please let us know.
(Please find your name and sign up under the correct person.)
STAFF TO DO:
- All hands on deck Thursday and Friday (All on Duty before and after school. After school please work your way down to the front atrium as students are leaving. If an issue happens it's usually within the first 5 min of the bell.)
- Take 5 min and make a pass through the lunchroom and the front atrium during lunch Thursday and Friday. Use this time to continue building relationships.
- We are doing a minimum of 1 responsibility grade and 1 content grade per week. 26 total grades minimum for the semester should be entered by Thursday before 12:00.
- Keep up the great work on positive phone calls home. Some of you have already seen the positive effects this has on students.
- Sign-up for your Mid-Year Review before you leave on Friday. (Mid-year Reviews will be Dec. 3rd-13th)
The Anatomy of a Positive Phone Call Home
A positive phone call home doesn’t have to contain over-the-top praise in order to be effective. It only takes a few minutes to do, start to finish, and can reap significant rewards. Just follow this basic formula:
Identify yourself:
Start by telling them who you are. It’s likely they saw the school’s name and/or number on their caller ID, but it never hurts to introduce yourself.
Immediately assure the parent you are not calling for a negative reason:
Most parents’ first reaction will be to assume something is wrong. Tell them straight away that no one is hurt, sick, or in trouble.
Tell them the good news:
This is where you tell them, very specifically, what positive behavior you have noticed in their child. Anything from politeness to kindness to hard work is fair game for your praise.
Resist the temptation to talk about challenges:
Even if you are dealing with negative behavior from this student, this is not the time to address it.
Thank them for their time:
Make the phone call brief and to the point. You want to leave the parent with a positive feeling. Thank them for their time and end the call.
Building Strong Parent-Teacher Relationships
Parents who have never received positive feedback about their child might be astounded to receive such a call. The simple act of a positive phone call can help them to refocus their view of their child in relation to school. It can also help change the dynamic of the school-home connection.
Parents who receive positive feedback from teachers feel they have an ally at school. If they feel the teacher sees the good qualities of their child, they may be more comfortable reaching out to that teacher when they have concerns instead of going straight to your administration. This communication between parent and teacher benefits the student in many ways.
Any time is a good time to make a positive phone call home!
Dave's Schedule
Tuesday: CHSSA Volleyball Committee
Wednesday: At GVHS
Thursday: At GVHS
Friday: At GVHS
Kelly's Schedule
Tuesday: At GVHS
Wednesday: At GVHS
Thursday: At GVHS
Friday: At GVHS