Team Thomson News & Notes
January 2, 2017
Important Information for You!
Wishing you a Wonderful New Year!
I hope that you all had a wonderful and restful Christmas vacation. Matthew was able to take the time off as well which allowed us to spend time together as a family, which as some of you know is difficult given our work schedules.
As we enter the start of the new year, I hope that you begin renewed and ready to tackle this second half of the year with a positive outlook and fierce focus on our students. We are the only ones who have the ability to control what happens within the walls of our awesome building; only we control the climate and the attitudes with which we approach each day; we are the ones who support and lift each other up in times of trial; we got this; we are Thomson! I can't wait to see what we do with the gifts (both staff and students) that we have been given.
Resetting Expectations
Our students are often pretty quiet on their first few days back after a long break and they are eager to get back into the routine. This makes our first week back a prime opportunity to reteach and reinforce Cardinal Code expectations is all areas. May I suggest starting your day off with a class meeting where students have an opportunity to share their experience and then you, as teacher, can then guide them into a discussion and review of the Cardinal Code. As you know, there may be some areas that your class will need more direct instruction/review/practice in, but you know your students best and what they will or won't need. However, I caution you to just assume that they remember proper behavior at school. Don't get caught in the 'we've done this all year' trap of 'telling', not 'teaching'. The time you take to reset expectations this first week will have a huge impact on your classroom climate for the rest of the year. Believe, as I do, in your power to positively influence your classroom and then see the light of your students illuminate our entire school.
Title I Needs Assessment
It is important that you complete the Title I Needs Assessment for your students and return them to Melissa Barraco no later than January 11th. By this time, you should have your DIBELS Assessment information to include. Remember, classroom teachers should be the ones filling out the Needs Assessment. After the STAR Assessment is completed, this data will be added to the Needs Assessment by Melissa. If you have any questions or concerns, please see Melissa or myself.
“The Neuroscience of the Smile”
Thank you to Shelly Fenner for sharing this….In John Hattie’s Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn, there is a chapter titled “The Neuroscience of the Smile.” Research shows that sincere smiles are one of the most powerful tools for staff to use as they indicate a person’s approachability, their mood, and even what sort of person they are. When teachers and other staff members smile at kids, they will likely smile back and then will also smile at classmates. Kids remember which adults smile at them. In Mother Teresa’s words, “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love…...a gift to that person….a beautiful thing.” Let’s smile at kids, let’s smile at each other, let’s smile at our family members….smiles really matter and they don’t cost a dime.
5D+
I look forward to getting back into your classrooms to finish up second round observations. I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and reflection when responding to the Noticing and Wonderings. Like many of you who have shared your thoughts about this new process, I like the back and forth interactions/conversations with you.
By the end of this month, we will be entering our second Inquiry Cycle. I will share more about what this means for both the classroom teachers and myself in next week's newsletter.
CAP Nominations
Note: Teachers, please include this article in your weekly newsletters to parents either this week or next. It will also be in the Thomson Tidbits.
The staff of Davison Community Schools wants to recognize the children in our district who have the potential to develop outstanding abilities. Every effort is made to identify and accommodate these needs as early in a child’s career as possible. It is known that the earlier this is done, the more likely these children will develop their special abilities to their fullest potential. This is the time of year when teachers and parents may nominate students in grades K-5 who demonstrate academic needs that might best be served through the resources of our CAP (Challenging Academic Potential) program.
Nomination forms are available in the Student Services office located at 1490 N. Oak Rd. If you have any questions, you may call Holly Halabicky, Executive Director of Student Services, at 591-0913. These forms need to be completed and returned to the Student Services office no later than January 20, 2017. Testing and evaluation of each nominated student will be completed during the second semester of the 2016-17 school year. These recommendations will be communicated to parents and test results to teachers in order to enhance the achievement of each student.
An informational CAP meeting for all interested parents will be held:
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 - 6:30 P.M.
Hahn Intermediate Media Center
This meeting will cover characteristics of gifted children, the district’s identification process, and current programming in Davison. All interested parents are urged to attend the meeting.
Intersession Positions
If you are interested in working, please apply now at the link below for the February Intersession.
https://www.applitrack.com/gcaps/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp? internal=all&district=723&category=Student+Support+Services&subcategory=Other
Remember there are positions for everyone!
Quotes Worth Reading
"If you wnaqt 2017 to be your year; Don't sit on the couch and wait for it. Go out. Make a change. Smile more. Be excited. Do new things. Throw away what your've been clutering. Unfollow negative people. Go to bed early. Wake up early. Be fierce. Don't gossip. show more gratitude. Do things that challenge you. Take risks. Be brave."
-Unknown
Thomson Elementary
Home of the Thomson Teddies!
And..
Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin!
Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 617 East Clark Street, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-0911
Celebrations & Announcements
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Thursday, January 5th-Elementary Principals Meeting (Natalie)
- Week of January 8th-PLC Week
- Monday, January 8th-Box Top Challenge Begins; Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m. H.S. A.M.R.
- Tuesday, January 10th-ELA Meeting, 4:15-6:15 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 11th-Staff Meeting, 3:40-4:20 p.m. (Agenda: SIP Self-Assessment; Special Presentation: Sandra Hynes Memorial beginning at 4:00 p.m.)
- Friday, January 13th-Leadership Team Meeting, 7:30 a.m.
- Monday, January 16th- No School-Teacher Work Day (Teachers may do records from home)
- Tuesday, January 17th-Report card grades must be entered by 4:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 18th-Child Study Day (please send any new Child Study names to Maida Demo and Natalie Miller); Report Cards will be printed
- Friday, January 20th-Lockdown; Send Report Cards Home; Box Top Challenge ends