Tiger Times
Week of April 16th through April 20th
Hello Tiger Family!
This week's #TESOurHouse comes from Ariel Davis
Teaching is a hard job. Being a kid can be a hard job sometimes too. As teachers we show up every day to help our students because we love them, we love what we do, and we want to help our students be the best they can be. Every once in a while though, we meet a student that does more than makes us smile they give us perspective. They make us look at who we are as a person.
In my first year of teaching, I had a student just like this. He was my baby. He had a smile that could light up any room. He was happy, imaginative, spunky, and unique. My Peyton, which was his name and what everyone called him for years because he was mine when he was at school, struggled in school. That didn’t matter however because what he lacked in understanding, he made up for tenfold in personality. Peyton’s time at school wasn’t always a good experience, but it didn’t matter to him. He loved everyone he met and saw the world most beautifully. The world was full of possibility and wonder to Peyton. When things were hard, or someone wasn’t kind, it would hurt Peyton, but he would always try his best to smile, give me a thumbs up, and say that he was okay. Then he really would be good and go on.
In class, the kids were coloring turkeys for Thanksgiving. All of the other students were using the typical fall colors, but not my Peyton. His turkey was a beautiful rainbow of color. He looked up at me and smiled his big proud Peyton smile and showed me his turkey. His homeroom teacher pointed out that it’s so fitting because this is Peyton. In a world full or ordinary brown and orange turkeys, he is a technicolored turkey.
It took me a long time to learn to overcome my insecurities and be happy with who I am. This little boy had already mastered it. In a world full of ordinary, Peyton was always a little-technicolored turkey. Peyton challenged me as a teacher in many ways, but he taught me how to be a better person. He taught me how important those relationships with your students are. He reminded me of that lesson that when you have the option you should always be kind. He taught me that this world can be ugly and mean, but it doesn't have to dim your light, and he taught me that no matter how hard teaching can be, it is the greatest job in the world because it gives you the chance to meet those kiddos like my Peyton who will change your life forever. So when life or work has got you down, smile, be kind, be happy, and remember that you are the luckiest person on earth because you are a teacher and you get to help make an impact in children's lives. And if you are lucky, you might get to have a technicolored turkey in your class that will do the same thing for you.
#TESOurHouse
Important Dates
Book Fair Monday - Friday at 11:00 this week!
Monday
Kinder PLC 2:15 - 3:30
KidzU will be in the Computer Lab
Leader in Me Action Teams in Learning Commons
Tuesday
2nd grade PLC 2:15 - 3:30
Spirit Night at Freddy's 5-9
Wednesday
Principal PLC - all day
1st Grade PLC 2:15 - 3:30
Talent Show Dress Rehearsal
Thursday
Sharpen the Saw Club Day
Early Release for parent/student conferences
Leaders in Theatre 12:15 - 1:15
Timberline Talent Show April 19th
Friday
Ballet Folklorico 3:15 - 4:45
K-2 Dual teachers off campus for professional learning
Saturday
Rachel's Challenge 5K 7-8; Rally 8-11
Coming up!
May 3rd - Grade level teams to meet with Humanities during planning
Timberline's Big Three
- Relationships so that we can significantly impact discipline and learning!
- Tier 1 instruction because the teacher is THE best person to provide initial instruction and the first time students get this instruction is their very best chance of learning it!
How to Make a Bully
EYE OF THE TIGER!
Thank you, Sloan, for your words last week and for reminding us what it means to be at Timberline and why it matters that we're here! -Shelley
Huge shout out to Gabby for all her ideas and help with STAAR snacks this week! Thank you to Claudia Montemayor and her PM class, Camille, Robert, Victoria, Shelley, and Nicole for helping set up! (Kimberly left off KIMBERLY! Thank you for shopping and loading and unloading and setting up!) -Kimberly
Shout out to Maria and Yolanda for holding down the office fort while I was in and out of the office doing snacks Tuesday and Wednesday! -Kimberly
Maggie, thank you for organizing the fundraiser with our Student Lighthouse Team to honor Pop Pop in our TES Garden. -Shelley
Mayberry and Belton!
Thank you for helping our Kinder friends with extra support! They enjoy working with the older kiddos. Thank you for truly working as a team, and helping outside of your grade level! -Jeyleen
Cristina, Juana, Chloe, Yesenia, Diana, Sloan, Britt, Lisa, Ariel and Daniela (and Melissa next round) - thank you, thank you, thank you for already modeling such awesome leadership Thursday at the Lead Learner PD! I appreciate you!! -Shelley
Thank you to Nicole and Jade for everything you did to get us STAAR ready! Thank you to Diana, Jacira, Lenci, Shana, Rachael, Maritza, Sloan, Gaby, Valeska, Leigh, Kayla and Claudia for helping keep all of our Big Tigers (who are really still pretty little in the big scheme of things) keep it in perspective and not be stressed. It was the most important thing you did the whole week. I know our incredible parapro team, lower grade teachers and former staff all had a part in #teamworkmakesthedreamwork -Shelley
Clara, Wendy, Alicia, Adriana, Marta and Katrina thank you for knowing your kids so well and for spending extra time with the ones you know need a little bit more to be successful. You're making a difference! -Shelley
Lisa, thank you for being such a caring counselor and for being a strong support Friday. -Shelley
Thank you, Lisa, Jade and Robert, for spending your weekend with all our talented Tigers to get ready for the Talent Show! It was so much fun seeing them shine!! -Shelley
Courtyard & TownePlace Suites Giveaway Winners!!
Congratulations to all of our winners! Patricia will be by this week to drop off the prizes!
One weekend night stay at Courtyard with Dinner for 2 - Rachael Bodkin
$25 Del Frisco's Grills Gift Certificate (Southlake location)
- Lenci Alvares
- Adriana Gomez
- Jade Wiseman
- Cinthia Morales
Nuts and Bolts is our "virtual faculty meeting". Please read all information carefully and reach out if you have any questions or need clarification.
All staff bring devices to Action Team Meetings Monday!
KidzU will be in the Computer Lab Monday! - Please take your KidzU students there instead of front hallway.
Transition times to/from recess, lunch, specials, dismissal and during recess are typically the least structured times of the day. Many poor behavior choices are being made during this time and when most parents are saying a situation with their child has occurred. Please be extra vigilant while supervising students at this time. Thank you!
The Curriculum and Instruction department is gearing up for the 2nd annual GCISD PK-12 Learning Institute which will be held on August 9th at Grapevine High School. Last year, this experience received rave reviews from staff and included over 400 sessions taught by teachers and leaders from across our district. Please consider a session proposal to share your unique perspective and great work with colleagues from across the district. Please read the proposal form carefully before completing it, and please be sure to submit it prior to May 1st.
Staff will receive emails today and tomorrow regarding scheduling end of year T-TESS Summative Conferences. Please let us know if you have any questions!
After you've read Nuts and Bolts, be sure to sign here to indicate you've received and understand the information shared! Thank you!
Ways and Where the Tigers Tell Our Timberline Story
Email: firstname.lastname@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/2032
Location: 3220 Timberline Drive, Grapevine, TX, United States
Phone: 817-251-5770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TESleads/
Twitter: @TimberlineNews