West Side Way
Week of May 20-24
Parent Appreciation Week (May 27-31)...
Let's end our school year with Parent Appreciation Week. Staff Appreciation Week is a great opportunity for everyone to show their thanks to teachers for all that they do for our students, and it is well deserved. Teachers, leaders and staff members go above and beyond to ensure that students learn, grow and excel. But if we think about it, students would not excel as much as they do without great parenting.
In this post, I would like to recommend that we utilize the last week of school as a Parent Appreciation Week. This would be our opportunity to thank parents collectively and individually for their partnership in making their children a success at school.
We could post appreciation messages on our marque and social media sites. Leaders could make announcements celebrating parents, and they could encourage teachers to send messages of appreciation to parents who have been instrumental in helping students learn. Students could write letters and make posters to their parents thanking them for their guidance in their education. The possibilities are limitless. Even if parent relationships have been strained or even fractured, this is the school’s last chance to end the year on a positive note that gives parents hope for success next year.
When students have parents that are actively involved in their child’s education, student learning soars. Support for teacher expectations accelerates learning, and the culture of learning and high expectations is solidified and even strengthened. Great parents make the difference in our work as educators, and we owe it to our parents to utilize our time at the end of the school year to express our gratitude for the sacrifices they make, the consistency they provide, and the love they give to make certain their most prized possessions are fully prepared to succeed as learners and ultimately as future parents. .
I hope you’ll use this week to celebrate our awesome parents. It will send parents into summer knowing their hard work is valued, and that their partnership will be more appreciated next year.
Upcoming Events...
May 20
Ambassadors - End of Year Luncheon at JISD Central Office with Principals & Administrators
May 21
4th Grade Graduation
May 22
Ambassador Luncheon
May 23
3rd Grade to Waco Museum
4th Grade to Perot Museum
9:45am Graduation Walk
May 24
Pay Day
May 27
School Holiday
May 28
8:30am Prospective Ambassador Interviews
1:00pm Talent Show
May 29
Water Day
May 30
8:00am Career on Wheels
May 31
End of Term 4
9:30am End of Year Awards in Classrooms
12:00pm Early Release for students
JISD staff released at 3:30pm
June 3
Staff Development
7 Teachers to DEC w/Kristen Graham for training TBD
(Bielss, Zavala, Carter, Castillo, D. Noriega, Kirwin, Huber)
Units of Study in Dallas (Armitage/Ganske)
June 4
Campus Needs Assessment
SLO's for 2019-2020
Summer Staff Development:
June 6
Patterns of Power
Teachers attending: D. Noriega, L. Carter, TBD
June 17-18
No Excuses University
Teachers attending: C. Bielss, D. Noriega, L. Noriega, K. Kirwin, Carter