Monday Message
12.7.15
Of course late November and December always feel especially frantic as we not only scramble in our personal lives to stay on top of the holiday rush, but we often have to work harder to keep the lid on things here at school. In this time of running around, often without stopping to gather our thoughts and put life into perspective, it's always nice to pause, take a breath, and reflect on those things that we can control. Mindfulness is a powerful weapon in the fight against holiday craziness. If you take care of you, everything else will come together. So, please give yourself permission today to close your door for five minutes, clear your head, and just be in the moment. I promise you'll feel better for it.
Calendar (AKA Where Will Tim Be This Week?)
Please remember to participate in the Capital Project vote if you are a district resident on December 8th! Spread the word.
Monday, Dec. 7:
- Middle School Principals Meeting, 1:00 PM, Gick Rd. BOCES
Tuesday, Dec. 8:
- Grade 6 Band/Orch/Choir Concert, 7:00 PM
- Capital Project Vote, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Ballard ES and OWWMS
Wednesday, Dec. 9:
- SchoolTool Quarter 2 Interim Grades Unlock
Thursday, Dec. 10:
- Attendance Meeting, 11:00 AM, MOC
- BLT Meeting, 2:15 PM, Room 102
Friday, Dec. 11
- NERIC Technology Awareness Day, 8:00 AM - 3: 00 PM, Radisson Hotel Albany
- Teen Town, 7-9 PM
Other Important Upcoming Dates:
12/16- 6th Grade Teams participate in the Hour of Code
12/16- SchoolTool Quarter 2 Interim Grades Lock
12/17- 7th and 8th Grade Teams participate in the Hour of Code
12/18- Quarter 2 Progress Reports sent home
12/21- 2nd Annual OWWMS Holiday Smorgasbord
**If you're looking for me, don't forget to check the big calendar hanging on the wall outside of my office. This is the best I can do until someone forcibly implants a GPS device in my forearm.
Links That Have Caught My Attention:
- Calling All Learners and Teachers for Hour of Code 2015- Still confused about what Hour of Code actually entails? This Edutopia post will help.
- What's the worst that can happen?- Even (and sometimes especially) principals get flop sweat: noun phrase. An actor's anxiety; fear of failure; The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
- A Holiday Reminder- A post I wrote on my personal blog around this time last year. I'm digging it out now because it's a good reminder for all of us during this crazy season!
Ode to December in School
As any educator knows, the holiday season is not always the happy time of year that it’s supposed to be for some our students. This can be a particularly difficult time for our families that struggle financially, emotionally, or both, and often the results of this are felt in our classrooms. Many times a change in behavior can manifest in students that have never shown an inclination toward acting out. Always remember that relationships are key, and the simple act of listening or letting a student know you are available to talk can make a huge impact. Please let Kyle and I know if you need any extra support as we work through the next 12 days.
Teacher of the Week
Great job, Pat!
#OneNewThing
Please keep sending me those new things you are trying. It's more important than ever during this crazy time of year to keep each other energized by sharing innovative things that are working for you!
Thanks for sharing your #OneNewThing! Click here for the #OneNewThing Google Form
New Things We Have Tried This Year: Pear Deck, Google Classroom, Kahoot, Poll Everywhere, TodaysMeet, Piktochart, Smore, Storybird