Mark's Monday Morning Memo
December 19, 2016
Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017!
This is the last MMMM of 2016 and the first edition of 2017 will come out on January 9, 2017. It's been fun sharing news in 2016 and I look forward to doing more of that in 2017!
#OneWord
A few years ago, I learned about the #OneWord movement. Instead of making specific New Year's resolutions, the #OneWord movement suggests we identify one word that will guide our thoughts and actions for the coming year. My 2014 word was Joy, my 2015 word was Believe, and my 2016 word is Gratitude. I invite you to join me in thinking about your #OneWord for 2017. I'm pondering my choices and I'm going to look for a way for us to share and display our #OneWord(s) in early 2017.
Buddy Bench
The PTO sponsored Buddy Bench arrived and was installed on our playground. Let's start teaching our students the purpose of the bench and how to watch for peers that need to be included. Thank you, PTO, for this great addition to Gatewood!
We Have An Angel
One of our Gatewood neighbors is an angel. An anonymous donor, whose children attended our school, contributed $500 to pay down lunch balances for our #GatewoodGators. I wanted you to know about this act of kindness and that we have angels among us.
Neighborhood Impact
I was contacted last week by a former resident of our school's attendance area. He told me about the friendship he developed with one of our students over the years, Aaliyah Hill in Mrs. Wexler's classroom. He was so impressed by Aaliyah's kindness and character that he is donating art supplies to Gatewood in her honor and is going to present Aaliyah and her family with an art print commemorating their friendship. The community member and Aaliyah's mother will be here tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 for this presentation. I knew we had great students and this is another example of the impact they have on others.
Speed PLCing
This Wednesday, December 21, 2016, is scheduled PLC time from 8:15-9:00 and I'll be speed PLCing, visiting as many PLCs as I can during that time. Please let me know where your PLC will be meeting that morning. Thank you!
Places Students Should Not Access
I believe it is good practice that certain places in school not be accessible to students. Two places that come to mind are the staff lounge and the copy room. I expect that if you have a need to have an item retrieved from the lounge or things to pick up from the copy room, that you call the office, send a student to the office, and we will find an adult to get those items for your student to deliver to you. There are many reasons for this, foremost are data privacy issues and the lounge and copy room are for adults, not students. Thank you for adhering to this expectation.
Welcome to a New Staff Member
Please welcome Andrea Tobeck who will join our playground/cafeteria supervisor team starting January 4, 2017. Currently, Andrea is a building supervisor at WJH and Eisenhower. Welcome to the Gatewood family, Andrea!
Reminder
This is a reminder that it is best practice not to leave students in a room alone. If you need a quick break, something picked up and delivered, copies made, or something outside your classroom, please call the office for support. We'll get what you need or cover while you take a break. Thank you.