Burchfield's Bulletin
October 23-27, 2017 (School Days 43-47)
A Note From Joy
- Thanks for the door decorations
- Thanks for welcoming our district visitors into your PLCs and classrooms.
- Thanks for adjusting your schedules to make sure every child could participate in Picture Day.
- Thanks for stepping in for teachers whose subs didn't show.
- Thanks for teaching to your best ability everyday and asking for help when you need it.
- Thanks for completing the Teacher Survey.
- Thanks for keeping an open mind when you hear new words or phrases like - WIG, Lag Measures, Lead Measures, 4DX.
- Thanks for stepping up to the bat when your Leadership Team took time off campus to prepare to guide you and help you make our whole campus be better than ever.
- Thanks for taking time from your personal time to support our students during their after school endeavors.
- Thanks for posting on Facebook and sending out your newsletters to inform our community on what is happening on campus throughout the week.
In closing let me share with you a couple of pics from an after-school endeavor that three of our students engage in about every weekend that may be a little unique to most of our students and maybe even you. The Loyd boys are not only super cute boys, they are also polite and kind. Below you will see a couple of pictures of Kane, Krew, and Kash. (I have videos too if you want to see them.) Kane and Krew ride sheep. Kash rides Mini Bareback horses. They are good. (I'm sure you've heard, Kash has qualified to compete in Las Vegas this December. That's Las Vegas, Nevada for the National Final Rodeo (NFR) competition.) Kash is amazing. Besides being a great bareback rider, he is humble. What an awesome character trait to possess! These boys are very fortunate to have two parents and other relatives who support and foster their desire to ride. Kevin and Ashley know what they are doing and they started early.
Why do I mention this unique story? Well, I think sometimes we forget that not every child comes from a family who gives up their weekends, makes financial commitments, and fosters the talents of their children like many of our parents do including many of you. Some of our students are not afforded the opportunities others have. But at the same time, I am convinced that every child has talents and desires to do something more than they currently think they can achieve. However, they don't have the means to make it happen.
Joy, what I am supposed to do? I just want to encourage you to 1) teach this week like the future of your children depend on it, 2) broaden the possibilities of your students with encouraging words and dreams they can pursue, and 3) pray for them if you pray. We have some incredibly tough stories being told right now in the homes of our children. We are the most stable people some of them encounter. We need to obviously teach them discipline but we also need to take into account their hardships and struggles. So smile more, listen more, and hug a bit more this week. I can't wait to hear what happens.
Thanks, Leanna, Debra, and Caitlin and your families for joining Ashley and her family in supporting the extremely precious Loyd boys.
A Note From Dave
Why not? I have lived by this motto my whole life, especially in my approach to creativity. Here are some of my personal “why not” examples and although these may not make any sense, use your imagination...I did:
Why not add grape nuts cereal to my clay when I throw on the wheel? (it burns out in the kiln and makes really cool textures). Why not assemble 42 random canvases into one giant canvas and paint a really cool image on it? (I did and people thought I was crazy...but it worked and I sold them!) Why not paint portraits on cubes instead of flat canvas? (they look really cool and I have 3 in my living room). Here’s the point...why not allow your students a different and unique approach to problem solving in your classroom? Who said portraits needed to be created on a flat canvas? Who said you can’t mix other materials, including food into clay to create texture? Why can’t I combine multiple surfaces into one to create a unique and interesting painting? Instead of a traditional activity, why not allow your students the opportunity to create a video on how to solve the problem? Why not allow your students to create a comic book? Why not allow your students to take make a photo essay? Why not allow your students to develop a script? Why not allow your students to create a poster? Why not allow your students to make a short film? If your students are learning the same information and they all learn differently and we are supposed to differentiate in the classroom, then why not allow your students to opportunity to demonstrate their learning with anything BUT the ordinary? We are The Academy of the Arts at Bransom and every day should be a day you ask yourself,
“why not...?”
Why not use this website, https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-band-collections/k-5
It’s full of great ways you can start to add “why not” to your classroom.
A Note From Jessica
Just a reminder that the Lion’s Club will be here 10/23, 10/24 and 10/25 assisting with health screenings. They have been to every other elementary school and it has not taken the full 3 days, so bear with us and we will get them done as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Character Luncheon
This is a great event and I appreciate everyone who participated fully in the process.
A Note From Sheri
Upcoming Calendar
This Week: RED RIBBON WEEK
23rd Monday - Give Drugs the Boot (Western Day); BISD School Board Meeting
24th Tuesday - Lei Off Drugs (Hawaiian Day); PTO Spirit Night at Spring Creek BBQ
25th Wednesday - Drugs Make Us See Red (Favorite Red Shirt and Jeans); 1st Grade Field trip to Mainstay Farms
26th Thursday - Team Up Against Drugs (Favorite Jersey or Team Shirt)
27th Friday - Show Good Character (Favorite Character)
Upcoming Calendar:
October 30: S.M.A.R.T Family Night; Harvest House Food Drive Begins
October 31: Jeans Day (with donation to Sr. Celebration); Halloween (no costumes)
November 2: Character Luncheon at Pathway Church
November 3: End of 2nd 6 Weeks Grading Period
November 5 (Sunday): Daylight Saving Time ENDS, Fall Back!
November 7: Harvest House Food Drive ends
November 10: Veterans Day Observed; Bobcat Pride Breakfast; BISD Veterans Assembly at CHS - Looking forward to a small choir, piano duet, recitation with piano accompaniment, and a large art piece at the big event from the Academy of the Arts at Bransom.
November 11: Veterans Day
November 13: BISD School Board Meeting
November 16: TAG Field Trip to Reunion Tower
November 20-24: Student and Staff Holiday
This Wednesday...
Spring Creek Night
Big Kahuna Party Bus Time
Duties & Birthdays
DUTIES
Gym: Owens & Michker
da Vinci Hall: White
Escher Hall: Kincannon
BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 23 - Stephanie Kveum & Melissa Patterson
Oct. 26 - Maria Balian
Attendance Update
4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX)
Wow! What a great conversation! We decided that we would work as a team to create our own WIG, Lead, and Lag Measures, and then begin making commitments as well. The question was, "What will our WIG be?" We brainstormed ideas and decided that the way we could help our students would be to help you, the faculty and staff. We understand the morale among school faculty and staff can affect student performance - good and bad. So...
We know that everyone just completed a Staff Survey BUT we need a bit more information to set our X to Y by WHEN. So we are asking you to complete this additional survey by Wednesday so that we can get started supporting you more. We promise not to spring another survey on you at least for a few months because we understand the "Urgent Whirlwind" of your day but we want to set "Important Goals." I really believe you will appreciate the actions we will be taking as a result of the survey. Thanks everyone!
Academy of the Arts at Bransom - Creating our WIGs to Focus Our Work!
Website: bransom.burlesonisd.net
Location: 820 S Hurst Rd, Burleson, TX, United States
Phone: 817-245-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BransomBobcats/
Twitter: @BransomBobcats