Bulldog Bark
December 9-13, 2019
Take Care of Yourself
Our December habit from Onward: Focus on the Bright Spots. As winter solstice approaches and our days get shorter, look for the light. The light! Empower yourself to seek and identify something that is going well, then replicate it. Demands that are put on our brains tend to steer us toward the negative. Retrain your brain to perceive and experience positive emotions. Aguilar recommends five simple practices to train your brain to focus on the bright spots:
- Set intentions to direct your mind.
- Take an Inquiry stance and open your mind.
- Engage in Appreciative inquiry.
- Deal with emotions.
- Reflect and gain clarity.
Willing to give this a try? At the end of each day before packing up and heading home for the next week, take a moment to reflect on a 'feel good or silver lining' moment in your day. Record the positive by jotting a note on your phone, writing a draft in your email, or penciling your the positive on the side of your lesson plans. When you return the following day, take a moment to remember that very light and use that emotion as a springboard for your day. After all, you deserve to be happy. And our Kids Deserve It, too!
#teambulldog #youdeservetheredcarpet #bulldogproud
From the Office
- Thankful Thursdays Birthday Golf in the office Thursdays in December! Send your birthday students down to the office for some birthday fun!!
- Please remember to pick up PawPacks!. Thank you!
PBIS Update
- The Polar Express will be shown for our all-school celebration Friday, December 20th. The auditorium has been reserved for 9:40. Please check back to this newsletter for busing updates.
- Office Support Referral Forms will be shared in January. Please complete one with the student and hand to Mary when you come to the office. Mary will make a copy and return it to your mailbox after the office visit with our student.
- Fix-it Tickets (goldenrod in color) will be printed in the office. Work with your team for consistency with how these are used.
- Please revisit, review and reteach PBIS expectations when you return in January. Look for an all-school update second semester from the PBIS team.
Literacy, continued...
As we continue our quest to improve literacy, let's compare and contrast skills students might need to become proficient readers across the disciplines. ReLeah Cossett Lent, author of "Reading Across and Within the Curriculum", suggests that the recommendation of the National Reading Panel to target five reading areas (The Pillars: phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency) combined with Common Core Standards in 2012-2015 have accelerated reading strategies across all curricular areas. Note the relationships across and within the core classes listed below, and imagine the effectiveness of a school-wide culture of literacy! With the holidays upon us and integrated curriculum lessons abound, the timing couldn't be better!
Upcoming Events
December 6: 2nd Grade Gingerbread Houses Cafeteria 2:00
December 12: 3rd Grade Christmas Program HS Auditorium 2:00
December 13:
- 3rd Grade Christmas Program Elementary Gymnasium 1:30
- TarWars 4th Grade 8:30; 5th Grade 9:15 Media/STEAM Center
December 17: 3rd Grade Literacy Camp
December 23-January 3: Holiday Break
January 6: School Resumes
Meeting Schedule
K: Monday at 11:40 December 9
1: Wednesday at 11:30 December 11th
2: Thursday at 11:25 December 12
3: Tuesday at 12:00 December 10
4: Monday at 12:50 December 16 AnnMarie's Room
5: Wednesday at 1:00 December 11
District SD: 2nd Wednesday 3:30 (December 11)
Elementary Faculty Meeting: 3rd Wednesday 3:05 (December 18)
Building SAT: 1st and 3rd Mondays Conference Room 3:05 (December 16)
Building Technology: 3rd Monday Conference Room 7:30 (December 16)
District ELA: 4th Monday Diane's Room (December 17) 7:30
Building Child Study: 4th Wednesday and 2nd Monday (December 9) Conference Room 3:05
Building Leadership: 1st Wednesday 3:05 (January 7)
PBIS: 1st Friday 7:15 Conference Room (January 10)
Paraprofessional Meeting: Thursday, December 12 Computer Lab 9:00
Site-Based: Thursday, December 19 @ 3:05 Robyn's Room