Mark's Monday Morning Memo
January 16, 2017
Indoor Recess
The background photo is from one of our indoor recess days. Thank you to Mr. Barringer, playground/cafeteria paraprofessionals, and teachers for making this activity available on a rotating basis for our students.
Morning Greetings
I know it's tempting to use the time between 9:20 (when students are arriving) to 9:33 (the official start of school) to do last minute tasks, check email messages, make copies, and grab a cup of coffee, but let's please use that time to be present at classroom doors and in hallways to welcome and greet our students to give them a positive, friendly, warm start to their day. Thank you for your attention to this.
Equity Team Conversations
Thank you to our Equity Team who has started conversations and discussions about our school beliefs, agreements, and practices with respect to holidays. The conversation is in the initial stages and you are welcome to join the Equity Team at future meetings. We will make sure we are finding ways to communicate with and engage other staff members as we talk about our practices.
February Gatewood Literacy Night
This year, as we review traditions and past practices, we are not planning an Imagination Fair. Instead, we are taking the component of the book exchange and creating a Gatewood Literacy Night with the book exchange, authors, illustrators, storytellers, and literacy activities. The event is planned for Friday, February 24, 2017, and there will be opportunities for you to help plan, organize, and volunteer.
Afternoon Dismissal
Thank you to staff members for supervising outside during dismissal, your presence is greatly appreciated. I know that inclement weather days makes that more challenging. I need to affirm expectations for end of the day supervision. One member from each team should be helping outside supervising students as they head to the buses. Other teachers should bring their classes to the front and help inside where needed. Non-classroom staff members are needed in the hallways to help supervise students as they are dismissed. Thank you for your support with this.
VIP Days Are Coming
Gatewood will be hosting VIP (Very Important People) Days February 7 and 9, 2017. This is an opportunity for family members to visit and see a regular school day in action. We are proud of the work we do here and want to open our doors and welcome families to visit. There will be morning and afternoon opportunities to visit, meet with Mr. French, visit classrooms and the school, and come together to share observations. Look for information about details and times in the next week.