Team Thomson News & Notes
March 20, 2017
Important Information for You!
March is Reading Month-PTO Pals
On Tuesday, PTO will host PTO Pals. This will be the third free book going home with our students this month alone. Additionally, we will be giving out an additional book from the book grant that allowed us to give out the Clifford books on Valentines and to provide for an additional book for those that attended Family Reading Night. This will mean four books this month going home with all kids at Thomson. I will also be promoting the reading calendar more this week on the announcements and hope that you have and will be doing the same in your classroom newsletters.
Also, don't forget that Monday is 'Electronics Black Out Day' and that we are hoping that students will power down and spend additional time reading.
School Improvement
On Friday, March 31st, there will be 3 hours of professional development from 8:00-11:00 a.m. for our Thomson Staff. All teaching staff are required to be there and all support staff are invited. Our topic will be School Improvement. We will be evaluating our current plan and making tweaks where needed. Megan, Rachel, and I will working to develop a full agenda for the day. The goal is that the bulk of school improvement work will be completed at the end of this day. I would like to thank Rachel for stepping back into the school improvement co-chair role to help Megan through this first year.
Literacy Library
At our last Data Day, we discussed working on our literacy library to further distinguish books for various teaching points. If you are interested in helping with this, please send me a quick email. Thank you in advance!
Extreme Makeover Office Edition
I know that some of you have heard, but over spring break, we will be working to spruce up the office a bit. I am sure that you have noticed, but the wallpaper is starting to come off in places, the carpet is faded and/or stained, and it just looks like an office that was removed over 15 years ago. So, I will be working with whoever may be interested to get the wallpaper down and the walls painted. I know that some of you will be traveling, but if you are home and would like to join in the fun, please let me know. I am looking at Monday, April 3rd and/or Tuesday, April 4th as our 'Office Makeover Days' but if there are days that work out better for those who may like to pitch in nothing is set in stone.
Rethinking Morning Work
Last week a friend of mine had shared the link below 'Rethinking Morning Work' from teaching blog, Inside the Trenches, February 21, 2017. We often talk about providing 'fun' and 'developmentally appropriate' activities for our students but worry about 'time'. In this article the author shares the transformation of the morning work routine. While at first you may just think this is 'centers' and it kinda is, the focus of the student choices are intentional and provide opportunities that are not otherwise offered as part of the normal daily routine. But students are excited to come to school and spend a very short amount of time at the start of the day doing something that they love. Just some food for thought. If you do decide to give it a try, please let em know.
Quotes Worth Reading
"If kids come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important."
-Barbara Colorose
"Every kid is one caring adult away from a success story."
-Unknown
Thomson Elementary
Home of the Thomson Teddies!
And..
Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin!
Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 617 East Clark Street, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-0911
Celebrations & Announcements
Monday-'Electronic Black Out Day' in honor of March is Reading Month! Turn off those electronics and wear a little black.
Megan and Michael's Wedding Shower is this Thursday, March 23rd after school at MD's. Hope you can join us and wish them the very best!
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Week of March 20th-PLC Week
- Monday, March 20th-Electronic Black Out Day/Wear Black; PTO, 6:30 p.m. Lauren and Andrea are the teach reps for this meeting
- Tuesday, March 21st-PTO Pals; Playground Monitor Meeting, 10:30 a.m.; ELA (K-2 only) Meeting, 4;15-6:15 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 22nd-Staff Meeting, 7:35 a.m (Agenda: Amy Chorley, Behavior Series); Child Study Day (Please send any new names to Maida and myself)
- Thursday, March 23rd-Megan & Michael's Wedding Shower
- Friday, March 24th-Table of Honor
- Monday, March 27th-Read with a Stuffed Animal Day; PTO Yankee Candle Fundraiser Kick-off; Data Day
- Tuesday, March 28th-Tornado Drill
- Wednesday, March 29th-Data Day
- Thursday, March 30th-$5 Jean Day to support the United Way
- Friday, March 31st-No School for Students, Teacher PD 8-11 a.m.
- Spring Break-April 3rd-7th