Normandy Park School
Principal's Corner
Week of October 29th to November 2nd
- October 29th is an F Day
- On October 29th, the Primary Unit will be going on a field trip to Stony Hill Farms
- October 31st is Halloween
Normandy Now!
Mrs. Vazquez and Mrs. Langsdorf presented on reading strategies for Primary students (K/1). They had centers set up to review different reading domains. Mrs. Varneckas, our occupational therapist, went over strategies and tools to improve handwriting. Ms. Diana and Mrs. Parks created a power-point presentation (click link to check it out!) on Intermediate (2/3) and Senior (4/5) students. They provided parent tips to implement at home!
Normandy Now events are always a great opportunity for teachers to share classroom strategies and activities with parents.
If you have any feedback on we can continue provide meaningful Normandy Now sessions, please feel free to reach out to me or the H.S.A!
Superhero Day!
Student council met to discuss and coordinate Superhero Day. They wanted it to be a day to celebrate superheroes everywhere. The student council brainstormed ideas with the guidance of our student council teacher leader, Mrs. Polcaro. In their meeting, they decided on how to communicate their message with the greater student body. On Wednesday morning, they presented on Normandy News and went to Primary and Intermediate classrooms to spread the message.
On Thursday, students came in their superhero shirts. Some attire showcased Marvel superheroes, while other shirts captured everyday heroes and/or Normandy Park School. Overall, we celebrated that at Normandy Park School we are all superheroes with the powers of kindness and hard work!
Growth Mindset
When I was a kid, I believed that certain people were just innately talented. I would see great athletes or read great authors and believe they were just given a gift. I did not always take the time to acknowledge the time and effort they put into refining their talent. I got stuck in a fixed mindset. Accordingly, if I was not immediately good at something, I would easily get discouraged. My dad learned this quickly as he attempted to teach me how to throw a baseball.
However, over the years, with the support of my teachers, coaches, and parents, I soon came to learn the power of hard work, perseverance, and practice. My father often spoke to me about the importance of effort. He didn't call it growth mindset, but the core principles were the same. As a kid, it's important to know that things don't always come easy.
I found this kid friendly chart that demonstrates the difference between a fixed and growth mindset. These are shifts in thinking we can encourage with children to support a growth mindset.
Looking Ahead
November 6th: School Closed - Staff Development
November 8th-9th: School Closed - Teachers' Convention
November 12th: Harlem Wizards Assembly for Students
November 15th: Storytelling with Mrs. Gilson
November 16th: Kindergarten Information Session (For 2019-2020 Kindergarten Families)
Elementary School Parent Teacher Conferences
Fall Conferences: November 28th and December 3rd
Spring Conferences: April 10th and April 11th