GRE Staff Newsletter
For the Week of March 4, 2019
Dear Team,
I want to take a second to talk about the elephant in the room. Wow...this time of year is tricky. So tricky. With all the snow/cold days and delays it's hard to find your groove. Now imagine being 6 (or any other age in our building really) and trying to figure it out. We're cooped up and stir crazy. Our fuse is short and things that don't typically bother us are enough to make us snap. Snap at each other, snap at our students or snap at our loved ones at home. I experienced this big time this past week. I was so short with my kids for not getting packed up to leave quickly enough. How silly is this? Of course I recognized it too late, and apologized to them. I was taking out the myriad of things I faced throughout the day on those that love me the most.
We spoke about this exact struggle this week at PAC. I shared an analogy that I think about in order to help me through this part of the school year. Coming to school and remaining positive all day, is like a workout. Sometimes you feel like you can't do it and sometimes like you don't want to do it. But I don't know one person that finishes a workout and doesn't feel better. So our challenge is to come to school, remain positive and encouraging to all we encounter, and focus on how good it feels when we do the right thing-we focus on kids, we laugh together, we remain solution focused and we stay kind.
We have three weeks until Spring Break. Dig deep, stay focused and positive, and remember the influence you have on your environment. How will you leave students and staff feeling better every day? Show up, do the work, and keep your "students first" focus. We got this!
Here's to a great week!
Kate
News to Share
1. Eagle Ed teacher sign up ends this Friday, March 8th! Click here to get started.
2. To see the PAC minutes, click here. Please see a team member if you have any questions.
3. Just a reminder, I know we haven't been getting out to recess too often, but when we do, it's important that you spread out and closely monitor the students. It's easy to get sucked into meaningful conversations with colleagues but this is not the time to do it. Please help challenge each other to keep our focus during recess on the students and save conversations for alternate times during the day.
4. Challenge Day Jeans Week takes place this week. If you contributed to Challenge Day-feel free to wear jeans this week.
5. Another jeans opportunity is on Wednesday for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign. If you ordered the Best Buddies t-shirt in support of this campaign, feel free to wear it with jeans on Wednesday.
6. This week 4th and 2nd grades will be taking their Terra Nova tests in the morning Tuesday-Thursday. Students will be in completing small group accommodations throughout the building. Let's work together to give them a productive, quiet test environment.
7. Be on the lookout for information about this Friday's Eagles Nests.
8. This past week I was contacted regarding Momo. If you are not familiar with Momo, click here to read a NY Times article about the topic. It was a reminder that we must remain diligent about supervision when students are using technology. It is not easy, and yet it is so important. Make sure you have assigned spots for students to work where you are able to see their screen, this is an easy step that goes a long way.
9. We will have a staff meeting on Tuesday at 7:30. Light refreshments will be served and we will be talking about Responsive Classroom expectations for the 19-20 school year.
PLC Challenge
Week at a Glance
*Challenge Day Jeans Week
Monday, March 4- D Day;
Tuesday, March 5- A Day; Staff Meeting at 7:30
Wednesday, March 6 - B Day; Spread the Word Jeans Day; Yoga at 4:15
Thursday, March 7- C Day;
Friday, March 8- D Day; Eagles Nests
Upcoming Important Dates:
March 5-7 Inview & Terra Nova Testing (2nd & 4th)
*This is being run by Sarah Wytzka and Katie Yeager
March 11 Spring Pictures
March 14 Pastries with Parents; PTO Meeting 6:30pm
March 15 Pastries with Parents
March 21 Art day
March 22 Eagle Ed
Mar. 25-29 NO SCHOOL