Barber Bulletin
Week of October 23-27, 2017
How Well Do Your Students Know the 7 Habits? An Excerpt from Sean Covey...
In a Leader in Me school, I often refer to leadership as the operating system of the school. Within this operating system is the “Intel,” or a chip that makes everything work. In a Leader in Me school, the “chip” is the 7 Habits.
Think about your classroom for a minute and answer the following questions:
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Can all of your students name each of the 7 Habits?
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Can all of your students explain what each of the 7 Habits means?
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Can all of your students give an example of how to use each of the 7
Habits?
Muriel Summers and the staff at A.B. Combs are the original pioneers of The Leader in Me process. As such, they now have the privilege of seeing the long- term results. The first groups of students graduated from college recently. I watched a video of these young adults sharing how the 7 Habits have impacted their lives. It was inspiring! They talked about the 7 Habits being the “tools” they used in school, in relationships, and in jobs. They told stories about how they were successful because they had an end in mind or learned to practice win-win. They spoke about how they always thought of themselves as leaders.
As I listened to these graduates, it became clear that they had a deep understanding of the 7 Habits. This understanding had stayed with them from elementary school, even when they were no longer surrounded by a ubiquitous leadership culture. The 7 Habits had become their “Intel inside.”
Here are some of best practices to instill the 7 Habits in your students:
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The Leader in Me Student Materials
Just as math and reading skills are taught with increasing depth and complexity each year, the 7 Habits should also be taught with increasing depth and complexity. The activity guides that you will receive in early November provide developmentally appropriate content that helps students grow each year in their understanding of the habits. -
Integrated Curriculum and Instruction
When the key principles of the 7 Habits are integrated and applied throughout the day in literature, science, mathematics, music, PE, and leadership events, students’ understanding of the habits deepens.-
Key principles can be found in the Teacher Edition of the activity guides.
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www.TheLeaderinMe.org provides excellent FranklinCovey lessons, videos, literature suggestions, and favorite lessons from schools around the world.
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Teach to Learn
The best way to learn something is to teach it. By directly teaching the 7 Habits to your students, you all benefit. Likewise, students learn by teaching. Provide students frequent opportunities to teach each other, a younger student, or someone at home. -
Environment
Reinforce the 7 Habits in the environment—not just on the walls but in your verbal interactions—and on forms, websites, and newsletter communications.
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CelebrateLearning
Celebrations show students what is important in your school. When everyone in the school learns a habit, show them it is worth celebrating! -
Modeling
Model the 7 Habits yourself by practicing the habits, setting personal goals, using the language in your conversations, and setting and achieving your own goals.
Imagine the depth of understanding your students will have if the habits are directly taught each year from the earliest grade, integrated throughout the curriculum, and reinforced throughout the school.
Tidy Parrots!
Join the Wellness Council!
We will be utilizing the Docs Adopt and Alliance for a Healthier Generation matrix to accomplish our goals. Some things we can have done in the past are biggest loser contest and healthy breakfast treats.
Council members will also help in determining how to spend grant money awarded to us by Docs Adopt.
Also there is opportunity for you to earn college credit! Talk to Nurse Larck for more information!
Let Nurse Larck if you would like to be part of this council! This is open to all faculty and staff!
OVERDRIVE
Happy reading!
A Look at our Week Ahead! It's RED RIBBON WEEK!
CogAt testing for Grade 2 begins
Child Development field study to pumpkin farm
3:30pm Action Teams meet; please get on Google Hangout at 3:30pm for brief introduction from John Arnold, district office school data coordinator
5pm-8pm Montessori family night at Blaze Pizza
Tuesday: Your Future is Bright - Wear Sunglasses
Data conferences held in the OFFICE CONFERENCE ROOM
District Elementary Reading Coaches meeting held at Pontiac
Cogat continues for Grade 2
Janine Sears on campus to conduct technology PD in BRAINFOREST
5pm CiCi's Night! Thank you for joining us for this family event!
Wednesday: Dress for Success - Wear professional attire!
8:30am FRANK MARTIN, USC Head Basketball Coach, will teach a math lesson in 4th grade.
CogAt continues for Grade 2
K.Barber off campus at elementary principals meeting at R2I2
J.Gillespie off campus at Literacy PD at state dept of education
Safety drill held
3:30pm Literacy Team meeting
Thursday: When I grow up.......Dress Like a Future Career goal
End of the 1st 9 weeks
7:45am School Improvement Council meeting
Bus evacuation drills
IOWA testing for Grade 2
12pm IAT
3pm Coke and Conversation
C.Turner and M.Murray at EdTech conference
Friday: We are College Bound - Wear your favorite College Colors!
IOWA testing for Grade 2
4pm Grades due for storing
K.Barber off campus at 9am for Jackson Creek dedication ceremony
C.Turner and M.Murray at EdTech conference
From the desk of Soc.St. coordinator, Angel Brown: FRANCIS WILLARD DAY is Friday! This is a special legislations day!
Francis Willard Day is the fourth Friday in October, and the Special Days legislation states:
The fourth Friday in October in each year shall be set apart and designated in the public schools as Frances Willard Day and in each public school it shall be the duty of such school to prepare and render a suitable program on the day to the end
that the children of the State may be taught the evils of intemperance.
The "evils of intemperance" primarily addresses prohibition. Prohibition, however, is included in the 5th grade standards and a topic we may not consider age appropriate for all children. Francis Willard was a famous activist for so many other progressive reforms in the 19th century. She supported kindergartens and physical education in schools. However, those causes are not mentioned as a part of the legislation.
I've come across a couple of example ideas for observing that day. One idea is to do a brief read aloud of an excerpt from a book or article about Francis Willard on your morning news show (example: Rabble Rousers: 20 Women Who Made a Difference by Cheryl Harness). Another idea is to connect Francis Willard and the idea of intemperance to your Red Ribbon Week kick off and/or activities in some way.
Ultimately, it is up to each school to decide upon and "render a suitable program" on that day.