Team Thomson News & Notes
Week of: March 1, 2020 #ThomsonRocks
Important Information for You!
Can you believe it already March?!?! Wow, this second half of the year is flying by. As we move into a full four week month, please keep you focus on teaching and learning, but I also encourage you to look for ways to incorporate student interests and fun into the curriculum. With March being Reading Month, how can you incorporate literature and literature based learning into the curriculum and your days. Curriculum doesn't mean paper/pencil, sit and get, etc...be creative, think outside the box, take a risk! Not only will your kids thank you for it, but you might just have some fun yourself!
Kindergarten Round-up Appointments Start this Week
I would like to ask that everyone be mindful of requests made to the office this week and to be sure to NOT wait until the last minute on anything that you need our help with except for emergency situations of course. This means that checking bus tags first thing is extremely important if you want help. Anna, Sue, and Nicole will be extremely busy this first week taking appointments while trying to complete their daily responsibilities. Just a point of reference, each call takes approximately 10 minutes and in the first week they will make over 100 appointments, that is over 1,000 minutes of start and stop appointments. Thanks for anything you can do to help!
Early Release
As you are aware, Early Release is this Wednesday, March 4th. Paraprofessional, Secretaries, and Success Coordinator staff will be working with Amy Chorley from 2:30-4 p.m. in the Community Room at Davison Middle School on executive functioning.
Certified staff members will be working at Thomson from 1:45-4:45 p.m. doing a quick bit on self efficacy, reviewing data, drawing conclusions, reviewing school improvement plans and planning/finishing gold standards based on best practice research. At Thomson, we will meet in the library. Staff will want to bring Chromebooks and resources with them to the library.
Family Reading Night
With the cancellation of Family Reading Night last Thursday due to weather and as I had shared early last week, our make-up/reschedule date is Thursday, March 12th. All certified staff are to be available at 4:30 p.m. to help with set-up. All other information is the same.
March is Reading Month Celebrations
First, each student will be given a March reading calendar to track their reading minutes. We have set a reading goal of 125,000 minutes of reading for the entire school. This translates to each Thomson student reading or being read to for about 20 minutes 5 days/week. Please return the calendar to school by Monday, April 6th and we will add up the minutes. For each student that returns his/her calendar, he/she will get to vote for a staff member to receive a pie in the face. They will get an extra vote for each week they meet their goal of 100 minutes. The top 5 staff members will get “pied” by several lucky students that will be chosen by a random drawing.
Second, we have planned weekly reading celebration events. Please make note of these events below:
Monday, March 2nd - Read Across America Day, Celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Thomson celebrates: Hats Off to Reading - Students and staff will be encouraged to wear their favorite hat to school. Students will participate in class read-a-thons.
Monday, March 9th - Reading Exercises the Mind - Students and staff are encouraged to wear their favorite jogging/running suit.
Thursday, March 12th - Family Reading Night - Families are encouraged to participate in a night of fun from 5-7pm at Thomson Elementary. There will be several activities for children to take part in throughout the school. Each child will receive a packet containing 2 free books, a retelling activity, and helpful parent tips and ideas to use at home.
Monday, March 16th - Read a Shirt Day - Students and staff are encouraged to wear clothing that has words on it.
Monday, March 23rd - Snuggle Up to a Good Book - Students and staff are encouraged to wear their pajamas to school.
Questions on Clocks
I understand that a discussion about the clocks came up Friday. I was under the impression that we had all agreed to go by 'computer time' rather than wall clocks due to them all being off and not consistent from room to room even. Until we can get the wall clocks all in sync, please go by the time on your computer, this will ensure that there is no loss of planning time due to specials being off.
Self-Efficacy
Limitless Capabilities
Unlimited Capacity
'The Power of a Positive Team'-Book Study
Quotes Worth Reading
"A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."
-Redbubble.com
Do ONE Thing and Make a Big Difference!
Celebrations & Announcements
Birthdays This Week: None this week!
Kudos to Everyone involved in helping to plan March is Reading Month! As you can see from the information above, it is going to be a great month.
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Week of March 2nd-PLC Week
- Monday, March 2nd-Board of Education Meeting
- Tuesday, March 3rd-Tornado Drill
- Wednesday, March 4th-Early Release Day, Dismissal 2 hours Early; PD from 1:45-4:45 p.m. (Agenda: School Improvement-Data Review & Planning/Gold Standards)
- Thursday, March 5th-General Admin Meeting (Natalie)
- Friday, March 6th-PTO Pals; Employee Appreciation Day
- Monday, March 9th-Poverty Training at the GISD (Natalie)
- Tuesday, March 10th- District Improvement Meeting
- Wednesday, March 11th-Staff Meeting, 7:35-8:15 a.m. (Agenda: TBA); MTSS SAT (Child Study) Day, please send names to Jason and I
- Thursday, March 12th-Elementary Principals Meeting (Natalie); National Plant a Flower Day
- Friday, March 13th-Trading Post
- Week of March 15th-PLC Week
- Monday, March 16th-PTO, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 17th-St. Patrick's Day-Wear GREEN!
- Thursday, March 19th-Tornado Drill; Math Classroom Learning Lab @ Thomson; CMC 4-?; Spring Begins!
- Friday, March 20th-GISD Elementary Principals Meeting (Natalie)
Thomson Elementary
#ThomsonRocks
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