Monday Morning Motivation
Central Elementary Staff News---February 5-February 9, 2018
Go Team Central
Dear Staff,
This week, we had several opportunities to be proud of our Central Elementary students and those staff members who supported them behind the scenes. Our Flower Power Battle of the Books team won the competition, keeping the trophy at our school. Their knowledge of the books was very impressive!
On Saturday, our third grade Central Elementary Singers performed the National Anthem at the PHS boys basketball game. Even though they were nervous and excited, they hit the high notes beautifully. It was fun to see how proud they were of themselves after performing.
As I think about all the things that need to happen over the next two months (Progress monitoring, ISTEP testing, IREAD testing, planning, differentiating instruction, high ability placement, etc.), I keep reminding myself that less is more as we tackle all of these tasks. Continue to work on those things which are in your sphere of control and focus on the students, who take their cues from all us on handling stressful situations.
Some ideas to consider:
- Focus on our mission in the classroom--Providing engaging academic experiences, the Central Elementary Community will inspire and support students to be caring confident lifelong learners.
- Collaborate--You are not alone. Spend time with colleagues laughing, planning and supporting each other.
- Celebrate a Growth Mindset--Creating a love of learning while believing in the power of yet. We may not be where we want to be, but we will get there together.
Have a great week!
Julie
Central Calendar
Monday, February 5
- National School Counseling Week!
- Observations continue
- Imagination Lab Steering Committee Meeting 4:00 at Clarks Creek
Tuesday,February 6
- New Teacher Meeting Admin
- Observations continue
- Quick ISTEP convocation meeting Grades 3, 4, and 5--LGI 4:00
- 1st grade music program 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 7
- Observations continue
- ISTEP Statewide Readiness Test 10:00-11:00 (labs will be used as well as laptops)
- Building Level Discussions meeting
Thursday, February 8
- Faculty Meeting 7:30 a.m.
- Observations continue
- School Board Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Friday, February 9
- Midterm Grades--Make sure you are up-to-date
Monday, February 12
- District discussions
Tuesday,February 13
- Office meeting
Wednesday, February 14
- Cabinet meeting
- Valentine's Day Parties
Thursday, February 15
Friday, February 16
- No School--Snow Make-up Day
Announcements and Reminders
- National School Counseling Week!--Please take a moment this week to celebrate and honor our school counselor, Diana White. She quietly goes about the business of taking care of our children and parents. Additionally, we appreciate all of your character education work.
- Disinfectant Wipes and Handwashing-I have heard several teachers while on restroom breaks talking to students about thoroughly washing their hands. Please continue to promote this habit and let Guy, Amy or me know if you need disinfectant wipes. It is important we all do our part to keep our school germ free. Our custodians are doing a great job of asking Linda which classrooms have high illness numbers and then really cleaning those, but could always use our help. Thanks!
Please remember to do a radio check if you have recess duty.
- This helps the office know you are outside for recess.
- Also, this verifies that the radio is working.
If you stay indoors, please have one of you on recess duty call the office to let our secretaries know.
- Opening Minds--Please read the first four chapters, while notating your thoughts before the faculty meeting in February.
- PTO Mini Grant-March 9th deadline
- Domains 1 and 3--Just a reminder to continue to collect documentation and place in Standards for Success. There is not a set number of pieces of evidence. If your evidence worked last year
- FYI COGAT-See Jacki with questions or concerns. The Schedule is listed below--note the days and times the labs are not available
- ISTEP Practice tests--should be delivered February 12th.
- A Portable Promethean Board--A new board has been purchased for the vacant classroom upstairs. This is available for teachers and assistants to use. I will be setting up a time for training for any staff members interested in learning how this works. If you take it out of the classroom, you will need to "check it out" with Mr. Marsh.
From our Nurse--Fekete Flu Facts
The flu has been in the news A LOT lately; Let’s get the facts from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (All of this information is directly from the CDC)
The Influenza-Like Illness distribution within the state of Indiana is “widespread.” This means that people throughout the state are reporting illness similar to the influenza, including the flu. Please remember that the influenza virus causes respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, fever and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting. Some people may not run a fever.
Some people may only get a mild form of the virus and recuperate within a few days without seeing a doctor.
Please check out the CDC’s website for more info at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/current.htm
Preventing Seasonal Flu
- The first and most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccination each year. CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions (like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent handwashing) to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory (nose, throat, and lungs) illnesses, like flu.
Diagnosing Flu
- It is very difficult to distinguish the flu from other viral or bacterial causes of respiratory illnesses on the basis of symptoms alone. There are tests available to diagnose flu. More information is available: Diagnosing Flu.
I’ll be sending out another Nurse Fekete’s Fun Flu Facts this week.
Blah Buddies
The skies are grey, the weather is cold and unpredictable, the month is short yet so long… let’s spread some cheer onto this BLAH month by participating in BLAH BUDDIES!
On the counter in the mail room downstairs, there are pink forms for you to fill out about yourself if you’d like to participate. You will then turn the form into the office by Thursday and we will draw names after school that day. Your job is to surprise your Blah Buddy with treats throughout the week of February 12-15, revealing yourself on the last day (15th).
Participation is not mandatory but we hope to help take the BLAH out of February J
Please let us know of any questions.
-Sunshine Committee
Learning.com--Clearing up Adaptive Keyboarding Confusion
HOWEVER, please note the typing program is adaptive and not meant to be "completed". Students can practice keyboarding skills all year. Mr. Marsh did assign keyboarding lessons, but they do not need to be completed nor will students be able to complete them. The Learning.com customer service representative explained to me that there is an infinite amount of lessons so students really cannot be finished. See FAQ's document below.
Per Team Leader.....
Valentine's Day Parties
Teachers will coordinate volunteers for individual classroom parties. Boxes will be made up for you just like they were for the fall parties. February 14th
K-2:45-3:30
1-2:00-2:45
2-2:30-3:15
3-2:45-3:30
4-1:30-2:15
5-2:45-3:30
ISTEP SCHEDULE—First Draft--Yes, we will have snacks. They will be healthier. On shorter test days, they will not be big snacks.
How many documents do we need to download as evidence for each of the domain indicators? There is not a set number.Please think about your binder from last year and the conversations we have had and plan to upload those documents. They must be labeled, so I know what indicator to attach this evidence. If you have confusion, please invite me to a grade level meeting.
Updated COGAT Schedule 2018--Please note lab availability at the bottom of schedule
Staff Celebrations!
Our attendance rate has taken a hit this past week…95.17%
Thank you April Miller for giving extra time and energy to create the Central Singers.
Shout out to Kathy Crum and those staff members who helped her have a successful Battle of the Books competition. It is always thrilling to see so many children excited about reading.
- Congrats to Diana White and Annie Pagels for being Central's Teachers of the week from February 5-9. Enjoy your front row parking spot!
February Birthdays!!!
Happy Birthday to you!
Kim Laswell 7
Dillon Robinson 15
Staci McDonald 19
Good News Club
Billboard Advertisements for Candy Bar Creations
Force and Motion with Rubber Band Rockets
Students Celebrating Battle of the Books
Central Elementary Singers
Our Mission
Providing engaging academic experiences, the Central Elementary Community will inspire and support students to become caring, confident, lifelong learners.