BES All Star Notes
From the desk of Ms. Wagoner, Principal
Celebrations
*Mrs. Talent was awarded a grant from the Explore Learning Reflex Educator Grant program. She received one of ten grants given in Texas from over 4,000 applications! Explore Learning Reflex is an online, game-based program that helps students build fast and effortless recall of math facts. Congratulations Mrs. Talent! Thanks for going above and beyond for our students!
*Chocolate sales are brisk! Thanks for encouraging your students and helping us to raise funds that we will use throughout the year!
*Everyone got their grades in Skyward on time for the 1st 6 weeks! There were just a few who didn't have conduct grades - but overall much better job than it has been in the past. Thanks so much for your careful attention to this!
Important Stuff
*Please be sure to complete the BrightBytes survey! They are wanting 100% of teachers to complete the survey and they WILL be checking! Also, the survey is for ALL teachers grades K-5. However, teachers in grade levels 3-5 will need to be sure to have your students complete the survey as well within the next two week window. Keep in mind that teachers, students, and parents all have a different url to complete the survey.
*I will need some work samples for my next principal meeting from each grade level by the end of the day next Friday, October 16th. Team leads will need to turn in student samples of work as follows for their respective grade levels. On a post-it note - please write out the standard the work sample addressed and place this on the work sample along with the level of Blooms where it falls (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation).
Kindergarten: 1 sample for ELAR
1st Grade: 1 sample for math
2nd Grade: 1 sample for science
3rd Grade: 1 sample for ELAR
4th Grade: 1 sample for math
5th Grade: 1 sample for ELAR; 1 sample for science
*Honor Roll spreadsheets are due to Blanca by this coming Tuesday, October 13th! Reminder....please give your students their ribbons/bracelets, etc. PRIOR to coming to lunch on Friday.
Reflections
Believe it or not....I'm fairly intuitive and pick up on things....but I also have "little birdies" who share with me as well. I fully realize that everyone is really stressed out at the moment. I think a large part of this is due to the fact that you all are really hard on yourselves and hold yourselves to very high standards.....sometimes standards that are really impossible to reach (ie., perfection)! First of all, you have got to keep everything in balance. I was also a mother of 4 very active children and yet I had my students at school whom I felt very responsible for.....but at the end of the day - I had to be sure that I found that balance because time with your families cannot be made up.
Our jobs are very intense at times and we often pour all that we have into them.....that's what makes great educators! However, if you burn yourself out and/or it starts to affect you personally - then, you are not doing good for anybody. You really need to take a step back and see how you can work smarter and not harder. I rarely if ever read school emails once I am at home and I try not bring anything home from work. Even though I no longer have children at home - I still enjoy doing many other things once I step away from school. I have also found activities to help "de-stress" such as cycling, boxing, hanging out with friends/family, watching sporting events, and the list goes on and on. I would literally go stark raving mad if I didn't! I have to confess that at my boxing class this past Tuesday....I envisioned a certain person's face on the bag....boy did I get some awesome hits in! Btw....it was not any of you!
All of this to say.....we have GOT to keep our main thing the main thing.....which is teaching, learning, and our STUDENTS. We can't change their home lives.....we can't make their parents read with them every night.....and we certainly can't promise them "the moon". All we can do is love them, teach them, and let them know they are important to us and we value them. We also cannot control mandates from the state and/or district expectations. I guess what I am saying.....we need to focus on what we can change and not spend so much time worrying, wringing our hands, and fretting about what we cannot control - because believe me - your attitude GREATLY AFFECTS THOSE AROUND YOU!
In closing....please know that there are many here to help....myself, Tammy Pope, Laurie Hindman, the ladies in the front office, etc. IF WE DON'T KNOW WE CAN'T HELP! Let me say that one more time....IF WE DON'T KNOW WE CAN'T HELP! So, if you need anything from materials....to needing a shoulder to cry on....we are here for each and every one of you! We have made it through the first 6 weeks! Try and focus and reflect on what you HAVE accomplished instead of focusing on what you didn't do!!!! Love you guys!
BES 1st Grade students exploring different types of energy during Super Science Thursday!
Example of how to use the Norma Jackson writing rubric at West Birdville
More fun with science in Mrs. Smith's classroom with Ms. Nazario's students!
Don't Forget...
Monday, Oct. 12:
*Student Holiday/Flex Day
Tuesday, Oct. 13:
*Honor Roll Spreadsheets due to Blanca for Celebration of Kids!
*Students in grades 3-5 can begin taking BrightBytes technology survey
Wednesday, Oct. 14:
*Team Lead Mtg. @ 3:40 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 15:
*Mandatory Password Change Day!
Friday, Oct. 16:
*Celebration of Kids! (during lunch periods)
*RtI Collaborative forms should be completed in eduphoria by today for the 1st 6 weeks!
Monday, Oct. 19
*Faculty Meeting @ 3:45 p.m. - Cafeteria
About Us
Email: cherie.wagoner@birdvilleschools.net
Website: schools.birdvilleschools.net/be
Location: 3126 Bewley Street, Haltom City, TX, United States
Phone: 817-547-1500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdvilleelementary
Twitter: @birdville_elem