Bobcat Bulletin
April 20, 2020
This Week's Events
Tuesday 4/21
- Report Cards Viewable in MiStar
Next Week's Events
Friday 5/1
- Stay at home order lifted - hopefully!
Looking Ahead
- Anytime in the next 4 weeks
Updates! Updates! Updates!
As we wrap up this first week of our revised rollout, I hope each of you is able to take a deep breath and appreciate what you have accomplished, both individually and collectively, for our students and families. The amount of growth and creativity continues to amaze. Many of you have shared new ideas, tips & tricks, and a few bumps and bruises but have remained steadfast in your commitment to our community of learners. Each and every day you make me proud to be Amerman's principal.
As we head into next week, there are a couple of notes to share with you to help you plan accordingly.
First up, Parent/Teacher Conferences. As a reminder, it is asked that you communicate to your families that you are offering the opportunity to meet for P/T Conferences between the release of report cards next week and the end of May. You may conduct these via video chat, phone, email, or in any way it works best for you and the family. Please note, it is not required to "meet" with every family as there may be some who do not feel a need to meet at this time. Additionally, at the end of May (or once you have heard from every family), please share with me a record of which families you did meet with and any relevant information you feel I should be aware of moving forward.
Next, What is Participation? For the purpose of the spreadsheet, participation is any interaction in learning that day. It could be attending a Zoom meeting (they don't need to say anything, just attend), it could be doing a Freckle assignment, or turning something in through Google Classroom.
Also, Technology Training Resources. Last week Aaron shared with us a number of online training resources available. There were also a number of live trainings to attend. I attended a Zoom training and it was extremely helpful. Those live trainings are available fo you to watch in addition to other trainings. Please click here to view those resources.
Lastly, Humanities. Our fantastic humanities teachers have created Google Classrooms specific for Amerman students. You no longer need to send out their plans. You only need to share the google classroom code with your families. Please note, PE is a NEW google classroom, please make sure you communicate that. For a complete list of those Google Classroom Codes, please click here.
Feelings Check in Heart
Kari Tackett, LC at Silver Springs came across a tweet from Christine Pinto in week, in which she shared a Feelings Check in Heart that she usually uses with her students in her classroom. She explains how she uses the Feelings Check in Heart in this blog post. On Twitter, she has graciously offered teachers to use her resources however you see fit. The way she has it set up, all you would have to do is share the link with students.
The Feelings Check in Heart is a great SEL check in. Students click on the specific feeling that they are feeling at the moment, and they are taken to GoNoodle videos related to the feeling they chose. After watching the GoNoodle video(s), the last slide takes them to a gratitude video. Christine explains that she pairs the Feelings Check in Heart with FlipGrid so that her students can explain what they are grateful for that day.
Did I mention that Christine is a kindergarten teacher? If kindergartners can navigate this resource, chances are we all can.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education is now available as as resource for teachers. If you have not set-up an account yet, please do so. There are TONS of resources available.
1. The teacher's username and passwords are as follows:
username - Northville email address
password - Northville email address up to the @. example: baughmanaa
2. Student's username and passwords are as follows (these are all preloaded already for you-you do not need to create student accounts):
username - student id plus the letters NV example: 20021988NV
password - lastname plus the numbers 2020 example: baughman2020
3. Teacher's will need to build classes. You can learn to build a class here and add students to your class here. Once you have classes built and populated, you can begin assigning work. If you do not want to build classes, students can still use the platform as a stand alone resource with their username and password.
To get instructions on pretty much anything in Discovery Ed click here. Lots of screen demos and FAQs can be found.
LC Corner - Curriculum, Literacy & Learning...oh my!
How to Help my Students Find Balance?
As we finish our first week of our new phase of emergency distance learning, I hope that you have found joy in ‘seeing’ your students, connecting with them and bringing learning back into their lives and your lives. (Of course, we know that learning hasn’t really stopped, it’s just different right now.)
Amerman educators have been doing an amazing job connecting with their students whether it has been through fun and engaging welcoming routines like a crazy question or planning fun Fridays with games or a pjs/show and tell time. Some of you have even surveyed your students to see where they are mentally and emotionally. How are they feeling? What are they feeling? Are they mindful enough to say why?
We know that this is a stressful time and we know that for most of our students they will not be able to get to the work of learning until we can help them help themselves to take control of what they can. We can not control a lot of what is happening, but we can control our reactions and choices.
This year’s theme of the Force is Strong at Amerman includes a mission to choose light, find balance and bring hope to others. So, how can we help our students find balance in this new learning environment? We can talk to them, we can listen to them, and we can do what we do best - teach them.
Here are some ready made resources and lessons right at your fingertips for talking about finding balance between the body, heart, mind and soul. These lessons and resources lend themselves to us speaking to our students and reminding ourselves about self care. Are we taking time each day to take care of these four pillars of balance and sharpen the saw?
Lesson Resources
Lower El Balance is Best Activity Pages
Upper El Finding Balance Activity Pages
Balance is Best Instructional Powerpoint
Self Care Resources
Teacher Be Good To Yourself Tracker
Monthly Finding Balance Tracker
(It will force you to make a copy)
Weekly Finding Balance Tracker
(It will force you to make a copy that you can share)
Remember although we are physically distant from each other we are still in this together and we will get through this and be stronger when we lean on each other. Remember to take care of yourself, work hard to find your own balance and reach out to your colleagues when you need support for yourself and your students. We are in this together!
MobyMax creating assignments and recording lessons
How to turn any pdf into an editable digital worksheet.
Kelly Lindsey at Winchester found this fantastic resource. It's a super helpful video on how to turn any pdf into an editable digital worksheet.
PTA Stipend Reimbursement - Extended to May 15
As a reminder all teachers are able to get a $225 classroom stipend reimbursement ($175 for part time). Currently about 2/3 of the teachers haven't yet submitted their request for reimbursement. The PTA has extended their deadline for turning in receipts to May 15th. Being a PTA member is a requirement in order to receive the stipend.However, that cost is small (I think it's $15) in comparison to the reimbursement. You can email receipts to amermantreasurer@gmail.com.
Random Useless Facts
Penguins typically mate only once a year and lay one egg.
- Very few species of shark, including the Mako and Great White, are partially warm blooded.
- No word in the English language rhymes with month.
- The highest ‘par’ sanctioned by the United States Golf Association is six.
- The average U.S. high school graduate has a vocabulary of about 60,000 words.
- Americans on average eat about 18 acres of pizza every day.
- A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
- The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
Happy Birthday!!
- April 12 - Jennifer Isenberg
- April 13 - Rose McDougall
- April 27 - Jamie Henderson