B & K Tiger Update
February 17, 2020
We Can't Teach Wifi Kids with Landline Strategies
One of the things that is so interesting about the career we chose is that everyone has a clear understanding (or thinks they do) of what we do because everyone has attended some form of school. It's also the only career that anyone can go into where you probably already spent at least 13 years of your life before you started working there. The parents of all our students attended school at some point. We all attended school at some point. Because of that, we all have some idea of what happens at school.
The problem is, if you're like me, the way you were taught in your childhood and the way the parents of our students were taught is not the same as what we do now. Teaching used to be about providing our students with content knowledge (sometime you can ask me about taking notes in Mr. Petry's class), but that's not what's valuable anymore. Our kids walk into our classrooms with access to an iPad every day. If the majority of the questions we're asking them are things they can ask Siri to answer for them with, we aren't doing it right!
"Our schools cannot go out of business,
but they can become irrelevant."
~Adam Welcome
If we want to create students who are prepared for their future, we need to find ways to put them in charge of their learning. Be looking for ways that you can give your students leadership opportunities. I can't recall who said it, but "If the kids are going home with energy, and we're going home tired, we might be doing it wrong." I believe that in education we get caught in this mindset of feeling we have to make sure something is perfect before we try it with kids. I want you to frame that differently - find ways to try something with kids. If it flops, it's a great way to model growth mindset with your kids... "You know, that didn't turn out quite the way I hoped it would. Let's see if we can figure out a different way to do it." Then, come and tell me about your epic failure, and maybe we can figure out a way to make it work better.
Below, you'll see a quote from Grant Lichtman in Thrive. If the future for our students is unknowable, then we need to be more focused on teaching kids how to learn, unlearn, and relearn in a new context.
I challenge you to try at least one new thing this week and tell me about it!
Have a great week!
BB
Quote we're contemplating this week:
~ Grant Lichtman
Thrive (2019, pg. 10)
Upcoming Calendar
This week:
2/17/20
- President's Day (No School)
2/19/20
- 8:00 - Child Study Team
- Brian at Admin for Preschool Transition Meeting (AM)
2/20/20
- 9:00-10:30 - Brian & Katy at Admin for Master Class
Looking Ahead:
2/24/20
- Brian @ Admin for Mandatory Reporting Training
2/25/20
- 8:00 - Equity Team Meeting
- Katy taking a half day in the PM
2/26/20
- 8:10 - PBIS Team Meeting
- Katy @ Admin for Mandatory Reporting Training
2/27/20
- 7:50 - Talking about the minilesson (PD for all Teachers)
- 9:00-10:30 - Brian & Katy at Admin for Master Class
2/18/20
- Social Committee Salad Bar!! TGIF!
Equity Corner - An update from our Equity Coaches
What makes you 'you'? Students at FES are looking at what makes them unique and transferring this to the books they are reading. Many of them are able to find themselves in their books - we call these "mirror books". When we are able to see characters in books that reflect our own unique qualities, these are referred to as mirror books.
On the other side, when we are able to experience a character's point of view that is different than our own, these types of books are referred to as "window books". Window books allow us different views of worlds that are real or imagined, familiar or strange and often reveal things we would otherwise not experience.
If you'd like to know more about how to integrate this into your own classroom, schedule a time to meet up with Cristie. It's also important that we reflect on our own classroom libraries - do we have mirror books? Do we have window books?
Remember, there IS a way out of the maze!
Update: Many of you are finding that there are ways to change our mindsets to help us get out of the maze that we may feel we're trapped in!
- Notice your beliefs: A belief is a thought that you trust to be true.
- Don't believe everything you think: Sometimes "facts" are just how you see things... perceptions.
- Let go of what isn't working: You can't launch a new quest with old baggage.
- Look outside of the maze: Consider the unlikely - Explore the Impossible!
- Choose a new belief: Changing what you think doesn't change who YOU are!
- There are not limits to what you can believe: You can do, experience, and enjoy a lot more than you think you can!
Safety Update: Meet Officer Brianna Guy
Bri's favorite movie genre are kids' movies. Her all-time favorite is "Free Willy". It's no wonder she and our Tigers hit it off so well! Officer Bri visited first grade classrooms last week to lead a "Friendly Faces" lesson. In early March, she will be visiting our third grade classes for a lesson on managing stress.
Besides loving kids, you might find some other things on common with Bri. She's a dog person! She shares her little guy, Ennis, a long-haired daschund, with her boyfriend, Grant. They love hanging out with Ennis as well as watching/playing hockey in their free time.
You may see Officer Bri around the building. This week she is helping ensure the safety of our students arriving and departing each day. She is also mentoring some of our students. We are really lucky to have her on our team!
Shared Files are now on Sharepoint!
Time to input data into RTI documentation?
These shared files have been moved from OneDrive "shared files" to Sharepoint. This way we all "own" the files and do not have to ask for access from the originator of the file. To get to Sharepoint:
-Log into your OneDrive account.
-Select the waffle
-Select Sharepoint
-Select "Fishers Elementary"
-On the left menu under Home select "FES Staff Share"
-Select the file "FES Staff Items and Documents 2019 2020"
https://hsek12inus.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/FES/EvcAJlUXkj9PgMichOyFNKABx8sokG0Df1TzC9JomBgNHQ?e=1BWUur
Shout out to you... Thank you FES crew!
Thank you to all of the FES staff who have gone above and beyond to "make it work" when FES has been short subs. We got this!!
- Shout out to everyone who has stepped up to help out on the days we've been short due to unfilled absences. I know this puts a strain on all of us, but the teamwork is appreciated!
Sub Plans - Important Reminders
- Student Roster - With phonemic spelling for each. Let our substitutes honor our students by saying their names appropriately.
- A clear and easy to understand schedule for the day.
Interested in finding new, innovative, and different ways to create sub plans? Talk to Brian B. about how you might use Flipgrid (or some other similar feature) to create digital sub plans that include your voice and can be replayed as many times as necessary!
PGP Form Below
Indiana State Testing Windows
IREAD: March 16 - April 3
ILEARN: April 20 - May 15IAM: April 6 - May 15
CPI & Reminder Links
Below are the grade level links if you issue a Reminder to a student. The PBIS team reviews Reminder data throughout the year to analyze individual and group behavior that is managed at the classroom level. It also helps us determine if a student needs to move from Tier I to Tier II PBIS support. If you want your personal cumulative reminder information, please let Jenn know!
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fishers Elementary School
Website: https://fes.hseschools.org/
Location: 11442 Lantern Road, Fishers, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 594-4160
Twitter: @FESTigersHSE