CANNON LEGACY
A Newsletter For Cannon Staff 2017-2018
Principal Points - 1/8-1/12
HAPPY NEW YEAR & WELCOME BACK!
As educators, when we think about a "new year", we typically think of August, when we begin our new school year. At that time, we welcome new students, we set new goals and we make new resolutions about how we are going to design engaging learning for our scholars!! As the year progresses, it is filled with celebrations, along with a fair share of challenges.
As we reflect back on our world outside of school during 2017, there are certainly many triumphs to acknowledge, but somehow, the extreme challenges that occurred throughout the year, seem to be what come to mind so readily....an emotionally-charged political climate, terrorist attacks, mass shootings, natural disasters, etc...
During the holidays, I saw the Mass Mutual commercial embedded below and thought it was such a beautiful reminder that a positive outlook can make all the difference in how we perceive the challenges that sometimes feel almost impossible to bear.
Education, at every level and in every school, is certainly laden with challenges. As we enter 2018 and the second half of this school year, let's help each other to maintain the perspective presented in this TV commercial.
Let’s focus on the successes.
Let's keep taking risks to be innovative for our scholars.
Let’s empathize more with one another.
Let’s look for similarities more than differences.
Let’s celebrate even the smallest victories.
Let’s smile more.
Let’s complain less.
Let’s give more credit than we take.
Let’s voice our appreciation more often.
Let’s continue to be champions for ALL kids. #KidsDeserveIt
Let’s keep standing together, supporting each other, making our voices heard, and creating the very best school - and world - for our scholars!
Cheers to an amazing 2018! Thank you for your hard work, your sincere dedication to our kids, and your hearts as educators. I consider it an enormous honor to work alongside each of you every single day!
Proud to be your principal,
Tona :)
Family matters! The video below has been shared with our school community, so that they can see how important OUR families & friends are to our staff!
Lisa's Coaching Corner
As we gear up to begin 2018, the thought comes to my mind that 2018 will be HUGE for Cannon and we are all LUCKY enough to be apart of it! I.AM.EXCITED!!!
But back to reality of greeting students on Tuesday. Make sure you are intentional about resetting norms as our scholars adjust to the school schedule again. Remember, that we all thrive on routines and procedures so taking time to do so will pay off! Enjoy the educator's anthem below as a reminder that in a single day, teachers have an amount of influence over the world's future that very few people will ever posses throughout their entire lives. Let's make it count!!
Please reach out to me if I can assist you with any curriculum needs.
DATES TO REMEMBER
1/08 Staff returns to work - Teacher Work Day
1/09 Students return to school
1/09 PLC Week B- 5th grade - 2:15-3:45
1/10 PLC Week B -3rd grade - 2:15-3:45
1/11 PLC Week B -4th grade - 2:15-3:45
1/12 2nd grade field trip to Grapevine library/recreation center
1/12 Spelling Bee - 8:30 am in cafeteria (4th & 5th only)
1/12 Tech Talk w/ Julee during conference time - New iOS features
1/15 Student & Staff holiday - Martin Luther King Day
1/16 PLC Week A- Kindergarten - 2:15-3:45
1/17 PLC Week A -1st grade - 2:15-3:45
1/18 Final day to turn in grade level School Board Appreciation items
1/18 PLC Week A -2nd grade - 2:15-3:45
1/19 Tech Talk w/ Julee during conference times - Stop Animation with Stickbots
1/22 STEM Leadership meetings - 3:15 - library
1/23 PLC Week B- 5th grade - 2:15-3:45
1/23 Cannon Night @ Cici's Pizza
1/24 PLC Week B -4th grade - 2:15-3:45
1/25 Principal Panel Lunch
1/25 PLC Week B -3rd grade - 2:15-3:45
1/26 Tech Talk w/ Julee during conference times - Osmo
1/29 CEC 3:15-library
Congratulations To Brittney & Landon Womack On Their Latest Baby News It's A GIRL!!
JANUARY IS BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH!
Scholar work should be dropped off in my office by the end of the day on Thursday, January 18th. This year's theme is "Helping Kids Soar to Success." Please refer to the following link to read short bios on all GCISD trustees. Thank you!
January Book Of The Month
How To Bicycle To The Moon To Plant Sunflowers is the perfect book to kick off our Book of the Month for 2018!! Be sure to check out all of the resources Kristi has provided below, as you prepare to share this month's book with your scholars in the classroom! The BoM Video and Smore embedded below will also be shared in the parent newsletter.
Our Cubs are going to LOVE this month's BoM Design Challenge, which is to design and build a catapult that will launch an object of their choice to simulate a meteorite into a model of the moon. Be sure to read over the details of this challenge, so that you can offer some guidance and answer any questions your students may have. The winners of this challenge will have the opportunity to demonstrate their catapults at the Friday assembly on February 2nd!
REMINDERS & UPDATES
REMINDER ABOUT POSTING GRADES The posting window will close at 10:00 p.m. on Monday, 1/8. Report Cards will post to Skyward Family Access on 1/10 at 3:00 p.m. Please be sure all grades are entered for this 9 weeks within grading period 10/23-12/21.
SPELLING BEE - The 4th & 5th grade scholars that qualified for the campus spelling bee will compete on Friday, 1/12, in the cafeteria, beginning at 8:30. All 4th & 5th grade classrooms are invited to come watch and support their classmates! The campus winner will compete in the district Spelling Bee at CTMS on February 8th. BIG thanks to Lisa Brown for her work to organize this event for our campus. Also, thanks to Kristi Wagner for agreeing to be the "pronouncer" for this bee!!! Good luck to all participants!!
CANNON PRESENTERS @ MINI-CAST I want to invite everyone to consider presenting at this year’s DFW Metroplex Mini-CAST. Other teachers in the area could very much benefit from all the great things we are implementing in our science classrooms. It’s easier than you might think….the sessions are just an hour for you to share some of the great things you do in your classroom!
This school year it will be hosted on the east side of the metroplex at West Mesquite HS in Mesquite ISD (2500 Memorial Blvd, Mesquite, TX 75149) on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Mini-CAST 2018 is now accepting presentation proposals. Follow the link HERE to submit a proposal! The deadline to submit is January 15. We are happy to help you with your proposals!!
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP WEEK Mark your calendars for Digital Citizenship Week January 8 - 19, 2018. All our GCISD Digital Citizenship resources may be found here.
STEM Competition For Students
The Tonight Show, with Jimmy Fallon, is giving STEM-loving kids a shot to be on his show, thanks to a new STEM competition for kids. Click here for all of the details!
In partnership with Camp Invention, a program run by the non-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame, young inventors are invited to send a video entry showing off their working model or prototype. Students selected as the winning inventor win an all-expenses paid trip to NYC and some airtime on The Tonight Show. Submissions due by February 1st.
Click here to see previous student inventors on The Tonight Show!
Summer Enrichment - 2018
Do you have a passion you’d love to share with students? If so, then Summer Enrichment is for you! We are looking for certified GCISD teachers that will join us at Summer Enrichment where we will Go Amazing Places!
Teacher applications and course proposals are now being accepted for Summer Enrichment 2018. Our theme this year is “Go Amazing Places” and we would love for you to come and Go with us! We are looking for courses that meet the needs of all students in a variety of areas including arts and crafts, music, theater, writing, problem solving, science, cooking, and more! Courses are 3 hours in length (8:30-11:30 or 12:30-3:30) and will run for 1 week, Monday-Friday. As a Summer Enrichment teacher, you get to choose when you would like to offer your course(s) so you can work around your summer plans.
Please consider creating an Adventurous opportunity and join us as we “Go Amazing Places” that help students continue their journey of becoming skilled problem solvers, effective communicators, collaborative workers, global citizens, and self-regulated learners.
Compensation: $30/hour
Budget: $75/course (based on supplies for 10-16 students and must use GCISD approved vendors)
Teacher Hours: 8-noon for AM and Noon-4 for PM classes
Location: CTMS
Ages of Students: Students that have completed Kinder-6th grades and are ages 5-13
Dates:
Session 1: June 11 - 15
Session 2: June 18 - 22
Session 3: June 25 - 29
Session 4: July 9 - 13
Session 5: July 16 - 20
Please use the links below to apply:
Teacher Application (Submit by February 1, 2018)
Course Proposal (Submit by February 1, 2018)
Please contact Jeanette Fink for more information: jeanette.fink@gcisd.net ext. 2506Worth A Read...or a Listen!!
ATTENTION DUAL LANGUAGE TEACHERS! Great resources to check out for your scholars that are learning the Spanish language by developing their listening skills in Spanish. Great ways to focus on global listening to help students get comfortable with not understanding every word, but still increasing their global comprehension.
CHECK OUT THIS BIG LIST OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES to discover some new ideas or be reminded of some "oldies but goodies" to use in your classroom!
TWITTER REMINDERS FOR @canSTEM
Please help us reach our campus goal for all staff to participate in a 5-minute a day communication plan, as stated in George Couros's quote shown here. It's truly a simple way to SHARE & LEARN from the best minds in GCISD! I am going to be highlighting our school twitter account HEAVILY with parents & our school community, to help create our own "outward culture of celebration"!!
As a reminder, please include our school's handle, @canSTEM, in all of your tweets, so that they can be automatically retweeted on our school account. At the end of the day, simply go to @canSTEM and scroll through our school's tweets for 5 minutes and see what your colleagues are sharing! If you want to learn more from them about an idea they shared....you will only have to walk across the building to get more information firsthand!
Please click here to see our staff list of social media accounts. Please add/update any information so that we can make sure we follow each other!
About This Background Image...
TO-DO LIST
- Set a timer and complete daily attendance ON TIME!
- Don't forget to show daily KCAN announcements every Monday-Thursday!! #KidsDeserveIt
- Finish posting grades by 10:00 pm on Monday 1/8
- Meet with your team and make a plan for how your team will contribute quality work for School Board Appreciation. Due to Tona by January 18th.
- Communicate the Student Holiday on 1/15 to students & parents!
- Consider being a presenter @ Mini-Cast! Proposals due by 1/15 - talk to Julie B. or Lisa for ideas & support to write a proposal!
- Review & share all of the information about January's BoM with your scholars!
- Learn all about newest iOS features at Friday's Tech Talk with Julee - 1/12
- Share information about the Jimmy Fallon STEM contest with your scholars!
- Review the information in this newsletter about the 5-minute a day communication plan. Tweet & blog about all of the great things you are doing in your classroom/grade!
- Update teacher website, blog and other social media.