WEEKLY STAFF BULLETIN
December 2- 6
WEEKLY STAFF BULLETIN
Good morning,
December has arrived! As always, school calendars fill up with basketball practices and concerts, families become busy with shopping and family gatherings, and then there is the excitement of Christmas and the holidays that go along with that. And in the midst of all of that, we expect that we will continue learning at school.
Only three weeks until Winter Break. We just completed a month of Perseverance, now is the time to use the trait. This month we are focusing on the trait of self-control. Hopefully, our students will use this trait for the next three weeks.
Basketball games officially start this week. Please try to make an effort to attend one home game. It means a lot to the athletes to see their teachers at their games. Also, the Winter Band concert will be the 18th. Bring the family to come and enjoy some holiday music.
Aim High and Dream Big!!
Trish
What's Going This Week
This week is Social Studies
Monday-
Tuesday-
Wednesday- EH- Focus Teams- Girl's BBall (H) ; Boys @ New Richmond
Thursday- Boy's BBall (H) Girl's @ Blanchester
Friday-
Upcoming
December 13- Nightmare Before Christmas Dance
December 16th- Field Trip
December 18th- Winter Band Concert
December 19- Holiday Lunch
December 20- End of 2nd Quarter
December 23- January 6- Winter Break
Friendly Reminders
Submit Weekly Team meeting notes.
Articles/pictures/newsletters for Parent Newsletter
TLC
12-3 (Tuesday)
Engagement Activity
Place a piece of candy on each student desk and don’t explain why it is there until the close of the lesson. See how many students could not wait for an explanation of why it is on the desk. (M & M’s work best!)
Begin the session by asking the students if any of the following statements apply to them:
Did you have to search for homework, clothes, or some other item before you left for school today?
Did you leave behind a mess?
Do you lack the time to complete your assignments?
YES answers to any of these questions above may indicate that a student may need more self-discipline.
Ask students if they might know why people procrastinate. Some suggestions might be:
They are afraid of making mistakes;
They do not realize how much time they are wasting on things that are not important;
List students’ answers on the board.
Read the article, The Marshmallow Test Pays Off 40 Years Later and Delayed Gratification, Intelligence Linked (https://www.nlsd.k12.oh.us.schools.bz/userfiles/294/Classes/1571/Delayed%20Gratification.pdf)
Discussion questions
What does it mean to be self-disciplined?
How can you become more self-disciplined?
What plans can you make to help you to become more self-disciplined?
12-5 (Thursday)
As a class, go over the definition of Self-Control
Reflects one’s ability to be disciplined when managing one’s feelings and behavior.
Watch the following video (about 7 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2jYdEO18nU
Complete “Self -Control Starters” handout (writing activity) provided.
If you have any new students that haven't taken the VIA survey, please find a time this week that they can take it. Here are the survey links:
* Password: FelicityTLC19> *
5th grade URL: https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/classes/Register?classCode=FFMS5
> * 6th grade URL: https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/classes/Register?classCode=FFMS6
> * 7th grade URL: https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/classes/Register?classCode=FFMS7
> * 8th grade URL: https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/classes/Register?classCode=FFMS8
Professional Development
Diffusing Defiance in the Classroom
Stress Busters & Sanity Savers
Dealing with defiance from students is emotionally exhausting.
“There was a constant feeling of stress and helplessness,” says Bronwyn Harris, recalling her experiences teaching students with ODD. Left unchecked, those feelings may derail your efforts to help them—while decreasing your overall quality of life. These steps can help you manage the strong emotions triggered by defiance.
Find a Buddy Teacher. When Harris needed a break, she’d send her student with ODD to a colleague’s classroom. The break would give both her and the student (and the class) time to regroup. Look for a buddy teacher who can calmly handle difficult situations, and be sure to share any insider tips and tricks (triggers, behavior plans) with her.
Acknowledge Your Reactions. “You can ignore a behavior, but you can’t always ignore how it impacts you,” says Sherianna Boyle, a former school psychologist and author of The Four Gifts of Anxiety: Embrace the Power of Your Anxiety and Transform Your Life. You’ll likely feel angry and frustrated at times. Instead of suppressing those emotions, or feeling ashamed of them, talk about them with a trusted colleague or friend, or try keeping a journal.
Ask For Support. Don’t try to go it alone. In addition to your buddy teacher, make sure you reach out to your school’s special education team and administration, even if your student doesn’t have an official diagnosis or IEP plan. They can provide concrete suggestions and support. Identify sources of emotional support, too, and take advantage of your district’s employee assistance program if you feel you’re beginning to burn out.
12 Days of Kindness
STRENGTH SPOTTING
Please use this form to nominate fellow staff members who do extraordinary things! We will draw from these nominations to raffle gift cards throughout the year. Teachers who submit a strength spotting will also be in a drawing.
This weeks teachers nominated were:
Marie Pollitt for showing the strength of Teamwork. Marie Helped me sole a problem just because she wanted to help.
Rene Henson for showing the strengths of Humor and Teamwork. Rene always makes me laugh and she helps out the team in a variety of ways.
Holli Roehm for showing the strength of Kindness for loving our students and making sure they know someone cares about them.
Winners:
This winners this month are …… Shelley Nooe nominated by Tina Miller..Come to the office for your prize:)