Monclova Primary
Weekly Bulletin
Events for Week of April 1 - April 7
Monday, April 1
Welcome Back!
Tuesday, April 2
Social Committee - 8:00 am - Susan's room
Wednesday, April 3
Wellness Wednesday - see shared schedule for activity time
Grades due at 8:00 am
Blood drive presentations - AM K - 9:00 am, 1st and 2nd - 9:15 am; PM K - 1:00 pm and 3rd and 4th - 1:20 pm
Thursday, April 4
Imagination Station - see shared schedule
Friday, April 5
Imagination Station - see shared schedule
Announcements
Thank you:
Reminders:
With several MAPS events coming up that take a great deal of volunteers to be successful, please remind your students to say "Thank You" to the volunteers when possible. Even a quick card from your class is appreciated by MAPS. We have Imagination Station, book fair and muffins for moms in the next two weeks.
AIR testing begins in one week! AIR testing for 3rd and 4th graders will be as follows:
3rd Grade ELA Test – April 16 and 17, each section is up to 90 minutes in length
3rd Grade Math Test - April 25 and 26, each section is up to 75 minutes in length
4th Grade ELA Test – April 09 and 10, each section is up to 90 minutes in length
4th Grade Math Test - April 23 and 24, each section is up to 75 minutes in length
The carts will be with 3rd and 4th grade on testing days. Specials will be switched for 3rd and 4th graders on days that 3rd grade tests. Also, due to the number of accommodations students require, there will be testing in the conference room, room 190, room 209 and some office areas. Please make sure to check schedules of rooms as you plan out activities during April. While most test on the days listed above, there will be small group testing taking place on other days as well.
April 8 - 22 is our spring benchmarking and last measure in STAR for SGP purposes. I realize with AIR and STAR, the need for technology is great, but just like last year there are enough days to complete all testing. Please see Jill and/or Betsey regarding special circumstances with your class.
April 22 will be our 2 hour delay and staff meeting. We will be combining with the other primary buildings for the 1st of several trainings on Fountas and Pinnell's Literacy Continuum. The training will be in the Monclova community room from 7:30 am - 10:00 am. More information will be shared as details are finalized.
Please log into eTPES and make sure you have everything "PINNED". All formal and informal observations need to be pinned by you entering your PIN number. After Wednesday of next week all observations will be completed! Student growth measures will be entered after April 22, the completion of spring benchmarks.
Words of Wisdom and Action..............................
As we return from time off, I hope you are feeling many of these vacation benefits and finish the remainder of the year strong and refreshed! The end of the year is time for a lot of fun activities and exciting lessons.
Importance of taking vacation
Posted 6.14.17 Shannon Torberg, PsyD, LPTaking vacation is good for your health—really!
Feeling overwhelmed by work or like your work-life balance is out of whack? Have you skipped out on vacation plans this year? If so, you are not alone...but you may want to keep reading.
Research shows Americans work more than anyone in the industrialized world. They also take less vacation, work longer days and retire later.
Productivity and stress management trainer and coach, Joe Robinson, author of, "Work to Live" and "Don't Miss Your Life," says the issue is driven by a number of factors. Namely, work force cutbacks and lean staffing make it difficult for people doing the jobs to get away. People are also afraid to take vacations in the "layoff era" for fear that they will appear less committed than coworkers.
A number of studies have shown that taking time away from the job can have physical and psychological health benefits. People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.
Mental and physical benefits
If you still need a little convincing, here is a list of some of the additional benefits of taking time away from work:
- Improved physical health: Stress can contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure. For both men and women, the New York Times reported, taking a vacation every two years compared to every six will lessen the risk of coronary heart disease or heart attacks.
- Improved mental health: Neuroscientists have found that brain structure is altered by chronic exposure to the stress hormone cortisol, which can be a major contributing factor to anxiety and depression. Feelings of calm arise from time away from work and relieve stress, which allows the body and mind to heal in ways that it couldn't if it were still under pressure.
- Greater well-being: According to a Gallup study, people who "always make time for regular trips" had a 68.4 score on the Gallup-Heathway's Well-Being Index, in comparison to a 51.4 Well-Being score for less frequent travelers. One study found that three days after vacation, subjects' physical complaints, quality of sleep, and mood had improved as compared to before vacation. These gains were still present five weeks later, especially in those who had more personal time and overall satisfaction during their vacation.
- Increased mental power: Upon returning from vacation, workers are often more focused and productive. Studies have found that chronic stress can actually modulate a part of the brain that inhibits goal-directed activity and can cause problems with memory. Time off can tune up a well-functioning brain.
- Improved familial relationships: Spending time enjoying life with loved ones can keep relationships strong. A study by the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services found that women who took vacations were more satisfied with their marriages.
- Decreased burnout: Workers who take regular time to relax are less likely to experience burnout, making them more creative and productive than their overworked, under-rested counterparts.
- Planning alone boosts happiness: Research shows the biggest boost in happiness comes from planning the vacation. A person can feel the effects up to eight weeks before the trip!
The bottom line is, taking time away from the stresses of work and daily life can improve our health, motivation, relationships, job performance, and perspective and give us the break we need to return to our lives and jobs refreshed and better equipped to handle whatever comes.