Team Thomson News & Notes
June 3, 2018
Important Information for You!
I hope that you all had a wonderful Intersession 3.0 and are returning to work ready to finish strong. These next three weeks are going to be very busy and fly by, but I hope that you all make the most of the time left with your students and colleagues. We have had a great year!
Restorative Practices & Maintaining Routines
Living in a society creates a double edge sword: we benefit from communal living BUT people living in a community have conflicts. Society perceives response to wrongdoing as either punitive OR permissive. We all need to move beyond either/or. Instead, think of a continuum of support:
PUNITIVE—it is what is done TO someone, it is high control of the person with low support or nurturing.
PERMISSIVE—it is doing things FOR people it is low control with high support. NEGLECTFUL—it is what is NOT done to someone, it is low control with low support or in other words, not doing anything in a situation.
RESTORATIVE—it is doing WITH people, it is high control and high support In determining what is restorative, we can assume that the less students are engaged in the process and the less they have to do, the less restorative the approach.
The more our students are engaged and the more they participate, the more restorative the approach. Be reflective. Are you—TO, FOR, NOT, WITH?
The fastest way to increase behavior issues is to have too much deviation from the normal classroom routine; things like free choice or recess that last too long or are not guided tend to ramp kids up instead of settling them down. Thank you for staying true to instruction and maintaining your schedules as close to normal as possible.
5D+, Data, End the Year Evaluations
I was able to complete all observations before Intersession. If you haven't already, please be sure that you have responded to all noticings and wonderings and that you have uploaded the lesson plans for the times you have been observed. Over Intersession, I received the Student Growth reports from Eric Chorley. I have looked them over myself, but want you to have the opportunity to do the same before figuring this data into your final evaluations. I will be giving teachers the data I have for them on Monday. If you feel there may be a discrepancy or error or I do not have all the data for you, you will need to see me by Thursday, June 7th.
Anna will begin working to schedule your end of the year evaluation conference/meeting with me. It is my hope to get those meetings completed by June 19. The first conferences may be scheduled as early as June 8th. In addition to planning periods and some before and after school slots, I may be able to get a guest teacher to help cover a class or two. I would like to complete the conferences by June 19 so as to avoid having to schedule any conferences on the last three half days of school. However, the last three days are available if we need.
Once again, I want to express how much I have enjoyed the meaningful dialogue focused on the growth of your practice and what it means in terms of student learning. I continue to feel that the 5D+ system enables you to have direct input into your evaluation and professional growth. Ones professional growth is always as great as the time and effort one puts into it. I honestly wish this process of "coach-able" observation and dialogue had been in place when I was in the classroom. Thanks so much for your efforts to make it an ongoing learning experience for both you and I. It's a journey and we are all growing!
'SUMMERTIME' Count Down & End of Year Celebrations & Field Day
As you know we will begin the 'Summertime' Count Down next Monday. While this information is in the Tidbits this week, we will also send a special note home Tuesday or Wednesday.
If you are having any type of celebration for the end of the year, with or without parents, please be sure to communicate this in your classroom newsletters. The office has been fielding questions already about 'kindergarten graduation' and it has come up on our PTO Facebook page. There have also been several parents asking about field day and saying that they did not get the field day note that went home last the Friday before Intersession. If you have not already, please make sure these go home on Monday. Likewise, if you have volunteer forms, please turn them into the office right away.
Cardinal Code Focus of the Week:
Finishing the year strong does not happen by accident. Our students are bound to be excited as summer nears and end of year activities mix in healthy doses of fun. This makes it especially important that you start off your students' return after the intersession break with a comprehensive review of all areas of Cardinal Code and classroom/school expectations. It also means we need to value the continuation of Community Circles. Let's prioritize the review and reteaching of Cardinal Code by reinforcing community and guiding students toward setting leadership goals for citizenship and continued learning during the last three weeks of school. Thank you in advance for your efforts!
End of Year Duties & Responsibities
This week you will all receive the End of Year Duties and Responsibilities list. This list is essentially the same as it has been in the past. If you have any questions once you receive this list, please see me right away.
A note on closing your classrooms, remember that your classroom is a learning environment until the students have exited the building on the last day of school. While you may begin taking things down to send home, your classroom should continue to look like a classroom. Book shelves are not to be covered until after the last student has exited the building. Not only does this send the right message to the kids that school is school, it also let's parents know that we haven't 'checked out'. Thanks for your diligence these last few weeks!
Quotes Worth Reading
"With every 'yes' and every 'no' we are teaching our children (and those around us) what we value, what we prioritize, and what matters most to us.
Choose carefully."
-Unknown
"Make today so awesome yesterday gets jealous."
-Unknown
Thomson Elementary
Home of the Thomson Teddies!
And..
Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin!
Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 617 East Clark Street, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-0911
Celebrations & Announcements
Birthdays: Happy Birthday to Wendy Lockery, June 7th...Happy Birthday to You!
Important Upcoming Dates:
- June 4-8-PLC Week
- Monday, June 4th-PTO Meeting, 4:00 p.m., Amy and Lori are reps; Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the AMR.
- Tuesday, June 5th-Marilyn Strader's Retirement Open House 4-6 p.m. Hahn
- Wednesday, June 6th-Staff Meeting-rescheduled for June 13th
- Thursday, June 7th-Watch for a special email; General Admin Meeting (Natalie)
- Friday, June 8th-Last Trading Post of the Year
- Monday, June 11th-Davison High School Graduation
- Tuesday, June 12th-Summer Reading Challenge Kick-off; Lance Harper's Retirement Open House 4-6 p.m. Hahn
- Wednesday, June 13th-Staff Meeting, 7:35 a.m. (Agenda: The Contest); Field Day; DAE Graduation
- Thursday, June 14th-Elementary Principals Meeting (Natalie); Summer Scoop Community Event, 5:30-7 p.m. @ Cardinal Stadium
- Tuesday, June 19th-Last Table of Honor
- Wednesday, June 20th-1/2 Day for Students; 1/2 Day Records
- Thursday, June 21st-1/2 Day for Students; 1/2 Day Records; End of Year Staff Luncheon, 12:15 p.m. Hahn
- Friday, June 22nd-LAST DAY-1/2 Day for Students; 1/2 Day Records...check out will begin at 2:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 27th-Building Closes to Staff at 4:30 p.m.