Bear Tracks
November 30, 2018
Note from the Principal:
Dear Staff,
Remember the quote, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."?
It is a great reminder to remember to lead with empathy every day.
As we get near and through the holiday season, there will be a ton of stress. Whether that comes from your boss making a decision that you think is dumb, or a parent that sends a string of emails that makes you cringe, or a colleague that frustrates you, or even a family member, just remember that everyone has something going on that is affecting how they behave*. They may not mean to provide stress or act a certain way, but it is where they are right now.
The real art of using empathy, is to try to actually understand where a person is coming from, and try to help him/her see where you are coming from. I really do believe that we have the best staff, best community and best student body that any school could ask for. But it can't be perfect all the time - that's not how the world works. If we have good intentions and assume good intentions from others, we can do a lot of great things.
So, remember to be thankful for the great stuff all around, and try to turn the frustrating situations that we run up against into experiences for growth (for all parties involved). It is hard work, but definitely doable. And most of all, remember to support each other. Sometimes when someone is making you the most nuts, is when he/she needs kindness and help the most... Be someone that other's can lean on and be a positive difference maker!
Happy Friday and have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Chris
* - thanks Kevin!
Coming Up:
12/2 - 12/10: Happy Hannukah!
Week of 12/3:
- Thursday 12/6 - I&RS
- Friday 12/7 - End of First Trimester
- Friday 12/7 - GEOY nominations due
Week of 12/10:
- Monday 12/10 - Grade Level Meetings
- Monday 12/10 - Board of Ed Mtg
- Wednesday 12/12 - In School Winter Concert (PM Schedule)
- Thursday 12/13 - 4th & 5th Grade Concert Practice
- Thursday 12/13 - Winter Concert (PAC) 7-9 pm
- Thursday 12/13 - Kindergarten American Education Activity
- Friday 12/14 - Pre K Collab Day
Key Information:
GOEY - Don't forget to nominate a colleague for Governor's Educator or Support Personnel of the year! Dec. 7th deadline.
Library Update - Just ask Paula...(100% kidding, she gets asked no less than 30 times per day). We met yesterday and we are still a while out. Our very conservative dates are mid January for actual construction to be done and March 1 as 'open for business. I'll keep you posted.Casual Wed. Update - In the first 2 weeks of November, we raised $330 to support Lori during this difficult time for her, in the last 2 weeks, we raised $154.65, for a total of $484.65. We will continue to update each month as to where the money goes. Thank you for helping make a difference.
ACB Update - Next week is the last week for ACBs (Final day 12/7). They did a really nice job this semester. Let's support them and send them off on a great note. I was once an ACB student at Bear Tavern, but I'm so old they called it JPE. It is a really important thing the you do to support aspiring teachers and makes a difference.
Den Groups - I'd like to thank everyone for doing a great job with Den Groups. Having less structured time for the kids to share and bond is so positive and beneficial. It is a lot of work to 'do them right,' but I appreciate it a lot.
REMINDERS - We are almost 1/3 through the year. Let's make sure that we are universally consistent across the building in reminding students to be respectful in the hallways at all times, to stand up straight and put a hand up high when we put our hands up and that we talk to our students about being leaders (even our youngest students).