ALB Tuesday Talk
Let's Look at December
We have, counting today, 18 school days until Winter Holidays. This is the longest stretch I can ever recall between Thanksgiving and the Winter break. As I attend PLCs today, I'm so proud to hear planning for meaningful learning experiences, mixed in with a bit of holiday fun. Speaking of fun, let's talk about parties. If you are planning a class party, please make sure it is only held on either Wednesday 12/19 or Thursday 12/20. When parties are held earlier, it ends up feeling like a waste of the last few days, and we just do not have any time to waste. If at all possible, have your party at the end of the school day, and coordinate as best you can with your grade level teammates. Please be mindful that not all families celebrate Christmas and make an effort to be inclusive of other winter holidays as you talk about them in class.
Celis and I are working our way through TKES observations. When you review your feedback, please sign off on your observation. For those on the flexible plan, you may only have one walkthrough this semester. For those on the full plan, you will have two walkthroughs and one formative before December 14.
In an effort to connect with our families, we are hosting a Spaghetti Family Dinner Night on Thursday, December 6 from 6-7:30pm. All staff is invited to join us for dinner, but you are not obligated to attend. We will have a holiday guest read aloud to the kids while we do a couple of tips and tricks for families after we eat. I'll be sending out the information to families tonight, so please share with your distribution lists as well!
Other dates to note:
- Thursday, November 29 is the Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Marietta Square. The events begin at 5pm and the Burruss Chorus sings at 7:30. There will be a VIP area at the Strand for all MCS employees--remember to bring your badge!
- Cassandra Stiff, who spoke at our last faculty meeting about retirement planning, will be on campus for individual meetings on December 3.
- Staff Holiday Party on December 14 from 4-6pm at my house: 1065 Grand Oaks Glen NW, Marietta
- Nurse Chris Retirement Celebration on December 18 from 3:30-4:30 in the MC
- Quarter 2 grades, conduct, and updated F&P levels are due before you leave on December 20.
Thank you for teaching and loving our kids every day. A.L. Burruss is the school for me!
Jillian
"Here We Grow" Holiday Tree on the Square
Burruss Staff Birthdays
Angel Brooks: December 2
Jennifer Kloet: December 8
Sherri Monger: December 13
Chelsea Brady: December 18
Kourtney Clark: December 30
Bonnie Mako: December 31
What I'm Reading
I've been thinking a lot about the climate in our building, specifically student behavior and engagement. This has been a challenging year for PBIS with the movement of the staff members who led the team last year. We need more training and attention given to the initiatives, which is why we hosted the rotations on Monday. Thinking about classroom environments, the article linked below is something I would like for you to think about. We all know that nothing works forever, and we must routinely change up our systems to keep students engaged. We will give this more attention next semester, but until then, just consider the tenets of the article: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept18/vol76/num01/Tear-Down-Your-Behavior-Chart!.aspx