Monclova Primary
Weekly Bulletin
Events for Week of Nov. 7 - Nov. 13
Begin STAR Assessments
Sunday, November 6 - Daylight Savings - Set clocks back 1 hour
Monday, November 7
Remind your class families there is no school and Issue 14 is on the ballot!
Tuesday, November 8
Election Day - Bond Issue 14 on the ballot
Professional Development Day - 8:00 to 3:00 pm
Wednesday, November 9
GLC Meeting - 7:45 am
Primary Principals Meeting - 9:30 am (Betsey Out)
Board Meeting - 6:00 pm
Thursday, November 10
Friday, November 11
Veterans Day - Wear red, white and blue
Announcements
Thank you:
Reminders:
STAR assessments this week (Nov. 7), STAR Reading or STAR Early Literacy! This test will allow for a trend line to be developed after winter benchmarking. STAR Math will be given the week of Nov. 14. 3rd grade may give both assessments this week due to AIR taking place the following week, if you choose. During 3rd grade ELA AIR Assessments, all carts will be in 3rd grade Nov. 15 and 16, so plan accordingly when giving your assessments.
The growth mindset characteristic for November is gratitude. Please make sure to incorporate gratitude lessons, activities and teaching into your classroom. Also, tweet out with #gratitude.
If something occurs during the day that you need to secure a substitute, please notify the office. This allows everything to be ready for the sub and that you are leaving the building.
3rd Grade ELA AIR testing will take place in the morning of Nov. 15 and 16. 3rd and 4th grade specials will be switched those days and all chrome book carts will be in 3rd grade rooms.
Veteran's Day is coming, please make sure you are planning some activities to celebrate with your students. We will red, white and blue as a building, too.
Another great staff exercise opportunity, mark your calendar for Dec. 7 at 3:50. One of our Monclova parents, Michelle Gasiorski, will be leading us in a PiYo class. It's a blend of yoga and pilates and sure to give you a great workout!
Mark your calendars for some upcoming social events!
November 18 - Spirit Day - wear your favorite college team gear
December 2 - Staff Christmas party at Loma Linda's- paddle auction - 5:00pm
December 13 - Staff Caroling through Monclova neighborhoods - 5:30 to 7:00 pm, we will be in an AW school bus traveling an established, advertised route.
December 16 - Spirit Day - Ugly Christmas Sweater
You should have received an email with a sign up link from Chris Hamady regarding Google training. There will be an informational meeting on Friday, January 13 from 9:30 to 10:30 am at the CAO. This is teacher workday and it will begin at the high school with the State of Schools address by Dr. Fritz, then you can attend this informational meeting. The Google training is all online. Many of you have really taken off with Google and this would be a great next step if interested! CEUs and college credit will be available, too, with the appropriate technology goal. Make sure to sign up, this is only an informational meeting.
Words of Wisdom and Action..............................
grat·i·tude
ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/
noun
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
As you know our growth mindset characteristic for November is gratitude. Please think about this meaning and how gratitude can change your outlook, it can be pretty powerful!
5 Scientific Facts that Prove Gratitude is Good for You - Happify Daily - This article originally appeared on Goodnet and is republished here with permission.
Thanksgiving isn't the only time of year we should reflect and take stock of all the positive things in life. As it turns out, there is scientific proof that being grateful is plain good for you. Here are five ways to integrate scientifically endorsed gratitude into your life.
Write Down What You're Grateful For
Scientists performed an experiment in which they asked one group of people to write down the things that they were grateful for on a weekly basis, while the other group recorded hassles or neutral life events. The folks who kept gratitude journals exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were generally more optimistic about the upcoming week—compared to their negatively focused counterparts.
Start Today: At the end of each day, write down one great thing that happened. Use a notebook or keep a digital log.
Even a Single Act of Kindness Can Go a Long Way
Scientists studying positive psychology found that a one-time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. The happy effects disappeared within three to six months which shows that gratitude is an act to be repeated again and again.
Start Today: Every act of gratitude counts, and it can be as small as saying thank you or telling someone important how much they mean to you. For a bit of motivation, try a gratitude activity on Happify or check out The Global Appreciation Project.
It's Never Too Early to Start Practicing Gratitude
Psychologist and researcher Jeffrey Froh created and implemented a gratitude curriculum for kids aged 8 to 11. The youngsters who received the lessons showed an increase in grateful thinking, appreciation and positive emotions as compared to their classmates who did not partake. The lessons had long-lasting effects, with differences between the two groups at their greatest five months after the program.
Start Today: Lead by example and introduce the concept of gratitude to young people around you. At your next meal where kids are present, go around the table and say something that each person is thankful for—we bet the answers will move you!
Gratitude Can Boost a Romantic Relationship
While being grateful is good for you, being on the receiving end of it can do wonders for your romantic relationships! A recent study found that after receiving gratitude, participants noticed that their partner was more responsive to their needs and overall more satisfied with their relationship. Gratitude was showsn to have had a long-term effect that was seen six to nine months later.
Start Today: While mornings can be a hectic time before heading out of the house, make it a point to tell your partner how much you care about them.
Saying Thank You is Good for Business
When was the last time you said thank you to a colleague? According to research by psychologists Adam Grant and Francesca Gino, a thank you can go a long way. Especially if you are in a supervisory position, expressing your thanks for a job well done can make your employees feel a strong sense of self-worth and confidence. The study also revealed that being grateful has a ripple effect, leading to an increase in trust between colleagues and more initiative to help one another out.
Start Today: Acknowledge a colleague for their professional contributions with a genuine heartfelt thank you.