Blackhawk Bulletin
January 11, 2016
Brrrrr! It is cold outside!
- This week marks the end of the grading period on Thursday (Jan. 14th). Grades and comments should be entered and finalized in your gradebook on Wednesday, January 20th. Report cards will go home on January 26th.
- January 13 - Assistant Workshop on Phonics 9:00 - 10:30 in our Media Center. This is for ALL assistants so 2nd and 3rd will not be able to have Leaders Achieve. We WILL still have ESL and Special Education. Fourth Grade will still have Leaders Achieve. Sorry for the short notice. The date crept up on me!
- If you are not planning to work on the OTWD on January 19th, please go ahead and log your absence.
- Our Pierce Flexible Benefits Representative will be with us on Thursday, Feb. 4. He will meet with staff members at 1:00 PM in the cafeteria and at 2:45 in the Media Center. If non-certified staff members need to alter their daily schedule to attend the 1:00 PM meeting, please discuss this with me. The Representative will return on Friday, Feb. 5 for individual meetings.
What is your why?
- p. 27: On a piece of paper, list five words that describe how you feel about your job and your career at this point in your life. What do these words tell you about your paradigm of your job? Now write down five words you'd like to say about your job. Identify how your paradigm needs to change to make that happen.
- p. 53: Your mission statement is your personal constitution. You've had time to refine it and get feedback from others. Now it's time to complete your Personal Mission Statement. Take time today to finish it.
- To help you focus on your 'why' this week, you may have a FREE JEAN DAY any day you choose to wear your "Ask me about my why" button to school. If you see someone wearing their button, please ask them about their why. If you are new to our school, come by the office and I will give you a button!
- Make sure to connect with your accountability partner this week to check in on how you are doing with living the habits in your daily life.
Leader in Me Coach Visit
Weaverville Friends!
You all are RED HOT! Thank you all for our time together! I hope that you’ll share the following with your staff as you reflect on our Onsite Visit. Please note the reflective questions included for all stakeholders. My intent is that they will guide your thinking as you move forward with implementation.
1. Celebrations:
- Active Lighthouse Team, with great ideas and energy + a staff comprised of passionate people!
- Shared leadership through Action Teams!
- Student and staff use of common language.
- Student and staff recognition systems.
2. Next steps for the Staff:
- Go deeper with the 7 Habits (think about the practices), using the structure calendar.
- How will you deliver direct instruction of the 7 Habits?
- How will you integrate leadership into your curriculum?
- How will you model the 7 Habits?
- How can you use the practices associated with each habit to teach leadership?
- Reflect on the 7 Habits and TLIM framework often
- Meet regularly with accountability partners
3. Next steps for Lighthouse Team:
- Continue work on 2-3 Big Rocks at a time
- Refine systems for celebrations
- What systems will you use to regularly celebrate staff and students?
- How can you create a school wide Emotional Bank Account?
- How can students give shoutouts to one another?
- How can you infuse celebrations into classroom and school events?
- Refine plan for Student Lighthouse Team
- How will you educate students, families on Student Lighthouse Team?
- How will you advertise opportunities to participate?
- How will you ensure that the Team is accessible to all students?
- Have will you engage parents? Mentors?
- Refine systems for celebrations
- Refine system for student leadership roles, opportunities
- How will you ensure a wide variety of schoolwide and classroom opportunities?
- How will you solicit/employ student input?
- What is your system for student application? For sponsorship of roles?
- How and when will students reflect on roles?
4. Coaching Care Package:
- Student Learning… shares resources from Onsite Visit “new learning”
- Lighthouse Team… shares resources from Onsite Visit “new learning” on Lighthouse Team systems
- Action Planning + Practices… Action Planning template; 7 Habits practices
- Leadership Day Planning Tool… a little resource for backwards planning your day;
- Mission Statement Activities… for class and personal mission statement writing in the future
- Practices… lotus diagrams with activities
- Checklists… for reflection on systems, use with Action Teams
- Principal Learning and Modeling… for Admin Team
- Student Leadership Roles… a long list of examples
- Blog: sarahanntaylor.org PASSWORD: lemon // Instagram + Twitter: @tlim_sat
I’m incredibly grateful to be your coach. Thank you for your warm welcome, your open hearts and minds, and your willingness to dream with me.
Rocky's Reader Report (from UNCA) - Game is on Saturday, January 16th!
Congratulations Weaverville Elementary!
You are one of our top reading schools!! We are so impressed by your school's 64.5% participation. Check out the perks of being in the top 3...
- During halftime your school will be announced as one of top 3 Reading schools as a part of the UNC Asheville Rocky's Readers Program. Please designate one leader and 10 students who plan to attend the game to come down to represent your school!
Also, please relay these important event details to your ticket holders. I encourage you to print these details out and give to each of your ticket holders:
- I have mailed each of you ticket vouchers for the students who have completed the Rocky's Readers program. Each student will receive a voucher valued as 1 Youth and 1 Adult ticket redeemable at the game.
- Please make sure the students are aware that the vouchers are not tickets. They can not enter the stadium until they have exchanged their vouchers for tickets. The vouchers are redeemable at the voucher tent by the front entrance of the Kimmel Arena.
- Please encourage your students to arrive early to the game to avoid lines at the ticket window. The doors for the 2:00 pm game open at 1:00 pm.
- Please also encourage your students and their parents to check out the "Read 2 Succeed" table upon entrance to the stadium!
- There will be snacks, food, drinks, and fan gear available for purchase at the game. All vendors accept cash and credit.
Your level of participation has been such a source of encouragement on my end so thank you making this program possible at your school!
A special thanks to Sarah Harrison for coordinating this event for our school! She will share this information with your students who have earned tickets (this is just for your information). If you would like to attend the game, please let us know as we may be able to get you free tickets too.
Upcoming Events
- January 11 - 3rd and 4th grade lesson plans due to the office (then every other week)
- January 12 - PTO Meeting at WvES at 8:15 in the Media Center; followed by PTO Executive Board meeting in the Conference Room
- January 13 - Assistant Workshop on Phonics 9:00 - 10:30 in our Media Center. This is for ALL assistants so 2nd and 3rd will not be able to have Leaders Achieve.
- January 13 - Literacy Team Meeting
- January 14 - District Literacy Team Meeting (1/2 day AM)
- January 14 - Lighthouse Team Meeting
- January 15 - NB District Principal's Meeting at WPS
- January 18 - Holiday
- January 19 - OTWD
- January 20 - Principals Meeting
- January 20 - SIT Meeting (send agenda items to Amanda Brookshire or Jennifer Shelton)
- January 21 - WvES ACCESS Test/Proctor Training at 8:00 - 9:00 AM (Pinto-Houbrick, Harrison, Aubry, Benfield, English, Shelton)
- January 25 - Math Team Meeting - Joint meeting with WPS
- January 27 - NB District 1:1 PLN (Professional Learning Network) Meeting at NBES (4th grade, ESL, AIG, Title 1, EC and Media) @ 3:15
- January 28 - District ACCESS Test Training for Test Administrators (more info coming about who needs to attend) - CANCELLED
- January 28 - NB District 1:1 PLN (Professional Learning Network) Meeting at WvES (Art, Music, PE) @ 3:30
- January 29 - Principals Meeting
- January 29 - Literacy Team Members to observe phonics programs at Haw Creek Elementary
- February 1 - No EC classes
- February 2 - PTO meeting at WvES
- February 2 - NB District Parent Meeting for 4th grade parents regarding devices; 6:30 PM at NBMS
- February 4 - Staff Meeting
- February 5 - Tie Dye Day for Box Tops for students and staff. Bring in 2 box tops to participate. Staff members may wear jeans if you bring in 2 box tops.
- February 5 - Non-certified meeting at 10:30 in the Media Center
- February 9 and 10 - WvES Data Discussions
- February 11 - Early Release Day
- May 5 - Production of "The Imagination Case" by Drama Club and Chorus (6:30 PM)
- August 15 - School Leader in Me Training