Skyland Peek at the Week
Week of September 23-27 (B WEEK)
Fall is here! (Well...kinda)
Just when you thought you could pull out your sweaters and boots, South Carolina Fall strikes again with temperatures in the 90s this week. Being a "Northener," this is always a part of the year where I struggle, missing sweatshirt weather and Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks. (However, I quickly remember how much I love the South when it is March in the 70s here and Michigan still has 5 feet of snow and no sign of Spring in sight!)
A little something to consider this week:
"We can do no great things - only small things with great love." - Mother Teresa
This is a quote that I believe deep in my soul, especially when it comes to what we do each and every day. Every word you say to a child, every smile, every act of encouragement, every act of grace and forgiveness. Theses acts might feel so little and we let them just pass us by without thinking much about them. However, all those little things you do out of great love for you students may have a huge impact on them. You just never know which small thing is going to be the thing that changes their heart or mind or life. We hold such a great power and responsibility to use our opportunity as educators to model for our students how small acts can change the world.
Here is my example from this week. I am sure you all listened to the school messenger this week (crickets... crickets), but if you maybe missed it, I had two students do the announcements. They did such a great job! As we were listening to the playback after we finished, the fifth grade boy made a comment to me that sometimes he pauses when he reads and gets nervous, but, in his words, "You couldn't hear it at all! I sounded really good!" My response, not knowing much about this kiddo, was, "Yeah! You did sound really great. I can tell your a great reader!" which he responded with, "My mom is going to freak out when she hears it." Again, I didn't think anything about it, but just agreed that he shouldn't tell her and let it be a surprise.
Fast forward to the next morning when I received an email from the boy's mom, telling me how he has struggled with a stutter over many, many years. He had huge anxiety about it and hated reading, especially in front of people. She said they have had a couple of years where he cried and cried and hadn't wanted to come to school. When she got the call, she told me she literally broke down in tears. After the call ended, she hugged him and he told her, "Maybe I am a good reader mom, hun?" Y'all. Little things with great love! I had no idea of this friend's struggles. All I did was go to Mrs. Forrester and ask for a boy to help me out. All we did was give this kid the opportunity and a little encouragement and look at what came from it. This one interaction will get me through months of frustrations and yucky stuff that sometimes comes with running a school. My prayer is that all of you will get to experience a moment like this sometime this year and that you will hold onto it through all the "other stuff" that comes with being a teacher.
Make sure you read through the SMORE closely. There is a TON of information that is very important.
Dates Stafford will be out of the building:
9/25 - New Principal Meeting
10/2 - Principal's Meeting
10/8 - State Board of Education Meeting in Columbia (Anyone have anything you want me to bring up to Molly Spearman? Wink, wink!)
Reminders
Technology Time with Stephanie Williams
Please add these dates to your calendar:
October 21st
January 13th
March 9th
RA teachers: She has some great ideas for you as well! Plan on meeting with her during your planning period as well!
Specialist/Special Ed: Please try to work out some time in your schedule to attend with a grade level that you serve for some ideas.
K4: We are going to try to work on some coverage for you to come during Kindergarten time.
Copy Machine Issues
* Don't slam the paper drawer after you put in new paper. This is causing the glass screen to shift and that is why copies are not printing correctly. It can break other internal parts of the copy machine causing it to jam. (Guilty of this one!)
* If the machine does jam, don't just rip the paper out once you find the jam. Use the green wheels to help gently remove the jam. This will keep from little pieces inside the copy machine from breaking and little ripped pieces of paper from continuing to jam up the machines. (Definitely guilty of this one, too!)
Please also share these tips with your grade level copy parents as you are training them!
Terrific Kids
VIP and Me Breakfast
Just for your information, the event will be Oct. 10 for students with last names A-M and Oct. 11 for students with last names N-Z. (Of course, if they can't make one day, they are welcomed at the other day!) After checking in, students and their VIP can go through the breakfast line to receive a free breakfast. We will have tables set up in the gym for them to enjoy their breakfast. After that we will encourage them to visit our book fair. Please be patient with us on these days as we have no idea what the response will be! Students may arrive tardy, but we will try to have some type of pass for them so that you know they were at the book fair with their VIP.
Thank you for help making this event a success! We are hoping to provide a fun event for our families, as well as drive some extra business to our book fair!
Good News Club @ SES
Do not send any more GNC forms to the office. Registration is closed until October while they figure out some processes for the 180 students that have enrolled. If you get a sheet, send it back home with a note letting them know this information.
Parents have been notified that if they signed their child up for GNC, they will need a note for us to not send them to GNC, just like any other change in dismissal.
Read your way to the big game! - Teacher Bulletin Board Contest (Repeated Information)
Want to win $500 for your classroom? Submit a Clemson vs. Carolina reading bulletin board pictures to the website below by Oct. 18th for your chance to win!
Skyland Signers (Repeated Information)
Skyland Singers begin their practices on Tuesdays and Thursday, 2:30-3:15
We will practice on Mondays and Thursdays.
Educators Who Make a Difference (Repeated Information)
Educators Who Make a Difference - Upstate Parent magazine is seeking nominations for their annual “Educators Who Make a Difference” edition. Nominations must be made using the online form found here. Please submit your nominations by October 18. You may nominate more than one person, but may not nominate the same person more than once.
Reminders from Mase
Thank you for such a good first lockdown drill of the year. As always, it is important for us to take these drills seriously so we can be prepared in the event of an actual emergency. Our second full lockdown drill will be very different. It will this spring and will be conducted by our district safety specialist and local law enforcement. I have listed a few suggestions below that will hopefully lead to some conversations with your students and help us prepare for this day. Please let me know if you have any questions and/or concerns.
· When the full lockdown announcement is made, assume the intruder is in the building. If you are outside, do not bring your class inside. Gather your students and get as far away from the building as possible. We will discuss this more at an upcoming faculty meeting.
· Before closing your classroom door (which should already be locked), please carefully look in the hall to make sure no students, visitors, or staff members need to get inside for safety.
· Chromebooks put out a lot of light. Instruct your students to close their Chromebooks before moving to a concealed location within your class.
· If you find yourself unable to get behind a locked door, get out of sight, preferably inside a closed room with the lights off.
· Never leave your safe position until an all clear announcement is made.
· Take your students on a walk to discuss possible places they could go in case they were in transition at the time of a lockdown. It is better to answer questions now than later.
· Be sure to include emergency directions in your sub plans/folder.
· Windows should be uncovered in case of a lockdown. Law enforcement will need to see inside the building.
· Windows should be covered during a partial lockdown. In this case, the intruder will be in the area, but not inside the building.
· Ideally, the classroom door window should be covered during a lockdown. The intruder will hopefully realize that law enforcement is on the way and will decide to move on to an easier target. Make sure you are not that easier target!
Reminders from Kenna
Data PLCs on Thursday, 9/26 for Grades 3-5 during planning. Please bring your laptop.
If you have a completed Donor's Choose project, please post it in the workroom!
Reminders from Katelin
- The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment window opens on September 16 and closes on December 6
- Grades K-5 - Enter fall instructional reading levels in RAS in the fall column.
- Grades K-5 - Replace the previous year's spring benchmark form with the updated fall instructional form.
- Kindergarten Teachers - Do not benchmark your students until they are a level A. If they are not reading at a level A, please wait and benchmark them as close to December 6th as possible.
Counselor's Corner - Reminders from Caitlyn and Chelsea
Upcoming Dates
September
9/23 - Volunteer Orientation 9 am
9/24 and 9/25 - Papa Johns Fundraiser
9/25 - No Faculty Meeting! Enjoy your Wednesday afternoon!
9/27 - Causal Friday (Jeans Day!)
9/27 - SIC Meeting (12-1 pm) - Tentative
October
10/1 - Free cinnamon rolls!! Thank you FANS!
10/2 - Committee Meetings
10/7-10/14 - Book Fair
10/9 - Faculty Council
10/10 - VIP and Me Breakfast (Last names A-M)
10/11 - VIP and Me Breakfast (Last names N-Z)
10/14 - United Way Campaign at Skyland starts!
10/16 - PD/Faculty Meeting
10/23 - No Meeting
10/30 - PD/Faculty Meeting
The below meeting schedule will start in October!
Important Documents
Happy Birthday
September
21- Amanda Boone, 4th
21- Caitlyn Grigg, Guidance
23- Angie Lewis, 3rd
26- Heidi Sever, 1st
27-Jill Parker, K5
October
14- Kathy Ensley, Special Education
15- Susan Menard, 3rd
16-Courtney Hagan, K5
16- Andrea Thomason, Nurse
18- Kenna Brannon, IC
19- Leah Stafford, Principal
19- Alice Prentice, Cafeteria
22- Sara LaPage, 2nd
Mrs. Stafford's Contact Information
Email: lstafford@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/skyland/
Phone: 8643557210
Twitter: @leahcstafford