Bear Tracks
March 10, 2017
A Note From the Principal:
Dear Bear Tavern Staff,
Happy Friday!
When I was a younger man, with darker hair than I have now, I used to be a swim coach. I coached with a man named Mike for 7 years, so we spent a lot of time around each other. Mike used to say to the swimmers (and anyone else who'd listen), "Don't TALK about it, BE about it." It was funny because I would give him a hard time about how much he would say it (it seemed like 50 times a day), and now, years later, I find myself slipping and telling my own kids not to TALK about it, to BE about it several times a week. I guess after all these years, there is some wisdom in the statement.
Well I was reminded of the statement in a big way this week when I saw Corrine, Sharron and Marti quietly embark upon tackling the staff room. It is the place that staff members go to start the day sometimes and it is a place where they can take a breath and regroup in the middle of the day. Except, it had become so cluttered that it wasn't very relaxing. Until NOW. I couldn't believe it when I popped in after school yesterday. It looks amazing and will undoubtedly continue to get more comfortable and relaxing as others put small touches on it.
The cleansing of the staff room represents way more than just a room re-organization. It shows us that every one of us is capable of taking our fate into our own hands and making a difference. We are never forced to accept the world around us as it is, we can all make things better and challenge things that we think can be improved.
The next time that you hear someone venting or complaining, whether at work, at home, or anywhere in between, remind him/her that he/she can do something about it and make an impact on the situation. Just like what happened in the faculty room this week!!!
Thank you ladies!
Sincerely,
Chris
Key Information:
- Den Groups - Our Next Den Group Day is MONDAY. Our plan is to continue with our reading and relationship building goals for Den Groups. We will meet in the gym (PM Schedule) for a whole school talk - highlighting the purpose of our Road to the Reading Final Four (exposure to great books, building community and reflecting on what we like about books!). We will show a special read aloud or two, then talk about our plan to think of four words to describe each book as we read it. Then we'll go to our locations. You will have autonomy about how to do it, but you can allow students to move about the building (to a certain extend) reading in buddy groups within our Den Groups. I'll go over some basic ground rules in the whole school portion. You can introduce any ideas you'd like and add your own spices to make the session exciting for you and your group.
- "Final Four" Words - We are going to push the reflective piece of our picture books. We are encouraging students and families to identify 'four words' that describe each book that they read. I have seen lots of teacher tweets already, but please encourage your students to think about the 4 words, whether they are in K or 5th grade! Tweet them out (using #BearTavernPride) or make them visual around your room/ the school.
- Recording Read Alouds - If you volunteered to read a book for a read aloud, be sure to check in with me or Mandi. Take a look at the 'master list' Click Here for The List. We are nearing the home stretch, let's keep the momentum going!
- Women's History Month - We are going to use the model that we used for Black History Month: One page biographies about women who have made big impacts! Just complete a bio, print and hang. Please see the following resources: www.biography.com & 31 days of Amazing Women . Please just list your submissions on THIS SPREADSHEET to avoid duplicates.
- UPDATE TO PARCC DATES - The PARCC implementation has been changed to the week of May 8 (M 5/8 ELA1, T 5/9 ELA2, W 5/10 ELA3, Th 5/11 M1&2, F 5/12 M3&4). This gives two more weeks of instruction, etc. More info to follow.
Upcoming Dates:
AFTERNOON ENRICHMENT/ACTIVITIES:
Mondays - Nano Bots (k-2)
Tuesdays - Advanced Circuits (3-5), Simple Circuits (K-2)
Wednesdays - 3D Printing (3-5), Magic Glass Art (K-2)
Thursdays - Aerospace Engineering (K-2), Yoga (3-5)
Friday - Aerospace Engineering (3-5), Drawing (K-2)
THE WEEK(s) AHEAD:
Friday 3/10 - Science Fair
Sat. 3/11 - St. Baldrick's @ Amalfi's in Lawrenceville (BT SHAVE TIMES 12:10-12:40 pm)
Monday 3/13 - Den Groups PM Schedule
Monday 3/13 - Grade Level Meetings
Monday 3/13 - Martial Arts (make up) after school
Tuesday 3/14 - 4th Grade BRAVO Meet the Artists
Tuesday 3/14 - Grandpals (Niefer)
Tuesday 3/14 - Campfire (5th grade)
Tuesday 3/14 - COLLEGE SHIRT DAY
Wednesday 3/15 - Campfire (grades K/1)
Thursday 3/16 - Grandpals (Miller)
Thursday 3/16 - Spirit Crew Student Meeting (for March Mania) after school
Friday 3/17 - Pre K Collab Day
Friday 3/17 - WEAR GREEN St. Patrick's Day
Monday 3/20 - Early Dismissal PD Day
Monday 3/20 - 5th Grade AMERICANA DAY!
Tuesday 3/21 - Down Syndrome Day (Wear Crazy Socks)
3/21 - 3/24 - CogAT Testing
Tuesday 3/21 - Grandpals (Niefer)
Tuesday 3/21 - Campfire (5th Grade)
3/22 - 3/24 - March Mania Tournament (After School)
Wednesday 3/22 - Campfire (K/1)
Thursday 3/23 - Grandpals (Miller)
Friday 3/24 - ROAD TO THE READING FINAL FOUR 1st Round Voting (64 books to 32)