Maverick Minutes
Week of 3/20-3/24
Important Dates
Week of March 20-24, 2017
Monday, March 20th
Limo Lunch 11:00-2:30
Bag lunch counts needed to CAFÉ Mngr.
Baseball/Volleyball home vs Mt P.—Bill Duty
Tuesday, March 21st
Skating Party 9:15-12:00
Wednesday, March 22
Dodgeball/Knockout 2:00-4:00PM
Soccer home—Liz Duty
Baseball/Volleyball at Concord MS
Thursday, March 23
Early Dismissal 1:00PM
Blackout Training with Staff 2-4PM
Q3 – due no later than 9:00AM
Friday, March 24
Planning/Staff Dev. –No school for students
De-Escalation Strategies PD is due
Health and Wellness Fair 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Jay. M. Robinson High School
2016-17 Testing Schedules
Date State Assessment
May 31, 2017 Math - Grades 6 and 8; Reading - Grade 7
June 1, 2017 Math - Grade 7; Reading - Grades 6 and 8
June 2, 2017 Social Studies - Grades 7 and 8
June 5, 2017 Science - Grades 6 and 8
June 6, 2017 Science- Grade 7; Social Studies - Grade 6
June 7, 2017 Math I and Math II
June 8, 2017 Earth and Environmental Science
June 9, 2017 Makeup Day -- Student Dismissal 1:00PM
The Giving Tree
I cannot help but reflect on the past weeks, the Grade Level discussions and the morale in the building. I told you this time of year was tough. But I ask this...don't let the frustrations of the month with no breaks, restless children, burnout moments, OVER-COVERAGE, let you forget the great moments of the year. It wasn't that long ago that we celebrated the holidays in our Atrium. Don't forget the great moments we've had as a school and don't forget the most important ones...the students.
I know we are all frustrated...we feel time slipping away and sometimes we feel the balance is not always equal. So, I ask that you take a reread of Silverstein's book and remember some important takeaways as presented by columnist, Whitney Collins in her analysis, 10 Things Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree Taught Us (Besides Giving, That Is)... here are five that stood out to me...
1. Don't Keep Score: The tree gives and gives and gives, never expecting anything in return, never asking for her due, never REMINDING the Boy of all she has sacrificed. The Tree knows nothing is ever really lost or gained, neither scientifically nor spiritually, so what’s the point in accurate accounting?
2. You Can’t Outrun (Or Out-Canoe) Your Problems: Don’t fight the waves in a desperate vessel. Let them crash over you before you destroy what you hold most dear. Remember: giving in isn’t giving up.
3. Just Cool It: Sit down! Be still. I mean it! And don’t get up until you’ve forgotten what all the fuss was about.
4. Focus More On What You Need Than What You Want: “Happiness is a place between too little and too much.” After striving for too much of what the boy wants, he’s left with too little of what he needs.
5. Let Love Rule: You probably think that the Tree got the raw deal in this book. That love really isn’t the answer, because, hey! Just look where unconditional love got her. Well, let me counter by saying: Just look where not-loving got the Boy.
The admin team cannot fix all the elements of fairness and frustration. But I remind you how blessed we are to have a great school with great kids and amazing teachers. We appreciate all that you do and all of the time that you give and give up!
We have two weeks left of March before it all gets crazy with field trips and the rat race is on...
So, admin will provide duty-free lunch for all of you each day for the remaining month of March. We ask that you go, get something done, take a moment to breathe and pay this forward when the time comes. We ask that you reiterate the cleanliness of the cafeteria and be on time to pick up your students.
"And the tree was happy"
Have a great week!
Three is here...one to go...
Joseph Rudolph Kurtz IV was born at 9lbs 3 oz and 22.75 inches long! Congratulations to Danielle and her family!
Spring Sports Get Underway this Week! Soccer, Baseball, Track and Volleyball
Around the Ridge
Welcome Mrs. Lord...but, not until August!
Kelly Lord will be making the transition from HRHS to HiRMS in the fall of 2017 as our new counselor. She will rotate with me to 6th grade as we start the 2017-2018 school year.
A little about Mrs. Lord includes:
She worked in student affairs at UNC Charlotte and as a 2008 Teach for America corp member teaching middle school special education in Charlotte. She earned her Bachelor's degree at the University of Georgia and her Master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has been married for 5 years and has a two year old son. In her free time, she loves shopping, taking walks, and spending time with my family and friends!
Until Mrs. Lord arrives we welcome Mrs. Bennie Fisher to finish out the year part-time in an interim position. Mrs. Fisher is a former counselor at Concord Middle School and we appreciate her taking a break from her retirement and grandchildren to help finish the year!