Friday Update 10-16-09

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
October 16th, 2009


As we get near the end of the first quarter, your students’ progress (or lack thereof) should come more closely into focus. I personally believe that meeting the needs of ALL your students is the toughest job for teachers today. Our responsibility is to nurture and challenge each child - the one below grade level, above grade level and every place in between. Knowing how to consistently do that well is difficult for even the most experienced teacher. Differentiating your lessons to meet all of those needs takes time, effort and good planning. Tiered lessons are a great way to keep every student engaged and challenged. Varied work products such as student projects (both large and small) give those above grade level the opportunity to work more independently. This frees the teacher up to provide more focus and attention to those children at or below grade level who require the most attention. Assignments that stress quality over quantity and critical thinking over memorization can also be effective in ensuring that each child is growing. Adjusting our approach to instruction takes effort, but pays dividends in increased learning for all students. Thank you for leading your students every day!

"If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important."
-Barbara Colorose

**Don't forget that our Southwest United Way campaign runs October 13 - 30**

Next week
Monday 10/19 – Book Fair begins, 3 rd grade PLC mtg. @ 12:10, PBS lessons for assembly, SAT
Tuesday 10/20 – Kindergarten PLC mtg. @ 8:50, Specialist PLC mtg. @ 9:30, SIT Mtg., Watch Dog –Stan VanVooren, Time to Eat night

Wednesday 10/21 – 1 st grade PLC mtg. @ 10:20, EC PLC mtg. @ 12:00, 4 th grade PLC mtg. @ 12:55, Watch Dog –Todd Stephens, TAC mtg.

Thursday 10/22 – WatchDOG –Brett Todd, 2 nd grade PLC mtg. @ 11:05, 5 th grade PLC mtg. @ 1:40, Kindergarten and 1st grade to Stevens Center, AP Mtg., CC mtg., Quarter testing window begins, Book Fair

Friday 10/23 – WatchDOG – Sean Eller, CAC mtg., Fall Festival, West Football readers, Book Fair

Week of 10/26 - 10/30 –
(10/26) 3 rd grade PLC mtg. @ 12:10, Watch Dog – David Seibert, Book Fair, SAT, Admin. Team mtg.
(10/27) Kindergarten PLC mtg. @ 8:50, Specialist PLC mtg. @ 9:30, Sagebrush night, Book Fair, PBS committee mtg., Board of Education mtg.
(10/28) 1 st grade PLC mtg. @ 10:20, EC PLC mtg. @ 12:00, 4 th grade PLC mtg. @ 12:55, Book Fair, End of 1st Quarter, Quarter tests due, NC Wise gradebook help session
(10/29) RC, Year Long Tech mtg.
(10/30) RSV

Looking ahead
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th QtrProgress Report 9/8/09 Progress Report 11/17/09 Progress Report 2/9/09 Progress Report 4/20/09Interim Report 9/22/09 Interim Report 12/8/09 Interim Report 3/2/09 Interim Report 5/4/09Progress Report 10/13/09 Progress Report 1/12/09 Progress Report 3/16/09 Progress Report 5/18/09Report Card 11/10/09 Report Card 2/2/09 Report Card 4/13/09 Report Card 6/15/09

Duty Schedule
Breakfast –Weiss, Aikins, Letourneau, Sereika
Bus – Moore, Baker, Dease, Zimmerman, Wilson, Freshwater, Sunderman, Wilheit, Hauhuth
Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra Afternoon – Caller – Lee, Tilley Inside – Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster, Williams Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Merritt, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby) Parra (Music Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders *****- Please remember that all computers and monitors must be turned off daily *******
- The Biggest Losers would like to congratulate Mr. Hayes for losing the most weight this week. Keep up the good work!
- If you borrowed KiKi Hutcheson’s Outburst Jr. game last year, please return it to her. - Please remember staff members who are still dealing with the loss or illness of a loved one. Georgia Kennedy’s sister and father are both dealing with serious health issues. Please keep Georgia and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
- If you have not paid hospitality dues, please pay your $20 to Nellie.
- Please be on time and pick/up on time for Duty Free lunch.
- Be aware that we will be utilizing more electronic parent communication (email YO packet, WSFCS Parent Portal) stay tuned
- Please e-mail ideas for the Southwest Exploratory Science Lab to Kim Cressman
**This year the “Can-Do man” will give every student either a dog tag or a bracelet when they reach the 500 can mark. Please encourage each student to keep an individual record of their can donations.

***I need your help in identifying all of the great things that you all do EVERY DAY. Beginning Monday, October 5th , I will take email nominations for the “Staff Stars” section of our Friday Update. If you see a staff member doing a good deed or an outstanding job, please take time to send me an email to let me know. Thanks for your help.*****

Staff Stars ( There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)

Jennifer Cohn – Thank you for doing a masterful job of listening to and diffusing the concern of a mother upset about her child and his glasses.

Tom Keener – Thanks ALL you do (cone duty- even in the cold rain, popcorn duty, can counting……)!

Sandra Garcia – Thanks for always being willing to help where needed, from answering phone calls to translating notes to covering the office.

Congratulations to those of you who are taking graduate or certification classes while also balancing the demands of school – Keep working!

The class wreaths for Fall Festival look nice – great job!

Duty personnel – As we get near the end of the first nine weeks (finally). Thank you for getting us off to a good start with supervision.

Catherine Herko – Nice job in working with a difficult parent situation.

Anne Parra, Amy Trinkle & Susan Twyman – Thank you for your work with our Christmas outreach efforts.

Pateah East & Jan Womble – Thank you for your efforts to meet our school’s special needs.



Can winners for 10/2/09
K-2 Mrs. Moss 1863-5 Mrs. Beard 1335
Honorable Mention Ms. Herko 1180 Mrs. Skinner 1109
During this past week, we recycled over 137 pounds of aluminum. Keep up the good work!

Mike Hayes, Principal
Southwest Elementary School
1631 Southwest School Road
Clemmons, NC 27012
Phone - 336.712.4422 Fax - 336.712.4425