Friday Update November 2008

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
November 7, 2008

We mentioned a few weeks ago in a staff meeting that we would again be conducting our 5 minute Classroom Walkthroughs this year. Ms. Cressman, Mrs. Herrin, and Mr. Keener were trained a couple of weeks ago and will now be participating in the fun. The school district is requiring each of us to do 15 walkthroughs per week so we will be in your classrooms more than ever. The initial training also recommends that we work in pairs to begin with in order to make sure that we are consistent so for these next couple of weeks you will see 2 of us at a time.
Please remember that these Classroom Walkthroughs are NOT an evaluation, but a data collection tool to guide our coaching. During the walkthroughs, we are asked to look for uses of Marzano’s High Yield Strategies that we will be studying during this year and next. All data from the walkthroughs is grouped by grade level and will guide us on how to coach you in the use of these strategies. It has been fun seeing the some of the great work that you are doing in your rooms.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose. " - Dr. Seuss


Monday 11/10 (Day 3) – Musical practice, School Improvement Team meeting (3:00)

Tuesday 11/11 (Day 0) – Veteran’s Day holiday – no school, YMCA will be at school

Wednesday 11/12 (Day 4) – Musical practice, Report Cards

Thursday 11/13 (Day 5) – Principals’ meeting, Musical practice, PTA lunch for staff, Computer workshop (Active Board-Version 3) 3:15

Friday 11/14 (Day 6) – K to Children’s Museum, Newsletter information DUE, AR Recognition 1:45 – 2:00

Week of 11/17 - 11/21 – (11/17 Day 1) Musical practice (11/18 Day 2) Musical practice, SIT meeting, Noche Hispana (11/19 Day 3) Musical practice, K to Children’s Museum (11/20 Day 4) Musical practice, Tech Facilitator meeting (11/21 Day 5) 4th grade to Heritage Theater

Looking ahead

November 12 – Report cards (specials grades to teachers by October 28th)

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Biggam

Bus – Dosek, Jones, Hipp, Crain, Garlow, Moore, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Coffield, Overby, Twyman
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, LeCompte
Inside – East, Womble, Roberts
Outside – Drummond, Cullen, Merrill, Currie, Wilson, Moss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Please continue to remember Joanne Baker and Sue Youngman who recently lost family members.
-Please remember to sign up for a conference (sheet is outside Mike’s office door)

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)
SW staff – Thank you for your support for United Way – We exceeded our goal of $4,440!
Congratulations to Joanne Baker who won free lodging at Mr. Hayes’ mother’s house in North Myrtle Beach
Duty free staff – Thank you for your work in the cafeteria.
AM and PM duty staff – Great job during 1st quarter and thanks for a successful change to 2nd quarter

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
November 14, 2008

As I have prepared to lead us through the development of our “new” school improvement plan, I have tried to think of ways to share with you what I want for OUR school. The passage below is part of a story told to an auditorium full of educators. I think it does a good job of showing all of us what our standard should be every day.

“I truly believe that education is the most important profession. I also believe that it is the profession with the highest expectations. I believe that the only acceptable standard for education is the standard of greatness. Now, this greatness standard may sound ridiculously high, but we have a room full educational experts here, so let’s take a quiz.
“How many of you have children? How many of you want your children to go to okay schools with fairly good teachers?”
Typically, two or three hands go up out of a hundred.
“I see a couple of hands raised. I am assuming that those hands went up because your children go to worse schools than that and have teachers less effective than ‘fairly good.’
“Okay, how many of you want your children to go to great schools with outstanding teachers?”
Every hand in the room is raised.
“Well, the challenge we all face is that the families of every single young person who walks through our classroom doors each day have these same high expectations. And the reason their expectations are so high is because what we do is important. They have turned over their most prized possessions to us and they want the best for them.” Motivating & Inspiring Teachers – Whitaker, Whitaker, & Lumpa

"There is a difference between education and experience. Education is what you get from reading the small print. Experience is what you get from not reading it!” - Steve Goodier

Monday 11/17 (Day 1) – Musical practice

Tuesday 11/18 (Day 2) – Musical practice, SIT meeting, Noche Hispana

Wednesday 11/19 (Day 3) – ITBS Testing for 2nd Grade, Musical practice, K to Children’s Museum

Thursday 11/20 (Day 4) – ITBS Testing for 2nd Grade, Musical practice, Tech Facilitator meeting

Friday 11/21 (Day 5) – ITBS Testing for 2nd Grade, 4th grade to Heritage Theater

Week of 11/24 - 11/28 – (11/24 Day 6) (11/25 Day 1) PBS meeting (11/26 Day 0) Vacation Day (11/27 Day 0) Holiday (11/28 Day 0) Holiday

Looking ahead

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Weiss, Aikins

Bus – Dosek, Jones, Hipp, Crain, Garlow, Moore, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Coffield, Overby, Twyman
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, LeCompte
Inside – East, Womble, Roberts
Outside – Drummond, Cullen, Merrill, Currie, Wilson, Moss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
***Newsletter articles were due Friday, November 14***
-PM dismissal – 2:30 bell (K-2 bus/car riders, 3-5 car riders), 2:35 bell (3-5 bus riders)
-Please remember to sign up for a conference (sheet is outside Mike’s office door)

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)
SW staff – Thank you for your support for United Way – We exceeded our goal of $4,440!
Congratulations to Joanne Baker who won free lodging at Mr. Hayes’ mother’s house in North Myrtle Beach
Can-Do winners – (This week) K-2 Mrs. Kreger, 3-5 Mrs. Garlow (This year) K-2 Mrs. Gough (3537), Mrs. Sutcliffe (2141), Mrs. Hipp (1847) 3-5 Ms. Herko (6093), Ms. Zimmerman (2104), Mrs. Skinner (1949)
Nicole Skinner – Thank you for your work with AR recognition


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
November 21, 2008

As I have prepared to lead us through the development of our “new” school improvement plan, I have tried to think of ways to share with you what I want for OUR school. The passage below is part of a story told to an auditorium full of educators. I think it does a good job of showing all of us what our standard should be every day.

“I truly believe that education is the most important profession. I also believe that it is the profession with the highest expectations. I believe that the only acceptable standard for education is the standard of greatness. Now, this greatness standard may sound ridiculously high, but we have a room full educational experts here, so let’s take a quiz.
“How many of you have children? How many of you want your children to go to okay schools with fairly good teachers?”
Typically, two or three hands go up out of a hundred.
“I see a couple of hands raised. I am assuming that those hands went up because your children go to worse schools than that and have teachers less effective than ‘fairly good.’
“Okay, how many of you want your children to go to great schools with outstanding teachers?”
Every hand in the room is raised.
“Well, the challenge we all face is that the families of every single young person who walks through our classroom doors each day have these same high expectations. And the reason their expectations are so high is because what we do is important. They have turned over their most prized possessions to us and they want the best for them.” Motivating & Inspiring Teachers – Whitaker, Whitaker, & Lumpa

“May your stuffing be tasty, May your turkey plump, May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize, and may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!”
~Author Unknown

Monday 11/24 (Day 6) – Musical practice, PTA board meeting

Tuesday 11/25 (Day 1) – Musical practice, PBS committee meeting, Southwest Spirit Night at Funigan’s Family Fun Center (5-9)

Wednesday 11/26 (Day 0) – Vacation day

Thursday 11/27 (Day 0) – Holiday , Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Friday 11/28 (Day 0) – Holiday

Week of 12/1 - 12/5 – (12/1 Day 2) Progress Reports, 4th grade writing training(7:15), Kindergarten collaborative planning day, Winter Musical dress rehearsal (1:00), Tutoring begins (5th-Math, 3rd-Reading) (12/2 Day 3) Bookfair, Principals’ meeting, Winter Musical (9:00), High Yield training, PTA/Winter Musical (12/3 Day 4) 3rd grade collaborative planning day, K to Candle Tea (12/4 Day 5) (12/5 Day 6) Principals’ meeting, Specialist collaborative planning day

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Sereika, East

Bus – Dosek, Jones, Hipp, Crain, Garlow, Moore, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Coffield, Overby, Twyman
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, LeCompte
Inside – East, Womble, Roberts
Outside – Drummond, Cullen, Merrill, Currie, Wilson, Moss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
***Newsletter articles were due Friday, November 14***
-PM dismissal – 2:30 bell (K-2 bus/car riders, 3-5 car riders), 2:35 bell (3-5 bus riders)
-Please remember to sign up for a conference (sheet is outside Mike’s office door)
-Angel Tree - Please email Susan T. or Amy T. the names of children in your class whose families need assistance at Christmas. We are looking for families that you absolutely KNOW need help (and you feel would not mind being contacted).
-Please remember Carolyn Beard’s mother and Janet Sunderman’s mother who have both had recent health issues

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)
Joe Sereika – Congratulations on completing National Board certification
Noche Hispana Committee – Thanks for your work and commitment to work with our Hispanic families
Southwest grant writers – Thank you to Bonnie Alexander, Amy Hancock, Debbie Herrin, Kathy Wilheit, Betsy McGhee, Mary Jane Everhardt, Terry Zimmerman, Tom Keener and others for your work to bring added resources into our school