Friday Updates August 2007

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
August 3, 2007

In order to help with communication throughout the year, I plan to do a “Friday Update”. It will be sent via email and also posted in the office and the lounge. This will remind you of important events, duty schedules and basically help keep everyone more informed.

Thank you, again, to everyone who has helped me get off to a great start here at Southwest. The first 3 weeks have been busy, exciting and a little overwhelming as I try to learn EVERYTHING about Southwest and WSFCS before school starts. It is impossible to learn everything so I have already relied on a few of the wonderful people on our staff. I look forward to meeting more of you at our “Meet and greet” next week.

**There are a few spots left for the School Center webpage training on August 6 & 7**

Next week
Monday 8/6 – Welcome back (officially) Debbie, Kim M., Kim S. & Tom, K-2 Staff Meet & greet (8:00-9:00), School Center webpage training (8:30-9:30, 9:45-10:45)

Tuesday 8/7 – Joint Principal mtg.(7:45-11:30), School Center webpage training (8:30-9:30, 9:45-10:45), 3-5 Staff Meet & greet (1:00-2:00)

Wednesday 8/8 – Elementary Principal mtg (7:30-4:30)

Thursday 8/9 – Specialists/Classified Staff Meet & greet (8:00-9:00)

Friday 8/10 – TGIF

Week of 8/13-8/17 – (8/13) Principal discipline training, (8/14) Writing training (required for 4th grade), (8/15) Teachers back, (8/16) Shared Reading training (required for all classroom teachers) [K-2 (8-11:30), 3-5 (12:30-4)], (8/17) Words Their Way training (interested 1st grade teachers) 8:00

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – later
Bus – later
Car riders – later
Hall – later


Staff Stars
Office staff – EVERYONE in the office has shown me how valuable they are to our school. Many have worked during their “summer off time” to help make sure that we are ready to start the year. Thank you!

Custodial staff – Our custodians have worked hard to make our school look great for the opening of school. Thank you!

Have a great weekend!



Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
August 10, 2007

I want to thank all of you whose schedules allowed you to come to school for our meet and greet sessions. It was GREAT to finally meet most of you face to face. Your love and enthusiasm for what we do is evident and I am looking forward to seeing all of you work your magic with our students. I knew that Southwest was a great place for children to learn and grow. Seeing your excitement makes me realize that I have truly found a wonderful place to continue my career. I look forward to the start of the school year!

Next week
Monday 8/13 – Principal discipline training (8:00-4:00)

Tuesday 8/14 – Writing training (required for 4th grade) (8:00-12:00), Lead custodian training (9:30-12:30)

Wednesday 8/15 – 1st day – staff mtg (8:00-11:30),Lunch on your own, Afternoon to work in rooms

Thursday 8/16 – Shared reading training with Brenda Mickey (Required for all classroom teachers) K-2 (8:00-11:30)/3-5 (12:00-4:00), WSFCS Benefits Fair (12:00-5:00)

Friday 8/17 – Words Their Way training (interested 1st grade teachers) (8:00 start), Curriculum Coordinator mtg (8:00-12:00), PTA board meeting with Mike (2:30)

Week of 8/20-8/24 – (8/20) Grade 2 Phonics training (new or refresher), K-12 Art teacher training, PTA board mtg, (8/21) Grade 2 Phonics training (new or refresher), (8/22) Open House, (8/23) K-2 Literacy assessment training (new or refresher), WSFCS 4th grade writing improvement strategies training, (8/24) TGIF

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – later
Bus – later
Car riders – later
Hall – later


Staff Stars
Mary Jane Everhardt – Mary Jane has worked hard to get our new school webpage ready for the conversion in early September (Although it is flawed because she thinks the new principal’s picture should be there). She has also made sure that we are progressing on getting the new computer lab ready for the start of school. Great job!

Nellie Broyhill, Debbie Herrin, and Kiki Hutcheson – Thank you for all that you did to make our “Meet and greet” sessions successful. It was a great time to meet many of you and for you to have time to reconnect with each other before school starts. Thank you!

FYI – Marty Harrison’s mother recently passed away. Marty is a former teacher here at Southwest.

Have a great weekend!


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
August 17, 2007

It is great to see everyone here at school getting ready to start the year. Your rooms and the hallways are beginning to look fantastic and are alive with activity. They will really begin to buzz at Open House when our little ones get here.

Our journey together has gotten off to a wonderful start. I appreciate the enthusiasm and acceptance of my views from our meeting on Wednesday. We will not always agree as to the “best” way to do something, but I will always listen to your views. Together, we can accomplish ANYTHING!


Next week
Monday 8/20 – Grade 2 (New or refresher) Phonics training (8:00-3:00), Art teacher training, PTA board meeting (7:00)

Tuesday 8/21 – Grade 2 (New or refresher) Phonics training (8:00-3:00), Lead custodian training (9:30-12:30)

Wednesday 8/22 – Open House (5:30-7:30)

Thursday 8/23 – K-2 Literacy Assessment training, WSFCS 4th grade Writing Improvement strategies(8:00-11:30)

Friday 8/24 – TGIF

Week of 8/27-8/31 – (8/27) 1st day of school, (8/28), (8/29), (8/30), (8/31)

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – later
Bus – later
Car riders – later
Hall – later

FYI/Reminders
-You will get desk calendars from Lifetouch in about 2 weeks
-Please remember to turn in your Wish lists if you have needs

Staff Stars
Tom Keener & Kim Moore – Tom and Kim have continued to work hard to make sure we are progressing well to start the year. Their support and guidance have been invaluable during my orientation to Southwest. Great job!

Jan Merritt & Debbie Herrin – Thank you Jan for sharing your successful experiences in empowering writers. Thank you Debbie for working hard to organize our training sessions during these first few days.

Have a great weekend!


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
August 24, 2007

As we get the final touches ready for the 1st day of school, I am ready to get our school year started. I considered our Open House a success and know that our school year will go equally as well.

Thank you, again, for your prayers and support after my nephew’s accident. Hopefully, he will continue to recover and will be out of the hospital soon. He was moved to a regular room this afternoon so things are looking better already.

Next week
Monday 8/27 – 1st day of school, Specials begin at 10:10,

Tuesday 8/28 –

Wednesday 8/29 – West Forsyth cross country meet here (6:00)

Thursday 8/30 –

Friday 8/31 –

Week of 9/3-9/7 – (9/3) Labor Day Holiday, (9/4) School Center Web page training, (9/5) Principals meeting (9/6), (9/7) Principals meeting

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – All breakfast personnel not on other duties (East, Biggam, Weiss, Womble, Vernon, Schmoyer, Trinkle, Church, G. Allen)

Bus – Barr, Marceron, Crain, Sutcliffe, Hipp, Cundiff, Hancock, Larson

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Pat Taylor, Donna Williams
I Inside – A. Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Wilheit, Baldwin, Winters

Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab), Parra(music), Alexander(blue)

FYI/Reminders
-Please remember to turn in your Wish lists if you have needs

Staff Stars
Janet Jones, Kim Skinner & Traci Petree – Janet, Kim & Traci have all worked hard to make sure that we are all ready for the start of school. Janet has spent many hours outside the regular day to ensure that our records are as up-to-date as possible. Kim has given us all a name plate and has done anything that was needed to help our office run smoothly. Traci has quickly jumped in to make sure that you all have what you need for your classrooms (12 rolls of laminating film so far). Thank you for your hard work!

Have a great weekend!




Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
August 31, 2007

Wow!!! What a great first week! It has been awesome to see you in action with our students this week. I have seen many of the “best practices” that I expected to see (enthusiasm and excitement, guided and independent writing K-5, graphic organizers, summarizing, etc.) Hopefully I have had the opportunity to spend at least a few brief moments in your classroom. If not, you will see me more in the coming weeks.

Part of my job coming in to Southwest was to look for ways to make us better. There will be ideas that work well and ideas that will not work so well. Thank you in advance for being patient with me as I try my “improvement experiments.”

Next week
Monday 9/3 – Labor Day Holiday (Halleluiah!!)

Tuesday 9/4 – School Center Web page training (3:00-4:00)

Wednesday 9/5 – Principals’ meeting (7:30-11:30)

Thursday 9/6 –

Friday 9/7 – Principals’ meeting (7:30-10:00)

Week of 9/10-9/14 – (9/10), (9/11) Staff meeting (9/12) West Cross country meet @ SW (9/13) Fall pictures, Elementary Principals’ meeting (9/14) Zone 7 Advisory meeting

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Weiss, Parra, East

Bus – Barr, Marceron, Crain, Sutcliffe, Hipp, Cundiff, Hancock, Larson

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Pat Taylor, Donna Williams
I Inside – A. Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Wilheit, Baldwin, Winters

Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab), Alexander(blue)

FYI/Reminders
-Please remember to turn in your Wish lists if you have needs
-If you were out of the building for any reason (8/15-8/31), please let Nellie know the reason (sick, workshop, etc.) for payroll
-ESL classes will start Tuesday afternoon (ESL teachers will pick-up). Morning classes will be added after IPT testing is complete

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)
Suzanne Sarfert – Great job on involving your “community” in making class rules
Maggie Wessell – Thank you for representing SIT team well and for adding plenty of excitement to your read aloud
Maria Vernon – Congratulations on getting the Young Alum Award from Appalachian State!

Have a great weekend!
****A note from Amy Tilley****

Teachers,
You should have either received a Boxtops Envelope in your box, or have one from last year. If you do not have one, you need to put a note in Amy Tilley's box, or send her an email immediately. You may collect the Boxtops in some other container in your rooms if you wish, but I prefer them to be given to me in the envelopes. We will be starting our first Back to School contest soon. For those of you who are new, your students will be bringing in Boxtops. Please collect them in the envelopes. Once the contest starts, I will put the collection box by the cafeteria, unless someone thinks there might be an easier or better location. You may turn your envelopes in daily, it helps me to count a little at a time rather than get 1000 at one time. I will tally the totals and the winning class will get a pizza party. I am going to order some other goodies this year as well. This is a pretty good money maker for our school and gives us money that is used to give you your money at the beginning of school. The homeroom teachers that really "RAH, RAH" this in their rooms are usually the ones that win, so talk it up.
Thanks, Amy Tilley