Friday Updates February 2009

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
February 6, 2009

As we reach the halfway point to the school year, it is good to reflect on our accomplishments/needs for improvement for the first half of the year. Since we all touch our school in different ways, these reflections should be personal. All of us have many things to be proud of and at least a few things that we can do better. I challenge all of us to honestly reflect on the year and do our best to continue to serve our students to the best of our abilities.
We are now in the “dogdays” of winter. We do not have another scheduled workday until March 31st. Please remember to take care of yourself and your family so that you can take care of our students. It has proven difficult to keep our constant momentum with PBS and now is the time that we need it. Our team will receive more training next week to help us move into the next phase of PBS. Everyone has a say in how well we do by continuing to give eggs to other classes, reminding students of their expectations in your duty areas (“Are you SOARING?”) and reteaching the expectations to students in your class.

“Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind.”-Quincy Jones


Monday 2/9 (Day 4) – Book fair in auditorium, Ms. Cressman & Mr. Keener at High Yield training, Tutoring (5th-M, 3rd-R), Tiger Kim after school

Tuesday 2/10 (Day 5) – Progress reports, Staff meeting (short), PTA book fair/Open House (6:30-7:15 K-2 open house, 3-5 to bookfair, 7:15-8:00 3-5 open house, k-2 to bookfair), Tiger Kim after school

Wednesday 2/11 (Day 6) – Bookfair, Tiger Kim after school

Thursday 2/12 (Day 1) – Principals’ meeting, Bookfair ,Tutoring (3rd-M, 5th-R), Tech. workshop “Skype”, Tiger Kim after school

Friday 2/13 (Day 2) – Bookfair, TGIF

PBS rewards assemblies for K-2, 3-5 (We will recognize our top egg earning classes on Friday, February 20th)

Week of 2/16 - 2/20 – (2/16 Day 3) Science Festival kick-off, PE in auditorium, Tutoring, (2/17 Day 4) Science Festival, PE in auditorium (2/18 Day 5) Science Festival, PE in auditorium, Ident-a-kid, Willette Nash school visit (2/19 Day 6) Science Festival, PE in auditorium (2/20 Day 1) PBS mid-year celebration (K-2 at 1:30, 3-5 at 2:00)

Looking ahead

-February – Tiger Kim in PE classes during week of Feb 2nd and after-school opportunity for students weeks of Feb 9th and Feb 23rd ($$$$ goes to new playground equipment)
-Week of 2/16 – Science Festival (PE in auditorium)
-2/18 – Ident-a-Kid
-2009-2010 Kindergarten information – New law in place (all incoming kindergarten students have to be 5 years old by August 31st), Kindergarten registration deadline is March 4, Kindergarten screening is April 15

New Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Womble, Letourneau

Bus – Larson, Kreger, Sutcliffe, Marceron, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Chamra, Hancock, Salamanca
Afternoon – Caller – Wessell
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Alexander
Outside – DiSorbo, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Taylor, Weiss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-If you are unable to fulfill a morning or afternoon duty, please find a replacement
-PTA bookfair/Open house February 10 (6:30-8:00)
-Keep giving those eggs and reteach your students how to SOAR
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)
Glass office girls – Thank you for your help preparing our vocabulary word lists.
Southwest staff – Great job with report cards.
3rd Quarter Duty folks – Thanks for a great start!

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
February 13, 2009

While we all are striving to do our best to finish this school year on a good note, we must be aware of the ways in which we can make plans to make next year even better. I have asked you to reflect about what you can do to improve how you meet your students’ needs. I would also like you to begin to think about the “things” that we need to improve for next year. Since I have been at Southwest, we have evolved several parts of our school. Some of these changes have worked well and some have not. That is a natural part of the improvement process. As I have said before, unless 100% of our children are meeting their full potential, we have more changing to do. If you have ideas of how to improve a certain aspect of our school, please feel free to share it with Ms. Cressman, Mrs. Herrin, Mr. Keener, Ms. Zimmerman (SIT chair), your SIT rep or me. Our job is to lead us in the right direction and to address our school’s weaknesses. Your input is vital to this process.

“Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome. “
Arthur Ashe


Monday 2/16 (Day 3) – Science Festival kick-off, PE in auditorium, Tutoring

Tuesday 2/17 (Day 4) – Science Festival, PE in auditorium, SIT meeting

Wednesday 2/18 (Day 5) – Science Festival, PE in auditorium, Ident-a-kid, Willette Nash school visit

Thursday 2/19 (Day 6) – Science Festival, PE in auditorium, Tutoring

Friday 2/20 (Day 1) – PBS mid-year celebration (K-2 at 1:30, 3-5 at 2:00)

PBS rewards assemblies for K-2, 3-5 (We will recognize our top egg earning classes on Friday, February 20th K-2 at 1:30, 3-5 at 2:00)

Week of 2/23 - 2/30 – (2/23 Day 2), (2/24 Day 3) Interim reports, PBS committee meeting (2/25 Day 4) Vienna SIT visits Southwest (2/26 Day 5) Tech facilitator meeting(2/27 Day 6) TGIF

Looking ahead

-February – Tiger Kim in PE classes during week of Feb 2nd and after-school opportunity for students weeks of Feb 9th and Feb 23rd ($$$$ goes to new playground equipment)
-Week of 2/16 – Science Festival (PE in auditorium)
-2/18 – Ident-a-Kid
-2009-2010 Kindergarten information – New law in place (all incoming kindergarten students have to be 5 years old by August 31st), Kindergarten registration deadline is March 4, Kindergarten screening is April 15

New Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Biggam, Vernon

Bus – Larson, Kreger, Sutcliffe, Marceron, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Chamra, Hancock, Salamanca
Afternoon – Caller – Wessell
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Alexander
Outside – DiSorbo, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Taylor, Weiss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Make sure your grade level has submitted your meeting dates to Mr. Hayes ASAP
-If you are unable to fulfill a morning or afternoon duty, please find a replacement
-Please pay close attentions to Mr. Keener’s Fire Marshall directives. Thanks to everyone who has already made adjustments.
-Keep giving those eggs and reteach your students how to SOAR. Let us know if you are close to an incentive plateau.

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)
Glass office girls – Thank you for your help preparing our vocabulary word lists.
Southwest staff – Great job with report cards.
Science Festival helpers – Thanks for all your help to prepare for the big event!
Bookfair helpers – Great job and thanks for a successful sale.


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
February 20, 2009

While we all are striving to do our best to finish this school year on a good note, we must be aware of the ways in which we can make plans to make next year even better. I have asked you to reflect about what you can do to improve how you meet your students’ needs. I would also like you to begin to think about the “things” that we need to improve for next year. Since I have been at Southwest, we have evolved several parts of our school. Some of these changes have worked well and some have not. That is a natural part of the improvement process. As I have said before, unless 100% of our children are meeting their full potential, we have more changing to do. If you have ideas of how to improve a certain aspect of our school, please feel free to share it with Ms. Cressman, Mrs. Herrin, Mr. Keener, Ms. Zimmerman (SIT chair), your SIT rep or me. Our job is to lead us in the right direction and to address our school’s weaknesses. Your input is vital to this process.

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
Maya Angelou



Monday 2/16 (Day 3) – Science Festival kick-off, PE in auditorium, Tutoring

Tuesday 2/17 (Day 4) – Science Festival, PE in auditorium, SIT meeting

Wednesday 2/18 (Day 5) – Science Festival, PE in auditorium, Ident-a-kid, Willette Nash school visit

Thursday 2/19 (Day 6) – Science Festival, PE in auditorium, Tutoring

Friday 2/20 (Day 1) – PBS mid-year celebration (K-2 at 1:30, 3-5 at 2:00)

PBS rewards assemblies for K-2, 3-5 (We will recognize our top egg earning classes on Friday, February 20th K-2 at 1:30, 3-5 at 2:00)

Week of 2/23 - 2/30 – (2/23 Day 2), (2/24 Day 3) Interim reports, PBS committee meeting (2/25 Day 4) Vienna SIT visits Southwest (2/26 Day 5) Tech facilitator meeting(2/27 Day 6) TGIF

Looking ahead

-February – Tiger Kim in PE classes during week of Feb 2nd and after-school opportunity for students weeks of Feb 9th and Feb 23rd ($$$$ goes to new playground equipment)
-Week of 2/16 – Science Festival (PE in auditorium)
-2/18 – Ident-a-Kid
-2009-2010 Kindergarten information – New law in place (all incoming kindergarten students have to be 5 years old by August 31st), Kindergarten registration deadline is March 4, Kindergarten screening is April 15

New Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Biggam, Vernon

Bus – Larson, Kreger, Sutcliffe, Marceron, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Chamra, Hancock, Salamanca
Afternoon – Caller – Wessell
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Alexander
Outside – DiSorbo, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Taylor, Weiss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Make sure your grade level has submitted your meeting dates to Mr. Hayes ASAP
-If you are unable to fulfill a morning or afternoon duty, please find a replacement
-Please pay close attentions to Mr. Keener’s Fire Marshall directives. Thanks to everyone who has already made adjustments.
-Keep giving those eggs and reteach your students how to SOAR. Let us know if you are close to an incentive plateau.

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)
Glass office girls – Thank you for your help preparing our vocabulary word lists.
Southwest staff – Great job with report cards.
Science Festival helpers – Thanks for all your help to prepare for the big event!
Bookfair helpers – Great job and thanks for a successful sale.


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
February 27, 2009

While we all are striving to do our best to finish this school year on a good note, we must be aware of the ways in which we can make plans to make next year even better. I have asked you to reflect about what you can do to improve how you meet your students’ needs. I would also like you to begin to think about the “things” that we need to improve for next year. Since I have been at Southwest, we have evolved several parts of our school. Some of these changes have worked well and some have not. That is a natural part of the improvement process. As I have said before, unless 100% of our children are meeting their full potential, we have more changing to do. If you have ideas of how to improve a certain aspect of our school, please feel free to share it with Ms. Cressman, Mrs. Herrin, Mr. Keener, Ms. Zimmerman (SIT chair), your SIT rep or me. Our job is to lead us in the right direction and to address our school’s weaknesses. Your input is vital to this process.

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
Maya Angelou

Monday 3/2 (Day 1) – Leadership meeting (9:00), Meadowlark Band/Chorus in auditorium (5th grade)[4th and 5th switch lunches], Tutoring

Tuesday 3/3 (Day 2) – Marzano training

Wednesday 3/4 (Day 3) – Principals’ meeting, Kindergarten registration (9-1)

Thursday 3/5 (Day 4) – All County Chorus in Auditorium, WSFCS Reflections awards celebration at Jefferson Middle

Friday 3/6 (Day 5) – All Pro Dads breakfast (6:45-7:45 in cafeteria), Principals’ meeting, All County Chorus


Week of 3/9 - 3/13 – (3/9 Day 6) (3/10 Day 1) Clemmons Middle in Auditorium (5th), Staff meeting, Noche Hispana (3/11 Day 2) (3/12 Day 3) Principals’ meeting, Computer training-ActiveBoard adv. features (3/13 Day 4) TGIF

Looking ahead

-2009-2010 Kindergarten information – New law in place (all incoming kindergarten students have to be 5 years old by August 31st), Kindergarten registration deadline is March 4, Kindergarten screening is April 15

New Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, East, Sereika

Bus – Larson, Kreger, Sutcliffe, Marceron, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Chamra, Hancock, Salamanca
Afternoon – Caller – Wessell
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Alexander
Outside – DiSorbo, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Taylor, Weiss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Congratulations to Jan Hipp who welcomed granddaughter Addison and to Katie Chamra who welcomed new daughter Reese.
-Several staff members are still dealing with long and short-term illness within their families. Please keep them in your thoughts.
-Please remember our energy conservation guidelines (Computers shutdown & TV’s turned off daily)
-If you are unable to fulfill a morning or afternoon duty, please find a replacement
-Please pay close attention to Mr. Keener’s Fire Marshall directives. Thanks to everyone who has already made adjustments.
-Keep giving those eggs and reteach your students how to SOAR. 1. You should keep your golden egg(s) from the first semester and display the egg(s) somewhere in your classroom. If you turned your golden egg(s) to me, please stop by and I will return the egg(s) to you. 2. The white eggs that you have earned from the 1st quarter you may do as you wish. Again, you might want to display those somewhere in the classroom for the students to see. 3. 2nd Quarter Egg Count started 2/23/09. That means if you have any eggs dated BEFORE 2/23/09, those eggs must be removed from your nest so that all homerooms have a level playing field.
**Unfortunately, Jan Hipp is going to have to endure another back surgery in the next few weeks and will need some help with days. If you are able to help, please contact Nellie.

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)
Mrs. Herrin, Ms. Cressman & Mr. Keener – Thank you for doing a great job with Principal Pals/Honor Roll recognition.
Science Festival helpers – Thanks for all your efforts to make it a successful event!
SIT team – Thanks for your leadership.
Mrs. Boyer, Ms. Cressman, Mrs. Herrin, Mrs. Hancock, Mr. Keener – Thank you for your work with PBS recognitions!
Mr. Sereika/Mrs. Hancock – Thanks for your work in the cafeteria.