Friday Updates January 2008

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
January 4, 2008

Welcome back!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday break and are ready to jump back into the fire. It will be busy from here on out so hold on. Please update your calendar to make sure and stay up to date.

Next week
Monday 1/7 –

Tuesday 1/8 – Principals’ meeting, Staff meeting (3-4), Big Shotz Night

Wednesday 1/9 – Writing test window begins, Kindergarten writing training @ Moore (3:45-4:45)

Thursday 1/10 – 4th grade writing training @ Admin. Center Auditorium (3:15-4:45), Skate Haven Night

Friday 1/11 – Backyard Burger Night

Week of 1/14-1/18 – (1/14) End of quarter testing window begins (1/15) SIT mtg, Noche Hispana (1/16) (1/17) Principals’ mtg (1/18) End of 2nd quarter (1/19) Southwest miniature golf day at Jimmy Mac’s

January 21st – MLK holiday
January 22nd – Teacher workday

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Letourneau, Burke

Bus – Baker, Freshwater, Dease, Gough, Merritt, Vance, Zimmerman

Car riders – Morning – Overby, Hancock, Twyman
Afternoon – Caller – Taylor, Frye
Inside – Roberts, Womble, East
Outside – Jones, Barnes, Merrill, Currie, Wilson, DiSorbo
Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab)

FYI/Reminders
**Welcome back to Jerri Smith and Charles Mabry who were out after surgery. Please remember Jan Hipp as she continues her recovery after surgery.

-The Southwest cafeteria is currently collecting can goods for the Food Bank. A collection box is in the cafeteria.
-It is time to complete your 07-08 IGP’s. Either Debbie, Kim, Tom or I will conference with you to complete the form.
-If you need help with the subfinder system, please ask. It is important to get those days in correctly.

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)

Jan Merritt – Great job with your reading sessions with bus 323!


Southwest staff – Thank you all for your hard work and commitment during this first half of the school year. It has been a tremendous blessing for me to become part of such a talented group of professionals. I look forward to leading us to even more great accomplishments during 2008.

Mike


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
January 11, 2008

As we get near the end of second quarter, it is important to reflect on how well we have done during the first half of the school year. While there are always ups and downs, we have to be proud of the job we have done.
Our grade level alignment meetings were the first step in helping us create a more close knit “professional learning community.” While we did learn some things about how to improve the process for next time, it proved to be an effective exercise that can make us better. Again, thank you for your willingness to allow me to lead you to a different way of doing things.

“The road to success is always under construction.”
Author unknown

Next week
Monday 1/14 – EOQ testing window begins, Writing strategies training for 3rd grade

Tuesday 1/15 – SIT meeting (3-4), Noche Hispana

Wednesday 1/16 –

Thursday 1/17 – Elementary Principals’ meeting (7:30-12:00), Skate Haven Night

Friday 1/18 – End of 2nd Quarter

Saturday 1/10 – SW miniature golf day at Jimmy Mac’s

Week of 1/21-1/25 – (1/21) MLK holiday (1/22) Teacher workday, School Center training (several sessions), CPR training, Parent advisory council meeting (1/23) Principals’ meeting (1/24) PTA board mtg (1/25)

Looking ahead
January 29 – Report cards go home
March 4 – 4th grade Writing test, Kindergarten registration
April 10 – Golf tournament
May 7 – Kindergarten screening

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Vernon, Schmoyer, Trinkle, Church, Burke

Bus – Baker, Freshwater, Dease, Gough, Merritt, Vance, Zimmerman

Car riders – Morning – Overby, Hancock, Twyman
Afternoon – Caller – Taylor, Frye
Inside – Roberts, Womble, East
Outside – Jones, Barnes, Merrill, Currie, Wilson, DiSorbo
Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab)

FYI/Reminders
**Welcome back to Jerri Smith and Charles Mabry who were out after surgery. Please remember Jan Hipp as she continues her recovery after surgery.
-The Southwest cafeteria is currently collecting soup cans for Crisis Control. A collection box is in the cafeteria.
-If you need help with the subfinder system, please ask. It is important to get those days in correctly.

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)
Nicole Skinner, Jan Merritt, Michele Winters – Thank you for what you do to promote reading at Southwest
Leadership team – Thank you for helping to keep us on track
OWLS teachers – Thank you for all your help to get ready for EOQ testing
Brian Vest – Thank you for your willingness to meet some difficult student accommodations
Duty free lunch staff – Thanks for your efforts to maintain order in the cafeteria
Southwest staff – Thank you for your efforts during Tuesday’s staff meeting


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
January 25, 2008

As I left school last night after our PTA board meeting, I could not help but notice the enormous full moon in the sky above. Anybody who has ever worked in a school has something other than space flights come to mind when they see a full moon. We usually have a sense of dread as we think about how active and disobedient our students will be. It is easy during this time of year to lose patience with your students. With only one workday from now until March 20, it will be a tough stretch of time. Hang in there!
Hopefully, your grade level SIT representative has already shared some information about Positive Behavior Support. If they have not, please ask them about it. Our SIT team will vote next week to decide whether we would like to implement this program for Southwest. Through my experience, I have seen how it can have a tremendously positive effect on a school. While discipline is not a huge issue here, it can improve. We can also make our school safer by implementing Positive Behavior Support. If you have questions about PBS, please ask.
“One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen.” Philip Wylie

Next week
Monday 1/28 – Peer mediation announcement, Book fair set-up, Book fair teacher preview (3-4:30)

Tuesday 1/29 – Report cards go home, Math training for 3rd, 4th & 5th (3:30-4:30), PTA meeting/Book fair/Open house (7-8:30)

Wednesday 1/30 – Book fair, Chamber of commerce golf meeting (8-9), Assistant principals’ meeting (9:30-11:30), AR party (1:45-2:15), 2nd grade writing training @ Moore (3:45-4:45)

Thursday 1/31 – Book fair (day & 5-7), Dental screening, Tech facilitators’ meeting, Golf meeting (3-4) in media center

Friday 2/1 – Book fair, Elementary Principals’ meeting (7:30-12:00)

Week of 2/4-2/8 – (2/4) WS symphony for K (10:30-11:15) (2/5) Principals’ meeting, PTA newsletter information DUE, Internet as an effective tool training (2/6) Career Day (PE in auditorium) (2/7) Meadowlark Middle orchestra/chorus for 5th (10:30-11:15), 1st grade to Steven’s Center (2/8) Principals’ meeting, Puppet Bunch for 2nd grade (9:30-10:30), Backyard burger night

Looking ahead
March 4 – 4th grade Writing test, Kindergarten registration
March 20 – Holiday
March 31-April 4 – Spring break
April 10 – Golf tournament
May 7 – Kindergarten screening

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Weiss, Parra, East

Bus – Vaughn, Sunderman, Beard, Jones, Kreger, Council, Vest, Dosek

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Taylor, Frye, LeCompte
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Church/Schmoyer
Outside – Moss/Lyle, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Drummond, Weiss
Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab)

FYI/Reminders
**For this week in CANS, Mrs. Powell won k-2 and Mrs. Sunderman won 3-5. (As of today, we have collected 96, 723 cans weighing 2,931 pounds) GREAT JOB!!!!!

**Bookfair teacher preview (3-4:30) – Monday (wishlists before Tuesday)

**If you have not done so already, please send report cards to your administrator.

**It is the flu season. Please be sure that you and your students use hand sanitizer and wash hands.

**Please remember that the copier used by Traci Petree and the one outside Debbie's office are the machines that we have leased. They have high usage counts, so everyone should try to use them first. The code for their department/grade level can be used on any of the four machines.

**WEATHER DELAYS** As we discussed in our January 8th staff meeting - unless it is specifically announced, employees are expected to report to work at the usual time.

**If you are running late and anticipate arriving to school after 7:30, please let the office know so that we can cover your classroom.

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)
Amy Hancock – Thank you for your work on our student display at Food Lion.
SIT team and Grade chairs – Thank you for your hard work and leadership.
Debbie Herrin and 2nd grade teachers – Thank you for your work and patience to complete 2nd grade testing.
Gloria Allen – Great job celebrating the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Glinda Hayes – Thank you for your service to Southwest.
Southwest staff and students – Thank you for making my 44th birthday the best ever!