Friday Updates October 2007

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
October 5, 2007

We are definitely fully into the school year (discipline referrals, parent conferences, etc.) and it can be a stressful time. Make sure to take the time to relax and do something fun in order to recharge your batteries away from school. 180 school days is a journey, not a sprint. Thanks for ANOTHER great week at Southwest!

**Our can recycling has gotten off to an excellent start. Our top can collectors for the week are:

1st – Marceron (1,015) 2nd – Herko (641) 3rd – Gough (592) Honorable Mention – Cundiff (535)

Next week
Monday 10/8 –

Tuesday 10/9 – Staff Mtg, 4th grade to Hiddenite, Big Shotz Night, School Board ABC’s recognition training

Wednesday 10/10 – Teacher Advisory Council Mtg., 4th grade to Hiddenite, New principal training

Thursday 10/11 – Picture Make-ups, 1st grade to Lewisville Fire Dept., 5th grade to Dinosaurs, Leadership meeting (1-2), Skate Haven Night

Friday 10/12 – Core I & II classes go bowling (10:00-12:30)

Saturday 10/13 – Campus beautification day (8-1)

Week of 10/15-9/19 – (10/15) Assessment training (10/16) Final Donation Day, K to Children’s Museum, SIT mtg, Powerpoint Basics, Hispanic Liaison mtg (10/17) K to Children’s Museum, Brick Oven Night (10/18) Elementary Principals mtg, K to Children’s Museum, Word Basics (10/19) W-S symphony, K to Children’s Museum, EMD bowling

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Letourneau, Twyman

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

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Pat Taylor, Donna Williams
Inside – A. Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Wilheit, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab)

FYI/Reminders
-Please extend your condolences to Katrina Sutcliffe who lost her grandmother this week. Also, please remember Ellen Barnes who lost her mother in law. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
-We are getting staff development renewal credit for our staff meeting trainings this year, but you must first register online. It is called “Best Practices – K-5 Curriculum & Instruction”.
-If you have not met with me for your mini-conference, please sign up ASAP. We are almost to the end of the list.
-With duty-free lunch it will extremely helpful to make sure that you have trained your classes as to the proper way to clean table, sweep the floor, eat quietly, etc..

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)
3rd & 5th grade – Thank you for being so willing to give up some of your time in the afternoon to help tutor your Gateway students.
Joyce Wilson – Nice job with your brainstorming activity when writing about a scarecrow.
Bus and car rider duty folks – Thank you for your supervision to make our dismissal more orderly and safe.
Amy Tilley – Great job with your pre-writing activity about the Dixie Classic Fair.
Jan Hipp – Congratulations on your National Board Certification renewal

Have a great weekend!

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
October 12, 2007

Our meeting Tuesday was just the start of what I hope will be a series of informative and helpful staff training sessions. Yes, we are still having meetings, but I want them to be MORE than just meetings. In order to help me lead us to use our time more effectively, I am asking for your feedback. As we have our training sessions, please let me know what is useful and what is not useful. I would also invite you to offer suggestions as to what information/resources you would like to see when we cover specific topics. Our next staff meeting will focus on our students in the English as a Second Language program. I have some ideas as to what I would like to share on this topic, but would like for you to help me focus our presentation so that it is THE BEST.

Next week
Monday 10/15 – Leadership mtg (8:30-9), Mrs. Herrin to assessment training

Tuesday 10/16 – Final Donation Day, K to Children’s Museum (9-1:30), EC process visit **All EC staff** (2:30-3:00), SIT mtg (3-4), Powerpoint Basics (3-4), Hispanic Liaison mtg (6-7:30)

Wednesday 10/17 – K to Children’s Museum (9-1:30), Brick Oven Night (5-8)

Thursday 10/18 – Elementary Principals mtg (7:30-12), K to Children’s Museum (9-1:30), Leadership mtg (1-2), Word Basics (3-4, 4:15-5:15)

Friday 10/19 – W-S symphony (9-10), K to Children’s Museum (9-1:30), EMD bowling (10-12:30)


Week of 10/22-10/26 – (10/22) EOQ testing window(Oct 22-Nov 2), Science Fair begins (10/23) Science fair, Progress reports, Words Their Way III (10/24) Science fair, 3rd gr to Science in Greensboro, AP mtg (10/25) Science fair, Tech facilitator mtg (10/26) 2nd gr to Stevens Center, End of 1st quarter, EMD bowling (10/27) SW miniature golf day

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Vernon, Schmoyer, Trinkle, Church

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

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Pat Taylor, Donna Williams
Inside – A. Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Wilheit, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab)

FYI/Reminders
-Lynn Biggam’s son remains in the hospital with an infection in his arm.
-Jan Womble's youngest son, Jonah, broke his leg in a soccer game a couple of weeks ago. He will be homebound for several weeks.
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
-We are getting staff development renewal credit for our staff meeting trainings this year, but you must first register online. It is called “Best Practices – K-5 Curriculum & Instruction”.
-If you have not met with me for your mini-conference, please sign up ASAP. We are almost to the end of the list.

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)
Kim Moore & friends – Thank you for keeping our buses rolling while Mr. Keener was away.
Brian Vest & Becky Vestal – Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility in the classroom.
PRT’s and assistants – Thank you for being such a valuable resource to our students.
2nd grade – Great job on the butterfly launch

Have a great weekend!


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
October 19, 2007

Our growing ESL population has added a new dynamic to our school. This year, we have tried to renew our efforts to improve the connection between school and home for these families. Our PTA is committed to helping these efforts and several bilingual parents have agreed to serve as liaisons to our Hispanic community. They will help with translation, recruitment and anything else that will help bridge that gap. This Tuesday is our first Southwest Noche Hispana for the 2007-08 school year. I encourage all of you to help publicize this event and talk with your students about what it means so that we can maximize the effect. Improved communication and better connections will help to make all of our students more successful.


Next week
Monday 10/22 – EOQ testing window(Oct 22-Nov 2), Science Festival kick-off in gym (3-5 @ 8:30, K-2 @ 9:30)

Tuesday 10/23 – Science festival, Progress reports, Words Their Way III, Noche Hispana (6-7:30)

Wednesday 10/24 – Science festival, 3rd gr to Science in Greensboro, AP mtg

Thursday 10/25 – Science festival, Tech facilitator mtg

Friday 10/26 – 2nd gr to Stevens Center, End of 1st quarter, EMD bowling

Saturday 10/27 – Southwest miniature golf day at Jimmy Mac’s (Clemmonsville Road)


Week of 10/29-11/2 – (10/29) Workday!!!!!!, Words Their Way IV(10/30) 1st grade Fall activities (10/31) 1st grade Fall activities (11/1) 1st grade Fall activities (11/2) Principals’ mtg, Backyard Burger Night

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Womble, Burke

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

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Pat Taylor, Donna Williams
Inside – A. Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Wilheit, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Bowser(lounge), Everhardt(computer lab)

FYI/Reminders
-We have just a couple of days to finish our United Way campaign on a strong note. We will update our goal progress on Monday. Thanks for your help.
-The record room door has been rekeyed to work with your door key. It will be locked, but your key should work.
-We are getting staff development renewal credit for our staff meeting trainings this year, but you must first register online. It is called “Best Practices – K-5 Curriculum & Instruction”.
-**If you have not met with me for your mini-conference, please sign up this week.**

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)
Anna Keeney & friends – Great job with your learning centers and the Science focus on types of matter.
1st grade – Thank you for your work with our early readers & your Fall Festival preparation.
Debbie Herrin & science festival committee – Thank you for your work to prepare for next week. I can’t wait!
5th grade – Great job with your focused Science lessons (Science EOG - here we come)!

Have a great weekend!

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
October 26, 2007

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of our first nine weeks of school. Time flies when you are having fun. It has been a fun, interesting, and sometimes challenging time as I have tried to learn a lot in a short time. Hopefully, you feel that for the most part, Southwest is still a great place for children to learn and that we are working to make our school better. Although I am 99% complete with our staff conferences, my door is always open to discuss issues about our school. Thank you, again, for welcoming me into our school and allowing me to be a part of something special.

Next week
Monday 10/29 – Workday!!!!!!, Staff breakfast provided by the YMCA, Bookroom check-out training with Glinda Hayes (9:00-9:30), Words Their Way IV

Tuesday 10/30 – 1st grade Fall activities

Wednesday 10/31 – 1st grade Fall activities

Thursday 11/1 – 1st grade Fall activities,

Friday 11/2 – Principals’ mtg, Backyard Burger Night
***Due to the previously mentioned conflict with computer training, we will move our first November staff meeting to Tuesday, November 6th(Best practice for working with English Language Learners). We are still scheduled to meet with Dr. Martin on Tuesday, November 20th.****

Week of 11/5-11/9 – (11/5) (11/6) Election day (PE in auditorium), Principals’ meeting, Staff meeting(11/7) (11/8) Skate Haven Night(11/9)

Duty Schedule
**New Roster**
Breakfast – Weiss, Parra, East

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

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

FYI/Reminders
-****As you have done in the past, please forward your report cards ASAP to your assigned administrator for review (K & 4th-Mr. Keener, 2nd & 5th-Ms. Moore, 1st & 3rd-Mr. Hayes) By Friday, November 2nd at the latest****
-Thanks for those of you who were able to help with United Way. We were still short of our goal. Sarah and Dawn will give us our exact totals next week.
-Aaren Brown's family, especially her mother, continues to recover from a serious car accident. Also, her husband's Grandfather passed away.
-Jan Womble's son, Jonah, is back in the hospital after a second surgery on his broken leg.
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers

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)
Debbie Herrin & science festival committee – Thank you for your work to make our science festival successful.
4th grade – Great job with your writing instruction! Keep up the good work.
PE ladies – Thank you for adapting well to the science festival and the rain.
Noche Hispana committee – Great job with our 1st night of the year!
Tanya Pennington – Fantastic work with your fall website update.
Kim Moore – Georgia Kennedy says “thanks for helping with the jumper cables.”
Earnest Squire – Thank you for your help with science festival set-up/clean-up.
Great job to everyone on the can collections!
Have a great weekend!