Friday Update 11-19-10

Friday Update
November 19th , 2010

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the blessings in your life. I am thankful for so many things including: a wonderful wife and three beautiful kids, a hard working staff, students who love us no matter what, an office staff that rocks, music to soothe my nerves, a cool fall morning, Christmas is on its way. I urge you to find the blessings in your life and to acknowledge them. While no one’s world is ever perfect, we all can look for the “good things” to try to keep our glass half full.

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."
~George Bernard Shaw.

Next week –
Monday 11/22 – Staff BBQ lunch provided by our Southwest PTA
Tuesday 11/23 - Watch DOG – Brett Todd
Wednesday 11/24 – No School – The building will be locked – enjoy the break
Thursday 11/25 - No School – Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday 11/26 – No School

11/29-12/3
11/29 – 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40
11/30 – Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Happy Birthday to Amy Hancock, AP Professional Dev., Focused Staff Training, PTA Board Meeting
12/1– 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55
12/2– Watch DOG – Rick MacDonald
12/3– 5th grade PLC @ 10:00
FYI/Reminders:

-The space in front of the annex sidewalk is no longer available for parking. It must remain open so that we maintain proper handicap access. We will put in a work order to have it properly.

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.

-Please remember to wear your staff ID every day.






Staff Stars
Heidi Lee – Thanks for the amazing energy you show in the classroom
Thanks to Loren Burke who graciously volunteered to switch workdays so she could help with the Southwest-Holy Family Thanksgiving Outreach Program on Monday.
First grade PLC team - Awesome job with creating calendar for teaching math objectives week by week and looking ahead to common assessments!
Betsy McGhee - Great social skills lesson on how to apologize
3rd/5th Grade Tutors - A great start this week!
Bunny Coates - A great job with teacher THINK ALOUD with read aloud text
Joyce Wilson - Super job with teaching ways to represent a number through song!
Jan Barr - Great story map graphic organizer

Friday Update - 11-12-10

Friday Update
November 12th , 2010

I hope that you all had a good weekend. The intent of inviting James Lucas to our staff meeting last week was to try to ease some fears about how the new Zone 7 elementary school will affect Southwest. While it did seem to help to explain the process, I know that we all still have many unknowns. That is a fact that we can not do anything about. Our job for now is to do our best to serve the students that we have now and to let the other things about next year take care of themselves. There are no guarantees in life and we simply have to “live in the present.” Thank you for all that you do every day for our students.

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain." Anonymous

Next week –
Monday 11/15 ––3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to Tiffany Larson
Tuesday 11/16 - Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Happy Birthday to Pat Taylor, SIT, Winston Salem Symphony Strings for 4th and 5th grade
Wednesday 11/17 – 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, Happy Birthday to Terry Zimmerman, 3rd grade puppet show, 4th grade to Heritage Theater (will leave @ 10:00)
Thursday 11/18 - Watch DOG – Eric Blanks, Principals Meeting, Spanish Club, PBIS Meeting, Honor Roll Celebration @ 10:00
Friday 11/19 – 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Watch DOG – Randy Patton, 1st grade Thanksgiving Feasts, 3rd grade to Children’s Theater (Fausch, Marceron, Sunderman, and Vaughn gone from 9:15 – 11:15; Winters, Rosenberger, and Drummond gone from 11:15 – 1:30)

11/22-11-26
11/22 –
11/23 – Watch DOG – Brett Todd
11/24– No School
11/25– No School – Happy Thanksgiving!
11/26– No School

FYI/Reminders:
-The space in front of the annex sidewalk is no longer available for parking. It must remain open so that we maintain proper handicap access. We will put in a work order to have it properly.

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.

-Please remember to wear your staff ID every day.


Staff Stars
-Tonya Grisette and Wende Powell and Beth Bowser - Great job with your book genre graphs!!!!
-PLC facilitators - Thank you for your work to keep our discussions focused on learning.
-Sarah Baldwin - Great job with our United Way campaign during a tough budget year.
- Mr. Mabry – Thanks for your waiting and making sure a teacher made it to her car safely one evening.
-Amy Hancock – Thank you for representing Southwest well as our Teacher of the Year.
-Melissa Stone – Nice job with your centers and writing lesson.

Friday Update 11-5-10

Friday Update
November 6th , 2010

We have two new Southwest Elementary staff members to welcome to our family. Please welcome them as they begin their time with us next week.

Mrs. Betty Pendley will start half days next week as our new Data Manager. She has worked as an assistant and technology facilitator at Clemmons Elementary School.
Mr. Bart Rodden has been hired as our new Lead Custodian. He is coming to us from Meadowlark Elementary and will be joining us in a few days.

Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. ~Author Unknown

Next week –
Monday 11/8 –– 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Watch DOG – David Seibert
Tuesday 11/9 - Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Watch DOG – David Rhyne, Happy Birthday to Erin Gough, Staff Meeting, White Elephant BINGO (6:00 – 7:30), Report Cards Go Home
Wednesday 11/10 - 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55
Thursday 11/11 – No School – Happy Veterans Day!
Friday 11/12 – 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Watch DOG – Ray McDowell, Last Day of Book Fair

11/15-19
11/15 – 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to Tiffany Larson
11/16 – Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Happy Birthday to Pat Taylor, SIT, Winston Salem Symphony Strings for 4th and 5th grade
11/17– 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, Happy Birthday to Terry Zimmerman, 3rd grade puppet show, 4th grade to Heritage Theater
11/18– Watch DOG – Eric Blanks, Principals Meeting, Spanish Club, PBIS Meeting, Honor Roll Celebration @ 10:00
11/19– 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Watch DOG – Randy Patton, 1st grade Thanksgiving Feasts

FYI/Reminders:
-The space in front of the annex sidewalk is no longer available for parking. It must remain open so that we maintain proper handicap access. We will put in a work order to have it properly.

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.

-Please remember to wear your staff ID every day.
- Thank you for your work to get report cards ready. Please remember to follow up with communication with those students below grade level


Staff Stars
2nd grade teachers – Thanks for a great job testing!

5th grade – Great PLC today!

Wende Powell – Thank you for your work with 2nd grade enrichment

Kathi Lawrence and Peggy Isenhour – Nice work with your guided reading groups

Vanessa Menendez and Sandra Garcia – Thank your for always being willing to translate whatever and whenever needed!

Marilyn Barr - Great use literacy graphic organizers for predicting/inferring

Nicole Skinner - Effective use of THINK ALOUD with teacher read aloud text and student friendly division picture strategy that helped your students

Dawn Garlow - Creative Alliteration Sentences/Illustrations

Joyce Burnette - Wonderful writer's dialogue thinking through the step by step actions

Amy Tilley - Hats off to you for trying Hand Up/Pair Up/Share cooperative learning structure

Cristen Leteourneau - Creative Spanish interactive powerpoint focusing on directional words

Catherine Herko - Awesome job empowering your fifth grader writers to write poetry

Lauren Hagler - Effective job with the cooperative fraction to decimal to percent activity

Katie Chamra - Great job with cooperative learning activities in fourth grade - thanks for being focused on the needs of your learners

Donna Williams - Wonderful fundations instruction with your students

Bunny Coates - Super job with guided reading decoding strategies!

Nellie Broyhill, Debbie Herrin, Cornelia Hauhuth - Hats off to you for opening up our buildiing each morning!

Friday Update 10-29-10

Friday Update
October 29th , 2010

Thank you for your efforts during first quarter!!!! Enjoy your weekend.

“Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the bigger things.”
Robert Brault

Next week –
Monday 11/1 –– 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Jump Rope for Heart (Kindergarten and 1st grade) 2:30-4:00
Tuesday 11/2 - Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Happy Birthday to Gwen Nolting, P.E. in auditorium (Voting in gym), Principals Meeting, Focused Staff Training
Wednesday 11/3 - 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, Jump Rope for Heart (2nd and 3rd grades) 2:30-4:00, Book Fair Begins, Flu Shots Offered at Central Office
Thursday 11/4 – Jump Rope for Heart (4th and 5th grades) 2:30-4:00, Technology Workshop - Skype, AR Recognition
Friday 11/5 – Watch Dog – Matt Hubbard, 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Happy Birthday to Loren Burke, All Pro Dads Breakfast

11/8 – 11/12
11/8 – 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Watch DOG – David Seibert
11/9 – Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Watch DOG – David Rhyne, Happy Birthday to Erin Gough, Staff Meeting, White Elephant BINGO (6:00 – 7:30)
11/10– 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55
11/11– No School – Happy Veterans Day!
11/12– 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Watch DOG – Ray McDowell, Last Day of Book Fair

FYI/Reminders:

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.
-Please remember to wear your staff ID every day.


Staff Stars

Cristen Letourneau – Thank you for offering your time and help to 5th grade teachers during testing
Brian Vest and Sherry LeCompte - Nice job with the readingeggs.com website.
Robin King, Sylvia Green and Gwen Nolting - Excellent job using a wide variety of activities within the same lesson.
EOQ testers and helpers - Thank you for helping our testing go as smoothly as possible.
Tiffany Larson and Pat Taylor - Great job with your varies learning centers.
Sherry Marceron - Thank you for staying tuned into your student's situation.

Cathy Weiss and Maria Vernon- nice job making candy apples with Robin King's class!
Sandra Garcia and Amy Trinkle – Thanks for your help with the Holiday Family Support
Anne White-Thanks for taking your quarter test children under your wing!

Friday Update 10-22-10

Friday Update
October 22nd , 2010

The Smile
By - Karen Kimbrell

On the first day of this school year, I noticed a boy sitting in the back of my classroom, expressionless, apathetic, and unmotivated. He quickly became a child that consumed a lot of my thought time. He never smiled, He never interacted with his classmates, He looked and acted the same every day - expressionless and unmotivated. I went to his 3rd grade teacher and she said "Yes, that's John. He'll be that way all year." He attempted little of his work, he seldom raised his hand, and his facial expression never changed. I think that is what grabbed me the most - he was flat emotionally all day, every day. When you would hug him or show any kind of affection, he showed nothing in return. He was just "there". As the school year progressed, it was obvious to the class that he was different, but they just ignored him, They knew what he was like from being in previous classes with him, but I didn't want this year to be like every other year. One day this past February, I was teaching at the overhead and I looked right at him and he smiled at me! I was so stunned and elated everything stopped! I stood there a moment and went over to him and threw my arms around him. He didn't react to the hug, but he smiled! The first change in his expression I'd seen all year! Now its May and a few more things have happened, He's interacting a little more with his peers, he's completing some of his assignments, and he's realized that he's good at reciting poems - so he recites quite often! But the biggest thing is that he feels a connection with me. Shortly after "the smile," I returned to my classroom after car duty, only to see John vacuuming our classroom, He said in a very shy voice, "I want to help you." I was sick last week and out of school 4 days, I went to my front door and he had made me a card. It said, "Miss Kimbrell, the Bestest teacher in the whole world, I hope you fill better rill soon." That little card is why I teach school and love what I do. It is because of all the little Johns that sometimes need more than the 3 R's. By the way, while on my journey with John this year, I've come across some readings on a syndrome called "Aspergers" which I think he may have. It's a very high functioning form of autism and quite interesting.
Lessonplanspage.com/inspiration

“If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.” Proverb

***Due to popular demand – we will have DOUBLE STAFF JEANS WEEK 10/25-10/28!!!!***
Pay $2 per day to wear jeans to support Southwest United Way


Next week –
Monday 10/25 –– 1st grade (Atkins, Barr, Jones, and Kreger)to Natural Science Center, Crain and Sutcliffe to Bethabara, 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to CarolAnn Rosenberger, 3-5 Math EOQ
Tuesday 10/26 - Watch DOG – Eric Blanks, Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Miller and Freshwater to Bethabara, PBIS Meeting, Happy Birthday to Wende Powell, Bunny Coates, and Janet Sunderman, 3-5 Math EOQ
Wednesday 10/27 - 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, AP Professional Dev., Chadwick and Stone to Bethabara, Make-ups for Math EOQ
Thursday 10/28 – Watch DOG – Dave Miller, Dease to Bethabara, End of Quarter, Skate Night, Make-ups for Math EOQ, 5th grade PLC @ 10:00
Friday 10/29 – No School for Students

11/1 – 11/5
11/1 – 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Jump Rope for Heart (Kindergarten and 1st grade) 2:30-4:00
11/2 – Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Happy Birthday to Gwen Nolting, P.E. in auditorium (Voting in gym), Principals Meeting, Focused Staff Training
11/3– 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, Jump Rope for Heart (2nd and 3rd grades) 2:30-4:00, Book Fair Begins
11/4– Jump Rope for Heart (4th and 5th grades) 2:30-4:00, Technology Workshop - Skype, AR Recognition
11/5– Watch Dog – Matt Hubbard, 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Happy Birthday to Loren Burke, All Pro Dads Breakfast

FYI/Reminders:

- Great job with your PLC's this week. Please remember to keep your discussions focused on student learning and instruction. It is easy to get taken off the path by issues, but please keep focused.

-Staff may take Annual Leave on October 29 unless there is a required workshop or end of quarter “things” to finish.

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.

-Please remember to wear your staff ID every day.

Staff Stars
Mr. Hayes ~ great job keeping parents informed with the phone calls!
Mrs. Hauhuth willingness to do whatever with a smile!
Kindergarten teachers had a great PLC meeting on differentiation strategies in math!
Mrs. Barnes reading with each child!
Dianne Phillips – Best wishes on the job at Clemmons Middle
Angela Kreger – Great job with your centers.
Debbie Dosek – Thank you for always having a smile to offer.
Mitzi Dease – You have done a great job with your class on SOARing improvements.
Glenda Vaughn – Thank you for your hospitality leadership.
Heidi Lee – Your good deed to the Southwest parent did not go unnoticed.
Brooke DiSorbo/Robin Vance – Thank you for working together to help your student get through a tough time.
Susan Twyman – Thank you for your work to revive peer mediation.

Friday Update 10-15-10

Friday Update
October 15th , 2010

In a school as large as ours there will inevitably be situations big and small involving either students or staff. How we handle those issues is as important as anything that happens in our school. Supporting each other through tough times and through various issues that we face is part of what can make a school outstanding and also what can tear a school apart. Our professional responsibility requires us to have appropriate discussions about our students and about each other. I expect all of us to follow this guideline no matter where we work in the school. Sometimes situations involving school personnel can not be discussed or explained. That is just how it is. Southwest has always been an awesome school in terms of having a family atmosphere. One way we can help keep it that way is to be kind to each other and to support each other. We all need support and positive words to be our best.

“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.” Benjamin Franklin

Next week –
Our 2010 Southwest United Way campaign is underway. Please see the hard copy donation form in your mailbox or you can use the electronic submission form from the United Way email on Wednesday.
Don't forget staff jeans days next week ($1 per day to Nellie). Student/staff hat day ($1) is Friday, Oct 22.

Monday 10/18 –– Watch Dog – Brett Todd, 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to Heidi Lee, 1st grade (Wilson, Lawrence, and Tilley) to Natural Science Center

Tuesday 10/19 – Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, SIT Meeting

Wednesday 10/20 - 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, Picture Retake Day

Thursday 10/21 –PTA Speaker – Joyce Kohfeldt @ 7:00, Watch Dog – Chris Cowen, 3rd – 5th grade End of Quarter Reading Test

Friday 10/22 – TGIF, 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Watch Dog – Jon Marzano and Corky McClellen, West Players Reading Day, Community Helper Day for Kindergarten classes in auditorium, Reading Make Up Testing, “Hat Day” for United Way

10/25 – 10/29
10/25 – 1st grade (Atkins, Barr, Jones, and Kreger)to Natural Science Center, Crain and Sutcliffe to Bethabara, 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to CarolAnn Rosenberger, 3-5 Math EOQ
10/26 – Watch DOG – Eric Blanks, Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Miller and Freshwater to Bethabara, PBIS Meeting, Happy Birthday to Wende Powell, Bunny Coates, and Janet Sunderman, 3-5 Math EOQ
10/27– 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, AP Professional Dev., Chadwick and Stone to Bethabara, Make-ups for Math EOQ
10/28– Watch DOG – Dave Miller, Dease to Bethabara, End of Quarter, Skate Night, Make-ups for Math EOQ
10/29– No School for Students

FYI/Reminders:
*** On Friday, Oct. 22 they are going to be paving the front parking lot so everyone needs to plan to leave school by 3:30!!

-Mr. Squire has left Southwest and will not be back. Our lead custodian position has been posted and will be filled ASAP. Thank you to the other housekeepers and the sub, Ms. Nicholson, for helping to keep things as normal as possible.

-Staff may take Annual Leave on October 29 unless there is a required workshop or end of quarter “things” to finish.

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.

-Please remember to wear your staff ID every day.

Staff Stars
Martina Nicholson – Thanks for doing such a wonderful job cleaning the 5th grade pod – it has been magnificent!! The trash can liners have been changed, bathrooms cleaned, etc…. very nice!!!!
Nicole Skinner – thanks for inspiring others to try class games for play a few times a week.
Aaren Brown – Great job trying out new technology
Amy Tilley – Thank you for helping others grow in technology
Mary Jane Everhardt - Awesome technology support for everyone
Melissa Stone – Your creative language arts centers were nice
Amy Trinkle - Great job sharing with parents about bullying Tuesday night
Nellie Broyhill - Wonderful support with wheelchair on Thursday
Joyce Wilson - Held Parent Conferences for each student in her room - 100%!
Janet Sunderman - Awesome belief in your students and support for them
Eugenia Ivey - Wonderful job connecting with parents and providing resources
Monique Jones – Great writing and peer conferencing lesson.

Friday Update 10-8-10

Friday Update
October 8th , 2010

As the end of the first quarter approaches, it is easy to get bogged down in the “negativeness” within the business of school. I have always encouraged you to draw on the positive energy of your students to help maintain a positive classroom environment. One way to add more positive energy to your classroom is to add more praise. It should be done, however, in the correct way.
Dr. Ben Bissel (1992) wrote that there are five key characteristics of effective praise: authentic, specific, immediate, clean and private. Children are smart enough to know when they are getting authentic praise. Knowing that they are being recognized for something true makes a big difference. Specific praise helps to ensure that a student’s positive actions or behavior is reinforced. When praise is immediate the reinforcing effect is even more powerful. Clean praise for students comes without strings attached. There is no “but…..” attached to the praise or the unrealistic expectation that the student will never do something wrong in the future. Finally, Dr. Bissel believes that the most lasting praise is done in private. A personal bit of praise delivered in a private manner can help solidify the student-teacher relationship. However you choose to praise your students can make a tremendous difference to both their attitude and yours.

“If one man praises you, a thousand will repeat the praise.”
Japanese Proverb
Next week
Monday 10/11 –– Watch Dog – Joe Mutter, 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to Mary Epperson
Tuesday 10/12 – Watch Dog – David Rhyne, Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, Staff Meeting, Curriculum Night (6:30-8:30)
Wednesday 10/13 - 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55
Thursday 10/14 – Watch Dog – Basil Guffey, Tech Workshop – Teacher Webportal, Happy Birthday to Kim Skinner
Friday 10/15 – TGIF, Watch Dog – Andrew Burhans, 5th grade PLC @ 10:00

10/18 – 10/22
10/18 – Watch Dog – Brett Todd, 3rd grade PLC @ 10:50, 2nd grade PLC @ 1:40, Happy Birthday to Heidi Lee, 1st grade (Wilson, Lawrence, and Tilley) to Natural Science Center
10/19 – Kindergarten PLC @ 8:30, EC PLC @ 12:30, SIT Meeting
10/20 – 4th grade PLC @ 9:15, 1st grade PLC @ 12:55, Picture Retake Day
10/21 – Principals Meeting, PTA Speaker – Joyce Kohfeldt @ 7:00, Watch Dog – Chris Cowen, 3rd – 5th grade End of Quarter Reading Test
10/22 – TGIF, 5th grade PLC @ 10:00, Watch Dog – Jon Marzano and Corky McClellen, West Players Reading Day, Community Helper Day for Kindergarten classes in auditorium, Reading Make Up Testing

FYI/Reminders
-Please remember to keep working on your new staff webpage.

-Please continue to remember those staff members who are dealing with personal illness or the illness of a family member.

-Please remember to where your staff ID every day.

- Welcome to Joyce Burnette, who will be filling in for Katherine Dice while she is out recovering!

Staff Stars
Glenda Vaughn - Victory with a student this week!
Tracey Moss- Michell Winters - Wonderful job with reading buddies!
Tanya Pennington - Dazzling differentiation to meet the needs of your learners!
Friday's -IEP Team - An awesome job of being prepared and collaborating!
Debbie H and Nellie - for going over and beyond the call of duty!
Eye vision team - excellent job!
First grade - good job with fall rotation.
Terry Zimmerman - nice use of similarity and differences within lesson.
Tonya Grisette - your non-linguistic representations rocked!
Wende Powell - thank you for continuing to look for ways to make our program better.
Kim Chadwick – great job with family fitness night