Saturday, October 22, 2016

The Middle Update 10/21/16

We have only 2 weeks remaining in the 1st Quarter!  As the cooler air moves in, and the days get a little shorter, it's a little easier being inside, and with the solid teaching and learning that takes place inside our building, it makes it all the better.  Check out below for some information about the weeks ahead.

Staff Meeting this Wednesday (10/26)
We will have a staff meeting this Wednesday in Mrs. Hendrickson's room beginning at 2:50.  We have a full agenda including a couple activities designed to ensure our assessment practices are normed, laying out our department work planning for this school year, and reviewing our progress using some of our 16-17 data.

Puma Pride Committee Meeting on Monday (10/24)
The next Puma Pride Committee Meeting is on Monday afternoon at 2:50 in Mr. Odden's room.  We will be discussing keeping our Puma Pride expectations consistent, our Puma Pride intervention plan, and planning for the End of Quarter 1 Assembly.  Anyone is welcome to contribute to the group.

Book Talks are Coming...(11/17)
A reminder that we are in the works of planning our first IE Book Talks.  See this FLYER (it's still a work in progress) for a sneak peak...

Halloween Dance (11/28)
The PAD Parent's Club will be sponsoring their annual Halloween Dance for our students.  The Elementary Dance will be from 6:00 to 7:30, and the Middle School Dance will run from 7:30 to 9:00.  The group asked if any teachers would be willing to attend and help chaperone, while joining in on the fun.  If you are interested, there will be free pizza and drink waiting for you.  Visit this SITE to sign up.

Twitter Post of the Week
Twitter can be a solid tool for educators.  Keep up with current trends in education, gets tips that work from others, and network with other teachers from around the world.  It's easy to set up and get started.  If you are interested in learning how it can be another tool for growth, I'd be happy to help get you started.

Six Ways To Motivate Students To Learn



Recognizing excellent work from our students!


A Word from our Instructional Coaches
The Power of Yet:  14 Picture Books to Help Teach About Perseverance and Determination


Looking for a way to continue to infuse the growth mindset into your classroom?  Here is a list of 14 books that can be used within your classroom, this resource was posted on The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project site, they are a great resource to follow on social media!


The Most Magnificent Thing Having a can-do attitude like the protagonist is a must for any person wanting to make make her mark in the world of science and technology. With the help of her assistant dog, a “regular girl” decides she is going to invent a most MAGNIFICENT thing. She has a lot of false starts. Nothing seems to be turning out the way she wants and it’s so frustrating for her! However, she takes a walk, comes back and looks at her inventions afresh, and finally figures things out.
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. Emmanuel was born in Ghana with only one leg. Most children with disabilities didn’t go to school, but Emanuel was determined and hopped two miles each way to attend school. After his mother died, he decided to honor her last words by proving “that being disabled does not mean being unable.” He completed the astounding feat of bicycling 400 miles in 10 days.
Flight School  A young penguin may not have exactly the right body for flight, but he has the “soul of an eagle.” Eager to enroll in flight school and learn what it takes to soar, he is not discouraged. Fortunately, the other birds are so taken with his determination they do what it takes to make his dreams come true.
A Chair for My Mother is a gorgeous book about familial love and how much of our determination to accomplish a goal is motivated by family. The narrator, a young girl, describes how her family lost everything in a fire. They found a new home and their neighbors donated furniture but what they lacked was a comfortable chair for her mother to rest in after her days of work as a waitress. The family saves their change in a jar and when the coins finally reach the top, they set off to buy the perfect chair. The story is quietly appealing and shares a valuable lesson not just about perseverance and love, but about recognizing that for many families, having a good chair is a luxury.
Rosie Revere, Engineer Rosie loves to tinker, build and invent. She gets discouraged when her inventions flop on the first try. Her wonderfully eccentric great-great-great aunt, however, explains to her that a flop is a successes because it paves the way for the next step in the inventive process
Brave Irene. Irene’s mother is a dressmaker and is unable to deliver an important gown to the duchess. In typical Steig style, Irene braves the winter storm, facing her foes, the whipping wind and swirling snow to get the gown to the grateful lady in time.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. If you want to raise kids who won’t let their future employers walk all over them, read them this modern classic about a group of determined barnyard animals who persevere to get what they want, despite a grumpy farmer
.
You Can Do It, Bert! by Ole Könnecke made us laugh out loud with its surprising twist. I will absolutely not give it away, so don’t even ask. This is a lighthearted and gently humorous tale about a bird who is about to have a first time experience. Will he go for it? How will his friends react?
One Word from Sophia. Sophia’s one true desire is to get a giraffe for her birthday. She prepares elaborate, individualized presentations to argue her case before each family member:  a judge, businessperson, lawyer and disciplinarian (grandma!). Can she win her case, and will she find just the right word to win her case and convince the jury?
Amazing Grace. An interesting fact is that Laura Bush named this title one of her 5 favorite books of all time. Grace’s favorite thing to do is act out her favorite stories (and aren’t all children natural actors during pretend play?). She wants to play the role of Peter Pan in the school production, but her friends tell her she can’t because Peter is a boy, and not black. Her grandmother, however, shows Grace that she can be anything she wants, if she puts her mind to it. It so happens that Grace makes a delightful Peter Pan.
Henry’s Freedom Box. This is the true story of Henry Brown, a slave who, when separated from his family was determined to reach freedom. Using his limited resources in an environment of great adversity and danger, and with the help of an abolitionist, he packs himself inside a crate and mails himself to freedom.
Thank You, Mr. Falker. Tricia wants to learn to read so much, but the lines of text just don’t seem like anything but wiggly scribbles. Finally, in fifth grade she meets a compassionate teacher who helps her fulfill her wish.
The Boy and the Airplane and The Girl and the Bicycle. Wordless books are uniquely suited for encouraging extended conversations. In each story the child wants something so much he or she is willing to put in a lot of effort and patience to achieve the goal.

Duty This Week
Morning - Filerman, Johnson
Bus - Schoen

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The Middle Update 10/21/16

We have only 2 weeks remaining in the 1st Quarter!  As the cooler air moves in, and the days get a little shorter, it's a little easier being inside, and with the solid teaching and learning that takes place inside our building, it makes it all the better.  Check out below for some information about the weeks ahead.

Staff Meeting this Wednesday (10/26)
We will have a staff meeting this Wednesday in Mrs. Hendrickson's room beginning at 2:50.  We have a full agenda including a couple activities designed to ensure our assessment practices are normed, laying out our department work planning for this school year, and reviewing our progress using some of our 16-17 data.

Puma Pride Committee Meeting on Monday (10/24)
The next Puma Pride Committee Meeting is on Monday afternoon at 2:50 in Mr. Odden's room.  We will be discussing keeping our Puma Pride expectations consistent, our Puma Pride intervention plan, and planning for the End of Quarter 1 Assembly.  Anyone is welcome to contribute to the group.

Book Talks are Coming...(11/17)
A reminder that we are in the works of planning our first IE Book Talks.  See this FLYER (it's still a work in progress) for a sneak peak...

Halloween Dance (11/28)
The PAD Parent's Club will be sponsoring their annual Halloween Dance for our students.  The Elementary Dance will be from 6:00 to 7:30, and the Middle School Dance will run from 7:30 to 9:00.  The group asked if any teachers would be willing to attend and help chaperone, while joining in on the fun.  If you are interested, there will be free pizza and drink waiting for you.  Visit this SITE to sign up.

Twitter Post of the Week
Twitter can be a solid tool for educators.  Keep up with current trends in education, gets tips that work from others, and network with other teachers from around the world.  It's easy to set up and get started.  If you are interested in learning how it can be another tool for growth, I'd be happy to help get you started.

Six Ways To Motivate Students To Learn



Recognizing excellent work from our students!


A Word from our Instructional Coaches
The Power of Yet:  14 Picture Books to Help Teach About Perseverance and Determination


Looking for a way to continue to infuse the growth mindset into your classroom?  Here is a list of 14 books that can be used within your classroom, this resource was posted on The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project site, they are a great resource to follow on social media!


The Most Magnificent Thing Having a can-do attitude like the protagonist is a must for any person wanting to make make her mark in the world of science and technology. With the help of her assistant dog, a “regular girl” decides she is going to invent a most MAGNIFICENT thing. She has a lot of false starts. Nothing seems to be turning out the way she wants and it’s so frustrating for her! However, she takes a walk, comes back and looks at her inventions afresh, and finally figures things out.
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. Emmanuel was born in Ghana with only one leg. Most children with disabilities didn’t go to school, but Emanuel was determined and hopped two miles each way to attend school. After his mother died, he decided to honor her last words by proving “that being disabled does not mean being unable.” He completed the astounding feat of bicycling 400 miles in 10 days.
Flight School  A young penguin may not have exactly the right body for flight, but he has the “soul of an eagle.” Eager to enroll in flight school and learn what it takes to soar, he is not discouraged. Fortunately, the other birds are so taken with his determination they do what it takes to make his dreams come true.
A Chair for My Mother is a gorgeous book about familial love and how much of our determination to accomplish a goal is motivated by family. The narrator, a young girl, describes how her family lost everything in a fire. They found a new home and their neighbors donated furniture but what they lacked was a comfortable chair for her mother to rest in after her days of work as a waitress. The family saves their change in a jar and when the coins finally reach the top, they set off to buy the perfect chair. The story is quietly appealing and shares a valuable lesson not just about perseverance and love, but about recognizing that for many families, having a good chair is a luxury.
Rosie Revere, Engineer Rosie loves to tinker, build and invent. She gets discouraged when her inventions flop on the first try. Her wonderfully eccentric great-great-great aunt, however, explains to her that a flop is a successes because it paves the way for the next step in the inventive process
Brave Irene. Irene’s mother is a dressmaker and is unable to deliver an important gown to the duchess. In typical Steig style, Irene braves the winter storm, facing her foes, the whipping wind and swirling snow to get the gown to the grateful lady in time.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. If you want to raise kids who won’t let their future employers walk all over them, read them this modern classic about a group of determined barnyard animals who persevere to get what they want, despite a grumpy farmer
.
You Can Do It, Bert! by Ole Könnecke made us laugh out loud with its surprising twist. I will absolutely not give it away, so don’t even ask. This is a lighthearted and gently humorous tale about a bird who is about to have a first time experience. Will he go for it? How will his friends react?
One Word from Sophia. Sophia’s one true desire is to get a giraffe for her birthday. She prepares elaborate, individualized presentations to argue her case before each family member:  a judge, businessperson, lawyer and disciplinarian (grandma!). Can she win her case, and will she find just the right word to win her case and convince the jury?
Amazing Grace. An interesting fact is that Laura Bush named this title one of her 5 favorite books of all time. Grace’s favorite thing to do is act out her favorite stories (and aren’t all children natural actors during pretend play?). She wants to play the role of Peter Pan in the school production, but her friends tell her she can’t because Peter is a boy, and not black. Her grandmother, however, shows Grace that she can be anything she wants, if she puts her mind to it. It so happens that Grace makes a delightful Peter Pan.
Henry’s Freedom Box. This is the true story of Henry Brown, a slave who, when separated from his family was determined to reach freedom. Using his limited resources in an environment of great adversity and danger, and with the help of an abolitionist, he packs himself inside a crate and mails himself to freedom.
Thank You, Mr. Falker. Tricia wants to learn to read so much, but the lines of text just don’t seem like anything but wiggly scribbles. Finally, in fifth grade she meets a compassionate teacher who helps her fulfill her wish.
The Boy and the Airplane and The Girl and the Bicycle. Wordless books are uniquely suited for encouraging extended conversations. In each story the child wants something so much he or she is willing to put in a lot of effort and patience to achieve the goal.

Duty This Week
Morning - Filerman, Johnson
Bus - Schoen