The Middle Update 1/26/18

Another solid week is in the books...next week, we'll see February already.  We continue to grow our strong learning environment.

Article of the Week
Last week, the article of the week was zeroed in on the importance a solid lesson closure.  This week's article provides some powerful strategies to make that closure effective for our students.

"22 Powerful Closure Activities" by Todd Finley

First 5, Last 5
The first five minutes of class sets the tone for the learning that will take place in the classroom, and the last five minutes helps to strengthen the connections made with the learning goals of the lesson.  The first and last 5 minutes of each class also impact on the learning culture of the entire school. 

Next Year's Budget Requests
We are approaching budget season once again.  It is time to start thinking about next year, and what materials you may need to take the learning to the next level.  Budget materials will be distributed by the business office in mid-February, and will be due to my office by mid-March.  Now is the time to start discussions about materials/resources that can help us further achieve our goals for next school year.

Safety Update
Below is a couple of safety reminders:

-All of the classroom doors should be shut and locked throughout the day as much as possible.  We will soon be practicing our lock-down procedures, and being able to shut the doors and have them locked is a key part of lock-down safety.

-Our safety plan also states that there should not be any candles, air fresheners, diffusers, or anything else that could trigger an allergic reaction in the buildings.

Facility Advisory Committee Update
The Facility Advisory Committee met this past Wednesday evening to further review Option 2B, and discuss the plans and process.  As a reminder, Option 2B focused on building a new K-4 Elementary School and remodeling the current 1-8 building into a 5-8 Middle School, and making upgrades to the High School.  The committee is engaged in a fascinating process, and I encourage you to review the Facilities Tab to review the plans and meeting notes.  The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 7th from 6:30 - 8:30 in the HS IMC.

Celebration Activity Planning Update
This past Monday, a very strong group met to start the planning process for an upcoming Middle School Celebration Activity.  The meeting was filled with great ideas, great communication, and was very efficient despite the fact that I was the only one who attended the meeting.  In all seriousness though, if you would like to help out with the planning of this event, please email me, and I will set up times to collaborate to plan this event.  Some feedback and input from staff is necessary to make this a really positive experience for our students.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Weckerly
Bus - Kallungi

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 1/19/2018

There is nothing like gaining some daylight.  There is sunlight in the morning at 7:00 am now...that is a great thing.  We are officially halfway through the school year.  Monday morning will be an exciting day...a sort of a fresh start in the middle of the winter.

Article of the Week
The article this week highlights a very important routine that oftentimes gets overlooked.  Closing a lesson is a research-based strategy that really has an impact on a student's ability to retain and make connections with the lesson.  A solid debriefing reflection is a critical part of each lesson.

"Let it Marinate:  The Importance of Reflection and Closing" by Joshua Block

PD Day next Friday
This LINK provides a rough schedule for our work on Friday (1/19).

2nd Semester Changes
The start of Semester 2 will be on Monday (1/22).  There will be some schedule changes for students and teachers.  HERE is the updated IE rosters.  Please share with students on Monday.

Next Student of the Month Breakfast
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, February 1st at 7:00 am.  Congratulations to this month's recipients:

Laney Connella     Jaxon Gagnon     Jocylyn Nehls     Morgan Dzibinski
Manny Fernandez     Olivia Walstad     Gracie Wei Bergeman     Aiden Pinheiro

MS Staff Leadership Meeting Recap
We had a solid first meeting.  The Meeting Notes are available HERE.

MS Culture Building Activity Group Planning next Monday (1/22)
We'll start the planning process in a short meeting.  Anyone interested in helping to plan this activity is welcome.  We will meet in the 1-8 Conference Room.

8th Grade Artists on Display
The Artist's reception that was scheduled from last Monday night was rescheduled to this coming Tuesday (1/23) from 6:00 - 8:00pm.  If you get a chance, head on down and check it out.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Crawford
Bus - Hendrickson

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 1/12/17

We are almost half way done with the school year already...where does the time go?  I think it's safe to say that this is a busy time of year...I feel very fortunate to lead a staff that works hard and prioritizes their time on guiding our students to be better people and to do better than their best academically.  Your efforts are truly appreciated.

Article of the Week
The article this week is from a blog by Rita Platt.  She provides an interesting and effective way to strengthen the culture of your classroom.

"Branding Can Strengthen Your Classroom Culture"

PD Day next Friday
This LINK provides a rough schedule for our work next Friday.

2nd Semester Changes
The start of Semester 2 will be on Monday, 1/22.  There will be some schedule changes for students and teachers.  I will share an updated IE list later next week, and we will hand out schedules for students next week as well.

Essay Competition Winners
Congratulations to Tucker Johnson, Grace Plummer, Rachel Yelk, and Carter Fait for finishing in the top 11 for the Patriot's Pen Essay competition.  Our students were recognized at a banquet on Friday night at the Portage VFW.  Our students competed with others from Portage, Lodi, and the parochial schools in the area.  Poynette was very well represented at this banquet.  Congratulations to the kids and their teachers!

 

 


Next Student of the Month Breakfast
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, February 1st at 7:00 am.

MS Staff Leadership Meeting on Wednesday (1/17)
Our efforts will begin on Wednesday.  Ideally we will have 1 rep. from each team, and 1 person representing the Applied team at minimum.  All are welcome however.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

MS Culture Building Activity Group Planning next Monday (1/22)
We'll start the planning process in a short meeting.  Anyone interested in helping to plan this activity is welcome.  We will meet in the 1-8 Conference Room.

8th Grade Artists on Display
Anyone can see some impressive art work from our 8th graders on display down at the Public Library.  An Artist's reception will take place on Monday night (see below for details).  This is a great way to give the work of our students an authentic audience, and for their talents to be on full display.

Images from the Week

      

  

The Middle Update 1/5/18

2018 has gotten off to a great start so far!  I'm hoping the next week brings us some consistent temperatures that are above 0.  Either way, we are on the stretch where each days gives us a little more daylight, and we are on the fast track to the end of the 2nd quarter.  The next part of the school year is steady, with STAR testing coming up, the end of Quarter 2, mid-year SLO's, Forward Exam planning, it's a busy time.  Our focus on structuring lessons that put students in positions to think critically and solve problems remains laser-like.

Article of the Week

The article breaks down little pieces of classroom management that can have a big influence on management effectiveness.  This short article is written by a teacher turned coach, who shares her perspectives after observing may lessons.

"10 Ways to Sabotage Your Classroom Management"

End of Quarter/Semester Items

-As we near the end of the 2nd quarter, students that are struggling (NE or BE) range, should be working outside of their normal class time to get things in order.  The parent of any student that falls in this category should be in the loop and working with us to help their child work to improve their performance.

-Students with significant missing work issues should be working over there lunch or after school to meet the requirements.  If you have questions, I'd be happy to assist with any student that could be struggling in this area.

-Looking ahead, grades should be posted by the end of the day on Wednesday (1/24), and we'll look to mail report cards home starting on Thursday (1/25).

-Also looking ahead to the report cards, please utilize the comments section to give some feedback about the performance of each student in your class.

Staff Meeting Next Week

We will be meeting as a Middle School staff on Wednesday (1/10) at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' Room.  We will be spending our time checking in on our school culture and climate.

Mid-Year STAR Testing

Students will be taking the Winter STAR test on the following dates in their scheduled ELA and Math classes:

     Reading - Tuesday (1/23)

     Math - Wednesday (1/24)

The winter testing window will run from 1/15 - 2/19.

The Next Student of the Month Breakfast
The date for the next breakfast is Thursday, February 1st at 7:00 am.  Teams should communicate their nominees to the office by January 18th.  Mrs. Serstad is up for the Applied team.

Summer School Opportunities (Thank you Mr. Hausser and Ms. Niemeyer)
Since the cold weather is upon us, we thought it would be another great time to talk about summer school.  We are always looking for instructors for summer school. Here is the list of new summer course ideas. If you are interested in teaching any of these new courses or proposing a new one, please add your name behind the course or submit a summer course proposal to us.  Multiple teachers can be added to a course. We also will offer the courses we did last school year. Please review this brochure. Email Jay or Anna if you’re interested in teaching any of the courses in the brochure. The deadline for proposals is February 2, 2018.  We hope to have all of our teachers hired by mid-March.  

Duty Next Week

Morning - Pittner

Bus - Gavin

Images from the Week