The Middle Update 10/27/18

Resource of the Week
As we head into the last week of the 1st quarter and straight into November, in many cases and with some of our students, it is clear that the honeymoon period is over.  Old habits and frustrating personality traits can come to the surface and provide some challenges for us in the classroom.  The article this week shines light on the best approach to rude, disrespectful student attitudes.  This is one article/podcast that we will likely revisit during the school year.

"How to Respond to Rude, Disrespectful, Student Attitudes" an interview with Robyn Jackson

End of Quarter 1 Information
The end of the 1st Quarter is Friday, November 2nd.  We will be having an Assembly on Friday afternoon in the 1-8 Gym.  Some adjustments to our schedule are listed below:

-We will move our Homeroom Lesson to Thursday (11/1) during IE time,
-On Friday, after lunch, all students will report to their 3rd block class,
-On Friday, all teachers should dismiss students to the 1-8 gym at 2:20 and students will be dismissed at the end of the day from the gym
-Mr. Johnson was interested in leading a staff activity/skit...more details to follow from him this week,
-1st Quarter grades are due by Wednesday (11/7) morning,
-Report cards will be mailed home, but we will also hand a copy out to students during Homeroom on Friday (11/9) and teachers will lead a reflection/goal setting activity,
-At the end of the day, all students with all of the Puma Pride scores at "ME" can report to the cafeteria to show off their "ME's" for an ice cream treat

Student of the Month Breakfast
Our Student of the Month Breakfast is scheduled for this Thursday, November 1st at 7:00 am in the IMC.  We are excited to recognize 8 of our outstanding students that have stood out for their work and effort in the 1st quarter so far.  If you see any of the following students, feel free to congratulate them.

Hans Mueller     Maya Tjugum     Kloie Hathaway     Mykolas Lyons
Evalia Byom     Donavyn Fehd     Emma Yelk     Landon Johnson

Thanks to Mrs. Rogness, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Odden, and Mrs. Anderson for presenting this month!

October Safety Drill (contribution from Mr. Hausser)
We have to do a drill every month.  This month(October) we are going to do a fire and practice an evacuation drill to the high school.  The fire alarm will sound and then please follow our fire drill procedures.  Once outside, Dr. Pritzl and I will signal to the groups when they should then evacuate to the high school.  When choosing a route to get there, please keep in mind that we want to stay a safe distance away from the building that has been determined unsafe.  The elementary staff and students will report to the Kerr gym and all middle school students will go to the Aux. gym in the high school.  Please take attendance once the students are outside, and then also when you get to the high school.  We are planning this drill for Tuesday morning around 9:15 a.m., but it will be weather depending.  

Referendum Update
We are a week and a half away from the vote.  As a reminder, the website is a great resource to find all of the information regarding the process used to determine the referendum questions.

Important Dates Coming Up
-Veteran's Day Assembly - Friday, 11/9 around 9:00 in the Kerr Gym (specific details will be sent next blog post)
-Next Middle School Staff meeting will be on Wednesday, November 14th at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' Room
-Early Release at 1:15 on November 21st before Thanksgiving Break

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 10/18/18

I hope everyone has enjoyed the past 3 day weekend.  I appreciate the excellent contributions from the staff at our staff meeting and everyone's efforts to pull off another solid round of Parent-Teacher Conferences.  I am lucky to be your principal.

Resource of the Week
The article this week is a great read.  Bullying takes on some different forms in Middle School, and this article does a great job of explaining the realities of peer interactions that our kids experience today, and how we, as a school, can create a safe place for all of our students.  Thanks Mrs. Morton for the contribution.

"3 Practical Strategies that Teachers, Counselors, and Staff Can Use to Prevent Adolescent Bullying" by Matt Pearsall

Student of the Month Breakfast
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, November 1st at 7:00 am in the IMC.  We are excited to recognize 8 of our outstanding students that have stood out for their work and effort in the 1st quarter so far.  If you see any of the following students, feel free to congratulate them.

Hans Mueller     Maya Tjugum     Kloie Hathaway     Mykolas Lyons
Evalia Byom     Donavyn Fehd     Emma Yelk     Landon Johnson

Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thank you for your efforts during conferences over the course of the past 2 Thursday evenings. The solid connections that were established during this time can be vital resources to utilize throughout the rest of the school year.

Field Trips
This past week, we wrapped up at least 1 field trip for each grade in October.  We've had some updates to our field trip guidelines.  Updates are listed below:

--Chaperones should be recruited early, and all chaperones must be on our Approved Volunteer List.  The business office requests that all volunteer/background check forms be submitted at least 2 weeks ahead of time.

-A roster of your students who are riding the bus should be handed to the bus driver.  Please only provide the names of the students who are actually on the bus.  If there are changes for the ride home, then please adjust the list accordingly.

Referendum Update
In the past 2 weeks, we've had referendum presentations done at the Public Library and the Fire Station.  There was also a news story about the referendum that appeared on Channel 15 Thursday morning.  You can see that at this LINK.  We are a couple of weeks away from the vote.  As a reminder, the website is a great resource to find all of the information regarding the process used to determine the referendum questions.

Emergency Planning
Our October drill will be a fire drill, followed by an evacuation.  We would do this in case of an actual fire that we would not be able to re-enter the building.  The Middle School students would make their way to the AUX Gym, and Elementary students would report to the Kerr Gym.  Specific date and time will be sent out early next week.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 10/12/18

The weather has gotten everyone's attention again this week, and it now appears that the extreme wetness is behind us and the cold is heading our way...hopefully an extended fall season is upon us.  We are already nearing the end of the 1st quarter...I appreciate working in an environment with dedicated professionals who are committed to providing a consistent caring environment for each one of our students every day.

Resource of the Week
The article this week is a good one to check in on at this time of year.  It is a solid resource for successful classroom management.

"7 Ways to Take Control of Your Classroom to Reduce Student Misbehavior" - www.thoughtco.com

Staff Contribution (Thank you Mrs. Larson!)

Presumed Competence

By: A. Stout

“What does it mean to presume competence?

Presuming competence means to assume an autistic person has the capacity to think, learn and understand-even if you don’t see any tangible evidence that such is the case.  It’s assuming they are not inherently incapable; they just need the right supports and systems to help them succeed. It isn’t about wishful thinking, or overlooking the challenges that the person faces.  Presuming competence is about giving someone a chance-and helping them take that chance in any way you can.

Why is it important?

If you assume incompetence and are wrong you will become frustrated, but more importantly, you have lowered expectations, which translates directly onto the individual’s future.  Aim low, and you can only expect low results. But, aim high, and your student will be more likely to rise to meet those expectations.

How can we presume competence?

• Talk to your student normally.  
• Avoid baby-talk and overly-simplified language.  
• Speak at a normal speed.
• Make sure to directly the student directly rather than going through a third party
• Find a way to help the student communicate (i.e. pictures, gestures, sign language)
• Pay close attention to what they are trying to tell you, behavior is communication and it may very well be the way a student is expressing something important.
• Don’t withhold information from the student for fear they will not understand.  Even if it doesn’t look like they are absorbing the information, they may very well be doing just that!

The only true failure is when we walk away and assume incompetence.  What do we have to lose by trying?”

Link to the full article: https://blog.theautismsite.greatergood.com/presume-competence/

Field Trips This Week
We have a couple field trips on the schedule for this week.  As of this writing, the 7th graders are set to go on their golf field trip on Monday, and 8th graders on Wednesday.  If either is cancelled due to weather, we will run a normal school day for each grade level.  When half of our 8th graders are on the golf course, the other half will be back hearing from some recent Poynette graduates about their experience serving our country.  If you see these Poynette alumni (Rylie Denson, Autumn Peck) walking through the halls, don't hesitate to say hello.

Staff Meeting This Week
We will be meeting as a Middle School Staff on Wednesday at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' Room.  We will be checking in on our progress so far this school year and hear from some teachers about the ways in which they are setting up their classrooms for students to continually raise the level and rigor of the discourse in which students dissect each other's work and their own thinking about complex topics.

Early Release Schedule
On Thursday, students will be dismissed at 1:15.  We will be following our Early Release Schedule.

Student of the Month Breakfast
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, November 1st at 7:00 am in the IMC.  Please let Robin know who your nominees are by the end of the week, and also who will be representing each grade level for this month's breakfast.  This is a great opportunity to recognize students who are doing great things in and out of our classrooms.  If there is a special opportunity to recognize a student outside of the normal way we recognize students, please let me know.

Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thank you for your efforts during conferences this past Thursday.  I believe we had a pretty solid turnout for the first night, and we expect even more families to be coming through this Thursday afternoon and evening.  A great opportunity to meet and get to know our students on a deeper level by understanding the families they live with day in and day out.

Referendum Update
In the past 2 weeks, we've had referendum information posts outside of Piggly Wiggly, a table at PT Conferences, and at the entrance of the Homecoming Football game.  We also welcomed community leaders in for a breakfast and informational session this past Friday.  We are less than a month away from the vote.  If parents inquire about the referendum during parent/teacher conferences, we have handouts, business cards, and posters available in the office.  Feel free to grab a couple to have on hand in case the question comes up.  Also, the website is a great resource to find all of the information regarding the process used to determine the referendum questions.

Emergency Planning
Our October drill will be a fire drill, followed by an evacuation.  We would do this in case of an actual fire that we would not be able to re-enter the building.  The Middle School students would make their way to the AUX Gym, and Elementary students would report to the Kerr Gym.

The Middle Update 10/5/18

As we near the end of our fifth week of school, routines are taking shape, the weather is turning colder, and the Brewers are playing October baseball.  The cooler weather has also brought along a little increase in the number of people being sick...it certainly has hit my household this week...hopefully this will be it for the Pritzl's as the upcoming cold and flu season approaches.  There is a lot going on in our district, and facilitating an environment for exceptional teaching and learning continues to be our top priority.

Resource of the Week
Growth mindset and Grit are a couple of terms that have gotten some attention in recent years in the educational landscape.  The article this week is from a leading researcher on "grit" and it's place in schools.

"Grit and the Great Good:  A Conversation with Angela Duckworth" by Sarah McKibben

Parent/Teacher Conference Week Ahead
Our first round of conferences start this week on October 11th from 4:00- 7:30 p.m.  Each student will have a folder that they will pick up in the office prior to coming to their scheduled conference.  The folder will contain a recent grade report, STAR Reading and Math test record information.  If teams would like to include a Puma Pride self assessment from students that would be a solid inclusion as well.  Feel free to come down and add anything to an individual student's folder next week.

I hope that everyone got the chance to sign up for the food truck on this night.  A big thanks to our awesome Parents' Club for providing a meal again.  They could not do the long night this year, because the truck shuts down next weekend.  This is a great opportunity to connect with the parents of our students, and strengthen the partnership with each of them as we work towards a common goal of providing the best education possible for their children.  Please keep track of the attendance for both nights.

Sick Kids
For your information, and if parents have questions, I have included the district's guidelines for when parents should keep their child at home due to illness.

School Safety Update
School safety is everybody's priority.  Just a general reminder that if you hear or see something related to the safety of our school, you should say something right away.  All of us have an obligation to report, just like the mandatory reporting guidelines that we must follow as well.

Mrs. Morton and I visited a classroom for a guidance lesson that every student attended.  A big message for our students is that a positive school environment/experience for EACH student is so important for keeping our school safe.

Referendum Update
In the past 2 weeks, we've had 2 community meetings spreading information about the upcoming referendum.  We about one month away from the election.  If parents inquire about the referendum during parent/teacher conferences, we handouts, business cards, and posters available in the office.  Feel free to grab a couple to have on hand in case the question comes up.  Also, the website is a great resource to find all of the information regarding the process used to determine the referendum questions.

Emergency Planning
For classrooms that do not have windows, it is important to double check that your emergency flash lights work when all of the lights go out.  Please check the location and effectiveness of your emergency light, so we are prepared in the event the power goes out during the school day.

Homecoming Week
This week is Homecoming Week in our district.  We will be having dress up days in the 1-8 Building as follows:

October 8th -   Favorite Team Gear

October 9th -   Crazy Sock Day
October 10th - Mismatch/Backwards Day
October 11th - Class Color Day- (6th - red, 7th - white, 8th - black)

October 12th - School Spirit Day

Feel free to join in on the fun with the students.

Images from the Week