The Middle Update 11/11/18

Resource of the Week
Two Minute Intervention
Mr. Fischer shared a resource this week.  This is a protocol designed for educators to use when planning how to help a student that has been struggling, either academically or behaviorally.  Give it a look and try it out with your team, or more informally when planning for our students.  We'll be taking a closer look at it as a staff.  Here is a link to it.

Referendum Passed!
Our referendum passed in a landslide...63% of yes votes!  Now the work begins.  Over the course of the next few months, we'll be working to finalize plans to move forward with the projects that were approved in the referendum.  It is an exciting time.  The new elementary will be is slated to open at the start of the 2020 school year.  Thanks to all for your work in helping communicate and support the referendum efforts.

MS Staff Meeting on Wednesday (11/14)
We will have a Middle School Staff Meeting on Wednesday afternoon at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' Room.  You'll hear from teachers about student progress data, and instructional strategies that have been working well.  If you have some impressive student growth data to share, please let me know.

World Diabetes Day - Wednesday (11/14)
We have several students and staff that deal with diabetes every day.  We have been asked if we would recognize this by participating in wearing blue on Wednesday, November 14.  Feel free to participate and share with students this small way to show support for anyone that has diabetes.

Images of the Week

The Middle Update 11/4/18

Resource of the Week
The mental health of our students is a growing concern in schools across the country, and our school is no different.  The short article this week provides practical instructional strategies that teachers can use to help students struggling with mental health issues like anxiety, bipolar, or depression.

"Addressing Mental Health Disorders in the Classroom" by Bruce Van Stone

Friday's Assembly
Thanks to all those that helped plan our assembly this past Friday.  I think the students were into the activities, and it was great to recognize a student for giving her time and efforts to help others...in a culture of instant gratification, sometimes it seems like the thought of giving back can seem like a foreign concept...hopefully the recognition of Alli will rub off on others.  Thanks to the teachers who put out a great performance for the students...I look forward to hearing about the performance that will top it at our next assembly in January.



End of Quarter 1 Information
Listed below is some important due dates for grades:

-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

Veteran's Day Ceremony on Friday
We will be attending the Veteran's Day Ceremony at the High School this coming Friday (11/9).  We will move Nutrition Break up to accommodate our attendance at this important event.  Please dismiss all students for Nutrition Break at 8:50 am on Friday.  After nutrition break, students will report to class as follows:

6th - Report to 2nd block classroom
7th - Report back to 1st block
8th - Report to their 1st block classroom

Please gather students together for a discussion about the importance of reverence and respect at this ceremony.  We will aim to leave your classroom at 8:58, and be in our seats by 9:02.  Our students will enter the Kerr Gym through the North Gym doors adjacent to our seating location.  All staff members should seek out a spot to sit among our students.  We look forward to this opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation for those that have given so much for us to enjoy the freedoms that we have living in the United States of America.

Safety Drill Recap
Thank you to all of you for your efforts during our fire/evacuation drill this past week.  As a reminder, if we have to evacuate the 1-8 Building for any reason, we would move our students to the on-campus evacuation site (Aux. Gym).  A couple of reminders for everyone as we reflect on this drill experience.
-One recent adjustment in our plan involves the training everyone that in the event of the fire alarm going off, the teacher should be the first one in the hallway to check to make sure it is safe, before the class proceeds to the fire drill.  We will discuss this further in a staff meeting.
-If the fire alarm goes off for any reason, please head to your normal location and take attendance...if it is not a planned drill, we most likely will be heading to our evacuation site.
-We are able to get everyone out of the building in about a minute and half consistently.

Referendum Update
Tuesday is the big day.  It is hard to believe that the voting day is almost here.  A lot of work and preparation has gone into this process.  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 Ceremony - Friday, 11/9 around 9:04 in the Kerr Gym
-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 10/27/18

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

The Middle Update 9/28/18

Resource of the Week
Here is a solid read that adds to the conversation about Collective Teacher Efficacy that we started in August.

"The Power of Collective Efficacy" by Jenni Donohoo, John Hattie and Rachel Eells

Welcome Ms. Fehling
An announcement here.  Ms. Karissa Fehling will be joining our team officially on Monday morning.  She will be taking over for Mrs. Schmidt in the 6th/8th Grade Math classroom.  Mrs. Schmidt has decided to pursue some other career interests, and I want to thank her for the time and effort she has given to our students.  If you see Karissa around, feel free to welcome her to our team...she has been in the building for the past week planning and preparing for her new assignment.  We are happy she is on our team.

Progress Report Grades
Student progress grades in each standard that they've been working on in class should be posted in Infinite Campus now.  We will be sending a message home to parents alerting them that grades can be viewed in Infinite Campus at this time.

Puma Pride Grades
We have a couple of teachers piloting the process of posting a Puma Pride standard or two for their individual class.  The first postings for student performance in a couple of these standards have been posted for parents and students to see.  The Puma Pride standards that make the most sense to be posted by individual classroom teachers are: "Completes and returns work in a timely manner,"  "Follows classroom expectations", or "Puts forth effort to produce work of high quality".  Please let me know if you are interested in being a part of the pilot group.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site.  Save it as a favorite for your reference throughout the school year.

Parent Connection Blog
This year we started a Parent Connection Blog to communicate important information and resources for parents of our middle school children.  Check out the link to the site, and let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas about potential contributions.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 9/21/18

Resource of the Week
The resource this week piggy backs on the student discourse discussion from our staff meeting.  The teacher in the video provides a couple of effective ways to incorporate strategies to engage students in quality discussion in the classroom.

VIDEO
Check out the 2nd video, which is from the Secondary perspective

Progress Report Grades
Student progress grades should be posted by the end of the day on Tuesday, September 25th.  Review the evidence collected in standards that have been worked on during the first three weeks of the school year, and post the student's current level of performance from the standard's rubric.  If you have any questions or need a refresher on the process, please let me know.

Staff Meeting Recap
It was enjoyable for me to be a part of the discussion that took place at our last staff meeting.  Thanks for your attention and focus to growing our collective culture of strong efficacy, and being mindful of our students who may have a little extra in their invisible backpacks.  Our students are lucky to be in a school with a solution-focused staff.

IE Up and Running
We have one week of our newer IE schedule under our belts.  This period is for Intervention and Enhancement...This is our time to work side by side with our students to fill in gaps in their understanding, or to provide opportunities for students to take their talent/knowledge to even higher levels.

Handbook Signature Form 

As a reminder, we should have a Handbook Acknowledgement Form signed by both students and parents on file in the office.  Students should be returning the forms to their homeroom teachers.  Once you have received them all, please bring them to the office.

Message from the Poynette Area Library (from Lindsey Ganz)

Last year, I presented information at staff meetings about the Poynette Area Public Library and services available for you as a teacher. I will be at the high school IMC on Thursday, September 27 from 2:50pm to 3:20pm to give a short presentation about free databases and resources as well as guidelines for fines free teacher library cards. If you missed this meeting last year, please feel free to attend. I am also available to stay longer if you would like to ask me specific questions or receive one on one help with resources for your classroom. 

On another note, if you are having your students complete a research project and you would like me to present to your class on how to locate items through the library system and article searching using databases like EBSCOhost, please let me know. You are also welcome to bring your class to the public library, just let us know when you would like to visit and how we can assist you.

Thank you,

Lindsey Ganz

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site.  Save it as a favorite for your reference throughout the school year.

Parent Connection Blog
This year we started a Parent Connection Blog to communicate important information and resources for parents of our middle school children.  Check out the link to the site, and let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas about potential contributions.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 9/14/18

A beautiful week of weather to go along with some beautiful learning in our classrooms.  A good start with great staff and great students.

Article of the Week
The article this week comes in the form of a short video.  The teacher describes "talk-moves" that she uses to promote student discourse in the classroom.  Check out the video to learn how she uses "repeating", "adding on", "I agree with you sign", and "permission to change our mind".

"Improving Participation through Talk Moves" - Teaching Channel

IE Starts Monday!
We will be starting IE on Monday.  The initial groups are nearing the finalization stage.  They will be officially ready by Monday morning.  On Monday, we'll have to take some time during a class to review with the students where they should report for IE time.

Staff Meeting on Wednesday
We will be meeting as a group on Wednesday at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' room.

Parent Contact Log
Just a reminder that if you make a parent contact, please make note of it on the Infinite Campus Log.  To get there, you should be in "Campus Tools".  Enter the student's name in the Search box, and select the correct student.  From there, click on the Student Information tab, then the PLP tab.  On the PLP screen, you'll see 4 tabs.  The furthest on the right is the "Contact Log" tab.  Click there, and you'll find the appropriate fields to enter the contact information.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Grade Level Blogs

This is a reminder to please update the grade level blogs regarding expectations for the week ahead.  If you have any questions about this, please let me know.  Everyone should have access to post in the blog.  This has been a source of a great deal of positive feedback from parents.  Thank you for your efforts to enhance the communication from school to home.

Handbook Signature Form 

As we near the end of next week, a big part of our Homeroom time will be to review the important parts of the Student Handbook so that students understand the rules and expectations.  With that being said, we need a Handbook Acknowledgement Form signed by both students and parents on file in the office.  Each student will get a copy of the handbook, and Mrs. McNicol will be distributing the forms for you.  Students should return the forms to their homeroom teachers.  Once you have received them all, please bring them to the office.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site.  Save it as a favorite for your reference throughout the school year.

Parent Connection Blog
This year we started a Parent Connection Blog to communicate important information and resources for parents of our middle school children.  Check out the link to the site, and let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas about potential contributions.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 9/7/18

Our first week with kiddos is in the books!  Thanks for each of your efforts to make it a great one!  Each one of us plays a vital role in our operations, and creating a positive learning environment for our students.

Our New Team Members
A big shout-out to our new team members for making it through their first week as Pumas and officially becoming part of the family.  Great work so far Joan Schmidt (6th and 8th Grade Math), Ryan Kartos (PE), Heather Snyder (long-term sub. for Mrs. Andringa), Terri Russell (para-professional), Ashley Schmelzer (para-professional), Lisa Hafeman (new to MS duties!), Randy Rueter (custodian), and Mary Jo Beck (custodian).  We are so glad you are on our team!

IE starts 9/17
We will be meeting in Homeroom groups for one more week, working hard to build a small community within our school with strong connections.  On Monday (9/17), we will be starting our regularly scheduled IE groups.  We are still working to finalize the class rosters for this time period.  This will involve more teacher input and will be shared mid to late next week.  

STAR Reading and Math

Students will be taking the fall STAR tests on the following dates in their respective Math and ELA classes.
Math - Monday, September 10

Reading - Friday, September 14

Grade Level Blogs

This is a reminder to please update the grade level blogs regarding expectations for the week ahead.  If you have any questions about this, please let me know.  Everyone should have access to post in the blog.  This has been a source of a great deal of positive feedback from parents.  Thank you for your efforts to enhance the communication from school to home.

Handbook Signature Form 

As we near the end of next week, a big part of our Homeroom time will be to review the important parts of the Student Handbook so that students understand the rules and expectations.  With that being said, we need a Handbook Acknowledgement Form signed by both students and parents on file in the office.  Each student will get a copy of the handbook, and Mrs. McNicol will be distributing the forms for you.  Students should return the forms to their homeroom teachers.  Once you have received them all, please bring them to the office.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site.  Save it as a favorite for your reference throughout the school year.

Parent Connection Blog
This year we started a Parent Connection Blog to communicate important information and resources for parents of our middle school children.  Check out the link to the site, and let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas about potential contributions.

Referendum Update
The following post-cards were mailed to all district residents this past week.  Check them out HERE.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 8/31/18

Tuesday is the day!  Most of our students and their parents were here on Wednesday night, and I really enjoyed the buzz of excited kids and parents as they got things organized and ready for the first day of school.  I also really enjoyed our time together this week.  I feel fortunate to be a part of the talented, hard-working, student-centered team that we have assembled here in Poynette.

Article of the Week

Thank you to Mrs. Morton for sharing our article this week.  I believe this article succinctly articulates what our focus from this past week is all about, and why it matters so much.

"What Happened When I Committed to Loving my Students Unconditionally" - Kyle Redford

A memorable quote from the article - "Although my love plan was designed to improve my students' school experience, it radically improved mine as well. It worked magic on my relationships with students and energized me for the school day. My difficult students represented puzzles to solve and relationships to improve, not dreaded obstacles that threatened to drain my teacher joy. By letting go of the assumption that their behaviors were conscious choices, I was able to avoid feelings of resentment when my students blew it. Overall, I felt more peaceful and less angry."

Setting High Expectations on Day 1!
It is so important to set a positive, structured environment filled with a sense of high expectations on day 1 and beyond.  Below are a few examples of phrases that you can use (or variations) to send that important message.

"I am so excited to be your teacher"

"You should see your data from last year.  You guys are going to make me look good."

"It doesn't matter what you've done before, kids in my previous classes have always exceeded anything they thought they could do."

Mindset/Mentality/Message/Body Language is so important for setting our kids up for success.

Collective Teacher Efficacy Work Recap

After reviewing the sticky notes of thoughts that our teachers had on what Collective Teacher Efficacy feels like, sounds like, and looks like, I wanted to share a couple that stood out to really epitomize the culture necessary to break through for our students' experience and achievement.

"Own it!!!  Every child is our own.  We may be all they got."

"Center conversations on solutions rather than problems."

"Always positive attitude.  I believe in you"

"Use encouraging, positive tone of voice and body language"

First Day Reminders

We would like to have all teachers outside on the playground around 7:20 on the first day to greet the students and start building those important relationships.  Students will report to their lockers, gather their things for their first class, and report to the gym for a brief assembly.  After the assembly, students will report to their first class.  The first day is an A day.

Puma Pride Grades
In conversations that started last year, we have had a couple of teachers express interest in assessing our students on Puma Pride standards for their individual classes.  I believe the following standards could be assessed in individual classes:
-Completes and returns work in a timely manner
-Follows classroom expectations
-Puts forth effort to produce high quality work
If you would like to pilot this practice to start the school year for the above standards, or just one of them, please let me know, and we'll work out the details.  Infinite Campus is set up so all teachers have the capability to do this.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site.  Save it as a favorite for your reference throughout the school year.

Homerooms During IE
As a reminder, we will be meeting in Homeroom Groups for the first two weeks of school.  This time period is a crucial time for Social Emotional Learning and creating a close knit group for each student to be connected with.  Providing structure and being prepared are keys to running a successful homeroom.

See you Tuesday morning!!

The Middle...End of Summer Update

We are almost ready to kick off the 2018-2019 school year!  I am looking forward to getting our crew back together again to work towards some ambitious goals for our kids. After visiting with many of you during the floating in-service days, around school, or at the picnic, it sounds like an enjoyable summer was had by all.  I look forward to seeing you all Monday morning...we'll be preparing together over the first 3 days of in-service, but I wanted to share ahead of time some resources for you to review if you get the chance.  Have a great weekend!!

Professional Development Days Schedule
You can find a copy of the schedule at this LINK.  Our first gathering as a staff will be at 10:00 am Monday morning in the High School commons.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site, including:
     -PMS Master Schedule
     -PMS Early Release/Late Start Schedules
     -Puma Pride Expectations
     -18-19 Schedule of Events
     -PMS Classroom Discipline Continuum

The list above is just a sample of the resources...check it out and save it as a favorite for your future reference.

What Really Makes the Difference
As I worked this summer trying to grow professionally through books, conferences, and PD sessions, it has become very clear to me that the following quote sums up what it takes to have the best impact that we can on EVERY kid in our school...

"Love and kindness need to be at the heart of all we do!"

The Middle Update 6/4/2018

I want to thank everyone for your hard work and focus during the last week of school.  Students were engaged right up through the end, and I believe that we ended the year on a positive note.  Our students have left feeling good, and secretly looking forward to all that next school year has to offer.  As we head into the summer, it's important for everyone to take some time to recharge the battery.

The summer here at school will be spent preparing for how we can continue to improve at providing the type of learning environment that our students and community deserve.  There will be multiple opportunities for professional development, and I will be reviewing our student achievement data, Puma Pride data, school climate survey data, and our staff survey data to start planning for the activities that we all will engage in to continue our ascension upwards.

I truly appreciate each member of our staff.  I feel very fortunate to be able to lead a group of educators that is so committed to the kids.  I am happy that summer is here and everyone gets to chance to enjoy all that summer has to offer, but I also truly look forward to welcoming you all back to continue the great work that we do here in our school.

Feel free to contact me at any time throughout the summer about anything.  Have a great one!

Article of the Week
If you are looking for some light reading this summer, I want to direct you to a website that is devoted to helping make classroom management easy and enjoyable.  The article this week provides an overview for the site, and there is embedded links to explore.  Very good website here...Check out the article below, and explore more if you get the chance.

"Classroom Management is Easy" by Michael Linsin

Images for the Last Week of School