Our EME Focus
- Tier 1 Instruction
- Belonging
- Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School
Thought of the Week
A Story of Gratitude and Finding Happiness Beyond Luck
Erin was a young girl who lived in a small town in Ireland. She had always been fascinated by the idea of finding a four-leaf clover, which was believed to bring good luck. Erin spent hours searching the fields, gardens, and parks for a four-leaf clover, but she never found one.
One day, Erin was feeling particularly down and frustrated. She had searched all morning and found nothing. As she sat down in the grass and looked up at the sky, she noticed a beautiful butterfly fluttering nearby. The butterfly was so colorful and graceful, and Erin couldn’t take her eyes off it.
The butterfly flew around the garden, landing on different flowers and plants. Erin followed it with her eyes, watching as it danced in the sunlight. Suddenly, the butterfly landed on a flower right next to her, and Erin saw that it had four wings.
Erin couldn’t believe her luck! She had been searching for a four-leaf clover all this time, and she had finally found something even more special – a four-winged butterfly.
As Erin sat there, admiring the butterfly, she realized that she didn’t need a four-leaf clover to be happy. She was lucky to be alive and surrounded by beautiful things every day. She had a family who loved her, friends who cared about her, and a world full of wonder and beauty.
Erin felt a sense of gratitude and contentment wash over her. She had been so focused on finding a four-leaf clover that she had forgotten to appreciate the small things in life. The butterfly had shown her that there was magic all around her, and all she had to do was look for it.
From that day on, Erin stopped searching for a four-leaf clover. Instead, she spent her days exploring the world around her, discovering new things, and enjoying the beauty of nature. She realized that happiness was not about finding a lucky charm, but about finding joy in the present moment.
THE COMING WEEK:
- Monday
- Ben out for Principal meeting 7:30-12:30
- Committee Meetings – 2:30-3:15
- Tuesday
- Carrie Shorthouse’s Birthday!
- Ben Meeting 8:00-9:00
- Potato Bar Day!! Sign-up
- Career Fair – 8:45-10:45
- Fire Drill – 1:00
- ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
- Wednesday
- Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- Art Workshop #2
- SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
- Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
- CPR Training at Elk Meadow 2:30-4:30
- Thursday
- Jenn Kandra’s Birthday!
- Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
- Friday
- Ben Out
- EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
UPCOMING DATES:
- March 24-28 Spring Break
- April 1 – Sign up for a 1-Hour block with Lori
- April 1 – EME Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
- April 1 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
- April 2 – Dexter Chamberlin’s Birthday!
- April 2 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- April 2 – SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
- April 3 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- April 3 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- April 3 – Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
- April 4 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
- April 7 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
- April 8 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
- April 9 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- April 9 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
- April 9 – Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
- April 10 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- April 10 – Fire Drill 1:30
- April 10 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- April 11 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
- April 13 – Emily McLarty’s Birthday!
- April 14 – Meet with Peter
- April 15 – Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00
- April 16 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- April 16 – Conferences
- April 17 – Conferences
- April 18 – No School
- April 21 – Ben out for meeting 7:30-12:30
- April 21 – Committees Meeting 2:30-3:15
- April 22 – Earth Day
- April 22 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
- April 22 – Admin Training – 3:00-5:00
- April 23 – Administrative Professionals Day!
- April 23 – Spring Picture Day
- April 23 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- April 23 – SIW Ed Network Day 1:00-2:30
- April 23 – Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
- April 24 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- April 24 – Lock Down Drill 1:00
- April 24 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- April 25 – Stephanie JS Birthday!
- April 25 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
- April 27 – Laura G Birthday!
- April 29 – Forest Kindergarten 9:30-1:30
- April 29 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
- April 30 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- April 30 – SIW Ed Network Follow Up 1:00-2:30
- May 1 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- May 1 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- May 2 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
Updates from Downtown
From Tammy and Karen
Belonging is the feeling of being valued, included, and connected to those around us. In our workplaces, a strong sense of belonging leads to deeper collaboration, greater job satisfaction, and a more supportive environment where everyone can thrive. When we feel a sense of belonging, we are more engaged, innovative, and empowered to do our best work.
Important Links
- March 5th Elementary TLC Update
- Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice-Got something you want some collaboration with? (New Request about systems to support student behavior)
- FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported
Notes from our Team:
From Kinsey – Policy, Advocacy, and Office of DEI:
Congratulations: Be sure to celebrate the folks in your building who won our recent community engagement contest opportunities, and include kudos to all your staff who participated! Winners, participants, photos of submissions, and more are here.
From Instructional Technology, Tracy Howk and Robbie Faith: Digital Curriculum Access for Substitute Teachers
Clever has recently introduced Clever Sub Badges, a new feature that allows teachers to provide secure, temporary login credentials for substitute teachers. With this badge, substitutes can access resources like ILC, Really Great Reading, and Wayfinder without needing the teacher’s personal login information. Teachers can also share video links, Google Slides, PDFs, and other digital resources to simplify substitute planning.
Since January, we have been piloting this new feature at High Lakes and Ponderosa Elementary, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
We are now looking for a few more schools to introduce this new feature this spring. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Robbie Faith to schedule a short meeting with your admin team.
From Transportation – Kim Crabtree
Can we please ask schools NOT to give out candy and food treats at the end of the day. Students are not allowed to eat on the bus, and it causes a lot of friction when we tell kids to put it in the garbage. They will not keep it in their backpacks. Last week we had suckers and cupcakes come onto buses. 🙁
Action Items
- Reach out to Robbie Faith if you are interested in learning more about the Clever Sub Badge.
Important Dates
- March 19: Elementary Safety Cadre, 1:30-3:30–Silver Rail Library
- March 24-28: The long awaited Spring Break!
- April 8: School Board Meeting 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- April 9: Administrator Professional Development 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
- April 15: Horizontal meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Ponderosa Elementary
- April 19: On the Road to Kindergarten Event 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- April 22: Admin ICCL 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
And finally…I thought this as I slipped on the snow when I walked out of my house this morning!
