Our EME Focus
- Tier 1 Instruction
- Belonging
- Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School
Thought of the Week
I was 17 years old when Forrest Gump came out. There are so many lessons in the movie, but one I think that is overlooked the most is Forests’ kindness. In the middle of the movie He’s sitting on this park bench waiting for the bus to go see Jenny for the first time in many years and then the lady on the bench says,“oh, you’re just trying to go there, you can go there right now.”
Forest stands up and runs over to Jenny’s place and there’s Jenny. There’s no bitterness with him. This is the love of his life and she literally left him and in a brutal way. He looks over and sees Jenny’s son watching Sesame Street and he says, “you got a son.” And she says, “yeah, yeah, that’s my son, his name is Forest.” Forest says, “that’s my name?”, and she says, “I know, I named him after his daddy.” There’s this moment where he looks at little Forest and he puts together that this is his son and for the first time in the movie you really start to see Forest break down and cry.
It makes me emotional every single time I even talk about it. Then he looks at her and he goes, “is he like me?” He’s afraid, and in that moment we realise as an audience that we have just sat through him being ridiculed and berated and made fun of and insulted for hours, and him just seemingly oblivious to it…but in that moment, we realize oh, no, no, no, he’s known all along. He knows exactly who he is and he’s known exactly why everybody treats him like garbage and he loves them anyway. I couldn’t stop crying because I wanted him to be real. I wanted there to be an example of such a wonderful human being.
True strength is loving others even when they hurt you. it’s recognizing the pain of ridicule, carrying the weight of it, and choosing kindness anyway. The deepest love is the kind that is forgives, not because it’s easy, but because it knows the value of compassion.
THE COMING WEEK:
- Monday
- Meet with Peter
- Tuesday
- Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00
- Wednesday
- Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- Conferences
- Thursday
- Conferences
- Friday
- No School
UPCOMING DATES:
- 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
Important Links
- BEA and OSEA Bargaining Update Website
- April 9th 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 Teams:
From Kerry Morton, Math TOSA
Bridges Math Disposal – Please do not dispose of any Bridges materials, yet. It will cause additional work for your custodial staff and cost extra money.Your office manager should have shared this survey with teachers to help the Custodial Department determine how many recycle bins and dumpsters are needed at your school for the disposal of the Bridges Math materials. Please resend the survey to your staff so the Custodial Department can make a plan. We only have about 50% of teacher responses. Thank you!
Action Items
- Got some poets? Share the contest with your school!
Important Dates
- April 15: Horizontal meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Ponderosa Elementary–PON and Jewell host
- April 19: On the Road to Kindergarten Event 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at various parks
- April 22: Admin ICCL 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
- May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 6: Horizontal meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Silver Rail, SRE and Rosland host
- May 7: Safety Cadre Meeting, 2:00-3:30, location TBA
- May 14: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30 Read Chapter 4!
- May 26: Memorial Day, No School
- May 30: Counselor Celebrations, 7:30-9:30 in the board room, at least one admin is required to attend, but both are encouraged!
- June 3: Horizontal meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Highland, Highland and Three Rivers host
- June 4: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30
- June 12: Last Day students—half day
- June 13: Last Day staff
And finally…Friday April 11 is National Pet Day! Give a hug to the favorite pets in your life! Here’s Charlie Girl!
