TO DO:

The training with Dr. Ross Greene on May 17 is filling up fast. If you are interested in attending or sending someone from your building you should register soon as spots are going quickly! Here is the flyer with more info – including a link to register.

Thank your counselor(s) next week for the things you see them doing, and the things you know they are doing that you don’t see! Feb. 4 – 8 is National Counselor Appreciation Week.

THIS and THAT:

A few weeks ago Colleen shared a link with me to a Ted Talk with Dave Mochel, a mindfulness coach. (Lisa Birk and Colleen were able to hear Dave talk recently.) His talk is titled What are You Practicing Right Now? and I believe is worth spending the just under 17 minutes to watch. What I can’t decide is if Dave’s message is more for me as the listener/learner, or for me as a leader to share with others. Likely, it is both… Hope you enjoy it.

As an FYI… I am “subbing” for Mary Thomas at Summit HS next Tuesday. You may recall, because I keep bringing it up, that I filled in for a kinder teacher last year – and only survived because I had Christie’s help! Looking forward to spending a day at the high school and trying not to mess too much up in Mary’s absence.

A training has just been added to Performance Matters that I hope you will pass along to your staff (and support with a sub if needed). It is entitled Youth Mental Health 1st Aid and has been taught a few times in the past. In this course, participants will learn about the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, build an understanding of the importance of early intervention, and given ideas of how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. (When I took this training a year ago there were many SPED teachers and EAs in attendance who found this to be very valuable learning.)

Thank you for the thoughtful conversation on Monday afternoon at our Horizontal meeting. I appreciated your willingness to engage and help process the information Austin had collected from you during his visits this past fall. Since our Horizontal meeting, Dave, Austin and I have met and spent some time digesting and strategizing about what we heard. In short, I’m excited about the possibilities the three of us discussed not only for our level but also for the district as a whole. Stay tuned for more to come on this…!

REMINDERS:

We meet as a Leadership group on Monday, starting at 3:15, in the board room.

New admin (only) have a training in the board room on Monday as well, beginning at 2:00.

Move up day is May 21, 2019. Gary will be asking elementary principals to touch base with your regarding the timing of this event and then putting in the bus request.

Thank you in advance for taking some time in the coming weeks/months to talk with your 8th-grade students (as well as communicating with their parents) regarding the three Celebration participation expectations. You have all done a great job of doing this in the past as well, thank you!