To Do:

• Check out the new “TRIBE” logo (banner) across the top of our blog. Your next question may be, “How did you do that?”… to which I would answer, “I have no idea.”  If you know me well, you know that Christie receives much more joy in making things look eye pleasing than I do (hence I have nothing to do with our home decorating, but I do stake claim to our organized garage).  So if you want to know how you could do this with your blog, ask Christie to show you!
• Let me know if you need/would like a few additional MindUP books or chimes – as I have recently been gifted a small box full.

This and that:

• Dirk celebrated a birthday on Wednesday of this week. Happy Birthday to you Dirk!
• Principals, during my site visit with you this month (which may also flow into next month), I will be looking forward to talking with you regarding: your SLGGs, one thing you are implementing/modifying/thinking about in terms of culture, and what you are currently engaged in with your staff regarding the instructional practice you are focused on this year.
• This week’s reading takes a look at the third question in the series from 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Unmotivated Students article by Jennifer Gonzalez. In it, you’ll be asked to consider how you motivate students to learn. As you reflect on this, I encourage you to also ponder what you use to motivate your staff. Is it the same? Should it be different? How does this fit into the context of building school culture?
• Here is a FAQ regarding the Smarter Balanced Assessment that you may share with your stakeholders (e.g. staff at SIW, parents via newsletters, etc.). Let me know if you have any questions for concerns regarding this.
• The Health Advisory Committee is in need of members.  Skip Offenhauser needs at least one admin and one teacher from each level to help screen and recommend supplementary materials for Health instruction.  Here is the potential commitment for this year:
  • November – all committee meeting to review our screening process in the past and make recommended changes for the future (2 hrs)
  • January  – review submitted applications ( 2hrs)
  • February – listen to presentations, screen materials, make recommendations to school board (half day maybe a full day depending on the number of presentations)
  • March – update to supplemental materials master list based on school board approval (1 hr)

   

  That is the tentative schedule for this year.  For future years the predicted schedule would be to have three meetings:

  • Fall – review submitted applications and send invitations to present to the committee
  • Winter – listen to presentations, screen materials, make recommendations to school board
  • Spring – update supplemental list

  Please let Skip Offenhauser  know if you are interested in being part of this committee and/or if you have any teachers at your school who would like to be part of this committee. Teachers will timesheet their time after school and TLC will pick up the cost of any subs that might be needed.

Reminders:

• If you haven’t already done so (and likely most/all of you have), please spend some time training your students on how to find and use First Step – the reporting tool found on every student iPad. We have received numerous timely tips via this app and hope to continue to have students use this as a source to communicate concerns they may see or hear.
• Don’t forget to RSVP with Debbie Watkins for the reasonable suspicion training that will occur on Nov. 28 (2:00 – 5:00pm) if you are interested. See Debbie’s email (sent to you on Oct. 18, 4:00pm) for further details.
• Daylight Savings time ends on Sunday, Nov. 4.
• We have our next Leadership meeting on Monday, Nov. 5. The main focus of this meeting will be around connecting you with the PD topic groups that you selected (when you completed the survey) at our last Leadership.