Thursday Thriller
November 4, 2021
Some pictures from the Sources of Strength last week. Students did an amazing job! Becky Jo and Will are the advisors with Alex and Tobi as additional adult support for Sources.
Quizlet in Heather's 8th grade SST class! If you have not tried Quizlet it is a BLAST!!!
Shout out to our CUSTODIANS!!! Brent, Ian and Marco! Walking the hallways early in the morning puts a smile on my face because everything is SO CLEAN!!!! Thank you, Gentlemen! You are appreciated!
Nuts-n-Bolts
1. Thanks for your participation in our 'speed dating' session during collaboration. We received good feedback regarding SEL lessons and GST in general. Thanks to the GC team for providing strategies to try during your classes. Amy K and Counselors, thanks for presenting the itinerary for tomorrow's half day.
2. Tracy and Gonzalo have graciously offered their classrooms for tomorrow's We All Belong training. We will meet at 1:00 in their upstairs classrooms -rooms 205-206
3. On Tuesday, November 9th from 9:00-10:30 we will be hosting a COVID Vaccine Clinic. The clinic will be held in room 116
4. GST next week will have a focus on Veteran's Day. ASB, Agnes and Kara created activities for you to participate in with your class.
5. Carina and I met with the Counselors this morning to follow up regarding the feedback we received yesterday around GST and the SEL lessons. We understand that GST is one more thing but honestly it may be the most important one more thing as we connect with kids at a different level.
Steve, Angie and Becky Jo will be either emailing you or personally checking in to see how they can support you. In addition, they will be viewing the Character Strong 8th grade lessons as they may be more appropriate for 8th graders. We know this isn't easy, we are here to support you and to echo what was in the slides yesterday the SEL lessons are THE non negotiable (connecting with students is making a difference. We have real stories of the connections that are happening with students and their GST teachers) . As many of you expressed you would like a lesson modeled. Angie, Steve and Becky Jo are up for it! :D You can wait for them to reach out to you or you can reach out to them first. Either way we can support you!
6. Lunch and breakfast -you may have heard students say they didn't get lunch or they 'ran out' of the choices that were posted. This may very well be true for the choices. NOT about not getting lunch. Each student gets breakfast and or lunch. It just may not be what is posted for choices because state wide deliveries are being shorted, can't get the food we ordered and therefore the kitchen staff is working with what they have. This is even with materials to keep moving forward with construction at both WA HI and Pioneer; materials on back order.
7. We will mostly be going with Lunch Plan B which is eating inside and then going outside. THANK YOU for your patience as we interrupt your class daily over the intercom.
8. GNN is only running on M-T-Ws
9. Don't forget to go over the LOCKDOWN procedures as we will have a drill at 9:55.
10. Our District has an A M A Z I N G Employees Assistance Program. You can call, connect with someone who can then connect you to a counselor or someone who can assist you. Mental well being is so important!!! Nothing to EVER be ashamed about reaching out and getting the needed help; we need to normalize support. THE EAP for the WWPS can assist in all of these ways:
Something to Ponder
What to do when students won't quit talking? Here are a few suggestions to gain students attention. Several of these made me laugh. This article resonated with me because it was specific to middle school. Let me know if you try one and it works.
Ideas for Quieting a Noisy Middle-School Class
In this Education Week article, Catherine Gewertz passes along suggestions from
readers in response to this prompt: “If middle schoolers are incessantly talking and I need their
attention, I _________.” A number of teachers suggested counting backwards from five,
flipping the lights off and on, and hand claps. Here are some others::
- - Scream FORTNITE
- - I say “Hairspray” and students shhhhhh each other. It’s hilarious and effective.
- - Wireless doorbell (purchased from Amazon). Mine currently meows when I ring it.
- - My phone or tablet is connected via Bluetooth to a speaker, allowing me to play sound
effects from the free app, 100s of Buttons and Sounds. When my students hear the“gong” sound, they know it’s time to quiet down and listen up. - - Sing “Red Robin” and they will reply, “Yum.” They can’t help themselves.
- - If you really want to mess them up, do the elementary clapping thing. They will start clapping back without even thinking, and it weirds them out.
- - I give them one of my crazy facial expressions they all say I have.
- - Stare. I heard that it doesn’t work for all teachers but my stare is amazing, I’ve been working on it since birth so it’s who I am lol. If your stare isn’t alarming then don’t even bother and listen to someone else’s advice.
- - Stand silently at the front of the room and wait. After 34 years, my wait time is on point. If that doesn't 't work, I dim the lights. I will not yell over them.
- - I’ve always randomly said “nose goes” and touch my nose! They’ll quickly touch their
- nose and then get quiet to see what the heck they are touching their nose for!
QUOTE
Little Humor
I'm pretty excited for Sunday! This is one time I will stay up past 8:00PM😆
Tuesday, 11/9 Shot clinic 9:00-10:30 in room 116
Priority Teams for Collaboration:
