Thursday Thriller, December 16, 2021

 Thursday Thriller

December 14, 2021

Shout out to YOU!!!

You have successfully made it to winter break!  Just one more day!!! To help you get through tomorrow, there will be coffee and donuts in the teacher's lounge :D

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.   One more day and then it's break!!!!

2.    January 5th we will extend our staff meeting from 2:45 to 4:15

3.    January 14th is our early dismissal day.  8th graders will attend the field trip to WA HI in their GST class with their GST teacher.  Field trip notes turned in by Jan. 11th.

4.    Congrats to Stephanie! She will take Ashley's Registrar's positon.  We will then be posting for Stephanie's position. :D

Something to Ponder

Two weeks to re-charge. :D  Ponder the movies on Netflix you might watch, the book(s) you'll read, the games you'll play, number of naps, the walks or runs you'll take and maybe just sitting in silence and reflecting on all you have accomplished.

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Calendar of Events

Monday, 1/3            Welcome back!

Tuesday,  1/4            Kim and Carina @ Ad Council @ 8:30
Wednesday, 1/5        Staff Collaboration 2:45-4:15
Friday, 1/6                GC Meeting in Agnes' Room @ 7:30

Friday,  1/14              Early Dismissal @ 12:25, 8th grade to WA HI for Field trip for the morning
                                     We All Belong training from 1:00-2:00
Monday, 1/17            President's Day No School
Tuesday, 1/18            iReady Math testing
Monday,  1/24            iReady Reading testing

Thursday Thriller

 Thursday Thriller

December 9, 2021

These two lovely ladies are Meg Morris and Sara Huxoll.

Meg is one of our extraordinary SEL paras AND a certificated teacher who subs for Katie when she is out! Observing Meg with students is amazing; almost like a child whisperer. :D

Sara Huxoll is our HRA (Health Room Assistant).  The clinic is a continuous revolving door and now add close contact students?!  THANK YOU for making the calls and doing the needed paperwork, Sara!

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.    Please read the updated lock-down procedures that were attached in this EMAIL.  Some things have changed especially about the fire alarms, covering windows and openings.  Covering windows and openings should not be covered at all only in a lockdown situation.  I was in Shannon's room and she has a roll up cover for her door window you might check out.  Please ask if you have questions.  

2.    We will be discussing CHAPTER 4 tomorrow at 1:00 and be done by 2:00.  Meeting in Tracy and Gonzalo's rooms.

3.    Here is the plan for tomorrow.  

4.   Secure Building drill tomorrow at 9:30.  Please review procedures.

5.   Thank you for your help with iReady and encouraging students!  We have had lots of tickets turned in.  If students complete their blue tracker, they can bring it to the office.  I will draw some names at the end of January.  Students can start a second tracker if they'd like. 

6.    Something new we are going to put into place is doing home visits when students are suspended.  Yaneth and Alex will take homework/classwork to the home, check in on the student, ask them to log into Google classroom to make sure they are in and getting something done.  We can hope students complete assignments but we know hope isn't a strategy UNLESS there are supports.  Yajara and Stephanie do a great job of creating folders for students who are suspended so teachers can put any paper assignments in the folder to be delivered.  Families of students who have been suspended for a longer period of time have the option to work with Yaneth and Alex to find support within the community ex: counseling, family reconciliation, etc.  We know suspension doesn't fix the student..in fact it has the opposite effect.  HOWEVER, there are times when respite is needed and plans need to be put into place to support the student upon return and if there were victims, supporting them. 

7.  THIS IS SO COOL!!!  Way to go Jami, Kara and Sara from Pioneer!

8.    Hope you can join us at Quirk tomorrow from 3:00-5:00.  There will be some really good snacks! If you want to partake in the White Elephant gift exchange, the limit is $20.  Dust off that ugly Christmas sweater!  All of this is optional.  We appreciate you and hope to share some laughs tomorrow with each of you.

9.    Conversations with the Principals on Tuesday, December 14th.  If you would like to join in the conversation, please do.  This, too, is optional; just wanted to keep you in the loop and let you know you are invited.

6:15-7:00 is for English via Zoom here is the link

7:00-7:45  is the Spanish via Zoom here is the link

SOMETHING to PONDER

Christy K sent this to Carina and me.  While it is lengthy, there is some REALLY GOOD information to skim and reflect on in regards to The Behavioral Impacts of COVID .  I believe WWVEA sent it out.  Hope you find a gold nugget.

Power point link             

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Little Humor

I needed to laugh aimlessly and some ridiculous Parks and Rec clips.  May you, too, get a good laugh!   Best Moments of Parks and Rec
 

Calendar of Events

 Friday, December 10      Half day, "We All Belong"  PD @ 1:00, Quirk @ 3:00

Monday, December 13      Carina and I have PD at 7:30 and 1:30

Tuesday, December 14     Conversations with the Principals 6:16 Eng, 7:00 Spanish

JANUARY 5th    Extended Staff Meeting 2:45-4:15 on Wednesday

JANUARY 14th    8th grade students and GST teachers field trip to WA HI, this is an early dismissal day

Thursday Thriller December 3, 2021

 Thursday Thriller

December 3, 2021

Shout out to Caleb!  His choir and orchestra students did amazing!! There were about 80 students and standing room only!

Who's Who at Garrison

Jen had a great idea after our last "We All Belong" staff meeting.  She suggested identifying different staff members in the Thursday Thriller since clearly we don't know everyone. :D  

Sam Mirkovich or "Mirk" came to the east side to teach at Garrison in 2019 after teaching at Ferndale High School.  He and his wife, Katie, have a lovely 7 year old daughter named Isla.  Katie is currently the ESL Teacher at Green Park.  Mirk is a talented artist, taught overseas, played baseball at Central and has a wicked sense of humor. :D

"Mirk"

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.  Certificated Staff~ Thank you for your participation in yesterday's rotations.  A few things that came to fruition from our discussion were not necessarily or directly related to TIER I opportunities; rather these were things to re-set/re-teach, get back to the basic expectations for all.   

      A)  In the morning students, (8:35-8:50) need to go to their first period class and stay put UNLESS they are receiving tutoring by a teacher that is not their first period teacher.  Teachers do not have to have something for students to do.  Students can talk with one another, socialize, read, do iReady, work on homework.  This is not a time for phones or games on Chromebooks.  I will make PSA announcements on GNN, communicate in the Family Newsletter as well as the Zoom meeting with parents in a couple of weeks so they, too, know the expectations. 

    B) Re-teaching students all over again the basics about school.  Starting small for example encouraging students to stay to the right when they walk down the hallway and use the breeze way to help with chaos and crowding. Little things that we can do school wide to re-teach school and expectations.

    C) "Tip Sheet" for parents (made by Kim not teachers and sent from our office) on what to ask their child in regards to school.  Instead of, "Do you have any homework?"  "Show me your binder and how it's organized."  "Show me your grades and if you have any missing assignments."  "What iReady lesson are you on?"  "What book are you reading for the Winter Challenge?"  "What side of the hallway are you supposed to stay on?" :D Little things that parents/guardians at home can engage with their child in that don't necessarily revolve around homework.

2.    Friday, December 10th is our "We All Belong" training up in Tracy and Gonzalo's rooms from 1:00-2:00. We will be discussing chapter 4.  From 3:00-5:00 is our staff get together at Quirk.  There will be snacks and 'tickets' for each person. :D

3.    COVID vaccination clinic will be on the 8th from 9:00-10:30 in the Commons. 

4.    If you didn't add to the Padlet and still would like the opportunity to do so, here is the link:  Staff Check-in 

5.    Spirit Week next week: 

Monday- Dec 6 - Flannel day- Wear your favorite flannel clothing!

Tuesday, Dec7- College Day- Pull out your college gear and show your college pride!

Wednesday, Dec 8- Pajama Day- Wear your cozy pjs!

Thursday, Dec 9- White out!  It's getting cold outside...let's plan an indoor blizzard!  Everyone wear white! Friday,Dec 10- Red, White and Green Jingle Bell Day- Wear your red, white and green and get ready to "Jingle all the Way!”

Something to Ponder

Andrew Marotta is a principal in New York, husband, father and Division One College Basketball Official.  This particular blog caught my eye because of the content.  How many of  of you have worked your tails off for a student and they reward you by flipping you the bird, acting out or posting something awful on social media?  This made me think of some of the Instagram posts.  My husband was super upset.  I told him there are so many more positives then negatives.  We just have to let things roll off our backs and keep going.  IT IS HARD! I GET IT!  We will continue to be champions for all students.    YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!  We are re-teaching behavior.  Keep working together!  You are an AMAZING group of people!!!  

Little Humor

This was one of the memes on Instagram.  I say "ear pods" instead of "air pods."  Gotta laugh at myself. :D

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CALENDAR of EVENTS

Friday, 12/3    What more do we need to say other than, "IT'S FRIDAY!"

Mon,   12/6     Spirit Day -FLANNEL

Tues,   12/ 7    Spirit Day - COLLEGE DAY, Carina and Kim at AD Council from 8:30-10:00

Wed,    12/8    Spirit Day -PAJAMA DAY, Shot clinic 9:00-10:30, Collaboration with teams

Thur,    12/9    Spirit Day - WHITE OUT, POD A SST @ 8:55, POD B SST @ 11:55

Fri,       12/10  Spirit Day -RED, WHITE, GREEN, We All Belong CHP 4, 1:00-2:00, Quirk 3:00-5:00 (this is optional. :D)

Sat.       12/11   ASHLEY GRADUATES FROM WSU!!!!!  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Mon,    12/13   Conversations with the Principals via Zoom SP

Tues,    12/14   Conversations with the Principals via Zoom ENG 

**If anyone wants to attend the parent meetings, we would welcome your attendance.  Let me know and I can send you the Zoom link

January 5 -Wednesday -Extended Staff Collaboration 2:45-4:15