Tuesday September 6, 2011

LTM's begin this week. Please make sure if you are covering you are in your place a few minutes early. If you are participating in an LTM, you should follow established protocols of timeliness and preparedness.
This week, we will receive a visit by Mr. Steve Oates, who is the new superintendent for Elementary schools. Mr. Oates replaces Toni Bigham, who retired September 1. I am sure he will visit as many classrooms as possible, if not all.
Homeroom teachers-Please make sure you are where your schedule says you are , doing what it says you are doing. Please post a schedule as soon as possible. Also make sure you have a "where we are chart" outside your door-We just need something telling where you are if you are not in the classroom. This procedure started last year if you remember.

PBIS-we had a great assembly last week for our PBIS kickoff. Please make sure you are giving plenty of den dollars. Shopping starts next week. It is very appropriate to continue with model lessons for PBIS, especially for younger students, to make sure students understand what PRIDE is all about.

Remember:
Never Blame the Children
It's more about learning than about teaching

Hope is not a strategy

Two more commandments:
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable-Be honest and frank anyway

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds-Think Big anyway

Monday August 22, 2011

Change and Teamwork workshop-8:00-4:00 today
8:00-12:00 noon tomorrow
Open House 5:30-7:30 Tuesday. After the workshop, staff are free to leave campus but everyone must be back on campus by 4:00.
Please don't try to have every detail perfect for open house-the purpose is to meet and greet new families and students. Every bulletin board or display doesn't have to be finished. sign Focus on the people you will spend the next 180 days with.

Make sure you sign in daily-22 people did not sign in on Wednesday.
You should have signed up for Monday and Tuesday's workshop-"Change Readiness and Team Building" is the title and the location is Gibson. Please arrive by 7:45 to get signed in.
Lunch on Monday is being catered and it is a working lunch so plan on not leaving campus.
If you have a name tag, please wear it starting Tuesday night at Open house. If you have a name tag from another school, you can wear it (maybe cover the name)-the district is not making name tags at this time and we won't get ours until after fall pictures.

Schedule for this week-
Specials start Thursday and it is week A
Thursday August 25-Week A day 1
Friday August 26-Week A day 2
There will be a fire drill on Tuesday August 30. State law mandates a fire drill must be held with seven days of the first student day.
Please make sure fire drill exit maps are posted properly. Practice fire drill protocol with students prior to Tuesday. Please see Mrs. Snipes if you need a map or further help.

Two more of the Paradoxical Commandments:

If you are successful you will win false friends and true enemies-Succeed anyway!

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow-Do good anyway!

I understand without any commentary, some of these may seem pessimistic, but I want to put them all out there before saying a whole lot. I am going to try to get copies for everybody eventually.
Finally, there were three important values I wanted to share last week at the meeting but everyone was so tired, I didn't get to it.
These three simple ideas should be the cornerstone of how we should approach any challenge facing us this year and how to overcome them:

1. Don't blame the children.
2. It's more about the learning than the teaching.
3. Hope is not a strategy.

I will spend time talking about these ideas often and openly, trust me.

Monday, August 15, 2011
We're back! I am proud to relaunch the Gibson Grizzly Blog, the best way to share and save the news and important events for the Gibson family! Not only will announcements be shared, but also we can also share inspirational and encouraging words for all.
The Week at a Glance-
Staff meeting-August 17 at 8:00 sharp
We will have our kick off staff meeting for the 2011-2012 school year on Wednesday, Augsut 17 at 8:00 sharp. Come hungry because the PTA is sponsoring a full breakfast for us. We will get a chance to meet the new president as well. Our meeting should last for the first half of the morning, including PBIS training.
At 2:00, We will take a staff picture-business casual-no jeans or shorts, please!
Thursday and Friday are professional development days-Kim and Raphael will discuss in more detail on Wednesday.

I read a great book this summer by Kent Keith entitled Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments-Finding Personal Meaning in a Crazy World.
Like the title suggests, each of us can find meaning and purpose despite the things around us that seem to "drive us crazy". I want to share a few of these "commandments" with you at a time throughout the year and hopefully we can all share insights from them. If anyone would like to read the book, maybe we can start a book club.

1. People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered-LOVE THEM ANYWAY.


2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives-DO GOOD ANYWAY

That's enough for now:-) See you Wednesday-the next posting will be Monday, August 22.

Thursday January 20 2011
Today is day 4 on the specials calendar.
EOQ make up testing-Specials should resume as normal.
Ron away in the am-principal's meeting
5th grade planning half day-PBIS booster session 2:30
First grade PBIS booster session-2:00 assistants covering-LTM room
No afterschool tutoring.
I have already heard several creative ways to help motivate the community to encourage legislators to look at ways to minimize the terrible impact proposed cuts would make to schools. Keep it up and spread the word!

Wednesday January 19, 2011
Today is day 3 on the specials calendar.
EOQ testing continues-both sections of the math test to be administered.
Some of the specialists, EC, and ESL teachers are leading mod groups. Due to the time involved, specials and other services may be canceled or delayed. Please wait to be contacted by the specialists or resource teacher before taking or sending students.
Social Networking workshop right after school-computer lab
Third grade half day planning-PBIS booster session-1:30
Kindergarten booster session-9:30-10:00. Teacher assistants please cover the class. Meet in the workroom on the 100 hallway
Second grade PBIS booster session-2:00-2:30-Teacher assistants that cover for second grade LTM, please cover for the same teacher from 2-2:30 only. Meet in the specials room in the second grade POD.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Today is day 2 on the specials calendar.
WSFCS is on a two hour delay today. Please review delay of school protocols
Alertnow system is down-that's why you did not get a phone call
EOQ testing today
Special start time will be announced.
Fourth grade half- day planning with PBIS booster session.
Staff meeting after school today-2011 budget, K-2 Dibels training, PBIS booster session

Monday January 10 2011
No school for students today. Today is an optional teacher workday. Please look at it just like an Rsv day. Staff who do not work must use annual leave. The workday is from 8-3:30. Comp time may not be used on Monday but it may be used on Tuesday, if warranted. All staff have received a detailed email about today.