Happy Friday!
As educators, our days are filled with countless choices, but one of the most powerful is where we direct our focus. When we look for the negative, we will always find it—in a challenging moment, an interrupted lesson, or a tough interaction. However, as the image reminds us, we hold the light switch. We get to control which lens we use to view our day. Take a brief moment today to reflect on where your switch is set: are you actively searching for the growth, small wins, and light in your classroom, or are you letting the darkness take over? Remember, the energy and perspective we choose not only shape our own day, but they also set the tone for every student who walks through our doors.
Cheers for Peers:
Jess Zupansic was nominated by Liz Stitzmeyer - Jess has been previewing the phonics stories with a few of our 4th graders during MTSS. These students have come to phonics the last 2 weeks SO excited to share about what they have learned, answer peer questions and be teacher helpers with the lesson. These are students who were NEVER raising their hands before. I'm so thankful that Jess has taken the time to invest in these students and to show them how interesting and fun reading can be. She puts in SO much extra time and care and this is something we should celebrate! Thanks Jess!
Paige Larson was nominated by Kate Seifert - Paige does an amazing job of incorporating technology in the classroom and bringing lessons to life. She achieves a great balance of reading, writing, videos, songs, and stories to keep kids engaged and learning. I am inspired every time I teach with her!
Kate Seifert was nominated by the 3rd Grade Team - Although we miss having Kate on our team directly, we are SO thrilled to have her as our co-teacher! She takes every spare chance she gets to make sure we are all set with the materials needed for lessons - even creating them herself frequently! We are so grateful to have a good amount of time each day to teach with her and so grateful our students get to work with her! Please know how grateful we are for you and how appreciated you are! We love you!
Photos & Media Opt Out:
Just a friendly reminder to be checking for media opt out before you are submitting pictures online (or doing Positive Office Referrals). We are assuming you are checking for this before submitting pictures. If you end up with a student who is media opt out, please share this information with those involved.
Doors:
As part of our safety work, we should only be using the front door for in/out of the building. I understand there are times you want to use a door in your space - however, that is creating a risk of the door being left open, someone coming in, etc. Moving forward, please plan on using the front door(s) if you are entering or exiting the building. This does include using the outdoor classroom, garden, and nature center.
Stride will be the only door that is used for arrival and dismissal. Other than those two times, we should not use those doors for daily traffic either.
Building Weekly Newsletter:
Have a great weekend!
-Justin
