It’s not everyday you GET to be someone who can positively impact the lives of others. Us? Yes, we GET TO DO THIS EVERYDAY!
We Get to hug those sullen-faced children
We Get to VISIT classes everyday/every week
We Get to celebrate WINS, Good News Referrals, and Caught You Doing Something Right
We Get to help students solve problems
We Get to see teachers MOTIVATE kiddos AND motivate teachers ourselves!
We Get to watch children grow, literally in real-time
We Get to collaborate, problem solve and communicate
We Get to high five and knuckle pound all day
We Get to smile and laugh with kids that may not do that at home
We Get to leave school knowing that tomorrow will be another chance to improve the life of SOMEONE
Thank you for everything you DO for our students!! I hope that you have time to enjoy some time off with family and friends. I am going to say it again, I am so lucky to work with such a dedicated group of teachers that will take NO EXCUSES to ensure that our students are successful!! Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year!!
There are so many things we SHOULD do. I know it, you know it...;) Sometimes, it's easier said than done! Take a look at anEASY 10 Things Teachers can Say More Oftenand how easy it can be done!
Did you know that engagement starts with respect? Either way you look at it, EVERYONE is more engaged when they respect the person giving them information. Take a look atTHIS ARTICLE on ways to earn teens respect and keep them engaged!
Want to know how to TALK LESS in your classroom with THESE easy strategies?? Who doesn't want that to happen? Check outTHIS ARTICLE for easy ways to get kids talking more and you talking less! For FSUTA negotiations update click HERE For CSEA negotiations update click HERE
As many of you know, I lost my mom when I was 11 years old to cancer. During my birthday I always tend to miss her the most! She was only 41 when she died and since my 41st birthday I feel so lucky to be alive and to be with my family. Instead of getting gifts from my family, this year I am going to the city with Chris and the kids and do 48 random acts of kindness. This will be the first year I am having the kids do it with me. My mom was an immigrant and taught all four of us the art of giving back to our community. She was a teacher and because we lived in a community of immigrants many of the women would come to her for guidance. Our house was always that house, there was always someone over. I learned so much from my mom in the few years I had with her. The above picture of my mom I keep on my desk by my laptop. It is something I look at multiple times a day! It drives me to be a better mom, sister, friend, wife, and educator. I am constantly thinking how can I grow. In the last 9 years our school has been working hard to build our Agri-Science school. Now our program has been recognized by receiving a Golden Bell, gold ribbon and being green in ELA on the dashboard last year!! We did this as a TEAM!! No great accomplishment can happen alone. It takes a team, it takes a family. There is a lot that can be said with the strength of numbers.
Focus on Good, no GREAT, First Instruction!
We continue to focus on GOOD, if not GREAT, first instruction. Asking a large number of questions and checking the responses of all students is something all teachers should be doing daily. When we stop talking "AT" students, we get them to reflect on their own learning and process the information at their level. From this, and having ALL students participate in academic conversations determines whether or not the class is ready to move on, needs to work in small group, or you must reteach the concept to the entire class.
How can this be done, you ask?
Structured academic conversation: Put sentence stems on board for each partner
Summarizing and sharing out: whole class, neighbors, or just to teacher
Use Google Survey as a quiz
Use those whiteboards!! Have them complete a quick write question, formative assessment, or an exit ticket! SO EASY!
Use Padlet.com or post it notes to review quickly. Again, SO EASY!
School Spirit dress up days next week:
MONDAY- HAT DAY
TUESDAY-TWIN DAY- wear your trainer of dragons t-shirt
WEDNESDAY-WACKY WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY- THROW BACK THURSDAY-CHOOSE A DECADE
FRIDAY-wear your ugly sweater and meet in the MPR at 8:10 for a staff picture
Yearbook Pre-sale!
Yearbooks for the 2019-2020 school year are on sale for $20 if purchased before 12/20. Flyers are on their way home, and yearbooks can be ordered online at ybpay.lifetouch.com with yearbook code 11320120.
Carmie's last day with us will be on Dec. 20. She is moving to Chico. We wish Carmie well on her next adventure.
Observable Fish Moments at SV:
Be There: Thank you Janice for hosting our social tonight. Thank you Sunshine committee for providing the food and setting up.
Play: Please make sure you fill out at least one good news referral a week.
Choose your attitude:Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.
Make Their Day: A huge thank you to EVERYONE for helping out during after school rainy day pick up. Thank you Sarbjit, Alee, and Janice for attending our board meeting last night and supporting Jackson.
We, as educators, can be that one person in a child’s life that can make a difference. Watch the video below: Brings tears to my eyes every time!!
Why Teaching Kindness in Schools Is Essential to Reduce BullyingOCTOBER 17, 2014
Phrases like "random acts of kindness" and "pay it forward" have become popular terms in modern society. It seems that we just can't get enough of those addictive, feel-good emotions -- and with good reason. Scientific studies prove that kindness has many physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. And children need a healthy dose of the warm-and-fuzzies to thrive as healthy, happy, well-rounded individuals.
Patty O'Grady, PhD, an expert in neuroscience, emotional learning, and positive psychology, specializes in education. She reports: Kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. A great number of benefits have been reported to support teaching kindness in schools, best summed up by the following.
Happy, Caring Children
The good feelings that we experience when being kind are produced by endorphins. They activate areas of the brain that are associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust. These feelings of joyfulness are proven to be contagious and encourage more kind behavior (also known asaltruism) by the giver and recipient.
Increased Peer Acceptance
Research on the subject has determined that kindness increases our ability to form meaningful connections with others. Kind, happy children enjoy greater peer acceptance because they are well liked. Better-than-average mental health is reported in classrooms that practice more inclusive behavior due to an even distribution of popularity.
Greater Sense of Belonging and Improved Self-Esteem
Studies show that people experience a "helper's high" when they do a good deed. This rush of endorphins creates a lasting sense of pride, wellbeing, and an enriched sense of belonging. It's reported that even small acts of kindness heighten our sense of wellbeing, increase energy, and give a wonderful feeling of optimism and self worth.
Improved Health and Less Stress
Being kind can trigger a release of the hormone oxytocin, which has a number of physical and mental health benefits. Oxytocin can significantly increase a person's level of happiness and reduce stress levels. It also protects the heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing free radicals and inflammation, which incidentally speed up the aging process.
Increased Feelings of Gratitude
When children are part of projects that help others less fortunate than themselves, it provides them with a real sense of perspective. Helping someone else makes them appreciate the good things in their own lives.
Better Concentration and Improved Results
Kindness is a key ingredient that helps children feel good about themselves as it increases serotonin levels. This important chemical affects learning, memory, mood, sleep, health, and digestion. Having a positive outlook enables greater attention spans and more creative thinking to produce better results at school.
Reduced Depression Dr. Wayne Dyer, an internationally-renowned author and speaker, says that an act of kindness triggers an increase in serotonin, a natural chemical responsible for improving mood. This boost in happiness occurs not only in both the giver and receiver of kindness, but also in anyone who witnesses it.This makes kindness a powerful, natural antidepressant. (PDF, 14KB)
Less Bullying
Shanetia Clark and Barbara Marinak are Penn State Harrisburg faculty researchers. They say, "Unlike previous generations, today's adolescents are victimizing each other at alarming rates." They argue that adolescent bullying and violence can be confronted with in-school programs that integrate "kindness -- the antithesis of victimization."
Many traditional anti-bullying programs focus on the negative actions that cause anxiety in children. When kindness and compassion are taught instead, it fosters the positive behavior that's expected. Promoting its psychological opposite is key in reducing bullying to create warm and inclusive school environments.
Maurice Elias, Professor at Rutgers University Psychology Department, is also an advocate for kindness. He says:
As a citizen, grandparent, father, and professional, it is clear to me that the mission of schools must include teaching kindness. Without it, communities, families, schools, and classrooms become places of incivility where lasting learning is unlikely to take place . . . [W]e need to be prepared to teach kindness, because it can be delayed due to maltreatment early in life. It can be smothered under the weight of poverty, and it can be derailed by victimization later in life . . . Kindness can be taught, and it is a defining aspect of civilized human life. It belongs in every home, school, neighborhood, and society. It's become clear that education must encompass more than just academics, and that matters of the heart must be taken seriously and nurtured as a matter of priority. How do you teach kindness?
The HourofCode is "a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code" and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, an innovator." Coding is the process of writing a program to make the computer do something. Everything that is done on a computer, like websites, games, applications, word processing, videos, and photos, has been coded to do its specific feature. The process of coding may seem daunting, but learning the basics can be quite easy.
Every year we participate in HourofCode during Computer Science Week - December 9-13. This short video explains a variety of ways to get your students involved in HourofCode.
Staff Social will be on Friday, Dec. 13th at Janice’s home at 4:30. We hope to see you there :)
Our student of the month will be presented at the board meeting on Dec. 12 at 6:00pm. Come show your support for Jackson Harrington :)
Congratulations to Jennifer McGuinness for receiving Suisun Valley's Teacher of the Year. She will be recognized at the January 9th board meeting at 6:00. Come show your support for Jennifer.
Observable Fish Moments at SV:
Be There: Thank you Patty, Christina, and Ariel for holding an informational literacy night with kinder and first grade parents so they know how to support their kids at home.
Play: HAVE fun and try something new :)
Choose your attitude:Be kind.
Make Their Day: Thank you for working as a team to make after school duty (rainy day) easier for everyone!!
