January 29, 2021

Frustrated that students aren't showing up to your office hours? Then why not schedule time for them to come in. Send them a Google meet. They will show up :) Sometimes all it takes is the extra push to get them to show up and on the path to success.

One-on-one interactions can lead to higher achievement. Countless research, such as the 2016 study by Young Kim and Carol Lundberg in Research in Higher Education, has demonstrated the correlation between faculty-student interactions and achievement. Frequent, positive contact encourages intellectual growth and academic self-concept, fostering a higher grade. Given the demands of our curricula, however, we rarely have time to engage individually with each student every single day, especially in large classes. That’s where office hours pick up the slack; even if it’s only for five minutes, I can give students my full attention and offer advice on conquering the roadblocks impeding their understanding. Students generally walk out of my office with more direction and satisfaction than when they arrived.

Students are more likely to verbalize what help they need to be successful. No matter how self-confident students may appear around their classmates, many hold back from asking questions for fear of embarrassment. During office hours, though, it’s just the student and you, and a few simple statements can let them know that it’s a safe space to air their queries and concerns. Here, privately, you can help them get to the bottom of the difficulty they can’t seem to grasp. Through prompting and asking your own probing questions, you can push them to reach their potential and provide specific insight into how they can progress.

Personal connections can strengthen attendance/effort/engagement in class. In my own experiences dealing with low-performing students, I’ve seen innumerable improvements after they have spent time in my office. Part of it is that they get to learn more about us as human beings just by coming into our personal space. For example, many of my students will comment on my pictures and artifacts from my world travel, often telling me something about themselves, as well. While my job during office hours isn’t officially to get to know the student on a personal level, we can learn much about each other as we sit down together.

Board meeting last night:

Last evening our Governing Board engaged in dialogue regarding the return to in-person instruction. A decision was made to vote on a decision at the Feb. 11 Governing Board Meeting. Take some time to watch it so you stay informed:

• FSUSD Governing Board Meetings are archived on the FSUSD Broadcasting Channel, bit.ly/2Y1yHcy. 

MAP Winter Test Administration - Let’s See that Growth!

Top 4 Reports That Every Teacher Should Run After Administering MAP:

1.      Class

2.      Class Breakdown

3.      Project Summary (choose Fall to Winter)

4.      Student Profile - This reports shows each student’s projection for the CAASPP. This report  is a great tool for parent meetings, student goal setting, and resources for students.

MAP testing at SV will take place next week. Remember the classroom teacher is responsible for make ups. 

Great virtual resources below: 

Click here for think, pair, synthesize template

Vocabulary Activity

North Bay Science Discovery Day

Hello there,

 

The North Bay Science Discovery Day is an event that was formerly held at

the Sonoma County Fairgrounds with over 100 hands-on exhibitors to get

kids excited about education and careers in STEM.  Our target audience

is grades 4-8.

This year we are going virtual.  It will be a one day free virtual event  hosted

by 6-10 North Bay corporations, nonprofits, schools, clubs and others. 

 

The virtual NBSDD will be March 13, 2021 from 9AM to 6PM.  Pre-registration

will begin in mid-February.

 Previous years we delivered printed flyers to your school district to help us

promote our event.  This year we are delivering electronically our flyer (two sided-English and Spanish) to share with your educators, students and parents-possibly

place in your district newsletter and post on electronic bulletin boards.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Heather M. for creating Ag bags for students. They LOVE them!! 

Play: Thank you Ebony and Daniel for having student council lead our kindness week. 

Choose your attitude: Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. 

Make Their Day:  Thank you for making someone's day by doing a kind act for a staff member or a student. 

January 22, 2021

Support our Student Council - Chalk Kindness Challenge 

 #kindnessmatters Did you know that a smile, a kind word, a helping hand or a simple note of thanks VIRTUALLY can truly make someone's day?  These are SIMPLE acts of kindness that can be LIFE CHANGING for many on our staff/students.  Happiness researcher (yes, it's a real thing), found that if you perform random acts of kindness for two minutes a day for twenty-one days, you can actually retrain your brain to be more positive.  

Kindness check off lists are in our January staff meeting folder. Great Kindness

challenge is Jan. 25 - 29 :) Nicole also shared a PPT this week.

Staff kindness challenge during the week :

Monday: Text a staff member a kind message

Tuesday: Check on a teacher out of your grade level via Google meet that you rarely

get to see

Wednesday: Email a staff member a kind message for the day

Thursday: Email 5 of your former students who are NOT in your classroom a kind

message

Friday: Hand out 5 virtual caught you doing something right today

Relationships matter deeply, learning happens when the brain feels safe and supported, and no child is a lost cause. Take a look at THIS ARTICLE “What is so true in the science of human development is that it is an optimistic story,” Cantor says. “It tells a story that no matter what a child’s starting point is, that 

development is possible if it is intentionally encouraged in the experiences and relationships that children have.”

Board Policies Update for Site Newsletters

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District maintains Board Policies

and Administrative Regulations that provide guidance to the operations

of the district based on current State and Federal law.  Over the next

few months, the newsletter will highlight one or two policies that are

required to be shared annually with FSUSD staff.  Please take time to

review these policies:

BP 1240 Volunteer Assistance

AR 1240 Volunteer Assistance

The Governing Board recognizes that volunteer assistance in schools can

enrich the educational program, increase supervision of students, and

contribute to school safety while strengthening the schools' relationships

with the community. The Board encourages parents/guardians and other

members of the community to share their time, knowledge, and abilities

with students.

BP/AR 1240 - Volunteer Assistance outlines the process for having

volunteers on campus.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There:  When people need you, they need you.  Setting aside distractions and judgments to be fully present is a sign of respect.  It improves communication and strengthens relationships.

Play: You can be serious about your work without taking yourself too seriously. Play is a mindset more than a specific activity.  It allows you to throw yourself with enthusiasm, creativity and CURIOSITY, into whatever you are doing, in a way that is natural, not forced.  “Playing” with ideas helps you find solutions to everyday challenges.

Choose your attitude: To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional.  Ask yourself throughout the day, “What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?”

Make Their Day:   Simple gestures of thoughtfulness, thanks and recognition make people feel appreciated and valued.  When you make someone feel good, you feel good too.

THROUGH THE FISH PHILOSOPHY, WE BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH, THE STUDENTS WE TEACH AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.

January 15, 2021

                                      This sums up a lot! 

What Students Remember Most About Teachers- this still applies in our virtual environment.

Dear  Teacher Down the Hall,

I saw you as you rushed past me in the lunch room. Urgent. In a hurry to catch a bite before the final bell would ring calling all the students back inside. I noticed that your eyes showed tension. There were faint creases in your forehead. And I asked you how your day was going and you sighed.

“Oh, fine,” you replied.

But I knew it was anything but fine. I noticed that the stress was getting to you. I could tell that the pressure was rising. And I looked at you and made an intentional decision to stop you right then and there. To ask you how things were really going. Was it that I saw in you a glimpse of myself that made me take the moment?

You told me how busy you were, how much there was to do. How little time there was to get it all done. I listened. And then I told you this:

I told you to remember that at the end of the day, it’s not about the lesson plan. It’s not about the fancy stuff we teachers make -- the crafts we do, the stories we read, the papers we laminate. No, that’s not really it. That’s not what matters most.

And as I looked at you, wearing all that worry and under all that strain, I said it’s about being there for your kids. Because at the end of the day, most students won’t remember what amazing lesson plans you’ve created. They won’t remember how organized your bulletin boards are. How straight and neat are the desk rows.

No, they’ll not remember that amazing decor you’ve designed.

But they will remember you.

Your kindness. Your empathy. Your care and concern. They’ll remember that you took the time to listen. That you stopped to ask them how they were. How they really were. They’ll remember the personal stories you tell about your life: your home, your pets, your kids. They’ll remember your laugh. They’ll remember that you sat and talked with them while they ate their lunch.

Because at the end of the day, what really matters is YOU. What matters to those kids that sit before you in those little chairs, legs pressed up tight under tables often too small -- what matters to them is you.

You are that difference in their lives.

And when I looked at you then with tears in your eyes, emotions rising to the surface, and I told you gently to stop trying so hard -- I also reminded you that your own expectations were partly where the stress stemmed. For we who truly care are often far harder on ourselves than our students are willing to be. Because we who truly care are often our own worst enemy. We mentally beat ourselves up for trivial failures. We tell ourselves we’re not enough. We compare ourselves to others. We work ourselves to the bone in the hopes of achieving the perfect lesson plan. The most dynamic activities. The most engaging lecture. The brightest, fanciest furnishings.

Because we want our students to think we’re the very best at what we do and we believe that this status of excellence is achieved merely by doing. But we forget -- and often. Excellence is more readily attained by being.

Being available.

Being kind.

Being compassionate.

Being transparent.

Being real.

Being thoughtful.

Being ourselves.

And of all the students I know who have lauded teachers with the laurels of the highest acclaim, those students have said of those teachers that they cared.

You see, kids can see through to the truth of the matter. And while the flashy stuff can entertain them for a while, it’s the steady constant of empathy that keeps them connected to us. It’s the relationships we build with them. It’s the time we invest. It’s all the little ways we stop and show concern. It’s the love we share with them: of learning. Of life. And most importantly, of people.

And while we continually strive for excellence in our profession as these days of fiscal restraint and heavy top-down demands keep coming at us -- relentless and quick. We need to stay the course. For ourselves and for our students. Because it’s the human touch that really matters.

It’s you, their teacher, that really matters.

So go back to your class and really take a look. See past the behaviors, the issues and the concerns, pressing as they might be. Look beyond the stack of papers on your desk, the line of emails in your queue. Look further than the classrooms of seasoned teachers down the hall. Look. And you will see that it’s there- right inside you. The ability to make an impact. The chance of a lifetime to make a difference in a child’s life. And you can do this now.

Right where you are, just as you are.

Because all you are right now is all you ever need to be for them today. And who you are tomorrow will depend much on who and what you decide to be today.

It’s in you. I know it is.

Fondly,

That Other Teacher Down the Hall

COVID Information Update *NEW INFORMATION*

Our Governing Board tabled the agenda item on making a decision on a potential return to in-person instruction last night.

We want to ensure that you are kept aware of ALL of the information regarding COVID, notifications, periods of quarantine times and more. Please take a few moments to review some critical pieces of information.

-----> Communication Tree/Protocol <-----

-----> Guide For Families <-----

Board Policies Update for Site Newsletters

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District maintains Board Policies

and Administrative Regulations that provide guidance to the operations

of the district based on current State and Federal law.  Over the next

few months, the newsletter will highlight one or two policies that are

required to be shared annually with FSUSD staff.  Our goal in

distributing a few policies each week is that you will be able to take

the time to review the policies.

BP 1114 District-Sponsored Social Media

AR 1114 District-Sponsored Social Media

The Governing Board recognizes the value of technology such as social media platforms in promoting community involvement and collaboration. The purpose of any official district social media platform shall be to further the district's vision and mission, support student learning and staff professional development, and enhance communication with students, parents/guardians, staff, and community members.

If you operate a district-sponsored social media account, review BP/AR 1114 District-Sponsored Social Media to learn more about the guidelines for content.

BP 4040 Employee Use of Technology

AR 4040 Employee Use of Technology

If an FSUSD staff member secures a donation for a classroom or school, the staff member should understand that as an employee, the donation is to the District.  BP 3290 outlines the steps that must be followed when accepting a donation.  If the FSUSD staff member uses DonorsChoose.org, the DonorsChoose website emphasizes that the materials funded through DonorsChoose are the property of the public school, and if a teacher leaves the school, the items remain at the school.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There:  When people need you, they need you.  Setting aside distractions and judgments to be fully present is a sign of respect.  It improves communication and strengthens relationships.

Play: You can be serious about your work without taking yourself too seriously. Play is a mindset more than a specific activity.  It allows you to throw yourself with enthusiasm, creativity and CURIOSITY, into whatever you are doing, in a way that is natural, not forced.  “Playing” with ideas helps you find solutions to everyday challenges.

Choose your attitude: To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional.  Ask yourself throughout the day, “What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?”

Make Their Day:   Simple gestures of thoughtfulness, thanks and recognition make people feel appreciated and valued.  When you make someone feel good, you feel good too.

THROUGH THE FISH PHILOSOPHY, WE BUILD STRONGER

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH, THE STUDENTS WE

TEACH AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH OF YOU - I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT

EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

Maya turned 15 on Wednesday. She will start driving soon! She had to share her birthday celebrations with all of us glued to our TV watching what was taking place at the capitol. It will be a birthday she will remember forever. I look forward to our country coming together and healing! 

Below are some resources to help you discuss what is currently happening in our country. 

Resources for teachers on the day after the attack on the capitol.

CLICK HERE

Board Policies Update for Site Newsletters

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District maintains Board Policies

and AdministrativeRegulations that provide guidance to the operations

of the district based on current State and Federal law.  Over the next

few months, the newsletter will highlight one or two policies that are

required to be shared annually with FSUSD staff.  Our goal in

distributing a few policies each week is that you will be able to take

the time to review the policies.

BP 0470 COVID-19 Mitigation Plan

Board Policy 0470, COVID-19 Mitigation Plan establishes actions that will be taken by the district to provide a safe learning and working environment during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and shall supersede any conflicting language in existing district policies or administrative regulations until the Governing Board determines that the need for this policy no longer exists. The Board acknowledges that, due to the evolving nature of the pandemic, federal, state, and local orders impacting district operations are subject to change without notice. In the event that any federal, state, or local order may conflict with this policy, the order shall govern.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There:  When people need you, they need you.  Setting aside distractions and judgments to be fully present is a sign of respect.  It improves communication and strengthens relationships.

Play: You can be serious about your work without taking yourself too seriously. Play is a mindset more than a specific activity.  It allows you to throw yourself with enthusiasm, creativity and CURIOSITY, into whatever you are doing, in a way that is natural, not forced.  “Playing” with ideas helps you find solutions to everyday challenges.

Choose your attitude: To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional.  Ask yourself throughout the day, “What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?”

Make Their Day:   Simple gestures of thoughtfulness, thanks and recognition make people feel appreciated and valued.  When you make someone feel good, you feel good too.

THROUGH THE FISH PHILOSOPHY, WE BUILD STRONGER

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH, THE STUDENTS WE

TEACH AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH OF YOU - I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT

EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.