May 19, 2017

May 19, 2017

May 19

It is that time of year when I am closing out a school year and planning for the next school year. This is a busy time in our household since my husband is a teacher as well. We BOTH are super BUSY!! I just keep telling him - I will see him in June :) Tonight is our school dance and our parents have done an AMAZING job transforming our MPR room into the night at the Oscars. The kids are going to have so much fun tonight. If you are around tonight you should stop by. I love this event every year!! 

Some ideas on getting feedback from your students. Have them answer the following questions:

1. My favorite activity this year and why:

2. I had the most fun when:

3. The hardest part was:

4. What I liked best about my class and teacher:

5. What I’ll miss the most and why:

6. I made the most growth in this area: 

7. Advice to students for next year: 

So before your count-down is up, take a moment to consider these ways to finish the school year with a smile.

1.    Divide, destroy and donate

The end of the year is the best time to clean for the summer. So divide your classroom into sections and choose a different section to clean every day, that way the task doesn’t feel so overwhelming. In those sections, make a choice of what needs to be destroyed (papers with names and personal information, tests, etc.) and what could potentially be donated to a student, another teacher, or another school. (Did you really use that stack of Anne of Green Gables books this year? No. You didn’t.) This also is a great time to decide if there is anything to give to a student—perhaps a book inscribed by you, or a project that was never returned. You’ll feel great leaving your classroom ready for next year.

2.    Host your own Paper Plate Awards

The end of the year is a great time to give out class awards. But rather than paying a premium for cheesy certificates you find at the big box stores, simply pick up a pack of paper plates and pass them out—one for each student in your class. Assign each student a classmate, ensuring that each student gets an award, and let them go to town with crayons and markers. The honors will be more creative and hilarious than you could have ever come up with on your own: ”Most likely to succeed,” “Best in Fractions,” “Gold Medal in lending out paper”—the possibilities are endless. And it’s a great time to reminisce about the year gone by.

3.    Get outside and make it count

Students of all ages love to team up against the teachers. So whether you organize a student vs. teachers kickball, frisbee, or basketball game—make it count. Let one student and one teacher MC the event, and make sure the teachers dress up to add a little fun to the game (matching sweatbands seem to do the trick). It’s sure to be an event everyone will remember.

4.    Send home a thank you note to parents

Teachers have a tough job, that’s for sure. But parents have a lot on their shoulders too. And while teachers deserve lots of thank-yous all year round, this is a great time of year to return the favor to the parents who’ve helped your students with homework all year long. Hand-written notes go a long way to smooth over any rough edges created during the year. But if you have more than 20 students, don’t be afraid to write one letter to families, thanking them for their support.

5.    Deliver simple gifts to your teammates

As any teacher knows, this job would be much more difficult without the teammates on your hall. Whether it’s the teacher who always took that trouble kid under his wing, or the one who never fails to bring baked goods to the team meeting—the end of the year is a great time to thank your colleagues for making the job that much better. Some ideas? Flowers, a potted plant, or even a bag of their favorite coffee or tea can go a long way.

Thank you staff members for taking a chance and

 letting the kids know that you are willing 

to take risks too! They LOVED it!!!! 

I would like to take some time to introduce a new teacher to our site!! Mindi McCuen will be teaching 7th grade. Here is a little about her: 

So excited to be a Dragon!!!!!!!

 My pollination and seeding was right here in Fairfield. I am a local native (yep, born and raised) and attended FSUSD schools K-12. Germinated at Falls El (actually, I was supposed to go to SV), Green Valley MS and Armijo!  I have grown roots and stems in Grades 3-8th around our district, as well as sprouted into a Consulting Teacher and Academic Support teacher. I love “digging deep” to learn and grow.

 My sun and water is cooking, entertaining, surrounding myself with positive people and exploring new things! Locally grown, I am involved as a hiking, mountain biking, equestrian docent and educational “liaison” with the Solano Land Trust. I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie, definitely an outdoor enthusiast, feel free to ask me about some of my crazy adventures!  I love to travel, usually do that off the beaten path, mostly with just a backpack, a guidebook and no set plans. My motto? As long as there isn’t any permanent damage…..

I can’t wait to begin my next adventure and blossom with the Suisun Valley K-8 community and middle school team. YeeHaw! This beautiful place and its mission and focus are near and dear to my heart!

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Christina, Sarah, Lindsay and Patty for a wonderful Parent Tea. You did a great job of creating a beautiful event for our parents!! Thank you FERN for being a ROCK STAR and getting all make ups done today!!! AMAZING!! Kristin thank you for tie dying shirts for the dancers :) You went above and beyond!!

Play: Thank you to all the staff members who took a chance and participated in the staff dance. The kids LOVE it!!

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?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you teachers who were able to make it to the evening performance. I know it made for a very long day but the kids really love to see you :)

Upcoming dates:

May 22 MAP testing begins

May 23 Talent Show at 9:00; SSC mtg. 3:05

May 24 Fire drill 1:30; PC Mtg 12:00

May 25 Walk-a-thon

May 26 and May 29  No School

May 30 Report cards due to Jas

May 31 9:00-11:00am Field day- Lunch will not be provided by PC

June 2 Last day for MAP testing

June 6 Staff meeting/social- location TBD

June 7 Fire Drill 9:05; AR Party

June 8 8^th Grade Promotion 10:00 am

June 9 Report cards go home

June 13 and 16 Genentech work days at SV from 9:00-2:00

May 12, 2017

May 12, 2017

Student Behavior/Adult Responsibilities

As we enter our last weeks of school (who is counting?), it is absolutely critical that we consistently reinforce our expectations, routines/procedures. We are seeing spikes in incidents of student behavior. As the adults on campus, it is imperative that we are supervising all students at all times as we escort students to/from class and reinforce our expectations about lining up, etc. Please make sure that adults are at their assigned duty areas, not congregating. We are required as professionals to monitor and supervise our students' safety on the playground and we gather in groups as adults when we are supposed to be supervising, we are putting the school and the employee in potential liability. Additionally, it is also the adults responsibility to monitor students if you send them outside to work.

What I Wish I Had Known Before . . ..

I wish I had know that my student’s behavior was a language- that their actions and words were telling me something what they were feeling or thinking. I wish I’d remembered that they did not get up in the morning plotting to do things to frustrate me.

I wish I’d known that meltdowns and explosions usually meant my students were tired, or hungry, or bored or frustrated themselves. I wish I’d known that they needed an adult to help them find the words to express what was troubling them. But they sure didn’t need a frustrated adult.

I wish I’d known more about child development, brain development and behavior. I wish I’d known that growing up is a slow process. I wish I’d known how each development stage has its own way of seeing the world. I wish I’d known that most times they saw things differently from me.

I wish I’d listened more to what was true about their hearts and spirits and personalities.

Great idea for homework:

Have you heard of TeacherLists.com?  It is a free resource that makes creating and distributing back-to-school supply lists easier for schools, teachers and parents.

it is also interactive in the sense that it can be updated from any computer at any time, which is very helpful as our needs change during the year.  Also a link can be embedded in our school website to help parents find the lists.  Thanks Carole for sharing!

If you are interested, a list can be found at:   http://www.teacherlists.com/schools/2001080-tolenas-elementary/47606-classroom-wish-list/ms-nack/wish-list

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY :)

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Fern for making sure SBAC make ups are being done in a timely manner!! Thank you Kristin for dying our t-shirts. Thank you Sunshine committee for getting gifts made for parent tea. Thank you Heather M. for supporting a student every day before and after school to help him with his report even though your contract is up.

Play: Thank you to all staff members that are taking a HUGE risk and practicing dance moves so we can perform a staff dance. The KIDS love seeing us take a risk!!

Choose your attitude: The school year is NOT over - continue to be positive!!

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?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you for everything you DO to make sure our students are successful every day!! You are amazing!!

May 5, 2017

May 5

Happy Day of the Teacher!

Dragon Teachers

When I began your class I think I knew

The kind of challenges you'd make me face.

You gave me motivation to pursue

The best, and to reject the commonplace.

Your thinking really opened up my mind.

With wisdom, style and grace, you made me see,

That what I'd choose to seek, I'd surely find;

You shook me out of my complacency.

I thank you now for everything you've done;

What you have taught me I will not outgrow.

Your kind attention touched my mind and heart;

In many ways that you will never know.

I will remember you my whole life through;

I wish that all my teachers were like you.

By Joanna Fuchs

Thank you for being the best all year long!!!

We have been celebrating Staff Appreciation ALL Week this week! Please watch this video...LOVE IT!! If you’re a teacher, you know that these last days of the school year can be some of the most hectic days of all: report cards are due, cumulative folders need sorting, and kids are stir-crazy, watching the windows with envy. So before your count-down is up, take a moment to smile about the growth your students have made this year.

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO THAT KRISTIN CREATED TO APPRECIATE OUR CLASSIFIED STAFF CLICK HERE

I brought this up in the past two blogs. I know we are STRUGGLING with getting away from worksheets on our campus (HINT HINT) please check out these EASY ideas HERE for turning a worksheet into a collaborative, critical thinking activity including "Cut Apart", "Everybody Knows", "Lines of Communication", "My Mistake", and "Pair Rotation". It's a very SIMPLE way to get AWAY from the boring, simple worksheets!

GET YOUR STUDENTS EXCITED ABOUT CAINE'S ARCADE- SO COOL!! ALL students can participate. A student makes their own game and brings it in on field day. On field day it becomes part of our Caine's Arcade station. What a great way to show off some creative skills and students at their own school get to play them!! Check out this website for ideas: http://cainesarcade.com/

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Kristin for creating an amazing video for our classified staff! Thank you Janice for the idea to celebrate our classified staff at our Dragon assembly.

Play: Thank you to all staff members that are going to be taking a HUGE risk and practicing dance moves this week so we can perform a staff dance. The KIDS love seeing us take a risk!!

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?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you for everything you DO to make sure our students are successful every day!! You are amazing!!

April 28, 2017

April 28

                                  

Opportunity to Affect Positive Change Guest blog post by John Stevens

Truth be told, we have an incredible opportunity to affect positive change on the students we serve every day, every year, for the entirety of our teaching career. However, we as a profession have been leaving our biggest ally in supporting students on the sidelines for far too long. There are a lot of factors that we cannot control, but there are some we can. We can create more meaningful tasks, empower our students to have a voice and choice , and we can provide them with a safe space in which to do all of this. So you’ve listened to Alice and Matt Miller and you’ve decided to get rid of worksheets…

Now What if No Worksheets? 

If you’re no longer doing worksheets, like in my son’s case, then what? What are you doing to stimulate his learning? If you’re tossing worksheets to the side, what are you replacing them with? It isn’t easy to just toss out what doesn’t work; something that does work needs to be ready to use in its place. Something better. Something that gets kids thinking and sparks a discussion.

This is a big reason why I started tabletalkmath.com, a free weekly newsletter for parents that shares one quick and easy prompt to try out at home. But hey, if you’re a teacher looking for new ideas, you’re welcome to try them out as well! The newsletters are written in a parent-friendly tone and will often be written by guest contributors, parents who are also learning how to navigate a life of caring for another (or more than one!).

This ties into what our very own student from Suisun Valley presented to the board last night:

Good evening Board President Honeychurch, Superintendent Corey, members of the Governing Board and community. My name is Natalie Frenkel, I am 13 years old and I attend Suisun Valley K-8. I am here today to talk about the quality of our teachers here in our district. It is vital that the students receive the best education they can have, and that starts with the educators.

Students should be given the tools they need to succeed, and when they’re not given the best possible teacher, it affects them directly and can hurt them in the future. When in a classroom setting it is important that they bring new ideas and make the environment a better place for everyone to be in. Students learn best when they are engaged and excited to learn, and the teachers are responsible for that.

In the past, I was in a classroom in which I was given a schedule and all of the work I was to do that day. Almost half of my class and I taught each other and ourselves everything. We would be given a section of math, science, and history, and a story in our ELA textbook. We would read the section we were given and answer questions according to what we read, and we followed the book’s directions to figure out the math. Our teacher would spend their time with the students who didn’t understand the subjects as well as the others. This left us with a separated class; with more attention spent on one half who didn’t understand and the other half left to figure everything out by themselves. Most people would finish all of their work before lunch and then we would spend the rest of the day, not really doing much of anything.

I have had many teachers in the past years that have brought innovative ideas to the classroom that helped me really understand the concepts of what I am learning. These innovative ideas include hands on learning. In my class, we all built paper airplanes and had a competition to see who could make theirs fly the farthest, which helped us learn about the different forces that acted upon the planes as they flew, therefore teaching us those forces that would come into play in more real-life situations. They balanced aspects of fun and interesting hands-on learning as well as keeping everyone engaged in class conversations. The material they taught was relevant and applicable as well. In a class setting like the ones I have been in, it is important that the teachers connect with the students who they see everyday, because it allows for them to really understand how the student learns. The teachers I have had, were able to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the class and make sure that everyone was on the same page at all times. This is a very important trait for a teacher to possess because it ensures that everyone is learning what they need to be. LCAP goal #4 states that the district will execute high quality instructional programs and provide educational options to ensure every student graduates and is college and career ready. Without high quality instructors to nurture students and their education, it is hard to carry out this goal.

To me, it is critical that we make sure that every single one of our instructors are capable of teaching students everything they need to know, in a way that is inclusive and informational for all. Before hiring a teacher that will be with the students for the rest of the year, I feel the principal of the school should sit down with that teacher to go over specific plans and actions that the teacher will take throughout the year. If the teacher is not fit to meet the standards that a student needs to succeed, in my opinion the teacher should not to be hired, therefore saving the future students from not receiving the best education that they can have. No student wants to do book work all day and fill their head with information they may not retain, and no student wants to be free to do what they choose and not learn a thing. There is a balance that comes from how the educator teaches. I feel that no student deserves to be placed in a classroom where the teacher is not meeting the standards that they need to be. Teachers should work with everyone no matter what the skill level, know the information they are teaching, and make the classroom they are teaching in an environment students want to be in, that mixes hands-on learning, class discussions, projects, book work, and different aspects of learning. No one person learns in the same way and it is important that the educators build what their teaching in a way that benefits everyone. Students should all have the chance to succeed, and when they are not given proper teachers to help nurture and support their learning, it can affect them for years to come.

Mrs. Merodio's last day was yesterday. Thank you for going above and beyond to meet your students needs and even meeting with those students who are not part of your daily groups. We appreciate your dedication to our school!

Here is a link to our SPSA 2017-2018: CLICK HERE
Please make sure you read it before our staff meeting and come prepared to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. 

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for being flexible with our big mix up on Monday for the SBAC celebration. We appreciated it. Melissa thank you for leading our SV Battle of the Books.

Play: Thank you for making it a fun day for our office staff all week long.

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?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  It is almost the end of the year. Call a parent of a student who always doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

THROUGH THE FISH PHILOSOPHY,

WE BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH,

THE STUDENTS WE TEACH AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.

April 21

April 21

Still working on building that rapport with students? Not sure how to even start? Check out THIS ARTICLE on 5 Easy Tips for Creating Real Rapport with OUR Students! PLEASE CONTINUE TO HAVE DAILY CLASS MEETING SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF ISSUES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN DURING UNSTRUCTURED TIMES OF THE DAY :)

 

Click HERE to read about ways to engage students rather than using worksheets.

CLICK HERE for details on how to start

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for getting students prepared for the SBAC and taking time to practice in class.

Play: I hope to see everyone on April 28th at our staff social.

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?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you for planning field trips for your students and giving them an experience outside of the classroom.

THROUGH THE FISH PHILOSOPHY,

WE BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH,

THE STUDENTS WE TEACH AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.