Friday Flash: December 20, 2012

Snow? Yes, please.

Calendar

Week of January 7th:

Monday January 7th:
* Welcome back!
Planning and transitioning
* Appreciation Circle for Hanni 3:00 p.m. in the library

Tuesday, January 8th:
* NO RTI meeting
* Severe weather drill 10:00 a.m. (use to be called Shelter in Place)

Week of January 14th:

Tuesday:
* RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday:
* All School Meeting

Friday:
NO STUDENTS
Teacher Work Day (gotta love that!)

Restorative Practices

This week I had the pleasure of processing with a student as he uncovered that his actions had not only impacted a student, but the whole Crew since they had witnessed the physical incident. The shock on his face as the realization hit him that students might now be afraid of him and worried that it might happen to them!

What moved me most was the authentic remorse he felt at having let himself down. He expected more from himself.

The student decided he needed to make this right with his whole Crew and teacher. He addressed his Crew, with mic in hand, and tears in his eyes as he told them he wanted to apologize for hurting a student in their class and that he knew that they were probably afraid of him. He told them he gave him his word that it wouldn't happen again. The Crew accepted his apology.

Can you imagine the guts it took to stand before his entire Crew?

How did we find authentic, creative and meaningful opportunities to play this week?

Keep your eye out...Neil wants a light up vest for next year!

Thanks for initiating our festive holiday wear day Hanni!
Even the adults need to play!

Family heirloom!

Have to look close because of the poor pictures,
but Ms. Josie's has some real happenin' earrings!

Ms. Jill resisted the temptation of wearing Karl's glitter suspenders and tie -
she thought it would be too exhausting to
explain to first graders over and over
why she is wearing 'boy clothes'. LOL

Santa???
Oh sure...now all the guys will want red pants....

These are the special times -

"We put puzzles together - and only at this time of year." Jodie Lamb

"Christmas Eve dinner is an appetizer dinner. We also always have biscuits and gravy for Christmas morning, evvveerrryyy year." Chelsea Johnson

"You'll laugh - my family grills steak or salmon and shrimp. We always open one present on Christmas Eve." Lisa Beckman

"All the kids with us - when the family returns. We always do a nice hike on Christmas day - me and my husband." Rebecca

"I'm looking forward to making and giving my baking, that I've done for staff, for my family. I have biscuits and gravy on Christmas morning." Brittany

"Looking forward to reading all piled on one bed together - the whole family and dog, squished with extra blankets! We go to Kentucky every year for Christmas and we always make and eat 'smoinked osters' and do a giant jigsaw puzzle - the whole family." Jill

"Times with family and friends. Going to San Francisco to meet my girlfriend's family for the first time." Josh

"Hanging out with celebrities, riding through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh with a dreamy hunk, shopping on Rodeo Drive" (Kristin said to make it exotic...) Here's what she really said:

"Hanging out! I hope it snows! Walking Lucy! Maybe going shopping...family stuff. Being an usher at 9:00 Mass on Christmas." (I think that sounds just as exotic!) Kristin

"Really looking forward to flying on Christmas day to Chicago to be with my brother. We (her daughter is going too) fly stand by so that will be an adventure. We always play 'catch phrase' and it gets into a bloody battle - girls against the boys - gets intense but so much fun!" Dolores

"Being with my babies. Chad has the two weeks off too." Hanni

"We have rolled pancakes for Christmas Eve dinner. We'll be in Kersey for Christmas. Looking forward to sleep!" Jody Giggy

"Got rid of all my stuff - we are 'clutter busting'! I'm looking forward to time to think about things other than school. Time with Larry." Kathy

"Snowshoe around the golf course with my dog off the leash! Reading for FUN!" MaryBeth

"We always look at Christmas lights. We always go to my sister's house. This will be the first Christmas with my mom living here." Sarah

"Couch time. Finishing Rome and Season Two of Shameless. Time with my husband. Clean up my art room in the basement to do some art!" Noreene

"We spend Christmas Eve and home before going to family on Christmas day. Looking forward to going to see the Hobbit with my dad. Jodie doesn't last more than four hours these days so she's done by evening." Bill Brown

"Reading, Running, Resting (yeah...right!). Going to California for Christmas and looking forward to time with friends and family. I'll really miss doing fondue on Christmas Eve (she says with a pouty face)." Julie

"Resting in my pj's with a book. Getting my holiday letter written - late! We put real candles on our tree (her German roots) and we light them on Christmas Eve while my husband stands there puckered and freaked!" Andrea

"You know, I'm making ravioli like we do every year. I tried to talk my daughter into something else but they insist. We always have ravioli as a side dish. I'm also going to be spending lots of time with my grandchildren over the break!" Josie

"Going to Taos to see Levi and found out some friends will there at the same time!

After the goat sacrifice (Bill and his humor!)...On New Year's Day we always have black eyed peas for luck!" (Noreene says you have to have cornbread too.) Bill Dowdle

"We go to my Mom's and have dinner that is sent by my grandmother in Vermont. She sends Beefalo. Cross between beef and buffalo. My Grandpa had a Beefalo farm in Vermont up until about five years ago." Doug

"We always have bagels, lox and Mamosa's on Christmas morning. We're taking one of the residents to Matt's Mom's for Christmas - the resident has never been out of the building. We'll also go to Chatfield to the Botanic Gardens for the light show." Marci

"We'll go see the Trail of Lights at Chatfield. Everyone makes a gingerbread house. All the family is coming on Saturday - 15 people! We'll watch Christmas Vacation. (She'll be having one!) I'd like to try some snowshoeing over break." Diana

"Chillin. Laughing. Hanging out with family and chillin. After Christmas we get together and all go to the thrift store where buy something for the specific person who's card we drew and buy them something." Tyler

"I get to meet by baby niece, Aspen. We'll be flying to Reno after Christmas. My mom will play the piano and we all sing Christmas Carols. We have a $5 gift tradition." Lauren

" We exchange gag gifts, get rowdy and ridiculous with games, go shooting... and laugh a lot. And then there are those grandbabies....I'll have the whole family home for Christmas - and I feel so lucky. After Christmas, my husband and I will spend some time in Grand Lake cross-country skiing and then to Steamboat to downhill ski. Looking forward to snuggling up with my husband in front of a fire with a book." Deborah

"Staying home with Brayden and Tom on Christmas and then going to our other families later. I'm looking forward to working on the nursery - changing it to a girls nursery. Maybe we'll pick out a baby name!" Elisha

"Going to St. Louis where I grew up to be with my Mom, Dad, sister and her tribe. Looking forward to time alone in the car on the drive. Beth will fly out to join me. When we get back we'll spend time in the mountains snowboarding." Kenny

"Driving to California to spend time with Mark's family and the rest of my family who doesn't live here. A road trip! Oh, in my new car! I have a new Outback after my car got totaled in the accident. When we get back we'll be skiing and hanging out." Lisa

"I don't know! We'll be moving in January so guess we'll spend time packing. Oh - going for a pedicure, yes, definitely getting a pedicure!" Dana

"Just staying home with family and playing cards. I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing!" Linda

"Love and hug my grandbaby. I wrote a song this week so I'll finish that. We're going to try making ravioli." Cheryl

"Christmas Eve at my place and Christmas at Mom's. The boys will join us at some point. Looking forward to some time alone. I'll be finishing up the art work I've made - it's made me so happy to be doing that!" Pam

"Going to the Catholic Church to listen to the choir performance. My in-laws join us for Christmas. Oh - we have several trees, but we have one we call the 'old fashioned tree'. We have a tradition of putting only handmade ornaments on it that we've made through the years and when the family is all together we decorate the tree. The kids and grandkids search the tree for the "Christmas pickle" ornament. A very old ornament passed down for years. The one who finds it gets a special present from Grandma. I have yet to find it! I am also looking forward to letting my body recuperate." Eric

"My sons birthday is on Christmas Eve so we've switched our traditions to be Max's birthday. This is the first time my parents are coming to our house, we usually go there. We're just hanging out at home this year. Oh - on New Year's we have the tradition of making fondue and raclette and we're hosting it for 11 people!" Wendy

"We do lots of seafood at Christmas. Just with friends because my family is all in Italy. We will be staying home over the break." Zina

"I'm driving home to Rapid City, South Dakota to my sisters for Christmas. We cook together with Christmas Vacation playing the background. We might go up to Breckenridge to ski - that's the plan anyway." Heidi