January 30th

Calendar

February 2 - 6th:

Michelle's Crew Winter Voyage

Tuesday 3rd:
7:30 RTI meeting

Wednesday 4th:
CITE 6 Team Meeting (out of building in am)
The Beat
1:30 PD:
1:30 -2:00 Web Path Training Demonstration in library for those interested
 Personal Plan
4:00 Community Social - Rink at the Rocks

Thursday 5th:
Deborah out for admin meeting



February 9 - 13th:

4th grade on Winter Voyage

Ms. Lisa's Crew on Winter Voyage

Monday 9th:
Deborah out

Tuesday 10th:
 7:30 a.m. RTI meeting

Wednesday 11th:
The Beat
Debbie out
1:30 PD: Personal Plan

Thursday 12th:
Deborah out - elementary admin meeting

Friday 13th: 
No students
Professional Development Day:  

     *Morning presentation facilitated by Kenny and Lisa

Peek Into Classrooms...

How clever are these kids - one squirts soap into your hands -
the other holds a spray bottle for water -
only you think you need running water!
They worked together so smoothly - each understanding their roles and responsibilities.
These are our future leaders!

A pause to consider how far we've come...
These pictures feature Kathy's Crew, but they could be every Crew in our building.
Below is a picture of Ipads laying out on the table, labeled with student names - in their own handwriting. Remember when these would have been notebooks or giant, clunky three ring binders? Now, kids are not jumping up and down because there are Ipads in their classroom - they see them as a tool for learning -  not for games.
I'm picking on Kathy here because she wasn't so sure about whether digital tools and technology had a role in the education of a kindergartner. Today I caught her demonstrating how kids could make their own Educreation using the pictures they took with their Ipads locating common objects in their room that were rectangular prisms.
My, my but all of us have come a long way in the way we think about things, and thus, the learning experiences we are creating. How exciting is that!!!

Chelsea is still standing in this picture. I was going to check in on her at the end of the day. 

Way cool the way students were providing peer feedback - and good stuff too - as each student was committed (look at Cullen's face!) to learning the chords because they were so invested in being able to play and sing a song that mattered to them. As I watched, I could hear kids humming the song they were eventually going to master. It was like they kept singing it to themselves as a reminder - "yeah, this is why I'm gonna figure this out! I'm going to sing this really cool song, because I'm that good!"

It makes my heart sing that we continue to nurture the self expression of every child.

Ah yes, that personalized, explicit feedback that makes all the difference!

I met with this dynamic group of Ambassadors, and once again I heard a resounding response that they thrive with the opportunity to have a voice in creating this experience for our community. Not a single student has not agreed that they love doing this experience as multi-age group and value that they have made 'new friends'. They can talk so naturally and so organically about the collaboration and creativity they valued in this experience. They can also talk about having a new perspective about the role of the audience and how that new perspective will change their behavior. (I think there's a World Class Outcome there...)

Does it not just make your heart swell each week when you see them up there and the pride they have in what they've created? What are they learning about being risk takers? Every week I'm just in awe of what our young people are wiling to risk - a testimony to the safe culture and sense of belonging they have in the larger school community. We are doing it!

I don't have the pictures to share ( I have them on individual teacher Ipad note pages), but want to share that I see such amazing things happening! I see teachers taking huge risks to evaluate what they have been doing and make changes - to jump even though they aren't sure just how to do it. I see teachers showing and coaching each other and figuring it out together. I see learning stories in classrooms.  I see revision everywhere!

I hear people wondering about new approaches and making connections. I hear sharing. I hear kids receiving lots and lots of personalized feedback and conversations about purpose and why learning matters.

I see kids learning and growing. I see teachers learning and growing.

I see unity in purpose.

Have a spectacular weekend!

Deborah