Sunday, October 19, 2014

October 20-24th, 2014 AND October 27-31st Two Weeks of Blogging!

Support our School Vision-It's all about Building Relationships, Caring for Students and Increasing Rigor!

A Busy Weekend For All.......                       

 Look Who Came Back To Visit!

Late Friday afternoon, I was visited by some Diggs-Latham Family.  Elena brought Julissa and Jenny over to the office. Ms. Hart and I were thrilled to see them.  They wanted you all to know that they miss you all and our school very much.  We reminisced and had a lot of laughs.  Of course, we had to take a selfie and one picture to commemorate the visit. Jenny is happy to be in one grade level working with first graders. I know she is making an impact on her students. Julissa is enjoying High School and says it is a real change.  We miss both these ladies. You can leave Diggs-Latham but you are always welcome back as part of our family:) 

 2014 Heart and Stroke Walk at Tanglewood

I spent my Saturday volunteering for a great cause that is near and dear to my heart, the American Heart Association's Heart and Stroke Walk.  I helped to educate people on the signs of a heart attack, the importance of exercise and a healthy diet and the need to get regular check-ups.  Here are some tips on how to spot a stroke
F.A.S.T.

Face Drooping-Does one side of the face droop or seem numb?

Arm Weakness-Does one arm feel weak or drift downward when raised?

Speech Difficulty-Does the person have trouble speaking or repeating a sentence?

Time to cal 911-Call immediately, time counts.


CONGRATULATIONS To Our Diggs-Latham Families

  • Barbie's son was married this past weekend in Florida.  Barbie worked for months creating all of the decorations for an incredible Rehearsal Dinner. It was spectacular! She texted  me that it went well and the kids loved it. I am sure they did as Barbie attended to every detail with love and perfection!  Can't wait to hear all about the wedding when she returns.
  • Lisa O'Brien's son Zac, who is a Financial Planner with Thrivent Financial is a 2014 Award Recipient for WS LEADERSHIP <40.  Hooray. I know Lisa is very proud.
  • Gloria's son, Jeffrey was featured in Relish Magazine, this past week as a part of the WS Journal.  He is an artist and has a degree in Art from UNCG. He  studied at the Cranbook Academy of Art in Detroit.You can check out his incredible work by going to jeffreypubantz.com     The Pubantz family are very proud of Jeffrey.
  • If you have any good news about your family and you want to share, please do, so that I can add it to our weekly blog.  Families are important!

So you think you know what teachers do. Right? Wrong.

Article from the Washington Post
Since we have been sharing professional articles, Megan Shoaf sent this to me to read and I have emailed a copy of it to you all. Thanks Megan! Take a minute to read it. I think you will find it quite interesting!  Let me know your thoughts about the article and the end of the blog under comments. I would also like to thank all of you who not only read, but participate in our Blog Learning Community. Your comments have been insightful, collaborative and inspiring. Thank you.

Week At A Glance

Both Dr. Frazier and I are working very hard completing Pre-Conferences, Evaluations and Post Conferences. We are literally working round the clock, dawn to dusk to be able to provide you with quality feedback and quality conferences that we feel will help you grow.  There are a lot of you and we are doing our best to work around everyone's schedules. We have been very proud of the work you are doing with our students. Thank you.  The observations and conferences continue this week as we continue t schedule.

Read To Achieve Local Assessment This Week

Monday-

  • 7:30-Observation-Post Conference
  • 8:00 Meeting with Eva Phillips-District/KBR Early Learning Specialist
  • Observation 9:25
  • Observation 10:00
  • Post Conference 10:50
  • Observation-1:20-2:00
  • Post-Conference 3:10
Tuesday-
  • 8:30-9:30 Observation
  • 9:30-10:15 Observation
  • 10-50-11:30 Post Conference
  • 1:55 Post Conference
  • SIT Meeting at 3:10-SIT Chairs will send out agenda and notify Schorer,Smith and newest member. (You can get her information from PTA President)
Wednesday-Early Release Day
  • District Reading Task Force to meet at Diggs-Latham @ 8:00, in Room 200 We will have district officials in our building this morning.
  • Early Release at 12:50-Please make sure you know how students are getting home before 11:30. Thank you for your help with this. You might want to send a short transportation questionnaire home on Tuesday afternoon. We will do an alert now call as well.
  • We will start our meeting in the gym at exactly 1:20 and be done at 3:20.
  • During this ERD, we will be working on making decision and strategic plans by grade levels and groups as to how we will improve reading on our grade levels based on our Smart Goal. More information to follow.
  • I will provide snacks for you this afternoon at our meeting:) We hope to conclude by 3:20.
Thursday-
  • FAVORITE TEAM DAY-Wear apparel from your favorite team. Any Sport, Any team!
  • 8:20-9:00 Observation
  • 9:00-9:45 Observation
  • 3:10 Post Observation Conference
  • Book Fair Delivered today
Friday-
  • EOQ-3rd Grade Math
  • Post Conferences/Evaluations, continue


 I Love Picture Day! Isn't he just adorable?

Thank You Home Moravian for the $50 Gift Cards for Teacher Resources!

I have passed out most of the cards. Remember to save the original envelope to put your receipts in with your name on the receipt.  Put your thank you cards and your receipts in the BROWN envelope outside my door no later than November 4th, 2014. Thank you:)

Notes:  Looking Ahead to next week....

  1. Monday, October 27th EOQ 4th and 5th grade Math
  2. Tuesday, October 28, 4th and 5th grade Reading
  3. Wednesday, October 29, 5th grade on-line Science
  4. Newsletters Due to Administrators on the 29th
  5. October 30th End of First Quarter and Fall Festival
  6. October 31-No School RS Day Teacher Workday
  7. If I have missed anything, please inform me.  Thanks:)

19 comments:

  1. I thank Megan for sharing the article. Many people have preconceived notions about exactly what it is that we do and do not do as teachers. It is true, we change lives for the better. We have to be jacks of all trades to motivate, differentiate, and design lessons that meet the needs of all your students. You are compassionate, caring and "know" your students. They respect you and you them. You keep them safe. You work tirelessly everyday to be the best you can be. I know.... I know What Teachers DO and I thank you for it! I am very proud of you all.

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  2. TTeachers are the ones who lead all people to their desired goals. Some people focus on the fact that we have summers off and our work hour’s end around 4pm. But few realize that many teachers do professional development, organize or make changes to lessons or classroom during the summer. So few of us actually check out by 4pm or don't take work home with us. We have goals for our students and work hard to ensure they are successful. We teach math, reading, science, and social studies but also social skills, time management, and perseverance. Teachers are always juggling many hats and responsibilities.
    I love all teachers and admire everyone who dedicates themselves to helping their students be empowered with knowledge.

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  3. The article was truly reflective of what has become typical of most entering the work fields. I would like to see higher education partner with the community more to provide a hands-on apprentice style in addition the the current (theory based model) which would better prepare the workforce. Another OUCH in the article was the unfortunate loss of respect for the profession and the inevetiable political-led system currently in place. An educator led educational system is a pipe dream I know but since I am in America I will dream........

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  4. I agree Debora and Jennifer. We wear a lot of hats. Our work is valuable and it has an impact on every student we teach.

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  5. Teachers are the ones who make every other occupation possible - from elementary school all the way up to college. Not only are we teachers in the traditional sense but we are parents, guardians, friends, confidants, mentors, sounding boards, and hug-providers to our students. If you divided our pay by the number of hours we spend at school and home working on school-related things and attending professional development workshops we probably make less than the mimunum wage. We've been disrespected by politicians and the public-at-large for far too long. And yet, despite all this, we come back every day, every year because we love and care about our students and we know the importance of our profession.

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  6. Great Reflection! You are also a mentor and a teacher leader.

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  7. Through my short time in the profession, I have seen the dedication teachers have to their trade. The trade is to create and sustain an environment in which students can learn and grow. This article speaks to the way the trade is viewed, underestimated, and often undermined. It is encouraging to know that we have some people on "the outside" that support us. In an ideal world, teaching would be an honored profession. The bright side is that we can influence the world of tomorrow through the environment we create in our classrooms today.

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  8. I personally love the line where she talks about how being a lawyer she never worked as hard as she did as when she was a teacher. I believe that that comment summarizes the entire article about how the public truly does not understand all that teachers do. Currently NC is in a struggle between teachers being respected. I know that we as a school need to do as much as we can to ensure that the public does respect us, and ensure that future teachers are treated fairly.

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  9. The article made a lot of good points. Most people feel that teaching is easy since teachers have off in the summers and breaks throughout the year. Most don't realize the planning and work that teachers take home in order for them to be prepared for the week. I enjoyed reading the article.

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  10. Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing, Megan. I agree with author's belief that "we need to listen to teachers." All of us need to listen to teachers: students, parents, CCs, administration, politicians, and the community. Teachers know best about the business of inspiring children. Once we all listen and respect teachers, more of our students will too. Thank you, Diggs-Latham teachers, for all you do for our students. I know you work harder than hard; I admire your perseverance and strength. I'm listening!

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  11. This article points out many issues which need to be taken more seriously. I do feel that I have an advantage, as a second year teacher, of not knowing what it used to be like as a teacher. Many colleagues have commented to me that it used to be a slightly easier job. This challenging environment is all I have ever known, so it seems normal to me. As the article points out, many people don't stop to think about everything that a teacher actually does. We may be under-appreciated, but I still consider myself to have a rewarding career.

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  12. Thank you for sharing this article Megan! The article points out so well that many people really don't know what teachers do. This is why we have to encourage one another and spotlight the good that we see and hear.

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  14. Thanks for sharing this insightful article with us, Megan. The article reminds us of how we should take time to uplift and encourage our fellow teachers. Teaching is very challenging and it gets more so each school year. Thanks again for sharing this interesting article with us.

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  15. These past few months as a new teacher has been very eye opening to the profession. A lot of hard work goes into teaching that a lot of people don't realize. Yes, it is true we get our summers off and holidays. People who aren't teachers don't understand the reason behind a teacher's hard work is their passion. Not a lot of professions require so much love and care. I honestly don't think we could do what we do without each others support and understanding. This article reminds us that we are all in this together.

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  16. This article makes me think of the comment my father made when I graduated from UNCG with my BA in Dance Performance. "Woohoo! We spent 100K for an out of state degree that has a piece of paper saying she can teach kids to point their toes." Now...granted he was being VERY facetious. But to me it generalizes what the public thinks of my specific career choice and the overall message of this article. I knew that taking a career in ELEMENTARY dance would be a forever struggle, there are 9 people in NC that have a similar role to myself. Because of this fact I LOVE advocating for young movers because I know how important and beneficial my work to shaping these future functioning citizens is. It is however also frustrating when I tell people I teach elementary dance and put such a generic title on it. I wish I could list all the things I do as a teacher and I know many of you feel the same, but no one outside of education seems to get it or have time to listen to our 10 minute list of responsibilities.

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  17. The article was interesting to read and had some really good points to consider. Most people don't realize the amount of time that we put into our jobs and all the things that we do. We all wear many hats. But for me it important to remember the rewards of teaching such as the "aha" moments and the impacts that we make on our students lives! Thanks for sharing the article Meagan!

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  18. I have seen a shift in the reputation of schools and teachers from the time I was an elementary school student until now, my 11th year of teaching, and I am not really sure why it shifted... The article is definitely a reminder of this fact. I do agree with the comments that others have made that we have to continue to work together and work as a team, which always makes the load a little lighter. We all work so hard, and we have work that can be exhausting physically as well as mentally and emotionally. I have joked with friends and relatives that I doubt many of them could last a day if we traded places.........

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  19. I have loved reading everyones comments! I have the same feelings everyone else did which is why I felt it was important to share this article! I would add to the article, that although teachers do not get the respect they deserve, we are also suppose to be "super humans." Parents get upset when we are out sick, have a doctors appointment or a family event. We are "super humans" in the sense that we can teach without textbooks, use our own money to buy necessary classroom materials, and for alot of teachers in our school, teach ourselves a second language in order to better communicate with our students and parents. Our job goes beyond our classroom duties. It was refreshing to read this article and know that there are people out there that understand our job and the hardships that we face, but also know that in the end, its totally worth it.

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