Authentic Learning Opportunities

 This past week, Cole Johnson, Katelyn Howell, Cole Hess and Carissa Meyer finished their entry into the Harvard Innovation Center Neuromaker Challenge.  With the help of Ray Niehaus and Industrial Designer Mick Hetman from Hetman Designs, this group of students completed the challenge of building, programming and applying sensors in the hand that would allow for the prosthetic to perform sensitive tasks that a real hand could do.   The team was developed with a myriad of Career Pathway knowledge from computer science (Carissa), Engineering (Katelyn and Cole Hess) and Biomedical (Cole Johnson) that allowed them to learn how to pull from each other's strengths, work as a team and perform a learning task for an authentic audience.  You can see their contest video entry below.  It is only 2 minutes - so I hope you can watch it!  (Under the Video Tab)

For me, authentic, project-based learning opportunities are such an important component of learning.  Research shows that when PBL projects are implemented well that it helps students with long-term retention of content, prepares students for deeper learning and high-level thinking skills, improves problem solving skills, and improves students' attitudes on learning.  We have been fortunate over the past few years to provide our students with these opportunities in our classrooms and I hope we can continue to be a front runner in education reform by continuing to partner with local business and industry to create opportunities for our students such as these.  

This project is a celebration of all of your hard work.  It takes all of us to help students attain the knowledge and skills to complete in a project such as this.  Thanks to all of you for providing strong background knowledge to these students.  My challenge to all of you is to continue to look for authentic ways for students to grow and develop.  You will change a student's trajectory in life and help them see that learning is fun!  

Videos:

Neuromaker Challenge - PC

What I Learned

                                                                    Shout Outs: 

* Shout out to Carol Schwoeppe, Seth Gehlhausen, Melissa Toothman, Nancy Poehlein and Kris Walsh for providing our junior high students the opportunity to work together and perform a community service project this week.  Students created tie blankets, Christmas Cards and videos for the Nursing Homes.  They will be delivered this week.  Doing things for others is a great way to increase empathy and connection for our students.  Thank you for helping our students serve others!

If you haven't heard, Commodore Manufacturing is selling Christmas Ornaments in Guillaume's Store!  Could be a great last minute stocking stuffer!!  Great job CM!

Reminders: 

* Grades are due at 11:59 on Wednesday, January 6th

* There are 5 more gift cards available for tomorrow!!!  Last Chance to find an Elf!

* First day back to school is January 4th

* Feel free to wear Jeans this week!

Laughter

 We have all heard the old adage that "Laughter is the best medicine."  Truth is, it really does have positive short-term benefits - including releasing feel-good endorphins.  Long-term effects include a improved immune system, pain relief and improved mood.  

                  Dr. Boogren's self-care invitation this week is: Laugh, giggle and snort.  

     * Watch funny videos:   This is a video that my son Justin and I giggled at for a while this weekend.  (Maybe it is just because I come from a family of boys.)

        Funny Teacher Video

   * Spend time with animals

   * Be silly - have fun with your kids!  

   * Sing at the top of your lungs. 

   * Share a funny story with others. 

   * Learn and Share new jokes or tricks!  

Important Information: 

Speaking of Laughing - 12 Days of Christmas Video Taping will be held on the stage.  A time will be set and shared tomorrow.  Even if you were not there last time, please feel free to join us for the fun!

Early College Activity - On Tuesday, December 15 and Thursday, December 17th students in the 11th and 12th grade that are interested in attending a 2 or 4 year college are encouraged to report to the library for programming during 2nd period.  Recent graduates will be sharing their experiences of college.  This is a very powerful experience for our students and helps them understand the importance of their high school experiences.   Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.    

Surprise and Delight:  This week, we have a couple of surprise and delights for our students.  On Monday/Thursday during 2nd period students will be called out by grade for hot chocolate and Tuesday/Friday Subway Cookies will be delivered during 3rd period.  These surprises should be quick and easy.  We know the time you have with your students is valuable - but these fun breaks are important for learning as well!  

Christmas Dress Up Days:                        Monday - Christmas pajamas

Tuesday - Santa hats, reindeer ears, and Christmas socks

Wednesday - for the Staff - Red (for Ed) & Green (for PC) Christmas day 

Thursday - Red/Green day

Friday - Ugly Christmas sweater 

Missing Work Link:  Please continue to use the missing list link.  If you have a student that you feel needs some extra time this week to make up work - please let Phil or Jody know and we will try to get them to school on Wednesday.    https://forms.gle/9kC4woyVYacs72zSA

Grades:  Reminder that grades will be due January 6th at mid-night for students.  If you have students that have incomplete grades, this information has to be added in the high school office - you can let Phil or Jody know.  Please remember to have learning opportunities through the end of the day on Tuesday.  

Links:   We have some more students that have been added to the 4 day a week list and the on-line list.  You can find the links to these documents below: 

        Hybrid Document

      

        On-Line Students

Lunch - A reminder we will have a staff lunch on Wednesday.  COVID friendly lunches will be delivered at 11:30 in the high school office. 

 

Our students are so lucky to have such a caring and inspiring faculty and staff.  Remember, you are the light to so many.  Let it shine this week!  

Self-Care Tip:  Kindness - Research shows that doing good for others stimulate positive areas in your brain, helping us create positive feelings!  It gives us purpose and self-worth.  

    This Week's Invitation:  Commit to paying kindness forward (hold the door open, smile, offer compliments, assume positive intent for everyone you meet.)    Count how many times you were able to pay it forward each day!

Looking forward to seeing everyone back in the building!  

Spreading Cheer -  Calling all teachers/assistants who are interested in having a little fun with our students!   We would like to create a 12 Days of Christmas Parody that is similar to the video below.  If you are interested in joining several other teachers in creating this, please meet at the stage on Wednesday, December 9th at 11:30.  Our plan is to practice this week and record it next week!  The more the merrier! Even if you don't want to look goofy, we will need singers!  We all need some JOY in our lives this season!

12 Days of Christmas Parody - Click here for a laugh.

Important Information: 

* COVID - Just a reminder that Social Distancing, Mask Wearing and Washing Hands are all the best defensive methods against COVID-19.   Please spread out students throughout your classrooms and help them remember these steps of safety!  Seating charts are a key part of our success as well.  Thank you!

* Lunches:  During the Hybrid Only, all students will be eating in the cafeteria during their lunch times.  Assistants who cover lunches in the classroom, please report to the cafeteria during this time.  If we have too many students, we will ask you to help us take them elsewhere to eat.  We will resume lunches in the classrooms when we are back in-person.

* Attendance:  Please continue to mark students who are not in your class absent.  We will clean up their attendance in the high school office.  We know our on-line and hybrid list may not be accurate and we hope to get it back to very accurate this week with all of your help!

Important Documents: 

We know it is very difficult to keep up with the documents that house information about COVID schedules ad students.  I have created a folder in the Teacher Resource Folder in Google to organize these for you.  I hope it helps!

* Hybrid Updates - Please take a look at this document for Hybrid updates/student schedules.  We have asked some students to attend for 4 days a week and we are starting to get some students in on Wednesdays.  Also, there are a few students that are switching days.  All of this information can be found on this document.  You will notice the tabs at the bottom.  One tab is a list of students and the days they will attend, 2nd tab is a list of 4 day a week students that do not have IEPs and where they should report on their opposite days, and the 3rd tab is our schedule for Wednesday students and assistants.    Everything on this document will continue to change and evolve.  Document is HERE.  

* On-Line Students - We have had a few more students decide to remain on-line.  We are asking all students that are on-line to please stay virtual through January 15th.   On this document you will see the additional list of students all of the way to the right.  We will continue to place new students here.  Document is HERE. 

* Missing Work - Please continue to fill out the google form HERE for missing work.  If you are someone that is trying to help students get caught up on work and would like to see the list of work missing, HERE is the link to the sheet where all of the information is populated.  Teachers, if you have a chance and can strike a link through work that has been completed, it would help us stay focused on what needs to be accomplished.  

Final Exams:   In a 7-12 building with Early College High School in the mix, we need to have the flexibility for all of you to be able to wrap up the semester appropriately.   We ask that students are engaged in meaningful work each and every day - what ever that needs to look like for your students.  Here are a few logistics: 

      * We will not block time on any of our days remaining in December.  All class periods will remain the same. 

      * On December 21, 22 we will NOT bring in Thursday/Friday students.  Thursday/Friday student's last day in person will be December 18th.  

      * Grades are due in the gradebook by January 6th at midnight.  Please make sure that all incomplete grades are cleaned up by this time so that semester grades are accurate.  Transcripts are very important for seniors during this time of the year for scholarship and college application purposes.  

Winter Break Cheer: 

     * Wednesday, December 9th - Please stop by the high school office to enjoy a Hot Chocolate/Coffee Bar!  COVID free goodies available!

     * Wednesday, December 16th - Lunch will be provided.  Details later!  

Power of Music

 

  Self-Care Tip # 2 - Music

      Who has ever cranked the music up in the car and sang at the top of their lungs?? There is no greater feeling!   (My kids think I am crazy when I do that - especially now that they are teenagers!  Ha!)  Research shows that music is a powerful tool that can help us change our mood.   It has been proven that it can reduce anxiety, enhance learning, reduce depression and more! 

    This week as we kick off a week of virtual learning and move into our  hybrid learning model, staying at the top of your game may take some work and music could be the remedy for you!  

    Dr. Tina Boogren shares her Educator 911 Playlist with us (link below) in her blog - 180 Days of Self-Care.  This playlist is developed by teachers all over the country and provides a long list of great songs!    I added Spotify to my phone for free and now have access to this playlist and I LOVE it!   

https://www.selfcareforeducators.com/post/episode-1-self-care-soundtrack

Ron Clark Hip Hop Challenge - Even Ron Clark knows the power of music and dance!

Self-Care Invitation for the Week: 

    Monday - Download the Educator 911 playlist or create your own good-mood playlist!  iTunes - https://apple.com/itunes, Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/music?hl=en_US), Pandora (https://pandora.com)

   Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - Crank it up and dance like no one is watching! 

   Friday - Share your playlist with a friend!

Important Information: 

PLC Meetings:  We will conduct all PLC meeting via Google Meets this week.  You will receive a calendar invite on Sunday and the link to the google meet is there, or we can add you through email.  To help Phil and I not have Zoom Fatigue, we are going to move a couple of team meetings to Tuesday.  Please see times below.  If you have a question or concern about the time that is listed, please reach out - Flexibility and Team Work will be the name of the game!

      Monday, November 30 -   8:30 - 9:15 - English/ 9:30 - 10:15 - Math/10:30 - 11:15 - Science/11:30 -                                                  12:15 - Social Studies

      Tuesday, December 1 -      8:30 - 9:15 - Special Education/  9:30 - 10:15 - Island

                                                              Agenda: 

    * Scope/Sequence/Data/Curriculum - Please have your scope and sequence and grade books available for meetings as we will use this time to look at curriculum and make decisions as teams about the best way to move forward academically for the next few weeks. 

    * Seating Charts - Discuss seating charts for hybrid and classes that may be too large

    * Open Discussion  (Missing Assignments, End of the Semester questions, etc.)  

Assistants:   Just a reminder to please find an email from Dr. Tara Bishop (sent Saturday evening) and fill out the form she sent.  For assistants that do not have children and are willing to work on campus, we will be reaching out to you about work here.  Assistants that are staying home this week and prefer to work virtually, virtual assignments will be sent by Monday morning.    Please reach out if you have questions.  You will get paid your normal play during this time.  Thank you for your flexibility.  

Missing Work:  We will continue to do our best to hunt down missing work - really focusing on student LEARNING.  Here is a link to the google form for on-line learning (below).   We will monitor this list and reach out to families the best we can.     https://forms.gle/LDJTYdpm8JLG9iPM8

Edutopia Articles -  Please find two great article about student distant learning from Edutopia.  The encompass great tips that will help our students be more successful.  

     6 Strategies for Successful Distance Learning

    5 Ways to Support Students with ADHD during Remote Learning

Gratitude

 

Received this book in the mail from a Principal Leadership Program I am apart of!  Self-Care for all of us is important, especially during these times.  As Jules Alvarado tells us, "We cannot give to others what we do not possess."  Our emotional well-being is essential if we want to give our best to others.   

In honor of Thanksgiving, I chose to focus on Week 12's Self-Care Suggestion:  Gratitude.

By now, you have probably heard about the benefits of gratitude, which include improved physical and psychological health, enhanced empathy and reduced aggression, as well as improved sleep and esteem.  A study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reports that people who write about their gratitude rather than their negative or neutral life events show greater signs of emotional well-being (Boogren, 2020).   

Gratitude will make you appreciate the good days and pulls one out of negativity.  This week, I encourage you to practice gratitude daily.  Here are some suggestions: 

Monday: First thing in the morning, record three things you are grateful for: friends, shampoo, roof over your head, heat, flavored coffee, etc. 

Tuesday: Take a photo of something you are grateful for and share it on social media!  #gratitude

Wednesday: Send a text expressing gratitude for someone.  

Thursday: Right before you go to bed, jot down more things you are grateful for!

Friday: Write a handwritten note of thanks to someone - mail or deliver!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Important Information: 

* ORANGE all of you SUPER!  I am not exactly sure how many assignments this team helped students get caught up on this week, but it was an amazing amount!   Our students worked hard, received help and found success.   Thank you all so much for caring and helping our students learn.  To celebrate,  you will find some orange snacks and drinks in the office for all of you!  Energy to get you through the week!  Orange your excited!!  :-)  

Missing Assignments:  This week, we will go back to using 8th period/LL and our weekly missing assignment form to track missing work.  You can fill out the form HERE.   

         We will be contacting families to see if we can get them in on the 30th this week.  If you have specific students you feel like could benefit from coming to school on our virtual day please email that information to Jody and Phil.   Otherwise, we will use the lists we have to make determinations.  

COVID Reminders:  Thank you for being mindful last week of social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing among faculty and staff.  All of you play a very important role in the success of our school. Keeping your distance will help ensure that we can keep our doors open for students and that all of you are safe and healthy!

Observations:  If you would like to send in video links for Phil and I to use as a teaching observation, please feel free to do so!  If you have a link to an on-line lesson, we will use that as a short observation.   Swivl or recorded in-person lessons are welcomed as well for long evaluations.   Remember we are focusing on three areas of the observation tool:  2.1 - Learning Objectives,  2.2 Teach, Model and Practice and 2.5 Creating a Culture of Classroom Respect and Collaboration.    

       Adam Stowe had a great learning objective posted this week:  "I can explain how the crusades started on a formal quiz."  

Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Basketball team for their win this week!  Good luck to the Boys Varsity Team as they host Tell City Wednesday evening! 

Hierarchy of Needs

 

Laurie Desautel shared this image a few days ago on her Facebook page.  Just a good reminder of what our student need before they can even get to the learning!    It seems overwhelming, but I see all of you help our students meet these needs everyday.  

This week, we will be welcoming our students back with open arms.  Don't be afraid to let them know how much you missed them!  It is going to be a good week.  Keep thinking healthy thoughts and be grateful masks and social distancing work!

Please let us know how we can serve you this week!

Important Information: 

Subs:   Even though we are back to school, we still have several people that are out due to quarantined/isolation situations.  Please know we are doing our very best to get everything covered - we feel it is very necessary for us to be in the school building with students.    Please be mindful of this when asking for sick days or personal days.  We know there are times that that these days are just necessary but if there is any way to hold off an appointment for a virtual day or one of our days off for Thanksgiving or Christmas that is preferred.  It is going to take all of us working together to keep us in school!    Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns about this!

Make-Up Work:  We are strongly urging you to use the first couple of days back in the building to review, play learning games and allow students some time to catch up or make their work better.  We do want to hold our students accountable as well and make sure they are getting the work done as it is very important to their learning.  We will be doing our best to work off of the document that was shared Friday to pull students and give them support during the school day.  You are welcome to add to this document or assign students to 8th period/LL.  Thank you for helping our students!

          Friday's Document Link: HERE

Indiana E-Learning Lab:  I wanted to share this free resource with you.  It is called the Indiana E-Learning Lab.  It is a wealth of knowledge from introductory videos for how to utilize an on-line learning tool to links that could help parents and more.  It is free and seems to be user friendly!  Hope it helps! (You should be able to register using your google information.)    LINK

Governor's Executive Orders - Here is a copy of the new Executive Orders given out by the Governor of Indiana.  Just a reminder that students must be sitting at least three feet apart and facing the same direction to remove their masks.  Teachers, we are asking that you please eat in your classrooms when the schedule allows or ensure you are socially distanced.  It is important that we do this so we do not lose many teachers in a quarantine situation.  Athletic Guidelines will be changing as well.  

Kindness

                                           

                                                 Be kind to yourself this week!

* Important Information: 

* Virtual Days -Virtual leaning is an interesting beast.  I know it hasn't been easy, students are not always doing their part, and it is a lot to keep up with.  I think we all feel a lot of zoom fatigue!  Sometimes it is easy to focus on the students that we are not reaching or who are struggling instead of the larger number of students who are you are reaching!  All of you are making a positive impact on our students - you should be proud of the great instruction you are providing to our students!  I think it is also good to remember that the students who are not doing well obviously need you.  :-)  

Virtual Reminders: 

    * IDOE recommends that students in grades 6-12 have 30-40 minutes of work per course.  It may be helpful to check-in with your students and see how they feel about the amount of work as learning on line can lead to fatigue. 

    * Focus on Power Standards - we are probably not going to get to everything!  Students will need review when we return on the 16th. 

    * Give yourself and your students grace - just do what you can do!  It is a pleasure to walk by classrooms and see so many of you working with students.  

* Faculty Meeting - We will have a faculty meeting in the cafetorium on Tuesday, November 10th at 11:30 a.m.  Lunch will be provided.  We will move to the cafetorium so we can all spread out.    Looking forward to seeing everyone!

* PLC Meetings   - Friday, November 13th, is our scheduled virtual day.  We will have PLC meetings in the morning.  Agendas will be coming out soon.  

 I thought we could have a little fun this week!  This past summer, our Admin Team learned about each other by looking at the Enneagram and how it is used to determine our personality traits.  Enneagram takes its name from the Greek words for nine (ennea) and for a drawing or figure (gram).  It is a nine-pointed geometric figure (below) that illustrates the nine different but inter-connected personality types.  It teaches that of the 9 types of the world we naturally gravitate to one of them and adopt it in childhood to cope and feel safe.  Each number has a distinct way of seeing the world and an underlying motivation that powerfully influences how we think, feel and behave!  

I have taken many personality tests, but this one takes the cake.  If you have time this week, you can take a free version of the test below and see which of the 9 personality types you are.  Personality Types include: 1 - Perfectionist    2 - The Helper    3.  The Performer   4.  The Romantic   5.  The Investigator   6.  The Loyalist   7.  The Enthusiast    8.  The Challenger    9.  The Peacemaker.   Types 2,3,4 are in the "feeling" triad as they are led by feelings.  Types 8.9 & 1 are part of the Gut triad - expressing themselves honestly and directly at the "gut" level.  Types 5,6,7 operate from their fears as they tend to think and plan carefully before they act! 

 If you take the test and want to learn more about your personality, please stop by!  I have a great book you can borrow and some podcasts that are great to listen to.  The goal of the Enneagram is to help you learn more about yourself so you can be a healthy you!  It is also great to learn about each other so we can find ways to pull out our strengths.  Even though all personality types are different- they are all valuable and help make the world a better place!  Can't wait for you to share your personality number with me!

(I am a Type 3 - Performer)  Have fun!    https://enneagram.bz/en

Important Information: 

Attendance Link -   Please find the google form to fill out for students who are on-line and struggling to keep up with work HERE.   Please do this by Tuesday.  We will get this link on our website soon for easier access!

RTI Requests:  If you have any students in-person or on-line that you are concerned about, please clink the link below and fill out the quick form.   This process is important as we move forward and help our students be successful!  RTI Form HERE

Spirit Days:  Congratulations to the Mighty Commodore Football Team and Coaches (Brennan, Bo, Sean, & Greg) for their win Friday night!  Commodores will be playing in the sectional championship game at West Washington this Friday night!  To help us cheer on the Commodores, the cheerleaders have determined the following spirit days:  Monday - Color Wars (Teachers - Green), Tuesday - Twin Day, Wednesday - Superhero Day,  Thursday - Crazy Sock Day,  Friday - USA Day

On-Line List - If we have any students changing their status from in-person to on-line or vise versa, we are trying to email out those changes to individual teachers.   Please let us know if you have any questions/concerns.  

Athletic Tickets - Basketball season is upon us!  During this current season of COVID, all games will limit the number of individuals who can attend.  Currently, student athletes will be allowed 2-4 tickets depending on which gym the game will be played in.  Please see the office if you have questions.  Many of you try hard to catch student games and that is appreciated - this  year we just may have to cheer from afar to keep everyone safe!  Good Luck to girls basketball as they open their season this week!

Important Dates: 

November 13 - Next virtual day

November 17 - Tentative Lunch and Learn Date

     Big 10 Football is back!   It was so nice to have something to watch on TV that I could get excited about! (Especially the Boilermakers - and those lucky Hoosiers!)   Even without fans in the stands, the fake crowd noises made the weekend seem a little more normal, which is what we all needed!  This small addition to the weekend helped all of us find normalcy during this tough time.  Our entire community shares many of the same worries: worried about loved ones getting sick, job stability, putting food on the table, making sure the socks AND masks are clean,  etc.  It can all be overwhelming.  
     This week, we will be returning to school and just like the return of Big 10 football, for many of our students, it will be the sense of normalcy they need. Even during these tough times, our community knows their children will return to school feeling welcomed with warm smiles, caring relationships, engaging lessons, and grace when needed.  It is a time for all of us to come together and find ways to support each other.   Together we will be a strong, flexible and vibrant community!  
            Even though the return of Big Ten Football has given us some normalcy, nothing compares to the safe and caring environment you provide our students!  

Important Information: 

Self-Care: To help maintain our strength,  it is important remember your own self-care.  Laurie Desautel has a great article called "5 Simple Ways to Manage Stress."   I encourage you to check it out!  Laurie reminds us that we can take stressful times and with proper exercise, breathing and self-talk our brains have the capacity to change our mindset in times of stress. Taking care of yourself ensures you have the strength to support others.  Remember, you cannot give away what you do not possess!     

         Also, to help keep you going this week - here are a few surprise and delights!

* Massage Chair - thanks to Shelly Kunkle for getting a massage chair in the high school teacher's lounge!  Stop by and check it out!

* Jeans Week - Normally, red is not a color I get excited about, but this week is National Red Ribbon Week!  In honor of this drug-free prevention week, you are invited to wear your jeans and your red attire! (Except for Friday, which will be Crazy Green Day as we prepare for another sectional game!)   Wednesdays are also Red for Ed days!  (I don't have much red in my closet, but I will do my best!  Lol!)

Monday's Schedule for Teachers: 

        8:00 - 9:00 - Time to check-in with students/ check email, etc. 

(You can see what students will be attending on Monday HERE. by clicking on the 10/26 tab)  I will continue to reach out.  Please let us know if there are others we need to invite.  

        9:00 - 9:30 - 7th and 8th grade English and Math teachers to Elementary Cafeteria for ILEARN TIDE resource training

         9:30 - 10:15- Faculty Meeting    High School Library

        PLC Meetings as needed.  

Monday's Schedule for Assistants: 

* A list of students who will be attending on Monday can be found HERE.  Please look for the tab that says 10-26.  The students that will be attending are highlighted and I have tried to list out to the side the work they need to complete.    Please meet up with students in commons area and utilize the library, Flex room, Alternative School Room and Commons Area for locations to help students.  It is important to keep them spread out.  Please make sure they have all of their work completed.  The gym should be open for breaks.  (Please make sure students wear masks.)  I am going to let all of you determine who you will work with, etc.  If you find yourself without a lot to do, please ask teachers if they could use some help.  Thank you!

Junior High - Ron Clark Activity:  Friday, October 30th during 3rd period, we will have a short activity for our junior high students in honor of Red Ribbon Week!  More information will be forthcoming, including a surprise and delight. The lesson will be short.   If you want to assign some students to create a sign and chant (on their own time) that would be super!  We will have them share with the school in some type of virtual way soon!

     Also, if you are a leader of a team, could you please add your team name to this document: 

                                   RON CLARK DOCUMENT  

Updated On-Line/In-Person List - We know that keeping track of students and if they have considered themselves on-line or in-person is difficult.  I have tried to pull together an updated list.  You can find the list HERE.  You will want to continue to check this list for updates.  We will also email you with changes after Monday.  

Free Classes and Textbooks for
Dual Credit Credentialing

 

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Visit www.stemteachindiana.org to learn more.  

 

   I saw this post and thought about each and every one of you!   What a great Virtual Day we had on Friday.  Thank you for all of the rich conversations and feedback that you are giving to our students.  You are all ROCKSTARS!

We are knocking on the door to Fall Break!  Congratulations to our Cross Country team for representing Perry Central so well.  Cole Hess, Seth Guillaume, Alyssa Goffinet and Vanessa Barger are all advancing to the regional at Crawford County this Saturday.  The varsity girls will start sectional action against North Posey on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at South Spencer High School and our football team will open in sectional play next Saturday at Springs Valley!  

It is a full week of action and we are grateful to be playing during this crazy pandemic!  

To celebrate this week, we will have spirit week!   Teachers are welcome to dress up to spirit week attire or wear jeans this week with your PC wear!    You can see student dress up days below.  

Best wishes to all of our athletes and coaches!

Important Information: 

Faculty Meeting -   On Tuesday, October 13th we will have a faculty meeting on Tuesday during our normal times and locations.  Lunch will be provided as always.  Looking forward to having lunch with all of you. 

Junior High Team Building - On Friday, October 16th during 3rd period, Lauren Blake has been working hard to plan our first team challenge of the school year for the 7th and 8th grade!  Last year, we started with some Ron Clark Challenges, we hit a pause button and needed to reset to make sure we were COVID friendly.  This year instead of having school-wide challenges, we are going to promote team challenges within the classroom.  

3rd period is when almost all of the junior high teachers have a junior high class.  If you teach 7th and 8th grade students 3rd period, that will be your team!  On Friday, Lauren has developed a scavenger hunt (team development event) that will end in a Surprise and Delight (cup cake with the team color on it).  Here is a document that shows the teachers and the color you will be.  We will share all of the details during our faculty meeting on Tuesday.  DOCUMENT HERE

Extended PE - The 7th grade students will be taking a hike on Friday.  Pam has made COVID friendly arrangements.  The class time they miss will be minimal.  Please be on the look-out for information from Pam.  

Grades - Just a reminder that grades are due this Wednesday at midnight.  Report Cards will be ready to pass out by 7th period on Friday.

Next Virtual Day - Our next virtual day will be the Monday we return from Fall Break.  Please make sure students know where they will find their assignments on this day.  We will be inviting students to school again that day that need extra help.  

 

Connections

 

The quote to the left was a post by Laurie Desautel on Facebook.   It really hit me hard as this past week was a bit tough.  I often reflect on our students and their needs; so many students who are enduring or have endured situations and experiences that they have not asked for.  Missing dads, foster homes, children of the system, abuse, poverty, etc.  I will never understand how it really feels. It is overwhelming at times.  We are supposed to teach these kids math and English and they are trying to figure out how to survive day to day.    

I have had many kids sit in the big chair in my office in pain.  Some crying, some cussing, some pleading and others just trying to survive. They are not always reasonable or nice, but I know their dysregulation is not a choice but a result of all they have endured.  

Even though the daily grind is a lot for our students, I do have hope.  Brain research shows that with enough connection and love we can start the long process of rewiring their brains.  Sometimes this approach doesn't feel like we are teaching students any lessons but in reality we are!  We are helping them build trust and find ways to stay regulated, keeping them in their pre-frontal cortex.  Helping students strengthen those positive neurons that help them stay regulated will not only help them be ready to learn but also be able to keep a job and raise a family of their own.  I can't think of any better life skill than that.    

I have always connected with Laurie Desautel's words  "Connection Over Compliance".  Coregulation, relational touchpoints, preventative, relational discipline. . . All of this work is a shift but I can't think of a time where it is more needed.  Our students and our families are hurting/struggling.  This is when they need us the most.  We are making a difference each day.  The work you are doing is hard, but you are saving lives.      

Important Information: 

Second Semester Changes - Below is a link to a document that lists second semester changes for students moving in and out of on-line.  The document includes elementary students as well as students in our building.  For students moving back to face-to-face we will be adding their schedules into Skyward.  We will not remove them from your on-line grade book unless you ask us to for grading purposes.  At the end of the semester we will need to work together to ensure their semester grades are accurate.   For students moving on-line, you will want to take some time this week to talk to students about your on-line classes and help them make the transition.  We will continue to update this document.  Please let us know if you have any questions/concerns.  

                     Second Semester Changes Document

Remediation List - Please remember to fill out the google form below for students you feel would benefit from coming to school on virtual days for extra help.  We are asking to have this information by the end of the day on Monday.  Thanks to all of you who have filled it out so far.  Virtual Google Form

Virtual Day Schedule - Just a reminder that this coming Friday is one of our extra Virtual Days.  We know you still have a lot of work to do, so most of the time is yours to provide time for collaboration, working with on-line students and feedback.  October 9th is also the end of the 9 weeks.  Making a plan for students who were on-line transitioning back into the classroom and vise versa will be important.  

    Also, for virtual days, we hope to continue to provide time to work on our guaranteed and viable curriculum and reading across the curriculum work along with preparing for state testing.  Please see the virtual day agenda below: 

8:00 - 8:30 - Preparation for the day/ Assistants may come to you and ask for help getting virtual day students caught up

8:30 - 9:30 - PLC Team Meetings - Please plan to meet in your groups at your own desired locations.  Agenda Items will include:   * Update and Reflect on Scope and Sequence (we want this to be a living document)      * Re-read/Discuss selected portion of Mike Schmoker Book (we will provide this to teach team)   * Goal Setting

9:45 - 10:30 -  State Testing Update for High School Math and Science Teachers - High School Library

Lunch will be provided.   A more detailed morning agenda will be provided Friday morning.  

Important Dates: 

October 6th - On-Site Readable English visit/ On-Site Early College Visit

October 13th - Faculty Meetings during lunch  (Lunch will be provided)

October 14th - PSAT Exam for all 10th grade students, along with a few 9th and 11th graders.  Dana will be providing information shortly.

Have a great week!

My Favorite "NO"!

This week, Sarah Kelly and I attended a training on Highly Reliable Schools by Robert Marzano.  One part of the training spoke about the importance of students learning from mistakes and how this helps take information from short term to long-term memory.  Our brains actually make stronger neuron connections when we do not get something right the first time and we continue to practice: 

It is important to remind ourselves that making mistakes and not getting it right the first time is a normal and excellent way to learn.  It is also a key element in developing a growth mindset.  Our brains thrive in these situations!  To often, our students feel like failures when they do not get it right the first time and will shut down in the classroom.  To help create this culture in the classroom our trainer reminded us of a great classroom protocol (activity) you can do with your students called "My Favorite No!"

Classroom Protocol - "My Favorite No":   Hand all of your students a 3x5 card or sticky note.  Provide students a quick problem/question on the board as a bell ringer.  Ask students to provide an answer and explanation on their cards.  The teacher will pick up the cards, quickly run through the answers and pick out their favorite "NO" (favorite wrong answer/explanation).  Celebrate the attempt and talk about how to correct the misinformation as a class.    By doing this, you just strengthened those long-term memory neurons!  

This week, remember to celebrate taking risks and making mistakes with your students as it is a natural part of  learning and growing!    

Important Information: 

Surprise and Delights - We hope you enjoyed your room service "surprise and delight" on Friday!  We always encourage Surprise and Delights with your students in the classroom and we will be working on bigger surprises during the school day for students in the next few weeks!  We all need a little spice in our day!  

Readable English Training - Reminder to teachers who are teaching Readable English we will have a training on Monday from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.  Location will be determined. 

End of 9 weeks:  The end of the first 9 weeks is approaching quickly!  October 9th is the end of the quarter and grades will be due by midnight on Wednesday, October 14th.  This will allow for our report cards to go out the Friday before Fall Break.   (Fall Break is the week of October 19th!)

SEL Lessons - Thanks to Carol, Nancy, Seth, and Kris for incorporating in our SEL Lessons for 7th and 8th grade! Also, thank you to Shelly for pulling together the curriculum.  This week the students had limited materials to see who could build the tallest tower!  Many great memories and skills were made!  

Club Time:  We know our current schedule makes is very difficult for high school clubs to meet but we would like to change that!   For high school students (9-12), our goal is to use our lunch/WIN hour for these meetings.  If you would desire to have a club meeting during this time, please send the date and group of students that would like to meet 2-3 days in advance at minimum.  We will work on a coverage plan that will allow you to meet with your group!   Clubs are a great way to develop leadership skills in our students!   

Toshiba Grant - Congratulations to Bo Gibson and the Additive Manufacturing team for earning a Toshiba Foundation Grant.  This grant is going to help with the expansion of our 3D printing/Engineering classes!  Great Job!

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

 This week, I wanted to once again highlight our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).  We are lucky to have a comprehensive program that allows us to work with students and families in such a positive way.  MTSS is a relatively new acronym in education; although the core principles of the system are not new.  MTSS is a combination of RTI (response to interventions) and PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) which have been strong components of our school culture for years.  In short, MTSS works to provide target supports for all learners through research based practices.   

General Perry Central MTSS components include: 

      Academic Supports:  Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum, Formative Assessment Practices, Standards Based Grading, etc.   This data is used to supports students academic needs through small group instruction, after school remediation groups, flexible scheduling and more!

      Social/Emotional Supports:  Panorama Survey and discipline data is used to identify Tier 2 and Tier 3 students that need help developing their social/emotional skill sets.  Through the IDOE Project Aware Grant, we are able to pay for services through Life Springs and our school counselors to provide small group counseling for students. (We have small groups starting this month.)   Our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, driven by Shelly Kunkle, also provides all of our students in Tier 1 the opportunity to grow in this area as well.  Helping our students understand brain research, ACES, team work, communication skills, etc. are all important components of this work.  

     Behavior Supports:  Our focus of building strong relationships with students and families is at the core of our behavior support system.  Restorative Practices, PBIS Lessons, Home Visit, Reflection Rooms, etc. are all apart of our behavior support system as we try to teach students the skills they need to be successful.  

Just as the old saying goes, "It takes a village," a successful MTSS system takes each and every person in our school to make it successful.  Sometimes we get to see the fruits of our labor and other times the change doesn't come until the student is later in life.  What I do know is that the system changes lives.  Each of you are making a difference daily and we are grateful for the heart work that you do!  

 You can find a copy of our full, comprehensive MTSS plan HERE.  

Story of MTSS Support:  Earlier in the month, we had a student struggling to do their work and behave in class.  Every time someone would ask the student to do something they would bull up and refuse to do the work - even after spending several hours in 8th period, running sprints in football practice and sitting out quarters in the football game!!!    Normal discipline, although implemented, wasn't going to fix the problem. This child needed more than that.  Our MTSS team pulled together a group of individuals from the school and community that we knew were supporting this family.  The team consisted of a pastor, football coaches, parents, counselors and administrators.  During the meeting we brainstormed ways we could support this student through relationships and love.   We also made a plan with the family to get out-side counseling started for the student.  So far, his behaviors have improved.  We know he is going to continue to have good and bad days because overcoming the trauma he has endured takes a long time; but knowing that he has a community surrounding him with support and love will hopefully keep his outcome positive.    #nevergiveup  :-)      

Important Information: 

Contact Tracing - Last week, we thought we had our first COVID case that was going to require contact tracing in our school.  Luckily we learned the student wasn't at school all week so we didn't have to send anyone in quarantine!  We do appreciate all of our teachers having their seating charts in place and keeping students sitting facing the same direction and as far apart as possible.  I can tell you that it helped keep the number of students that could have been quarantined down to a minimum!  Keep up the great work!  Also want to send a shout out to our Health Department - they have been a great partner during this time.  

Virtual Day - Just a reminder that next Monday is a Virtual Day!  Please make sure students are made aware of assignments.  For younger students, if you want to post your assignments over the weekend so parents can be of more assistants to them - that is great!  We will not have a schedule for the day as it is your day to work and get caught up.   

College Go! Week - This week is College Go! Week!  Dana, Carly, Carol and Seth have all been working hard to provide opportunities for our students to learn more about their post-high school options.  The term "College" means so many things this day in age; basically we want our students to have something beyond a high school diploma.  This could be a certification, military experience, 2 or 4 year degree. Any of these experiences will help our students have successful careers after high school!    College Go! Week is also special to all teachers because you can wear jeans and your favorite college shirts to celebrate!  Have a great week!  Boiler Up!  :-)  

Readable English Training - Just a reminder to special education teachers that we will have Phase 2 Readable English Training for the next two Mondays from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.  Readable English is a comprehensive reading program to help our students that cannot read find ways to build their vocabulary and find confidence in reading!  Thanks to this team for their work!

Important Dates: 

Virtual Monday:  September 28th

SFS Personal Goal Support - 7:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., Tuesday, September 29th

       

Community of Caring

 Everyday when I turn on the news, talk to a family, or just listen to struggles that our families are dealing with, I am reminded about the tough times that we are all living in.   Worries about a pandemic, loss of jobs, loss of family members, etc. creates a world full of anxiety, depression and hopelessness.  At school we are trying to balance on-line learning, in-person learning, wearing masks, schedule changes and more.  It can be an overwhelming time!

During this time, I think it is important for all of us to lean on each other.  We must show our vulnerability by reaching out when we need help and communicating our needs to others.  As a community, we all have something to give (time, talents, treasurers) to others and we can all rise out of this time together with hope about our future.  

I am so grateful to live in a community that supports each other during times of trial and stress.  There are times in our lives where we all need someone to sit next us and help lift us up.  Please know our doors are always open when you need something.     

Don't forget self-care this week!  Yoga, walking, turning on your favorite radio station and singing at the top of your lungs!  We all need it!  :-)  

Important Information: 

Counselor Requests Forms:  Please remember that all counselor requests need to run through the principals in the high school office.  You can do this by filling out the Counselor Request Form that is on the school website or speaking/emailing one of us.  We appreciate you reaching out when you are concerned about students.  If students need help, please continue to encourage them to fill out the Counselor Request Form as well.  If you have students that are crying or just struggling to stay in class you are welcome to send them to the office and we will help them from there. 

Checking Email:   Please remember to check your email.  For assistants, please check it at the beginning of each period.  For teachers, please check your email at least once a day.   With our COVID schedules, communication is difficult so this is a great way to keep us all connected!

Digital Citizenship Week:  This week is National Digital Citizenship Week.  You can find a link to some great classroom activities and conversations HERE.  If you have a few minutes in your classrooms to talk about digital citizenship and safety, this is a great week to do this!    We are also working with the Indiana State Police to allow them to present a lesson to all students grades 7-12 sometime this semester as well.    

RTI Requests:  If you have any students that you are concerned about, please fill out this quick RTI form.  Our RTI leadership team will be meeting this Thursday to discuss some of these students.  Your feedback is valuable in ensuring that our students are successful in school!   :-)  Here is the link to the form:  https://forms.gle/V86TG98gKM5chLsd7     (Thanks to all of you who have already filled it out!)

Learning Lunch/8th Period -  Just a reminder of our Learning Lunch/8th Period Protocols: 

        Junior High Students:  We are mainly utilizing 8th period for Junior High Students.  Students who are entered after 9:30 a.m. will be asked to stay the next day.    Students that do not get their work completed will be asked to stay in Lunch Detention the next day (if there is room).  

      High School Students:  Students can be signed up for Learning Lunch and 8th Period and will stay in that cycle until the work is completed.  

Around 10:30 a.m. there will be an email that goes out to all assistants/teachers about who is in Learning Lunch/Lunch Detention for the day. We are going to try to deliver slips to students to let them know they should report to Learning Lunch/Lunch Detention as well.   We are trying not to make announcements so classes do not get interrupted.  Students who are signed up should get their lunch in the cafeteria.  

Thank you for continuing to use these resources for students.  8th period has been very full and so has Learning Lunch!  It is working!  :-)  

Faculty Meeting Change:   Due to a scheduling conflict, we are moving the Lunch and Learn opportunity to Wednesday, September 16th.   Lunch this week will be Subway sacks (Sandwich, chips and cookie).    Junior High Lunch teachers will each in Stephanie Walsh's room and High School Learn and Lunch will be in the Teacher's Lounge.  Lunch will be provided for assistants.  Assistants can pick up their lunches in the High School Office. 

Early College Update:  This year our Early College Program is up for renewal, so we have been pulling data to fill out the required forms.  It is always interesting to look at outcome data because it helps tell the story of our programs and if they are working.  Here are a few things that stuck out to me: 

          * 88% of Class of 2020 left with 6 dual credits or more.  

         * 48% left with 30 or more credits  (8 left with 57 credits)

         * 28 earned the Ivy Tech Core 30 Certificate (official first year of college) for free

         * 2018 data shows that students who left with 15 or more dual credits had a larger likely hood of attending college and they completed courses with the most success.)  

        * The gap between our free and reduced lunch students and regular students continues to lessen as more of our Free and Reduced lunch students are finding success in the classroom beyond high school.

These positive numbers are because of all of you - believing that all students can learn and achieve greatness.  We believe at Perry Central that all students need something beyond a high school diploma and with enough supports can be successful.  Thanks to each of you for making a difference each and every day!   

Thanks to the following teachers who are going back to earn their dual credit teaching credentials:   

Debbie Dauby: Math

Bo Gibson: Physics

Ty Guillaume: History

Dana Harris:  Biology

We welcome others to join this cause!  Perry Central will pay for 18 hours of a Master Degree (courses needed to teach the class) and a $500 Stipend for completing a course.  

The Power of Positive Intent

Maybe it is just me, but do any of you get frustrated with your own children when they cannot follow through very well on tasks that have been assigned to them (manage their homework time better, pick up their clothes, take initiative, etc.)?  My level of frustration can get pretty high when they don't meet the expectation I set.  I feel disrespected, angry, and start to question my own parenting, etc.  I will say that most of the time I have found if I take a deep breath and talk to them, they just do not have the skills to do the things I am asking them to do.  Once I talk to them and provide some structure they follow through each time.    

Brene Brown, best selling leadership author, reminds us that assuming positive intent in people is not just about being kind; it is a sign of good leadership.   Brown reminds us that it is easy to assume the worst in people's intentions when they are not respectful of our boundaries and believe they are trying to disappoint us on purpose.  The opposite of that is to approach the situation in kindness and the assumption that all people are doing the best they can - this practice can lead to trust, patients and possibilities.  

I often think about this in our jobs as educators.  It is easy to assume that our students are trying to frustrate us on purpose, when more often than not our students just do not have the skill sets to make good decisions.  Dr. Ross Green reminds us that "kids do well if they can", reminding us that kids do not get up in the morning and seek opportunities to do the wrong thing but that many students do not have the skills to be successful.   It is our job to teach them those lagging skills.  

Not only does this apply to our students, but it applies to adults too; especially in this very challenging time.  Brene Brown reminds us that we should use positive intentions on ourselves as well.  Tell yourself,  "I am doing the best very best I can right now."     Sometimes, we cannot change our situation, but we can change how we look at it.  

Hope all of you had a restful weekend!   

Important Information: 

Reporting Topics - Reminder to please check your reporting topics and ensure that we have the correct percentages set up in the system.  If you would like to see what your current plan looks like, please let Jody know and she cane send you a picture of the current lay-out. 

RTI/Struggling Students - Typically we meet monthly with our RTI (Response to Intervention Team) to talk about students that are struggling.  With our COVID schedules, this is nearly impossible - so we are going to try a new method!  Please fill out this form if you have students you are concerned about in your classes:  RTI Form    Please provide us with feedback about students by Friday, September 11th.  Our MTSS Leadership team will start to staff each student.  

COVID Practices - Kudos to everyone for their hard work around COVID safety!  Your hard work is paying off as our students and staff have been able to stay healthy!  Thank you for being a great role model and wearing your masks, encouraging your students to keep their masks on, using seating charts, keeping students in assigned small groups, making sure seating is 3-6 feet apart in your classroom (masks are only allowed to come off if the desks are facing the same direction), etc.    I have noticed that you are washing your desks each period and using hand sanitizer as well!  Keep up the great work!  Stay Healthy!!

On-Line Attendance - Just a friendly reminder to please fill out the on-line attendance document.  Phil and I have been making many phone calls and seeing some progress for some of our on-line students.  We know this is an incredible amount of work.  Thank you so much for your efforts and for helping our students be successful.  The document can be found in the Teacher Resource Folder and at this LINK.

Readable English Meeting - A reminder to special education teachers that we will have a Readable English training from 2-3 on Monday.  We will meet in the elementary meeting room.  The Readable English ladies will be checking in with us and answering any questions you may have. 

RECN Network Meeting - Our Early College team will be attending a virtual conference on September 10th.  Perry Central was fortunate enough to be written into a Federal Rural Education Grant.  We are a mentor school for Bedford North Lawerence and this year we will be adding Paoli High School.  Thanks to this team for their hard work and for all of our Early College Teachers for putting Perry Central on the map!    (Team Members:  Vanessa Johnson, Ty Guillaume, Dana Harris, Carly Lynch, Jody French)

Important Dates: 

Friday, September 11th - Mike Bishop will be meeting with Work Based Learning students (seniors) during 2nd period.   We do have several students placed, even during COVID - thanks to Mike for his leadership!

Tuesday, September 15th - Faculty Meeting During Lunches  (Lunch will be provided)