Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

-- Vince Lombardi

As I reflect on the last few weeks, I perceive a serious flaw in my efforts to lead this school through some significant changes particularly around the Multi-Tiered System of Support. I realize that I have put you in situations of having to take on an complex new system and having to make difficult choices about who will receive intervention, when, and in what language. All of this, without providing opportunities for team building, for creating norms for collaboration, and specific skills we all need to work through these difficult changes and decisions we must make.

Rookie mistake.

I've learned an important lesson about school leadership through this process. Over the next few weeks, I would like to take some time to work on some of these things with each grade level team. It may seem like we are taking a step back, but I feel that this is an essential component that I was too eager to skip over.

This will move us forward.

Have a great day everyone,
Josh


Kudos

• Becky Smith--for making lunch a community building event.
• Kristi Nelson--for guiding us through a complicated WKCE schedule without a hitch

Updates

• Channel 27 News will air footage of our Kindergarten and 1st graders in the cafeteria on 11/25 on the 10pm news, and 11/26 in the morning news. Hopefully they will play footage of the "Gracias por la comida" song.
• I have placed an extra walkie-talkie behind the printer in the book room to be used for recess. Please make sure that at least one person has a walkie out on the playground at all times. In the event of a code-red, this will be the only way to communicate with those outside.
• From Alberto: Please turn off your projectors when they are not being actively used. This will prolong the life of the bulb by years. These bulbs are expensive.
• We now have a plastic grocery bag collection box in the foyer. We could win a park bench made out of recycled bags if we collect enough bags, please promote this with your kids, great lesson opp for environmentalism/being a part of a community.
• When Custody Battles Occur: Remember, It is District practice to not take sides in family disputes because in the end we need to work with both parents.  Therefore it is essential that we remain neutral.  The only way to do that is by not agreeing to write letters or testifying in court.  If a teacher gets pressure from a parent have the teacher tell the parent that this is what they have been advised by legal services and refer the parent to call us.  That way the teacher is not put in the middle and the parent can be mad at us down here.

Having a Bad Day?

No doubt about it, what we do everyday is not a walk in the park. Here's an article letting you know how to deal with bad days as a teacher.

Important Dates

• 11/09--Girls on the Run 5K, Parent School Partnership 10am-12pm in room 50
• 11/11--PBS Team Meeting 2:15pm, PLC Grant team meeting 2pm
• 11/12-11/15--Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 11/12-11/14--3rd Grade takes the WKCE
• 11/13--Josh, Emily, Kristi, and Kristen out all day
• 11/15--No School
• 11/16--Parent School Partnership trip to UW!
• 11/18--PLC Grant Day Away--Josh out all day, many subs in building
• 11/18--Staff PD: TAG Presentation
• 11/19--Fire Drill 9:15am