Gator Run Friday Focus - September 23, 2016

Next week we will begin celebrating the #eduheroes of Gator Run. Each week we will have a drawing to select two names, allowing us to take time to celebrate everything these individuals do to make Gator Run awesome. To nominate a colleague, please fill in a #eduhero slip and drop it in the wooden box in the mailroom. This is open to all staff!

Inventory sheets were due to team leaders on Wednesday. Please make sure to submit them by the end of the day today.


Teacher Of The Year and School-Related Employee of the Year voting will take place on Tuesday 9/27. Ballots should be submitted to Zuly before 3 pm. You must initial the roster when submitting your vote.  Congratulations to our nominees for TOY: Corinne Mendez, Denise Boehm and Lynn Mitchel; and for SROY: Teresa Vina, Margaret Garcia and Francis Bohorques.  You all represent Gator Run very well!

We are loving all of the pictures tagged with our hashtag, #GRE1617.  Keep it up!  You are showing the world how amazing Gator Run is!

Next Week at a Glance:

• Fall Pictures are Tuesday (Pre-K, VPK, K, 2nd and 4th) and Wednesday (1st, 3rd and 5th).  
• NESS Meeting - Wednesday at 2:20 in Mrs. Bryce's classroom.
• Yoga Meeting - Wednesday at 2:20 in the Media Center.
• Team Collaborations are scheduled for Thursday at 2:20.
• Boosterthon Staff Kickoff on Friday at 2:20 in the Media Center.  We are raising funds for improvements for the Media Center.  We appreciate everyone's support in this endeavor.

Quote of the Week:

Gator Run Friday Focus - September 16, 2016

A big "Thank You" to the amazing teachers who presented at yesterday's Teachers Training Teachers event!  We are so lucky to have so many individuals willing to share what they are doing or trying in their classrooms.  Professional development is a must if each of us are going to grow in this amazing profession of education and what better what to learn and improve than from our own Gator Run staff?  We are indebted to the following teachers for opening up their classrooms and offering their expertise: Elayne Hollander, Angela Davis, Melissa Lopez, Carrie Velasquez, Kristy Bryce, Lynn Mitchel, Candace Oesch, Jackie Sherman, Denise Boehm, and Corrine Mendez!

Next Week at a Glance:

• SAC meeting next Wednesday at 2:20 in the Media Center.  We will be continuing our discussion on the value of reading programs such as AR and possible replacement reading initiatives.  
• Teachers, emergency sub plans must be submitted to your Team Leader by Wednesday.
• Interim Reports go home on Thursday. 
• Team Collaborations are scheduled for Thursday at 2:20.  

Podcast of the Week: Thanks to Elayne Hollander for sharing this with me - 3 Reasons to Make Social Media a Priority.  Check it out if you have the time (especially if you are not a regular user of social media).  Great reasons to get connected.

TED Talks of the Week: Hacking the Classroom - this one totally motivated me as to why we need to allow students the opportunity to create at school.  Let's Teach for Mastery Not Test Scores - this one is by Sal Kahn from Kahn Academy.  Sal gives us some things to think about regarding 'school' and how we need to start looking at it differently.

Quote of the Week: "Clearly the energy and passion for learning that the school has worked hard to foster in their culture is contagious. Nice work Gator Run, it's going to be a great year. So thankful that we made the switch." - This is from a message from a new parent to our school.  This mom stated that her daughter is so excited to come to school that she even wanted to come on Labor Day!  How awesome is that?  

Gator Run Friday Focus - September 9, 2016

Please understand that Mrs. Brown, Ms. Felton and I understand how overwhelmed everyone can be.  While we are not in each of your positions, we know that every year brings new challenges.  Please remember that our doors are always open and we would love the opportunity to help you problem solve.  I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things:

• Social media use is certainly not mandatory.  You know that I highly encourage promoting what you are doing in your classrooms via social media but I would never say that you have to do it (and I believe that most of you know this).  Let me state this - I will not judge you by whether you use it or not.  The choice is yours.
• My desire to have everyone Tweet using the same hashtag was based on my vision to increase the learning throughout our school.  It appears that this is not having the desired effect.  Therefore I am discontinuing promoting use of #GRE1617 for a weekly raffle.  I hope that some of you will choose to promote what you are doing in your classrooms via this hashtag but I will no longer recognize those who do.  Perhaps this is something that we can revisit in the future. 
• Learning Goals and Performance Scales are a District initiative that we are implementing because they are beneficial to both students are teachers.  There is value in having teachers delve into the standards they are teaching and for students to know what they are learning and how they are progressing toward understanding.  
• Textbook use is allowed.  I have stated before that textbooks are a resource but should not be our primary source of instruction.  If you only follow the textbook you are not covering the specific standards required by your grade level.  However, if we walk into your room and your students are using textbooks, no one will be upset with you.  We might ask questions but this is only because we want to ensure that we are exploring every possible avenue to reach our students.  
• I stated my belief about homework last week so I will not repeat myself here.  What I will say is that you are allowed to give homework.  Just be conscious of how much you are giving each night.  Let's stop with the idea that "we have to get our students ready for middle school."  That is nonsense.  Just because their lives are going to be miserable in middle school with the amount of homework doesn't mean that we have to start making them miserable now.  I know that a lot of you agree with me on limiting homework but for those of you who don't, please ensure that your homework is meaningful and will not take students an exorbitant amount of time to complete.  Assigning a Ten Marks lesson, reading, math practice, responding to a post on Canvas, or a lesson via Achieve 3000 are all good options for this.  If you want a specific policy, please make sure that what you assign should take no more than 30 minutes a day.  
• For those of you who might be overwhelmed with the amount of new technology this year, I understand.  But you have to know that Outlook and Canvas are District-wide.  Ten Marks and Achieve 3000 are new to our school but they were both obtained for free and are amazing tools for our students.  
• I will say this about feeling overwhelmed - if you aren't planning together as a team, please consider doing so to ease the load.  And by together, I mean everyone contributing.  This will not guarantee eliminating this feeling but will ensure that you are trying every possible avenue to do so.  We are lucky at Gator Run to have so many amazing educators who are willing to share and work with each other.  Take advantage of this.  
• Finally, no one is 'getting in trouble'.  We are all learning and working to provide our students with the best education possible.  

Next Week at a Glance:

• Our Fall Book Fair continues until next Wednesday.
• Our kickoff ESOL Parent Meeting will be next Wednesday at 6:30 in the cafeteria.  
• Next Thursday is an Early Release Day.  I'm sure that our boys and girls are looking forward to meeting with their Book Buddies and participating in our STEM activities.  
• I'm excited for our first Teachers Training Teachers professional development next Thursday afternoon.  Details on participation will come soon from Ms. Felton.
• Updated Interim Reports are due to your Assistant Principal by next Friday.

Website of the Week: BCPS Literacy Guide  This is Broward's Literacy Guide and contains so much information about reaching all of our students for reading.

Quote of the Week: This was being shared on social media yesterday.  If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look.  It's from a principal in Singapore to parents.

Gator Run Friday Focus - September 2, 2016

Let's talk about homework.  I know that most of you know my feelings on this topic.  There is no research that shows that homework in elementary school is beneficial to students.  John Hattie's research shows that it actually has a 0.15 effect size, which is basically nothing.  Besides the research, let's think about what our purpose in school is - to develop lifelong learners.  Does anyone really feel that giving students extra work after a long day is really helping toward that goal?  I believe that it actually turns students off to school.  So many of us believe that homework has to be a part of school because that's how we grew up.  Our goal at elementary school is definitely not to prepare them for middle school as some might suggest.  (Really?  Because they are going to be weighed down by homework in middle school, we need to torture them in elementary?).  At this point we do not have a 'no homework policy' but right now I ask that you consider the following before assigning homework:

• Are you assigning it because it has some benefit or assigning it because you feel that parents expect it or because you feel pressure to do so?
• Will what you assign interfere with the following: family time, students' after school activities, and time to just be a kid?  If any of these would be interrupted, don't give the assignment!
• Is what you are about to assign related to what you are learning in class?  If so, what is the purpose of the homework?  If a student has already mastered the standard, why do they need practice?  If a students has not mastered the standard, how will giving them homework without support help them?  Let's think about the inequity in support at our homes.  Some parents might be able to assist their children but many more don't have the time and some might not have the ability to do so.  Wouldn't it be more beneficial to reach those students via small group instruction during your class time?
• Finally, I ask you this - what gives us the right to dictate how students and parents spend their time after school?  

Gigantic shout out to Corrine Mendez!  I visited her classroom yesterday and sat down with her students.  They were cutting out 3 dimensional shapes and sorting them based on the type of shape.  I asked the students what they were doing and one boy answered "We are distinguishing between different types of 3D shapes."  What?!?!  'Distinguishing'?  I stated that I was impressed with his used of the word 'distinguishing' and asked where he learned to use that word.  He pointed to the posted learning goal and scale:

He said that the word was located on his 'ladder', the word they use for their goal and scale.  I was blown away!  This is the second week of school!  I went to other groups and received similar answers from students.  

This is what we need to be doing in our classrooms.  Our students must know the 'why' we are doing what we are doing.  If our first graders can do it (and our Kindergartners too!), then all of our students can.  

Next Week at a Glance:

• No school on Monday.  Enjoy your holiday weekend!
• Team Leader Day on Tuesday.  
• Yoga meeting at 2:20 on Tuesday in the Media Center.  I am looking forward to learning some strategies to be more present and to focus.
• Our Book Fair kicks off next Wednesday.  I hope to see most of you at our Book Fair Night from 5:30 - 7:30 that night.  Our students love to see you at our family events!
• Team Collaborations are scheduled for Thursday at 2:20.  Please let us know if you need an administrator or support staff member to attend to answer any questions or provide information to your teams.  Please know that administration will be rotating through meetings on a regular basis.  

Quote of the Week: I found this one on Instagram this morning. 

Gator Run Friday Focus - August 26, 2016

This has been an amazing first week of school.  Thank you for all that you do for our students.  We need your assistance at dismissal time in the front office.  Please be aware that from 2:00 - 2:30 our office staff is answering phones and responding to dismissal concerns on the walkie talkies.  We need to make sure that the office is as quiet as possible during this time.

Next Week at a Glance:

• Open House next week: PK-2 on Tuesday and 3-5 on Wednesday, both at 6:30 PM.  
• Our first General PTA Meeting is Wednesday at 9:00 AM in the Cafeteria.  
• Our first SAC meeting is Wednesday at 2:20 in the Media Center.  
• Team Collaborations are scheduled for Thursday at 2:20.  

Website of the Week: Get Epic - https://www.getepic.com/app/  Thanks to Melissa Lopez for sharing this one.  It's sort of like Netflix for books.  It's also available as an app.  Check it out!

Article of the Week: Great article from the New York Times on the debate over homework - How Much Homework is Too Much

Quote of the Week: "Students will do amazing things if you can design a class and environment that is positive and empowering." - Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a PIRATE.

Gator Run Friday Focus - August 19, 2016

This week we asked all of our instructional staff to write out their hope for this school year.  My hope is for everyone to be happy here at Gator Run.  We all have outside concerns and worries (me too).  But if our personal goal is to help make kids' lives better, what better place to do that then here at GRE?  I hope that each of you finds happiness in what you do and I hope that you find it (or found it) here!

Twitter Challenge - We are going to have an ongoing contest to see if we can flood Twitter with the awesome from Gator Run.  As I spoke to you on Monday, I am encouraging everyone to post 1 Tweet a day using the hashtag #GRE1617 and then to spend a few minutes each day reading other posts from our school using that hashtag.  If you can add #trendthepositive or #CelebrateMonday when appropriate, please do so.  We want to overflow social media with how amazing our school is.  Every teacher who posts using #GRE1617 at least 3 times a week will be entered into a weekly raffle.  We will draw a ticket each Monday morning for a prize.  Remember - "If we as teachers don't tell the stories of the positive work in schools, there is a chance that nobody will." - Josh Stumpenhorst, @stumpteacher

Let's also continue to use Instagram to tell the stories of our classrooms and our school.  Here are five new Gator Run accounts to follow if you haven't already:

Next Week at a Glance:

• Please make sure that you know how your students are going home on Monday.  Apart from starting to build relationships immediately with them, this is your most important goal of the first day!
• We will be conducting our first fire drill on Wednesday at 8:20.  We will immediately follow this up with a tornado drill.  
• Let's make this the best school year ever!  It starts next week.  

Quote of the Week: "The expression "work-life balance' makes no sense.  You don't try to balance your life with your work.  Your work is a sub-category of your life and should serve the values and ideals of your life." - Bert Jacobs, Life is Good Co-Founder

Gator Run Friday Focus - May 27, 2016

One of the best parts of being in a school is seeing our students get the chance to perform and to display their talents.  This past week has been amazing with our Chorus/Dance and Talent Shows.  A huge "Thank You" to all those who allowed our students the opportunity to shine: Ms. King, Ms. Davis, Ms. Nossen, Mr. Weiner and Ms. DePalo!  I truly appreciate the time that you put in for our kids.

Next Week at a Glance:

• No school on Monday.  Enjoy the holiday weekend!
• Report cards are due to Team Leaders on Tuesday and to Ms. Felton on Friday.
• Wednesday is our big visit from the administrators from Vietnam.  Please remember that we will be visiting four 5th grade classrooms that day (Yassen, Davis, Krauss, and Safra) and will be using the Media Center all day.
• PLCs are scheduled for Thursday at 2:15.  

Article of the Week: 6 Bad Reasons Teachers Assign Homework  This one is from the educator behind the Hack Learning movement.  Great thoughts here about why we give homework and about why those reasons might not be good.  

Quote of the Week:

Gator Run Friday Focus - May 20, 2016

Congratulations to Ms. Felton for getting into the Principal Preparation Program!  She definitely deserves this honor.  Cyndi will now accompany me to all Principal meetings for the next school year.

Teachers, please make sure that you are not packing up your classrooms while students are present.  Your current students need to feel like their classroom is still theirs until the last week.

Next Week at a Glance:

• We have two school performances from our Chorus on Monday: 3-5 at 8:20 and K-2 at 9:15.  
• We have a Faculty Focus on Monday at 2:15 in the Media Center.  
• 4th and 5th grade will be treated to a Stand Up for Kids assembly next Tuesday at 9:00 in the Cafeteria.
• NESS meets next Tuesday at 2:15 in Shari Heyman's classroom.
• Our Chorus performs next Tuesday evening at 6:30.
• Our final PTA meeting of the year is next Wednesday at 9:00 in the Cafeteria. 
• 5th Grade Talent Show for 5th grade will be on Thursday at 8:15.  
• Friday is a Planning Day.  Cyndi and I will be meeting with teachers to sign off on Instructional Practice Score.  Idman will also have teachers sign off on property passes that day as well.  

Quote of the Week: "Starting strong is good.  Finishing strong is epic." - Robin Sharma.  Don't start the countdown.  Keep your focus.  #finishstrong

Gator Run Friday Focus - May 13, 2016

Four of our teachers are piloting IC3 Spark, courseware designed for students to introduce the concept of digital literacy.  Students receive a digital tools certificate upon passing the course.  I tell you this because we are hosting a group on June 1 to discuss and visit those four classrooms: Safra, Davis, Yassen, and Hollander (Krauss).  This group will consist of 25 elementary principals from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, along with dignitaries, translators, members of the Florida Department of Education, and educators from Broward Schools.  We will be meeting in the Media Center with the group that morning, visiting the 4 classrooms and then reconvening in the Media Center.  I'm excited about the possibilities to showcase our amazing school!

Next Week at a Glance:

• Team Leader on Tuesday.  
• Our 5th Grade Drama Club will perform for their 5th grade classmates on Tuesday at 8:30.  They will perform for their families that night at 6:00 PM.  
• We will have a Faculty Focus on Tuesday at 2:15.
• Our Safety Patrol End of Year Celebration is on Wednesday at 8:00 in the cafeteria.
• AR Night Out is on Friday at 6:30.

App of the Week: I was introduced to ChatterPix this week at a meeting that I attended along with Mrs. Coyle and Mrs. Hanley.  This app could be a great tool for student presentations.  Check it out!

Quote of the Week: "Look up to the sky.  You'll never find rainbows if you're looking down." - Charlie Chaplin.

Gator Run Friday Focus - May 6, 2016

As we reflect on an amazing school year, I think about the wonderful aspects of our school.  I am very proud that so many teachers are promoting their classrooms via social media, particularly Instagram.  I feel strongly that social media helps with being transparent with all that we do here. I want to continue this use and hope that more of you will take the plunge as well.  In case you didn't know, #GatorRunRocks and everyone needs to know it.  I also want to ask a reflective question, "What do our social media posts say about our school?".  While we encourage the use of social media, we have not held discussions about what type of message that our posts might send.  Here is an article that I hope that you will check out regarding the benefits of Instagram in the classroom - 10 Ways to Use Instagram in the Classroom 
I also want you to ponder your own private use of social media and the message that you send with your posts there.  While we may think that our posts are private, you never know who is a friend of a friend and whether a parent or community member might see what you write.  Whether we like it or not, educators are held up to a higher standard than others.  Here is another article about teacher personal use of social media - Surviving Social Media  Please read both of these posts.  We will send out a brief survey next week allowing us to reflect on our social media use and practices.  This will lead to a faculty discussion on May 17th.

Next Week at a Glance:

• SSYRA Celebration is on Monday at 8:30 in the Media Center.  
• We are taking 198 of our 5th graders to Kennedy Space Center and Universal Studios next Wednesday and Thursday.
• 1st and 2nd grades will be taking their End of the Year tests on Wednesday and Thursday.

Quote of the Week:

Gator Run Friday Focus - April 29, 2016

Next Monday we will be hosting a Rigor Walk from LSI (Learning Sciences International).  Ms. Felton, Mrs. McGreevy and I will be visiting several classrooms along with one or two individuals from LSI and/or the District.  They will provide us with information on various strategies that are observed during the Walk.  The individual from LSI will choose the classrooms that we visit so we wanted everyone to be aware.  I am excited about this opportunity to receive feedback on our current practices.

Next Week at a Glance:

• At our Multicultural Festival, one of our students won the chance to be Principal for the Day.  She will be with me all day next Tuesday.  
• Puzzle Pin for Autism Awareness will be Tuesday and Wednesday during lunchtime hours in the main hallway.  
• The children in Mrs. Saul's and Ms. O'Hara's classrooms have been working together to practice physical fitness the past few months.  Tuesday is their culminating Special Olympics/Young Athletes event.  
• 3rd and 4th Grade Drama show for 3rd and 4th grade students is next Wednesday at 8:30 in the cafeteria.  That night is the show for parents and family members.  
• PLCs are scheduled for next Thursday at 2:20.
• Our 4th and 5th graders have a Stand Up for Kids assembly next Friday at 9:00 in the cafeteria.  

Quote of the Week:

Gator Run Friday Focus - April 22, 2016

This week on the whiteboard outside my office I posted the following: "The question is not "How many days are left until summer vacation?"  The right question is "How many days are left to make a difference?"  I really mean this.  We need to take advantage of each day with our students.  Don't miss this opportunity to change your students' lives.  There is no reason to coast through the rest of this year, dreaming of summer vacation.  Are we allowed to be excited for summer?  Of course!  But we cannot let our excitement diminish our time here at school.  Time goes by way too fast and we still have time to make a difference.  Thank you for always making sure that our students' have the best possible learning experiences at all times of the year.

Next Week at a Glance:

• Principal's Honor Roll on Monday at 8:15.
• 4th grade is taking the ELA portion of the FSA on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We will be using the alternate schedule those two days.
• Our next SAC meeting is Wednesday at 2:20 in the Media Center.
• Interim Reports go home on Thursday.
• Kindergarten Round-up is next Thursday at 8:30.  
• Volunteer Breakfast is on Friday at 8:30.  That is also our next Team Leader Day.

Quote of the Week: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." - Prince.  

I look at this phrase in two different ways.  One is personally, in how music can help us 'get through life', particularly when times are tough.  Music has always played a big part of my life and it's amazing how certain songs can help you make it through.  The other way I look at it is in what we do at school.  We are not here to prepare students to take a test.  We are not here to get them to conform to some image of a 'perfect' person.  We are here to help them get through life - to help make their lives better in some way and to provide them with the experiences so that they will be equipped to make the best decisions possible.  How many days are left to help make our students' lives better?

Gator Run Friday Focus - April 8, 2016

I appreciate everyone's support with the parking in the bus loop lot.  I went out to Park Road this morning to make sure that parents do not enter before 7:30 so that our staff can enter on time.  I will be out there on a regular basis to ensure that this continues.  Please also remember that the front car lot should only be used by those individuals working in the front office.  We need those spaces for parent events and we have quite a few coming up soon.  Thank you again for your cooperation.

Next Week at a Glance:

• Our 5th graders will be taking the FSA (FCAT) Science Test on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We will be using an alternate schedule those days.  Please refer to the email sent out by Ms. Felton.
• Report cards go home on Thursday.
• PLCs are scheduled for Thursday at 2:20.  
• I am so excited for our 2nd Annual Multicultural Festival.  This year is going to be amazing.  I hope that you can join us next Friday from 5:30 - 8:00.  What an awesome way to celebrate the diversity that is Gator Run!

Quote of the Week: "While we are postponing, life speeds by." - Seneca.  Time goes by way too fast.  Each day with our students and each other is special.  Enjoy today.

Gator Run Friday Focus - March 11, 2016

This week has offered up a few reminders for me of why we need to appreciate each day and really, each moment.  There are far too many important things in life for any of us to get caught up in petty issues.  I encourage each of you to let your loved ones know how much you care about them each and every day.  Life is too short and can change in an instant.  Please find your happiness.

Next Week at a Glance:

• NESS Meeting on Tuesday at 2:15 in Shari Heyman's room.
• Spring Individual Pictures are Monday and Tuesday.
• Early Release Day on Thursday and Planning Day on Friday.  

Strategy of the Week: I really love this one for professional learning -  Teacher Time Out.

Article of the Week: I think most of you know how I feel about homework.  Please read this article.  It really lays out the negative impact of homework on children's love of learning and of school.  Children need free time, family time, and time just to be kids.  Let's be the advocates for them.  Homework is Wrecking Our Kids

Quote of the Week: 

Gator Run Friday Focus - February 26, 2016

I mentioned this at our Faculty Focus yesterday but I want to address this again here for everyone.  I don't place a lot of emphasis on FSA results or any data we collect in isolation.  Too much is made of how our students perform on one standardized test, which minimizes so much of what we do on a regular basis.  We need to change the conversation in education to include the great work we do each day.  This week reminded me of what is more important.   Cyndi looked through our FSA results and found out that this is how we ranked out of all elementary schools in Broward:

7th in ELA; 6th in Math; and 10th in Science.  While this is awesome and should be celebrated, there is a much better way to judge our school and what we are doing.  Our visitors from Gulliver Prep in Miami were completely blown away by everything that they saw.  The compliment they gave us strengthened my belief that we are on the right path.  They told Cyndi and I that it was great to see a school that was doing what they hope to be.  Wow!  Coming from a school like Gulliver, that's amazing.  They want to send another group to visit us soon.  Kudos to all of you for creating the type of environment where students feel loved, respected and eager to learn each day!

Next Week at a Glance:

• FSA Writing for 4th and 5th grade is on Tuesday.
• PLCs are scheduled for Thursday at 2:15.

Quote of the Week:

Bad things happen:

- Every day.

- To everyone.

The difference is in how people deal with it.  

Gator Run Friday Focus - February 19, 2016

FSA scores were released last week.  We are an "A" school once again.  Here are our results:

Please know that school grades were calculated without learning gains, which will be included for this year.  Cyndi is going to briefly present how gains will be calculated at next Thursday's Faculty Focus.  

Next Week at a Glance:

• Book fair continues until Wednesday.
• We are hosting a Math Night with Mathnasium next Wednesday from 6 - 8 PM.  Hope you can join us!
• Next Thursday is an Early Release Day.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Book Buddies and STEM activities.  We are excited to host a group of teachers from Gulliver Elementary in Miami that day.  They are very interested in seeing what our STEM Day looks like.  
• We have a Faculty Focus on Thursday afternoon.  More information to come but there will be food!
• Next Saturday, February 27th isThe City of Weston's Movie in the Park.  Join us at Weston Regional Park at 7:30 PM for Minions!

Article of the Week:  Cool article on how to launch Genius Hour projects with the world - Launch Genius Hour

Quote of the Week: Thanks to Carron Newcomer for sharing this one!

Gator Run Friday Focus - February 12, 2016

This has been an very difficult week here at Gator Run but we are a strong school with a lot of love.  Thank you to all of you for making our school such a special place where students feel welcomed and loved each and every day.  Thinking along those lines, I want to encourage you to take part in a social media campaign that began last year.  Last February, educators began sharing their stories and sharing their love of teaching through the #LoveTeaching hashtag.  Over five million people interacted with the campaign through the #LoveTeaching hashtag on Twitter.  It reached across four continents.

During the week of Valentine's Day, from February 14th to the 22nd, tap into why you #LoveTeaching.  Write a blog post, compose a tweet, post a picture, take a video.  Use the hashtag #LoveTeaching and also #BrowardK12 so that we can easily follow fellow Broward educators.  This is a great way to share your story, become inspired, and make connections.  We need to show the world why we love what we do.  

Next Week at a Glance:

• No school on Monday.
• Our next SAC meeting is Wednesday at 2:20 in the Media Center. 
• Book Fair Night is Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.  Hope to see you there!
• PLCs are scheduled for Thursday at 2:20. 

Quote of the Week: "Trying times are not the times to stop trying." - Ray Owen