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?