Spring Break . . .

I know it's hard to remember a couple of months ago when we had all that beautiful snow and you were enjoying being home drinking hot chocolate, making a snowman, and sledding - but it did happen. Now, with spring break upon us, it's easy to wish we didn't get snow this year. Oh well . . . it was fun and we still have a few days of r & r!

We now have completed 3/4 of our year and have 6 weeks left before EOG test. Enjoy the time away from school next week but know things should be in "high gear" until May 14.

We did lots of testing this week. Thank you to ALL the staff for their efforts, patience, and teamwork this week. A big thank you to Benika Thompson. Benika has been working extremely hard this week and I'm sure has "learned" a whole lot from this experience. I feel this week was a good practice for EOGs. There will be much reflection/discussion to make EOG the best they can.

Take a deep breath . . . enjoy the break and your families. Come back ready to finish the year strong!

Linda Dawson-Levy is the lucky staff person of the week! The comments about Linda was "creates the most creative and hands-on activities and shares w/all".

Congratulations Linda - thanks for what you do to help these children!

Go Patriots!!

March madness . . .

March Madness, especially in this part of the country, means college basketball tournaments. As you know, I am a sports fan, and when I hear "March Madness" that is what I think of. March madness, to educators, can mean - "starting the stress of preparing students for their EOG test"!

With 70% of our year completed, you are now starting the home stretch of the school year. Just like a good coach, you are continuing to prepare your students for the championship game - EOG test.

I want to mention a couple of things that stood out to me this week. First of all, the ICON students were working on a reflective project about the DC trip. Mr. Atkinson, Mrs. Humphrey, Mrs. Sullivan, and Mrs. Hamby have adjusted the assessment of the students to contain a reflective project. The students were using a variety of technology (powerpoint, photo story, and prezi) to display their knowledge. All students (including the ones that didn't go) were diligently working on this assignment. This shows a reflection, from teachers,about evaluating/selecting assessments - thank you!

I also want to recognize the Trailblazers (Laura LeMay, Dave Jenkins, Charles Jones, and Jami Jones) and Roadrunners (Amy Newsom and Meredith Ebert) for their efforts with the Iditarod project. I saw students excited about this project especially ones that are normally not very happy to be in school. They were thoroughly engaged in learning. They brought in a guest speaker to talk about the dogs that are used for the race. An Alaskan Husky was even brought in with the speaker - what a cute pup!

So . . . enjoy the "March Madness" of basketball and/or school. They both can be stressful but they both can provide much fulfillment :)

The lucky staff member of the week is Diana Westmoreland. The statement on the card was "she does so much for all of us. I find her easy to talk to. She is very understanding."

Congratulations to Mike McDowell on being selected as one of eleven semi-finalist for the WS/FCS Teacher of the Year. We are all proud of you!
Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend. Go Patriots!!

Walk the walk . . .

In the school business, we are in the position to give directions quite often. Think about the rules for your classroom. There has been much discussion about school rules/discipline lately. I applaud all of you that want improvement within "your house". But, I will caution you about expecting students to follow rules that you don't . . .

A few examples could be - dress code, food, and tardiness to class (students are assigned detention or are written up often for these offenses). Before you get too upset about the student (11 to 15 year olds) who is chewing gum in class, think about yourself. Do you chew gum or eat/drink while students don't get that opportunity? How about students reporting late to class? Do you ever come to school late? Finally, the question of student dress code often arises. Do you set a good example of what students should follow? We are professionals and should set a higher standard than our young people.

I know this blog isn't my normal (great job!) keep it up sermon. And, please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. You should have high expectations for your students but your actions will say much more than your words. If you expect it, then model your expectations . . . walk the walk.

I do want to recognize, Mike McDowell, and the SIT for their continued efforts to improve this wonderful school. We are blessed with good students and supportive parents but I really feel that caring teachers who have HIGH expectations will make TJMS continue to be the best middle school!

Hope you get some rest this weekend. 64 more days . . .

Go Patriots!!