Inclusive Conversations

 

Breaks from school are often a happy and carefree time for children, filled with new experiences and opportunities to play, relax, and create memories. While this is true for many children, research finds that for some children, breaks from school can be a stressful period of isolation, boredom, and inactivity.  For low-income families, spring breaks can include food insecurity, lack of things to do, and stress at home.  Unequal access to and limited participation in engaging activities means that some children may miss out on interesting educational and social opportunities otherwise enjoyed by their more affluent peers.

I share this to remind staff that not all of our students will be enjoying a week on a beach, ski slope, or on a family road trip.  Keep this in mind when asking students about their spring break plans, or reflecting on their week off when they return. Try focusing on what students missed about school rather than on what they got to do, as these conversations can cause the students that didn't get to do anything anxiety or embarrassment when it's their turn to share.  I'm not saying not to talk about spring break - but just to be aware of the range of experiences your students may have had.

I recognize that we have a challenging week ahead, with everyone (staff and students!) anticipating a much deserved week off.  Continue the inclusive environment we have built and hold in high regard, with patient, thoughtful and positive interactions with our students, and each other.

Five more days... we can do it!

Kindness Week

 

Welcome to Kindness Week!

March 1-5

Kindness Matters at Houlton!

Thank you to Mrs. Bohl's class for planning Kindness week at Houlton! The plans will combine the Great Kindness Challenge and Random Acts of Kindness Week, which are both about providing tools for creating a positive school environment. Houlton is going to focus on a variety of kindness activities the week of March 1-5, including making a school-wide display called Kindness is Blossoming at Houlton, which will showcase kind activities that were completed during the week.  We are looking forward to a full week of kindness!

Monday, March 1 : Kickoff  to Kindness Week

Kick off shoes for reading during Read to Self in class!

Classrooms will receive hearts and a Kindness Challenge List  that they can use for ideas.  Students are to write or draw a picture of the kind acts they performed the night before or that day at school.  Mrs. Bohl’s class  will collect the hearts at the end of each day and will be displaying them on the wall outside the office.

Kindness Quote: No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted. -Aesop

Tuesday, March 2: Ride The Wave of Kindness! 

Dress up like you are on a beach so we can pretend it is summer! NO SWIMSUITS

Watch how kindness spreads in this video: Kindness Boomerang (5:44)

Kindness Quote: Kindness costs nothing but means everything!

Wednesday, March 3: Crazy for Kindness

Wear mismatched or mixed up clothes!

Pick out your favorite kindness act from this Video Clip - Random Acts of Kindness - Give it a Try! (4:24)

Kindness Quote:  Kindness is hard to give away, because it keeps coming back. -Marcel

Thursday, March 4: Celebrate Everyone is Unique          

Wear your favorite color!

Kindness Quote: Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world. -Harriet Tubman

Friday, March 5:  Score Points by Helping Others

Wear your favorite sports apparel    

Kindness Quote: Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you. -Princess Diana

Going Beyond Work-Life Balance to Ignite Passion and Thrive

 

Why Does Self-Care Matter?

Self-care includes all of the things you do to take care of your well-being in four key dimensions - your emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual health.  If you are a person who gives a lot of yourself in service to the well-being, learning, and growth of others in some way, self-care and care of others becomes a challenging balancing act.

Self-care is essential for managing stress, preventing burnout, and mitigating compassion fatigue - all common occupational hazards for caring individuals.  Helpers, healers, and leaders are often focused on the results they are achieving with and for others.  Self -care broadens that focus, and involves focusing on yourself and taking time to rest, reflect, replenish, and renew - taking time to nourish and nurture all of who you are so you can continue to be there for others.

Below are the four quadrants Sarah Johnson referenced - take time this week to think about how you are balancing, in order to TAKE CARE of yourself!  Try to keep these quadrants in check to be able to give your all... to all (including you!).

Links from Friday's Training:

• Intentional Thrive Deep Dive (pre-recorded presentation - 1 hour)
• Handouts

Have a great week -

Sue

National Kindness Day - February 17th

 

Wednesday is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, and it's a perfect time for everyone to share a little bit of kindness! We know that there are many social and emotional benefits of being kind, but there are educational benefits as well.  Kindness is a key ingredient that builds positivity and helps children feel good about themselves as it increases serotonin levels.  This important chemical affects learning, memory, mood, sleep, health and digestion.  Children with a positive outlook have greater attention spans, more willingness to learn, and better creative thinking to improve results at school.  This makes it a great thing to promote!

We will talk about it on Hawk Talk on Wednesday, and we'll have some additional kindness activities next week - but wanted to share some resources for you to use in your classroom if you choose.

Videos:

• Make the World Awesome - Kid President (3:27)
• What the world needs now - Jack Hartman, song
• Kindness is a muscle - stop at 2:29 (song, using on Hawk Talk on Wednesday)
• Be a Super Hero - Jack Hartman, song
• Why be kind?  kids talking  (3:10)
• Give in to Giving - gr 3-5, animation, no talking (2:18)
• Kindness Through Their Eyes - kids talking (2:31)

Other Resources

• Random Acts of Kindness website
• Random Acts of Kindness color sheet (inside recess idea??)
• Calendar of Random Acts of Kindness
• 50 Ways to be Kind poster

Have a kind week!
Sue

Staff Development Day - February 19th

February 19, 2021

8:15-9:45 -  Virtual District Team Meetings (Social Emotional Learning and FPC Check in - certified staff); Specialist Plan/Agenda

10:00-12:00- Mental Health Training/Self-Care with Sarah Johnson

Going Beyond Work-Life Balance to Ignite Passion and Thrive - (10-11am Live Zoom Session - all staff)

There’s no question that every educator faces challenges on the job with ever-increasing demands that lead to stress and put us all at risk for burnout.  School leaders and educators often define themselves through servant leadership, tending to put others’ needs above their own and even end up sacrificing much of their personal time for their careers. If we aren’t intentional about our energy pouring, we may end up drained. Especially in our current circumstances, it is critical to remember that there is much in our lives that we can control, and it is time to empower ourselves to live intentionally in all spaces of our full lives. In this session, we will work toward going beyond surviving and be intentional about personally and professionally thriving.  

3 Objectives:  

Understand that balance at 50/50 formula is a myth, but we can live with passion, purpose, and priority. 

• Learn a more robust way of looking at balance for a full life, focusing on the Balance Quadrants—Personal, Professional, Positional, and Passions.
• Identify the key to thriving with balance, which is acknowledging a need for a mindset shift, assessing current reality, and setting plans to live with intention in all areas of life. 

Intentional Thrive Deep Dive (11:00-12:00, 60 minute pre-recorded session)

Building upon our time in the morning, which defines the case for going beyond a 50/50 work-life formula, this session offers specific strategies and action for participants to take. This workshop session will inspire you to examine where you are pouring energies and draining out as well as where you might make room to reignite flames in your lives that have fizzled.  Attendees will leave feeling relaxed as well as empowered to take intentional steps toward a more fulfilling full life. 

3 Objectives:  

• Self-assess current reality within the four Balance Quadrants, identifying areas of strength and growth. 
• Set actionable goals for building more balance into their lives through the Balance Quadrants.  
• Determine at least two actionable strategies to align with goals in the Balance Quadrants to seek a more intentionally lived life.

12:00-4:00 - lunch and work time (SLO, IDL prep, planning, Year 2 surveys) - all staff

Support Staff Plan

Parent-Teacher Conferences

 

While this is round 2 of virtual conferences (with the option of being in person, if requested), there are still challenges with effective communication during a Google Meet. Seeing examples of their child's work is often a highlight of conferences for parents, and definitely a useful tool for teachers. Listed below are some ideas for sharing work at virtual parent-teacher conferences, when you can’t just slide a folder across the table.

• Use a document camera. Don’t try to just hold up a paper to your webcam; that’s frustrating for everyone. Instead, use screen-sharing and a document camera to look at student work.
• Prepare a slideshow. This is more work in advance, but older students can help. Have them build a Google Slideshow of their work, then add in any you want to share as well. This is a terrific way for them to take ownership of their learning and progress.
• Scan and email. If you only have a couple of pages you’d like parents to see, scan them in and send them via email before the conference starts.
• Send work home. Make copies of any work you’d like parents to see, then send it with students before conferences. This way, you’ll both have copies of the work in front of you when you talk. Don’t skip the “making copies” step so the original doesn't get lost!

Let me know if there's anything I can do to support you with parent/teacher conferences -

Sue

Data Roll Throughs - Winter 2021

 

Upcoming Data Roll Throughs

We will be having our grade level data roll throughs, starting this week and running into next week.  The purpose of the roll throughs is review data points we have this far, and make sure we're providing the best instruction to every Houlton student. 

According to Data Driven Instruction (ASCD), we have built strong practices in all of the areas that support a high level of student learning.

Culture

As indicated by our staff survey, Houlton's rating of a Culture of Educational Excellence is in the 95%ile.  That sets the stage for an attitude of success, and identifies the importance of collaboration on data analysis and strategies for improving student learning.

Assessments

We have the benefit of several district supported data points, as well as formative assessments and teacher observations, that align to and support our district standards.

Analysis

Through our data roll throughs and grade level PLCs, we are able to look at the overall performance of the class, as well as individual student strengths and areas for growth.  Utilizing the expertise of the data roll through team allows us to get to a deeper level of analysis is critical for determining next steps in the classroom.

Action

Collecting and analyzing student data is important but only becomes meaningful when combined with effective action.  

Here are the documents each team will need to update before our virtual meetings (I will add data links soon!):

Kindergarten (January 29th, 1:20)

1st Grade (February 1st (8:00)

2nd Grade (January 28th, 8:00)

3rd Grade (February 4th, 8:00)

4th Grade (January 29th, 11:30)

5th Grade (January 29th, 10:30)

Thank you for your continued dedication to our culture of educational excellence!
Sue