Longest. Week. Ever. I think our arrival at home at 2am on Sunday after travel delays completed jacked up my week. As evidenced by all my date mixups. I hope to spend the weekend cutting wood, watching golf, and sleeping. And maybe enjoying a Truly margarita or six.
I want to send a shout out to my Mark Twain book group members. These 24 students finished all 12 books this year. That's a pretty big accomplishment. If you see any of these students in the halls, give them a high five.
The future of the flock
I have decided it's time for me to remove items from my plate. The first will be caring for the chickens. Let me know if you are interested in taking over that task. I'll be happy to train you and get you up and running. The coop will need an overhaul this spring if we are going to keep them. That's going to require funds and time. Again, I'm happy to assist. If nobody wants to take it over, then I'll work with the science department to find them new homes at another school.
Spring Projects
I have talked to several of you about implementing projects this spring. We have six picnic benches onsite now. I'll be working with Ms. Kunkel's class to assemble and place those. Ms. Kinkead has big plans for a garden that her class has helped plan out. Ms. Hickcox's class has also spent a great deal of time researching and planning outside spaces. If your class has plans that need my help, please let me know so I can start planning with you.
MAP Preparations
Mandy has been working hard this week on getting iPads setup for MAP testing. Students spent time this week cleaning up devices. During this current rotation, she is testing all devices to make sure the DRC app is working correctly. Once confirmed, students are going through the online tools training sessions to get familiar with that functionality.
CREdX Updates
Speaker applications are due on Monday. Please talk to any students who you think would be a great speaker. We have about 8 applications right now. I'd like 20-25 total. If you have a student who turns in an application, I will be pulling them next week to present their letter to the committee. I'm looking at Tuesday from 1:30 to 3:00, but will let you know as soon as it's finalized.
Jerry Craft Author Visit
As part of the Unbound Book Festival, students will be able to meet virtually with author Jerry Craft. He wrote the popular book New Kid and Class Act. The preliminary time is 10:00 to 11:00. Connie is working on adjusting specials so our 4th and 5th graders can watch the talk.
Geography Bee
For some reason, I signed up to facilitate the geography bee. Thanks to the fourth and fifth grade teachers for giving the first rounds in their classrooms. Next week, I'll be giving the second round of questions via Schoology. The top 12ish students will move on to the final school championship that will take place in a couple of weeks. I hear there's hardware for the winner.
Document Cameras
At this point, all general ed classrooms should have a document camera installed. I think there are more on the way, but the purchasing card couldn't handle it. The goal is to have them in all classrooms by the fall. I know the setups are a bit tricky, especially if your computer is to the right of your board. I wish the usb cables were three feet longer so it'd be easier to set up. I might look into some extensions next year to see if that's a feasible expense. Give 'em a try if you haven't yet. I've heard from several of you already about ways you've used them.
Tech tip of the day
The "mute" feature is a way to quickly turn the sound completely off and back on again. If you can't hear sound coming from your flat panel, try toggling the mute button first to see if it's turned on.
Hope you have a great weekend
