Let's Get Those Brains Popping!

Gina and I jumped into the world of BrainPOP this weekend.  It was called a Leadership Summit which was actually a confusing name.  I assumed it was for administrators since I received it.  Having attended, I wish more of you could have been there with us to learn about and feel the excitement for BrainPOP.  I will keep an eye out for more opportunities like this and if you really get excited about it, you can talk to me about becoming a Certified BrainPOP Educator at FETC in January.  All teacher accounts have been created and I believe Gina has given you the logon credentials.  She can also help you create your classes and assign students.  To get started, and to learn more about BrainPOP if you haven't used it before, go to the BrainPOP Educators website at https://educators.brainpop.com  Because we have a school site subscription, you can take advantage of the mixed quizzes and everything it has to offer including Newsela.  I will do some training at our next half day PD.  In the meantime, there are plenty of screencast videos to get you started on the Educators website.  Here is one you should all watch to help you set up your classes https://educators.brainpop.com/video/brainpop-setting-class/

Dear Tim and Moby:

What would prevent teachers from using BrainPOP with their students? 

From - A Friend

Dear Friend:

They probably don't know where to start.  Here's a suggestion.  Ask them to choose a topic they are working on, like sound.  Then watch the movie.  (Every topic comes with a movie.)  Then they should choose one thing to focus on.  Maybe it's "Make a Map" which is concept or mind mapping.  Or maybe they want to do "Make a Movie" or just some activities.  When starting with BrainPOP, they should stick with one item for each topic until they are really comfortable with it.  If they scroll down, then can also find lesson plans associated with the topic.  For example, sound has a lesson plan called "Create your own string instrument."  How exciting would that be?!!  And for the younger students, don't forget to check out BrainPOP Junior where they will meet my friend Annie.  There are all kinds of games and activities for students of all ages to play.  My favorite is Guts and Bolts where you build a human one system at a time.  Making the blood flow through the heart is kinda tricky. Good luck! - Tim & Moby

Gina will be out Monday morning learning about the role of Assistant Principal.  She will also be out Friday morning learning about our MIS program CE Tracker.  By mid-October we will have all the PD we have done since August loaded on CE Tracker for you.  Have a good week.  

  

Americans Never Quit

On September 14, 2001, George W. Bush proclaimed Sept. 11 be established as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.  It is now known as Patriot Day.  Please observe a moment of silence (at 8:46 a.m. if you can) to honor and remember those who were injured or killed that day.  

Thank you to those who helped with and attended the ministry fair.  It was a great turnout by parishioners and an opportunity to see all the ministries alive and active in our community.  

I am changing the location for Monday's faculty meeting.  We will meet in the media center so we can take advantage of our new TVs for our IXL webinar.  We will begin promptly at 3:30 and it will last 1 hour.  Who should attend?  All teachers K-8 who use IXL.  That would be all math and ELA teachers and Jamie S.  The rest do not need to stay unless you want to learn more about IXL.

The Knights of Columbus soccer challenge takes place Wednesday during your class's recess.  Those students who sent in or bring in the signed parent form will go to the soccer field after lunch.  The knights will be there to help.  It may take longer than your recess and the knights will escort the students back to class when they are done. Reminder that Thursday is the first day for band.  You should have received a schedule by now.   

Gina and I will both be out on Friday.  I will be attending a meeting in Tampa and will be available by text.  Alton and Jamie can help with student meltdowns.  Julianne can help with emergencies.  Text maintenance if you are in need of toilet paper.  Friday night Gina and I are heading to Clearwater for a BrainPop Summit.  I have purchased a school license for BrainPop that became available to us on Friday.  Gina will be setting us up with accounts and sharing that info with you this week.  You can begin exploring and using BrainPop right away, but know that I will be doing an in-service on Oct. 5 during our half-day PD.  We will have full access to everything BrainPop has to offer.  

Lastly, I would like to talk about Angels Among Us.  For those of you who are new to St. Stephen, this is our annual Gala Auction which this year will be held on Nov. 10 in the FLC.  You should have each received an invitation to the event.  Those of you who are not new will know that in years past the school paid for the employee ticket to the event.  What you may not know is the history behind this and why we bought your ticket.  In the past, if you accepted the school-paid ticket, it was with the understanding that you would "work" at least 30 minutes during the event.  Teachers were also required to offer an auction item which required their time outside regular school hours.  We no longer required teachers to offer an auction item and over the years the "work" requirement became difficult to manage.  Angels now has enough parent volunteers that we do not need employees to volunteer their time during the event.  Therefore, we hope you will attend the evening and support the school, but you will need to purchase a ticket.  This way there is no obligation but to come and have a great time.  

Have a fabulous week! 

Act Despite Your Fear

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears."  ....John McCain    Well said and something we all should live by.  McCain was All In for what he believed in.  As long as it's not immoral, illegal, or against the rules, let's keep pushing ourselves and our students to move out of our comfort zones.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Speaking of breaking the rules...  I'm going to break one and take off for an extended long weekend and will be back on Wednesday, Sept. 5.  I'll be thinking of you all as I am kayaking down a river or hiking through the woods.  Please contact Gina for all your needs over the weekend.  

The parish is having a Ministry Fair once again.  It will be held the weekend of Sept. 8-9.  The school will have a table at the event and I need some helpers to be present greeting parishioners.  Gina will be there after the Saturday 4:30 Mass and I will take Sunday after the 7:30 Mass.  I am looking for some volunteers for the 9:30, 11:30, and 5:30 on Sunday.  All you need to do is walk over the the FLC after Mass and be present at our table to greet people.  Whoever has the 5:30 will also need to pack up our things and bring them back on Monday or put in the Bingo closet (just a small box of items).  Please consider helping if you attend one of those Masses and let me know.  

Instructions for Monday's faculty meeting have been sent out.  Please refer to  your emails.  Friday we have a half day followed by PD for teachers as follows:

Math in Focus (session 2) in the office conference room 1-3 p.m. - Susana, Maria, Amy, Kelly M, Krista, Galy

ELA PLC 1-3 p.m. - Sue, Kim, Traci, Carmen, Katie, Jamie (Gina will give directions for meeting topics and location)

Instructional Assistants to meet with Gina after dismissal.  Refer to your email for time and location.  

If you name was not mention, please use the time for planning or put in a request for time off if you are normally scheduled to be here.    

Friday is also a jean day.  I expect to see some students in uniform as there continues to be violations.  Be sure parents know if students must come in uniform.  Jewelry, socks and shoes continue to be the big offenders.  

I will not be doing a blog this coming weekend, therefore, I am incorporating the following week into this one.  

On Wed., Sept. 5, Mr. Larson will be video taping at school for an Angel's "promo".  Directions will be sent by email as far as what students should wear, etc.  

Thursday, Sept. 6 is the first Band lesson.  Lessons will be held in the music room in the morning.  The schedule rotates when students go to band so that they do not miss the same class each week.  Gina will get the schedule to you prior to Thursday morning.  I will be at a Principal's meeting that morning.

The weekend of Sept. 8-9 is wear your uniform for a holy card weekend.  Please remind the students.  

A Prayer for Priests

If you attended Mass at St. Stephen this weekend, you would have heard the priest read Bishop Parkes' letter.  I am sharing it here too as I feel it's important to see that we are fortunate to be in a Diocese that does not not sweep things under the rug and has a deep respect for what vocations stand for.  Here are the Bishop's Words....

"I am saddened and angry to learn of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report that spans a 70-year period and details tragic incidents by priests accused of abusing and exploiting children.  In response to this report and also the recent allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, I recommit my efforts to protecting youth and vulnerable adults from any type of abuse.

In the Diocese of St. Petersburg, we comply with the Charter for Protection of Children and Young People, which was adopted in June 2002 by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that requires background screening and Safe Environment Program training for all who may have the care, responsibility, and/or supervision of children and young people.  Our diocese responds promptly to all credible allegations of abuse and removes the abuser from ministry.  Additionally, we list the names of priests of the Diocese of St. Petersburg who have been accused of abuse on the Diocesan website.

I urge anyone who has been a victim of abuse by a member of the clergy or any representative of the Church to contact law enforcement and our victim assistance coordinator at 866-407-4505.  Also, I urge anyone who is aware of abuse by a member of the clergy or representative of the Church to contact law enforcement and our victim assistance coordinator at 866-407-4505.

I pray for all victims of abuse around the nation and around the world. I also pray that the Church will learn from past mistakes to be able to safeguard the people we serve and to be authentic witnesses of charity, justice and truth."

Please continue to pray for all clergy, those who walk with Christ and those who have fallen out of grace.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for your gift of our priests.  Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.  Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.  Set their souls on fire with love for your people.  Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.  Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.  Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.  Help them to become instruments of your diving grace.  We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.  Amen. 

After the busy week we had last week, I am happy to report that this week we can get to the business of teaching.  Gina and I will be more visible in the classrooms this week and we will be checking Atlas and ParentsWeb.  Be sure both are up to date.

Band forms are due Monday, but students may continue to bring them in.  Please remind students they are due.  Friday night is the PTCO movie night.  Details are in Tidbits.  If you do not receive Tidbits in your email on Thursdays, please be sure to contact Karen.  It is important that everyone is reading Tidbits each week.  Lastly, Friday is All In T-shirt and Jeans Day.  Students may also wear PE shorts.  Everyone is encouraged to wear their t-shirt that day.  If you did not get your t-shirt yet, please come see me.

Welcome to a New School Year

We made it through the first two days.  That was just practice, now it's time for the real learning to begin.  For those of you who are new to the school, welcome to my blog.  You can expect to get one of these from me every weekend.  In my blog I share upcoming events, reminders, reflections on the week, etc.  Please be sure to read it prior to Monday morning.

The first few weeks of school will have many interruptions as we get everything in place.  Please be patient and flexible during this time.  Some things that are happening in the first two weeks are pictures, band demo, Squires presentation, iReady testing, etc.  Be sure you have access to the school Google calendar and check it often, read tidbits (ask Karen if you didn't get it on Thursday), read the blog, and read emails.  It's important that EVERYONE reads their emails, not just teachers, and check it at least once each day.

Here is what is happening this week:

• Monday - Holy Card Free Dress Day.  Students must have a Holy Card with the guardian angel on it to be in free dress.  Please do not collect the cards.  Make sure it's the Guardian Angel card and not another card saved from last year.
• Monday - Faculty Meeting at 3:30 p.m. in Room 7 (we will meet in different locations each month).  We will be going over Atlas and the Grading System
• Tuesday - Band demonstration at 8:15 in the FLC for grades 1-8 followed by a presentation by the Squires.  Not everyone will stay for that.  More details to follow on Monday.
• Wednesday - Mass at 8:30 Feast of the Assumption (be sure to talk about this in Religion class on Tuesday.
• Thursday - Picture Day.  Karen will provide a schedule.  The schedule is just an estimated time.  Volunteers will come get you when it's time for your class to take pictures.  All students must be in regular school uniform.  All middle school students must wear their blue polo.  2B, 2A, and 3rd will go first in that order.  Check with Coach to see if he wants them to change into their PE uniforms after pictures.  We will then do PreK, K, and 1st so you may want to wait until after pictures to go out for recess.  Everyone else will follow after that.
• Thursday - PTCO meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the FLC.  Every teacher (including counselor and ESE) are expected to be in attendance.  We will also be celebrating Bonnie's service to the school with the parents that evening.  You will be dismissed shortly before the parents so you can be in your rooms before them.  Do not expect to have a lot of time before they arrive.  Set up prior to 5:30.  
• Thursday - Back to School Night.  There will be two sessions 6:30 - 7:10 and 7:15 - 7:55.  Plan to be done by 8 p.m.  You should be sharing your handouts with Gina for approval.  
• Friday - Free Dress for those students who have a sticker indicating their parents went to the PTCO meeting.  

Like I said, it will be a busy week!  Thank you all for a great start to this new school year.  

Go Light Your World

This coming Friday we say goodbye to our 8th graders as they take their diplomas and move their tassels.  This marks the end of yet another school year.  I'm finding it difficult to imagine that we only have two weeks left of school.  Let's be sure to keep teaching until the end.  I hope you achieved all your teaching goals this year and can see the fruits of your efforts in the progress our students have made. 



Monday after school will be our final faculty meeting.  Be sure you attend as there will be important information from Charles and I as to how to finalize the year.  The important items to be discussed are inventories, cleaning and packing the rooms, grades and report cards, and cums.  I will also tell you what to expect on the last day of school. 

The calendar meeting takes place next week.  If you have any events that you want approved for next year they MUST be in school dude.  I cannot promise that anything will be approved during the year as others may have the space you seek reserved.  This includes all student council and NJHS events.

I will be at the Project Read workshop on Monday and Tuesday.  It will be in the FLC so I will not be far. 

Have a good week and keep the students focused.   


 

May the Graces of Mary Bless our Teachers

Today was the day of Consecration to Mary.  It was the day to give your heart to Mary.  To entrust yourself to Mary.  To unite yourself to the perfect consecration of Jesus through Mary.  What comes next?  According to Michael Gaitley "lots of grace and a glorious new morning!"  As we live our consecration we should do everything with Mary, in Mary, through Mary, and for Mary.   I pray that Mary blesses each child who received the Body of her Son, Jesus on Saturday.  It was a beautiful Mass.  Thank you Heather for helping to prepare our students.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            "May Mary's example of trust and faithfulness be our strength, our light and our guide." ~ Bishop Parkes 

This is Teacher's Appreciation Week.  Please know that I appreciate all of you and everything you do for our students and our school. I'm not sure who the wine fairy was, but I also appreciate the bottle of Roscato wine left on my desk!  I know the parents appreciated the wonderful show Friday night.  They keep getting better!!  Please enjoy your week.