All Saints Day

All Saints Day is the day we remember all the saints in heaven.  There is some excellent information about the Holy Day on this website https://www.catholic.org/saints/allsaints/   What you will find is that, as many of our Catholic celebrations, it was first celebrated on a pagan festival day.  The idea was people were already used to celebrating on that day and the Church was trying to replace pagan festivals.  Remember that there is no Mass on Wednesday, it will be on Friday this week.  When we return from Mass we will continue with the regular schedule with 3rd period at 9:50 a.m.  Please decide with your partner/team/encore teacher what you would like to do if we get back from Mass before 9:30.

How to prepare for Nov. 1 visit:

• Look around your classroom - would a stranger walking into the room see evidence of our Catholic Identity.
• Be sure your room is neat - student books are not falling out of the desk, teacher workspace is tidy, room is safe for students to navigate.
• Plan an engaging activity for students.  I do not want you to put on a show, but this is not a day to give a test.  The engaging activity also does not mean play a game.  Engagement means student-driven learning rather than teachers lecturing.  

This comes from a document sent to me by Mary Camp from the Florida Catholic Conference and what I based my recommendations on:

·         The team will observe in each classroom for approximately 5-10 minutes looking for:

o   Mission and Catholic Identity (Standards 1-4)

o   Student engagement (Standard 7)

o   General safety (Standard 14)

You are all doing a wonderful job in your roles and it will not be difficult for the visiting team to see all this.  Have a wonderful week and no one is allowed to be sick on Friday.  Just take some Tylenol and you'll be fine :)

The Annual Report is Done!

Last week, Gina and I meticulously went through the Action Plans, Binders, the ARCA and all the evidence.  Everything now has at least one piece of named evidence or comment, Plans are all up to date, and the binders are ready to go.  Thank you all so very much for your hard work.  On Friday I uploaded the action plans and hit the submit button and it felt really good!  The last item we will finish and submit this week is the Third-Year Report.  As we go through it, we will be asking to meet with the Domain and Steering Committee Chairs as we need to better understand your choices.  Some are clear but others are not and Gina and I will need to be able to speak on the choices during the Visit.  On Nov. 1, the Visiting Team will want to meet with 4 students (1 each from grades 5-8).  Teachers in Angel's Wing, please submit names by Friday.  Be sure to talk with the students and ask them if they are comfortable.  At the end of the visit, The Team will want to meet with the Steering Committee.  We will make arrangements for class coverage.  You should all be proud of the work we have done, not only for the visit but also in our progress on our Action Plans. 

I will not be sending a blog next weekend as many will be away and there are only three days of school the following week.  Therefore, here are some reminders for the next two weeks:

• Monday, 10/14 is a Faculty Meeting.  Please let me know if there are upcoming events you are in charge of and wish to discuss (i.e., Harvest Festival, etc.).  
• Wednesday is our 2nd Principal's Coffee.  This time we will be discussing assessments, both classroom and standardized.  
• Student Council will be selling Pumpkin Pops during lunch.  For those who are new, these are actually pre-orders.  The Pops will be delivered on Halloween.  
• Monday, 10/21 is No School
• Tuesday, 10/22 is our Professional Development Day.  Think about carpooling to your assigned school as most are a good distance away.  
• Friday, 10/25 is Marvelous Mustang, Jean Day, and Trunk or Treat.  Be sure you move your car out of the parking lot by 5:30 on 10/25 if you plan to stay late.

Have a Marvelous 2 Weeks.    

And peace came over the land.....

That is how this week should feel after Spirit Week and Book Fair...  Peaceful.  At least I hope there will be some normalcy.  I spoke to Fr. Tim this morning at Mass.  He was telling me about the Communion Service on Wednesday.  Deacon Mike will be explaining the difference to the students and telling them how the hosts were consecrated.  I think you should prepare them in Religion class too so they are prepared if he asks questions.  Please remind the students on Friday that next weekend (Oct. 12-13) is Uniform Weekend.  Wear their uniform, get a holy card, and wear free dress on Monday Oct. 14.  At the same time, remind them of the free-dress rules.  Shorts must be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee.  If wearing leggings, tops must be tunic-style and fingertip length.  Those tend to be the biggest offenders right now.  Also, please check jewelry on uniform and non-uniform days.  Rules remain the same for both.  Thank you for helping with reminding students about how we dress.

I was asked by Faith Formation to share some reminders with you.  We must be mindful of the fact that while this is a school, it's actually a parish building and used by other ministries.  We always want to leave it clean and tidy for others to use.  Students should pick up everything on the floor at the end of the day (paper, pencils, water bottles, etc.).  Desktops should always be clean and materials and personal items put away.  All classrooms should have an all-purpose cleaner.  I did see these under the sinks over the summer.  If you need something stronger, I have Awesome in the office.  Also, please remember you should not put the chairs up on Wednesday.   

Here is exactly what Faith Formation is asking:

• SSCS teachers place tests, school books, supply bins and markers in a safe location.
• We ask that all desks be wiped down.  We have discovered in some classrooms desks are unkept.  This would alleviate our Catechists from rushing prior to class to prepare their rooms.
• If the air is not working, please have teachers notify the office and let Faith Formation know so we can make arrangements for our children.

Any time the AC goes over 73 degrees and will not come down, please alert the office immediately.

I will be back tomorrow but will probably be staying close to my desk.  Walking is still uncomfortable and if I decide to bring my walker, there will be no laughing or pointing of fingers. 

I will be leading the first decade of the Rosary on the morning show tomorrow.  Please be sure the students have their rosaries.  Continue to pray the rosary with your class during the week.  We will pray the 3rd decade before Mass on Wednesday at 8:20.  

Monday after school is our STREAM meeting.  Please come prepared to talk about how and what students will be presenting on Nov. 7.  Thursday is picture re-take day and graduation pictures.  Have a wonderful week.  

Let the Games Begin!

War has been declared and the winners will be those suffering from damage caused by Hurricane Dorian.  Please encourage your students to participate and help build excitement.  NJHS will lead this event and will let you know what the prize will be for the winning class.  Each day, the top classes will be announced at the end of the day.  You should have your Penny and Paper container already in your classrooms.  The Silver containers will be in the Breezeway from 7:30 to 7:50 a.m. each day.  NJHS members will collect all containers at 8:00 a.m. and bring them to the office for counting.  Also, be sure to encourage participation in Spirit Week activities.  Thank you to everyone who is making this happen. 

I need to ask everyone to be conscious of the time and to be considerate of other teachers' time.  Gina and I have seen and are hearing about classes that are not on time for Encore classes, for lunch, for carline, etc.  The bell is not a signal to start wrapping up a class.  Keep an eye on the clock, set a timer, or have a student remind you of when it is 5 minutes before the end of class.  That is the time to wrap up, clean up, and pack up.  Students should be ready to line up when the bell rings.  This gives them 3 minutes to get to their next class.  Thank you to those who are always on time and I appreciate everyone making an effort in this area.  

Maria shared a YouTube video about classroom management and noise.  The speaker took a very long time to say something simple, but he does make a good point.  In a nutshell what he is saying is if you let students enter the room in chaos, it's difficult to gain control.  You waste 5 minutes getting them to settle down.  Control starts in the hallway.  I also like how he says you've lost control when you yell or send students out of the room.  (Please know that I also think there are exceptions to this - sending students out.  Sometimes a timeout from each other is needed.)  But he is clear about the need to show who is in command.  He also talks about focusing on the positive and not the negative.  It sounds like this... "Johnny, thank you for standing quietly and it looks like you have all your materials, good job.  Mary, I'm so happy to see you today and you look ready to learn.  Etc."  I will say that I see many teachers doing this already.  He also talks about something I think is SO important, especially as students get older, knowing your students and making chit chat.  You need to know what students are into.  It sounds like this, "Good morning Sally, your hair looks so pretty today.  Johnny, how was the soccer game last night?  Is anyone going to see the new Spiderman movie this weekend? Did anyone try the pizza for lunch today?  Etc."  I had a challenging student one year and I would hook him every Monday morning with a recap of the Sunday episode of Dr. Who.  Know your students.  He then goes on to say that you let students enter the room in groups as they are ready.  Give clear instructions, "Please be quiet, no more talking, and when you enter do the assignment on the board." (Always have something for them to do as soon as they enter.)  Students who are ready to follow directions should enter and begin.  You may need to give the directions a few times before everyone enters.  This may seem like it takes a while, but it is probably less time than letting them in when they are out of control and then bringing them to order and it sets the tone for the rest of the class.  Please know that I think all of you are doing a great job but we also know there are some challenging students among us.  These helpful hints may just work.  

This week I will be out on Thursday and Friday.  I will not be available at all on Thursday (I'm having arthroscopic surgery on both knees), but you can reach me after that.  My plan is to be back by Tuesday (or as soon as I can get around without that walker they gave me #areyoukiddingme). Gina has a principal's meeting on Friday morning and Julianne will be the goto person.  Here is the rule for Friday...  No one can be sick, children are not allowed to misbehave, and everything will be sunshine and roses.  Marvelous Mustang will take place Friday morning.  Students receiving the award will be a little late for class as they will be at the breakfast in the East Hall following the morning show.  Given how Friday looks, I suggest door judging take place next Monday.  

Have a great week everyone!

Catechetical Sunday

Today is Catechetical Sunday and it is an opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel.  It is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to this mission as a community of faith.   Thank you to everyone who came out to support the SVDP Society by attending the Ladies Tea this weekend.  Good food, good tea, and a fun time with friends.  Next weekend will also be an opportunity to connect with the ministries of our Parish by attending the Ministry Fair.  Thank you to those who have volunteered to help. 



This week, Gina will be out on Tuesday at a Title I meeting in Tampa.  On Wednesday, Gina and I are hosting our first Principal's Coffee of the year.  We are bringing back a tradition from a number of years ago.  We are hoping parents will see this as an opportunity to become more engaged with the school and learn first hand about what we are doing rather than getting their facts from Facebook. 

Having completed 5 weeks of school now, all classes should have at least one summative in the grade book.  If not, you need to be planning how you will get 4 summatives completed in the next 7 weeks.  If you need help in looking at your curriculum and where those opportunities are, please come see Gina or me. 

Have a wonderful week.

Be a Prayer Warrior

This week I begin by saying we all need to be prayer warriors.  Give thanks to God for Maria's first grandchild.  Pray that the Lord's peace may be with the Wierbonic family during this difficult time as they grieve the loss of Sue's sister-in-law.  Pray for those displaced from their homes because of Dorian.  Pray for Mrs. Torres starting round 2 of Chemo.  Pray for all our students who may be having difficulties in their lives.  Pray, pray, pray.  

Enjoy the quiet of the next two weeks, because some busy days are coming.  In a couple of weeks, we will have our Spirit Week followed by Book Fair.  Student council will provide information on Spirit Week and NJHS is sponsoring a Penny War that same week.  More details to follow.  On the Friday of Book Fair week, we will have Grandparents Day.  

The Parish Ministry fair takes place the weekend of Sept. 21-22.  I still need 3 volunteers (1 for the 9:30 Mass and 2 for the 11:30 Mass).  Only 30 minutes of your time is needed after Mass to sit at the school table and check on our students at the craft table.  Thank you to those who have already volunteered - Mustang Bucks to you! Here is the link one more time https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F0B4DACA62BA6FB6-ministry

Here is a website about storytelling and information about the Tampa Bay Storytelling Festival.  Unfortunately, it is on a weekend, but we can let our parents know about it and encourage them to attend http://tampastory.org/teaching-storytelling/   There is a storytelling manual which I have downloaded and sent to teachers in an email.

Tomorrow is a STREAM faculty meeting.  Please bring with you what your project will look like.  I would like a copy of everyone's project.  You should always give students written directions, a copy of the rubric, and a timeline with due dates at the start of every project.  If yours is not done yet, please send it when finished and just bring your ideas to share.

Have a good week everyone.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

 I am sure the words from this song were on the minds of many throughout the state this weekend.  Many meteorologists have said that this was and continues to be a difficult storm to predict.  This storm has also left many wondering why the decision to close schools came so early.  Public schools serve as evacuation sites and schools in Hillsborough could be asked to house those coming from the Eastcoast.  Thankfully, we are in a position to wait and it appears the Diocese has made a good decision.  Let us remember to pray for those who were not so lucky and have felt the wrath of Dorian.  

I would like to talk about Homework in this Blog.  Homework should be meaningful.  At the Elementary level, homework should include:

• Reading
• A few (3-5) well-chosen math problems
• Studying for tests
• Working on a piece of a project that must be completed at home (i.e., interview your parent, collect baptism photos, etc.)
• Practicing math facts, sight words, spelling words, etc.

It should be a rare occasion that students in grades K-4 have homework in science, social studies, or religion.  I did not include grade 5 as they are preparing for middle school and expectations should increase as the year goes on.  Once students reach middle school, the math facts, etc. can be replaced by flipping the classroom and more content area assignments.  But again, it should be meaningful.  Something I may not have mentioned to new teachers or reminded returning teachers is our policy as it relates to projects.  As stated in our handbook, at least 90% of project work should take place at school under the guidance of the teacher.  Not only does it allow the teacher to assist, but it also ensures that it is the student's work.  

The debate for and against homework continues.  What does seem to be clear is that as students get older (middle school and then high school), there is a positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.  What helps most at the elementary level is allowing time for reading, both independently and being read to.  However, other homework does have value at this age.  It instills important learning habits and skills such as how to prepare for a test, time management, organizational skills, and responsibility.  

What should you take from this?  Continue to give homework, think carefully about what you assign, and give as little as possible but do give what is necessary.  

Have a wonderful week.  I will be at Tampa Catholic on Friday working on Religion Standards.