Winfield Middle School Staff Blog
Jan 21, 2016
Politics as usual during this election year???
Board Member Appreciation Week
A public entity like a school district is typically lead by a team. By democratic vote through the election process, this group earns the responsibility, burden, task or duty of guiding and steering the entire district. Decisions permeate the entire culture and climate of a district, and like Washington DC, a crucible of ideas, perspectives and eventual outcomes centered on students. There will and should always be some negotiation and sharing of ideas and at the end of the day, the best final result.
Please make a special effort this week to express gratitude and appreciation to those citizens who make this extra effort to serve the community in this capacity. It is often a thankless position but these servants seldom do it for the power, prestige or position but to serve children, futures and the community.
It is from this serving attitude we at the Middle School would like to express our most sincere thanks to our Winfield School Board, Mike Bash, Mike Bromwich, Jen Bryan, Kristen Burkemper, Melanie Jordan, Craig Politte and Jim Taylor.
THANK YOU, TEAM.
An abridged staff version…
Snow days - Our make up day will be a full day slated for Feb 15th.
Schedule
Monday - 1/25
Binder Team meetings - Work on Team U of I or student work samples
Progress Reports are emailed and hard copies sent.
Tuesday - 1/26
I may have an ADMIN meeting at central office.
An inner - agency meeting follows
Wednesday - 1/27
Thursday - 1/28
Tier 2 / Care Team Meeting in Daugherty’s Room
Friday - 1/29
Upcoming
Feb 3 - Early Release - 6th Grade Binder Team & SPED to host
U of I work in teams/individually
Happiness Advantage Activity: 7 seconds, 8 seconds, 9 seconds or 10 seconds (not 70 seconds)
Attendance Challenge Progress
Pizza or Cookies for first AC LAB to earn 5 days of 100% attendance.
Then, contest focuses on the next hour of the day.
Google Docs
Feb 19 - Middle School Glow Dance
FEB 28 - Not sure about a rescheduling of the www.harlemwizards.com yet. PLEASE THROW YOUR HAT IN THE RING IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO PLAY. I know they are looking for faculty in the contest. TICKETS AT CENTRAL OFFICE
On another positive note…
{See the building January data below}
...eValuate Cycle A of Content Tested
{steady overall growth. Very nicely done!}
...and...
...the Cycle B of Content Tested
Resources:
www.worditout.com. Link to a wordcloud maker.
We will get our MAP dates together ASAP to assist in planning.
Intrinsic or Extrinsic?
I am hearing great comments, thoughts and questions about motivation. Of course we want all students to be perfectly motivated, excited and willing to learn every day and always wanting to do their best, but this is still the middle school. That might not happen.
In the meantime, we work with them, encouraging them, watching true growth and learning happen and are even encouraged ourselves. Do they work for food? Would they work to go bowling? Would knockerball take it over the top? Is Six Flags a true carrot? Is our relationship that matters the most? Does knowing their name and using it politely help? Do their lives matter? Are their interests worth asking about?
It seems like these questions could go on and on, like the diversity among a population. And maybe that is part of the solution? Maybe all of these have their place? Maybe each will work with various sub-groups? Maybe some students just want to be noticed and mentioned? Maybe some need more to continue their development?
A 5th grader I met last weekend showed me a “book” she had written. It took all of her 4th grade year, and one could tell she had invested many hours in the finished product. Optimal motivational techniques for her? She might want to spend time in a game and social interaction. Her brother will want to go outside and take risks. Like their diversity, our students have diversity and all of our programs are intending to reach different students. One program doesn’t solve all the issues but all of them together demonstrate we are willing to serve each sub-group specifically, individually and intentionally. Like our diversity, they have diversity. Hence, we respond with diverse and varied interventions. Will one work, everytime with every student? Of course not. Let’s develop what works for them.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK: PBiS, Binder Teams, Grade Levels, Steering, classroom rules and procedures, buddy sheets, HOT Sheets, ASD, ISS, OSS, lunch detentions, hall restrictions, pink sheets, individual conversations, class discussions, attitudes, consistency, healthy confrontations, and relationship building that each of you do with our students daily.
Thank you
Tom McCracken
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