Can you believe we completed week 2? What an amazing Friday! Y'all were all so flexible today with the overwhelming response to our Grandparent's Day Celebration. I never would have dreamed so many people would come. Thanks especially to 1st and 4th grade for eating in their classrooms with their kids and their loved ones today as there was no room in the cafeteria. We are taking notes for everything we do so when we get ready to plan for next year, we all have a few "lessons learned" under our belts.
I have heard many of you tell me about how overwhelmed you are with all of the NEW pieces of lesson planning and unpacking PAs. I want you to know that I hear you. I am asking everyone to hang on and let's continue with the process and see if by the end of the month and going into October that it seems better as we will only be preparing a week at a time at that point yet still being 2 weeks ahead. I want to know your needs and what I can do to help this process for you. I want you to know that you are doing everything beautifully. I will start commenting on your plans and heading into your rooms this week. You've got this -- don't lose heart!
What's happening THIS week?
Monday - Patriot's Day - If you didn't get a chance to finish your cards, please do so before 10:45 and give to Tonya. I have no idea how many (if any) first responders will visit. We will deliver any extra cards to area stations. I know many of you did that on Friday as a lot of our kids left with grandparents.
Tuesday - Big Kahuna fundraiser kick off & PLC (k-2)
Wednesday: ITeam Meeting
Thursday: PLC 3-5
Below is our tentative schedule for our Power of 10 presentation:
Monday: September 11 – 3:45-4:30 – Decide on a design and
materials needed – and assign tasks
Tuesday, September 12 – 3:45 – 4:30 – start putting design
together; accomplishing assigned tasks if possible.
Wednesday – Iteam Meeting over district items
Thursday, September 14 Meeting with Dr. Liggins after school
*Friday, September 15 – Power of 10 due (just our ideas that
we wrote out- I am responsible for this)
Please continue working on your student ambassadors. They are doing an amazing job. I'm so proud.
Remember we will have our morning meeting in the cafeteria. Red Team at 7:45 and Silver team at 8:00 (isn't that the order I said earlier?)
Please comment with an encouraging thought to your colleagues. That will be your "sign in" so I know you have read this!
Thanks so much for all of your hard work. You are all amazing and I am truly blessed to work with you each day!
SK loves Rockets
I love our rocket family!!! After speaking with a few fellow GISD employees today at a birthday party, I hear the stress and frustrations. Although ours is similar, we are BLESSED to have an outstanding principal who hears us!! I am encouraging you all to remember that each day brings new mercies. Try not to go home worrying about what you need to accomplish tomorrow. Tomorrow will come one way or the other, but enjoy today. Enjoy your students, our rocket family, your own family. Sit down and eat dinner with your people. Watch a show. Take a long bath. Get your nails done. Whatever it is that helps you to enjoy today! Love you all!!!
ReplyDeleteso true! It is the simple things that speak to my heart!
DeleteYes--- EVERYONE... give yourself a break!
DeleteThe best gifts in this world are not in the material objects one can buy from the store, but in the memories we make with the people we love.
ReplyDelete~ Author Unknown
True--- lots of memories being made this year!
DeleteI agree with Paige and Diana, I feel so blessed to get to come to work with such amazing people everyday. Let's lift each other up when times are hard and be the light for each other as we are for our students and our parents.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect plan God has for us!
Let's make week 3 AWESOME!
We have a amazing team! Lean on each other!
DeleteGreat first two weeks!!! I might be tired as all get, but I know we are improving the lives of these little ones and they will grow up to be amazing citizens and do amazing things in their lives!!!
ReplyDelete"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can."
Nikos Kazantzakis
And we can! #WeGotThis
Rocket STRONG!!! Yes, we can!
DeleteI respect, admire and love each of you. Sincerely.
ReplyDeleteWe got this y'all!!
I want to give a shout out to Stacey and Crystal! Y'all have been an amazing support for me these last two weeks and have talked me through the tears! I am so grateful to work with such an amazing group of people and feel confident that this is where I was meant to be! I finally allowed myself a break (and being as "gold" as I am you know how difficult that was) and what will be will be! Everything will get done when it needs to be! Enjoy the little things! Love y'all!
ReplyDeleteMy words come from someone that I admire with my whole heart and turn to daily for inspiration, Mother Teresa:
ReplyDeleteI can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot:
Together we can do GREAT things!
We are a great team~keep pushing forward!!
From Nurse Jennifer --My response keeps getting deleted when I try to post it. I've now typed multiple lengthy letters saying how AWESOME all of you are and what a privilege it is to work along side each of you. I didn't know, until this year, that I could be so excited to come to work every day! Keep up the amazing work of spurring our kiddos on to GREATNESS! I am proud to be a part of TEAM ROCKETS!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFrom Crystal ---Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations."
ReplyDeleteI believe that we have created a beautiful destination for our students as well as an environment that I feel welcomed and supported! I know the road this year has been difficult so far. The good thing about our staff is that if one of us is down, there is always someone there to pull us up. I am so proud to work at this campus with all of you!
I am very lucky to have Vanessa as my other part of this first grade craziness!! Thank you for hanging in there with me!
Couldn't have made it this far without all of you!
From Gina ---I love and appreciate each one of you! It's been so much fun getting to know a whole new group of co-workers.
ReplyDeleteStacey, thank you for being such an amazing Principal and leader. We appreciate your heart and ear while listening to our struggles and fears.
Your patience and encouragement means the most. With all the changes in GISD this year, YOU make it bearable!!!
Everyone is working so hard!!! Keep on, keeping on. Don't forget to make time for yourself and your family. School is a lot like housework, there is always something to do. To be the best you, you have to make time for yourself!
May God bless our efforts this year, but more importantly may we each be a blessing to others.
"Sometimes the thing your students need MOST, right now, has NOTHING to do with what's on your LESSON PLANS!"
ReplyDelete"When you're going through something hard and wonder where God is, remember the teacher is always quiet during a test."
From Vickie ---I have a mouth full of ulcers, my stomach is a mess, and I have a pimple on my cheek...but I still have a smile on my face! 😊
WE CAN DO THIS!!!😜
I am so thankful to be at such an amazing school with such amazing teachers! I am truly excited to come to work every single day and I don't even mind that I get here early and stay late! I love the positivity that everyone exudes and its contagious! Stacey- you are truly the best and we are so lucky to have you!
ReplyDeleteI am so very blessed to be able to work with every one of you! Thankful beyond anything I could ever convey with words!
ReplyDelete"And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)"
Blessed beyond measure!" This is my response to family and friends whenever I'm asked how this new school year is going. I'm honored to work with such a devoted and talented team! This includes everyone that's on our campus. It is obvious that everyone here loves children and honors the varied gifts each of us bring to make this such an inspirational place for all who enter our doors.
ReplyDeleteEach new school year brings its own set of craziness and high demands. This is when I try to remember the wisdom of the kindergarten philosophy shared by Robert Fulghum:
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum
Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.
These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
I'm so thankful to hold hands with all of you as we stick together on this journey of wonder!
I love this, Sondra! Paige - did you see that it says to take a nap every afternoon! LOL
ReplyDeleteI keep this on my picture board by my desk: "Just do what you do best." I refer back to this often when I feel like I sometimes don't know what I'm doing. I have to remember, I got this! So as we all feel like we are on overload, remember we got this and just do what we do best. Just do you!!
ReplyDelete