Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down --- except not really because I'm a ROCKET! :)

Thank you for all of your hard work and positive attitudes while working today.  If I wasn't thankful for this team before, I sure am today!  Y'all have it going on!!!  I am so proud of the leadership you exude with your peers in the district.  The dark days of winter can easily bring the blues.  Persevere- knowing you make a difference to our kids EVERY SINGLE DAY--- rain or shine!

I have enjoyed visiting your classrooms the last few weeks.  Please remember that the expectation is that a visitor should be greeted in every classroom.  I am not seeing this, especially in K-2.  Please go over this every day in morning meeting so your kids know what to do when an adult walks into your classroom.  I know I am behind on writing up walkthroughs.  I am going to catch up on that this week and I want to meet with everyone for maybe 15 minutes to go over your glows and grows to move us forward.  I will send calendar invites.  As you plan your lessons, make sure you are incorporating differentiation for you high kids.  We have to grow them too.

Please remember to work on your Important Book page with your kiddos.  Use a copy sheet of paper so they will all be the same size.  Students should illustrate their page.  You should as well.

We will talk more about Open House with whatever meeting we have this week.

The Strategic Planning Team is working on our 3-5 year plan.  One of the sections is teacher retention.  Your response question for today is:  What will keep you at STEM for this time frame, and/or what has kept you at other schools for long periods of time.  Please be specific.  Blog by Friday, Feburary 23 by 4 p.m.

Coming up this week:

Monday: A.M - Planning at Carver --- P.M. Planning on campus
Tuesday:  Regular Day
Wednesday: Regular Day
Thursday: Principal's Meeting 10:00-12 p.m.
Friday:  Kona Ice - schedule will be emailed

Thank you for being awesome every day!  Please let me know what I can do for you!

SK loves ROCKETS

The Important Book and Open House - March 1st

The date for Open House has been set for March 1st.  I would like us to create a KGJ Important Book.  Each student and teacher will write and illustrate a page to hang on the tag strips outside your rooms for Open House.  I would also like this to be an Open House with a twist - more of a student led showcase.  For instance, I want some 3rd and 5th graders positioned in the cafeteria to talk about the solar system they created, and more things along that line.  With Black History Month here, maybe students can provide a Living Museum of African Americans who have made contributions to STEM fields.  Those are just some ideas.  We can share and nail down what we can do this week.  If you are unfamiliar with The Important Book watch the YouTube read aloud below.

Here is a page from the book and example of a student page from another school.  Ms. Teeters offered to create a template for the younger kids to do.  I would like 3-5 write or type a page without a template.  

Here is mine that I will hang up outside my office:

The important thing about KGJ STEM Academy is that we are different.

We have morning meetings.

Design challenges are everywhere,

and student ambassadors greet visitors.

Our school has a STEM lab where lots of great technology is happening.

Students at KGJ rock math and science,

Yes, we teach reading.

But the important thing about KGJ STEM Academy is that we are different.

#ExploretheWHY

For your response this week, I want you to share your page to our Important Book.  This will be due by Friday, Feb.9th at 4 p.m.  Please make sure you are meeting this expectation.

Week at a glance:

Monday & Tuesday - Regular Days --- woo hoo
Wednesday - Iteam Meeting with Mrs. Newton over everything you never knew Aware could do for you.
Principal's Meeting @ Crockett from 9-12 p.m.
Thursday - 4:00-5:00 - Garden Meeting with community volunteer - anyone is welcome to join us to lead the charge.
Update webpages - lesson plans due
Campus Testing Coordinator Meeting 8:30-11:30 a.m. @ WMAB
Friday - Strategic Planning 3:45 - 4:45p.m.  Anyone is welcome to join.
Blog response is due by 4 p.m.

Longest Short Week in the History of EVER!

A couple of weeks ago, Tonya and I were talking and I mentioned that the only other time I had the flu was when I changed schools and didn't get a flu shot.  She reminded me that I had changed schools this year AND I didn't get a flu shot.  I knocked on wood..... It didn't work!!!  Seriously, I was feeling rough, y'all!  I really only worked 2 full days last week and felt like it was an eternity and Friday would never get here.  I am happy to report, that while I am still coughing, I feel so much better.  Thanks to everyone for the extra TLC last week.  I'm pretty mush done with January.  I am planning to restart my year and 2018 will officially begin February 1st! :)

I was working this weekend on some things and realized we have 10 weeks before our first round of STARR testing.  Where has this school year gone?  There are still so many miles to go.  I know we will get there as we move into the spring more focused than ever.  Depending on your mindset, will determine how you will approach the remainder of the year.  We have been in a 3 week series on mindset at church.  Today was talking about toxic mindsets and how when we allow negativity to brew in our mind, our actions and emotions can't help but mimic those thoughts.  My pastor said that research shows that if you regularly worry about getting Alzheimer's, you have a 68% chance of getting it.  What does that tell you?  Your thoughts become actions!  I fight negative thoughts as we all do.  Keep fighting that fight!  We can't ever allow negativity to win.  Our jobs are much too important.  The dark days of winter can be dreary.  Find ways to lift your spirits and those around you.  We ALL get by with a little help from our friends--- you sang with me, didn't you?

This week as I come to your classrooms I will be looking for:
1) Was I greeted by your classroom ambassador?
2)  How are you reaching the needs of ALL of your students? (I.E. - RtI, small groups, guided reading etc..)
3) Products & Objectives
Your product is not your activity.  Your product should be something quick that you can assess to ensure your students mastered the objective for that day so you, as the teacher, know if you need to adjust your lesson plans for the following day.  We will be working on products/objectives in each PLC, so please make sure your have your next PA ready to discuss.

For your reflection this week, I want you to think about how your students are exploring the WHY.  Share what your students learned and where they have struggles if any or awesome discoveries.  Please blog by Friday, January 26th at 4 p.m.

This week at a glance:
**RenStar should be complete.  Please let Tonya and I know if you have students still needing to test.
**As soon as you have completed Rigby - put them into Aware.  Email me when this has been completed.
**I believe Kinder is the only one doing IStation to help with Rigby levels.

Monday, January 22 - Lunch & Learn with Kayci (Tech) - in the lounge during your lunch

Tuesday, January 23 -  K-2 PLC

Wednesday, January 24-  I'm at admin for the A.M; no iTeam meeting this afternoon - this one is moved to Monday, January 29th.

Thursday, January 25 - Aaron Adel Day at KGJ - she will be here around 8:30; 3-5 PLC

Friday, January 26 - 504 Documentation Due, PAYDAY; Fuel Store (schedule to follow)

**Also, please take a minute during morning meeting this week to talk about cafeteria behavior.  Tonya and/or I cannot always be in there, though we try.  Please remind students they should always be examples of Rocket behavior.**  Thank you for your help with this!

Have an AWESOME week--- SK loves ROCKETS!

Happy 2018!

We are about to embark on our first full week of 2018.  The beginning of a new year is so full of possibilities and hope.  Yet, as the months and weeks pass by, typically that passion of January has faded, and we just fall back into the same habits as before.  I take that to heart as I started Weight Watchers this past week.  I want to do well on this program and get some of these unwanted pounds off!  However, wanting it is not enough.  I have to do the work.  I have to do the planning.  When I'm not constantly preparing and thinking ahead, I am going to make poor .choices.  That is exactly what happened this week.  I didn't plan well, so my choices were poor.  (WHY IS SWEET TEA AND DR. PEPPER so good and yet so bad???)  Discipline is hard in anything we do.  I went to the grocery store - with a list- and came home and prepped for lunches and snacks for the week.  Seriously, I have a point here..... when the dark days of winter come and we are longing for another break, will you still have an innovative mindset, or will you go back to the old ways of skill and drill because that is what you know and don't have to think about?  I want to challenge you as you lesson plan each week to think about the question I have asked though the Innovator's Mindset book - "Would you want to be a student in your classroom?"

************Chapter 5 - Lead, Learn, Innovate **********************
Several things struck me in this chapter.  One thing the author talked about is how he dedicated time in the classroom just seeing how his decisions impacted the classroom.   He talked about how a colleague shadowing a 10th grader and was expected to do everything that 10th grader did.  Could you imagine?  After going through the day, lectures, tests, etc... he asked the student is she didn't show up one day, did she think anyone would miss her mind, ideas, and voice? She laughed and said NO!  He then asked the question, "Can you imagine going to a place every day where you felt your voice didn't matter?"  Just let that sit for a minute.  How I hope that YOU never feel that way at KGJ,  but I equally hope that none of our students ever leave our doors feeling that way.  What are you doing as an leader of innovation to ensure that doesn't happen?


Walk through focus this week:  DIFFERENTIATION
Our goal is that every student make at least one full year's growth this year.  I believe that we teach to the highest level of the standards, but we also have to meet students where they are and move them to where we want them to be.  How are you planning your lessons to meet ALL the needs of your students?  In this week's response post, share a differentiation activity you have used.  It doesn't have to be what you are doing this week - just something you have used.  I look forward to seeing all of your students learning and succeeding.  Please respond NO LATER than 4 p.m. on Friday.

Next week's focus:  Intervention/RtI

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
**I will start meeting with everyone this week to discuss your T-TESS goals and how you are doing and what you need to complete your goal.  I have sent calendar invites for those.
Monday - Monday Morning Meeting - UIL Awards (other 9 week awards will be given at next Monday Morning Meeting).
Tuesday - K-2 PLCs; Testing Coordinator Meeting for me 1:30-4 - Data Digs Due by 3 p.m.
Wednesday - Iteam Meeting in STEM lab as soon as students are gone; RENSTAR 360 testing window open through 17th.(Please let Tonya and/or I know if you need assistance); Grade Level RtI meetings in conference room.
Thursday - 3-5 PLCs; Website updates & Lesson plans due today; Report Cards Go Home
Friday -  Principal Meeting 9-12 for me; Blog response due by 4.

Stay positive this week and as always --- BE AWESOME!