Thank you all for everyone's efforts this week in keeping our building normal. This week was indeed difficult, even without vacation and holidays looming at the outset; I'd be lying if Monday and Tuesday weren't a surreal, in many ways, for me, and probably some of you, as we returned to school following the events of last week. We were able to work through the week with relative ease and without much incident - we returned to normalcy very quickly. For that, we owe each of you and the efforts you put in your classrooms a debt of gratitude.
Today was incredibly quiet and very routine, as days before a vacation go. As I wandered the corridors, and got notes back from the Hall Duty folks, students were in class, and those that were out were quickly making their to and fro' the appropriate destinations - again, a credit to whatever was happening in class today. For that, I think we are all genuinely appreciative. As Voltaire said, "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."
No educational links, videos, or resources in this week's notes. Just a sincere thanks for what you do every day, and the hope that you will all enjoy some time with family and friends in the coming days and week, and that you are all able to recharge for the stretch run to the end of the second quarter.
As an aside, a couple of things that will hopefully make you smile:
Somehow, the events of Newtown, CT seem far more significant than anything we could pen as a teaching resource this Friday. Our thoughts and prayers go to all those affected by the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Words cannot possibly do the sadness justice.
The only thing that I could think of posting came from, fittingly, Mr. Rogers, who helped shape so many of our collective childhoods:
"When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world."
Thank you all for the help and the care you give our students and each other, every day.
Next week
We have five days remaining until the break, and no doubt these next few days will be frustrating and testing as the excitement toward break mounts. At the same time, the holidays bring a great deal of stress to many families and students. Please be on the lookout for signs of distress, and please refer to counselors any students about whom you have specific concerns.
Last week, Ms. Cumming and Ms. Kitka both presented at a symposium for parents regarding dealing with stress and families at the times of the holidays. Their, and the other counselors in the district's, reference materials will be posted to the school or district conference in the coming days as an added resource for staff.
Please keep in mind that holiday parties, unless directly tied to the curriculum, are discouraged; also, be mindful that any food that enters the building may have allergens or cause health concerns. In short, just avoid it. Additionally, please reference Doug's earlier email about gifts in the event that a student or family gives you something, even in the "spirit of the season," as there is always the ethics and conflict of interest law in play. Attendance and Wandering
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we absolutely need people to double-check student attendance and contact the office, particularly during first period. Twice this week we were calling students down with slips for "class cut" (and periods after lunch), when the student was, in fact, out the entire day. (Oddly, only two teachers cited the student for cutting class, and the other three just missed it). Please, please, please - the crisis in Connecticut underscores our own need to have meticulous records, especially if we need to account for all students in the building in the event of evacuation or lockdown.
To wandering - it is okay to tell a student that he/she cannot be in class, and if you notice you have a student that is not present and should be (at least according to the attendance), let us know - even if with a write-up after the period, or a call at the onset. (Those of you who have some our wandering frequent flyers have done a fine job of keeping us posted when those students are missing). We have had an increased traffic for Saturday school and have suspended our first students of the year in the past couple of weeks, and, thus, consequences will be issued if/when these students err. The key, of course, is that they learn from them.
Next week's Festivus celebration:
From Wikipedia: Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to Christmas and as way to commemorate the season without participating in its pressures and commercialism. Festivus became part of worldwide popular culture after being featured on an episode of the American TV show Seinfeld in 1997.
From Youtube:
To sign up to bring something to next week's brunch, click here!
While on the subject of the holidays, thanks again for all your support, be it tacit or explicit, for the Holiday Giving Project. That our student body of 800 was able to donate more than 500 items is indeed incredible!
Thanks again for your vigilance, enjoy the weekend, and give those loved ones an extra squeeze over the next couple weeks. We hope that you all have some time to enjoy the presence of family and friends in these coming weeks.
Thanks to everyone for continuing to keep students on task this week and into the next couple. We have been meeting at length with parents, students, counselors, et al to try and work on all the interventions necessary for our neediest students, while at the same time making sure that the details do not slip through. We have had some procedural questions come up, and hopefully there will be some answers here.
CELL PHONES
The question has come up as to what to do if a student is using a cell phone without permission, texting in class, etc. Obviously, the quick "put it away" works well, but if it gets to the point where a teacher feels compelled to take the device from the student, please send it to the office and provide a writeup slip. That allows us to track who may be repeat offenders - and thus enables an easier assignment of consequences. If a student is becoming distracting or insubordinate with the continued use of these devices, please let us know and we will deal with it!
FACULTY MEETING
We will have a faculty meeting on Tuesday, December 11 after school in the cafeteria, and we will have a pretty packed agenda. First, we will hear from the Student Government, who will be presenting a proposal on Senior Privileges that has been to school council already. We have been working with them on this proposal for several weeks, and we think it will have a number of positive impacts on the school at large, but want to have the student voice be heard! We will also be working on tying Common Core and NEASC together, and guidance will be presenting an activity as well. BLENDED LEARNING
For those that didn't have the opportunity to read them, there were a number of resources in this week's Medway Weekly on blended learning; there are many people working on blended/online/itslearning as part of their goals, and these resources will be particularly helpful:
For all periods - check period attendance! Especially first period! If you notice a student is not present, but is marked present, let the office staff know. It could be a cut, it could be a clerical error, it could be a dismissal - but especially first period, it helps us double and crosscheck the mistakes that are happening in homeroom. Please help us with this!
Video of the Week:
This TED talk discusses a framework for the new learning ecology.
Upcoming Calendar -
December 12 is the annual winter concert -7:30 in the auditorium. Don't miss it!
December 19 - NHS induction!
Finally, thanks to all for participating in the Giving Project! Amazing donations so far, after just a week!
Have a great weekend, and to those celebrating Hannukah beginning Sunday, enjoy!
