You Mean I Have To Wait?!?

I have had a weekend where I wanted time to slow down but in the next mini second...I needed things to change RIGHT NOW!!!  In my usual day to day interactions, I am content with where I am (socially, professionally, physically, etc.) but this weekend I regressed to a little child.

Why can't I be at least 4 sizes smaller by now? I mean I did without my favorite candy all weekend! And why can't I have that bigger house like the couple on House Hunters? I mean she works at a bank and he's an architect...isn't teaching so much harder and more important?  Life is so unfair and I am tired of doing what's right and still not getting what I want! Maybe I am the only one prone to this pity party behavior but to be transparent that's where I am right now.

So this week's blog is to me (and to you or someone you love who's prone to weak moments like this).  I can't advise myself because I am in too deep right now so I am going to post words of wisdom regarding waiting and the importance of doing so.  I am going to look at these words until I return to my healthier self.  If you have any wise words you like to leave, please feel free to do so in the comments.

As we wait for our Friday to come, I hope you all do it much more gracefully than I have been doing this weekend.


Love you all and hope everyone has an amazing week!

Angela

Week of March 30-April 3, 2015 (Week B)

Monday, March 30, 2015

• Morning Meeting
• Hill at Chamber Mtg at 12:00
• Show CDH Awareness Power Point to Students (attached to blog email)

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

• CDH Day; Staff and students are encouraged to join others across the Nation in recognition of this disease.  A staff member at THS, Andy Cole, had a daughter who was born with this defect. Please wear teal/ turquoise for this awareness day.  Please show power point to class (minus last three slides) to your class on Monday, March 30 to help encourage them to wear teal/turquoise.
• Revised Schedule- See Mr. Backus's Test Email from 3/27
• 3rd and 4th PLCs
• Reading EOY Benchmark

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

• 5th Grade PLC
• Math EOY Benchmark

Thursday, April 2, 2015

• Science Benchmark
• Mentor/ Mentee Mtg

Friday, April 3, 2015

• Goodie Day
• All Peer Observations Completed by this date
• Spring Break begins at 3:30 PM :)

Please remember that you are welcomed to wear jeans all week...thanks, thanks, and much more thanks for all you do for me and the students at EES.

Look for the blog to be emailed by 3/10 for the following week!

And as always, please let me know if you see anything that needs to be corrected for this coming week.

Your Break Is Near...

So, we have 10 busy days until Spring Break.  How will you use these next 70 hours?  You know that time is so precious and is one of the few things that you can not buy more of.  Just know that I recognize the time and effort you give to our students on a daily basis. I also know that if you continue to tweak your instruction and incorporate those high yield strategies, we have learned about through learning focused, growth and higher proficiency will be seen in May!

I am going to keep this short and sweet due to to having a sick one at home.  The stomach virus has arrived at the Hill Home :(  Charlotte has been sick three times today and it has been a MESS to clean up. Sorry...TMI! More importantly, please keep Ms. Elliott and Mrs.Cowan's daughter, Paisley,in your thoughts and prayers.  A mass has been found in Ms.Elliott's older brother's brain and the diagnosis doesn't look good.  An email was sent regarding Paisley from Ms. Lemon.  And Ms. Baker is home but still on the mind. Times like these are the times we need to stick together and be there for each other.  I know we will be there to support just as we always are because that's just what we do!


Hope you are having an awesome weekend and see you tomorrow!

Angela


Week of March 23-27, 2015 WEEK A

Monday, March 23

• Morning Meeting
• PTO Mtg at 6 PM

Tuesday, March 24

• Hill at BOE from 8:00-11:00
• 3rd and 4th PLCs
• Committee Mtgs. (Chairs please have information regarding your meeting emailed to members and administration by end of day Monday)
• Family Read-In Night 6:30-8:00

Wednesday, March 25

• Hill at Leadership Harnett Breakfast at CU 7:30-9:30
• Easter Pictures 9-10:30
• 5th PLC

Thursday, March 26

• Hill Webinar 3-5 PM

Friday, March 27

• Jeans for a Cause
• Treasure Trove Program at 2:30 (students need to come packed and ready to go home)

The Next 45 Days...

We've worked so hard this year.  Think of the sacrifices you've made to ensure that your students have had the best of you.  The things you said NO to and more importantly the things you said YES to you have made your year the year it has been.  When our students are assessed the last week in May, lets make sure it is the best and most accurate picture of the educational environment at our site.

I will be talking to all of you about what you're going to do these last nine weeks to ensure that our students are able to truly demonstrate their learning in May.  Please start thinking about what changes, you and your team, will need to be made to keep the focus on learning and help prevent the "stress" that comes when students and staff feel that the test will not reflect what's really going on.  If you are in need of resources to "twerk" instruction, please schedule a meeting with me.

Have an awesome week!
Angela

Week of March 16-20, 2015

Monday, March 16

• Hill at Principal Council Mtg at 9 AM
• Morning Meeting
• Sign up for Business Expo on Bar*

Tuesday, March 17

• 3rd and 4th PLCs
• BOB Competition at THS! GO EES!
• Faculty Summit at 3:30 in Media Center

Wednesday, March 18

• 5th PLC

Thursday, March 19

• Erwin Business Expo 11:30-5:30 (need staff to volunteer to man the table)
• Backus gone to NCPAPA Conference
• Practice for HOB at THS
• Hill at THS Attendance Area Principal Mtg at CEMS 1-2:30
• Hill on Webinar for BB&T 3-5 PM

Friday, March 20

• Backus gone to NCPAPA Conference
• Career Day 8:00-11:30
• HOB Practice at EES

Saturday our team will be participating in Science Olympiad Competition at Four Oaks Elementary! Good luck :)

Listen First To Understand

This is going to be short and sweet.  Currently, I am at The Cover- Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville for our church's marriage retreat.  It had been a wonderful weekend and I've learned a lot.  Two pieces of information I feel transcends marriage training and relates easily with those we spend the most time with between Monday and Friday...our co-workers.

1. Listen first to understand: We spend so much time listening to people but manyt times we are waiting to find an in to share our thoughts/ideas.  What if we just actively listened and kept our mouths shut and then responded about what they said not how we feel about what they said?  I believe we'd have such stronger relationships if we exercised this among each other and out students.
2. We also discussed that when you believe the grass is greener somewhere else, it's time to water your own grass. Many times people believe that there's something BETTER out there and there usually isn't.  In marriages, many times people leave their spouse because of a problem that makes up 20% of their problems but they connect on 80%.  They find someone who can meet that 20% that their previous spouse couldn't but they can't replace the 80% and now your worst off than before.  Let's not even look at marriages but relationships with friends and situations we find our selves in.  I can honestly say OUCH to this truth so I will stop here.

As we end our school year, please make sure you share any ideas with me and/or your school improvement team representatives on what and where you want to be next year by April 14th.  That is the date our next SIT mtg and I would like to begin discussing plans for next year.  And I promise to actively listen to any request you have as well as those of the SIT.  I also plan on being at EES next year. (I didn't get in to either graduate program...sad but am coming to grips with the fact that it is not my job to fill in the blanks...it's HIS job.) Although this was not my plan, it is was is planned for me and I am already thinking of ways to "tweark" what we do to take it to a whole 'nother level!

See you Monday and I hope you have a Sensational Sunday in the Sun!

Angela

Porch View Outside Of Training Center

Week of March 9-13, 2015
A WeekMonday, March 9

• Peer Mediation Training in Media Center at 3:30

• Hill at Planning Mtg at AES 10:30-12:30

• Wax Museum Practice in Gym at 2:00 PM

• Morning Meeting

Tuesday, March 10

• BOB Competition at EES (Go team!)
• Hill at NCDPI Mtg in Fayetteville (8:00-4:00)
• 3rd and 4th PLCs
• Wax Museum/ State of Erwin Mtg (6:30-8:00) all certified staff needs to attend*
•  Problem Solving Mtg (I'm moving Faculty Summit to 3/17, Committee Mtg. 3/24, and PD on 3/31... please put on calendar)

Wednesday, March 11

• Hill out at BB&T Leadership Training (can't be reached via email between 9 AM-9 PM)
• 5th Grade PLC
• 5th Grade Health Dept. Presentations

Thursday, March 12

•  Hill out at BB&T Leadership Training (can't be reached via email between 9 AM-9 PM)
• Spring Pictures
• Problem Solving Mtg. at 3:30

Friday, March 13

• Jeans for A Cause
• Hill out at BB&T Leadership Training (can't be reached via email between 9 AM-5 PM)

As always, if you see something incorrect or needs to be changed, please let me know.  

*Although we, staff, were allowed to come in late for 3 Fridays, financially the district wants staff to make that time up.  I know many of you make that time up with no problem.  Tuesday night is one opportunity so please make sure you sign in in the office to document your time.  If you have any questions, please see anyone in the office.

PROOF...Continuous Improvement

This year I wanted to focus on PROOF.  I wanted us to keep our eyes on the prize (student proficiency and growth) while having documentation to support our improved instructional practices. I feel that we have dropped the ball and the idea of having proof is too hard and too much work.  But is increasing proficiency and providing our students the best education possible too much work or too hard?

I know that I ask a lot from you if you work alongside of me but please know that I also ask a lot of myself and many times I feel I've dropped the ball regarding my own decrees I've placed on myself.  It would just be easier if I ignored the fact that I am not doing what I said I would do way back in September and continue to move forward but that would be putting our students needs above my own and as we took the vow in August..."I will get over myself":

So, here goes! I will need each homeroom teacher to bring the following information with you to PLC (5th grade please bring next week but submit reading level info to Gay, Hill, and Backus by Wednesday):

• Conferencing PROOF
• Reading Level PROOF
• A list of students at risk of not being Proficient at the end of year (use data and teacher knowledge)/ highlight students on the bubble (could be proficient/could not...just depends on the day)
• A Guided Reading Plan for one group you'll do this week
• LF math lesson plan currently teaching

No one should have to do extra work and please do not create something for this activity.  I am providing this list of things needed at PLC but you should have all of this information available because it guides instruction.

I continue to fear that we are all falling back into our old ways and you know what they say...if you do what you always do, you'll get what you always get and to think differently is insanity.

If you have any questions, please see me.

March 2-6, 2015

Read Across America Week

Monday, March 2, 2015

Magical/ Sci-Fiction Monday

• Monday Morning Meeting
• Hill at Chamber Mtg 12-1

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Homeroom Color Challenge (3rd Green, 4th Yellow, and 5th Orange)

• 3rd grade and 5th grade PLCs
• SIT Mtg at 3:30 in Media Center

Wednesday,March 4, 2015

Superhero Day

• World Read Aloud Day (we will have a guest reader every hour that will begin reading a tumble book aloud online.  Each teacher with students will need to have the book pulled up and displayed on their Smart Board; after the mystery reader reads the book, you will need to continue the book.  I will email you a link to the books Tuesday AM. If you need to know how to operate your board to do this or need help, you will need to contact Mrs. Gaines MONDAY to schedule help session)  This needs to be done throughout the building except for cafeteria.
• 5th grade teachers at training
• Spelling Bee at CU at 9 AM

Thursday, March 5

Start a Spark: Spreading Random Acts of Kindness Day

• Hill at Principals' Mtg
• Coaching Collaborative Mtg in Conference Room 3:30-4:30
• Hill in Webinar from 3:00-5:00
• Mentor/ Mentee Mtg at 3:30

Friday, March 6

Quote Day

• Hill out all day
• Jeans for A Cause (Money due to Mrs. Tutor by noon)