Before we begin this looooong post, I just want you to know: I look with more than a bit of envy into your classrooms everyday. And you are doing fine work! It's great to see all of you going about things with such vitality. Your commitment shows. Even in the short moments I spend at your door or in your room. Thanks for the work you do!
Onward.
If you've looked at next week's Master Calendar (29 Aug. - 02 Sept.) you've noticed a few things that merit reminders:
- 4-Sight Testing will begin. Joy and Jenny, along with Dean, will coordinate your test-taking and Computer Lab times with you. You should have your tests in hand by Friday.
- There is a Faculty Meeting scheduled for Thursday morning.
I would like us skip this meeting. We can do that if everyone will read this post thoroughly and acknowledge it at the end. Most of you have been great at doing this already. But not all of you. In order for us to skip Faculty Meetings we ALL need to read the blog. Not kidding. Too many important details.
Here's what I would be telling you if we were to meet face-to-face on Thursday:
- Sir Ken Robinson: Congrats to Fisher, Reasor, Hulls, Gonzalez, and Koenig who will be attending on 30 Sept. Be sure to get your subs ASAP!
- Teacher Evaluations: The district will soon be forming a committee to create a new teacher evaluation instrument(s?) to comply with the new state law (SB 1040). There's a process for us to go through to make sure we select our two Marshall representatives in this process fairly. Stay tuned. Be aware. I think this one's going to be a big deal...
- Mini Family Food Drive: Our awesome Parenting AZ rep, Ellen Allen, would like to stock her cabinets for our many families-in-need. She will be placing a food donation box in the workroom beginning 30 August. If you have canned food to spare, please consider donating it. This short term, teachers-only event does not replace the Food Drive we will have nearer the holiday season. It's just to help give Ellen some much-needed resources to give away to Marshall families who need a little help.
- Social Studies Materials Adoption: Sue Pierce is seeking elementary-level members for a new Social Studies curriculum adoption committee. Contact her directly if you're interested in serving.
- Content Area Specialists: Gretchen Markiewicz is seeking elementary-level members for the ongoing Content Specialists committee in Math and Social Studies. These individuals will work with small district-wide groups to write and revise Common Assessments. There is a $2000.00 stipend for this committee which requires 8 hours of additional work per month. Please contact her directly if you're interested.
- Willow Bend: Sign up in the workroom for times on Monday, 12 Sept., or Wednesday, 2 Nov. Questions? Contact Chris LeMoyne.
- Library & Computer Lab: The Library and Computer Lab schedule is online. If you would like Connie Chensky to coordinate Media Center services with you, please print-out and complete this form and return it to her mailbox in the workroom. You will also find it in the Important Stuff sidebar on the blog.
- Genesis: Online attendance and lunch-count begins this Monday, 29 August. Are you ready? I have the list of your students who owe Food Services for meals. I will hand it to you personally on Friday morning. Remember, the word on choices is as follows:
- "There will be 5 menu choices; Pizza will be one choice only. The kitchen will prepare cheese and pepperoni pizzas. Choice 1 will be the 1st item on the menu. Choice 2 will be the second item on the menu. If the second choice is Pizza, pizza will remain choice 2. Choice 3 will be the sandwich of the day. Choice 4 will be the salad. Choice 5 will be the Alternative meal (sunbutter sandwich, fresh fruit, vegetable and white milk)."
- Classroom Management Plans: Nick Cathey, our new Positive Behavioral Support guy, will be visiting with each of you over the course of the next few weeks to help you put together a simple classroom management plan based on a Google form he and I are working on. It will help me understand how you intend to create a positive learning environment in your classroom. Likewise, it will be helpful when he and I are working with your students and their parents to encourage positive behaviors at school. Thanks in advance for your time and attention to this.
- Kindergarten Playground: Please remember, when you're on morning duty on the playground that the Kindergarten playground needs your attention, too. Likewise, if/when you're using the Kindergarten playground, please remember that the wheelchair swing is only to be used by our special needs children. Able-bodied children should use the other equipment exclusively.
- FUSD-mandated meeting: We will all attend a mandatory FUSD Finance & Budget meeting at Sechrist School on 07 October. We will meet with FUSD Finance Director, Ken Garland, and others from 1:00-2:00. You are required to attend this meeting. It's on the Master Calendar, but you should probably make a note of it elsewhere, too.
- FitKids of AZ: Please contact Sara Pinson [928-214-3537] if you would like to schedule a time for her to bring her nutrition education program into your classroom.
- Flag High Reading Buddies: If you are interested in working with Karen Moeller's 9th grade Flagstaff High School special needs students as reading buddies in your classroom, please contact her via email or at 928-255-3644.
- Arizona Diamondbacks Fundraiser: The PTO has organized an official Marshall Magnet School Night with the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team on Saturday, 24 Sept. Malinda will be selling tickets for this event beginning Monday morning, 29 August. Flyers will be sent home with students early in the week. All -You-Can-Eat seating in section 223. $35.00 for adults, $33.00 for kids. A portion of each ticket sale goes to our school. Questions: contact Dexter Albert [928-814-8221].
- One Last Thing: Please click a response in the poll below to help me deliver the Blue Note Blog to you in the way most of you prefer...
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