Happy Friday! It truly is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
I'm not at all ashamed to tell you: I like to imagine myself a disciple of Fred Rogers. I grew up watching Mister Roger's Neighborhood almost every day and had many of his records and song-books as well. Likewise, I have, in more recent years, enjoyed re-watching many of his shows and singing many of his songs along with my daughter, too. In fact, her favorite stuffed animal-companion at night has, for many years, been a Daniel Striped Tiger puppet; this has always warmed my heart.
There was a time, not so long ago, when Fred Rogers and his television show were ridiculed and parodied by some. I am glad that it seems our collective perception of him appears to have shifted in recent years, and that today his legacy, the body of his work, as well as his ideals, seem to have become more well-respected and honored as the years have passed.
I have always, from the very beginning, felt a real kinship with Fred Rogers, and remember quite fondly the specifics of many of the things he did and said, and the places he visited on his show over the years. Foremost among my memories of him is his persistent, gentle insistence that you are special just the way you are, and that the way you feel is important.
I was reminded of Mister Rogers earlier this week, when I read the following quote on one of my favorite websites:
"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say, 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.' Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes."
To me, this quote seems to perfectly describe our first two-plus weeks together at Marshall School. Thanks to all of you, we are off to another fairly smooth start to the school year. Why? Because wherever you saw a need, or were told that there was a need, you did not presume that it was not your problem, or balk when someone asked to help. You responded to it. Willingly. I love that about y'all.
- Special area teachers, for your willingness to forego some of your collaboration time for a little while to help our kindergarten students transition into school more successfully... you are my heroes.
- Classroom teachers, for acting with kindness and compassion and for creating safe and secure places for all of our students (and also for enduring an ill-timed broken copier, too)... you are my heroes.
- Kindergarten, magnet, and specials teachers, for your willingness to help get 600 kids safely out of the school and on to their buses at dismissal every single day... you are my heroes.
- Steve McAllister, Erin Macdonald, Joel Axler, and Laura Paez, for acting quickly, and often without being asked, to intervene to find our lost, and calm our frustrated or frightened children this week... you are my heroes.
- RTI Specialists Grant and Hanno, for enduring endless off-site trainings, and seemingly endless benchmark assessments for every child in the school... you are my heroes.
Thanks!
Next CTs
You will be on your own as grade-level teams next week to meet in your Collaborative Team meetings. Please appoint one member of your team to let me know via email where your group will be meeting and when. I'd like to drop by and listen a little, especially as you dialog about your APTT plans.
Additional, full-color copies of the the current issue of the school newsletter, The Marshall Magnet, can be downloaded via this link.
Black-and-white copies should have been sent home with students today.
Field-trips
Principals were advised at our most recent Admin Council meeting that it would be a "good idea" to encourage our teachers to get all of their bus field-trips scheduled with transportation ASAP.
Classroom Management Plans
Dawn Edwards will be back at work next week and she and I would like to be able to look at your Classroom Management Plans together at some point. If you haven't already turned in a written copy of your plan to me or (better yet) completed the form online, please do so immediately.
Galileo
Our new benchmark assessment, Galileo, will be a valid assessment on the TPEC for grade-levels that use this test.
FUSD Subaru Raffle
Members of the PTO leadership have raffle tickets for an FUSD fundraiser that will be raffling a brand-new Planet Nissan Subaru Forester. Tickets are $25.00 each or 5 for $100.00. Only 3200 tickets will be sold. If you're interested in purchasing a ticket, please let Malinda or a member of the PTO leadership know.
Faculty Meeting
We will meet together again on the morning of 18 Sept at 7:45. Members of the FUSD School Board and Administration team will be present.
Calendar
Week A
- Monday, 25 Aug.
- Positive Behavior Support Committee mtg in the Library, 3:45
- Friday, 29 Aug.
- Safety Committee mtg in Coe's office, 10:00
