Don't mean to get too creepy. But I want you to know: there are certain members of our staff here at Marshall that I watch a little more closely than others. I watch you, not because I am concerned about your professionalism or work-habits. And not because I harbor hopes of catching you if you stumble off your game now and then. Quite to the contrary. I watch some of you closely because I consider you our indicator species. By watching you and your at-work demeanor, I feel I'm able to, in a sense, take the temperature of this little biome of ours, to better assess current and perhaps even future trends in our corporate attitude and overall sense of well-being.
My local barometers are telling me that many of you are currently under stress. I want you to know: I understand that state-of-being all too well. In fact, I feel much the same myself of late. It's occurred to me that the stress and frustration I think I'm perceiving in many of you may, in truth, be a kind of reflection of what's going on in my own head and heart.
In view of what seems to be our current collective condition, I've been compelled to recall the Wellness Wheel that Adam Saenz introduced to us in the video we watched together at our first faculty meeting back in August. My wheel's never been perfectly balanced, but it's more than a little out of true right now. Maybe yours is, too. I've copied (without permission) the wellbeing inventory [.pdf] that Dr. Saenz included in his book, The Power Of A Teacher, and filled it out for myself, revealing some of what might be the source(s) of my anxiety. It might be helpful for you to complete it, too, to help you understand for yourself where in your own life you might want to focus your attention in order to regain some much needed balance. I like to encourage you to complete the inventory today.
Progress Reports
Our resident gradebook guru, Heather Overton, has provided a set of simple, step-by-step instructions to help you produce progress reports for your students:
1. From GradeBook Main, go to any of the core subjects (not Homeroom)
2. Click on Reports
3. Select "Detailed Progress Report by Subject" in the drop-down box
4. Choose Run Report
5. Your whole class should be in the same report and all subjects that you have entered grades will be listed on that printout.
Heather will host a quick workshop in her room next, Friday, October 2 at 12:45 if you feel like you would rather walk through the steps together. Please feel free to email, call, or stop by her room if you have any questions about progress reports.
VOICE Committee Elections
Dietrich Sauer has asked that each site submit the name of a certified and classified staff member to represent Marshall's interests during monthly VOICE Committee meetings.
Please feel free to nominate yourself or one of your peers by submitting a name in an email to me. Please do so no later than this coming Monday 28 September. If more than one person from each category (certified/classified) is nominated and is willing to "run" for office, we will hold a balloted election during the school day on Tuesday 29 September. We must submit our representatives' names to Mr. Sauer on Tuesday by the end of the school day.
Lunch Stuff
Teachers, please arrive on-time to retrieve your students from the playground after lunch recess. Likewise, please stress to them the importance of lining up quickly and, most especiallly, quietly when the lunch recess bell rings. Loud and unruly behaviors during this time of transition can be very disruptive to classrooms located adjacent to our outside doors.
Staff Webpages
Teachers, please update your Marshall School staff page immediately to reflect our new telephone number.
Staff Webpages
Teachers, please update your Marshall School staff page immediately to reflect our new telephone number.
Calendar
Week B
- Tuesday 29 Sept.
- Fratelli 10% Tuesday for Marshall School, all day
- Wednesday 30 Sept.
- Coe at Elementary Admin mtg, 9:30-11:30
- Picture Day in Fit Kids and Science Lab, all day
- Friday 02 Oct.
- Mustang Gallop at FHS track, all morning
- Progress Report workshop in Overton's room, 12:45
- FHS schoolwide emergency drill, 2:30
