Issue 23 - May 10

Curriculum Connections...

Happy TGIF to everyone! I am excited for the upcoming weekend as we will be celebrating Kelly's birthday (it is next week) and then Mother's Day! I actually booked a Zumba party for Kelly and 30 of her closest friends to dance the afternoon away (not sure if I will Zumba). As for Mother's Day, we haven't exactly finalized a plan but I will make sure we celebrate both our moms and Kelly - I don't know what I would do without them! 

With that being said, I would like to wish everyone who is celebrating a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY on Sunday! I hope each of our Cantiague moms has an awesome day and weekend because you all deserve to be celebrated and honored for all that you do each and every day—both here at school and at home. I am seriously in awe of each of you because somehow you manage to fill the roles of teacher, parent, psychologist, caregiver and advocate all day at school and then go home to your own children/families and fill these roles (& more) with grace and patience—you are all an incredible inspiration! 

Additionally, I want to take one last chance to wish each of you a HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK! It was an incredibly hectic week so I didn't necessarily get to speak with everyone in person but I want you all to know that it is an incredible honor and gift to be your principal! 


In thinking about the amazing teachers in our building, I want to take a moment to commend our awesome CST/IST Team. This has been an especially busy year because of the fact that Beth was split and because of a high number of referrals to the CSE based on specific student needs, which all came after various appropriate RTI attempts. MaryAnn, Lisa, Deborah, Joe, Beth, Kim and Lois work tirelessly throughout the year to support specific student needs, help with various intervention plans and when necessary, spend hours testing a child. The care and compassion exhibited by every member of this team ensures that the needs of each child will be met and that no matter what is needed, we will find a way to try & make it happen. As we sit through annual reviews, I am reminded of their efforts– thank you CST!

This week also allowed me the opportunity to publish a new blog post inspired by each of you and the amazing things you all do each day - Educators: More Than A Number! Check them if you have time and are interested!

Please note that you should keep this Fast Friday Focus because it will cover the next two weeks!

Luckily, most of the ridiculous state testing is over so I was able to visit more classrooms, listen to more kids and just get reconnected! This is some of the stuff that I got to see this week...

• Ilene serving some delicious quesadillas in honor of Cinco De Mayo! It has been so great to listen to our children's growth in the area of Spanish - from being exposed to Spanish texts to the different activities, our children have grown a LOT!! 

• The kids in Alex and Rosanna's class engaged in the Math Quest experience where they were working in groups to solve some challenging word problems. Their collaborative efforts to tackle problems that forced them to access many strategies and skills was impressive!

• Our 3rd and 4th graders during their Spring Concerts - they were really excellent! The 3rd graders were the best recorder players that I have heard in years and our 4th graders played with such enthusiasm and pride! BRAVO Dale, Diane and Clare!

• I got to visit with Tali and Marissa's class while they were working on their animal research projects and to observe the seamless integration of technology was beyond impressive. There were PowerPoints, Prezis, Glogster and even a Haiku Decks being created to present information they had researched - AWESOME! 

• Finally, I got to read with a little boy in Mandy's class and I was so impressed with his ability to use a bunch of skills to figure out unfamiliar words and then be able to do a retelling that focused on the beginning, middle and end - WOW!

Tech Tip of the Week...

As we continue our slow but study iPad implementation and increase in technology integration, I wanted to share this great resource - Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools - on the left hand side of this website are a bunch of links that spotlight different web based resources that can enhance the learning experiences for kids. Please try some out and let me know what you think!


SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, May 13

"A" Week
Happy Belated Mother's Day
Dancing Dreams Assembly - Gr. 2 & 3 - 10am @ Auditorium
Dads Do Recess

Tuesday, May 14

Faculty Meeting for ALL Staff
Gr. 3 Trip to Outdoor Ed Center
Guest Author visits with Kindergarten - Library Closed

Wednesday, May 15

Gr. 4 Trip to Outdoor Ed Center
CST at 1:20pm

Thursday, May 16

Happy Thursday!
Cantiague ABC Countdown Kicks Off!
Guys Sports Night - Gr. K-2 @ 6pm; Gr. 3-5 @ 6:50pm!

Friday, May 17

Happy TGIF!
Gr. 4 Planning with Lisa D. - Literacy Lab is closed!
Tony goes to PENN at 10am!

Monday, May 20

"B" Week
PINK SHIRT DAY - Cantiague Says NO to Bullying!
Gr. 3 Math In Focus Training 

Tuesday, May 21

Faculty Meeting for all staff
BUDGET VOTE DAY!!
PTA Meeting at 9:45am 

Wednesday, May 22

Gr. 5 Trip - Blue Man Group
CST Cancelled
Gr. 2 Fairy Tale Celebration!

Thursday, May 23

Happy Thursday!

Friday, May 24

Happy TGIF!
Gr. 1 Open House
Gr. 5 Visits the Middle School

Kids' Korner

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, instead of me sharing anything, just walk around the building and check out the pink sheets that up all over the place (thanks PTA) to see the amazing things our kids have to say about you!

Pics of the Week...

Check out Cantiague's Week in Tweets - click on the following link to see our Pics of the Week...

WEEK IN TWEETS -  MAY 10

Upcoming Board of Education Meetings...

• Thursday, May 23rd
• Thursday, June 13th