Happy Friday to everyone - I hope it is a wonderful weekend! It is hard to believe the day has finally come - I graduate from Penn on Saturday. I will definitely try and tweet some pics in my full graduation regalia - hood and all. I am really excited because Paul and my family will be there to celebrate with me. This whole process has meant a lot to my father, especially as someone who immigrated to this country and left everything behind for the "American Dream." Thank you all again for your support and encouragement over the last three years!
In other news, welcome back to Janine - we have missed you! Janine will be back on Monday. Thank you to Caylie for doing a great job in her absence. Also, as of next Tuesday (May 26), Julie will be taking over in the position of ESL teacher for the remainder of the year - thank you for coming back Julie! To Kerry, we wish you the best and know that your new district is lucky to have you!
I also wanted to share a quick Pam update - we miss you Pam! I am thrilled to share that all tests of the mass removed were benign - that is AWESOME!! Pam is home resting but her recovery will take a bit longer than expected so she will be out for at least another couple of weeks (surgery can take a toll on the body). Please know that Pam is trying to get as much rest as possible so she can heal and get back to us so she may not be able to talk on the phone or respond to emails or text messages. She sends her love and thanks everyone for their kindness and support in her absence.
Finally, this week, instead of specific #EduWins, I have to celebrate one of the greatest and most epic school-wide #EduWins during our time here together at Cantiague... Innovation Day!This experience was truly AWESOME! Each grade level experienced something slightly different - whether kids rotated through stations or worked independently throughout the entire day - but there were some critical common threads: enthusiasm... high levels of engagement... and a sense of pride and passion about the work they were experiencing.
If I could envision what a school of the future would look like, each day would include features of Innovation Day. We heard kids truly collaborating around something they were excited about; we saw children creating and building; and we watched children accessing their critical thinking skills in ways I have never seen! Those are the LIFE skills we want our children to possess when they leave school and enter life. We want them to learn how to take an idea from their mind and make it come to life - that is what they did today over and over again! Thank you all for embracing this Innovation Day idea and supporting it in a way that exceeded each and every one of my expectations - today is a day I will ALWAYS remember as a true educational experience that was child-centered and took into consideration student choice and student voice. BRAVO TEAM CANTIAGUE!!!
Please not this Fast Friday Focus will cover the next two weeks so hold on to it for the necessary information!
Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this article about effectively using technology in the classroom: 7 Characteristics of Teachers Who Effectively Use Technology - some good stuff to think about!
SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK...
Monday, May 18
Wednesday, May 20
Pics of the Week...
SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK...
Monday, May 18
"A" Week
Tuesday, May 19
Grade 3 Trip
PTA Meeting - APPY Hour - 9:30am
Full staff FEO @ 3pm in the Library to discuss end of year!
Budget Vote Day!
PTA Meeting - APPY Hour - 9:30am
Full staff FEO @ 3pm in the Library to discuss end of year!
Budget Vote Day!
Wednesday, May 20
Kindergarten Trip
Thursday, May 21
Friday, May 22
Happy TGIF!
Enjoy the 3-day weekend!
Wednesday, May 27
Enjoy the 3-day weekend!
Tuesday, May 26
Planbooks Due for all teachers
Gr. 5 Goes to the MS in the AM
SEPTA - 7pm
Gr. 5 Goes to the MS in the AM
SEPTA - 7pm
Wednesday, May 27
Gr. 4 Science Test - Hands-On Portion for IEP students - Gym closed
Thursday, May 28
Gr. 4 Science Test - Hands-On Portion for all classes - Gym closed
CST at 1:20pm
CST at 1:20pm
Friday, May 29
Happy TGIF!
Gr. 5 Peer AIDS Education from HS Students @ 9:45am!
Gr. 5 Peer AIDS Education from HS Students @ 9:45am!
Kids' Korner
As the children were leaving school after Innovation Day, at least five of them screamed out... "Thank you Dr. Sinanis, this was the best day EVER! When can we do it again?" That was literally music to my ears!
Pics of the Week...
Check out Cantiague's Week in Tweets (special Innovation Day edition) - click on the following link to see our Pics of the Week...
It was so nice to see kids researching and creating projects that they were interested in. I was so impressed by the level of concentration and involvement. Projects ranged from creating makeup, researching Gabby Douglass, replicating the Eiffel Tower, cake decorating, etc. The 3rd graders exceeded our expectations for the day! We were all so proud of them! :)
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