May 20, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday everyone - I don't about you but I am definitely for a fun weekend with Paul and Felix! We are doing dinner with my parents, seeing the Angry Birds movie (not my choice) and Paul is having a couple of playdates - it should be a nice weekend. Meanwhile, this is the final staff newsletter for the month of May (and please note this Fast Friday Focus will cover the next two weeks), which is kind of crazy because the next edition will be published on Friday, June 3rd... that's right, June is right around the corner... deep breaths though because we are going to get everything done and still have an amazing close to the year (maybe I just need to take deep breaths)!  :)

In other news, thank you so much for making our new Cantiague tradition an experience that kids love! That's right, I am talking about... Innovation Day! This experience was truly AWESOME! Again, 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 continues to exceed each and every one of my expectations. We are changing the narrative of education here at Cantiague and today was the perfect example of a true educational experience that was child-centered and took into consideration student choice and student voice. BRAVO TEAM CANTIAGUE!!!

Finally, congratulations to Jessica Rouse who will be granted tenure at tonight's Board of Education Meeting. We are so lucky to have you as a member of the Cantiague family Jess because of your positive attitude, your willingness to go above and beyond and your ability to show love and compassion for each and every child. We are better because of you!


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Hanging with Ally's kids during centers time! Two of her boys asked me to come back during centers time so I could play in the building/block/LEGO area with them and I had such an amazing time. Not only were the children (and I) working collaboratively but their critical thinking skills and creativity were off the charts (21st Century Skills)! For example, they used blocks to build a "parking garage" for the ships we built out of LEGOS and then they put these gears outside of the garage and as they turned them, they explained they were powering the space. WOW!!! HOLY MOLY! I was blown away!

• Visiting the library while Michelle explained Wikipedia to the children in detail was not only incredibly well presented but it was so informative that I left the space knowing a lot more about Wikipedia than ever before. For example, she explained how certain documents are locked and, based on the color of the lock, one could tell how locked they were and the more secure the lock, the more likely accurate the information was on that page. WOW! I never knew that. And that was only one of the things I learned. It is so awesome to know our kids are being empowered with information that will help them for years to come!  

• Visiting Karen's kids while they were in the computer lab where they were using templates within Google Docs to create their Feature Articles about the animals they had researched. The kids were working hard and using all their research to create an informative article - you could almost hear a pin drop because they were so engaged. It was awesome to see the class taking advantage of the templates Google Docs offered to create these feature articles that, in the end, could be shared with the world... talk about being inspired by a potential audience - WOW!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this link for 28 Innovative Apps Suggested for Teachers by Teachers! 

Blogs Worth Reading...
Stop, Drop & Roll With It: Teacher Burnout Prevention by Nicholas Provenzano 

Reboot: 5 Resources for Teacher Inspiration by Monica Burns

20 Tips To Help De-escalate Interactions with Anxious or Defiant Students by Katrina Schwartz  


Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Callie who shares an important reflection on the notion of taking risks, both personally and professionally, and the impact they have! Thank you Callie for this honest and personal reflection... 

The Risk of Not Taking a Risk

I wouldn’t call myself a risk taker, by any means.  Skydiving is not in my future and moving across the country alone, isn’t on my list of things to do, either.  I suppose I’m a creature of habit, but every now and then I do something out of the norm…and I never regret it.  I find myself going through long stretches of “the same old,” until I am usually forced to change something by some sort of outside factor.  I suppose it’s the unknown I fear or the fear of missing what I once felt so comfortable doing.  I try to set a mini-goal for myself every now and then to help myself branch out or try something totally new, whether it be trying out a new class at a new gym or heading for dinner in a different town or part of the city.

Just like anyone, I’ve had a vision for myself both professionally and personally.  Last year, I decided to leave the school I had been teaching at for over five years.   I left the routine I knew so well, the students that I had grown to love, the coworkers that became more like extended family…I totally left my comfort zone.  There were a few factors that went into leaving. Financially, working at a private school was unsustainable, but professionally, I knew that my experience at the school had reached the end of its road.  I was no longer challenged and I didn’t see much opportunity for growth.  My experience had served its purpose.  Even though it got me out into the teaching world, gave me great classroom experience, and taught me how to work with all types of personalities- I knew that there was much more out there.   I definitely left with a push from the people that care about me most- the people who knew my potential. And I definitely considered staying...that internal debate happened for over two years. I remember finally speaking to my principal and letting her know my decision to leave and the need to explore other professional opportunities.  As I said it, I didn’t even believe myself.  I had no finalized position at the time, but I just knew that another year there was not an option.

Thankfully my risk brought me to Cantiague.  I can wholeheartedly say that I have learned more in these past 10 months than I did in those five years. I have met some of the most inspiring and passionate people that I have been given this awesome opportunity to work with and learn from.  It has overall been a win-win decision!! While it took me a while to adjust, I have watched teachers implement practices that I once would have considered “way too risky” to attempt in the classroom and have incorporated them into my everyday norm.  I’m able to relinquish the “control” and take a seat, while our students thrive and learn from one another.  My decision to leave and seek a different experience has given me a sense of empowerment and while I realize risks and change should be  well thought out and may not work out as great as this risk has; I’m no longer scared about taking risks…I now worry about the risks I do not take. 

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, May 23
"B" Week
Gr. 2 Literacy Check-In Meeting @ 2:10pm

Tuesday, May 24 

FIELD DAY... see the email for the schedule & info
Extended FEO for all teachers... Canvas training!
Aides meet with Tony at 3pm in the Library 

Wednesday, May 25

Gr. 1 is on a trip - have fun & be safe!
Winnick Open House @ 8:45am
PTA Ladies Night... Paint Night!

Thursday, May 26

Field Day Raindate 

Friday, May 27

Happy TGIF 
Payday
Minecraft Recess Club

Monday, May 30
"A" Week
School Closed... Happy Memorial Day & unofficial start of summer!

Tuesday, May 31 

FEO cancelled
Planbooks due to Tony this week by Friday 
5th Grade AIDS Presentation from HS students @ 10am 

Wednesday, June 1

Gr. 4 Science Test - Hands-on portion for IEP students
Reorganization Meetings...
Gr. 3 to 4
Gr. 4 to 5
Korrow Open House @ 8:45am

Thursday, June 2

CST @ 1:20pm
Gr. 4 Hands-On Science Test - see email for schedule

Friday, June 3
Happy TGIF!
Marsen Open House @ 8:45am

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. June 7th! 
• Don't forget to review the End of The Year Procedures Memo... access it here! 

May 13, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday the 13th... I am totally avoiding black cats and walking under ladders and whatever other superstitious things are out there today! It was such a busy and hectic week between Kindergarten Orientation, a bunch of Annual Reviews and the Spring concerts - I felt like a chicken without a head! I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped make everything a success - Mandy, Ally and Risa for overseeing kindergarten orientation; Dale, Clare and Aimee for making the concerts so awesome - our children never cease to amaze me; and Anne & MaryAnn for facilitating all the annual reviews - you rock! 

As you know, this week was also a bittersweet one for me as I was officially appointed to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in Plainedge. Paul and Felix joined me on Tuesday night at the Board Meeting and it was great to have them by my side. Ivy Sherman and Denise Nash were also there to support me and Wayne (one of our Cantiague dads) was there and actually spoke at the Board Meeting and sang my praises, which was really nice (and embarrassing). Just so everyone knows, my last official day at Cantiague (but I will be around throughout the summer if and when I am needed) will be Tuesday, June 28th and my first official day in Plainedge is Tuesday, July 5th. Needless to say, the next few weeks are going to be nuts but I am excited to soak up every minute of time with our Cantiague family and making it count... #BestEndOfYearEver!  

This last week was an important one at Cantiague because we welcomed back both Donna and Melanie - welcome back ladies, we have missed you terribly! Please give Lia and Piper hugs from us and thank them for sharing their mommies with us for the next few weeks. Also have to extend a huge thank you to Matt and Callie who both did an amazing job filling in for Donna and Melanie - the transitions were seamless and the kids continued to thrive, learn and love school - thank you for making that a reality. Finally, a special thank you to Ed for filling in for Matt in Jessica's room - we appreciate all of your hard work. 


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Participating in the Grade 4 Orchestra rehearsals this week with Aimee was really impressive. Her ability to keep every child engaged in a fun way while also pushing them to be "professional" was amazing. From simply getting into position to play to actually playing, we all had a really positive experience. The student musicians (including myself) have clearly grown a lot this year - BRAVO!    

• Spending time in the library with Michelle, Tali and Tali's class was pretty awesome. The children made great use of the space as they spread out and were immersed in their animal research. While the children worked (independently, in pairs and in groups), Michelle and Tali were checking in with the children to ensure they were successfully using online resources to research their animals. The room was buzzing because the children were clearly highly engaged in this process and were excited to be learning about the different animals. It was an amazing use of the library! 

• Spending time in the ESL Room with Caitlin while she was working on vocabulary words from Wordly Wise with some 4th graders was really impressive. Caitlin had the words written in English, phonetically sounded out and also in the children's native language so they could not only learn how to spell them but to also pronounce them and then understand them - it was an awesome sight to behold!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this resource - 12 Free Add-Ons That Take Google Docs To The Next Level - love some of the free resources!



And for fun, watch this...

Blogs Worth Reading...

How Being a Mom Changed My Teaching by Starr Sackstein 

Design Thinking In The Primary Grades by Krissy Venosdale 

7 Strategies for Deescalting Disruptive Students by Lani Aquino 

Staff Reflection/Blog...

***We have no staff blog post for this week***

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, May 16
"A" Week
Gr. 5 is going to Blue Man Group today!

Tuesday, May 17 

Full staff FEO to start in the Library at 3pm - will feature Innovation Day planning time! 
Budget Vote Day
PTA Meeting at 8:45am
Minecraft Recess Club
Gr. 5 Author Visit at the JPL

Wednesday, May 18

Incoming Kindergarten Orientation all morning! The children will be working in the Library

Thursday, May 19

INNOVATION DAY is here!!
ABC Countdown Kicks off today
Board of Education Meeting at 7:15pm in the MS Library

Friday, May 20

Happy TGIF!
Gr. 2 & 5 are on trips today!

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. May 17th - featuring time to plan for Innovation Day! 
• Innovation Day is coming on May 19th! Click here to check out the plan from last year... feel free to use the same plan or change it up! 

May 6, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy TGIF to everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful week back after the spring break - I know the week just zoomed by (even for me and my first ever experience with pink eye - it stinks) and before we know it, we will be kicking off our ABC Countdown! Before that happens though, I would like to begin by wishing everyone who is celebrating a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY on Sunday! I hope each of our Cantiague moms (and moms to be) 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. As a single dad I have even more respect for all that you do for our kids and your kids. Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves each and every day! 

It seems rather appropriate that Teacher Appreciation Week leads up to Mother's Day! I hope everyone enjoyed the week and the mini celebrations that unfolded throughout the week. Feel free to send a thank you note to our PTA because I know they really enjoyed celebrating each of you. I know I have said this before but it bares repeating... It is an honor and privilege to learn from and work with each of you on a daily basis. Your dedication, incredible work ethic and positivity makes this a space where all learners - children and adults - can thrive and prosper. 

Finally, I want to thank you all for your love, kindness, support and understanding over the last couple of weeks with this upcoming change in positions. Making the decision to even consider another job was an incredibly difficult one for me because I have never been happier on a professional (or personal) level yet I knew I had nothing to lose by engaging in some discussions about a new job... after all, what were the chances that I would even be the right fit for the job? Well, I can assure you that this decision became nearly impossible when the job was tentatively offered to me. On one hand I couldn't even fathom leaving Cantiague (my home) while on the other hand, I couldn't imagine passing up this incredible opportunity to learn, grow and further develop my skills. Although it was a difficult decision that involved some sleepless nights, emotional drives to and from work, and a lot of conversations with Felix, my dad and a couple of close friends, in the end, I felt it was the right time to take this next step in my professional journey. The possibility to impact an entire district of children and use my passions and skills to enhance their educational experience seemed like the logical thing to do at this point in my journey. 

Clearly, I would not have been ready to even take this next step if it wasn't for each of you and our amazing Cantiague kids and community. I have learned so much over the last 8 years from you and have loved watching us become even better versions of ourselves many times along the way. We took risks, we tried new things, we abandoned things that weren't best for our kids, we successfully navigated some difficult times in education and all along the way, we kept it positive, productive and had a whole lot of fun. Well, the only reason that was even possible is because of the culture that exists in our building and community. It is a culture of yes! It is a culture of love! It is a culture of support! It is a culture of camaraderie! It is a culture of learning! It is a culture of putting kids first! The culture in this building is deep rooted in the foundation and anchored in powerful beliefs, norms and traditions. The culture of this building is sustainable and that is the other reason I knew I could move on to a new position. Nothing will change here at Cantiague because of the culture that we have all solidified together over the last 8 years. Your strength, passion and perseverance will maintain and nurture that culture no matter who is sitting in the principal's office because it is only a matter of time before they understand and embrace the culture too. Thank you for letting me be part of this amazing journey and for supporting me in what was the most difficult professional decision I have ever made. I love you all from the depths of my heart and soul and will always be a proud member of the #Cantiague family.     


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Watching the kids in Ally's room preview and prepare their shared reading poem and in that time the children were able to identify so many words in the poem. It was impressive to watch them come up to the SMARTBoard and point to the words they recognized or words they noticed were repeating and do it with such confidence and certainty - WOW! Their growth from September is pretty impressive.    

• Spending time in Callie's room while the children were discussing how to construct the "story mountain" for their own stories was impressive! They identified the problem at the base of the mountain and then climbed up the mountain by outlining how the character in the story would attempt to solve the problem and came down the other side of the mountain during the solution. It was so awesome to watch!

• Spending time in Allison and Marissa's room while they introduced the fantasy novel and facilitated a conversation about what the children might encounter in a fantasy book. It was such a powerful share because the children were clearly ready to tackle any fantasy book because they had a clear understanding of the themes that generally present themselves in all fantasy books. It was impressive to listen to the class discussion!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this site that features a bunch of different Digital "Puzzles" and challenges - seems interesting... DigiPuzzle!

And for fun, watch this...

Blogs Worth Reading...
My Biggest Fear As a Teacher by A.J. Juliani 

The Real Fight To Learn by Krissy Venosdale 

5 Reasons to Read for Reluctant Readers by Edutopia 

Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Jessica & her kids about their initial experiences with the Mindful Life resources...  

How has Mindful Life Impacted Us...

“Mindfulness means paying attention... to the present... with kindness”

In the past I taught a self-contained class of students with Autism.  I worked to improve their social skills during a period we would call “Social Smarties”.  Some of these social skills worked on improving their peer to peer interactions, reciprocating questions during conversations, empathy and identifying feelings.  I have since learned that these are skills that most kids need to practice regardless of their intellectual ability or age.  I continue to have a period of Social Smarties with my class each week. We sit together and students share, discuss and practice how they can improve social skills in their everyday lives.  

Recently, MaryAnn shared a program with me called Mindful Life.  Mindful Life has been embedded into my Social Smarties period seamlessly.  Mindful Life has taught me daily classroom routines that I am finding very calming for my students, especially after a hectic recess or a long vacation.  Each morning and every day when the class returns from recess we practice mindful listening (1 minute), mindful breathing (1 minute) and one activity that gets the kids bodies moving (2 minutes). The purpose of these brief routines are to “calm down our amygdalas and get our prefrontal cortex’s ready for learning” (all things I learned from the program).

These are routines that I would facilitate, however I have now incorporated choosing students who are showing me that they take Mindful Life seriously, to run these routines each day.  This has been so amazing to see and it makes them feel very special.  In addition to these new routines, I teach a Mindful Life lesson twice a week about being mindful that doesn't take longer than 10 minutes.  

Some of the lessons I have enjoyed teaching the most were called “Seeds of Peace” where the class visualized seeds that represented both positive and negative feelings in their minds.  Then we discussed what happens when we nurture the positive feelings like we would any garden and would happen if we let those negative feelings grow...they would be weeds that could take over our positive and happy thoughts!  Also, I’m sure we can all agree that kids have trouble with the skill of empathy.  With their noses often buried in their devices, many kids have trouble identifying feelings of others and sometimes even themselves.  During the lesson on “identifying feelings” we discussed and shared how meaningful eye contact is and how we can “read” body language in order to be more empathetic to our peers.

If you would like to come in and see how any of these routines have been incorporated into our classroom, feel free to pop in and see how Mindful Life has impacted us! Do the students sometimes get silly and laugh when we practice the exercises suggested? OF COURSE, but I feel that the overall routines we have incorporated into our daily practices and the discussions we have has a class that come from each lesson, has been very meaningful!   

Below I asked the students to share their thoughts about the Mindful Life program in one sentence…

Brandon: What I learned is that mindful breathing can help me to relax when I’m feeling angry.

Oliver: Mindful life is very helpful in many ways. In the morning I am very annoyed that I have to wake up at 7:00 but mindful life helps me get through the day with a smile on my face. 

Sarah: Mindful Life has helped me so far in the beginning of the day to calm down and get all my jitters out for the day.

Jack: Mindful breathing has helped me when I am scared, it calms me down.

Max: Mindful life makes me relaxed.

John: Mindful life helps me to relax and focus if I’m angry or out of control.

Lucas: Mindful life has had an impact on me by helping me concentrate when I have a lot of things on my mind.

Avani: Mindful life helped me to concentrate during the state test because I got worried about it until I took a few deep breaths and I felt less worried.

Abigail:  Mindful Life has helped me feel relaxed and it is a very fun way to concentrate on  being mindful, like when we had the State Test  It really calmed me and I didn’t  feel nervous anymore!

Anagha: Recently, we started Mindful Life.  It help me when I am stressed or nervous. It calms me.

Dylan: In mindful life we become more relaxed.

Austin: Recently, we started Mindful Life. Mindful life has helped me in sports, going to sleep, and in school.

Ari: Mindful life calms you down when you are having a hard time.

Elana: Mindful life has helped me calm down outside of school too. For example, at dance competitions and at soccer games when we lose. 

Taliyah: Mindful life has been helpful because it helps me through hard times!

Anica: Mindful life has helped me when I am nervous or stressed.  I can calm down and then I do better with mindful breathing. 

Aahana: In mindful life we learned how to be better at “reading” our friends body language with an activity called mirroring.  Mirroring is when one person does something and the other person copies what they are doing!

Ashka: In mindful life we learned how to gather our thoughts and just breathe so we can focus better. For example, during the state test I was a little stressed out ( especially the last day of the ELA ) Mrs. Rouse told the class to use mindful breathing during the test if we were feeling frustrated and not to worry!

Ava: Mindful life is something we recently started doing in the classroom. Mindful life means paying attention to the present with kindness and has helped me to focus and pay attention.

Allie: Mindful life has helped me get relaxed so I can go to sleep.  Last night I couldn't go to sleep and I took some deep breaths and I fell asleep. 

James: Mindful life can help me calm down if I’m feeling mad.

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, May 9
"B" Week
Happy Monday!

Tuesday, May 10 

No FEO this week! 
Gr. 5 Literacy Check-In Meeting @ 11am
Gr. 4 Literacy Check-In Meeting @ 2:10pm

Wednesday, May 11

Incoming Kindergarten Orientation all morning! The children will be working in Mandy's classroom
Gr. 3 Literacy Check-In Meeting @ 2:10pm
Shared Decision Making Team Meeting @ 3pm

Thursday, May 12

Ice Cream Sale
CST @ 1:20pm
Minecraft Recess Club
Spring Concerts (see Clare for in-school performance schedule)- Evening performance schedule...

• Gr. 3 at 6pm
• Gr. 4 at 6:45pm
• Gr. 5 at 8pm

Friday, May 13

Happy TGIF!
Gr. K & 3 are on trips today!

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. May 17th - featuring time to plan for Innovation Day! 
• Innovation Day is coming on May 19th! Click here to check out the plan from last year... feel free to use the same plan or change it up! 

April 15, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday everyone - it is so great to finally be experiencing some spring like weather - especially since this weekend is supposed to be beautiful. Paul, Felix and I will be spending some time with both our families this weekend and we will definitely make as much time as possible to be outdoors. Actually, we are trying to "exercise" more as a family to help Paul establish positive routines for life. Unfortunately it might be too late for me because I tend to cap off our family power walks/jogs with cookies and milk but that is a whole other story! LOL! Needless to say, I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Meanwhile, just an FYI that this is the final staff newsletter for April (please note this Fast Friday Focus will cover the next two weeks), which is kind of crazy because I feel like the month just started! This is also the final newsletter before our Spring Break so I want to wish everyone an awesome break! I hope our time off is filled with fun, relaxation and time to connect with family and friends - I know I am looking forward to recharging before the end of year fun begins upon our return on May 2nd... yup, it will be May the next time you receive a newsletter!!! 

In other news, I would like to extend a special thank you to everyone, especially Joe P., for working so hard to get our little mathematicians prepared for the NYS Math Tests this week! I think our kids did a really amazing job and that is because our math instruction goes above and beyond the Common Core and the state of New York. Thank you Joe for setting that bar so high and thank you to our entire staff for pushing our kids to think critically and reach for those deeper conceptual understandings - that is always our goal. It is such a relief to be done with the majority of the state tests... enough time wasted on disrupting learning... back to what matters... KIDS and LEARNING!


#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Visiting the hallway outside of Adam's room, I witnessed three different book clubs meeting independently. I was so impressed with how focused the children were throughout their meetings - from deciding how they were going to read a certain portion of the text to discussing what they were reading, they were mature, respectful of each other and on task. It is really amazing to see what our kids can do when we give them the space to own and drive their own learning - BRAVO!

• Visiting Ally's room during shared reading time, it was awesome to watch one of the kids come up to the SMARTBoard with a pointer and take the whole class through the poem. Listening to him read the text and problem solve out loud when he encountered "unfamiliar" words was truly impressive. He was thoughtful, patient and most importantly, he showed everyone that he was a confident reader... love watching our kids lead the learning! 

• Visiting Jen's room as she introduced the concept of compound words to the children. Not only were some of the children able to generate appropriate examples of compound words (my favorite being cupcakes) but through their share, they were realized that compound words are actually multi-syllabic words - Jen barely said a word and the children constructed their own collective understanding of compound words... more lead learners in action!  

Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out this link for 100 Tips for Chromebooks! 

Blogs Worth Reading...
What is the Solution? by John Spencer

Join The 15 Day No #EdTech Challenge by Ross Cooper

3 Tips for Teaching Close Reading by Dan Henderson  


Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Karina who shares an important reflection on the notion not knowing versus not trying!  


It's ok to not know but it's not ok to not try. I often use this quote with my children, especially when an activity seems too overwhelming and my daughter throws her hands in the air and says (cries) “I don’t know, it’s too hard!!” 
All too often, i have seen kids make little or no attempt to do something that is unfamiliar.  Whether it’s the monkey bars on the playground, that new dish you made for dinner or a math problem, they want no part of it because they (think) they don’t know how to do it. 

Seeing this as a common thread among quite a few kids in my life, I have thought back to some strategies that have helped me personally. 

I often preview an event or activity by having a little conversation about it to give them a heads up so that they can visualize the situation prior to doing it. With food it doesn't always work just because their little or big taste buds take over but I have found that giving my kids a heads up prior to any event, outing, or HW assignment eases their worries.

My son was nervous about going to a party and told us he was feeling purple, (the Scared character from inside out) we talked about everyone that would be there, where it was and our expectations of him while we were there. We told him that if he wants, he could just sit on the couch and not talk to anyone. It calmed him, he was shy at first but ended up having a great time. My daughter was struggling with her 3rd grade fractions HW. We worked on it together and then  took a look at the following day’s assignment.  We made the word problems fun and we related them to her life.  The next day she came running over to me after school and said the math was so easy because she knew exactly what the teacher was talking about. 

I realized that when I preview a situation, I feel better about it.  Gaining some information and expectations prior to any event often times leads to less anxiety of where we have to go, what we have to do, and what is expected of us when we get there. So why not try the same strategy with the kids?? 

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, April 18
"B" Week

Tuesday, April 19 

FEO for all staff in the Library - Reading Info, Field Day Update & Innovation Day Planning
PTA Meeting at 8:45am - Lisa & Maureen Presenting
Gr. 1 Literacy Check-In Meeting at 10:15am

Wednesday, April 20

Minecraft Recess Club

Thursday, April 21

PTA Game Night at 6:30pm
Pre-paid Ice Cream Sale during lunch 

Friday, April 22

Happy TGIF! 
Spring Break Begins!
Earth Day

Monday, May 2
"A" Week
Teacher Appreciation Week!!!!!

Tuesday, May 3

2 Gr. 4 classes are on a trip today
FEO for all teachers in the auditorium - double meeting!
Gr. 3 - Egg to Chick Workshop
M.S. Counselors Visit 5th Grade 

Wednesday, May 4

2 Gr. 4 classes are on a trip today
Happy Nurse's Day to Joan!

Thursday, May 5

Gr. 3 Open House at 8:45am
PTA Executive Board Meeting at 9am
CST @ 1:20pm

Friday, May 6
Happy TGIF!
PTA Career Day


Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. April 19th - featuring time to plan for Innovation Day, hearing from our awesome reading specialists, talking Field Day and Shared Decision Making Team update! 
• Innovation Day is coming on May 19th! Click here to check out the plan from last year... feel free to use the same plan or change it up! 

April 8, 2016

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday to everyone after one of the LONGEST weeks ever with the untimed NYS ELA testing grades 3, 4 & 5. I don't really have the words to describe it but I can honestly say that I was exhausted at the end of each day just as a result of watching the kids work during the test. They worked so hard and were so set on doing their best that some of the children literally spent the entire day trying to construct the perfect short or extended responses. If nothing else, their stamina and perseverance really impressed me. Thank you all for helping our kids get through that challenging experience - from the classroom teachers, to the teacher aides to the specialists who administered the tests to Lisa and Maureen who processed the tests to Pam who came in early each day to help me package and distribute the tests... this was a real school-wide effort and in the end, our kids made us really proud!     

Unfortunately, state testing continues... next week is the Math test on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, which means that some services will be cancelled and many rooms will be used for testing. As mentioned in previous emails, I am asking that we start testing promptly at 9am (if you are testing a child with accommodations, please pick them up by 8:50am) so that we can informally take a school-wide "break" 90 minutes later so we can assess how many children still need more time due to the untimed nature of the tests this year.  

Also, all of the children OPTING OUT will be supervised in the Library where they will be encouraged to read, write or draw quietly - no massive hangout! The children will be supervised by the same amazing team of aides who supervised this week - thank you all for keeping things quiet and keeping the kids engaged!

Please make sure you review all scheduling changes for next week so we are all where we are supposed to be at the right time! 

One of the things I have been thinking a lot about over the last several weeks is this notion of innovation and progressive approaches in education. While often times these terms get commingled with current trends or the presence of technology, the more I think about it and the more I watch what we do at Cantiague, the more I realize that if we want to be innovative and progressive in our practices, we have to keep it simple. 

Yes, while it is great to incorporate concepts such as Writing Workshop, Reading Workshop, STEAM, Genius Hour and Maker Space, the thing that makes these "innovative" approaches successful and sustainable is a solid foundation rooted in best practices. For example, Genius Hour will only have sustainability if we can help children find and unleash their genius and passions but that is not about Genius Hour; instead, that is about a shift in practice so that school focuses more on students and learning than the adults and teaching and that is something we have accomplished here at Cantiague. We have amplified and empowered student voice and pushed our children to refine their thinking so that they are taking on more ownership of their learning (they are also doing that in reading workshop through book clubs and writing workshop through passion based research and in other parts of the curriculum). So yea, Genius Hour is a current "sexy" trend but its sustainability and longevity goes far deeper than labeling a period as Genius Hour once a week and letting kids do research; it is about a shift in practice and philosophy and culture; it is about empowering kids letting them guide their learning. In the end, that is best practice because we know that kids learn best when they are doing - not when they are just passively listening.

It is this work that I am most proud of here at Cantiague. We have gone beyond the trend to the deepest roots where best practices live but at the same time we have also harnessed the power of the current trends to engage our children on a different level. Thank you all for making innovation and progressive practices a reality at Cantiague by keeping it simple!   :)
   

#EDUWINS for the week included...

• Loved watching Carolyn's kids enjoying the various #MakerSpace resources from Dash to the Lincoln Logs to the Tinker Toys! Not only were the kids clearly having a blast and were highly engaged but their collaboration throughout the entire experience was so inspiring! They were being creative and clearly thinking outside of the box... that is what makes us #Cantiague! AWESOMENESS!!     

• Spending time in Jen's room during literacy centers/stations - all the kids were getting what they needed. Some kids were working individually on the iPads doing some word work while the small groups were working on everything from spelling to writing mechanics! Jen does such an impressive job making Fundations... FUN through a centers approach! BRAVO!

• Got to hang out in Meryl's room while she prepared the children to go on a math themed QR code scavenger hunt throughout the classroom. The focus was elapsed time but she took what is a pretty straightforward (and sometimes boring) concept and made it exciting and engaging for the kids by incorporating the QR codes and creating different word problems scattered throughout the classroom - impressive!   

Tech Tip of the Week...
Instead of the typical tech tip, this week I had to share this hysterical video of Jimmy Fallon and Melissa McCarthy engaged in a lip sync battle, which is HYSTERICAL (if you can't watch it all - go to minute 6 and watch Melissa in action)...

Blogs Worth Reading...

What Do Great MakerSpaces have In Common? by Laura Fleming

6 Playful Learning Games from the Toy Fair by Matthew Farber

12 Common Reasons Kids Don't Read And What We Can Do About It by Terry Heick 


Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from Ann Marie from our LC Team - this is an important piece about listening to kids... 

I believe the best thing I can do as a teacher is to listen to my students. It sounds simple, but I have found that listening carefully to students – instead of relying solely on my own instincts and training to guide my teaching process – is a constant challenge. I sometimes feel so strongly about wanting a certain outcome for a student, or even for one of my own children that I have to remind myself to ask them what they want or need. I have learned this the hard way. My fourth-grade son is a diabetic, and after months of giving him 6 to 8 insulin injections every day, I was determined to put him on a diabetic pump that would limit the need for needles. Once he was approved for the pump, he went through a week of acclimation, during which he wore the device around-the-clock while it dispensed a placebo of saline. I was so excited at the prospect of him having an easier insulin process that I failed to see how this new life change was impacting him. He was upset, he was sad, and he was having serious second thoughts. I wasn’t observing his feelings or listening to his concerns, certain that the pump was the best course for him. At the end of the trial week, we went to his doctor to transition the pump to insulin. I was shocked when my son suddenly told me that he didn’t want it. Worse, I thought his perspective was silly. How could he – how could anyone – want constant injections instead of a pump? I was so sure he would change his mind that I told the doctor we should proceed – just so my son could live one day without needles and see what it would be like. But as he sat there with tears running down his face, the doctor gave us both the answer we needed: “Look at your son, and listen to him. He is not ready.”  And he wasn’t. 

This was a valuable lesson for me both as a mother and a teacher, and I think of it frequently in the classroom. As teachers, we are often excited to advance a student, but these feelings can cloud our ability to watch and listen, and they can prevent us from seeing where our students are emotionally and academically.  Because of this, I try to emphasize advancing my students incrementally, letting them guide the schedule by showing signs of readiness.

I am currently working with one of my students to cultivate a love for reading. The root of this process is to build confidence. It is difficult to reach a student when their confidence is low. The first key to building confidence in reading is to create a safe environment that fosters positivity. I do this by offering exciting reading materials that are tailored to the student’s interests. Interesting topics are critical - when you have a student who is both intelligent and mature, “Sit, Spot, Sit” is not going to fly! I addressed this by creating a book with his input. He chose the topic, and I selected words that were familiar to him, and thus a new superhero book was born. I then made a trip to Barnes & Noble where I was happy to find super hero readers that were aligned with his level and had really cool pictures. I was thrilled when my very mature little student assured me that my purchase was not a ”baby book.”

In addition to providing interesting content, I try to create an atmosphere that makes my student believe that he is a true scholar of reading and writing. One way I accomplish this is to consistently track his progress so he can clearly see what he has accomplished thus far. We have started reading and writing with A to Z reading materials. We preview each book in school, revisit unfamiliar words, and then we re-read, using the “I read/you read” method. The repetition helps the student to avoid making the same mistakes the second time around, increasing his confidence and setting him up for success. I also offer incentives for progress. Each time he reads the book, he gets a sticker. Once he is confident he can read the book at school, I involve the family. I ask him to take the book home to read it to each family member, exposing him to the benefit of different responses and praise from a larger group, all of which continues to build his confidence in reading. Again, for each time he reads the book at home, he gets a sticker. If he reads the book 10 times, at the end of the week he gets a prize. 

Lastly, I offer support with tried-and-true strategies that many of the teachers at Cantiague use. These include reading power, picture power, first letter power, and so many more. Together, these strategies are encouraging consistent progress and hopefully helping this student to gain not just a better reading skill but a lifelong love of reading that will influence his life.

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, April 11
"A" Week
Happy Monday!

Tuesday, April 12 

FEO cancelled
Recess Minecraft Club

Wednesday, April 13

Day 1 Math State Testing
Shared Decision Making Team Mtg @ 3pm
Incoming Kindergarten Family Orientation @ 7pm

Thursday, April 14

Day 2 Math State Testing
CST @ 1:20pm
Jericho HS Hall of Fame at the JPL @ 7pm  

Friday, April 15

Happy TGIF!
Day 3 Math State Testing

Reminders... 

• Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
• Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. April 19th - featuring time to plan for Innovation Day & other logistics! 
• Innovation Day is coming on May 19th! Click here to check out the plan from last year... feel free to use the same plan or change it up! 
• State testing is next week so remember...
• Review all scheduling changes;
• Library will be closed on the mornings of testing to house the kids opting out;
• Review all the test modifications and the people assigned to administer them - they must be administered correctly!
• There should be a break 90 minutes into testing to assess how the kids are doing.
• Teachers in Gr. 3, 4 & 5 should give kids some down time each day after the testing!