Sunday, November 2, 2014

Powered by The Arts

Update for November 3-7




This week brought us another reminder of how talented our Arts Team is.  The Fall Concert that Mrs. Root created with students was an absolutely amazing experience.
When we combine the Fall Concert with the Warrior Dash and Dot Day, we can begin to understand how much the Arts can impact a school’s culture.
We strive each day to create learning experiences that focus on skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity because we believe these skills are going to enable our students to be successful in discovering their passions.  The arts, and those who bring learning to life through the arts, help us create a learning culture that focuses on these important skills.
Thank you Mrs. Bowers, Mr. Burkhart, and Mrs. Root for continuing to inspire us to celebrate learning through the arts!
-Mr. H

Upcoming Events --



Mon, Nov 3 --


Tues, Nov 4 -- 

Waiver Day/No students; Hilliard University at Darby HS and Heritage MS.
  • Your day can be 7:30-2:30 or 8:30-3:30.
  • Our Staff PD will start at 1:00pm in the Darby HS band room and last until 2:30.
Wed, Nov 5 --
5:30pm -- Market Day pick-up
Thu, Nov 6 --
Fri, Nov 7 --
Newsletter Home
Yearbook Art Contest Ends
First School Community Meeting!
When you walk into our building, each person can see our mission that was establish on the very first day of school in 2001: Children.
This year, we are continuing the work of establishing and communicating the common expectations for all members of our community through the PBIS Framework. When we take steps to reestablish the principles of our community, it is important that we also work towards our Mission and ensure that kids have a voice in the process.
Therefore we will be having our first School Community Meeting this Friday!


After discussing how we were going to elicit feedback from students about their beliefs about what makes Alton Darby, we decided we need to start by getting everyone together to celebrate our accomplishments so far this year and to give us all a task we will work to complete.


And this is how it will happen:
  • 8:50 -- Student arrive and go immediately to the gym before going to homeroom.
    • Breakfast students will go to breakfast as usual. They will join us when they are finished.
    • Teachers will be in the gym to help get students organized. I will have a seating chart for you SOON.
    • We will be leading the students in a cheer - “We...Are...Alton...Darby!”.
  • 9:05 -- Mr. H starts the meeting by welcoming everyone, explaining why we are together, and then explaining the task everyone will work to complete.
    • Task - Homeroom teachers will facilitate students in completing this phrase: “At Alton Darby Elementary, WE ARE _____________!”
    • You will will be given a blank Puzzle Piece to write the word you decide reflects your room.
  • 9:15 -- Students are dismissed to homeroom.
A 10 minute meeting that is going to help us do something BIG!  Thanks to Jay, Angie, Karen O, Kim, Missy, Adrianna, Carla, Jane, Kris and Tiffany for your help with the planning!  And thanks to everyone for helping to make our first School Community Meeting a success!
Mon Nov 10, 2014
6:30pm - 7pm PTO Executive Mtg
7pm - 8pm PTO General Mtg
Tue Nov 11, 2014
Picture Retake Day
Fri Nov 14, 2014
End of K-5 Grading Period

Mon Nov 17-20, 2014
Book Fair Week
Wed Nov 19, 2014
3:45pm - 8:15pm Conference Night
Wed Nov 26-28, 2014 No School


Articles Worth Reading

"What Are The Habits Of Mind?"

"How Relearning Old Concepts Alongside New Ones Makes It All Stick | MindShift"

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Sunday, October 26, 2014

The "goal" that helped me focus on what really matters.

Update for Oct 27-31


By Jrcla2 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I didn't quite understand the whole soccer scene until this year. Before I would hear about parents spending "so much time" at soccer practices, games and tournaments. I didn't understand just how much time it really took to have one of you kids participate on a traveling team.
Here is what I have discovered since my older daughter joined a traveling soccer club:
  • If there is a practice, game or tournament, there's a good chance it's going to rain and be cold.
  • Soccer gear costs a small fortune.
  • Tournaments 1 hour away don't sound bad at first, but then the reality of another weekend gone sinks in during the drive.
The last point happened to me this weekend. Sunday was day 2 of my daughter's last tournament of the season. And when I thought about everything that I wasn't getting to -- those evaluations I needed to finish up, those emails I had put off too long, the mountain of laundry, the lawn, grocery shopping -- the idea of staying home while my wife took my daughter back to the tournament was very tempting.
But I resisted the temptation and went. And I'm glad I did.

Ava made her first goal of the season, something she had wanted to do all season long. In that moment after she scored, everything that was on my mind vanished. I reached such a point of clarity that when I thought about all of that stuff again, it seemed insignificant and not so impossible anymore. I kept thinking to myself, “What if I had decided to stay home?”.  I am sure I would have felt miserable.
Today I had a reminder to keep what's important at the center of my life because it helps me do the other stuff with clarity.

I hope as we move into the time of the school year when the little details begin adding up that each of us are able to stay focused on what's truly important so that the details don't seemed so daunting.

 Upcoming Dates
Mon Oct 27, 2014
Yearbook Art Contest Begins (Ends Nov 7)

Tue Oct 28, 2014
Fall Concert at Bradley High School

Thu Oct 30, 2014
8am-9am Community Assembly Planning Meeting
5:30pm - 6:30pm Market Day
6pm-8pm Trick or Treat, Hilliard/Columbus

Fri Oct 31, 2014
Halloween

November
Tue Nov 4, 2014
Waiver Day - More info to come soon!

Fri Nov 7, 2014
Newsletter Home
Yearbook Art Contest Ends

Mon Nov 10, 2014
6:30pm - 7pm PTO Executive Mtg
7pm - 8pm PTO General Mtg

Tue Nov 11, 2014
Picture Retake Day
5:30 - 7pm Market Day Pick-up

Fri Nov 14, 2014
End of K-5 Grading Period

Mon Nov 17, 2014
Book Fair Week thru Nov 20

Wed Nov 19, 2014
3:45pm - 8:15pm Conference Night

Wed Nov 26, 2014
No School

Thu Nov 27, 2014
No School


Fri Nov 28, 2014
No School


Articles Worth Reading


"Are we doing what matters?" - Teacher at Heart http://teacheratheart.weebly.com/1/post/2014/10/are-we-doing-what-matters.html


“Visibility Creates Accountability” | The Principal of Change


"5 Behaviors That Can Sink Leaders" via


A Principal's Reflections: The Story of Greatguy7: http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-story-of-greatguy7.html
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Sunday, October 19, 2014

Update for Oct 20-24

The Most Important Voice


This week, we worked to define the key principles and beliefs we have as a learning community. The beliefs that we identified as a team reflected the positive focus we put on our students and the work we do with them. Our next step will be to connect these principles to statements that are easily remembered that will help us connect to our beliefs as a learning community.
As we discussed these principles, something amazing happened.  One of the members of the team suggested that in order for students to embrace the expectations we will have for them, they should have the opportunity to provide input as to what these grounding beliefs that reflect Alton Darby Elementary are. We came to the conclusion that we needed to organize a whole-school meeting where we could give students the opportunity to provide input into the beliefs that reflect our learning community.
I am excited that we are going to be giving students this opportunity to have a voice in a process that will eventually impact their learning community.  This is an important step towards providing students with multiple opportunities to have a voice and to have a choice in their learning.
Upcoming Dates --
Monday October 20 (A): 2/3 rehearsal & 4/5 rehearsal with props
9:20 – 10:20 4/5 graders
10:30 – 11:30 2/3 graders (we will take 2nd grade to lunch)
1st grade (no change)
Wed Oct 22, 2014
Data Team Half-Day Meeting -- 5th Grade AM; 4th Grade PM


2/3 rehearsal & 4/5 rehearsal with props and in between acts
9:20 – 11:45 AM – 4/5 Graders
1 – 2 PM – 2/3 Graders
1st grade (no change)
3:35-4:20 ADE/DCR Staff Meeting at ADE
Thu Oct 23, 2014
Data Team Half-Day Meeting -- 3rd Grade AM; 2nd Grade PM
9:15-10:45 AM - Building Visit, Mrs. McNaughton
Fri Oct 24, 2014
Whole school rehearsal – 2-5 grades no break this day
Teachers who do not have duties on B-Day... I wouldn't care if you wanted help your teammates by watching their class (one teammate at a time) and letting them have a break.  
Come down to the gym as soon as your attendance & lunch count is done between 9:10-9:15
Rehearsal ends 11:45 (2nd grade leave out gym doors when it is time to go to lunch)
5th and some 4th graders in in-between acts may need to stay until 12:20.
1st grade (no Change)
Mon Oct 27, 2014
Yearbook Art Contest Begins (Ends Nov 7)
Tue Oct 28, 2014
Fall Concert at Bradley High School
Thu Oct 30, 2014
Data Team Half-Day Meeting -- Kindergarten AM; 1st Grade PM


Fri Oct 31, 2014
Halloween
Tue Nov 4, 2014
Waiver Day - More information to come!

 Wed Nov 5, 2014
5:30pm - 6:30pm Market Day
Fri Nov 7, 2014
Newsletter Home
Yearbook Art Contest Ends
8:00am - 8:45am BAC mtg

Articles to read
“How Can Students Have More Say in School Decisions?” | MindShift http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/10/how-can-students-have-more-say-in-school-decisions/ … via @MindShiftKQED




"Learning disability or learns differently?" http://feedly.com/e/U8phHXtv

Videos that inspire
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