To-Do List

We spend much of our time each day doing the things we're responsible for doing.  We teach, have conversations with other staff, parents, and students, solve all the little logistical problems, answer questions for kids, write emails, talk on the phone, and manage conflicts.  We don't have to plan out a time to accomplish each of these things; we just do them as a normal part of our every day.  So much time gets used up doing these very important "every day" things.

And then there are the tasks or projects that need our extra time or special attention and focus in order to complete.  You know, the things that have deadlines.  We put these things on our "to-do" lists.  Constantly, new tasks are added, and who doesn't love crossing them off as they get completed?

Here are a few things on my to-do list right now (in no particular order):

School Improvement Reports - Through the School Improvement process, we create plans for improving every aspect of our school.  We have one report to complete in February, and another to do in March.  The SI team is nearly assembled, and we are just about ready to dive into this very important work. These reports will provide us with some great direction.

Observations/Evaluations- Soon, we will work together to schedule the second round of classroom observations, which will be completed in February and March.  I look forward to some great discussions with staff about the teaching and learning I've seen and heard happening in every classroom.

PLC Day for Data Review- A day in early February will be chosen to have our professional learning communities come together again at Betsie Valley, as we did in December.  There will be several brief grade level meetings in order to review the winter AIMSweb data, and to make important decisions about student placement into and out of our many Reading and Math interventions.

School Security- Our Lockdown Drill went very well on Wednesday, as Michigan State Police trooper Greg Hubers and a few other police officers assured us.  There are always opportunities to improve on our procedures, so we will be discussing this as a staff at an upcoming staff meeting.

Farm to School- Kirsten Gerbatsch is our point-of-contact for this initiative.  We will be working with her to help our students gain a better appreciation for fresh food, gardening, and nutritious decisions.  There will be a Farm To School Inservice on April 24th at TBAISD for one of our teachers to attend as well.  We will be inviting Kirsten to introduce herself at our February 8th staff meeting.

Great things happening at Betsie Valley:

2nd graders worked together on a water purification experiment in Mr. Kelly's science class Wednesday (pictures below).  Boys and girls used a metal screen, several coffee filters, a few paper towels, and two cups to try to take dirt, leaves, seeds, and other impurities out of their water samples.

4th graders learned a new way to do double-digit multiplication problems in Ms. Herban's class.  Correction: I learned a new way to do double digit multiplication in Ms. Herban's class.  Ask me, and I'll show you the "volcano" method.

Mrs. Garske is back in the kitchen.  She made a delicious turkey dinner for all staff and students on Wednesday!

Mrs. Hathaway has a great knack for getting her bunch of 1st graders to work hard on improving their reading skills.

5th graders have about 17 different desk arrangements in Mr. Wassa's room.

Ms. Kitty and Mrs. Hunsinger have our younger students doing remarkably well with the indoor recesses this week.

Mr. Luebke, always the trend-setter.  He flipped his windshield wipers up.  Then everyone else followed suit.  Well played, Tom.

Mr. Cox played chef as he cut turkey for 160 kids and 25 staff members on Wednesday. Ms. Dodge, Mrs. Bluhm, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Wassa, Mrs. Hunsinger, and Ms. Kitty all served kids as well.  Service is contagious.

Articles worth your time

Webber family's generous donation to TC's Munson Heart Center!

12 Things You Should Never Stop Doing

Crystal Mountain Snow and Ski Report

These videos are definitely worth your time:

Some insight into FoodCorps' Vision: Changing the Way We Eat (10 mins)

These brothers are incredible!

Pictures from Mr. Kelly's Science Water Purification Experiment

One aspect of the Farm-to-School Initiative at Benzie Schools is the "10 Cents A Meal" Program

This is worth putting in here again!

Cold Season

Winter is definitely here now.  It was one degree below zero on my drive to school Friday morning.  Some wind gusts reached 50 mph Saturday night.  It'll be this way for a while...cold all day, dark on the way to school, and again on the way home.  Sure, we'll get glimpses of the sun on some days, but we don't wake up in the morning expecting it.

There are some people who really struggle during these winter months, but most of us can get used to it.  Still others thrive in it, and see winter as a beautiful time of year.  
  
I fall into that last category.  It really isn't too difficult for me to see the beauty in the snow-covered trees.  The cold is only cold when I'm not prepared for it.  Without the cold and snow, I could never properly appreciate the warmth and sunshine of summer.  I absolutely love each of our seasons, and I'm glad northern Michigan always has a good winter.

In the end, it's like anything else: we have to do the best we can with what we're given.  With our work at school, it's no different.  Some days are more challenging than others.  What makes what we do so special is that even though we know that challenges await us, we face each day with fresh perspective and a renewed hope.  When we enter a season of darkness, (and we all do at times) ...when it's winter, we move forward knowing full well that it won't last forever.  The sun is still there, even when we can't see it.  And soon, it'll shine through.  It always does.

The 2nd  Semester begins on Monday.  This means students will begin going to Music classes rather than Art on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Here is the Betsie Valley Specials Schedule (click to enlarge):

Great Things at Betsie Valley This Week

Mrs. Reed brought her Music supplies to Betsie Valley on Wednesday morning.  Kids are getting excited about Music starting this week.  Welcome back to the Valley, Mrs. Reed!

3rd Graders earned the cafeteria reward this week.  Great job, Mr. Luebke's class.

5th graders enjoyed the change in their classroom jobs this week.  Mr. Wassa's always keeping things fresh and new for the kids.

Mr. Cox was a snowboarding hero to a handful of 5th grade boys at Crystal Mountain on Thursday.  WOW! 

On Wednesday afternoon, 4th graders had a classroom celebration in honor of Mr. Booth, our high school "teacher academy" student who finished his time in Ms. Herban's room.

January is National Mentors Month.  Be sure to thank the Kid's Hope mentors that spend time with our kids every week.

Fun Article Worth Your Time
50 things that everyone should know how to do (I feel successful with 42/50 of these.  I'm getting really good at #49.  I've never done #40.) 


Last winter, voters in our school district decided to provide our schools with $1,985,000 for improving technology and transportation, and now we have 36 new computers in Betsie Valley's computer lab, and each classroom has a document camera, allowing us to display everything from textbooks to coins and insects for everyone in the room to see.  Without a doubt, our community supports our work here. 

This is a tutorial for our new Elmo TT-12 Document Camera (<5 mins)

This is a tutorial for our new Recordex Document Camera (<5 mins)

Los Angeles Overreacts to its "cold" temperatures. Funny Jimmy Kimmel Live clip (1 min)

 

Our 2nd and 5th graders' field trip to Crystal Mountain on Thursday:

 

Snow Days

During our snow day on Friday, I was reminded of snow days when I was a kid.  My brother Brandon and I would get board games out and play for hours.  Almost every memory I have of game times with my family involves Brandon taking over the Monopoly board, one property deed at a time.  He was constantly calculating odds and sticking to his strategies and principles.  I was often the first player to run out of money.

After a while, and very slowly, I began to pick up on Brandon's tactics.  Some time later, the day finally came where I was able to put it all together.  A few moves went my way, one after another.  I converted my eight houses on Boardwalk and Park Place to hotels and he landed there on his next turn.  I accepted a few of his deeds as payment.  I bought up the rest of his deeds with some spare change, and sat back counting my stack of leftover orange $500 bills.  He was bankrupt before he was able to pass "Go" again.  I did it.  I won!

It was at that moment that I learned an important lesson.  "Let's put it back in the box," he said.  And that was that.  It was over and done.  My houses, hotels, deeds, and cash were gone.  I couldn't take anything away from the table.  As with life, when the game is over, it all goes back in the box.

Knowing that all the stuff goes back in the box at the end, teachers build their legacies on what will last long after we're gone.  The meaningful life lessons we teach will live on in the lives of the students we impact along the way.  Our work is about investing in the future.  If the value of a life can be measured by the good that's poured into another life, the value of a teacher is immeasurable.

Great things I heard or saw at Betsie Valley this week:

During Boot Camp, the behavior expectations for our school were reviewed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade were respectful and responsible.

2nd graders were sprawled out on the floor in Mrs. Vanderlinde's room studying Benzie County maps during a Social Studies lesson.

5th graders in Mrs. McClaren's Art class created amazing pieces of art using fountain pens and bottles of ink.

2nd grader, Chance, enjoyed the time he spent learning using technology in Mr. Kelly and Mr. Cox's rooms this week.

After looking at several great examples on the web, 2nd graders in Mr. Kelly's room were writing books from the perspective of snowmen and snowgirls.

1st and 4th graders were rewarded on Monday with ice cream at lunch for winning the cafeteria behavior challenge.  It's amazing what Mrs. Hathaway and Mrs. Couturier have been able to do by setting high expectations and rewarding positive behavior (and with a little frozen dairy motivation).

3rd, 4th, and 5th graders attended and participated in an inspiring Tom Thelen assembly where they were challenged to "Be the Change" they wanted to see in their school.

Video Worth Your Time:
Tom Thelen: Our 3rd-5th graders were able to spend some time with Tom on Thursday morning.

Article Worth Your Time:
Benzie Central Schools ranked in the top 10 traditional public schools in the state of Michigan

5th grader Noah, wearing his new Tom Thelen t-shirt: "Be the CHANGE"

 East of Betsie Valley Elementary Monday afternoon

The fourth grade bus on the way to see Tom Thelen on Thursday

New Year

About 45% of Americans make New Year's Resolutions every year.  Only 12% follow through  and accomplish their goals.  So why? Why would anyone make a resolution? Because life is nothing if not about taking risks and testing our own limits in spite of the odds stacked against us.  Because it's better to make a resolution and fail, than continue on in the status quo.  Because self-improvement is exciting.  These are the messages we want to send our own kids/students, so why would we live our lives any differently?

So let's all resolve to make a resolution in 2013.

A successful resolution is specific and measurable.  We also need to make sure we pick something attainable and realistic.  And we'll write it down and tell others because we all need accountability and encouragement.  Plus, if no one else knows what we're doing, it would be too easy to change our goals when the going gets tough.  

One of my own goals for 2013 is to run a 26.2-mile trail marathon, finishing under 3 hours and 30 minutes.  I've taken the step of signing up already, even though the race isn't until September.  An amazing thing happened once I signed up: I went out for a run.  And then another and another.  It's early January and I've already taken a few steps toward success. I'd love to hear about your goals for 2013.

Soon, we will come together as a Betsie Valley staff to set several specific and measurable school improvement goals for our school.  We will take stock of where we are and discuss attainable and realistic goals for where we want to be.   We will write it down because  accountability (even from the State) is good, and thus, we'll chart a course for 2013 for our school.

It's going to be a great year, and I'm so fortunate to be able to share it with you.  Happy New Year!


Take Note:

Mrs. Dodge's new room was turned into a kindergarten classroom this week.  Also, Mike painted the doorways in the Kindergarten hallway.  Have a look on Monday!

As of right now, no new computers or document cameras have been installed at Betsie Valley.  They are in at MS/HS, and Lake Ann. Betsie Valley is next in line, so please be patient, and make sure you keep any and all post-it notes on your personal monitors and computers. Grant and Kurt will be working over the next week or so to make this happen. 

We will be rescheduling the Christmas dinner (12/20 snow day) and the Staff Breakfast/Secret Santa Reveal (12/21 snow day).  Stay tuned early this week for that information.

Videos worth your time:

In the life of that one student, be the person that unlocks a passion (Fascinating!) (3 mins)

A Great Way to Start 2013 (5 mins)

Wright's Law: it's his personal life that he uses to teach the true meaning of life (12 mins)

Articles Worth Your Time:

Amazing role models: hard to find, surprisingly easy to be!

8 Things you must give up to find peace

Here are some outstanding pieces of Christmas artwork completed by Mrs. Lamkey's art students at Betsie Valley Elementary, printed by the Record-Patriot Newspaper:

Students from Mrs. Vanderlinde's 2nd Grade Social Studies class are pictured in the Record-Patriot Newspaper here with their National Monuments.