Engaging Kids

Have you seen those AT&T commercials where a man in a suit sits down to chat with a handful of elementary aged children?  There are several different variations of them.  They start out with the man asking the kids if it's better to do two things at once or just one, if more or less is better, if faster or slower is better. The answer the kids give is always the obvious choice: they think doing two things is better, and that more and faster is unquestionably best.

As for a phone, having faster and more available options is important, and perhaps it's better.  In school, if we took our cues from the voices of the most outspoken kids, our goal would be to make things super exciting all the time and put a focus on just having fun.  We'd put a priority on doing only exciting, eye-catching activities. Though we do consider the interests of the students, they haven't the maturity to know the difference between what's engaging and what's essential.

Don't be mistaken, kids have great thoughts and we ought to always listen to their suggestions, but teachers take multiple factors into account when making classroom decisions.  They look for what's best for the entire group.  They know the purpose of every activity and can sense when it's time to wrap it up.  They know when to reteach and when to move on to the next lesson, when to circle back, and how to scaffold and differentiate.  Teachers know best.

Teachers are most successful when they're able to take those essential things in the curriculum and make them engaging.  Doing that is challenging, yet very possible.  That, in essence, is our calling and our charge.

Some of the great things happening at Betsie Valley Elementary

It was a joy to spend some time in Mrs. Erfourth's first grade class on Thursday morning.  I'm thankful for each of the opportunities I get to teach in the classrooms.

Mr. Luebke's 3rd grade class enjoyed a day in the out-of-doors on a field trip to Leelenau on Friday.

All week long, technology maintenance requests are sent to Grant.  Then on Thursday, Grant pops out to Betsie Valley and is ALWAYS very helpful with all our computer and other technology needs.

The first graders appreciated the ice cream treat at lunch on Friday.  Mrs. Couturier and Mrs. Hathaway appreciated the great first graders' behavior over the past couple weeks as they worked hard to earn that reward.

As custodian, Mike is constantly going above and beyond his call of duty to take care of some maintenance needs in and around the building.  His work in the new Professional Learning Center and on the stage in these past two weeks has been incredibly helpful.

I'm constantly amazed at the Betsie Valley community in the many ways they look to help each other out and take care of each other.  Last month, it was the food drive.  This month, in the wake of a devastating tragedy, there have been several donations made, and now other plans are in the works for a benefit to raise even more money.  The old adage, "It takes a village..." is reality at Betsie Valley.

Interesting Videos

Quick Key is a new iPhone app.  Watch the developer use it to grade some multiple choice quizzes! (2 mins)

So you think you're busy...(3 mins)

Laughter is the best medicine...(4 mins)

Fourth Grade

Fourth grade was an amazing year for me.  My dad's job moved our family out of the city of Jackson and into a country home in Greenville, MI. We would only be there for a year, but it would be a definitive year with some great memories.

Many of the best of those memories are from school.  I earned a 100% on the Math and Reading MEAP tests that year.  My teacher, Mr. Scogg, greeted me at the door every morning with a handshake and a "hello," and there was this really cool reading loft I could use when I had all my other work finished.

My attitude and feelings toward school changed a lot that year.  The change was profound. Mr. Scogg believed there was something special and unique about me: perhaps a character trait or other quality.  He believed that there was something about me that could be found only in me.  He convinced me of that.  I knew I had to try my best.  At everything.  He inspired me to be the me that he saw.  

There is no doubt about what made fourth grade my year.  It was Mr. Scogg.  Several studies have shown that of all the school-based factors that go into why kids succeed in school, quality teachers ranks number 1.  It wasn't the MEAP accomplishments.  Or the reading loft.  It was, without a doubt, Mr. Scogg.  He loved doing his job, and he was very good. I had a few quality teachers throughout my school years, and I'm glad one of them was there the year I moved to Greenville in 4th grade.

Great Things Happening At Betsie Valley

All students attended a "Chill Out" Assembly on Tuesday where they learned the importance of being safe while having fun this winter.

Mr. Wassa's class enjoyed a fun day of lunch and recess right in the classroom on Thursday.  Funny how kids enjoy that change, isn't it?

The high school "choir for hire" was at Betsie Valley to serenade kids in kindergarten and 2nd grade.

Kids at both lunchtimes enjoyed the cookies that Mr. Luebke's class sold during the bake sale this week.

During the BACN food drive, Ms. Herban's 4th grade class donated over 250 food items and earned the Ice Cream Party.

All classes are spending time in the new computer lab.  It is tough to find a time to get in there.  Kids are getting more and more comfortable and confident using technology.

Articles & Websites

It's the Working Toward a Goal that Makes People the Most Happy

5 Excuses Kids Give for Not Reading (And Ways to Respond)

My friend Anna's blog, My Life and Kids is a Top 5 Funny Blog in Parenting Magazine.


Videos

Ted Talk: Engaging elementary-age kids online (15 mins)
 

Teachers! (2 mins)
 

 

The Bake Sale this week benefited the 3rd grade field trip to Leelenau

 

A Valentine serenade by the choir visited Mr. Kelly and Ms. Dodge's Room

Ice Cream reward for 4th graders... winners of the BACN Food Drive Competition

This is what my desk looked like at the end of Valentines Day

Measuring Success

With all the recent talk about MEAP scores, AIMSweb testing, and the incoming Smarter Balanced Assessments and NWEA MAP tests, I think it's important to remember that while these tests may be able to measure the degree to which a student can read and answer questions, the test scores that are produced really aren't a good measurement of a student's overall success in school.  Here are some personal qualities that we continuously work to develop in our students. None of these can be measured with standardized tests.

Creativity - It's what separates humans from machines, so that has to be incredibly important to cultivate in a child.

Motivation - If we can instill in a child the desire to want to work hard, regardless of any external incentive, that is worth all the time we can give it.

Persistence - Failure ought to be fun.  Seriously.  Trial and error is the best way to learn anything.  When learning becomes just a guided tour instead of an adventure, then failure isn't fun, and you find yourself choosing to do only the things you think you'll do successfully. 

Curiosity - C'mon.  It never killed anybody.  It did, however, lead to the discovery of pretty much everything that's ever been discovered.


Reliability - Kids want adults to count on them.  We need to continue to create opportunities for them to be counted on.  When they recognize that we need them to follow-through with something, that's what they'll do. 

Enthusiasm - Kids don't need to be taught what this is.  However, they need to be taught how to channel it appropriately and to be able to call on it when it's lacking.

Compassion - Whether it's donating to a food drive or calling a timeout in the middle of a football game on the playground to make sure your opponent is okay, kids get opportunities ALL DAY to demonstrate compassion.

And that's just naming a few.  There are more.  Many more.  How about courage? Leadership. Resourcefulness. Humor. Humility.  It's impossible for standardized tests to measure any of these characteristics, yet they're the focus of the most important lessons we teach every day. I'm referring to the teachable moments.  They come up more frequently than we ever anticipate.  And when they do, if we see them as interruptions, we get frustrated.  It's when we greet them as opportunities that we remember we have the most important job in the world.


Great things happening at Betsie Valley

Mrs. Travis led several data-based discussions with classroom teachers and parapros on Monday, which led to the reorganization of most of our reading and math intervention groups.

Kids at every grade level impressed me with their generosity during last week's BACN food drive.  Many students brought in entire boxes of food to donate to families who need it most in our area.

Mrs. Vanderlinde's 2nd graders put their hands on straws and pipe cleaners during math this week in order to create their own polygons. Squares, triangles, and rectangles were among the shapes they created.

Students are noticing a BIG difference in the way textbooks, artifacts, and other manipulatives are being displayed in their classrooms.  The new data projectors are now being used in nearly every classroom at Betsie Valley.

Mr. Luebke's 3rd graders received mini ice cream sandwiches after lunch from Mrs. Couturier and Mrs. Hathaway early in the week.  These kids' behavior in the lunch room has been OUTSTANDING!

I had the opportunity to share an ice cream treat with Dathan and Angel on Monday afternoon.  What a well-timed positive interaction with those kids!

Videos, Articles, Links, and Websites worth your time

Health Benefits of Running in Cold Weather - Short Article

Snow Day Calculator - What are the chances of a "Snow Day" tomorrow?  Check the website.

Michigan Basketball Schedule - The schedule for the University of Michigan men's basketball team.

A great clip from a great movie (2 mins)

A TED talk. The Happy Secret to Better Work. Great for everyone to watch (12 mins)

A little humor from Ellen. (2 mins)

2nd graders Jazline and Chance in Mr. Kelly's room using iPads.

5th Grade Camp!

RIP MEAP 1969-2014

MEAP testing will soon be a thing of the past.  2014-2015 will be it's last school year.  Beginning in the spring of that school year (2015), Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) will replace the tests that Michigan students have been taking since the 1969-1970 school year.

With the paper/pencil MEAP tests going away and the computer-based SBA coming in, we needed to make sure our technology infrastructure was ready.  Using some of the money from the passing of the millage last year, the technology committee has replaced every student computer in each of the labs throughout the district.  Our school's technology infrastructure is now, without a doubt, much better prepared for our students to take the SBA than it was just a few months ago.

More important than preparing our computers, it is essential that we make sure our students are ready for the SBA in the spring of 2015. To that end, Betsie Valley Elementary School will be participating in two pilot SBA tests in the spring of 2013.  The 4th graders will take the SBA Math test in late April, and the 5th graders will take the SBA English/Language Arts test in early May.  This is a huge opportunity for our students and staff to experience the SBA a full two years prior to it's official implementation.

In addition, all Benzie Central Schools are currently preparing to use a new computer-based diagnostic assessment tool, beginning in the 2013-2014 school year.  NWEA MAP tests are similar in format to the SBA.  By taking several meaningful assessments using technology, our students have some fantastic opportunities to prepare for Michigan's new standardized tests.  

The MAP tests may help to prepare our students for taking computer-based assessments, but their primary purpose is much larger in scope.  MAP tests will allow us to target our instruction to the specific areas that our students show they need.  It will also allow us to regularly provide some very critical academic feedback to students and parents by using the program's many reports.  These reports will be available to us almost immediately after the students take the MAP tests.

If you are looking for a clear presentation of information about MAP Tests and Smarter Balanced Assessments, click on the following links.  They will each open in a new window.

NWEA - Northwest Evaluation Association (MAP Tests)

SBA - Smarter Balanced Assessment (Replacing MEAP in spring 2015)

Great Things Seen or Heard at Betsie Valley Elementary this week:

We had our Honor Roll Assembly on Tuesday, where 46 of our upper elementary (3rd-5th Grade) students were "honored" for their academic excellence.  All A's or All A's and B's.  Way to go!

Early in the week, Mrs. Erfourth's 1st graders were working hard in the computer lab typing creative sentences using their spelling words.

Mr. Wassa, Mr. Cox, and Ms. Kitty spent a few days with 30+ 5th graders at Camp Hayo Went Ha, near Bellaire, MI.  Kitty sent back some pictures and videos. They clearly had a fantastic camping trip!

Mrs. Dodge listened as Dathan and Gabe (and many others) read books aloud to her.  Kindergarteners love reading to adults who want to listen.  Mrs. Dodge should be so proud of all her little readers.

There are several students that appreciate Mrs. Bluhm every day at around noon, as she spends recess time inside. Each of these students is unable to be outside in the winter for one reason or another.

There are a few students that have the privilege of eating their lunch with Ms. Kristi, and they love it.  They are so thankful that she spends a couple days each week as a counselor at Betsie Valley.

Videos Worth Your Time

Clicking here will open a new window so you can watch "NWEA MAP Testing: Help All Kids Learn" (3 mins)

It will look like the picture below

This kid has a pretty awesome pep talk for all of us (3 mins)

Articles and Websites Worth Your Time

Record-Eagle Newspaper article on Benzie Elementary Schools' partnership with Grow Benzie

30 Things to Start Doing

Betsie Valley's Calendar is online.  Check it out!


3rd grade students on the A/B Honor Roll for the 2nd Marking Period:

3rd grade students on the All-A Honor Roll for the 2nd Marking Period:

4th grade students on the A/B Honor Roll for the 2nd Marking Period:

4th grade students on the All-A Honor Roll for the 2nd Marking Period:

5th grade students on the A/B Honor Roll for the 2nd Marking Period:

5th grade students on the All-A Honor Roll for the 2nd Marking Period:

This pretty much sums up the weather we had this week:

On Sunday, Jill and I welcomed a fourth child into our family.  Naturally, I spent some time at home with my wife and kids.  I appreciated all your kind words this week.  Here's a picture of all four of them, taken the day Isaiah came home from the hospital.  These kids are awesome!

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