Tuesday MM

Good Morning!

A note From Kathy Wilheit;

In the rush of holiday activities, I was slowed by two experiences last week.

1) One of our instructional assistants was absent and her duty needed to be picked up by another. When I went to ask, the assistant smiled and said, "No problem." This happens every time I come, panicked, to make these requests. I so appreciate their flexibility.

2) We welcomed 2 little girls to our school last week. They had just arrived from Mexico, clearly overwhelmed by all the "newness" of everything. They touched and ooohed with wonder as I showed them how to use the water fountain. I cannot tell you how often in my career I have taken such a child and walked him/her to a strange classroom where no one spoke the child's language. Last week we introduced them to their Spanish-speaking teacher and assistant, while Silvia reassured the mother in her native tongue. Thanks to TBE, at least ONE thing in these girls' lives will feel normal.

Be. grateful.

Silvia and/or Edwin will be working from 7:30-3:30 the remainder of this week, so if you need access to your class, just come by and check in at the office to let us know of your presence.  The week after Christmas we are all taking vacation and the building will be closed.  January 2nd is a holiday and we will return with students on day 6 in the rotation, Tuesday, January 3rd.

Enjoy your time and families during this break and know that your efforts to shape our world are meaningful and appreciated!

Monday MM

Good Morning!

Let's knock these two days out!  Today we will announce at 8:20 for 4th and 5th to come to the gym to prepare for "The Big Chill."  We will follow that with the grade level announcements around 8:30, and once we are all settled into the gym we will do the announcements and enjoy the performance.

Please keep academics a priority.  We all will have time to rest and relax and these next two days are perfect for creating a sense of wonder and building the desire to learn.  Let's leave our students hungry to return on January 3rd.

Friday MM

Good Morning!

Thanks to the Hospitality Team for organizing the wonderful food and fellowship that was our staff social.  The cookie exchange is an added treat.  When you see members of this team today, please extend your appreciation.

Thanks to Mary Lauren and the 4th and 5th grade teams for "The Big Chill."  A well attended event that provided many smiles for our students and their families. 

Thanks to Linnea and Andy K. for setting up a SKYPE visit with Astronaut Tom Mashburn.  He took EIE to a "higher " level.

Thanks to the PTA for providing the Teacher appreciation Luncheon today.  Food will be served on the stage and the Art room is reserved for Teacher dining.  Admin and Parent Volunteers will supervise the lunchroom, while Cindy has graciously agreed to Art on a Cart for the lunch schedule.

Thanks to Deb Fidali for writing a $6000 grant to supply the media center with materials for STEM.  Let's all send thoughts of support and hope it comes to fruition.

Thanks to SIT for working on our Magnet talking points for the tour and Magnet Fair on January 7th.  We wanted to and were able to align what we market, to the goals/strategies in our SIP.

Subs:
No sub for Dorothy Manigault
No sub for Nicole Robinson
No sub for Irene Rush
No sub for Lynn Vernon
Rosemary Hazy for Lisa Weber
Shirely Porter for Earline Richardson

Thursday MM

BIG DAY!

4th and 5th grade will practice at 1:30 and perform at 6:00.  The musical is fun and entertaining so please consider sticking around to support the students and their families.  We will have a school-wide assembly for the performance on Monday at 8:30!

Staff Holiday Social begins at 3:20 in the media center.  Bring your 3 dozen cookies to participate in the exchange, and enjoy some good food and friendships.

http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/domain/7153

Subs:
Rosemary Hazy for Julie Laplante
A custodial Sub is here this week for Mr. Sawyer as he is under his doctor's care for some pulmonary issues.

 

 

Journalism club has developed a news website called Be. news. Our stories are wide-ranging and completely student-driven. Look for new "news" about every other week. This webpage can also be reached from the Brunson homepage > Activities > Journalism Club. Check out the department tabs at the left of the page.

Wednesday MM

Good Morning!

Our safety drill to simulate a lock down will occur this morning before the first lunch.  We appreciate having Officer Basco here as our SuperKids representative to help us evaluate our response.

SIT will meet at 3:25 in the media center. 

CCES module delivery begins Wednesday with 5th HAG working on Module One in 6th grade reading and math.  In the afternoon Kim and Mariah will stop talking about her ENGAGEMENT RING long enough to share module one for third grade ELA and Math.  Again I want to encourage each of us to

Be.present
Be.engaged
Be.responsible for the outcome of this learning experience.

EOQs start pretty quickly after break, so Kathy wanted to go ahead and get these dates out.

Jan 13 (Fri) Reading

Jan 17 (Tues) Math CI

Jan 18 (Wed) Math CA

Jan 19 (Thurs) Science

Subs:
Rosemary Hazy for Donna McNatt
Nelida Faltow for Betty Jo Moore
Joey Stone for Suzanne Sarfert

Tuesday MM

Snack attack today courtesy of Silvia, Andy, Irene, Damita, the other Andy, Kathy, Angela, Laverne, Donald, Edwin and Jeff.

SIT meeting Wednesday

Faculty Holiday Social and Cookie exchange is Thursday followed by the 4th and 5th grade musical presentation at 6pm.

PTA teacher appreciation Luncheon will be served on the stage Friday and we will have parents in the cafe so you all may enjoy duty-free lunch in the Art room.

Next Monday we are starting our day with a school-wide assembly in the gym to enjoy the 4th and 5th grade musical. 

Please limit your class holiday parties to the afternoon of either Friday or Monday. 

Monday MM

Good Morning!

Seven days of JOYFUL education await us and our students before the holiday break. 

I had 21 Data meetings last week and enjoyed learning about our "ownership" of the numbers.  I will schedule those who I have missed this morning as I make some instructional rounds collecting CWT data.

From Mary Lauren;

There will be a joint rehearsal for all 4th and 5th grade students on Wednesday, December 14th, and Thursday, December 15th from 1:30 - 2:30pm on both days to put the finishing touches on the program. I will need your assistance in arranging your students from shortest to tallest and placing them on the steps/risers and also with discipline during the rehearsal.

Thank you for all your help and for everything you do for our students!

From Stephanie Smith:

Currently we have 10 NEW laptops for check out from Mrs. Smith:

We will be checking them out in sets of 5 per classroom on an as needed basis:

If you would like to check out a set of 5 laptops for your students to use in the classroom or an activity please contact Mrs. Smith to do so. Thanks!

Friday MM Day 4

Good Morning!

Our LTM meetings will be focused on CCES modules for the next 4 rotations (Beginning December 14th - Day One).  To view the document, "CCES Plan" go to the Blog Documents folder on our "S" drive. Kathy will make rounds Monday and Tuesday to touch base with hose who are presenting.  Let's all make this meaningful and learn from our time together. 

Here is an objective for our training as crafted by Demarie, "CCES modules should allow teachers to learn about, plan for, and reflect upon the new standards"   Great job by the Team to embrace and lead our school! 

Janet Wilson is here today for Debbie Woodruff as she is traveling to Georgia due to a death in the family.

Olga is also out today and her sub called in sick.  we are still searching for a sub for this position.  the ESL assistants will teach with the help of Janet and Stephanie until a sub is secured.

Thursday MM

Good Morning!

I appreciate all the mental effort exerted in our "Open Space."   I am interested in our next meeting to determine if we can define "Action."  Our excellent new Associate Superintendent, Mr. Steve Oates, is an expert on shifting School Improvement PLANS into ACTION.  He will be visiting us for a SIT meeting and add to our open space as a collaborative presence. 

Today I am at the Joint Principals Meeting and will return to a PTA board meeting at 1pm. 

I am not able to attend the Author visit but want to thank Deb and the staff who are helping to make this opportunity rich and rewarding for our students.

Ernest is our Cafe worker who usually mans the dish station, if you want a hot sudsy rag to clean a teacher table, please ask and he can help.  this is for Adults only, kids must only use water and paper towels.

Our CCES training will begin in LTM meeting times beginning on our next day one - December 14th.  The Plan for the first two modules will be posted on the Blog Friday and in the shared folder - "Blog Documents."

Subs:
Crystal Rook for Stephanie Smith

Wednesday MM

Good Morning

I am so looking forward to our Open Space meeting this afternoon.  We will make an announcement at 4:00 to convene in the Media Center for the TOY vote and Good of the order.  Thanks for bringing your best self to this exciting process.

Data conversations & other meetings on my schedule today are as follows;
7:30 - Grisette
8:30 - McNatt
9:15 - STEM Action Group at CO

11:30 - Binkley

12:35 - Observation

1:20 - 5th Grade LTM

3:20 - Open Space then TOY vote

Here is the text of an e-mail I received today from our new Associate Superintendent;

Just a Reminder: Any videos shown in classrooms should be instructional and have the appropriate "rating" if they are "entertainment-type" videos.  Any video shown in our schools that is not owned by the school or school district does need to be approved by The Principal (school board policy) BEFORE showing it.

If you have questions, please contact Jackie Pearson. She will be glad to answer any specific questions.

For our Brunson video issues, Please contact Deb Fidali, as she has all the forms needed. 

Lisa Fowler for Paige Sipe

Shirely Porter for Earline Richardson

Teacher of the Year

We will be voting for our Teacher of the Year at the staff meeting on Wednesday. I am including the nominees here so that you can put some thought into your vote. If you cannot be at the meeting, you are welcome to stop by Kathy's office on Tuesday or Wednesday to fill out a ballot. We will announce our school winner at the faculty meeting.

____ Venice Hailstock
____ Allison Phelps
____ Michelle Gray
____ Mariah Lee
____ Kim Mason
____ Julie LaPlante
____ Suzanne Sarfert
____ Betty Jo Moore
____ Annie Campbell
____ Demarie Anderson
____ Lara Overby
____ Cindy Sanders

Monday MM

Good Morning!

Keep focused on Student learning and let's create an atmosphere in these 12 days before the Break which compels our kids to look forward to their return on January 3rd!

Data conversations & other meetings on my schedule today are as follows;
7:30 - Sipe
8:30 - Observation
9:15 - Sarfert
10:00 - Anderson
11:30 - Post-Observation
1:15 - Zarate
2:00 - Weber
3:30 - CCES meeting in LTM

From Bud on the CCES

Please share with your staff that the materials shared for Reading/ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies on the October 31 RC day may now be accessed in Learning Village.

The resources can be located by clicking the blue box at top of the Learning Village front-page. The link is entitled "Common Core/Essential Standards Training and Resources."

Subs:

Denise Jennings for Anne Campbell

Friday MM - Day 5

Good Morning!

Thanks to the 15 teachers who have signed up for a data conference next week.  Please attempt to find a slot that serves you before you leave for the weekend, as the calendar is on Silvia's Desk.

From Deb Fidali:

Save, save, save on shopping this Saturday, December 3. Teachers save 25% both online and in stores!

Please use a voucher either online or in the store and gift the media center with a percentage of the sale! Also, each Brunson educator or student who comes by my table on Saturday can enter a drawing for a $25.00 gift card. See Brunson students perform at 2:00.

From Stephanie Smith;

There is a new way to request time in the computer lab. I have taken down the sign up sheets off the door and transferred that information onto the schedule on Brunson's webpage. Having said that you now have to ability to schedule your class for the lab using the web page. Here is all you need to do:

1. Go to WSFCS homepage

2. Under user options select sign in (log in)

3. You are now back at home page, go to user options again, select SITE MANAGER

4. This will take you to your web page

5. On the left had side you will have an option to select Computer Lab sign up

6. Select the calendar tab

7. When calendar appears select date, double click, type in event name (your name), then start time, end time.

That's it! Your done. If you have any questions I am here to help!

From the PTA:  We Appreciate YOU!!!Teacher Luncheon will be served on December 16th on the Stage.  Soup, Bread and Salad to be enjoyed in the Art room while your students eat under the watchful eye of parent volunteers.

Enjoy the weekend

Subs:

Shirley Porter for Earline Richardson

Rosemary Hazy for Kim Mason

Thursday MM

Good Morning!

Great SIT meeting yesterday afternoon!  I appreciate the collaborative process and thank all the members of our staff who dedicate their time to our multiple teams. YOU are making a difference in our school. 

During the meeting We gathered info about our CCES plan and will have a meeting on Monday December 5th at 3:30 in the LTM to schedule our first two modules.

The Sign-up schedule for next weeks 30 minute meeting about data with each of our certified teachers is with Silvia.  I have created a schedule with 37 slots for a thirty-minute meeting beginning December 5th.  Please choose a time before you leave on Friday.  I plan to review the list this weekend so I will be prepared to ask pertinent and specific questions regarding your use of data to drive instruction.  Please bring two copies of your Class Profile Sheets to the meeting. 

Start Times for the 30 minute meetings are as follows;
7:30 - 8:30 - 9:15 - 10:00 - 10:45 - 11:30
12:30 - 1:15 - 2:00 - 3:15 - 4:00 - 4:45 

Please keep Earline in your thoughts and prayers as she is having a surgical procedure in the hospital today to help locate the source of her breathing difficulties.

Subs:
Denise Jennings for Joel Peddle
No sub yet for Earline 

Wednesday MM

Good Morning!

SIT this afternoon in the media center.  We will continue to review our goals and also look at the CCES implementation plan.

Holiday Events are upcoming!

The Staff Holiday Social will be after dismissal on Thursday December 15th.  Fill up with some good food and fellowship and please consider staying for the evening event.....

The 4th & 5th Grade musical performance at 6 pm December 15th

Class holiday events may occur on either Friday the 16th or Monday the 19th in the afternoon.

Also Monday the 19th we will have an encore performance of the 4th and 5th grade musical in the gym with live announcements from Mr Lester-Niles. This rare first thing in the morning assembly will be complete by 9:10.

No subs today.

Tuesday MM

Good Morning!

We are working toward a solution for our CCES module sharing.  Join us for a discussion during our SIT meeting on Wednesday afternoon in the media center. 

Let's continue to support Service Learning and promote widespread participation in our Food Drive this holiday season. 

Prepare for a great 4th & 5th grade musical presentation on December 15th.  We will have our Staff Holiday Social that Thursday evening after-school and encourage you to stay around and enjoy this performance. 

Subs:
Shirley Greenwood for Earline Richardson PM only

Monday MM

Good Morning!

I trust your holiday was restful and packed with joyful experiences!  Let's create some amazing learning experiences here for our students and ourselves in theses next 17 days before the winter break.  

I am looking forward to meeting with teachers individually before December 20th to review data and look at student progress together.  I will have a schedule to sign up for a 30 - 40 minute appointment posted on my door by December 1st. 

Journalism Club today.
FLL Club Tuesday
SIT Wednesday
FLL Thursday

Sub:
Denise Jennings for Paige Sipe

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
 
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
 
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
 
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
 
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
 
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
 
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
 
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
 
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
 
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
 
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.


To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.


The preceeding was shared with me by a member of our staff and written by Christian D. Larson.  It is often refered to as The Optimist Creed.  Enjoy Thanksgiving and Be.safe

Tuesday MM - Day 6

Good Morning!

Great food at our Thanksgiving kick-off!  I appreciate all the contributions and effort to support our community/school family.

Monday we will begin duty free lunch.  The schedule is posted on the board next to the Holiday regulations for energy. I need you to read both!  I will put both documents on the shared folder for you to access also.  They will be in a new folder called "Blog Documents"

Enjoy the Holiday!  The building will be closed until Monday so please get all the food out of the rooms and refrigerator as Laverne will clean it out at 5pm tonight.

No Lego Club today

Subs: 
Blondie Holleman for Patricia Vivanco
Maria for Nicole pm only
No sub for Kim Burch

Notes before you leave (11/22)

3-5 Teachers:
Please turn in your EOQ tests ASAP. They shouldn't sit in your rooms over the holidays.

All staff:
Last call for on-site staff development credits. All Brunson workshops close out Wednesday.

If you need to escape your relatives for a few minutes this weekend, check out some of the engineering links on my web page. I have listed a variety of sites--activities, general information, and products.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Kathy

Monday MM - Day Five (5)

Good Morning!

Our Hospitality Team has organized a pot luck lunch today.  Thanks for participating and please enjoy.

Congrats to our three teams who competed in the FLL robotics competition Saturday.  All three used the design process and performed well.  One team made enough growth to be invited to participate in the State Finals in January.

Congrats also to our TBE program for an exceptional Parent event last week! 

Please assist in getting the halls cleared for paint by removing your classwork before the end of the day Tuesday.

More later today as the buses call..........

Friday MM - Day four (4)

Good Morning!

We are being PAINTED!!!  Beginning November 28th, paint crews will be throughout our building to restore our interior surfaces.  All work needs to be removed from the halls.  If you know your room has "poor" paint quality in certain areas, clear them and create a list for your space of what needs paint!  I cannot guarantee that it will all get  done, but if we do not ask, I can assure you that it will be a quick once over as the crew has a heavy load and many schools to service.

We are experiencing a Rubber Band issue in select classrooms and grade levels.  PLEASE remove this dangerous item and pre-correct all students that use of a rubber band in a threatening manner is a safety concern that will not be tolerated.

GREAT job with the Thanksgiving Lunch!

Please consider nominating a Classified Employee for the honor I blogged about Thursday.  We are fortunate to work with some people of EXCEPTIONAL quality and we can "snap" all the way to the central office.

Make today a Masterpiece for Kids, for as we approach a holiday we can expect to see some aberrant behavior.  My vision is for our school home to be a ROCK of Stability that provides a rich learning experience led by a caring and competent adult.  Do not vary your expectations - Keep them high and know that kids will give us their best if we give them ours.

No subs as of 6pm this evening.

Thursday MM

Morning!

I am at a Elementary Principals meeting this morning and will return to campus during Lunch.  enjoy Thanksgiving with the parents and Supervise Students in the cafe' as we always want to give all our parents the best of us when they are able to visit!

Great News! The Nomination Window for the 2012-2013 Classified Employee of the Year (C.E.Y) is now open!  November 7 - December 9

The purpose of the Classified Employee of the Year Program is to honor annually a Classified Employee who displays exemplary characteristics while carrying out the duties of his or her job. The term "classified employees" or "classified personnel" as used in the School Board policy means individuals employed by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education in a position of employment for which certification by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is not required. Classified employees include, but are not limited to, individuals in the following areas of employment: housekeeping, food service, maintenance, transportation, secretarial, teaching assistants, educational aides, paraprofessionals, finance, purchasing, IT (information technology), research, and public relations.

Again, the nomination will close at 5:00pm on December 9, 2011 .

If you have any questions regarding the C.E.Y process, please contact Kendrick Leak @ KBLeak@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

Wednesday MM - Day Two (2)

Morning!

Faculty meeting today at 3:20 - Let us all reframe our expectation of a 4:00 finish to the meeting!  We are implementing a new creative approach to meeting/learning that was gleaned form our work with Liz Parry and EIE, which will benefit our Wednesday afternoons for the remainder of the year. 

Remember the statement, "if you are good, we will get out early" implies that the information being presented is not useful.  Additionaly, the statement, "I promise to finish by 4pm" implies that seat time is valued more than the quality of collaborative learning.  

Be.present
Be.engaged
Be.respectful

For our Classified Employees, the expectation is for you to attend all the faculty meeting and adjust your schedule to reflect a 40 hour work week.  7:45-4:15 is 8.5 hours - the next two days work 7:45-3:30 and the sum is 24 hours in three days.

Picture day for those who missed on October 27th will occur this morning by grade level announcements over the PA system.  We will begin at 8:30 with Kindergarten and first grade.  Second will follow when they are finished. and we will continue up the grade level ladder until all have been called.  We need every student to have their picture taken for our records even if they do not order any copies.

The duty free lunch schedule will be posted on the board and in the shared folder on Friday, after we complete the Thanksgiving lunch event.

I have a magnet meeting today and will be out of the building from 9:30-1:30

Subs:
Rosemary Hazy for Karon Kiger
No sub for Irene Rush - Please keep Irene and her family in your thoughts as her mother has been hospitalized with some intestinal and cardiac complications.

Tuesday - Day 0ne - Gearing Up!

Kathy has a few announcements that, if covered here, will save us time in the faculty meeting on Wednesday. And we really want to save time because the team that visited Raleigh wants to share our experience and get your help in taking next steps!


* Please come ready to submit nominations for Teacher of the Year. We will have the final vote at the following faculty meeting. That allows time in between to make sure people accept their nominations.


* Mrs. Correa needs our help in accounting for workshops. If you attend a workshop outside of our building on a student day, RC day, or RS day, you need to print a copy of your registration and give it to her before attending. This is something she requires for her audits, and we want to help her comply.


* If you want credit for Call for Change, Schoolwires, or any other workshop Brunson has hosted since August, you MUST register/evaluate before Thanksgiving. All of those will close out next Wednesday.

* Lunch Schedule for Thursday. Please communicate in Tuesday packet with parents!

Lunch	Table	IN		OUT
Zarate	Science	10:10 AM		10:45 AM
Binkley	Technology	10:15 AM		11:50 AM
Hailstock	Engineering	10:20 AM		10:55 AM
Phelps	Math	10:30 AM		11:05 AM
Kiger	Sustainability	10:35 AM		11:10 AM
Londono	Environment	10:40 AM		11:15 AM
Mason	Science	10:50 AM		11:25 AM
Lee	Technology	10:58 AM		11:33 AM
McNatt	Engineering	11:05 AM		11:40 AM
McGee	Math	11:13 AM		11:48 AM
Patrick	Sustainability	11:20 AM		11:55 AM
Webster	Environment	11:28 AM		12:03 PM
Smith	Science	11:40 AM		12:15 PM
Moore	Technology	11:48 AM		12:23 PM
Weber	Math	11:55 AM		12:30 PM
Sipe	Sustainability	12:05 PM		12:40 PM
Sarfert	Environment	12:13 AM		12:48 PM
Laplante	Science	12:20 PM		12:55 PM
Grisette	Technology	12:28 PM		1:03 PM
Overby	Engineering	12:35 PM		1:10 PM
Campbell	Math	12:42 PM		1:17 PM
Anderson	Sustainability	12:50 PM		1:25 PM
Gulledge	Environment	1:00 PM		1:35 PM
Woodruff	Science	1:05 PM		1:40 PM
Gray	Technology	1:10 PM		1:45 PM