Friday - Day 2

Good Morning!

Please help our multiple guest teachers and let's all increase supervision of students to makeup for the absences of our colleagues.

Shelly Kirley for Tanya Lovin
No sub for Nicole Robinson
Shirley Porter for Earline Richardson
Peggy Neal for Allison Phelps
Glendora Epperson for Mary Lauren Burrell
Veronica Scales for Mariah Lee
Crystal Rook for Stephanie Smith
Jan Hodges for Tonya Grisette

I will be in two LTM today and in between I will be reviewing PDP's on-line and making classroom visits with Dr. Stevens to increase our referrals for the Backpack program. 

Saturday we have many activities.  Come to the school for the BIG SWEEP or go to the GO EXPO at the Benton to see our communities efforts at sustainability.

Thursday MM - Day ONE (1)

Morning!

Fantastic SIT meeting yesterday afternoon.  We have divided ourselves into teams that will tackle and improve a section of our plan. Our goal is to work collaboratively in small groups and re-convene as one SIT on the 12th to finalize the edits.  Our deadline for submission to Central Office is October 14th.  Our faculty vote on the plan will occur at the staff meeting of October 19th.

Another responsibility of SIT is the Magnet Implementation Plan.  We spent the first 40 minutes reviewing this plan for submission to the magnet office next week.  Please take a moment to review this plan and send me any opinions/comments by October 3rd.  It is on the shared folder nested in a folder called "Magnet Plan"

Also on the shared folder, in a file named "Brunson Future," is a power point of a proposed residential boundary change to free class space for magnet students.  Please take a look at this as I will address it at our next faculty meeting on the 5th.

Please keep Earline in your thoughts as she has pneumonia and will be out until mid-October.

Subs;
Shirley Porter for Earline
Patricia Johnson for Paige
Ronald Thomas for Joel
Crystal Rook for Stephanie Smith

Wednesday MM - DAY SIX (6)

Good Morning!

SIT tonight in the media center at 3:20.  Kim, Kathy, Deb and I will travel to the Education Building this morning for a 10:00 Magnet meeting to work on Purpose 3-5 of our magnet plan.  Tonight we will begin the revisions of the SIP.

Thanks to Andy and the Team who hosted a WatchDOGS pizza Kick-off last night.  I appreciate your support of this great program.

I apologize for the last-second plea for representation at the Board meeting.  I will explain the build up and fall out at the next staff meeting.  Regardless we are proud to be one of six schools who have made expected growth for 15 consecutive years!  Keep making a difference in the lives of children.

Subs:
Janet Wilson for Linnea Patrick
Landon Denton for Tonya Grisette
Crystal Rook for Stephanie Smith
Shelia Porter for Earline Richardson

Tuesday MM - Day FIVE (5)

I am writing this before our 7pm meeting so I will report all the news in the Wednesday edition.

Here are some bullet points from a slew of recent meetings I have attended.

* Any WSFCS employee that is arrested shall report such action to their supervisor within five days. 

* Our SIT will work on the SIP Wednesday and included in new legislation is the need for a "school plan for management of Student Behavior."  Our PBIS team has done and EXCELLENT job on this and we will add their work to the SIP.  Thanks!

* ALL volunteers need to be accounted for in the WSFCS volunteer database.  It is our responsibility to ask and encourage folks to sign up on-line.

* Is everyone OK with e-docs?

* Oct. 28th Rs day is our EIE work day!  Let's all get a unit started and finished for great feedback and learning with Liz on this important day.

* Rs days are no longer protected and the "v" is gone.  So October 28th we are doing some EIE work.

* Remaining Rs days will be converted to Rc days to accommodate our district waiver for the 185 day student calendar. I mention this to be clear that annual leave will not be honored on Rc or Rs days.  The Plan for Common Core/essentials professional learning will be presented to the school board tonight.  I will update you when the details are clear.

* October is Bully Prevention Month.  All WSFCS staff and students are encouraged to wear Orange on Friday, October 13th

* The first edition of the Brunson Burner PTA newsletter will go out today. Please take note of the distribution list clipped to the top of your stack. Almost half of the school will receive the newsletter electronically, and we have also identified siblings so only one/family will go home. We have given you Eng/Sp versions for the remaining students based on the numbers you provided – there are additional copies of both on the PTA mailboxes if you need more. Please return extra copies there. Thank you for your patience and help with our conservation efforts. Tori


Thanks for reading. 

Monday MM - DAY FOUR

In my role on FPA (Forsyth Principals Association) I serve on the Principal of the Year Selection committee and our interview day is today from 7:45-noon.  See you all in the afternoon.

Tonight is the Brunson Future meeting led by Board member Marilyn Parker at 7 pm in the Cafe.  The agenda continues to be enrollment (magnet and residential) and our facility location.

Day 5 Curriculum meetings are taking place on Tuesday in grade level rooms, please communicate with Kathy your desired location.

WatchDOGS Pizza Night is Tuesday!

From The Theme Team;

Classroom Teachers, during the week of Oct. 3-7, each class will be visited by 5th graders who will invite your students to bring their families to the October 13 PTA evening. It has been redesigned as the INTERNATIONAL DINNER & STEM Design Challenge. The time will be 5:30-7:30, not 5:00 as listed on the school calendar. Notices will be provided for parents in Tuesday packets, and we hope that a visit from our 5th grade "costumed promoters" will generate interest among the students. Visits will take 3 minutes or less.  Please talk it up! (Note to Brunson veterans - the Parade of Nations has been replaced by an engineering challenge, but we will still celebrate our international diversity with costumes and food.)

Subs:

Stephan Leas for Trish Gulledge

Ashley Bullock for Stephanie Smith

Friday Day Three-(3)

Morning!

I was honored to be at the Teacher of the Year reception last night with Nicole Londono.  She is a great choice and represents our school well.

We spoke with school board member Marilyn Parker who is planning the agenda for our next Brunson Future meeting.  This Board appointed group will meet Monday the 26th at 7pm in our media center to continue our conversation about student enrollment and construction for the future.

Antoinette Miller is here for Venice
Gayle Moore is here for Trish
No sub for Kim Burch

Thursday - DAY TWO

Morning!

I hope everyone is feeling ethical after our last meeting!  I had a great conversation with some of the teachers who came for the help session on the Evaluation Instrument concerning the gradient between Proficient and Accomplished.  Is there a hyper-ethical level?  Continue to look at your self-evaluation instrument in a manner that raises questions and drives conversations toward our individual and collective improvement.

Elliott and Matt from fifth Letter made it clear to me that we must focus on the 21st century skill of collaboration.  The majority of their design process is done in their "shop."   We strive to prepare our students with the skill set to work with ALL types and add value to process and people.  Keep the brainstorm going as we let this icon live in and around our community.

Kathy will offer NC Education enrollment opportunities Thursday at 3:20 in the media center, and Friday at 7:30 in the computer lab. These will not be the last possible options. We're offering multiple sessions to try to be flexible with people's schedules.

Wednesday - DAY ONE

Good Morning! and Happy International Day of Peace!  Today at Noon expect an announcement to remind us that the entire WSFCS will observe one minute of silence to reflect on Peace.


Our new superintendent of Elementary Schools, Mr. Steve Oates, will be here Thursday morning from 9:00-10:30.  I do not know his agenda, but from what I have experienced so far, he will want to visit classrooms to get a sense of our school specific climate and culture.  My hope is that very few of us will try to change for his visit because we are doing what is right on a consistent basis everyday. 


We will also host our newest School Board member John Davenport on Friday October 7th at 1pm. 

This morning I am at a Principal's Association Meeting to review nominations for our WSFCS Principal of the year. 

Please wear your "Be" button to our staff meeting this evening as Elliot Strunk and 5th Letter will be presenting their work on our logo.  We also will need for you to sign a form after we complete our session on the NC Teacher Code of Ethics.

Tuesday MM

Correction - Our Flexible Benefits presentation is October 5th.  This week will be 5th Letter and a presentation on  the Teacher Code of Ethics. 

Please keep Heather Manceri in your thoughts as she has injured the ligaments in her ankle in a workplace accident last week.  We will have a sub cafeteria Manager until her return.

October 1st is quickly approaching as our deadline for self-assessments and web-page updates.  I will provide another opportunity to receive assistance on the teacher evaluation instrument this Tuesday afternoon in the lab.  It is an open invitation to anyone so please attend and meet the October 1st due date.  Stephanie will also schedule help sessions for SchoolWires as needed.

Monday MM

Good Morning!

We have a great week planned!  Please reserve our Wednesday afternoon for the Faculty meeting as we have a presentations from "5th Letter" and the representative from our flexible benefits provider.

Our WSFCS Math training begins this afternoon and locations will be posted on the board.

Give thanks to Denise Jennings as she completes her Guidance work today.  Tuesday we welcome Lauren Saldana as our new Counselor.  I appreciate the dilligence and professionalism of the interview team {Andy, Kathy, Willie, Suzanne and Mariah} who helped select this amazing addition to our staff. 

Let's make this week a turning point in our work to eliminate bullying.  Friday at 2:35 I was confronted with two instances of students being mistreated.  One was a specific recess situation fueled by physical agression, but the other was an ongoing issue where isolation and exclusion created a power differential to cause emotional pain.  We can and we must be aware and responsive to provide conditions where this behavior is an outlier.  Promote sharing of power in your classroom and throughout the building.  At recess, please stay off the benches and interact with our students to model positive relationship development.  I know we can create a school culture and society where difference is honored.

We begin a new K-1 combo today with Karon Kiger as the lead teacher.  We will hire a PRT to assist and teach "Imagine It" to the Kinder section of her class.  Thanks to Lynn Vernon will be our sub in that capacity starting today.  Please welcome her and help in this transition for our Kinder students and their families.

Kathy is out today
I will update more absences in the AM if there are any.

Friday MM

A great week with outstanding Curriculum Night activities. 

Monday we will host 20 educators from Rock Hill, SC as they want to look at the WSFCS STEM continuum.  From 10 -11:30 they will visit classrooms and ask questions about our process to create a EIE climate.  ALWAYS feel free to be honest about the hard work, but also be sure to promote our Single School culture and the positive thoughts about our mission.

I will have a HUGE blog post Monday as I had many meetings this week.  I am thrilled to be on campus today and will make classroom visits a priority. 

Keep serving children and make today a masterpiece!

Kathy is out today at a CC meeting.  2nd grade LTM continues as planned.

Thursday MM

I am really starting to feel that this is going to be a special year!  My desire to create is being joined with a deep need to be productive.  I am talking ACTION.  I want to take risks and experience the evolution of our school. 

I look forward to the journey and I am thankful to be travelling with each of you.

Today I am at an Elementary Principals meeting and will return after Lunch. 

Keep striving to take action for the benefit of our students. 

Wed MM

Morning!

Thanks for engaging our parents at Curriculum night last evening!

I will travel to CO today for a Magnet schools Meeting at 10 am. 

We are working on creating a K-1 combo class and hiring a PRT to teach Literacy and Math in the AM to create smaller classes in K/1.  If you know of a fantastic person looking for a part time teaching position in Kindergarten, have them get me their resume QUICK.  We are making the combo and shifting classes this Monday.

The car rider adjustments go into effect today.  Thanks for you assistance.

Committee and Team sign-up for the 2011-2012 year will be posted by our SIT chair THURSDAY AM.  all certified staff  please sign-up for at least one team.  They will remain on the Board until Friday afternoon. 

Today:
K-2 with ESL and EC in the Media center for I/E Blocks at 3:20
3-5 in the computer lab for TAM training at 3:15

Sub:
No sub for Nicole Robinson AM only
Willie Mae Carson for Paige Sipe

Tuesday MM

Good Morning!

I am at a Joint Principals meeting this morning and will return to welcome School board member Marilyn Parker who will visit our school at 1:15.  We also entertain Dr. Ann Lambros from CERTL this afternoon at 3:30 to discuss a new after-school program offered by her organization.

Then we can get to our BIG event - Curriculum Night!  Please report to the gym at 6:00 and be present for the PTA and EIE portions of the evening.  We will dismiss you a few minutes early to beat the parents to the classrooms.  enjoy that time and build some capital with your families. 

A reminder to our certified staff that your Self-assessment and PDP are to be completed before October 1st.  We also need to be sure your Web-Page is updated and will use October 1st as a deadline for that action also.

K-2 teachers, ESL and EC will meet Wednesday afternoon in the media center to begin an I/E & RTI conversation that will help us provide "Focused Interventions" for all students. 

All 3-5 Teachers will be meeting Wednesday Afternoon in the computer Lab for the TAM/NC WISE Grade book training.

Denise Jennings will be our Guidance Sub this week as we await our new counselor to be released from their current position.  Her name is Lauren Saldana and is coming to us from Courtney Elementary in Yadkin County. 

The Sentence Strips are in the Lunch room or Office and all students shall receive two and the "adjustment" letter for the Tuesday Packet.  We are implementing this car rider adjustment Wednesday.

Monday MM

Good Morning!

I want to thank Mrs. Keith Travis for her contribution to our school as a guidance sub.  She is off to Alaska on a cruise and the Interview Team of Suzanne, Mariah, Kathy, Andy, Willie and myself have made a selection for our next counselor and are awaiting Central Office approval before we release her name.

Our next sub will be here on Tuesday, so for Monday- Day SIX - these are the substitutions:

McGee will go to Media instead of Guidance
Lee will go to Art instead of Guidance.

Big Week of activities:
Monday - SIT at 3:20 in the media center.
Tuesday - Curriculum night for Kinder, 2nd & 5th.
Wednesday - Symphony at 9 am for 4th and 5th.
Wednesday - 3rd, 4th & 5th TAM training at 3:15 in the computer lab.
Thursday - Curriculum night for 1st, 3rd & 4th.

Our excellent and capable assistants are providing me schedules Monday.  My aim is to provide focused interventions to create working relationships that will maximize their capacity to serve our students. 

No subs today.

Friday MM

Good Morning!

The 9/11 celebration will be fantastic.  Thanks for the organization and efforts to acknowledge service.

Speaking of service, the SIT meeting for next week has been rescheduled to Monday September 12th from 3:20-4:30.

Stephanie Smith has received her Tech training and will begin to trouble shoot our issues and create a lab schedule.  Collaborative lesson design and the technology plan for the year will be forthcoming, so stay tuned and thanks for your patience.

Thursday MM

Good Morning!

I always enjoy our staff meetings and hope you all will individually reflect and then discuss the information with your colleagues.  The power point for all our meetings are always available in the staff share if you care to review the agenda. 

PTA Board meeting today at 1:00 in mobile 34

I will also meet with the car rider group from 3:20-3:30 outside in the car rider area.

I have a Forsyth Principals Association meeting at central office at 4:00.

Subs:
Brenda Ramier for Venice H.

Wednesday MM

Good Morning!

Thanks for your patience in our dismissal yesterday.  I could not send the kids and staff out when the thunder and lightning were threatening our safety.  We certainly have a long way to go until we can dismiss from inside, but now we know some trouble spots and together we can create a solution that keeps the safety of our student's and staff at the forefront of our actions.

Staff meeting this evening at 3:20 in the media center.

Monday...I mean, Tuesday MM

Good Morning! 

I am writing Monday for Tuesday as I have a Parent conference Early Monday.  I hope you all enjoyed the extra day to our weekend and are charged up and ready to facilitate learning for your students.

Big Thanks to the PBIS Team for the Assemblies!  I am looking forward to Friday the 9th and our efforts to honor the sacrifices made to sustain our nation.

Green team and our Car rider team have meetings this afternoon.

Guidance Interviews are at 4pm and 4:45 today and Wednesday at 4:15, after the faculty meeting. 

If you have an agenda Item for our Faculty meeting,  please get it to me ASAP so we can get it on the schedule. 

Please be "Present" this week in all areas for our school safety and supervision.

Check out this link for a video of triplets in our kindergarten class.

http://www.myfox8.com/videobeta/87ac08a5-d9cb-47d4-9d52-dc4188ddd5a6/News/Back-to-School-Triplets

Thursday MM

Good Morning!

Long post with some items I omitted from the faculty meeting.  Thanks in advance for Reading this through!!!

It felt good to have focused feedback from our Surveys and then to identify the target areas for SIT to develop goals.  GREAT JOB!  The copies of the survey are in the LTM and Grade level chairs or SIT reps are welcome to take a set for further discussion.

It also felt good to have volunteers Step-UP for SIT.  We have many other opportunities for leadership here at Brunson as we need ....

a United Way Campaign manager

a UNCF Campaign manager

an Arts Council Campaign manager

a TAC representative

a Classified Advisory Representative

Many folks have worn these hats in my past four years here and I would like to open the floor and ask for any and all leaders to submit their names to me TODAY to indicate your interest and willingness to serve our school in any one of these capacities. (run-on sentence, sorry)

I also have a "short term" TEAM I want to convene to improve our car-rider dismissal.  All involved staff interested in helping to revamp this important part of our day, please attend our first session at 3:20 Tuesday in the car-rider area.  The implementation timeline will be quick, so put on those Engineering hats and let's improve this process.

Friday at Lunch - 12:00, I need to meet with ESL/Specialist/EC (Joel, Cindy, Mary Lauren, Stephanie S., Deb, Kathy, Andy, Olga, Janet, Stephanie I., Tanya, & Kim B.) regarding morning and afternoon supervision.  Let's use the Music room as we rarely get to visit out there.

Today we are doing 15 minute grade level meeting with K-5th residential in the LTM room.  We will begin 5 minutes after you student's begin specials.  Bring a good attitude and thoughts about workshop and "Imagine It" support.

From the Parent Blog

SUB today

Nelida Flatow for Nicole Londono AM only

Curriculum Nights!

We want to invite you all to participate in our Brunson Elementary Curriculum night in September.  We have two nights that are grade specific.

Tuesday, September 13th for Kindergarten, 2nd grade & 5th grade.

Thursday, September 15th for 1st grade, 3rd grade & 4th grade.

Both evenings will begin promptly at 6pm in the Auditorium for a PTA meeting and greeting from the leadership team.  At 6:25, we disperse to your child's classroom where the teachers have prepared a lesson for you about the year ahead.  Children are always welcome  at our school and may attend the session with you.  We look forward to seeing you so we can continue to build relationships and share vital information for our student's success.