Friday MM - Day E

Good Morning!

QUICK UPDATE - Bring your cat catcher Pouch to the Assembly.  We all need to have them visible to show the power of EVERY teacher being a cat catcher.

Silvia and the PTA need your assistance in identifying the language needed for Tuesday packet information.  Please e-mail her  "# English / # Spanish = # total class enrollment

A reminder that the Team/Committee sign up will be in the LTM on Tuesday.  All slots need to be filled by Friday the 7th.

PTA Professional Development Grant applications are available with Silvia in the main office. 

Thanks to Lisa Weber for being the faculty representative for the STEM lead teacher interviews on Thursday.

Our communications plan is in the 2012-2013 Schedule folder.  Please review it as Progress reports are due the third week.  I know our TAM training is on the 12th but we will need to get grades entered in NC WISE soon after and be prepared for an alternate form of Parent communication for that first window.  

The PTA thanks you for wearing your shirt and showing support.  Please consider joining the PTA for the $5 fee before Curriculum Night so we can announce the percentage of faculty involved. 

38 certified staff plus Andy, Kathy, Jenny and I, is 42.  Add 15 classified staff members and our number swells to 57. 

30 members = 53%
40 members = 70%
50 members = 88%
Our goal is 57 members = 100%

Enjoy the Labor Day Weekend as you have all "labored" and earned the respect of the community for Amazing service to our children.

Thursday MM - Day D

Good Morning!

Our Wonderful gift of a Be.brunson t-shirt should be worn tomorrow to show our support for the PTA and the Mix-It-Up assembly on Friday.  If you did not receive a shirt, please see Silvia in the main office.  

We will have the K-1 assembly at 1:15 and the 3-5 at 2:00  The specials for those two rotations will be cancelled to utilize specialist support for both grade levels.

Thanks for the support at the faculty meeting.  Remember to let me know about buddies and if you are free to represent us in the interview process for the STEM coach. 

Wednesday MM - Day C

Good Morning!

Faculty meeting today at 3:30 in the media center.  (Dependent on efficient and timely bus and car rider dismissal to begin at 3:30 but yesterday was a huge improvement!) 

Be good to Silvia and Damita who have been working through some health issues these first couple of days. 

Tuesday MM - Day B

Good Morning!

I am Thrilled with our start.  I am a bit worn out as I need to get my "school legs" under me after a summer full of a different type of work.  

Points of emphasis from Day One.

• Treat everyone with dignity and respect.  
• Be on time (lunch, specials, dismissal  everywhere)
• Know your children's names.
• Be clear with communication between school and home.
• Remember this is the beginning.  If you set a positive tone and are consistent and pervasive  in your expectations for the first thirty days, Habits will be built that will last for the 150 days to follow.
• Conversely, Negative habits can be reinforced through neglect.  Be.aware Be.responsive to all forms of bullying/verbal abuse.

I was in many classrooms today and going to continue my presence for the remainder of the week.  I will also continue to assist in the cafe with the development of good habits.  

Please push kids academically and create some differentiated assessments to build confidence in all students.  Success breeds success.

Monday MM - Day A

Good Morning!

ALL HANDS ON DECK is the seafaring mantra for us on this maiden voyage of arrival and dismissal.  

Joel, Stephanie Ingram, Olga and I will man the car rider area including the VOLUME of parents who will walk their child in on the first day. 

Andy, Kathy, Cindy, Scott, Stephanie S. & Mary Lauren will greet and tag our bus riders.  

Jenny, Janet, Tonya, Deb F. and Kim will greet folks in the lobby and direct them to the classrooms, or the cafe for breakfast.  No gym duty the first three days.

Doris, Silvia and Damita will be in the offices to help with paperwork issues.

Patricia, Dorothy, Deb G. and Earline will be in the Kindergarten classrooms for Breakfast.

Irene will be managing the magnet express buss riders.

Sue Ann, Natalie, Maria and Nicole will supervise the cafeteria and breakfast.

Each teacher will be in the hall welcoming students and getting them settled in to the room.

In the afternoon we need to provide Consistent and pervasive supervision for the safety of all students. Practice how you will divide grade levels for car and bus supervision.  Every Classroom teacher will have a documented list of each students method of transport home as soon as possible Monday.

Be.amazing today and everyday!

Follow this link to see our an article on "why" that features our own Nancy Smoot!

OPEN HOUSE TODAY!!!

Reading the Blog is an expectation for all staff to be connected to news and information regarding our daily operations.  Documents that are mentioned in the blog can be found on the shared folder in specific folders that begin with 2012-2013. 

One such group of documents is in a folder labeled "2012-2013 Teacher Evaluation."  In here are multiple documents that will be important during our mandatory orientation sessions for the NC Teacher Evaluation Orientation that every certified teacher must attend within the first two weeks of their return to work.  Your two options for attending training will be Friday @2:30, or Tuesday @3:30 both session are in the computer lab and will take approximately 30 minutes.

We will have meetings each Wednesday and the participants will be announced in the Blog on the first of the month.  September's schedule will be Posted at our first Faculty meeting on Wednesday, August 29th. 

We have LOADS of data to interpret in our SIT meetings as we do a needs assessment and write some focused goals for this year.  Much of that data can be found......you guessed it, on the shared folder in a folder labeled "2012-2013 Data."

Do not forget to check the school calendar often as I want this to be our go-to guide for activities and events.

Tonight Remember THREE things.

•  Provide Amazing Customer Service.
•  Mention the Design Process OFTEN. 
•  Be.confident as I have a deep belief that we will work  together to change the world for the students we serve

Wednesday!

Morning!

K-3 is meeting from 8-10 in the media center

4-5 will meet at 11:15 in the Room 28

HAG will meet at 1:45 in McNatt's Mobile

Specialists EC and ESL will meet at 2:30 in Lovin's Treehouse.

More PD

I have received additional information from DPI today regarding the RttT workshops and was able to create and open for registration the sessions many have been waiting for. Please use the link below to register for the workshops. I apologize for the delay.

 

Please note there are a number of workshops available in September, including Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins (Designing an Understanding-Based Curriculum based on Common Core Standards) at UNCG on 9/13. This workshop will fill up quickly, so encourage your teachers/administrators to sign up soon.

 

http://reg.abcsignup.com/view/view_month.aspx?as=53&aid=PTEC&wp=128

 

As always, please feel free to contact me should you have an questions or need assistance. Thank you.

 

Anne B. Nelsen, Administrative Assistant
Piedmont Triad Education Consortium

STEM Professional Development

Registration is open for 2012-13 Rx for Science Literacy workshops Dear educators, Registration is open for this year's series of FREE Rx for Science Literacy workshops for K-12 educators on important bioscience topics. Because a limited number of seats are available in each workshop, we encourage you to register as soon as possible. You may attend as many workshops as you like.   http://www.ncabr.org/rx At each workshop you will: Take home a curriculum related to the workshop topic Hear from scientists about their latest research advances, their career paths and science opportunities for young people Tour a research facility Also provided: 1 unit of certification renewal credit for North Carolina-certified educators (4 hours of additional work required) Additional education materials to use in the classroom Free lunch Substitute teacher support (up to $70) Schedule Rare Diseases and Scientific Inquiry Thursday, September 27, 2012 Duke University, Durham Nanobiotechnology Friday, November 2, 2012 Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (UNC Greensboro / N.C. A&T State), Greensboro Regenerative Medicine Wednesday, November 28, 2012 Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem Evolution and Medicine Friday, March 22, 2013 Duke University, Durham An Ounce of Prevention Friday, April 26, 2013 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Event Details Research facilities throughout North Carolina 3 in fall 2012 2 in spring 2013 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Completely free K-12 science teachers and administrators in North Carolina Preservice teachers in North Carolina actively pursuing a degree in education

North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR) P.O. Box 19469  |  Raleigh, NC 27619-9469  |  919.785.1304  |  ncabr.org  |  aboutbioscience.org

Friday! August 17th

First day back for all staff is MONDAY the 20th.  

Be in the cafe before 8 am for a feast from our PTA.  We will adjourn from there to the media center for an engaging work session to solidify our school culture.  

Please remember to have spent some time considering your "WHY" and be prepared to tell a story. 

Summer Update #3 August 10, 2012

Our STEM Magnet continues to GROW!  Damita gave me some numbers yesterday and we have enrolled over 580 students.  This includes 4 sections of both Kindergarten and first grade!  We have also grown in our 3rd grade HAG enrollment and will have four sections there also.  Of course the e-mail from Julie concerning her new position at Ward will impact our school as we all will miss her competent presence.

Let's Continue to meet new Brunson Family members;

Angela Hunt will be our new 2nd grade TBE teacher.  Most of you remember her excellent work in our ESL program before she moved to Texas.  We are glad she has returned to W-S and reunited with her Brunson home in room 15.

Brenda Coles will be a new 3rd grade HAG teacher.  She has spent the 14 years at Ashley in a myriad teacher roles.  She is nationally Board Certified and in the WSFCS AIG cohort at Duke University.  Her new home will be Room 27.

Have you thought about your Goals for the year.  The IGP/PDP process will be meaningful if you begin to reflect....  Ask yourself some probing questions.  Imagine the process to ensure success.  Plan it with a graphic organizer.  Be.present at our professional development to Create the next steps.  Throughout the year we always will need to reflect and Improve to give the students the experience they deserve.

Andy and Kathy return on Monday for a week of planning before your return.  All three of us will be involved in PD from our Central Office on Monday-Wednesday and are looking forward to seeing some faces in the building on Thursday. 

Mr. Guerra is out next week to vacation and move his only daughter into housing at ECU.  Mr. Kirby will be finishing some detail work and helping with teachers who need assistance with "stuff" including some room changes. 

See you all soon and enjoy the weekend!  

if you need some material to stoke your mind, try this STEM resource 

Quick update 8.6.12

I have received several parent comments about supply lists and how a teacher-created list at open house varies from the posted WSFCS list.  

Our responsibility is to be fair and equitable with the parents and NOT ask for additional items to be provided for the classroom.  

We will discuss the background that has led us to this point and will brainstorm a solution so students can have all items necessary for be success without scrambling the parents with multiple lists and requests.
 

Summer Update #2 August 3, 2012

I was asked a great question at my WSFCS Summer Leadership Retreat, "Do you know what your "Why" is?"  


Each of our paths of how we came to work here at Brunson is unique and if we are to re-connect with our individual "Why," we need to tell our story.  Tell it to your spouse or children.  Tell it to your friend.  Tell it to anybody, but PLEASE tell it to yourself.  You have to want to re-connect with your "Why."  Our current reality is fast-paced and we are often too busy living the life we are in rather than focusing our energies on the actions that connect with our "Why."  


Now if I was further along on my journey to connect with my personal "Why," I would end the blog here and dispense with the schedule and stuff that follows.  Yet one thing I do know is our Brunson family staff needs some details to plan their current reality.  I do too.  I believe we should search for the meaning of life while we live life.  I am not Timothy Leary advocating "tune in, turn on, drop out." 

Let's start with our new Brunson Family members;

Jenny Niles will be our new Guidance Counselor.  She is from Rhode Island and just completed her Masters at Wake Forest.


Jessie Spaciel will be a new 5th grade teacher.  She has spent the last four years teaching 4th grade in Cary and Greensboro.  Her new home will be Mobile 34.


Charity Cota-Robles will be our new 4th grade teacher.  She spent some time in our classrooms last year as a sub and recently graduated from UNCG.   Her new home will be room 28.

More info to come on our TBE vacancies and new 3rd grade HAG section. 

Lots of movement in the building as Mr Guerra and Mr Kirby finish up the cleaning.  We will be prepared to have teachers access their classrooms on Thursday, August 16th.

The following day at Noon, we will provide a pizza lunch if you are willing to spend an hour or two stuffing the student assignment envelopes.  Rolls and copies for the mailing will be prepared for a 1pm envelope stuffing party.  We need to have all 578 in the mail by 5pm Friday evening.  

I plan on opening the building on Saturday the 18th from 9am-2pm for those who need access to their room.  


The following week has been planned and is draft form.  For an outline please see our Brunson Calendar at http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/21681  This calendar will be critical to keeping track of events here at our school. 

Our focus for 2012-2013 will be the refreshing of our AMAZING PBIS program and building our capacity to plan for excellence with Learning Focused.  Both of these topics will dominate our conversations during the first week and improve our daily culture and climate.   I will post the full schedule after conferring with Andy and Kathy on the 13th.  Plan on 8:00-3:45 work days except for Thursday the 23rd when we will do 12-8 for our open house.


I will also have draft copies of our Schedule for review and feedback before the Pizza Luncheon on the 17th.  If you have the time and interest to review this important document please feel free to stop by the media center at 11am on the 17th.


That is enough for now.  I will blog again next Friday the 10th.