News for November 20, 2017
This Week at Brown
11/20 A Day
Cupcake "thank you treats" from the walk-a-thon will dropped off and can be distributed at anytime by teacher
PTO Meeting 12:00 Media Center (Hassenger)
11/21 B Day
Kristen at Central in the a.m.
Book Fair door prize winners lunch with Kristen
Skate Night 6-8 p.m.
11/22 C Day
No school 11/23 & 11/24 Happy Thanksgiving!
Cupcake "thank you treats" from the walk-a-thon will dropped off and can be distributed at anytime by teacher
PTO Meeting 12:00 Media Center (Hassenger)
11/21 B Day
Kristen at Central in the a.m.
Book Fair door prize winners lunch with Kristen
Skate Night 6-8 p.m.
11/22 C Day
No late start today
1/2 day- dismissal at 12:05 p.m.
No school 11/23 & 11/24 Happy Thanksgiving!
Coming Up
11/27 30-minute grade-level tech meetings this week
11/28 Kristen, Kent, Sarah, Elizabeth, Kim to Berrien RESA for CNA/SI all day
11/29 Late start day
11/30 Lokey's class to CAC 9:10-11:20 a.m.
12/4 Patricia Polacco to visit Brown School!
Special author luncheon in M.C. for staff
12/5 Staff/SI meeting 4-5 p.m. in Barron's room
Ann to have lunch group with same 5th graders
12/6 Late start
Santa Shop begins (12/6-12/8)
DLC Meeting 4:15-5:30 @ Central
11/28 Kristen, Kent, Sarah, Elizabeth, Kim to Berrien RESA for CNA/SI all day
11/29 Late start day
11/30 Lokey's class to CAC 9:10-11:20 a.m.
12/4 Patricia Polacco to visit Brown School!
Special author luncheon in M.C. for staff
12/5 Staff/SI meeting 4-5 p.m. in Barron's room
Ann to have lunch group with same 5th graders
12/6 Late start
Santa Shop begins (12/6-12/8)
DLC Meeting 4:15-5:30 @ Central
Kagan Corner
Do you ever need students to move faster or mentally shift gears? Think about times that students are asked to clean up, cut out, or just put away supplies. Using upbeat music adds an element of fun and novelty to any lesson. In this case, trade in your 60 beats music for something a bit faster. Dr. Kagan recommends 120 beats per minute in such cases.
Do you ever need students to move faster or mentally shift gears? Think about times that students are asked to clean up, cut out, or just put away supplies. Using upbeat music adds an element of fun and novelty to any lesson. In this case, trade in your 60 beats music for something a bit faster. Dr. Kagan recommends 120 beats per minute in such cases.
Planned Schedule for Patricia Polacco Visit
We put together a schedule for our upcoming author visit in the Media Center. Please let us know if this will not work for your class by Wednesday morning, November 22nd.
December 4th C Day
9:00 - 10:00 2nd and 3rd grades (McCool and Lokey switch art)
10:45 - 11:45 Y5/K and 1st grades
11:45 - 12:35 Luncheon with Staff*
1:00 - 2:00 4th and 5th grades
10:45 - 11:45 Y5/K and 1st grades
11:45 - 12:35 Luncheon with Staff*
1:00 - 2:00 4th and 5th grades
*All staff members are invited to have lunch with Patricia Polacco in the Media Center. Lunch will be provided.
MDE Early Literacy Professional Learning Module Rollout
The Department of Education, in conjunction with their professional learning early literacy partners, is pleased to announce the roll out of a series of online modules developed to support K-3 teachers and administrators in the essential instructional practices necessary for good literacy instruction. The Introduction and Module I are available today at http://literacyessentials.org/. The additional nine modules will roll out about every two weeks over the upcoming months. This free resource includes slides, narration, and video clips of Michigan teachers utilizing the practices in their classrooms.
Holiday Happenings
As I referenced in the earlier email, we are working as a district to be more responsive to the needs of our families, therefore, the principals at all three schools have decided there will be no gift exchanges in classrooms this year. We feel the gift exchange puts an extra burden on those who have limited resources and may not be culturally responsive to the diversity in our classrooms.
Below you will find the update that we recently received from Thrun Law regarding holiday celebrations in school. As you consider decorating for the holidays, we ask that you are thoughtful about the cultures represented in your classroom.
Navigate the holiday season without violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. ...The Supreme Court’s three-part test for [holiday celebrations in school includes]:
- The purpose of the activity must be secular (non-religious);
- The principal or primary effect of the activity must not advance or inhibit religion; and
- The activity must not result in an excessive entanglement with religion.
...School officials should consider the following factors if seeking to recognize a religious holiday while meeting the three-part test.
- The purpose of recognizing a religious holiday at school must be educational. Focus lessons on the origin, history, and generally agreed-upon meaning of the religious holiday.
- Do not promote or denigrate any particular religion or holiday.
- Consider diversity and recognize holidays among various religions throughout the school year. This will support the social and secular purpose of the instruction.
- Have a legitimate educational purpose for using any religious symbols as part of the recognition of the holiday (e.g. school officials should use such symbols only as teaching aids and resources on a temporary basis during instruction, not as decorations that stay up all season long).
- Include secular, non-religious symbols of the season of the season as part of the instruction.
- Students may perform religious music during concerts provided that there is a variety of music that balances religious music (not just Christian music) with non-religious music.
- Honor the requests of students and parents who ask to be excused from holiday-related activities, and do not ostracize students who opt out of holiday events. School officials should not use a student’s decision to opt out as permission to turn the holiday education into a religious celebration.
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| Ready or not, winter weather is coming! Please take some time during your morning meetings to make an anchor chart related to good choices for indoor recess. You may consider reaching out to families for donations to stock your indoor recess cupboard. |
Tornado Drill Findings
Please extend my appreciation to your students for their incredibly responsible behavior during our first severe weather safety drill. Thank you for taking attendance and display the appropriately colored card (green=all safe and accounted for; red= someone is missing/injured). While it feels a bit more applicable to a lockdown drill, consistency for all drills may help guest teachers and new staff members.
Here are a few answers to the great questions that came up:
Rank- to the storage room in the gym (where bikes are)
Art room- across the hall along the bulletin board nearest the cross halls
First grades- make lines in front of Grimm and Zelenock, leaving room to open/close the fire doors
Cool tip: Shrink your class list in the copy machine until it is small enough to tape to the back of your name badge. Then you will always have a class list available for attendance in the event of an emergency.
Please extend my appreciation to your students for their incredibly responsible behavior during our first severe weather safety drill. Thank you for taking attendance and display the appropriately colored card (green=all safe and accounted for; red= someone is missing/injured). While it feels a bit more applicable to a lockdown drill, consistency for all drills may help guest teachers and new staff members.
Here are a few answers to the great questions that came up:
Rank- to the storage room in the gym (where bikes are)
Art room- across the hall along the bulletin board nearest the cross halls
First grades- make lines in front of Grimm and Zelenock, leaving room to open/close the fire doors
Cool tip: Shrink your class list in the copy machine until it is small enough to tape to the back of your name badge. Then you will always have a class list available for attendance in the event of an emergency.
Have a restful Thanksgiving holiday! Whether you are traveling, hosting, or relaxing with your loved ones at home, please know how thankful your colleagues, parents, and students are for your dedication. Brown School is blessed to have each and every one of you!
