In the season of giving, why not give the gift of positive news or praise to a few of your students. Call a parent/guardian for one or two students in each of your classes or teams and tell them how great they are doing or how hard they are working. Write a positive note to a few students or pull them aside and tell him or her how proud you are of them.
Sometimes a teacher can make a huge impact on their student's with simply a kind word, positive feedback or encouragement. Just letting them know you believe in them and care about their success will not only make their day, but I will bet it will have a positive impact on you as well.
I hope you take my challenge and please share with me and others the positives that come out of this!
"In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact" ~ Les Brown
Looking Back
Last week at the Winter Concert, Mrs. Montella and Mrs. Serwin put on a great show. The Concert Band and Jazz Band have never sounded better. The Chorus did an amazing job as well and sounded great.
If you weren't already aware, both Lynne and Beth have gone above and beyond with both of their programs in different ways. Lynne has taught band class during zero period the last two years, which has been a huge success with student enrollment. The band program would not be where it is today without the dedication and commitment of the students and their wiliness to get up early each morning, attend after school and evening practices, as well as commit to hours of time on their own. Why do they make that commitment, because of the leadership and passion of director, Lynne Montella!
Mrs. Serwin has also been creative with ways to get more students involved in the Chorus program. Mrs. Serwin runs an after school chorus for the students that can't fit the class into their schedule. With limited time to practice with both groups together, Beth still finds a way to get them to sound great. For the students that want to sing and be part of the chorus, Beth has found the time!
Beth and Lynne - THANK YOU for all you do. #Ownit
Looking Forward
- Reminder - IEP Direct Training - Tuesday 12/16, Wednesday 12/17, Thursday 12/18 (3 - 3:30pm)
Three days have been setup for teachers to familiarize themselves with the district's new IEP program. One staff member from each department was trained back in October and will hold training sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3 - 3:30pm in the Media Center Lab. You should pick the day that works best for you; however, everyone must attend one of the sessions. Your login information was sent to you via email from Viki Wilson. If you don't know your login information, you can email Ms. Wilson or see Jill Caruso.
Trained WHS Staff: D. Kish, R. Ramiccio, E. Lazzaro, R. Apap, P. Left, A. Terzini, J. Noschese
- Expect the Unexpected - Over the next few days, there might be a lockdown drill with a twist. Don't get nervous. We drill to be ready and the administration wants to make sure we prepare for the unexpected. A few things to think about:
- If you see students in the hallway during a lockdown and its safe for you to get them into your room before your door is locked, get them in.
- Disregard all bells and alarms. Only move or release the lockdown when you hear the "All Clear" code word. If you are not sure of the word, see me.
- If you see things that are out of place or suspicious inside or outside the building please bring it to the attention of the administration.
- For any lockdown, it is important to make sure everyone is out of site, extremely quiet and as calm as possible.
- Holiday Lunch 12/22 - if you are interested, please see Terais or Kerry with payment of $10.00 no later than Thursday, December 18th. We are also encouraging those who like to bake to bring a dessert. As Mr. Clancy said, "This will be a good time for staff to relax, enjoy a nice conversation with your colleagues and wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday before we leave for break."
Blog Posts/Tweets
Spirit Week Post - 12/15 - 12/22
Congrats to Cara Montella on her acceptance into the Bergen County Band! 3rd yr Cara has been selected to perform in this honors ensemble
— Kevin Carroll (@WHS_Principal) December 15, 2014
PD Resources
Formative Assessments are Powerful - via Larry Ferlazzo
