WHS Staff News - Week of 3/1/21

Happy March! With the exception of the rain, the weather seems to be turning springlike! Let's hope it stays. 

Schedule for Thursday, March 11 (PD Day)

Wednesday, March 17 - Staff can work from home  

Schedule Change for 4th MP 

Communication with parents/students related to the 4th marking period schedule change will be sent out tonight. Here is what will be sent:

Blog Post Doc - 4th Marking Period Schedule Change 

Over the weekend I was at a soccer tournament and in between games I was scrolling through Twitter. No surprise there. I came across a tweet with an article written back in October of 2015, The Seven Habits of Highly Affective Teachers by Rick Wormele.

What could an article from October, 2015 have to do with education today? Things change so quickly in our world, that this can’t be relevant. As I read it three times in the car, I felt this article needs to be our focus for the rest of the year. Why? Why more work? Why something new to think about?

The why is easy, SELF-Renewal and a positive mindset!

This year has been hard for all of us. I have watched school moral and school spirit disappear. At times I feel like relationships have been affected because of COVID related decisions that were made in the best interest of all.

All of this happened to no fault of anyone. Priorities shifted to safety and health, new protocols and just finding a way to get through each day.

This article talks about The Seven Habits of Highly Affective Teachers (Before COVID was a thing)

1. Finding Joy in Others
2. Cultivate Perspective and Reframe
3. Ditch the Easy Caricature
4. Explore the Ethics of Teaching
5. Embrace Humility
6. Value Intellect
7. Maintain Passion and Playfulness

Over the next fourteen weeks I would like to focus on these habits as a staff. The idea is, we will focus on one habit for a two week span and then move on to another. Hopefully establishing a new positive habit that enhances us as educators.

Week 1 (3/1 - 3/12) Finding Joy in Others (Some examples/ideas) 
Send a friend or colleague a positive note/text
Make a positive call/email home
Write a positive note to a student
Celebrate individual student success, in the classroom or on Meet call
Reach out to a student that has been struggling, not participating, change in behavior
Spend five minutes talking to someone about how they're doing (Give your time)
Bake for a friend 
Positive words of encouragement

The secret to happiness is helping others ...
There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others.