Sunflowers and Sunshine for a Monday

 Principal ponderings...

It was certainly tough to leave the sunshine in the Caribbean and return to snow in MA last week.  I thought we could all use some sunshine inspiration on this Monday after break.  

I came across this beautiful print that was painted by a man named Adam Young from Young Studios in Newfoundland.  He auctioned it off and all proceeds has gone to Voices for Children in the Ukraine. $25,000 was raised. The sunflower is the flower of Ukraine. I wanted to drop in some resources about talking about kids about war. Some of our students will come to school like mine and have no idea about what is going on. We don't watch the news in our house and we try to shield our kids from many things. But they go to school and hear about the news from other kids. Because other kids will come to school having seen or heard news reports. Some may have already talked about what is happening with their parents and some may have lots of questions. Some may be scared because they don't understand what is happening. And as educators, we have to simply be ready for whatever comes our way on a Monday after vacation. If you have students who you need more help with, please reach out to us in the office.

This kids news video clip contains several stories but the first one explains what is happening in Ukraine.

And here is another one that talks about how to talk to kids.  I will be sharing this with our parents.

Here is an article about how to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.

Here is a toolkit for engaging kids during a crisis.

Lessons about the Ukraine Crisis

Thank you for being a positive presence for our kids to return to today.  

Currently reading:

I was gifted a new picture book before the break by a Mayo family.  It was even gift wrapped!  The brother and sister who gave it to me said that they knew I would like it because it was all about kindness.  It's called Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light.

I also was sent a new book from Bookelicious or maybe I won it after attending a Principal's Roundtable...not sure.  All I know is I got a new book in the mail!  It is Jason Reynold's new book called Stuntboy, In the Meantime. It's a combo of a graphic novel with more text in it.  But I love that the main character talks about dealing with "the frets" or anxiety. 

Events this week:

Monday - Welcome back! Motoko visiting 5th grade classrooms

Tuesday - We made it to March!  Get ready for Marvelous Mondays in March

Wednesday - CST meeting @ 8:00am

Thursday - Liz in virtual PLT Meeting from 9:00-11:00

Great things I noticed last week:

What if...we had social mentors?  KD and 4V had some special time together before the break!

Check it out:

My good friend Brian McCann is a high school principal who is retiring this year.  He always creates amazing videos with his students.  The perfect one for today...

Everybody is Going Through Something

Principal ponderings...

It is National School Counseling Week, where we recognize the contributions all of the counselors across the state, but most importantly, the ones in our own building.  This year, we are lucky enough to have Cassie working with kids on a part time basis.  We are also fortunate to have Jess here working with kids on the days that Cassie is not here.  Thank you both for jumping in this year and helping all of our students and staff whenever they have needed you.  

But the reality is, it's not enough.  We all have to do our own version of counseling, especially after the last two years.  I was thinking this weekend about the level of social emotional need in schools.  Students need help with emotional regulation, anxiety, stress, interpersonal skills, family issues, the list goes on and on.  And as adults we also need help with all of those items and more.  As the principal, I know a lot about what people are experiencing or what struggles they are having.  And here's what we need to remember...

Everybody is going through something.

There are marriages dissolving.  There are weddings being planned.  New family dynamics being created.  There are pets dying.  There are grandmas dying.  There are moms and dads dying.  There are new siblings being born.  There are parents losing their jobs.  There are parents getting new jobs and moving their families to new schools.  There are kids joining new neighborhoods.  There are kids leaving neighborhoods.  There are kids hearing inappropriate things on TV.  There are kids hearing inappropriate things on the bus.  There are kids listening to older siblings.  There are kids dealing with mental illness.  There are adults dealing with mental illness.  There are kids with big emotions.  There are adults with big emotions.  There are people that hide their feelings and there are people that share their feelings.

Everybody is going through something.

Back before I had kids and could spend Saturday afternoons sipping tea in a bookstore (what was that like? I think I used to have 'me' time!), I used to love to people watch.  And I would turn the people I saw into characters.  I would sometimes imagine, sometime jot down notes, sometimes sketch out their lives and what they were dealing with.  Creating stories about why they were wearing a certain facial expression or what they were hiding from the rest of the world.  The thing is...the reality is we could all benefit from a little people watching.  Mainly to remind us that every person that we work with, every student that we teach has a whole bunch of things going on, a whole bunch of stories that they come to work and school with.  We all wear our facial expressions or our armor or our outer appearances differently.  But we are all going through something, good or bad, happy or sad, relaxed or stressed.  

Everybody is going through something.

Why am I sharing this message with you?  Because I think we all need reminders about this.  When a staff member is unusually quiet or responds differently than normal or when a student performs poorly on an assessment or a kid is overly wound up...remember everybody is going through something.  When someone forgets to do something or forgets to turn something in...remember everybody is going through something.  When someone just needs a hug or three or when someone doesn't want you to draw attention to them....remember everybody is going through something.  And when we are all going through something, it's helpful for us to remember that for ourselves.  Give ourselves grace.  And when we remember that others, adults and kids, are always going through something, we need to give others grace and be a support in any way that we can.  

Take some time this week to people watch in our school.  What stories are the people around you coming to work and school with?  How will your interactions change knowing that there are stories and situations that you don't know about?  How will you support them?  

Currently reading:

I was excited to purchase a new picture book called Our Table written and illustrated by the amazing Peter H. Reynolds.  It's a simple story about the importance of time together as a family.  I will make sure to record a read aloud to share with you or you are welcome to borrow it to read to your class.  

I was also excited to get a new professional development book in the mail.  It's called She Leads: The Women's Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership.  One of the authors is a friend of mine and she asked me to contribute a story to the book.  Is it a surprise that my story is in the chapter titled "The Power of Emotion" where I wrote about embracing emotions as a female leader?

Events this week:

Monday - Kindergarten enrichment program in the library - Pumpernickel Puppets @ 12:30-2:00

Tuesday - CST Meetings @ 8 and 8:30, 100th Day of School!! Kindergarten 100th Day Parade around 9:15

Wednesday - Staff meeting @ 8:00, Liz meeting with visitors for the Special Education Tiered Focus Monitoring @ 9:30

Thursday - Aidan Alexander is Principal for the Day! Trax from the Railers will be visiting Mayo during arrival

Friday - Motoko, Japanese Storyteller, is working with 5th graders all day

Great things I noticed last week:

• I popped into a few different 5th grade science classes...all sorts of new learning going on!  Mrs. Greene was getting her students excited about some energy research.  
  
  
  
• I caught some 4th graders enjoying partner reading in the stairwell.  They were so into the book they didn't even see me!

  
• 1st graders working hard on those foundational reading skills with Mrs. Letts. 

  

  
  
• Loved getting this picture sent to me of Mrs. Kalinowski's class enjoying a virtual read aloud that I recorded. 
  
  
  
• So many fun photos of staff and students celebrating 2/2/22! 

  

  
  

  

Check it out:

Came across this image on instagram and had to share... Thank you for being that one caring adult for our kids.

World Read Aloud Day!

 Principal ponderings...

Did you know that Wednesday is World Read Aloud Day!?  It's the 13th annual World Read Aloud Day.  Perfect day to read aloud to your class, have students read aloud to each other, join into virtual read aloud events, and celebrate the benefits and joy that comes from reading aloud at any age.

Here is a link to sign up for Scholastic's BookFest .  

Join us for #WorldReadAloudDay Book Fest! Literacy events, trivia, sing alongs, and activities featuring your favorite authors including Tami Charles (@tamiwritesstuff), Peter H. Reynolds (@peterhreynolds), and Lauren Tarshis (@laurenTarshis)! Sign up: https://t.co/PyARWR6h3N pic.twitter.com/Ku3f6VNjqh

— Scholastic (@Scholastic) January 30, 2022

And check out the author Kelly Yang...she is doing a live YouTube event and we will get a sneak peak of her newest book!

 Check out this schedule of read alouds that will be the world's largest live read aloud event! Register here: https://storyvoice.live/

Not sure why read alouds are so important?  Here you go!

And how about the benefits for English Learners (and every kid!)...

I was part of a reading discussion the other night with some principals from across the country and I loved the idea of asking this question to our students on World Read Aloud Day...

There are tons of ideas, printouts, booklists, and live events on the this website: https://www.litworld.org/worldreadaloudday

How will you celebrate World Read Aloud Day?

Currently reading:

My husband walked by me this weekend and laughed because I had about seven books around me.  I was reading a chapter in one, then putting it down and picking up a different book and reading.  There are just so many books to read and not enough time!  This weekend I was reading more poems from Amanda Gorman's Call Us What We Carry collection. 

And I have been working my way still through All the Light We Cannot See and Sticky Notes.  I am also rereading The Confidence Code for Girls since I am starting some lunch time book chats with a few 5th graders using this book.

Events this week:

Tuesday - Liz out of building, STEM Club K-2 in the library 3:30-4:30

Wednesday - World Read Aloud Day!  2/2/22 - Palindrome Day! Chess Club 3:30-4:30 in the library

Thursday - Liz in Admin Leadership from 9-11

Great things I noticed last week:

• The newest member of the Mayo community arrived!  Baby Everett Bercume arrived Saturday morning...8 pounds 8 ounces of love! 
  
  
  
• Virtual BINGO Night was a huge success on Friday night!  We had over 80 families participate, tons of fun! 

  

  
  

  

  
  

Check it out:

Check out this Build a Story Challenge!  Maybe some of our students will want to try this out and share their story on Fligrid.  Read more about it here: https://www.litworld.org/buildastory

A New Form of SEL

 Principal ponderings...

We have all heard about SEL - social emotional learning, but I am beginning to think more about SEL - social emotional literacy.  I have said it many times before...I believe books can save lives, books can be our therapy, books can help us deal with difficult emotions.  

I was excited and honored that I was approached by Pam Allyn and Bookelicious to present this summer at a conference with another principal friend of mine from Oklahoma.  Pam is a literacy expert and an author of several professional development books.  She has recently been creating a new learning platform that is focused on supporting families and caregivers.  It's called Dewey and Bookelicious has worked with Pam's team to create a collection of books that I would consider great books to help with SEL - social emotional literacy.

Dewey has a 7 Sparks Framework and provides some important skills and values to focus on while using the books in the collection.  We were lucky enough to receive all of the books in the collection for free.  I have the books, both picture books and chapter books, in two bins in the office.  Some of them I have used individually with kids and some I have started reading aloud in classes.  

Here are the 7 Sparks.  I like the different headings that they have created, but I like the simple directive statements that go along with each spark...

• joyful bonding - Connect deeply.
• curious learning - Wonder boldly.
• creative thinking - Imagine fiercely.
• empathy building - Care kindly.
• problem solving - Navigate bravely.
• thriving independently - Grow courageously.
• mindful balance - Breathe calmly.

There's a lot to unpack in each of those.  As I learn more about the Dewey platform, I will share with you, but for now I am excited to use the books in the collection to address some of these areas.  Here's a picture of the chapter book stack and the picture book stack that we were gifted.  After I use them for some more read alouds and share them with students, I plan to add them to our library collection.

I challenge you to think about how you could use any one of these books and select any one of the Sparks to engage with your students.  I have certainly pulled out Front Desk before with kids and talked about how the main character used writing to do some problem solving; she was certainly navigating bravely, and our kids can learn about how writing can help them to problem solve.  I read the beautiful book My First Day to 4th graders and was able to experience joyful bonding with some of our students whose families are from Vietnam; it was amazing to see kids connect deeply with a picture book and others who have a shared cultural experience. 

How can you practice this new form of SEL...social emotional literacy?

Feel free to come borrow a book or simply incorporate some of the phrasing related to the 7 Sparks.

Currently reading:

I said to my husband this week...I wish I could just sit in my home library and read everyday all day.  He told me to win the lottery and then I could do that.  For now, I will settle with spending a few hours throughout the week reading.  I finished reading Pax Journey Home this weekend.  This is the sequel to the book Pax.  Both books are about loss and love, told from alternating perspectives of a young boy and a fox. 

I was excited to dive into an adult realistic fiction book, All the Light We Cannot See.  Looking forward to reading this book...already got pulled into it and didn't want to stop reading. 

Events this week:

Monday - Welcome to Patrick Hoey, our new lunch/recess monitor, Liz in virtual MSAA meetings from 11:3-3:00

Tuesday - Liz in virtual Mass Literacy Support Network meeting from 9-11:00

Wednesday - 4th grade BAS/F&P all day PD, Half day, dismissal at 12:30, bag lunch option, PD sessions in the afternoon, report cards available in PowerSchool

Thursday -  2nd grade virtual author visit - Kevin Kurtz, 9:45 - lockdown drill - doors will be locked and students will remain distanced in their desks

Friday - Motoko visiting 5th grade in person for writing work

Check it out:

I can't remember if I already shared this but it's worth a re-share if I did...

Reflect Back To the Future

 Principal ponderings...

New year, new beginnings, new inspiration.  Yeah, so far 2022 is not feeling shiny and new, not feeling like it's an exciting start to the year.  So maybe it's a good time to reflect on the past year in order to help get us in a better mindset for the future.  I don't know about you but I dream about the days when I can see kids' smiling faces without masks.  I get lost in thought, imagining what it would be like to be a principal again, not a "COVID Coordinator" or "Urgent Care Facility Manager."  Oh to just be able to walk into classrooms, cozy up next to some kids and watch them soak up math concepts or engage in animated discussions about books.  I so wish I could ask people what was the best part of a lesson instead of are you vaccinated?  Or countdown the days until a writing celebration for parents instead of counting how many days left on someone's quarantine.  

I came across a podcast that had some great reflection questions.  I am hoping that taking the time to think about these questions, maybe write down the answers to some, or have a conversation with a peer about them...maybe that will help us keep moving forward this year.  Maybe it will help us get back to the future.  Because I am not one to wish away time, but I really could use a 1981 DeLorean right about now.  I would be adjusting the time machine dials to maybe April 3, 2022.  (I am no fool...definitely not sending myself to April Fool's Day!).

Here are the reflection questions...

What made you feel most happy this year?

What made you unhappy this year?

What was the biggest lesson you learned this past year?

What do you wish you would have done more of this year?

What's something you want to do less of next year?

What was your biggest success this year?

When was a moment you failed this year?

What is something you want to learn next year?

What is your favorite way to refuel?

(Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/9-powerful-reflection-questions-for-2021/id1450994021?i=1000546010728)

Maybe if we focus on questions like what made us the most happy and what is our favorite way to refuel...maybe, just maybe, we will be able to reflect ourselves back to the future.

Currently reading:

I continue to force myself to set aside dedicated time to read.  This weekend I sat and finished a new book written in verse called Red, White and Whole.  This book is about Reha who is struggling between two worlds, the world of her Indian family and the world of her American school life.  At the same time she is dealing with her mom battling leukemia.  Not sure why I keep doing this to myself, but I definitely had a good cry at the end of this book. 

I also had a recommendation for this book called Sticky Notes.  The main character is a boy dealing with his father's gradual memory loss.  Books can be healing and cathartic...clearly the ones I am reading are serving that purpose for me. 

Events this week:

Monday - Welcome back, hope you enjoyed the snow day!

Tuesday - CST follow up meetings @ 8:00 and 8:30, Motoko, Japanese Storyteller launching Writer in Residence program in 5th grade, Virtual PTA Meeting at 6:30pm

Wednesday - Virtual Staff Meeting @ 8:00, 5th grade BAS training all day

Thursday - SIMCO Meeting @ 3:45

Friday - Paws Pantry Spirit Day!

Great things I noticed last week:

What I noticed most was that even with all of the COVID struggles, absences, issues...people that could showed up for kids.  Thank you.

• When Mr. Leith had to be out, Mr. O stepped up and kept the learning going in 2nd grade. 
  
  
  
• Even though there were many students absent, teachers like Mrs. Leroy jumped back into math instruction. 
  
  
  
• And speaking of math, I caught Mrs. Mackoul working on solving math problems with some 5th graders in green pod. 

  

  
  
• When you are 4th graders still surviving and learning during a pandemic, then you write realistic fiction stories about "Surviving Quarantine" modeled after the "I Survived" series. 

  

  
  

Check it out:

A friend posted this over the weekend and I loved it, wanted to share...

Also, my edu-hero Pernille Ripp, an awesome teacher in another state posted this so important message...

My One Little Word - 2022

 Principal ponderings...

Hard to believe I have lived in my new house for a year now.  Especially since I still have a room that has not really been set up/unpacked.  That room is my office/library space.  As much as I have wanted that space this year, I just haven't taken the time to get it set up.  During the break, I made myself go into the room and start slowly unpacking boxes.  It has also become the catch-all space.  Not sure where to put this?  Throw it in the library.  I started slowly and worked my way around half the room.  I have one wall where a bookshelf is filled and set up.  I have a closet that is organized now.  I have my writing desk that is cleared off and placed in front of the window with a view of my neighbor's turkeys and chickens roaming in their yard.  I have my purple upholstered rocking armchair and ottoman cleared off.  I still have several boxes and two more bookshelves to organize, but it's a step in the right direction.  I was so excited to be able to sit in my chair and read or sit at my desk and write.  

Why am I telling you all of this?  Well it's how I came up with my one little word for 2022.  As I was cleaning off and organizing my writing desk, I discovered a small dish buried under boxes and other things.  In the dish was a pile of stickers.  Emerson came in to see what I was doing and since she is all about reading everything she comes across, she started reading all of my stickers.  Here are some of the stickers she discovered...

 

Her favorite one was the "Write Now" sticker.  She liked the play on words about writing and "right now."  Over the break, I also participated in a virtual open mic night through the TeachWrite group that I am a part of.  I read a free verse poem about conversations with my mom.  There were lots of tears from the virtual audience members and myself.

So as I was thinking about my one little word...I realized that once again instead of me finding a word, my word found me.  Since my mom was a Latin teacher, I have selected a Latin word for my one little word.

Scribo is the Latin word for "I write."  When I was going through a rough patch a few weeks back, I wrote in an earlier post that... I can't not write.  This year, I know that I need writing to keep me sane, to keep me whole, to keep me...me.  We are all still dealing with this pandemic, and I know that writing will help me deal.  

I chose the Latin form of this word to honor my mom.  I also need to write for her this year.  My mom was a brilliant lady, a constant teacher, and a lover of language.  Now my mom has lost the ability to read or write, and she is quickly losing all of her language.  She is only 70.  Alzheimer's has attacked my mom's brain and is slowly...actually now it's feeling like rapidly...stealing her from me.  So I will write for her and for me.  I will write to help us both hang on.  I hope to write down our memories to keep them tangible and visible.  Since we can no longer have conversations, I will write down all the things I still need to say to her, the advice I still need to ask her, the stories I still need to tell her.  I will write down my feelings in the hopes of relieving the immense pressure pushing me down and suffocating me.  I will write so that I can breathe.

My One Little Word is Scribo.

What will yours be?

What will your students' words be?

I would love to fill the big display case (yes, the one I slept in!) with all of our words!

Currently reading:

I definitely carved out time to read during the break.  I have several books that were sent to the school and I have been working my way through the ones that I had never read.  I will explain more about these books and how they can help us with SEL in another post.  One of the books I read was a graphic novel called The Crossover.  This is a novel written in verse by the amazing Kwame Alexander and recently he published it in graphic novel format.  It's a story about basketball and family and twin brothers. 

The next book that I read almost in one day is called The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.  This is the true story of a boy living in Africa, in a village in Malawi, who against all odds uses science to create "electric wind."  He teaches himself, survives a famine, and is able to provide electricity and opportunity to his family and his community. 

I am finishing out my break reading by starting a new verse book that I bought a while ago but never started.  It's called Red, White and Whole and it's about an Indian American girl struggling between being the only Indian American student and dealing with her family and community. 

Events this week:

Monday - Welcome back!  2 hour delay - see lunch schedule in email from Liz, test kits and KN-95 masks available in the office

Tuesday - CST meeting @ 8:00am

Thursday - Admin Superintendent Focus Group from 8:30-9:30

Friday - Motoko, Japanese Storyteller back to work with 5th grade!

Check it out:

I have a good friend who is a principal in Michigan.  I love that she started making a New Year's playlist instead of resolutions: https://allysonapsey.com/2021/12/29/what-vibe-are-you-going-for-in-2022make-a-new-years-playlist-rather-than-a-resolution/

Here's one that I would put on my list to go with my One Little Word: