AM Announcements - May 12

AM Announcements
May 12, 2009

1. Today is Day 158.

2. It is the mission of Speas Elementary School to provide its students with the tools necessary to successfully meet the challenges they will face in a diverse world.

3. Calendar items for this week:

Tuesday: May 12
Student Council Meeting - Officers only - 1:30
Staff Meeting - Marzano Training - 2:40-4:00
WS/FCS TOY Committee - 4:00-5:00 - Reichert off campus
CiCi's Pizza Night - 5:00-8:00

Wednesday: May 13
Big Brothers Big Sisters Luncheon - Bridger Field House - 12:00-1:00 - Reichert off campus

Thursday: May 14
EOG Testing begins - Survey
Elementary Principals' meeting - 7:15-12:00 - Reichert off campus
WS/FCS Staff Policy Committee - 4:00-5:00 - Reichert off campus

Friday: May 15
EOG - Fifth Grade Science
Night Beneath the Stars - 7:00-10:30 PM - Pine Brook Country Club
SolEd Group with Dr. Martin - 3:30-5:00 - Reichert off campus

4. At the end of each day, please do the following:
a. CLOSE ALL BLINDS
b. TURN OFF ALL MONITORS and COMPUTERS (CPU's)

5. The UNCF drive continues. Please give your pledge cards to Ms. Odom. To date we have collected $825. That was an increase yesterday of almost $600. With the drive ending May 16 please act today. We really want to clear the $1000 milestone and we only have $175 left to raise before we reach that goal.

6. The 20 day blitz continues for two more days!

7. Upcoming dates for your calendar:
a. May 22 - Dollar Dress Down Day
b. May 25 - No School - Memorial Day Holiday
c. May 26 - Interim Reports go home
d. May 26-29 - EOG Remediation Sessions
e. May 27-29 - Student Council Elections

8. There is a staff meeting/Marzano training this afternoon from 2:40-4:00. Ms. Falor finished her work last month. I will be completing this last Marzano session.

9. "Night Beneath the Stars" tickets are on sale in the office through Thursday. They are $35.00 per person. To date 16 staff members have purchased tickets or made a donation. That represents only 24% of the staff. Since the money raised goes to benefit our programs and staff members, I would hope we can increase the level of our participation at this event. It makes a powerful statement when our own staff members show that they are willing to support our cause.

10. This is a reminder that all 10 month employees will be furloughed on June 18. They will also leave school two (2) hours early on Wednesday, June 17 in order to account for the entire 10 hours of unpaid leave.

11. We are seeing an increase in discipline issues in the office. The best way to avoid this is to plan exciting, hands-on lessons. Lessons that are dull and boring lead to discipline problems.

12. It has been reported to the office that individuals are once again propping the door open at the end of the 5th grade hallway. We have reviewed the fact that this is a safety issue and teachers were to take their keys with them. The door should never be propped in the open position. Individuals who prop the door open are guilty of insubordination and could face termination as a result.

13. Some afternoons we have a group of Hispanic men who play soccer on the far end of the playground. I have spoken with them regarding the use of our fields and they have met all my requests. My concern is that we have students walking the track and there are no staff members there to monitor activity. If your students are walking the track while they are playing soccer, please position yourself close enough that you can monitor everything that is going on.

14. Any great truth can -- and eventually will -- be expressed as a cliche -- a cliche is a sure and certain way to dilute an idea. For instance, my grandmother used to say, 'The black cat is always the last one off the fence.' I have no idea what she meant, but at one time, it was undoubtedly true.
Solomon Short

If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out of it but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine, is somehow ennobled and no-one dares criticize it.
Pierre Gallois

An ostentatious man will rather relate a blunder or an absurdity he has committed, than be debarred from talking of his own dear person.
Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719)

I became a feminist as an alternative to becoming a masochist.
Sally Kempton