Soup's On!

I love the fall. Beautiful warm days and cool nights are one of the many things I am grateful for. To top off such days, there is nothing like a good bowl of soup. (And warm homemade bread with butter of course.)  Luckily, my husband likes to cook and together we have tried more recipes than I can name. This weekend we tried out a new chicken and kale recipe. If you are a soup fan, check it out! If I do say so myself, it was delish. : ) 

Chicken Soup with Kale

Although I  am certainly not going to be on the cooking channel anytime soon,  I do know that it is important to use the right ingredients to make your dish successful. Do I follow every recipe without adding my own little touches? Certainly not. Sometimes, I just know in my heart of hearts that a pinch of this or that will make the dish that much better. 

As we move forward with looking at the ingredients of the common core, remember that there are recipes already out there. As with my cooking, there is also room for you to add your own unique touches. The MA Department of Education has released model curriculum units that can be utilized in classrooms now. Take a peek...

Model Curriculum Units

I'm interested to hear how you might "change" the recipe. Would you add more rigor? How would you include your personal touch? When my husband and I were done cooking at the end of the day, we had chicken and kale soup. When you are teaching, at the end of the day you need to teach the standards. I look forward to seeing your cooking skills in action. : ) 

KUDOS

To Everyone for a job well done at Open House. Thank you for being so well prepared.

To Everyone for work on SMART Goals. If you haven't submitted yours, please do.

Next Week at a Glance

Tuesday, Oct 15th: BSRI is visiting - with Lisa and Heidi. No walkthroughs.

Tuesday, Oct 15th: Technology meeting at NB for Lisa, MTSS Meeting 1-3

Wednesday, Oct16th: Safety Care Training in Cove Science Lab, MKEA Training for K Teachers. NO Staff Meeting

Thursday, Oct 17th: Keys to Literacy Training: Vocabulary, NISL for Lisa

Friday, Oct18th: NISL

Oct 21st: Book Fair WEEK

Friday, Oct 25th: Beverly Public Librarian Visiting with all Grades

Articles Worth Reading

23 Ways to Use the i-Pad in 21st Century PBL Classroom  via @teachthought

7 Unconventional Reasons Why You Absolutely Should Be Reading via @PrincipalDiff

Five Things Most People Do't Know- Poverty & Student Achievement via @PrincipalDiff

Leading and Managing Instructional Improvement via @eduweek

Feeling Defeated or Tired Already?  via @8Amber8 and @benjamingilpin

Lisa Bu: How Books Can Open Your Mind

Teamwork & Instructional Leadership

Now that the year is in full swing we begin the delicate balance of attending professional development, grade level meetings, maximizing our common planning time and of course, being in our classrooms actually teaching! A challenging endeavor!

As a principal I struggle with getting pulled in many directions just as a classroom teacher does. Today as I sat with my NISL cohort, I was reminded of how important it is to sometimes be out of the building and learning new innovative ways of being the best instructional leader I can be. The topic today, was you guessed it -instructional leadership and teams. 

All of you are part of teams within the building, whether it be the Teaching and Learning Team (which is a leadership team), a grade level team, specialists team, special education team or a combination of teams.  Today our focus was on High Performing Teams. Think about the teams you are part of and reflect on the following criteria of truly high performing teams:

• Clear purpose and direction
• Leadership
• Effective team membership
• Resources
• Effective team processes, and a
• Supportive Environment

An Instructional Leadership Team (our Teaching and Learning Team) is a team whose members:

• Are committed to improving instructional practices leading to higher student achievement
• Ensure instructional improvement efforts are aligned with the school vision and strategic direction
• Work collaboratively towards specific goals and timelines
• Share leadership responsibility and accountability for the effectiveness of the team's process and the school improvements that result

How are we doing as a whole? How are you contributing? Think of ways we can improve our teamwork and continue to move our school forward. After-all, as the saying goes - many hands make light work. 

Next Week At a Glance
Monday, Oct 7th: GLM @ 1:10 Grade 3 with Heidi, Lisa at NISL
Tuesday, Oct 8th: 9:00 Judy Miller for Tech Meeting: SPED Meeting
Wednesday Oct 9th: Bullying and Conflict Resolution Program, Staff Meeting Canceled
Thursday, Oct 10th: Open House
Friday, Oct 11th: Early Release Day/Professional Development is Building Based: SMART GOALS


Articles Worth Reading
11 Tips on Teaching Common Core Critical Vocabulary via @Edutopia

The Habits of Supremely Happy People via Grace Scherer : )

Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results via @wsoeldner (EXCELLENT ARTICLE!!)

10 Small Ways to Make a Big Difference in Someone's Life via @Justintarte

Twitter for Teachers: You Get What You Give via @jlscheffer


Videos Worth Watching
Overcoming Dyslexia

Can Technology Solve our Big Problems?

Ron Gutman: The Hidden Power of Smiling