Thoughts for the week of....
June 5-- June 10 It's hard to believe this is the last "buzz" of the school-year! I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for a truly outstanding year. We faced challenges together, supported one another, and accomplished so much. This team is truly incredible! Thank you for being an amazing group of professionals. I hope you all have a wonderful, and well-deserved summer break! For check out, remember to print the check out forms, bring your items to the office and turn in your forms. For certified staff, if you sent me your reflections I have responded to them, as well as released your evaluation. Please be sure to sign the evaluation receipt and click "submit". ***If you have not received your evaluation, it is because I do not have your reflections. Please get them to me by the close of the day Monday so I can complete your evaluation. |
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Link to the Morning Announcements Sunday, 6/5 Happy Birthday, Karen Sjogren! Monday, 6/6 (A)-
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Thoughts for the week of....
May 30- June 4 It truly was a gorgeous holiday weekend! I hope you were able to enjoy the weather and took time to honor those that gave their lives protecting our nation. Teachers, as we move forward into June, please send me a link to your reflections so that I can complete the final evaluation forms. Once completed, you will need to sign electronically and scroll to the bottom to "submit". If you would like to have an end of year meeting, please schedule it with me. Everyone has done an amazing job creating educational and social experiences for our students during this difficult year. It feels nice to bring back those end of year performances and experiences that become the memories to cherish. Hang on tight- these last two weeks will pass quickly! I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to work with such an amazing team! Speaking of team, changes are coming to the Office team. Please join me in wishing Kara Burgess well as she has accepted a new position in the finance department! We will miss her, but certainly wish her much happiness and success in her new role! Have a GREAT week ahead! (Karissa will be volunteering tomorrow, so she may stop in to see how she can help you.) |
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Tuesday, 5/31 (B)-
Have a great weekend! |
Thoughts for the week of....
May 22-28 I hope everyone had a good weekend! We've got a couple more weeks and we will finish strong! Thank you to everyone for your flexibility last week with the Field Day changes, and thank you to Laura W for planning that great event! One quick staff update: Megan Borstler has resigned. We thank her for her service to our students. Have a great week ahead and enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. |
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May 15-21 What a beautiful weekend! I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the sunshine! This is a busy week ahead- we have Taco Tuesday, Field Day on Wednesday, and a few field trips. Time is passing quickly as we have just 18 days left to make a difference for our students. After that we will be a memory that stays with them forever, so make wonderful memories! Savor the laughter and embrace the fun, this is what they will remember forever. Messaging was sent to families about the clap out, on June 10. We are working on our sound system so the music can be heard for the parade. This may mean the the sound in your classroom is louder, as we cannot rewire each room individually. Thanks for being understanding- and. a big thank you to Nicole who will be in charge of our music! The parade will begin at 11:55. Third grade classes will join the line one at a time and parade through the route we have established. Third grade will exit Door 2. After the parade the remaining grades will exit in the same fashion they have all year. We will meet by the tree to wave goodbye to our bus riders! The Washtenaw County Health Department just released new Covid-19 guidelines for masking now that Washtenaw County has entered a "high" Covid-19 transmission phase. We will message this to families via district communication as well as my weekly memo. Have a great week ahead! Updated Covid-19 Guidelines for Saline Area Schools
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May 8-14 I hope everyone had a great weekend. For those of you who were celebrating Mother's Day, I hope you had an amazing day. For those of you for which Mother's Day is particularly difficult, know that your Woodland family loves and supports you. Thank you to everyone who pulled together to help support Woodland last week and get through a difficult staffing situation! This is indeed, a wonderful staff to work and learn with and I am so proud of how our team supports one another! As we get deeper into assessment season, please review the following updates from Jenn Nelson. Saline Schools is looking for a Summer Educational Activities Coordinator. This is a great fit for someone looking to --
Have a great week ahead! |
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May 1-7 Wow! It's already May and we have much to celebrate! This week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation week! In addition to fun days of gratitude that PTA has scheduled, we also have Texas Roadhouse supplying lunch on Monday. On Wednesday, we have a celebratory staff meeting. I heard a lot of good feedback from a previous meeting where we had an opportunity to spend some time together, so that will be the agenda! We will have delicious breakfast from Panera and time to chat and catch up with one another. And... of course there will be the big reveal of our new staff shirts! So, come on Monday morning ready to enjoy some time together!
More reasons to celebrate! Congratulations to Susan Schmitt on her new role as Building Lead Custodian! Susan will replace Scott Mack and we are thrilled to have her in this new role. Susan really cares about the building and being part of our Woodland team. She has attended our Leader in Me meetings, and really looks forward to working with all of you and the students. Please join me in congratulating her! If you do not know Susan, please introduce yourself. She is eager to meet the rest of the staff that she may not have come into contact with earlier. Have a great week ahead! |
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Friday, 5/6 (A)- Michelle Out of District
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Thoughts for the week of....
April 24-30 I hope you were able to enjoy this beautiful weather this weekend before the storms blew in. This week, our third graders will be taking MSTEP. Thank you in advance for your support and for reminding your students to be respectful in the hallways so we can ensure a good testing environment. Also this week, we celebrate Secretaries' Day on Wednesday! Thank you to Kara and Leslie for supporting our staff and students every day, as well as fielding all of our phone calls, welcoming our guests and troubleshooting all of our equipment issues! Kara and Leslie, you two are ROCKSTARS and we couldn't do it without you! This is the final week for our Leader in Me surveys. We have only had 20 participants take our staff survey, so , please, remember to take the survey! Your input is important as our action teams work to determine next steps. STAFF SURVEY HERE Also please send one last push to your families to take the family survey. We have had 76 responses and we are hoping for more! Family Survey Here Have a great week ahead! |
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Link to the Morning Announcements Monday, 4/25 (B)- Start of a GREAT week!
Upcoming events: Next week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation week. Look forward to Texas Roadhouse donating lunch on Monday (5/2), and I will have breakfast catered by Panera on Wednesday (5/4)! |
Thoughts for the week of....
April 17-23 For those of you celebrating today, Happy Easter! I hope you enjoyed this three-day weekend. The weather is chilly, but hopefully we will see some warm temperatures next weekend! I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge all of the support and collaboration that I have seen across the building this year. From Data team, to DEI, to Lighthouse leaders, to safety patrol, to morning announcements, to supporting colleagues through unexpected challenges, I want you to know that you are seen and you are appreciated! It is an incredible feeling to lead a building full of such incredible professionals that truly understand what it means when we say that we are a family, or "we got you", or any of the many phrases we use to explain what true teamwork looks and feels like. Thank you. Thank you for stepping up in every way. You are what makes Woodland such a truly special place to work, learn, and grow. In lieu of a staff meeting this week, Channon Washington will be zooming with us to make up for our lost PD session due to the snow day we had on the third early release day. This will be virtual so we can combine buildings where able. Here is the Zoom Link Attendees who sign in will receive 2.25 SCECHs for both the synchronous virtual session and asynchronous application time post meeting to account for the typical ER time. Have a great week ahead! |
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Wednesday, 4/20 (D)-
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Thoughts for the week of....
April 10-17 It sure seems like time is flying by! Thank you for helping to re-establish expectations for students upon their return from Spring Break. Now is the time when we start to think about how quickly time passes and the valuable time we have left with this group of kiddos. This is the time when we make those memories that will last a lifetime. This is the time that the students will look back on and remember how we believed in them, cheered them on, and celebrated their successes together! Make the most of this precious time we have together. You make a difference everyday in the lives of the students we serve. Thank you for all you do! Free at-home COVID tests: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has made free tests available through their MI Backpack At-Home COVID-19 Testing Program for K–12 schools. These free, at-home COVID antigen tests are available to all staff and students enrolled in Michigan schools. Every person opting into the program will receive one at-home iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test kit which includes 2 tests. To opt-in to the program, please complete the Google Form here. Care Village: For those of you interested in the Care Village mission, please see the flyer below. LINK |
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April 3-9 Welcome back! Whether you stayed near or traveled afar, I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! The days leading up to break were very busy and I have some announcements to make. Please excuse the delay! We wish our nurses, Melissa Siwiec and Taylor Hicks well as they pursue new endeavors. Taylor Hicks will be in Ann Arbor schools. Joining her in Ann Arbor is Taylor Whitt. We wish him well as their Varsity golf coach! Additionally, we congratulate Scott Mack and Laura Laatsch on their many years of service to the district and wish them well in their retirement! (Laura will be retiring at the close of the school year, Scott's retirement was effective April 1- no joke!) While losing these members of our team is sad for us, we are certainly happy for them! Our Woodland team is growing as well. Last week we welcomed Charlotte Yu and Angela Bruski. This week we will welcome Michael McDonald who joins our team as a Registered Behavior tech! I am also very excited to announce that our Woodland family is growing.... a special member of our Woodland team is expecting a baby! Can you guess who? Would you like a clue? This team member:
Have a great week ahead! |
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Tuesday, 4/5 (D)-
Saturday, 4/9- Happy Birthday, Leslie Denlinger! Have a GREAT weekend! |
Thoughts for the week of....
March 20-26 The "I'm so lucky" challenge has been off to a great start! It has been fabulous reading everyone's recognition of what a great team we have! Keep it up through the week- and we'll do the drawing for the $100 gift card courtesy of FSAS on Friday! Speaking of the FSAS- tickets are currently on sale for their "Sail into Spring" recognition event at Emagine on April 28th! I hope to see you there!
Have a wonderful week ahead- and a great Spring Break! Remember to set your vacation responder and truly step away to refresh and rejuvenate! |
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Happy Birthday, Trisha Raft!
Have a great break! See you in April! Note- lots of celebration in April. Families may be reaching out to you regarding accommodations for cultural celebrations (example is fasting during Ramadan) |
Thoughts for the week of....
March 13-19 Great job last week hosting conferences. I hope you found them to be valuable and grew those important partnerships with the families of our students. We are seeing that predictable spring pattern of an uptick in behavioral concerns during less structured times like recess, lunch, transitions. Please take time this week to slow down and revisit those expectations. If there seem to be a pattern of aggressive and physical behaviors, be sure to make me aware so I can support you. I don't often see SWIS forms as they come in, so if there is something I need to know about, you will need to tell me. Discuss those WIGS with your class so they know what the target is for both behavior and academics. Below find some opportunities from Jenn Nelson:
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March 6-12 Thank you all for helping to make our last week run so smoothly. Students and families seem to understand and respect different mask choice and I appreciate you helping to message this to our families. Last week I began to message a change to our parking lot that will occur after spring break. In April and beyond, during arrival and dismissal cars will only be able to turn right our of our parking lot exit. We are encouraging all of our families to use the pick up and drop off loops. This week, the FSAS will be spoiling us with some treats from their sponsors to thank us for our hard work this year! Monday: scones and coffee from Brewed Awakenings will be provided in the morning. In the afternoon, we will be treated with popcorn from Emagine. On Tuesday: flowers from Saline Flowerland and a Fruit Tray from Busch's! Yum! There is also a $100 Macs gift card to raffle off and I am thinking of a fun way to do this! Also this week, PTA will be providing conference dinners from Brewed Awakenings. Your orders are due by Monday! Use this form to order: https://forms.gle/R9tAYQQVRZnjaWmh6 |
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February 28-March 4 Things are changing so rapidly with the masking recommendations that I can't keep up! We tried to message everything out to families on Friday to be ready for the week ahead. Over the weekend, the masking requirement for school buses has been changed to "masks recommended" but not required (just like inside the school buildings). Student do need to wear a mask while being screened for vision/hearing issues. As we prepare for parent/teacher conferences, Caroline has prepared an informational document of FAQ' s to help teachers discuss Acadience data. This document is NOT intended as a parent-facing document (they received a letter) but is to support teachers. Document Link HERE. We have also received the report card timeline: Sunday, March 13- Last day of trimester- ALL REPORT CARD CONTENT DUE BY MIDNIGHT. March 14-15- Report cards audited and system checked. March 16- Report cards sent digitally to families. Click HERE for an exciting announcement!!! Have a great week ahead! |
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Tuesday, 3/1 (D)- MIRM begins!
Leader in Me coaching day- Gerielle to meet with Lighthouse team during planning. Schedule to come. Friday, 3/4 (B)- Happy Birthday, Nicole McKelvey! Happy Birthday, Brianna Huber!
Have a GREAT weekend! |
Thoughts for the week of....
February 20-26 I hope everyone has enjoyed the long weekend! For last week's Random Acts of Kindness, Mother Nature jumped in on the fun and we had a snow day Friday! (Although driving home wasn't super kind on Thursday) Monday we are off to honor President's Day. I hope everyone enjoys this long weekend and finds some time to relax and rejunevate. For the past several years, some Saline Area Schools staff have participated in the Care Village mission in South Africa. If you are interested, please click here to learn more about the 2022 outreach. March is Reading Month is just around the corner! Please reach out to schedule a time with me in March to read to your classroom! Have a GREAT week ahead! |
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Tuesday, 2/22 (D)-
Friday, 2/25 (B)- Hearing and Vision Screening Enjoy your weekend! |
Thoughts for the week of....
February 13-19 February 13th -19th is Random Acts of Kindness week! Surprise someone with a kind act this week. All the better if it’s anonymous! “True kindness is when you do something for someone who can never repay you”~unknown In honor of this week, I hope you will join me in random acts of kindness in our building and around our community. First up! I’ll be sharing some super kind words I have received from our grateful families who are so appreciative of everything we do for their children. I hope these warm your heart as we gear up for Valentine’s Day.
I Love Woodland Meadows! Happy Valentine’s Day! Have a great week ahead and remember no one is in this alone. Take care of yourself and others. We are a supportive family here at WM! |
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Wednesday, 2/16 (B)-
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Thoughts for the week of....
February 6-12 Brrr! The snowstorm brought some chilling temperatures along with it. I hope you were able to enjoy the snow days. Looking ahead, the forecast calls for temperatures to climb a little later in the week. I know our students will enjoy playing in the snow with friends once the temperatures are conducive for outdoor play. Bravo to everyone for the outstanding regrouping meetings that were held last week. It is truly heartening to see such wonderful collaboration using data to make plans to meet each students needs. Great job! With the snow days, we need to push out the days for Best fit to begin. Additionally, to fulfill our Benchmark Assessment Reporting requirements with MDE, Kara and Caroline are coordinating to send Acadience data home now and at the end of the year using School Messenger. The email will look something like this: Please see attached Acadience winter scores for your elementary student. A detailed explanation of how to interpret results can be found here. Data team continues to meet and review student behavior data. Please remember to complete SWIS forms and/or notify parents of behavioral concerns. SWIS forms should always be completed if a student receives a 0 on CICO or if a student is sent to the office. Have a great week ahead! |
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Have a great weekend! |
Thoughts for the week of....
January 31-February 5 This week we welcome February, which is a busy month: Black History month, Lunar New Year, Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day and President's day! Whew! Here are some resources to help:
Have a great week ahead, and gear up for a wacky weather week! A warm up is predicted for Tuesday followed by the potential for snow later in the week! |
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Happy Birthday, Brenda Austin! Monday, 1/31 (C)-
Friday, 2/4- (SNOWDAY) Happy Wedding Day, Megan Stephenson!
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January 23-29 Things appear to be trending in the right direction this week with regard to COVID situations. Let's hope we see that downward trend continue! Thank you for your continued efforts to make school run as seamlessly as possible for our students. This week we celebrate Michigan's 185th birthday! What will your students learn about Michigan this week? Here are 5 fun facts:
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Enjoy a well deserved weekend break! Saturday, 1/29- Happy Birthday, Maranda Moore! |
Thoughts for the week of....
January 16-22 I want to give a huge shout out to Channon Washington and to our Teaching and Learning team for putting together such a great virtual symposium on Friday! I found it to be really valuable and I hope you did too. For our para team who participated in para specific training, I hope you found that experience to be valuable as well. I am really proud of the professional development experiences we have had to support one another during these challenging times. Click here to review Channon's slidedeck (Friday started at slide 27). Breakout session resources and EJATT van be found HERE. Thank you for your continued efforts to support one another covering absences and doing whatever it takes to be sure our students are being served. I see you, and I appreciate it! Please join me in welcoming Jessica Bauman, our new food service assistant, to the Woodland Meadows team. Mark your calendars for a visit from our Leader in Me Coach, Gerielle Stewart on March 3rd! Have a great week ahead! |
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January 9-15 Thank you for coming together to support Woodland Meadows through the challenges we faced last week. I am hopeful that the new guidelines will ease some of the burden we have faced. This team continues to rise to overcome every obstacle and I am so proud of all of us! I know that our students and their families are deeply appreciative and recognize your efforts! A couple staff updates I want to provide:
There is no school on January 17th to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As a reminder there are resources on the DEI tab to help you teach students about Dr. King. Have a great week ahead! Enjoy the long weekend.... You deserve it! Take time to care for your needs. |
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Tuesday, 1/11 (A)-
Friday, 1/14- No school for Students Find a way to honor Dr. King during this holiday weekend and enjoy the extended weekend! |
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January 2-8 I hope you had a wonderful break filled with joy and surrounded by those you hold dear. May 2022 be the best year yet! I know that this past year has been filled with challenges, but also, it was filled with huge successes and collaborative work that allowed us to overcome obstacles with innovation, creativity and good ol' fashioned perseverance! I am so proud of our Woodland team. I know we will continue to rise to whatever the occasion calls for, support one another, and all do a little extra to continue our great success. After all, team work, does indeed, make the dream work.
There has been a significant increase in covid cases across the nation, and we are no exception. As Dr. Laatsch indicated in his missive, we are committed to in-person instruction and are going to work together through the challenges the Omicron variant may present. Please click HERE to review the message from Dr. Laatsch. So, as we get ready for the second half of this wild ride, take a deep breath, and reflect on how far we've come! Next, look around you at the strength and collaboration of our Woodland team and know you will be supported till the finish line and beyond! |
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New Year!
Saturday, 1/8- Happy Birthday, Laura Laatsch! |
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December 12-17 We made it! The last week of school for 2021! As I reflect on the year, I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish together, how we were able to support one another, and how much our students have learned this year. This WM team has rocked it like no other.... and when we felt weary, we came together and boosted one another. This, my friends, is what our WM family is all about. Congratulations and thank you. I am so proud of you and proud of US! Speaking of pride.... bravo! The DEI holiday displays look amazing. I have invited several admin to come and view our displays because I feel we are modeling the way with our work on equity. Thank you to our Building DEI leadership team for helping to guide on on this journey. As we look forward to 2022, we know this work will continue to be important. Upon return, MLK day will be upon us, followed by Black history month, 100's day, and more. I found a couple of blogs about the unintended ableism and ageism attributed to dressing up on 100's day. Take a moment to review these blogs.
Wishing you and yours a very safe, happy holiday season filled with joy. May you enjoy some time off surrounded by those you love. See you in the New Year! --Michelle |
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Tuesday, 12/14 (A)- Team W meetings today
Thursday, 12/16 (C)-
Saturday, 12/18-
Saturday, 1/1- New Year's Day Sunday, 1/2-
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Thoughts for the week of....
December 4-11 Team, It would be dishonest if I didn't recognize and acknowledge that last week, was one of the toughest weeks we've had to face. We have persevered through tough times- and sadly, even school shootings before. This one was close to home, with many of us having ties and connections to those personally impacted. Our hearts grieve with the Oxford community. Our commitment to our students and to our safety protocols is renewed with this tragedy still raw. As Dr. Laatsch noted in his memo, we are continuing to review and improve our practices. Beyond the protocols, at the heart of it all is the people. And YOU have been truly amazing. I want you to know that I spent time in many classrooms last week, and I am continually impressed with how each and every one of you build special connections with students, create classrooms of warmth and acceptance for every student. I drew my strength from all of you and your dedication and professionalism to our students. As Mr.Rogers is widely attributed to saying, "look for the good and embrace it". And that is exactly what I saw all across our building last week. Each of us embracing the special goodness that is Woodland Meadows. The relationships, the people, the smiles, the children skipping in each morning... There is so much GOOD! Thank you for being the light during the dark days. I even received several parent emails thanking us all for everything we do for their children! So we will continue to be the light that outshines the darkness. Have a wonderful week ahead, TEAM! |
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Wednesday, 12/8 (B)-
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Thoughts for the week of....
November 28-December 3 I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and is feeling refreshed and ready for the next leg of the race. The next three weeks will pass quicker than you think! Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, and I want to thank everyone in advance for your efforts in creating their holiday displays. This will be a great opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to having all students see themselves in the holidays in an equitable manner. Further, it is a great way to model the way for others. Thank you to the DEI team for putting this together. Please let me know if you need assistance in putting your display together. I am happy to help, to brainstorm ideas or to try and gather materials. Have a great week ahead! Enjoy welcoming back your kiddos! Gather your strength from the sparkle in their eyes and the smiles behind the masks. They are our WHY... |
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Monday, 11/29 (E)- Start of a great week!
Have a GREAT weekend! |
Thoughts for the weeks of....
November 14-20 and Nov. 21-27 SNOW! The first snow of the season is so pretty and peaceful. I hope you were able to enjoy it while remaining warm and cozy inside. This week we have some half days, and late nights for conferences, followed by the Thanksgiving holiday. This weekly buzz will cover both weeks. As we approach Thanksgiving, I am deeply thankful for each of YOU and very grateful for the hard work you do every day. Thank you for making our school such a wonderful place to learn, work, and grow together! Please join me in extending our best wishes to Julia Kubek, our school psychologist, as she will be leaving us to pursue a new endeavor on 11/24. Julia has done an amazing job and we wish her well. This week we have the wonderful opportunity to meet with our student's caregivers, share progress, establish shared goals and above all- strengthen relationships. Please let me know if I can support you in any way. If you are looking for more access to ebooks, please refer to the SORA info sent by Kelly Widman. Flyer below. |
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Tuesday, 11/16 (D)- Another great day! Wednesday, 11/17 (E)- Half day for students
Saturday 11/20- Enjoy your weekend! Sunday, 11/21- Enjoy your weekend! Monday, 11/22 (C)- Start of a great week! Tuesday, 11/23 (D)-
Friday, 11/26- No School Thanksgiving Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving. May you find much to be grateful for and may you enjoy all the blessings of the holiday. |
Thoughts for the week of....
November 7-13 I apologize that I did not get the Diwali information out to you in time for the start of Diwali last week. I know that many of you are working hard to incorporate more cultural celebrations into your classroom instruction. If you missed it, this is a great read aloud https://youtu.be/9aSkESrxXs4. Be sure to check out the DEI resource page for info on Native Americans to help support instruction surrounding Thanksgiving. As we look ahead to this week- it is our last full five day week in November. The two weeks following get a little choppy with half days for conferences, followed by the Thanksgiving holiday. Make the most of this time. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am so incredibly thankful for this team. Last week we had some busy situations and it was wonderful how everyone stepped in to help. Thank you! Have a great week ahead and keep working on your Grateful Bingo! I have prizes! |
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November 1-6 For those of you celebrating, I hope you had a very happy Halloween! The weather played quite a trick on us as the rain came through and wind picked up right during the trick or treat hours. The giggles and laughter provided quite a treat as well! As we move into November, many of us use this time to find the many things we have for which to be grateful. And there is A LOT to be grateful for at WM! Just this past week I sat through an IEP where parents with tears in their eyes expressed their gratitude for the amazing job we do at WM. I took a phone call from a parent who lost his wife, and whose children lost their mother this past spring. He took time to express how much the Woodland Meadows team has done for them, and how much we have helped the children by being there for them. He took time to reach out to share his gratitude for us- our WM team. Out families see our efforts and the dedication of our team in how we go the extra mile to support students. Thank you, team, I am grateful for you! As we reflect on how much we have to be grateful for, I encourage you to play Grateful Bingo! Below you will find a bingo card. Pick one square each day and try to get a bingo by the end of the month. A bingo is four in a row any way. Turn in your card with the date written for each square you completed and win a prize from your very grateful principal! Everyone will get a bingo card in their mailbox and one will be posted in the lounge. Only one square can be counted each day. Have a great week ahead! |
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Have a wonderful weekend! |
Thoughts for the week of....
October 24-31 Thank you so much for the Boss's day gift card and lunch! I deeply appreciate it! I also want to thank everyone for the kind words and donation to Brigham Hospital in Boston for the loss of my mom's loving companion, Rudy. I am so fortunate to have so much support from my Woodland Meadows family. This has been an unusual time, filled with joy, appreciation as well as grief and sorrow. Thank you so much for supporting me through it all. I say it frequently, and I truly mean it- I could not ask for a better group of colleagues. I feel so fortunate. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
I hope you found some time to enjoy this extended weekend, despite the rain. Each of you deserve time to relax and enjoy the people and activities you love and that bring you peace and joy. Our work is difficult and demanding, take time to take care of yourself. As an admin team, we recognize this and we are working hard with the ID team to support all of you. This week will be a busy week willed with anticipation of the Fall Harvest Parties on Friday. Thank you for all you are doing to support our DEI efforts. This work is not easy. Consider completing one of your reflections on the challenges Halloween poses in this area. Grappling with this is a great way to learn and grow- especially when beloved traditions are involved. Finally, remember we are still working through the impact of the pandemic. Students are still adjusting to understanding what it means to be in school. Our entire student body has not really experienced the stamina needed for a full school day/week/year. Give yourself grace to slow down and re-teach those expected behaviors. Role play and practice together as a group. Continue to dedicate time to this. Go slow.... to go fast later. And it may be much later... HAVE A GREAT Week ahead and know how much you are appreciated! |
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Have a wonderful weekend! For those of you celebrating, Have a safe and Happy Halloween! |
Thoughts for the week of....
October 17-23 We have a short week ahead- and I hope you will all be taking time off on Friday for some much needed R&R on the long weekend. This year has brought a lot of challenging situations and I want to encourage you to take time to step away and do the things that nourish your soul, provide you energy and respite. Take care of yourself. It's been in the memo for some time, but our families pay more attention to your communications than mine, so please communicate out the early release on Thursday and no school on Friday. As we look ahead to conferences next month, we are planning on in-person conferences, however, you may schedule zoom conferences if it better meets the needs of the family. Our goal is always to meet with every family. Let's get ready for a great week ahead!!! |
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Link to the Morning Announcements
Tuesday, 10/19 (E)-
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Thoughts for the week of.... October 10-16 As another beautiful fall weekend draws to a close, I hope you were able to enjoy the mild weather and avoid any raindrops that may have appeared. As we have gotten into our routines, students are becoming more comfortable and we are seeing an uptick in some behaviors. Take time to remind students of the expectations of being safe, responsible and respectful. Recess and cafeteria tend to be places where students may need a reminder on appropriate and safe behavior. For our own self-care, be sure you are taking time to slow down. Give yourself grace as being back in school full-time is a shift for students and takes a lot of our energy. Find moments to enjoy a cup of hot tea, savor a moment of quiet, meditate or whatever brings you peace. I also want to recognize Mary Williams for her years of service to our students (and delicious cakes and treats for our sweet tooth!) Mary will be retiring in December at the close of the calendar year. Please take time to wish her a hearty congratulations! Thank you to those of you who stepped up to help cover some unfilled classroom sub positions. I appreciate everyone's help. It's takes all of us working together to help things runs smoothly. THANK YOU! Have a wonderful week ahead! Thank you for all you do for our students! |
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Saturday, 10/16- Happy Birthday, Emily Petrous! |
Thoughts for the week of....
October 3-9 Thank you for all of your help and support with the Fun Run! I have heard it was a great success and I know it is because of all of you! I hope you had a great weekend. For those of you who participated in homecoming events, or whose children did, I hope it was a magical night! The photos I have seen were lovely! Last week was a busy one, but one full of reminders about just how amazing and special our Woodland team is. The way this team steps up to support one another is truly a model for any school, or any organization and I am so honored to serve you as your principal. From people adjusting schedules to helping each other with unexpected illnesses, appointments, and even major crises, we had a little bit of everything last week. And with your help we were able to provide support for one another, and continue to serve our students resulting in no real disruption to students or families. It really is incredible. Several of our team stopped by to check in on me as well, and I deeply appreciate that. In addition, it was brought to my attention several times last week, what a wonderful and welcoming building we have. Visitors and staff that work in other buildings made time to thank me for having such a warm building- and that is truly because of all of you! Thank you for continuing to show what an incredible team we have- there is no other place I'd rather be. |
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Happy Birthday, Annie Millspaugh!
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Thoughts for the week of....
September 26-October 2 Another exciting week ahead! This week is spirit week, culminating in our FUN RUN on October 1st! Many students will also be participating in the Homecoming parade on Friday afternoon. I have been working with Gerielle and Jamie on creating a school-wide WIG that would also satisfy our SLO requirements. At this time, we feel it's best to use the same SLO format that we used last year- giving you three options:
Updated Guidance from WCHD The updated guidance offers an additional quarantine option when close contacts (unvaccinated) are identified as follows (please see the WCHD document for complete details): Options for unvaccinated close contacts (in traditional classroom and school bus setting): 1) Traditional Quarantine for 10 days at home 2) NEW: Quarantine at home for 7 days, obtain a COVID test on day 6 or 7 and return to school on day 8 (must quarantine from extracurricular activities for 10 days) 3) In-School Quarantine: if asymptomatic may continue to attend school while wearing a mask, will be tested 3 times per week during quarantine timeline with a rapid antigen test administered in the school setting (must quarantine from extracurricular activities for 10 days and parent must submit a consent form) Options for unvaccinated close contacts in all other settings (includes cafeterias, household and social close contacts): 1) Traditional Quarantine for 10 days at home 2) NEW: Quarantine at home for 7 days, obtain a COVID test on day 6 or 7 and return to school on day 8 (must quarantine from extracurricular activities for 10 days and parent must submit a consent form) WCHD School Guidance, 9_22_21 VISUALS WCHD School Guidance, 9_22_21 |
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Happy Birthday Kara Gall (9/24) and Megan Borstler (9/25)! Hope you had a great day! Monday, 9/27 (D)- Spirit Week Pajama Day
FUN RUN Schedule:
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Thoughts for the week of....
September 19-25 I want to give a special thank you and shout out to everyone who has stepped up to help with student arrival. We have a couple of things going on... 1. It seems we have a lot more students with separation anxiety. Those of you who have volunteered to help have made a huge difference- THANK YOU! 2. Due to trying to limit students amassing in the hall, they enter the building and head straight to their lockers when the bell rings (8:35). This is a COVID mitigation procedure and a safety protocol with large groups of students waiting at the door. There has not been a contractual change and your supervisory time does not begin until 8:41. For those of you who are helping to supervise earlier than this time, it is greatly appreciated. The year as gotten rolling and everyone is doing a terrific job working on our WIGs to help re-teach out behavior matrix. Great job! This week we are beginning assigned seats in the cafeteria. Please contact me if you would like me to lay out a map of the cafe. The purpose of this change is to limit the number of students who would be required to quarantine out of school due to a close contact in the cafeteria. Everyone has been working so hard to support our work together and to get the year off to a great start. My challenge to you this week is to notice and send a positive note of appreciation to a colleague at WM! Let's fill some buckets and spread the love! Have a WONDERFUL week ahead! |
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Tuesday, 9/21 (E)- Picture Day! Wednesday, 9/22 (A)-
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Thoughts for the week of....
September 12-18 This weekend both UM and MSU had great games! (Some of you know, we are a house divided so its always good when both teams win!). And the Lions... well they were the Lions. But wow, they really rallied at the end- scoring 16 in the fourth and closing the gap. They came within one touchdown in the last minutes. It reminded me of my favorite Winston Churchill quote: "Never, never, never give up". When the chips are down, sometimes it's hard to rally. Sometimes, all you want to do is run away and find a safe space. And those are the times when we rally together, we look to one another to prop us up and to remind us that we are not alone. You have all been that much needed inspiration for me. Thank you. You are all appreciated. You continue to inspire me every day and I urge you to draw inspiration from one another. There truly is greatness all around WM! This Friday is Constitution Day. Federal law requires all educational institutions receiving federal funds to hold an educational program on the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 2021 for the students served by that educational institution, and certify that the program was presented. Lesson ideas HERE. You can also show the Schoolhouse Rock Video below. Have a great week ahead! |
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Monday, 9/13 (D)- Happy Birthday, Karan Hervey! Tuesday, 9/14 (E)-
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! |
Thoughts for the week of....
September 5-11 Thank you for a great first week of school! All of your hard work getting ready really paid off. Your rooms looked great, students were happy, and I was able to see the time you are taking into helping to teach the expectations. Keep up your hard work- we will go slow to go fast later. Right now our youngest learners (all of us, really!) are still adjusting to the length of the school day and getting used to the cadence of school. We did have our first positive COVID case in Ball's class. The WCHD now provides an option for close contacts to come to school with testing 3x weekly done at the school. Some families will opt for traditional 10 day quarantine. I want to extend a thank you to Nick and Karan Hervey for donating their time on the holiday weekend to zoom with the families so they could better understand the situation. We were also notified of another positive over the weekend in Matt's class, so Karan and I will be investigating on Tuesday. I am working on a better way to notify staff when this happens. Do keep a seating chart to assist with contact tracing, if you are able. We had a large influx of students requesting bus transportation so the transportation dept has made some adjustment to routes. Some students may have their routes changed. Once a new list is made available we will get it to you. Finally, thank you to those of you that came out to support our Ag-Olympics team! Some great pictures will be shared in our morning announcements. Have a great week ahead- go slow, and remember self-care. |
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Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset
Friday, 9/8 (C)-
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Thoughts for the week of....
August 30-September 4 There is no excitement that compares with first-day-of-school excitement! The blank slate of opportunity for a new year and a new class of kiddos who are eager to meet you, eager to make new friendships and lifelong memories with you! The smiles behind the masks show through in the sparkle in their eyes. Thank you for all you do to make our school such a wonderful place to learn and grow. We really are the best school in the world because of all of YOU! Let's bring back the noise! Thank you for a great opening last week! I think we had a really good training opportunity for Leader in Me and I challenge you to dive into the site and look for great ways to establish routines and the behavior WIGS we talked about. Helpful resources are below: Building resources:
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Link to the Morning Announcements
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Thoughts for the week of....
August 22-28 So exciting! Our opening week is finally here! I can't wait to see everyone at our Opening Day kick off Wednesday morning. Going into the new year, we have some staffing updates that I want to make you aware of:
The schedule for our Opening Day activities is below: All Staff Welcome Back August 25th (Steve’s Email HERE)
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ALL STAFF: Safe Schools Training – due 9/10
Some of the highlights include:
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