February 7

Mr. Browne's Precept

"There is no shame in not knowing. the shame lies in not finding out." ~ Assyrian Proverb

Honey- Do List 

Select a time for me to read to your class in Feb.-January 31st

Apply for the interim assessment review team-Feb. 27th

 The Buzz in My Brain

I generally try to work on the Hive throughout the week so that I do not have the heavy lift on a Friday afternoon or forget to put some stuff in. I was feeling pretty depleted this morning. The budget and its impacts on people that I care deeply about and rely on every day, not knowing what the kids need to best help them, some family stuff and a low-grade cold have left me feeling like I am running on empty. At 10:00 this morning I honestly felt that I had nothing left to give anyone. 

Enter the children,  one of our puzzling friends was playing in my office. He told me that he was feeling elated. I asked him what does that mean? He replied that you are so happy you could cry. The same student was playing with T'Chala and Black Panther. He has not seen Black Panther yet. He renamed Black Panther 'Aggressive' and T'Chala 'Dr. King'.  Aggressive wanted to fight but Dr. King would always intervene and say thinks like "take 3 deep breaths like this" or "take a break". Through his play, this student was verbalizing the very strategies and concepts that we have taught him. 

I was walking in the downstairs hallway and walked into the aftermath of a fight. I intervened with the child closest to me and looked to the other child. One of you was already with him. I could focus on where I needed to be. 

One of our colleagues came by and asked for some tier 3 support for a student that was naked in the hallway. I held him as she redressed him. He then put his head on my shoulder and I borrowed a rocking chair in a quiet room and rocked him to sleep. I returned him to the class where he could rest with his friends. The trust that our students have in us is tremendous if they feel safe falling asleep in our arms. 

 I was not sure about sharing this moment of vulnerability with you because of the stereotype that leaders always need to be positive, never let them see the leaders sweat or I am a female leader and you will see this as a weakness.  I decided to share because I realized that how I felt was no different than how many of us feel on any given day. Being a true leader is acknowledging our humanity AND acknowledging that sometimes it is taking in the small moments that allow us to keep moving forward. There is always a way forward and a way to keep doing what is right! Find your small moment when things seem the bleakest. 

Budget Update

Despite the most valiant and best of efforts, the initial budget battle was lost. In order to balance our budget, three significant changes are currently in their initial stages.

1. We will lose the valuable services that Jen Mederios-Crabbe provides for our students for 3 days a week.
2. We will no longer be able to fund the amazing services that Alyce provides for us beyond the COSE position
3. There will be a significant cut in the principal's salary to make it more in line with the BPS principal salary. 

Jen and Alyce will continue to have full-time positions in BPS. Unfortunately, our budget cannot support these positions, in our community, at this time. 

The next steps are to work through the soft landing process. This will allow us to ask for additional funds to restore our lost positions. 

I have a call scheduled with the superintendent on Tuesday. 

Snacks for Students

We had a parent phone call this week because a student was given a Snickers bar as a reward. The student was allergic to peanuts. Clearly, I do not have a problem with food rewards. Please be mindful of providing students snacks with tree nuts. If you are unsure of a student's food restrictions check-in with Sam or me. We have a complete list. 

Homework

Thank you to those of you that stayed later on Thursday to talk about homework. K2 and Grade 1 are going to pilot a homework calendar with their friends during the month of March. They will provide updates at Huddle about how it is going. If any other grades want to pilot this please let me know. 

Intervention

From a faculty senate debrief, it was brought to my attention that the staff would like a more formalized process for intervention. Some of the questions/concerns raised were:

• There is a gap in second grade regarding intervention. 
• There is a lack of a structure for check-ins between the interventionist and the teacher
• The need to identify students who need intervention at the end of the year so that we can implement intervention immediately. 
• There is a lack of clarity around who is getting intervention and how they are identified. 
• Many of these seem like there is a need for better communication about what is actually happening.  
• We will have conversations as a community about this. As we prepare for this conversation here is a document that outlines the factors that our top-notch intervention team takes into consideration when assigning students to an intervention.   

Headspace

Last year as I was struggling with some things a friend gave me a copy of the book "The Four Agreements". I found the book to be very helpful. One of my meditation apps had this summary of the book and the agreements. I found it a really good read and thought I would share it.   

Requests from Mr. Bill

We are finding lots of food on the ground and in the stairwells. Things like orange peels, banana peels, half-eaten bagels etc. This food is a feast for our furry little friends with the hideous tails.  

• Please limit the amount of traveling around the building students are doing with food. 
• Continue to store any food in the classroom in glass or plastic covered containers. 

The smell in our yellow bathroom has been overwhelming lately. Bill reports that students are completely missing the toilet and peeing on the floor. He has asked if we could be a bit more vigilant about what our little friends are doing in the stalls. 

January 31 2020

Mr. Browne's Precept

"There is no shame in not knowing. the shame lies in not finding out." ~ Assyrian Proverb

Honey- Do List 

Names of students for possible retention to Jodi- January 17th

Complete form with Cell Phone #- January 24th

Select a time for me to read to your class in Feb.-January 31st

Fly on in

 Voluntary homework meeting on Thursday, February 6th 4-5

 The Buzz in My Brain

As I write this (before I join you at the Bowery), I have so many thoughts that I cannot settle on one to write about. How do we do things radically different to capture the interest of our kids? Does it have to be radical? How can we support their mental health needs better? How do we support families that are working so hard just to survive? What is the most important priority of our work? How do I support my work family as you do this hard work? How can these beautiful children have such kind behaviors and 30 second later have such mean ones? Damn, I never got to write that letter. I am so happy that he had a good day. I can't believe he lied to me. I am so happy David saw him. Thank God for this team. There was always someone there when I needed them. Why am I so tired? The brain is pretty buzzy at the moment. 

Budget Update

We remain in a holding pattern for the budget. 

National African American Read-In

The National African American Read-In is the nation’s first and oldest event dedicated to diversity in literature. It was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. This initiative has reached more than 6 million participants around the world. (NCTE Website)

I would like to propose that we have a Lee Academy African American Read-In on Friday, February 14th.  I know this is a quick turnaround but I literally just found out about this on Monday. 

There is a toolkit here. I am looking for some interested people to help plan what our day could look like. I am also trying to connect with the Frugal Bookstore in Nubian (Dudley) Square for some resources and perhaps to do a bookfair for our students and families. 

El Dia de Los Ninos, El Dia de Los Libros

This even we have a bit more lead-in for. El dia de Los Ninos, El dia de Los Libros is celebrated annually on April 30th.   April Children’s Day, Book Day are celebrations that unite communities. April book fiestas are held in libraries, schools, homes, parks, etc., often on or near April 30th. DIA is also used to mean Diversity In Action. This will be an opportunity for us to celebrate our Latinx students, families, and authors.

I would propose that we hold our own book fiesta on April 17th. Once again this effort has an organized planning effort. The planning booklet can be found here.

You may have noticed that each of these Fridays are a Friday before vacation. They will provide our students with an opportunity to celebrate literacy and have a great send-off for the vacation. 

Governing Board-Family Council

I am creating a meeting experiment. We are combining our Family Council and GoverningBoard meetings. Much of what we discuss in one venue is repeated at the other. I would also like the Governing Board with the expertise of our chair to think about ways to revitalize the family council. I am curious to see how it goes. 

January 27, 2020

Mr.Browne's Precept

"There is no shame in not knowing. the shame lies in not finding out." ~ Assyrian Proverb

Honey- Do List 

Names of students for possible retention to Jodi- January 17th

Complete form with Cell Phone #- January 24th

Huddle with CSR-January 28th

Select a time for me to read to your class-January 31st

 The Buzz in My Brain

The homework issue that I wrote about in last week's hive continues to nag at me with a persistent low buzz. I am still inviting your thoughts and perspectives on this. Thank you to those of you that took the time to email me. 
I would like to invite each of you to a voluntary meeting on Thursday, February 6th from 4-5 to discuss homework and how we could implement potential changes in a way that makes sense for our students and families. 

Budget Update

We remain in a holding pattern for the budget. Our next major milestone should have been Friday. I will update you as soon as I know anything. 

Homeless Liason

Samantha "Rockstar" Betti is our new homeless liaison replacing Michelle who used to serve in this role. Sam will be working closely with the central office team in charge of the Homeless Education Resource Network (HERN). Please let Sam know ASAP of any families that are currently homeless or facing homelessness. 

If you would like to learn more about the BPS HERN this is a link to their website.  

HERN has a toolkit for schools that Sam will be using in her expanded role. There are resources that you may want to review for if/when families approach you with concerns. 

Cell Phone Numbers

In order to improve our communication during a crisis, it is critical that we have a group cell phone chain. Please complete this form with your name and cellphone # by January 24th. Please share the form link with your colleagues who you know do not read the Hive. As of 8:33 on 1/24/20 we only had 13 responses. Thank you to those that responded. 

January 17, 2020

Dr. Jodi's Precept

"All, Here, and Now" ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Honey- Do List 

Names of students for possible retention to Jodi- January 17th

Complete form with Cell Phone #- January 24th

Huddle with CSR-January 28th

Select a time for me to read to your class-January 31st

 The Buzz in My Brain

Spotify has an amazing playlist called "We Shall Overcome". I have been listening to it all week in the car during my commutes. I even suspended listening to my murder mystery podcast so I could dive into this. What makes the playlist so great is that the majority of the content is recordings of Dr. King's speeches both the famous ones and some of the less famous. It has been powerful to listen to. Unfortunately, much of the power comes from how applicable his words remain to our country today. I have found myself increasingly inspired as I listen and often relisten to these amazing speeches. I encourage those of you that have Spotify to give this playlist a listen. 

Budget Update

We are in a holding pattern for the budget. Our next major milestone will be on January 24th. 

Paper Consumption

Noreen suggested that we purchase some much cheaper manilla paper for projects. Is this something that you would be interested in?

Shelter in Place

I had no idea on Tuesday morning how timely our conversation would become. I want to commend each of you for the job that you and your students did sheltering in place. It was truly amazing. I was caught up in the incident and I did not realize how quiet the building was until I gave the all-clear and the building "woke up". 

My one takeaway is that we need to be clearer in our language when calling a shelter in place. By having people go to individual teachers there was confusion whether we were having a lockdown or a shelter in place because the message was muddled. Though infrequent, I anticipate that Shelter in Place will be the safety protocol that we have to use most frequently. When we shelter in place we stay where we are when the protocol is called. Shut our doors and keep our students out of the hallways. Until the all-clear is given. There is no need to have students be silent (quiet is good enough), or hidden. 

I want to thank everyone that was directly involved in the incident. your professionalism and dedication to the welfare of our students and families were noticed and appreciated. It was because of you that the incident went so smoothly. Your actions allowed me to support the sibling and the significant other in the manner that I believe they needed. 

I also want to thank everyone who checked on me to make sure that I was alright. I can't say that I want to do that every day but there is no other team I would rather be playing on than ours in that situation. Your support helped me to the finish line and lifted much of the stress and anxiety I was feeling. 

Cell Phone Numbers

In order to improve our communication during a crisis or just because we're the most awesome group of colleagues, I want to create a group chat for us. Please complete this form with your name and cellphone # by January 24th. Please share the form link with your colleagues who you know do not read the Hive. 

Homework

Why do we give our youngest learners homework? Research does not support the practice. Homework is often the worst part of a child's and family's day and for our learners may potentially hurt their curiosity and love of learning. Do we see benefits from the homework that we are assigning? 

I have been pondering these questions and wondering if a monthly activity sheet might be more engaging for children and stimulate conversations between our students and their families. Some examples of what I am talking about are below:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3

I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions on this. I am trying to figure out how to best facilitate a community conversation about the issue. If you have any ideas feel free to share them! 

January 10.2020

Mr. Browne's Precept

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who do not believe in magic will never find it. " ~ Roald Dahl

Honey- Do List 

Names of students for possible retention to Jodi- January 17th

 The Buzz in My Brain

This was a tough weekend. The boy went back to sunny Phoenix  Arizona where it was actually colder than it was here in Boston. I am thinking he will not be waking up to snow squalls today. 

One question that has been bopping around my brain is, How are we getting kids excited to use their emerging literacy skills? How are we showing them the power that these skills give them to uncover content?

I don't have an answer just questions. I would love to hear your thoughts.   

Budget Update

We are in the thick of budget season now. 

• We started the season with a deficit.
• At our last Governing Board meeting, the board voted to reduce the budget by the.6  behavioral specialist position.  
• If the district allows us to switch to average salary vs. actual salary this will be a savings of $82,000. Three years of data to show that this change would work in our benefit is required prior to district approval. The district is conducting that analysis now. 
• This $82,000 would result in the elimination of the deficit. 
• My probable org meeting is on Monday, January 13th. (Today)

Paper Consumption

I know I sound like a broken record but we are using too much paper. Our third shipment is coming in today. I believe that mindfulness is the solution to many problems. In order to increase our mindfulness around paper use (mine included), we will be installing a tap card system on the copiers. This will require us to tap our ID on a pad prior to copying. We will be able to get a weekly report on how much paper we are using as individuals and a school community. By increasing our awareness I am hoping that we can consciously take steps to reduce our footprints.

January 24th Potluck 

You are such an amazing staff! I am hoping that you will donate a few hours of your time to the family potluck on January 24th. I know that this is an event enjoyed by our families and your presence ake for a true Lee Academy family event. 

One School One Book

The books are finally here. It only took 2 months! I would like to come to read to each class during the month of February. The first book that I will be presenting is Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor. 

I really want to spend time in each classroom. So send me 2-3 times that will work for you and your kids. 

Holiday Edition

Mr. Browne's Precept

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world" ~ Desmond Tutu

Honey- Do List 

Rest- January 6th

Take at least 3 hours for yourself- January 6th. 

You Are The Bee's Knees  

 Thank you to all of you for hanging in there with our joyful, emotional, busy small humans. Not once did you let an ounce of frustration or exhaustion show throughout this hectic week. I appreciate all of your positivity, compassion and caring

The Buzz in My Brain

I am suspending the usual Hive activity because I want each of you to unplug over this extended break. Read, learn, sleep, eat, drink, laugh, cry but do it because it is what you want to do NOT because it is what is expected of you. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do every day for our kids. Thank you for making me laugh at just the right moment. For understanding that this work is hard and not making it any harder with unnecessary drama. Thank you for trusting that I will do the right thing. Each day I try to earn that trust, model that trust and grow from that trust. I hope you know that. Thank you for allowing me the grace to make mistakes and learn from them. Thank you for believing in our children and each other even when they or we may not believe in themselves. 

During this special time of year, I want you to know that your presence in my life is indeed a present. 

Please take the next two weeks for you and your family. I look forward to all 2020 has to bring to our Lee Academy family. 

With Love and Gratitude,
Jodi

Coming in 2 Weeks

What, Why and How of Knowledge Building
Revising Plan for completing 2 units

Week 16 12.13.19

Mr. Browne's Precept

"You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream" ~ C.S. Lewis

Honey- Do List 

12/20/19- Please clean out book bins and return guided reading sets to the bookroom. 

You Are The Bee's Knees  

 Thank you to the team that represented us so well at the School showcase. Alyce, Lyndsay, Danielle, and Sarah you are amazing and I am sure that the prospective parents were delighted to meet you and hear about the amazing work that we are doing. 

You are all amazing and awesome but I want to make sure that you are taking care of yourself during this busy time of year. Do not overextend yourself here and make sure to treasure the moments with your family. 

Four more sleeps until a very long, well-deserved vacation!

The Buzz in My Brain

I have noticed that many of you are using materials that you have curated from online sites. A gentle reminder is to be sure that these materials are rigorous (in the best meaning of the word) and aligned to the state frameworks. 

Though I disagree with some charter organizations on some policies and procedures they use, the Match organization has made its curriculum available for free online. It is good. You can sign up for free access to these materials at this link. This curriculum has been highly rated by EdReports. 

I have been fielding questions about what my plans are for next year. I am sensing the underlying anxiety underneath the question. The last thing that I want to do is to cause any anxiety. If all goes as expected and you will have me I would like to stay in my role at Lee Academy next year. 

Family is Everything

I truly believe that what we do is a vocation. I know that I could not do this without the support of my family. They keep me strong! We have always treated my career as a family affair because I believe that we are a family for our students and each other. I always have the family CORI checked and ready to go. So you may see them around.

My husband is usually here on Movie Night Fridays so he can help with crowd control. He always finds some way to make my office better too. Stop in and say hi. Do not be afraid to kick him out of we need to chat about something. 

When I went to send the Hive on Friday somehow it did not autosave so now as I write Monday morning my son is sitting in the office with me. He wanted to meet some students and is up to helping out in classrooms during center time or do what needs to be done.

My sister is a teacher in a private preschool. She is coming to observe and meet some of our friends on January 10th and will be my plus 1 at our Holiday Party. She is trying to decide if she wants her certification in early childhood or elementary education. 

If you would like to have your family see what you do every day please feel free to have them come in and spend some time. I would love to meet them. 

Time Away from The Hive

When you are entering time off into the ESS system under notes please indicate if you need a substitute or not. This will be very helpful to me in the next few steps of recording absences. 

You all should have received a link to our substitute calendar last week so you can see which colleagues are here or not. This will also let you know who the subs are in the building. 

This Week

This week I will be out on Tuesday for the big central office budget meeting. Hopefully, we will not get snowed out. 

This is a family council and governing board week. The governing board will begin working on the budget. I will send out updates using the Hive as they are available.  

Week 14 12.6.19

Mr. Browne's Precept

"Ah! the immensity of the value of persons to each other, and of kind deeds and affectionate inventions between them, for the making of happiness" ~ James Vila Blake, More than Kin

Honey- Do List 

12/9/19- Please submit the results of the movie vote by 12:00 noon. (See Thursday's email)

You Are The Bee's Knees  

OMG! I am so happy that I saved this to last to write. Thank you to all of the team that stayed to help when bus 539 did not show. Alyce, Jovi, and Nee you are heroes. Zoraida thank you for manning the phones and creating our list of students being picked up. Stephanie, Eleanor, and Meredith thanks for keeping the kiddos busy as we tried to separate them so we were not so outnumbered. Chris and Geraldine thank you for offering to take the kids downstairs for a movie.  The added bonus of calling 911 in the middle just made it more exciting for everyone in the building. Though you all missed the punchline: Twenty minutes after the bus left another puzzled bus driver showed up and said he was covering the run! 

There is no one that I would rather have crazy Fridays with more than this team. Thanks for making me laugh and having my back! 

The Buzz in My Brain

Over vacation, I went to see a "Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" with my son. Pat and I recently discovered the wisdom of Fred Rogers together and were excited to see the movie.  I did not like the show when I was a kid it was much too slow and boring; though I specifically remember the episode where we visited the crayon factory. I appreciated the faster pace of Sesame Street, Zoom, and the Electric Company. (Two of those shows most of you are too young to remember). It was not until recently reading his words that I began to see the beauty of his teachings and his wisdom. Mr. Rogers taught students to accept themselves, their failures, and their feelings. He taught resilience and forgiveness. 

These are the very things that we are trying to teach our students. 

Every card I send Pat starts with a Mr. Rogers quote about something he is encountering in his college journey. I read the poetry of Mr. Rogers and I see our children and what they are struggling with. 

In my old age, Mr. Rogers has reminded me how to be present in all aspects of my life. 

This article from The Atlantic has been buzzing in my brain since I first read it. If you find a few moments you might enjoy reading a well-written piece full of voice and emotion too.  

The last line is a little haunting for me but is one that resonates deeply. "Tell me I’m a good man (person). Tell me I’ve lived a good life, then tell me what to do now."

Student Support

By Wednesday 12/11 the following staff members will be certified in Safety Cares to help de-escalate students or in the rare case that de-escalation does not work perform restraints. 

Denise Devaney

Jackie Stroud

Jen Mederios

Keri Purple

Chris Wade

Me

Mr. Greg has become such a part of our community supporting Marvis. Unfortunately, today is his last day with us. 

Two of our friends will be transitioning from Lee Academy to new schools. These transitions may not happen before the December break and we will need to be all hands on deck to continue to support these students and their peers. We've got this!

Mice

We have had several mice sightings in the building. Please be mindful of food storage (plastic or glass containers). The most recent relocated rodent was just a baby which means they are procreating. I love their little faces but those tails UGH. 

Time Away from The Hive

When you are entering time off into the ESS system under notes please indicate if you need a substitute or not. This will be very helpful to me in the next few steps of recording absences. 

You all should have received a link to our substitute calendar last week so you can see which colleagues are here or not. This will also let you know who the subs are in the building. 

This Week

This week I will be out on Monday and Tuesday for SafetyCares Training. I will also be out on Thursday for all principal PD unless I can think of some way to avoid it. 😉 (Just kidding).

Friday night is Movie Night!

Week 12 11/22/19

Mr. Browne's Precept

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom" ~ Marcel Proust

Honey- Do List 

11/25/19  Review the Schedule for Wednesday's 1:00 PM Dismissal

11/28/19 Enjoy your traditions

You Are The Bee's Knees  

The reason that you are getting this on Monday is because on Friday, I was so moved by your cards of appreciation. I needed to respond once the tears stopped. Your words provided what I needed to power through to 9:00 on a very difficult day. I truly felt like I was part of the team and could finally let go of the worry that I was foisted on you. Our team is one that I have been most privileged to join. Those cards were so kind and just what I needed, when I needed it. Your words and actions every day towards adults and children prove that we are an incredibly special place filled with wonderful humans. Thank you for accepting and appreciating me. It is my honor and pleasure to serve you and our students. I appreciate you all so much!

I delayed sending this until Monday morning because I know you do not like and/or need reminders of work over the weekend. :) 

I would like to add a new feature to the "Bee's Knees" section of our blog. I would like Lee Academy Staff members to send me shout outs for our colleagues. Let me know some of the amazing stuff that your colleagues are doing by Friday at noon and I will include it in our Hive! 

School Showcase

Thank you to the volunteers for the school showcase on December 14th:

Lindsay

Danielle

Alyce

Sarah

Lee Academy will certainly be well represented and parents will have the chance to get to know our community. 

Pollinating Positive Behavior

This week's strategy to explore is Power Cards. Check out this link to learn what Power Cards are. I am looking forward to seeing some friends using them soon!

Art Grades

Given that art is being taught by an outside partner this year, students will not be graded in art. Please delete this section on the report card. Thank you to those of you that checked in about this.

The Literacy Honeycomb-Sarah Little

What are schools for? 

This past Monday and Tuesday, Keri and I attended a few days of Literacy Collaborative coach and administrator PD at Lesley University and I wanted to share a bit about what I took away from it.  Irene Fountas was the presenter each morning and one of the things I left thinking most critically about was her explanation of Literacy Collaborative's core beliefs about what schools are for:

• Schools are for thinking, talking, reading, writing
• Schools are for social learning, love of learning, joyful, independent, meaningful reading and writing
• Schools are for inquiring, expanding perspectives, thinking critically and empathetically
• Schools are for learning about humanity, the lives of others and learning how to act to contribute to a democratic and socially just world

I wanted to share these Literacy Collaborative core values as a way for us to celebrate all of the opportunities we give our students to do and learn these important things every day.  And to maybe set goals around what we want to start doing or do more of.  I have set a small goal for myself around creating more opportunities for meaningful reading and writing and for more inquiry - I focus a lot on asking kids questions, but I don't often listen to or do much with the questions they have about the world.  I'm sharing a few resources I found that are connected to these goals.  I've linked to them below if you'd like to take a look.  If you want to think or explore more about any of these core values, please let me know. 

Inquiry Based Reading Instruction (From the journal The Reading Teacher - a discussion about how to use nonfiction books to spark inquiry)
Nonfiction Writing from the Heart (From the book "A Place for Wonder: Reading and Writing Nonfiction in the Primary Grades - a chapter about how to help students spark ideas for informational writing)

Teacher Perspective on curriculum selection

In a few weeks, I have the opportunity to participate on a panel discussion around high quality curriculum and curriculum selection for schools and districts.  The audience will be policy makers, education non-profit leaders, district leaders, and school leaders from around the state.  I found out yesterday that, unfortunately, there are no classroom teachers on the panel.  I see this as a great opportunity to bend the ear of the powers that be as they think about curriculum selection and/or mandating curriculum (math or ELA).  So if you have important ideas that you'd like me to share with this audience, please send your thoughts about the questions:

• How does high-quality curriculum look and feel in practice? 
• How can you distinguish high-quality from lower-quality options when implementing curriculum in action?
• How should school and district leaders seek to incorporate the perspective of educators (and others) when choosing effective curriculum?

This Week

This week I will be out in Arizona visiting my son. I had planned to take this trip prior to having the great opportunity to work at the Lee Academy. Thanksgiving is actually my husband's birthday and my son always makes a big deal of his dad's birthday. Plus I could not stand the idea of him being so far away and alone for my favorite holiday. Keri will be in charge while I am gone. Thanks for being the team you are so that I can actually step away for a bit and not worry (too much) about what is happening at work!

Week 11 11/15

Mr. Browne's Precept

"In kindness is encompassed every variety of wisdom." ~ Ernesto Sabato

Honey- Do List 

11/1/19       Register for whole-school PD in TeachPoint

11/18/19     Family Council

11/20/19     First School Preview Day

11/20/19     Whole School PD Teachers Only

11/20/19     Governing Board

11/22/19     Picture Day Make-Up

11/22/19     Family Movie Night

12/1/19       Let Jodi know if you are interested in volunteering at the school showcase

Shout Outs 

Amelia Chase and Chris Wade are a dynamic duo when they are with their students. I had asked Amelia and Chris if we could assign Chris to our K1 friend to maintain adult and student safety and to backfill his position with Ms. Jasmine. Jasmine broke up with us and Amelia has spent the past week alone with very piecemeal support/ I appreciate both of them for their willingness to jump in and support where they can. 

Eleanor gave me the name of a sub that has panned out and the sub is taking a day in December for us. Unfortunately, she is booked for the rest of November in other schools. Thanks, Eleanor. 

Dysregulated Students

This week are the team meetings for our two most visible learners who we all care deeply about. I know that there is a lot of curiosity and interest surrounding both these students. Operating from the paradigm that we are a family of professionals, I wanted to update you that as of this writing (Friday 11/15 at 4:52) there is not another seat available for these young friends. I am confident that one will present itself but I wanted you to have the realistic expectation that nothing will change immediately after these meetings at the end of next week. 

Superintendent's Visit 

The superintendent's visit was over in a flash but went very well. Our energetic tour guides were fun and joyful. This is the text of an email from the office of community engagement that I received today:

Greetings from the Community Engagement Team:

Thank you for helping to make Superintendent Dr. Cassellius' school visit so special!  It was a pleasure learning about your school culture and high expectations for success!  We look forward to future engagement opportunities with your school community. 

Attached are a few photos from the visit. Please share this message with your team.

Best, 

Dr. Casselius and the tour guides

Dr. Cassellius receiving her book

View from the District

The District has scheduled the annual school showcase on December 14th. It will be held at Boston Latin Academy (205 Townsend Street, Dorchester) on Saturday, December 14 from 9am to 1pm. The District believes that showcase is a great opportunity for parents to get information about all the schools on their choice list and meet with staff from any schools they are interested in. Unfortunately, it is 11 days before Christmas and I have plans with my family for a holiday tradition. Keri has a very special party to host as well. We are looking for volunteers who would like to sit at our table and greet any families that may wander by. I am willing to offer a comp day for the first two staff members to volunteer. Please let me know by 12/1. 

Pollinating Positive Behavior

This week we will save Pollination for our whole school PD. The topics will be the following:

K0/K1- FAIR behavior plans for K0/K1 with Jodi

K2 & 1- BIMAS Data and Planning with Jen

2&3- ILPs with Paula

My Way Cafe

This week we launch My Way Cafe! The practice went well. There will be a lot of choices come Monday. I am hoping that we can be all hands on deck during lunches. No matter what our roles are getting our little ones through the line and making choices will help the process run more smoothly. 

Governing Board

This week at our governing board meeting I will be reviewing our enrollment projections for FY21. This is one of two times during the budget process that we can advocate for changes. As you know everything hinges on our projections as that is what our funding is based on.  If you are interested in hearing more about projections please attend this meeting. The good news is that for the most part, we look stable with our projections. There is only one area that I want to be a bit more probative around.  

School Preview Day

Our first of three school preview days will be Wednesday the 20th. Do not be surprised to see a family or two touring our building or sitting in on a class. 

Faculty Senate Debrief

I am assuming that Lyndsay communicates the outcomes of our debriefs with all of you so that it would be redundant to do so here. Please let me know if that is accurate. 

November 8, 2019

Mr. Browne's Precept

"To succeed in life,  you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone." ~ Reba McEntire

Honey- Do List 

10/31/19     Action Plan Template for Unit Completion

11/1/19       Register for whole-school PD in TeachPoint

11/12/19     Pages Due for Superintendent's Book

11/13/19     Superintendent's Visit to Lee Academy

11/13/19     Let Jodi know if you want to participate in the OLOS study. 

11/22/19     Picture Day Make-Up

Shout Outs 

This week I am back to shouting out this entire flexible, wonderful, and inspiring team. There is something special here. The "all hands on deck" way we function, daily,  is amazing. If one of us is down another lifts us up. If our load is heavy others pitch in to make it lighter. We are an outstanding family. We are helping our extended family members to raise great humans who care about each other, after all we model that beautiful humanity EVERY day. 

Dysregulated Students

I love how members of our LAPS family are ready to jump in when teachers are working with a dysregulated student in the classroom or a hallway. We truly are in this together. When you come upon the situation always ask if the adult needs anything. Sometimes it is best to only have 1-2 people involved. 

Superintendent's Visit Book

Here is the text of the email that Keri sent all of us about the book project for the superintendent's visit.

Superintendent Brenda Casselius is set to visit the Lee Academy on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 13th. Since we expect the visit to be short and certainly not all-encompassing, we would like to present her with a book showcasing our fabulousness (I think that's a word...). 

Each class is going to have a page in the book. We're hoping you and your students can find some time to develop your idea together and to type the page by Tuesday afternoon. The theme of the book is: What makes the Lee Academy such a special place? If there's time for a few students in your class to illustrate your page, we could aim for that as well. 

I am so excited to see the finished product of our book. It will be nice to capture the things that make us so special. Thank you, Meghan, for creating the first page. Could you please aim to finish this project by the end of the day on Tuesday so that we can assemble the book and have it ready for our end of the day visit on Wednesday?

Pollinating Positive Behavior

Each week in the Hive we will have some ideas, from Jessica Minahan, to try to grow into being part of our school culture.  I look forward to observing these in action.  This week we will focus on Transitions which can be hard for students with anxiety.

Components of a Transition	Appropriate Transition Warning
The cessation of the first activity	Find a stopping point (a natural close) and use a concrete warning for that point (five more pages, read until the sticky note, one more YouTube Video, etc.)
Making the cognitive shift to the next activity	Use visual schedules, photographs of what "being ready" for the next activity looks like
Starting the next activity	Use traditional countdown types of warnings (5 more minutes, use of a timer, this should be concrete for our younger learners
Lack of structure and specific expectations during the transition time	Suggest tasks or activities that "absorb" the downtime (push in chairs, pass out papers, sharpen pencils) for more sponge activity ideas see below

Sponge Activities

Put notices in student mailboxes Fold notices or papers Clean whiteboards Push in chairs Organize Books Count students for "attendance" Sort colored pencils and crayons Other classroom jobs Simon says or other nonverbal games (for the whole class)

Morning Announcements

This week's word of the week will be Courageous.  

The Quirky Holidays for next week are:

• 11/12   National Pizza with the Works Except for Anchovies Day
• 11/13   World Kindness Day
• 11/14   National Pickle Day
• 11/15   National Clean out Your Fridge Day

Home Visit Payments

I have submitted the spreadsheet with the payment amounts to James. He let me know when I was checking the 11/22 dates for checks that people would have to fill out a W9 tax form. Look for that to be coming soon. 

OLOS Study

We have been asked to participate in the OLOS Study.  OLOS stands for: Optimizing Learning Opportunities for Students. The project aims to understand the classroom environment and how it may relate to a child's academic, social, and emotional experiences. The information gathered will help develop an observational tool for preschool through third grade to be used by educators to assess the classroom learning environment. For more information please click here.

Individual classroom teachers can elect to participate. Please let me know if you are interested (or not) by 11/13. 

Whole School PD Outcomes

I really appreciate how all of you hang in there for whole-school PD. I know how long the day is but the richness of our discussions, problem-solving and learning together is an honor to be part of. We are starting to build our toolboxes for our friends who are working so hard to learn to regulate themselves and control the very big feelings in their small bodies.

Our Tool Box for Anxiety

Things We Have Tried

Positive Results

Transition Warnings

Changing the Channel

Mixed Results
Safe Space/Cool Down Corner 
Breaks

Things We Want to Try

Picture cues as reminders

Rewards for trying strategies that lower anxiety

Transition activities

Non-contingent breaks

Power cards 

Things We Want to Learn More About

Explicitly teaching strategies to reduce anxiety

Age-appropriate strategies for K0/K1

Our Tool Box for Opposition

Things We Have Tried

Positive Results

Use specific language about task completion to transition from preferred to a non-preferred activity

End of day or next day reflection and processing

Switching adults

Embedding choice in demand (Where do you want to read? Egg Chair or Library?)

Providing a rationale for direction first

Visual and Written Cues

Things We Want to Try

Giving a task or job for  transition or a non-structured time

Individual calming kits

Picture to puzzle making kit

Use a picture of the chair to remind the student to sit

Things We Want to Know About

How to implement very frequent reinforcement sustainably. 

Whole School PD Update

We are adjusting our plan for whole school PD to allow us to go a little deeper into the Behavior Code work and to accomplish some district-level work as well. This will require us to do some differentiation for adult learning which is something that people have also been asking for. Will you please note the changes below in your team's Blueprint for Learning (WSPD are the blue boxes)?

11/20

K0/K1- FAIR behavior plans for K0/K1 with Jodi

K2 & 1- BIMAS Data and Planning with Jen

2&3- ILPs with Paula

12/4

K0/K1- Uncertain- Perhaps BIMAS if available

K2&1- FAIR Behavior Plans with Jodi

2&3- BIMAS Data and Planning with Jen

1/15/20

Whole Staff including Co-educators Can-Do Descriptors with Paula

1/24/20

Strategies for Emotionally Dysregulated students with Jen and Alyce

Week 9 October 28 2019

Mr. Browne's Precept

The mind is everything. What you think you become. ~ Unknown

Honey- Do List 

10/31/19     Action Plan Template for Unit Completion

11/1/19       Register for whole-school PD in TeachPoint

11/13/19     Superintendent's Visit to Lee Academy

11/22/19     Picture Day Make-Up

Shout Outs 

This week's shout out goes to Mr. Ben. Mr. Ben wrote a grant that resulted in a $5,000 award that will be applied to our Urbanity Dance partnership.  This will be a huge help in a very difficult budget year. 

Paper Consumption

I apologize in advance for the hypocrisy of what I am about to write next since I just copied 4 chapters from a book for everyone. The following message goes for me as well.

We need to be mindful of our paper consumption. We have gone through 50,000 pieces of paper in 9 weeks. That is 251 sheets of paper per student.

Thank you for all that you do for our students. I know this may seem like I am asking a lot when you ask for so little but I appreciate your conservation efforts. 

Superintendent Visit

The date of the superintendent's visit has been changed from 11/12 to 11/13. She will be in our building for 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, I would love for her to see the best of us. What are your thoughts about what she must-see? She will be here from 2:15 to 2:45. 

Morning Announcements

This week's word of the week will be anxious.  I will be sticking with character traits for the next few weeks. I know that is what many of you are working on. 

The Quirky Holidays for next week are:

• 11/4   National Chicken Lady Day
• 11/5   National Color the World Orange Day
• 11/6   Saxophone Day 
• 11/7   National Director Day
• 11/8   National Parents as Teachers day

Professional Development

The goal for where we are in our professional development cycle is that each team will develop a toolbox of interventions for students with Anxiety and Oppositional Behaviors. 

The expectation is that you will decide with your teammates if you want to read and be the expert on "Get Away from Me" (Anxiety)  or "You're not the Boss of Me" (Oppositional Behavior)

I would like each of you to attempt one strategy between now and our next WSPD that is introduced in the chapter you chose.

At our next WSPD we will use the Three Levels of Text Protocol focusing on Level 3 (what is the implication for our work). 

We will then work in expert groups to complete some of the activities in the Companion Chapter that corresponded with the type of behavior we focused on, anxiety or oppositional.