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@D114Stanton
@D114Lotus
@FLGSD114
#District114proud
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A HUGE thank you to our bus drivers, Becky L, Christy, Norine, Hallie, and Tina. A HUGE thank you to our kitchen staff and another HUGE thank you to Sue, Paula, Colleen, and Andrea in the office for helping the fourth-grade team and students in operating a smooth field trip to Camp Duncan. We couldn't have done it without you!!
-From the 4th grade team
Thank you to the entire D114 family for the cards, flowers, warm welcome back, and overwhelming support. There is no doubt in my mind that it helped drive my goal to get healthy and return this year.
and
Thank you to all of the Stanton staff for supporting Mr. Miller while he was Mr. Bressett during my unexpected absence.
and
Thank you to Mr. Miller for filling in and taking care of my fifth grade class during my absence I really appreciate the effort.
-All from Rich Bressett
RICH--we're thrilled you're back!!! H.F.
Thank you to my wonderful K team, Dory AND wonderful EAFL board members for helping take on all of my responsibilities Thursday. Your willingness and kindness are such a blessing.
-From Tiffany Tardio
When you have a kudo to share for someone, please just email me and I'll include it here! The goal is to create system celebrations--so your input is truly welcome!
News from the Business Office
Certified Staffing Board of Education Presentation
At Tuesday's Board meeting, we presented the certified staffing plan for 18-19, and it was approved. The actual memo is attached to the Monday Memo email, so please check it out and let me know if you have questions or want additional information. All position postings will go up and out early this week. The staffing plan for support staff will be presented in May.
Last Day of School
In sincere hopes that we can now say there will be no more snow days, the last day of school for staff and students is May 24. This is an EARLY RELEASE day, but please note that all staff must "check out" before leaving for a well-deserved summer break! Please see your principals with any questions on that process.
403(b) Benefits Info
Please see the Monday Memo email for a flyer of information about 403(b) benefits!
Special Education Support and Training
On May 9, the direct instruction "gurus" we'll be working with will be on site to spend some time with us, seeing our programming, and talking with you. During early release time, they'll share some initial thoughts as well as the plan for further training. More details on the plan for the day coming, but they also asked that I share some informational links related to direct instruction with you:
www.nifdi.org also has a pretty thorough online tutorial, which would be beneficial for you to dig into ahead of any training!
Please remember, these intensive programs would only be used for/with students who meet the criteria. Our goal is that the maximum number of students possible access our tier 1 curriculum and supports and that these methods are reserved for our most needy, most discrepant learners.
Speech and Language Tips from Abbey
Check out this week's tips from Abbey! She came up with the fabulous idea of putting each week's ideas on a slide, then adding the slides so all the info is in one place...you can go back and look at any time!
Click here to see her amazing ideas! Updated today!
FACILITIES UPDATES
Don't forget...if you have a maintenance request, please use the work request link to share it. Our team will take care of it ASAP!
YES, YOU CAN CHAT!
Thanks to our amazing tech team (aka Mike and David), Google Chat/Hangouts is now open for staff use. Please note that students cannot access this feature. I LOVE Google Chat--it's a huge timesaver.
Below is a link to a great video explaining the basics of Hangouts. The extension and Hangouts are only available to staff.
Video link:
Extension:
Mike and David are happy to help if you need assistance!
Education Association of Fox Lake News and Updates
Thank you to Matt Shannon and Maureen DeVoss for running the EAFL Executive Board Election on Thursday! Ballots will be counted early this week.
All IEA members should have received voting information for the 2018 IEA Spring Election to their home address. Voting closes at 1:00 p.m.On Wednesday, April 25th so be sure to vote by going to http://www.ieanea.org/
Maureen DeVoss, Vice President for Certified Staff
Chris Brown, Vice President for Non-Certified Staff
Katy Gardner, Treasurer
Betty Cwiak, Secretary
Barb Brown, Region Representative
Matt Shannon, Stanton School Representative
Tiffany Tardio, Lotus School Representative
Link to D114 Friday Facts Blog--ADDED 3/11/18
LINK to Strategic Planning Presentations/Documents--ADDED 2/25/18
LINK to Strategic Planning Presentations/Documents--ADDED 2/25/18
17-18 Payroll Schedule--UPDATED 10/22/17
Blue Cross Blue Shield:
Guardian:
Questions for thought as you read...
Knowing that behaviors tend to need even more support at the end of the year...
Which of these strategies are already in place for you/your students?
What is one thing you could add or try?
SIX SIMPLE, PROVEN WAYS TO REACH YOUR MOST DIFFICULT STUDENT
Over the years, I've had my share of difficult students. (Haven't we all?)
And each time, I try new ways to be proactive in avoiding meltdowns before they happen,
work harder at creating a positive and support environment for her, as well as finding
support for us both.
Today I'm sharing six steps that have been consistently effective in managing a
difficult student. My hope is that these will bring some help to you as well.
1. Be patient. This seems obvious, but no matter your patience level, understand that it
will be tested. When you think you’ve reached your limit, dig deep and find some more.
Step away from the student and take a breath. Ask a peer to look in on your class while
you walk the hall. Whatever you need to do - just don’t reach your limit. Passing the line
puts you in a zone that isn’t good for you or the child. You’ll say things and make decisions
you’ll later regret and encourage negative behavior from the child.
2. Set routines and schedules. Research clearly shows that kids thrive when they have
well-established routines. Routines create boundaries and allow children to find comfort
in the familiar. This is especially true for students with behavior issues who crave stability,
even predictability, to avoid feeling out of control.
3. Be consistent. This is perhaps one of the hardest aspects of managing dozens of children
at once, but by far the most important. Kids have to know that you mean what you say and
that you are trustworthy. It’s easy to want to give in to circumstances or let behaviors
slide every once in a while, especially when you’re pressed for time and simply need to
move on. However, students need to see that they can rely on you in the small things so
that they feel comfortable trusting you with the big things. When you establish a schedule,
stick to it! When you assign consequences for breaking rules, follow through – even when
it’s tough.
4. Develop personal connections. This is huge! As teachers, we do our best to get to know
our students – their academic strengths and weaknesses, how they learn best, what interests
them, etc. But, in order to reach your most difficult kids, you have to go a step further.
Find big and small ways to interact with that child one on one. Here are a few that worked
for me:
At the end of the day, leave a personal note in the student’s desk for him to find when he
comes to school the next day. This sets a positive tone at the beginning of the day and gives
him something to look forward to.
Create an open, running dialogue. Have a two-way journal where your student can write
when she’s most frustrated. Then create a place where she can turn it in to you discreetly
and a time when you can respond.
Have a regular lunch date. Invite your student back to the classroom to eat lunch and
discuss his progress every so often. Or, take your lunch to the cafeteria and eat with your
entire class, but sit next to your student so that he feels special.
Find another staff person the student admires and allow time for mentoring. For my boys,
I tried to find a male teacher the student liked who was wiling to check in on them regularly.
It could be as simple as allowing the student to visit the other teacher’s class during the last
five minutes of each day to ask how his day went and provide positive feedback on good
choices. Guidance counselors are also wonderful resources for possible mentors.
Attend an after school activity. This one can be difficult with your busy schedule, I know.
However, it’s a surefire way to gain respect and show that you truly care. In an especially
difficult class, I had several boys who played together on the school’s football team.
So I found out when they were next playing at home and showed up at a game. To be
honest, I can think of 100 things I’d rather do than watch football. But, attending that game
was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The boys were impressed that I took the
time to show up and treated me differently every day after. Trust me – if you can find the
time, work a game, recital, or match into your schedule. You won’t regret it.
5. Provide the student with tools that work. Sometimes we’re so focused on teaching
reading, writing, and arithmetic that we forget that students also need to be taught basic life
skills. It’s easy to assume that children are being taught at home how to manage feelings,
respond to disappointment, and treat others with respect. Sadly, this isn’t always the case.
Rather than assuming students who act out are doing so because they enjoy it, understand
that oftentimes disruptions occur because students simply don’t know the right way to
express what they are feeling.
Providing students with tools for managing frustration as it occurs will help diffuse little
sparks before they become raging fires. In my classroom, I taught students how to use
this form when they could feel a problem brewing. It’s short and to the point allowing
students to identify the issue, possible causes, and ways they might manage it. It’s meant
to teach students to reflect and be proactive about managing feelings rather than allowing
problems to fester and consume them. It takes just a few minutes to complete and allows
students with time away from peers or situations that might be difficult. When ready, the
student brings the completed form to you so that you can talk about it together during an
appropriate time.
6. Create a strong home-school connection. I’ll be honest, for me this was most difficult
to do. I’ve had more than my fair share of difficult parents, and at times, I was hesitant to
reach out. And frankly, sometimes time just got the best of me. When juggling the dozens
of things to get done every day, it’s easy to let parent phone calls slide. It's never planned
that way, but unfortunately it happens.
To help solve this last issue, I created a reflection sheet for students to complete at the end
of their day. One asks students to reflect on areas in which they struggled and identify ways
they can make better choices during the following day. In the beginning, I had only the
students who earned a tally complete the sheet. It was stapled into students’ agendas where
parents would sign that they had seen it and could leave a comment for me.
I also wanted to acknowledge positive choices that were being made throughout the day so
I created a companion page. Students list one area that went well for them, note how they
were able to make positive choices, and identify a way to continue that behavior the next
day. This too went home in agendas so that parents could praise students for a job well done.
I found that the sheets usually worked better than phone calls as students had a record of
great behavior that they could look back on throughout the year.
Following these steps won’t solve every behavior problem that arises during the year.
However, they will go a long way towards creating a positive environment in which students
feel noticed and valued.
https://everythingjustso.org/blog/managing-behavior-reaching-your-most-difficult-students
Over the years, I've had my share of difficult students. (Haven't we all?)
And each time, I try new ways to be proactive in avoiding meltdowns before they happen,
work harder at creating a positive and support environment for her, as well as finding
support for us both.
Today I'm sharing six steps that have been consistently effective in managing a
difficult student. My hope is that these will bring some help to you as well.
1. Be patient. This seems obvious, but no matter your patience level, understand that it
will be tested. When you think you’ve reached your limit, dig deep and find some more.
Step away from the student and take a breath. Ask a peer to look in on your class while
you walk the hall. Whatever you need to do - just don’t reach your limit. Passing the line
puts you in a zone that isn’t good for you or the child. You’ll say things and make decisions
you’ll later regret and encourage negative behavior from the child.
2. Set routines and schedules. Research clearly shows that kids thrive when they have
well-established routines. Routines create boundaries and allow children to find comfort
in the familiar. This is especially true for students with behavior issues who crave stability,
even predictability, to avoid feeling out of control.
3. Be consistent. This is perhaps one of the hardest aspects of managing dozens of children
at once, but by far the most important. Kids have to know that you mean what you say and
that you are trustworthy. It’s easy to want to give in to circumstances or let behaviors
slide every once in a while, especially when you’re pressed for time and simply need to
move on. However, students need to see that they can rely on you in the small things so
that they feel comfortable trusting you with the big things. When you establish a schedule,
stick to it! When you assign consequences for breaking rules, follow through – even when
it’s tough.
4. Develop personal connections. This is huge! As teachers, we do our best to get to know
our students – their academic strengths and weaknesses, how they learn best, what interests
them, etc. But, in order to reach your most difficult kids, you have to go a step further.
Find big and small ways to interact with that child one on one. Here are a few that worked
for me:
At the end of the day, leave a personal note in the student’s desk for him to find when he
comes to school the next day. This sets a positive tone at the beginning of the day and gives
him something to look forward to.
Create an open, running dialogue. Have a two-way journal where your student can write
Create an open, running dialogue. Have a two-way journal where your student can write
when she’s most frustrated. Then create a place where she can turn it in to you discreetly
and a time when you can respond.
Have a regular lunch date. Invite your student back to the classroom to eat lunch and
Have a regular lunch date. Invite your student back to the classroom to eat lunch and
discuss his progress every so often. Or, take your lunch to the cafeteria and eat with your
entire class, but sit next to your student so that he feels special.
Find another staff person the student admires and allow time for mentoring. For my boys,
Find another staff person the student admires and allow time for mentoring. For my boys,
I tried to find a male teacher the student liked who was wiling to check in on them regularly.
It could be as simple as allowing the student to visit the other teacher’s class during the last
five minutes of each day to ask how his day went and provide positive feedback on good
choices. Guidance counselors are also wonderful resources for possible mentors.
Attend an after school activity. This one can be difficult with your busy schedule, I know.
However, it’s a surefire way to gain respect and show that you truly care. In an especially
difficult class, I had several boys who played together on the school’s football team.
So I found out when they were next playing at home and showed up at a game. To be
honest, I can think of 100 things I’d rather do than watch football. But, attending that game
was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The boys were impressed that I took the
time to show up and treated me differently every day after. Trust me – if you can find the
time, work a game, recital, or match into your schedule. You won’t regret it.
5. Provide the student with tools that work. Sometimes we’re so focused on teaching
reading, writing, and arithmetic that we forget that students also need to be taught basic life
skills. It’s easy to assume that children are being taught at home how to manage feelings,
respond to disappointment, and treat others with respect. Sadly, this isn’t always the case.
Rather than assuming students who act out are doing so because they enjoy it, understand
that oftentimes disruptions occur because students simply don’t know the right way to
express what they are feeling.
Providing students with tools for managing frustration as it occurs will help diffuse little
sparks before they become raging fires. In my classroom, I taught students how to use
this form when they could feel a problem brewing. It’s short and to the point allowing
students to identify the issue, possible causes, and ways they might manage it. It’s meant
to teach students to reflect and be proactive about managing feelings rather than allowing
problems to fester and consume them. It takes just a few minutes to complete and allows
students with time away from peers or situations that might be difficult. When ready, the
student brings the completed form to you so that you can talk about it together during an
appropriate time.
6. Create a strong home-school connection. I’ll be honest, for me this was most difficult
to do. I’ve had more than my fair share of difficult parents, and at times, I was hesitant to
reach out. And frankly, sometimes time just got the best of me. When juggling the dozens
of things to get done every day, it’s easy to let parent phone calls slide. It's never planned
that way, but unfortunately it happens.
To help solve this last issue, I created a reflection sheet for students to complete at the end
of their day. One asks students to reflect on areas in which they struggled and identify ways
they can make better choices during the following day. In the beginning, I had only the
students who earned a tally complete the sheet. It was stapled into students’ agendas where
parents would sign that they had seen it and could leave a comment for me.
I also wanted to acknowledge positive choices that were being made throughout the day so
I created a companion page. Students list one area that went well for them, note how they
were able to make positive choices, and identify a way to continue that behavior the next
day. This too went home in agendas so that parents could praise students for a job well done.
I found that the sheets usually worked better than phone calls as students had a record of
great behavior that they could look back on throughout the year.
I found that the sheets usually worked better than phone calls as students had a record of
great behavior that they could look back on throughout the year.
Following these steps won’t solve every behavior problem that arises during the year.
However, they will go a long way towards creating a positive environment in which students
feel noticed and valued.
https://everythingjustso.org/blog/managing-behavior-reaching-your-most-difficult-students
Week of May 7---STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK!
You may have already received this info, but just in case...
Thanks for all you do! Have a wonderful week!
Heather
