TO-KNOW
- Above all, I am incredibly excited to have you all back in the building soon! I get lonely in the summers. I am looking forward to a year full of learning, fun, growth, and smiles ahead. You all make it happen!
- Congratulations to Angie Schreiber (now Angie Herzog!) who got married this weekend!
- We have had one staffing update since I last emailed. Julie Cliffe has taken a full-time aide position at Oakdale. Elizabeth Isom will be joining us to fill Julie’s position. Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth! She brings great experience as an instructional aide in the Sunman-Dearborn school district. Note: I am still in the process of interviewing for Deena’s position and our 5th grade aide as my initial hires both fell through.
- Teachers’ first day back is Wednesday, August 10. We will start the day at 8am with a faculty meeting in the library. I have done my very best to remove anything from that morning meeting that could simply be shared in writing. Instead, I have put it in writing (in this Beginning-0f-the-Year Checklist and Information document) and will give you time on Wednesday to read it and respond to action items. I am sharing it here so that everyone has the link and because I know sometimes people like to get a head start!
- Instructional aides’ first day back is Friday, August 12. I look forward to seeing you then!
- I am in the process of updating the SPGStaff site with information for the 2016-2017 school year. All updates will be made by August 12 and I will let you know what I have updated in next week’s post.
TO-DO
- Please check this spreadsheet for locations for our professional days on August 10-12. There is a tab for each day. As always, there is A LOT to keep straight. If you see something that doesn’t look quite right or I missed something, please let me know!
- If you haven’t already, please (pretty please!) send a picture of yourself reading to Shannon as soon as possible, by Wednesday, August 10 at the very latest! She is working on creating a great display case to kick off the year and needs our help!
TO-READ
These 11 Education Leaders Had Their Lives Changed by Teachers
As we begin the school year, I was reminded of this article that highlights the enormous impact that we, as educators, can have on our students’ lives. Eleven education leaders reflect on how one teacher made a significant impact on them. Whether seeing something special in them, pushing them to do more, or inspiring them through their actions, these reflections remind me of how much meaning all of our interactions with students can hold for students’ identities as learners and their future endeavors. Teachers change lives!