Day 103 The Hornets at the Hood- Teamwork

Group #1 Today we learned how important teamwork is. We  learned how communication and having a strategy is important. However, the most important lesson was that everyone can learn something new from someone else.

Group #2 - The Potato Heads
We learned the following:
The Hood School Blogs alot
Each others names in the picnic game
How to work together
That anybody can be a leader and that Sam likes potatoes.

Day 102 Effective Effort & State Assessments

As a school learning community we have done a significant amount of research on performance character, the growth mindsets that foster success and effective effort. Effective effort is defined as “the hard work and learning strategies a person can use to deliberately get smarter at important knowledge or skills” (Saphier, Haley-Speca & Gower 2008). We,  as a school community, specifically request that you encourage your children to do their best,  to show effort, to use their strategies and to have a positive attitude.  These skills are important everyday however, a friendly reminder on the scheduled testing days is warranted.  While we know that these tests will be challenging, we must encourage all students to do their very best. 

Day 101- A Shared Quote

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 100- Mrs. Duval Parent, Grade 2

Day 99 Beth Leavitt, Teacher- E.E. Little School and Data Training Participant

Today I learned that teachers at every grade level, from elementary through high school go through the same daily stresses. We all strive to balance our days and still reach all of our learners.

Day 98 Grade 5 Ipad #17

Today Mrs Kelley's class did a  mystery FaceTime with another classroom somewhere in the world.  Each person had a  job like  questioner, greeter, Google mapper,..... Mrs. Kelley found a classroom for us to  interview. We could only ask yes or no questions.  We learned that the mystery classroom had cool nights 40 degrees, and days can be a hundred degrees.  They were above the equator and bordered Mexico. They did not have snow days but did have fire days where the air was polluted and not safe to breathe. They had 3 weeks of Christmas vacation and two weeks of spring break. We were able to guess their location in 10 questions. They could not believe the amount of snow outside our window. It is amazing how different but how similar kids were in California. We can't wait until our next Mystery FaceTime.

Ryan K and Caelen S

Day 97- Mrs. Kelley, Grade 5 Teacher- Student Excitement & Engagement

"We better not have a snow day tomorrow!  We will miss our Mystery FaceTime!"

 

Absolutely loving that my kids want to come to school!

Day 96- Mr. McKay- Getting by with some HELP from my friends!

Today I worked on a project for an upcoming meeting. I was reminded of the lyrics from a famous Beatles tune.

What would you do if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm,I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

I was humming the beats as Ms. Coughlin, Izzy and Brooke helped me with a powerpoint that incorporated  file we created from Garage Band.

What ever happened to duel cassette decks and mix tapes?

Day 95- Mrs. Crosby- Special Education Teacher

Today, a group of 15 Hood School staff participated in a final book group meeting on How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough.  In the chapter "How to Build Character," Tough describes the work of Martin Seligman, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and one of his frequent collaborators, Christopher Peterson of the University of Michigan.  Seligman and Peterson are known as scholars in the field of positive psychology, and they bring this outlook to their work on character traits.  Tough writes, "For many of us, character refers to something innate and unchanging, a core set of attributes that define one's very essence. Seligman and Peterson defined character in a different way: a set of abilities or strengths that are very much changeable-entirely malleable, in fact.  They are skills you can learn; they are skills you can practice; and they are skills you can teach."  As an educator and a parent of young children, I learned that the decisions we make and the feedback we provide during small, everyday moments with our children are essential in helping to build their performance character.  We have the opportunity to help children learn to turn small failures or challenges into positive learning opportunities that motivate them to persevere and improve their own abilities. 

Day 94- What you can learn from Teachers and Students

"If you are stressed, take a deep breath in (smell the flower) and exhale (blow out the candle)."

Day 93 Ann Marie Wright, Special Education Teacher

Great Quote

"The Feeling of Success is Contagious"

Day 92- Great Quote

"Do Something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn't, do something else." Franklin D. Roosevelt