Here’s our week at a glance:
Monday, October 26th
Red Ribbon Week: Rally in Red Against Unhealthy Choices & Bullying (Wear Red)
Tuesday, October 27th
Red Ribbon Week: I’m too Bright for Unhealthy Choices (Wear Bright Colors/Neon)
Mentor Meeting @ 4:00pm
Wednesday, October 28th
SD81 shifts to Remote Learning for All students
Red Ribbon Week: Kubbies Are Buddies (Wear Kubbie Gear)
CPT Meetings
Thursday, October 29th
Red Ribbon Week: Vote to Have a Healthy Future (Wear Red, White, Blue)
Friday, October 30th
Say BOO to Drugs & Bullying (Wear Orange & Black)
Blog Post Worth Reading:
Helping Students Navigate the COVID Reading Slump via Pernille Ripp
Letter to a Stressed Teacher in 2020 via Danny Steele (read below)
Teacher Friend,
You’re stressed. I know you are.
I’m a principal, and it’s easy for me to say, “Hang in there — thanks for all you do!” But I want you to know exactly what it is that I’m thankful for.
Last spring was a whirlwind. I’m sorry that so many of you didn’t really get to say goodbye to your students. You invested into their lives all year, and then the rug was ripped out from underneath you. That hurts.
I’m sorry about the anxiety you experienced all summer, not knowing what your job would look like in the new year — not knowing if all your students were ok.
Your school year may have started late; you may not have had all your students in your room. You probably had to learn new ways of delivering instruction. You had to learn new technology… and that technology didn’t always work! You had to rearrange your classroom! And it’s hard to teach with masks. It’s not easy to connect with students when you can barely see their faces, or in many cases, they’re not even in your room. You became a teacher because you want to build relationships with students, and it’s never been so hard. However your school year began, I know it wasn’t normal… and it was ridiculously challenging.
You love being a teacher, but you are worried about your health. You are worried about the health of your students. You are worried about the health of your own families.
But you push on.
Thank you for taking time to prepare meaningful lessons… even when you feel yourself dragging.
Thank you you for providing encouragement and support to your colleagues when they’re down.
Thank you for being kind to your students… and for realizing that may be the only kindness they experience all day.
Thank you for working to motivate your apathetic students. Sometimes your efforts don’t seem to make a difference. But you keep trying… because that’s what teachers do.
Thank you for your willingness to learn new ideas from your colleagues. I admire your commitment to being a better teacher tomorrow than you were today.
Thank you for trying to connect with students who don’t seem reachable… because you realize you may be their only lifeline.
Thank you for making all those phone calls (and sending all those Remind messages)
Thank you for your patience with the students who may be disruptive and annoying… because you know that those students still need you.
Thank you for working to ensure your students have a brighter future.
Thank you for being the kind of teacher that you would want your own kids to have.
I know you’re tired, and you have a right to be. I’m sorry that we just put another kid in your class… making it even harder to socially distance. I’m sorry we just asked you to fill out another form.
In spite of the challenges, you maintain your passion for kids; you hold on to your commitment to making a difference. I never take that for granted.
You’re stressed… but you push on.
To me… that makes you awesome… and I appreciate you.
As you embark on the second full week of school, please know your feelings are totally normal and we are right there with you, feeling uncertain and that many things are out of our control right now.
