Month: April 2014

April 25, 2014

The Aver Document Camera is available for checkout if someone is interested in trying it out. Just let me know if you are interested.

If you have a technology equipment need for the 2014-2015 school year, send your requisition to your grade reps and they will hand over the grade level requests to Evelyn. Please have your information to your grade rep by Friday, May 2nd. As a reminder Mrs. Hartzell compiles all technology requisitions and prioritizes the need for the district in preparing for budgetary needs in the upcoming school year. Thank you for helping us streamline this process.

If you are interested in district EMINTS Training for the next school year please let me know.

Please remember to complete the volunteer recognition form, sent out by Mrs. Romine. This is our process for recognizing our school volunteers and I would hate for anyone to be left out.

CRE Family News: We will honor and support Lori Collette for the remainder of this school year with Pink Tuesdays. You can wear pink and pay $1 for jeans on that day as well. Thank you for coming together to support one or our own as she takes on this fight. I am in awe of the love that has and continues to pour out of the CRE Family.

Genna traveled to California to be with her Aunt Emi (47 years old)  as  her battle with Lymphoma and Luekemia came to an end this morning. Our thoughts are with Genna and her family during this difficult time. Genna will be back to CRE on Monday.

This has certainly been a heavy year of need for students and staff in need. These moments to come together and unify our efforts to lift up a family or a colleague in need only strengthen our journey as a school family. Just like in the ups and downs of a relationship or a marriage; you come out stronger on the other end of a trial.

It is with a heavy heart that I update you on Landon Guaer’s health status. Recent tests indicate that the tumor has grown since February and the family will be traveling to Kansas City for an MRI and treatment plan consultations with his doctors. Landon is having more rough days than good and has symptoms that are effecting his daily comfort. We are working on a fundraising opportunity to continue to support the family. I realize we keep coming at you with continued opportunities to support others in need, but we are a community who cares and CRE has certainly came through repeatedly this year. I will continue to update.

Bucket Fillers: Leah Edwards is a great support to so many in her circle of influence. I appreciate her desire to invest in others and actively listen and support in the moment. Thank you, Leah for filling buckets all around you.

Jennifer Engel and Mesa Mitchell sponsored the Project 12 event at CRE Thursday evening. I appreciate their extra efforts to partner with community members seeking to “give” of their time and service to benefit our students and staff. Thank you both for all that you do.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Michelle

 

April 21, 2014

CRE Hiring Update: We are thrilled to inform you that the following team members have been invited to join our CRE Family as classroom teachers for the 2014-2015 school year. This critical hiring season gives us the opportunity to capitalize on the exceptional learning experiences we offer our students her at CRE.

You will be seeing Sarah Yocum in and out of 1st grade classrooms as she intentionally structures the remainder of this school year to build relationships with her new team. Congratulations on all your hard work, Sarah!

Victoria Hutsell (Pam Powell/Fouts) daughter will be joining the wild and crazy 2nd grade team. Victoria will finish her student teaching in May and plans to visit CRE after that to connect and acclimate with her new team. Welcome to the CRE Family, Victoria!!

Ellie Brubaker will be transferring to the 2nd grade team for the 2014-2015 school year. Ellie has the experience both with management and curriculum to establish momentum with 2nd graders as she prepares them for transition into 3rd. This will be a great move for her and the 2nd grade team. Good Luck with that crew, Ellie 😉

Jennifer Arjes will be a great addition to the 3rd grade team as she has anxiously awaited the opportunity to launch her teaching career. We are thrilled that she has the opportunity to do that here at CRE!

I want to thank the hiring teams that worked hard to assist in this hiring process. It required commitment, flexibility, and the skill set to look at the big picture in making recommendations that were best for our building.

We are set for success!!! Take the opportunity to connect to our new crew when you have the chance. I will be working with them on the blog, groupwise, etc. If you are interested in mentoring/teaching buddy, etc. let me know.

Character Theme 2014-2015: Color Your World with Good Character

Today Mrs. Thompson and I will be taking Evelyn and Maggie to lunch to celebrate Administrative Assistance day (Wednesday) since I will be out of town on Wed. we are going today. Kristina Willard will be subbing in the office during our absence.

Mrs. Thompson and I are making a much needed Sam’s Run in preparation for MAP testing, picnics, Career Day, and the many children we feed in the office at the end of each day. We have updated the CRE Calendar with on call names during our time of absence (Mr. Engel today). Remember to manage incidents that you can and call the office for emergencies.

A shameless plug for our Branson Pirates Relay for Life Team fundraiser: Tomorrow Tuesday, April 22nd in the CRE Gym (Luau Style Prom)… This event is tons of fun, special guests, raffle baskets, kids dancing… what else is there??? Be there to support a CURE!!!

I will be traveling for the last time this week for Rutherford training in St. Louis. I plan to leave Wed. around noon, following the JH Stuco Community  Breakfast and return Thursday evening. (hopefully in time for Soccer practice with B Man)

Bucket Fillers: Whitney Mosley provided impressive input on a Close Reading experience. It’s a good day when your Literacy Coach brags on you. Whitney, your quiet leadership in solid teaching and learning experiences does not go unnoticed.

Evelyn’s fast action to problem solve around every corner is recognized and appreciated by colleagues. A sweatshirt request happened and within seconds a team member felt valued and appreciated as a part of our CRE Family. Thanks for always “taking care” of it, Ev.

If you are aware of content area Curriculum Summer Work Needs, please see me or Michelle Brown. If it is Math related skip Michelle and see me 🙂

Let me know if I can do something to help you.

Happy Monday, friends.

Michelle

April 16, 2014

The busyness of the this season has certainly intensified in the last few days. I am feeling the pressure for timely decision making, deadlines, and day to day prioritization of tasks. The great news is that in all settings the CRE Family offers support, distraction, and timely reminders for putting the Big Rocks first. I appreciate each of you and look forward to being apart of the pulse of this building again after the Board Meeting on Thursday. Put your Big Rocks first and take a minute to watch this video… A shout out to my CRE friends who can relate ,,, Job Video

Enrollment Facts: CRP currently has 206 K students in 9 sections with a class average of 22.8 per class. This is a lateral rollover to CRE 1st with 9 sections, putting us at the same estimated class size for the 2014-2015 school year. We will plan to move forward with this information at hand. I have heard all good things regarding this K crew. ;0

Teaching Contracts will be issued following the May Board of Education Meeting. Woot Woot!!! They will be issued on May 9th with an expected return date of May 24th.

Dress Code Reminders: With the Spring weather starting to effect our clothing choices each day, it feels like the right time to clarify dress code expectations. Please do not plan to wear shorts during contract hours. There are many celebratory opportunities for us to be flexible with our clothing choices, and I am very liberal as a leader when granting said days of celebration. With that being said, the expectation is that CRE will lead our district in following dress code expectations without fail. As a reminder, denim on Fridays should be paired with School Spirit colors. Thank you for all you do to highlight our awesome CRE Family, your efforts in areas such as this do not go unnoticed and are appreciated more than you know.

CRE Family News: Our friend, Lori Collette, BE 1st, has just recently been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. She has shared with me that it is a fast growing type and she is scheduled for a double mastectomy on the 29th of this month. She will then begin chemotherapy a month following her surgery. This news has hit hard and she is reeling to regain her footing. A kind word, note, email, etc would be a welcome distraction at this time. I will keep you posted on our plan to support Lori as BE gets the ball rolling.

Aiden Guenther, 3rd Ms. Stutesman , took the Cold Water Challenge for Andrew Majors and donated his $50 to Andrew’s family. It is even better when you see true giving take place from child to child. Awesome!!!

Along those same lines… Andrew’s family left for St. Louis yesterday but not before Ms. Lee sent them away with a fat envelope full of cash. I don’t think any of us anticipated the “love” felt throughout our district. Mrs. Majors went to pick up cookies she had ordered for the class party: PAID FOR. She went to check her family into the hotel in St. Louis: PAID FOR… #lovethiscommunity Thank you all for being apart of stories like this each day at CRE.

Morning Duty Change: The perimeter doors will now remain locked. On duty staff please prop doors open and only allow students to enter the building from these locations. Parents can enter through the front entrance. The doors being unlocked in the a.m. are a breech in our building security and this change should help us streamline our process for

Bucket Fillers: Hannah Johnson was praised by her colleagues for her consistency in services, spot on speech therapy directly tied to student needs, and quiet by mighty status within our CRE Family. Excellent remarks from a colleague, Hannah!!!

Nancy Longo has partnered with classroom teachers to facilitate illustrations for their Authored Book. Wow, the organization that this project took really highlights the extra efforts and desire to create memorable learning experiences. Nancy, thank you for taking this on late in the year and the flexibility in your year long planning.

Counselor Cody shared the Job Video which presented a moment or reprieve for myself. Thank you for sharing, Cody…

Think…Feel…Do… What has someone or something caused you to Think, Feel, or Do today? Let me know, let them know, and spread the word of what actions or words we are doing MATTER to those around us!!!

Michelle

April 10, 2014

CRE Data will be due on May 23rd ( DRA and Writing). Data days are scheduled for May 28th (1st/3rd) and May 29th (2nd). This data is necessary for end of the year SAP prep, Yellow Folders, etc. Please be mindful of this date as it comes at a busy time and may catch you off guard prior to the end of the school year.

Book Room Books: Inventory will be done for all Book Room Books on May 23rd, Please begin the process of locating these resources so our sets can be complete for the 2014-15 school year.

Class Tours: Grade level reps will collaborate with other buildings to organize building tours. (3rd/CRI 4th and K/CRE1st) More information will come once dates and details are solidified.

Leadership Workday: May 16th at DO

Stacey Fields has been placed with Mrs. Scroggins for student teaching beginning in the Fall of 2014 for a full semester. (Missouri Southern)

Please take a moment to review the following schedules to be prepared for the changes reflected in your regular routines.

MAP Master Schedule

NWEA Schedule- Spring 2014

Tidbits to pass along:

1. MAP-A for Special Education students is changing right along with MAP and the Smarter Balance Testing format. In order to keep everyone up to date on current information the new MAP-A is DLM(Dynamic Learning Maps). You will here of this as we move forward with field testing of students and training of our SPED staff. From what I have learned is it quite involved but will give a better snapshot of learning progression of students.

2. BI field tested the Smarter Balance this year with the use of laptops from mobile labs and learned that they interacted better for the Smarter Balance testing than they do for NWEA. This is good news for us as we look to utilizing resources we have available for our 3rd grade students being tested next year.

Bucket Fillers: Corey Huddleston has been a hero for CRE today helping one of our friends find successful moments in his day. Corey is “smooth” in his ways with de-escalation. Way to go Mr. Huddleston!

Jeff Garr has really settled into his role here at CRE. I appreciate his attention  to detail and his “go with the flow” approach to the day. Jeff has certainly been a great addition to our family.

Lora Molina and our Fabulous Kitchen Team have rallied behind our efforts to provide Grab N Go Breakfast for our students. This is just one of many times they stepped up for Kids! It’s an honor to work beside such a strong team.

MAP Committee Reps… Yay!! You Rock!! … thank you for your countless time spent planning for a memorable testing season.

Michelle

April 9, 2014

EMINTS: Please let me know if you are interested in eMints or eMints4 all training for next year?  We didn’t start a class this year because of the move.  The program fits better for teachers in a regular classroom. Cindy Matzat is the instructor.  Teachers that participate do get paid to attend the classes.  Let me know if you are interested.
Student Teachers: We currently have two student teachers assigned to CRE for the fall of 2014. Jordan Randoll will be working with Ms. Yabusaki in 1st and Ariel Pearson will be working under Mrs. Harris in 3rd. Mrs. Thompson is in the process of gathering additional information on a 3rd request for student teaching at CRE in the fall as well.  We will share that assignment once all information is finalized.
There is a Service Learning project up for grabs: Divas Half Marathon and 5k,  where our school will receive a $200 donation from the Divas organization for each time slot you work.  Students may participate and count in your numbers at the station but need to be supervised by adults.   This event will take place on Sun. May 5th from 6 a.m. to 11a.m. and would be adults and children hosting a drink station on the loop. If you are interested and would like more information, just let me know.District Office PLC has been rescheduled for May 23rd at CRI from 3:00-4:00. Please be punctual as we plan to begin and end on time.

As a reminder when purchasing incidentals for use in your classroom, the expectation is that you would continue to use the school Walmart card when applicable or present the Tax Exempt Letter at the time of purchase. We will not longer reimburse the sales tax portion of incidental purchases.

Grades for 4th Quarter: Grades are due June 2nd, Hard copies and email blast will go out on June 4th

Bucket Fillers: Jane Hasler and Melissa Halbrook created a Spring wall display and made the snowflakes go away. Thank you both for your extra efforts to pour into the Climate of CRE.
April Mulnik hosted a Writer’s Celebration that highlighted her students skill level in the writing process and gave them reason to celebrate all their hard work. Memorable experiences such as this, create moments for students and teachers to reference for years to come. Thank you, April.
Michelle Brown is masterful at keeping many balls in the air. I appreciate, so often, her gentle prodding on topics in need of my attention. Thank you, Michelle for your dedication and steadfast commitment.
REMEMBER::: Faculty Meeting at 7:15 in the morning 4/10/14… breakfast starts at 7:00
Michelle

April 7, 2014

Happy Tuesday, friends. I don’t know about you but this weather keeps me guessing from day to day on how to dress. So far this week I have been freezing. It looks like it may warm up starting on Wednesday.

I will be heading to District Office for our weekly Admin Mtg and return to the Primary for the Elem Admin Mtg in the afternoon. We are working an a lengthy agenda so I anticipate being out of pocket for most of the day. Mrs. Thompson and I will be close if an urgent need should arise.

If you were unable to meet with an American Fidelity representative this past week, please let me know.

April 18 Good Friday- No Student or Teacher Attendance

Bucket Fillers: Leah Edwards brought in an additional $350 for our Cold Water Challenge, so we were able to gift $375 to each family. It is amazing when you share a family/child’s story how many people can relate or empathize and give of themselves. Thank you Leah for being resourceful!!

John Helsel “BROUGHT IT” during our PLC SWOT Analysis. While the topics were widespread and created momentum for future planning, it was refreshing to hear the passion for “kid first” planning. Good to hear from you John!!!

Daralyn, Sara, Jennifer, and Donna hosted second round teaching interviews today. I appreciated their willingness to prepare their classes and set the stage for our candidates to shine.

Michelle

April 3, 2014

These pics of Mr. Engel’s class field trip were too good not to share!!! I appreciate Mr. Engel and Mr. Huddleston’s efforts to facilitate a memorable experience for their students.

engel fieldtrip

I have an Aver Document Camera for someone to test out for us. This is a device we would like feedback on in comparison to the Hue Cameras. If you are interested in taking a look at the Aver Camera and providing feedback it is in my office for checkout. I would appreciate insight on several building representatives.

PBIS Update: CRE received a 100% on our SET Evaluation for PBIS implementation. Please review the attached link to the document that highlights the areas of strength and feedback on where to focus our attention in preparation for next year. This is just one step in the process we have initiated for school recognition status. The great news is that the expectation is that we would fall behind with this year of transition, but this team stepped up and did not drop the ball at all in focusing on positive behavior interventions. This is a huge accomplishment and speaks very highly to the faculty and staff here at CRE. #proudprincipal

Take a moment and thank a member of our CRE PBIS Team as they have lead us all through this process which has required more intentional effort during this year of transition.

Branson Cedar Ridge Elem SET 2013-14

Data Day Reflection: The instructional conversations hosted during data days are impressive. I truly believe this time spent collaborating about specific scenarios is what enables us to move academically. I am impressed with the level of academic focus and recognize the depth to which we know our students. Thank you for your good work!

Hiring Update: We have scheduled second round teaching interviews for next week. It is an exciting time as we finalize the hiring process for both the 1st and 2nd grade positions here at CRE.

Billy Long has cancelled his visit to CRE, at this time we are not planning to reschedule this event.

Bucket Fillers: Everyone who donated and/or participated in the Cold Water Challenge yesterday really “showed up” for kids that day. It is moments like that when I can feel the impact our team has and can have on our students and their families. The connections we have are a lifeline to these families in their time of need. We will all, if you have not already, experience a life crisis of some kind and it is critical to have a healthy support system in place. I am proud and honored to be a layer of support for the Guaer’s and the Major’s at this point in their journey. Yesterday gave each of the boys something to look forward to, whether to experience in person or watching the video with his family. Hope goes along way for children and families in crisis. $400 dollars does provide a little relief and with that comes HOPE!!! Thank you all!!!

Donna Schisler did not hesitate when asked to help me out this afternoon. Around this place you just roll with the flow sometimes, and that she did. I sure appreciate her cooperative nature and insight in many aspects of shared decision making. Donna, you are a valued representative of our CRE Family.

April Mulnik does a great job of passing along information related to the pulse of the building. I am one person and need information from difference aspects of the school business. I value her thoughts and appreciate the communication based on what is best for our students.

Michelle