Winter Break is Almost Upon Us!

The holiday spirit is in the air...Students are enjoying their daily classroom routines sprinkled with a touch of seasonal fun!  As you pass through the halls, you will see displays of student work including fascinating facts about reindeer and caribou, written expressions focusing on holiday wishes, and descriptions of family traditions.

Looking ahead:
Winter Break is Dec. 21- January 5.
Our window for MAP testing is January 6-24th. 
January will also bring mid-year assessments in the areas of reading and writing.  The teachers use this data to guide their instruction, and to meet the individual needs of students.

The gift that money can't buy...

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, fun, connection, and love. Yet those feelings are often overshadowed by the hectic rush of the holiday season in shopping for the perfect gifts, decorating, cooking and cleaning. The following poem, given to me many years ago by a very wise teacher, reminds us that the gift of time is the most precious and important gift we can give to our children.

What Shall We Give the Children?

What shall we give the children?

The holidays are almost here.

Toys, games and playthings, as we do every year?

Yes, for the magic of toy land is part of the

Yuletide Lore.

But to gladden the heart of childhood,

I shall give something more.

I shall give more patience, a more sympathetic ear.

A little more time for laughter or tenderly dry a tear.

I shall take time to teach them the joy of

doing some task.

I’ll try to find time to answer more of

the questions they ask.

Time to read books together and take long

walks in the snow.

Time for a bedtime story or sharing things we know.

I shall give these to my children, weaving a closer tie.

Knitting our lives together, with gifts money cannot buy.

 

 

 

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful winter break...

 

Looking forward to continuing out home/school partnership in 2014!

The Holidays are Approaching!

At Willow Glen, a true sign of the holidays approaching is our annual Winter Concert. Last night's program was delightful! The music selected was the perfect mix of old and new seasonal songs. The finale' was one of the best that we've had...Lights dimmed and candles lit, as a representation of how our unity makes this season so joyful. A special thank you to Mr. Chris Shanaflet, Music Teacher, and the children in grades two and three...Superb performance!

Classroom Highlights...
As you can probably imagine, the classrooms are sprinkled with holiday cheer! The students are continuing to be engaged in the Daily 5 Reading Framework, with a touch of seasonal celebrations.  Many of their writing pieces are focused on Christmas, family traditions and gift giving. Santa has crept into stories, over and over again. It really is a magical time to be in a primary school!

Teacher In-Service Day
As you know, Wednesday, December 11th was a Staff In-Service Day. While the children were at home/day care, enjoying an afternoon off, the teachers were busy at work learning about the new teacher evaluation system in Wisconsin. We spent several hours together discussing the new system, called Educator Effectiveness. The 2014-2015 school year will bring a few changes to education, one of which will be Educator Effectiveness. The system balances professional practice with student outcomes; each counting for half of an educator's overall rating. It was a system designed for teachers, by teachers. The development team was grounded in the belief that every child in every classroom deserves to have excellent teachers and excellent building leaders who are supported in their ongoing professional growth. Research confirms that teacher and principal effectiveness are the two most important factors influencing student achievement. If you would like to learn more about this, please access the Department of Public Instruction's website and search for Educator Effectiveness.

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to read!!!!!