Friday Notes - 12/4/15

First things first...

Seems impossible that my last post was in late October. Sorry for that everyone. Between the week I was gone to the conference, the week I was deathly ill, and the week of Thanksgiving...a month can slip away pretty fast. Hopefully, we'll settle down into more of a pattern and get you the critical communication you need each week.

Stuff that happened this week:

Monday, we finally got initial concept drawings back from the architect for the next round of construction. Shane, Jeff, Aaron A. and I looked them over and have begun planning to hold meetings with staff to discuss the plans as soon as next week. Looking forward to the conversations, the additional planning and finally to construction this summer.

Tuesday, the community suicide prevention coalition met. Owen and I are now both a part of the work of this committee and plans are going forward to make an impact on suicide awareness in the Sauk Prairie Community. For what it's worth, Sauk Prairie's work in this area has drawn the attention of Sauk County and it looks like the county might be cranking up their suicide prevention efforts in 2016.

Wednesday, Aaron, Aaron and I participated in a facilities planning meeting looking at all of our outdoor instructional, athletic, and co-curricular spaces. The company we are working with will have a master plan developed by the last week before break and I'm excited to see where that will go. Also on Wednesday, in our team leaders' meeting, we discussed two major items: creating a 1-to-1 environment beginning in 2016-17 using Chromebooks and making a final decision about schedule revision by March of 2016 for the 2017-18 school year. On both topics, we worked on some outstanding issues, and the entire faculty will hear more at the December 14th staff meeting.

Thursday was occupied with the district safety meeting, our weekly HS pupil services team meeting, and an amazing PACKERS Victory!!

And Friday was dominated by student behavior. :)

Office Update:

Before Thanksgiving we agreed that the Office Conference room would be returned to usability by Monday, Dec. 14th. So all office staff have been working hard in their spare moments to purge that room of detritus and get it back to conference room shape. When that is done, with the exception of a few odds and ends we are waiting on with contractors, the Summer 2015 construction projects will officially be completed....just in time for Christmas!!!

Professional Reading:

I maintain a pretty hardy professional library in my office. You're all welcome to scan the shelves anytime and if there's something that interests you, take it, read it, and bring it back. New to the library this week:

Lost at School: Why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help them by Ross Greene. Learn more at: http://www.lostatschool.org/

From Disability to Possibility: The power of inclusive classrooms by Patrick Schwarz. Learn more at: http://www.heinemann.com/products/E00993.aspx

Thanks for the Feedback: The science and art of receiving feedback well* by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. Learn more at: http://stoneandheen.com/books#thanks-feedback (*even when it is offbase, unfair, poorly delivered, and, frankly, you're not in the mood)

Questioning for Classroom Discussion: Purposeful speaking, engaged listening, deep thinking by Jackie Walsh and Beth Sattes Let more at:
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Questioning-for-Classroom-Discussion.aspx

This Week's Significant Events:

Dec. 7-11 - NHS "Giving Tree" Week

• Dec. 7 
• Elf Day 
• Dec. 8 
• Reindeer Day 
• Gymnastics vs Mount Horeb 6:30 @ Grand Ave. 
• Dec. 9 
• Red and Green Day 
• Badger Conference Principals' Meeting (Art & Business) Deforest - Leave at 11:15 AM 
• PLC Day - Early release at 1:50 PM 
• Dec. 10 
• Ugly Sweater Day 
• Giving Tree "Donate While You Dine" @ Culvers 5-9 PM 
• Wrestling vs Milton 6:15 JV &:30 Var 
• Hockey Vs Deforest 7:00 PM @ SPARC 
• Dec. 11 
• Santa Day 
• Giving Tree Raffle Drawing in Office at 3:15 PM 
• Boys' Basketball vs Waunakee 5:50 JV 7:30 Var. 

Next Week's' Significant Events:

• Dec. 14 
• Staff meeting in the RAC Gallery @ 3:40 PM 
• BOE Meeting @ Middle School 7:00 PM 
• Dec. 17 
• Holiday Tea in Office Conference Room 
• Swimming vs Verona at 6:15 PM 
• Gymnastics vs Milton at 6:30 PM @ Grand Ave. 
• Dec. 18 
• Holiday Tea (Inclement weather make-up day) 
• Boys' Basketball vs Mount Horeb - 5:50 JV 7:30 Var.