PBIS Unity Video

This our last installment this year of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Video series for Dixie Sun. In this video We discuss Unity and how being united as a school helps us to be a strong school. A few things we discuss are;

• United States is united as a people even thought we don't think the same way or do the same things.
• To show unity we;
• Look for ways to help others
• Do an act of kindness every day
• Give everyone the benefit of the doubt
• Be positive
• Share what you know with others
• Music shows unity by all instruments working together to form one piece of music.
• Dancing is a motivator and when all else fails we need to dance.
• Be happy in our school, in our community, in our state, in the United States.
• No student left behind.

PBIS Safety Video

This our fourth installment this year of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Video series for Dixie Sun. In this video we discuss being safe at school. Safety at school is very important so students feel safe and secure at school. A few things we discuss are;

• Everybody needs to be happy.
• Don't wrestle at school
• No hitting
• No Play Fighting
• No Kissing
• No pushing and Kicking others
• No tackling
• Wait your turn on the slides
• Play fighting
• Do not call names cause we want others to feel happy
• Everyone wants to feel safe
• Emotions
• Emotions mean you are being moved
• Vocabulary lesson (emovere)
• Tell people how you feel
• I feel  ____ when you _____. Next time will you please _____. Thank you.
• You need to mean it when you are sorry. 
• I am sorry. I  _____. I was wrong because ______. The next time I will _____. Please forgive me.
• Everyone has a right to feel safe.

Time for a break

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.

Time for a break —
Christmas break is a needed time for all educators to take time and reflect on the year you have had. It gives us two weeks to have fun with our families and forget some of the things that have happened in the first five months of the school year. When students come back from Christmas break they seem to be a little different. Most of the time they are a little more mature. They do come back ready to see their friends, teachers, and get back into school. Please take the time to enjoy your holiday. Don’t spend too much time at the school preparing, especially new teachers. You need the time off. Enjoy your time with your family. Enjoy time away from school. Enjoy the season. Enjoy life.

Quote I’m pondering —
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”
― Anne Lamott

What I’m listening to —
Radio Garden
Just in case you are missing home and want to hear a radio station from anywhere close to home. I love the Hawaiian and LA radio stations, but they have many here from around the states and around the world. Check out Barrow, Alaska. Then look it up on the map. Yes, there is a radio station there. Put on the headphones and go home.

What I’m watching to —
12 Days of Christmas
This is great version of this song. Have a great holiday vacation.

A Big Thank You —
Thank you teachers. I appreciate all that you do. I am in awe of the amazing things you do with our students in the little time you have with them. I know it feels like there is no time and very little getting done, but in the end, the students remember the teachers who gave time to them and loved them. The academics is important, but the learn better when they are loved. Thank you for loving the students. They are better because of it. You are wonderful. Thank you. Just Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful Christmas break. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

PBIS Being Resourceful Video

This is our third installment this year of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Video series for Dixie Sun. In this video we discuss Being Resourceful and how it can help us at school. Being resourceful can be difficult to explain. We discuss Mindset in this video. A few things we discuss are;

• Being Resourceful is to find a different way to do something challenging
• New ways to solve problems
• Change the way you think about things
• Brains are made up of Neurons
• Learning grows our brains
• When you make mistakes and learn from it your brain grows
• Mindset research
• Challenge yourself
• Push through problems
• You can do anything you put your mind to

Rah, rah, shish boom bah!

Teachers,
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.

Rah, rah, shish boom bah! —
As I worked with Annette this week, and everything I work with her, she reminds me through her actions that we all need a cheerleader to help us through our days. We are the cheerleaders for all of our students. We cheer them through the to remind them to put up their defense against the hard things. We cheer them on as we remind them they can do hard things. We cheer them on as they learn new strategies. Cheer leaders don't say the team can't do it. They give the team and fans hope that the team will overcome and win. As teachers you also need cheerleaders to remind you that you can push through the odds and teach these students that seem, at times, like they won't get it. We need to cheer on those that need our help to do better. To teach each other to be better than we were yesterday. To do our best. To fight the good fight. There is a lot that you do. Rah rah to you. We got spirit yes we do! We got spirit, how 'bout you? Annette is a great cheerleader. She reminds me that no matter what, the students are worth everything we do for them, even if they don't know it yet. So cheer each other on. If you see someone having a tough time, give them a cheer. My jalapeño cheer is a good one... everyone needs a cheerleader. Everyone.

Quote I’m pondering —
"I don't divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures... I divide the world into learners and nonlearners." Benjamin Barber

What I’m reading —
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
I love picture books. I just do. I just bought this book and just laughed. It is about a boy that gets his kite in the tree and how he tries to get it down. Persistence and resourceful. Want to read it, its in my office. Come on by and sit in the big black chair and read for a few minutes.

Favorite Article This Week —
15 Question to Replace How Was School Today?
I like how this article gives me other questions to ask my kids when they get home from school. Then I thought what am I doing at school to make sure there are good answers to these questions when our students get home.

A Big Thank You —
Thank you second grade for working so hard this week. We know it has been hard with your group of students. You have worked with them and their quirks and still show them that you care. You have gone to the edge and not jumped. Thank you. Thank you for caring so much for these students that you are willing to do whatever it takes to help them succeed. We see how hard you work. Thank you for all your hard work this week. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful Halloween weekend.

PBIS Being Respectful Video

This our next installment this year of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Video series for Dixie Sun. In this video we discuss Being Respectful. We talk about how to be respectful at school. There is also a music video with a song written by Jay Porter that gives students a way to tell others to stop bugging them. A few things we discuss are;

• Make our school look good by keeping our school clean
• Show respect for all adults
• Show respect to Safety Patrol
• How to tell others to stop bugging you
• Tell others to stop! I don't like that
• Walk away if telling the, stop doesn't work
• Tell a teacher if they do not stop
• Stop! I don't like that Music Video
• Respect yourself
• Positive Attitude
• Tell yourself you can do hard things

PBIS Again

Teachers,
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.”

PBIS Again —
I just found out I need to tell you to change the signs in your rooms. So you can change them. I would like to start out with the Responsible sign. After you change it, will you take a moment and remind your students what responsible means. I have been working on a cheer for the students to help them remember the five parts of our PBIS plan. I have it below so if you want to cheer with your students to help them remember the 5 behavior points, please do. I will be starting to make some short videos about each of the 5 words in the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Plan. I will start with Responsible in October. I will use students and teachers in the videos to help remind students how they need to act at school. I will send them out so you can show them to your students. They will start in October.

Remember the Principal’s 200 club cards. They should be handed our when students are doing something from PBIS that they need to be recognized for. This does not mean just at assemblies. I just had more printed up so I will be putting 2 in your box each Monday. Please hand them out 2 during the week. They do not need to be just for your students. If you see another student doing something amazing, please give them one. if you need more, I will give you more. Reward good behavior often and students will respond. We will Rise!

Cheer:
Teacher: At Dixie Sun we are…
Students: Responsible and Respectful!
Teacher: We will be…
Students: Resourceful and Safe!
Teacher: Dixie Sun is…
Students: United!

Quote I’m pondering —
“When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” - Alexander Den Heijer

What I’m reading —
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
I found this book many years ago after reading a column Malcolm wrote in the New Yorker magazine. I started reading it and as my team talked about it we decided to do our own team book study. We discussed the chapters and how we could use it in our classroom. We started doing our own little research projects with our students. We found that birthdays, generally, do matter. We found that the more we practiced with our students they remembered what we were doing. It changed my mindset on not just teaching, but providing new opportunities for students who normally would not have these opportunities. I lent out this book so I purchased it on my iPad to read it again. When I get it back, it will be lent out again, if you want to read it.

Favorite App/Website This Week —
Wunderground
Do you ever want a great weather app? I am not a fan of the one that came with my phone so i offer you weather underground. It is my go to weather app. It shows rain percentages, wind speeds, of course temperature, along with sunrise/sunset, nearby hurricanes and tropical storms…why would we need that???…, local road cameras to see what traffic is like in St. George, and other weather needs. The weather is changing so this might help you to remember your raincoat and galoshes, or your sun dress. Enjoy.

A Big Thank You —
Thank you Preschool teachers. I spent Thursday night with the Preschool teachers, preschoolers, and parents. What a wonderful program we have here that prepares our littlest students for kindergarten and life in general. The love they have for each student and the fun activities they prepare to help students meet their learning targets and GVC’s. Thank you Preschool teachers for all you do. You start our students off with a very positive experience so they love learning as they continue the positive experiences in the rest of our school. You are amazing. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.