Fridy Focus - April 26, 2013

• Our Spring Book Fair continues until next Wednesday.
• Honor Roll assemblies are on Monday: 5th grade at 8:15, 3rd grade at 9:00, and 4th grade at 9:45.
• Super Citizens' Ceremony is on Tuesday and Terrific Kids Assembly on Wednesday.
• SAC and PTA meetings are next Thursday evening.
• Interim Reports go home on Thursday.
• Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast is on Friday at 8:15 AM.
• Next Friday is our AR Celebration Day.

Article of the Week - Now that FCAT is over, how about a look into how we might assess creativity?  What do you think?  Is it Possible to Measure Creativity?  How about a rubric for that same purpose?  Creativity Rubric

Video of the Week - Reasoning About Multiplication and Division  How do the students learn from each other?  How does the teacher give the students time to think through their ideas?  

Quote of the Week - In honor of Shakespeare's birthday this week - "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."  Sounds about right to me.

Friday Focus - April 19, 2013

• Please remember that we are testing the 5th grade students in the Media Center next week, Monday through Thursday.  The Media Center will be closed and the main hallway will not be accessible.  Please utilize the cafeteria and Music room doors located in the first grade hallway and the outside door for the Art room.  We appreciate your assistance in creating as optimal a learning environment as possible for our 5th graders.  
• Our Spring Book Fair will begin next Friday in the Media Center.  
• Next Friday night is our Floranada Showcase.  Hope to see you there.

Quote of the Week - "You may have a million desires to be in other places, doing other things, but you are not there, you are here." - Proverb.  Be here now.  

Friday Focus - April 12, 2013

• 
  • FCAT is next week.  Please remember that we are following the FCAT schedule for Monday through Thursday.  
  • Falcon Express articles are due to Mrs. Olstein on Wednesday. 
  • Report cards go home on Thursday.  
  • Don't forget to send me your Terrific Kids' names today.
  
  
  Strategy of the Week - Check out this video from TeachingChannel - Talk Moves  See how the teacher encourages all of her students to participate and how she has taught them to encourage and motivate each other.  
  
  
  2nd Strategy of the Week - I might have sent this one previously, but I absolutely love this as it revolves around our direction for centering education around text and text-based discussions.  Active Listening  What a great skill to pass on to students not only for their education, but for life!
  
  
  Quote of the Week - This one is great for when you ever feel like life has handed you something difficult.  Always know that you will become a better person for having gone through your hardships.  "In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." - Albert Camus
  
  

Friday Focus - April 5, 2013

• Last night our SAC finalized our new mission statement.  Thank you to everyone for your contributions in determining what our day to day work here at Floranada should look like.  Our new mission statement is - "Our Floranada community challenges and empowers students to reach their highest potential by fostering creative thinking in a safe, collaborative learning environment."
• Report Cards are due to Team Leaders on Tuesday and to administration on Thursday.
• PLCs are scheduled to meet next Thursday at 2:15.
• Honor Roll names are due to Mrs. Tusa and Terrific Kids' names are due to Mr. Peters on Friday.  

Article of the Week - Give Math a Thumbs Up  This is a short but interesting article.  What do you think?

Quote of the Week - "What do we live for, if it's not to make life less difficult for each other?" - George Eliot.  Makes sense to me.  Are you making life easier for those around you?