Beating the February Fatigue

Today's blog idea comes from Matt Thompson.  Matt is currently Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning for Scott County Schools.  Below he describes a contest he conducted as principal of Deep Springs Elementary.  The staff would turn in a comic with an alternate caption  based on the theme or topic on top of the comic.  When all comics with captions were submitted, a judging team would rank the entries and the one with the best score would win a gift certificate for dinner.  What a great idea that allows your staff to be both creative but also blow off some steam.

Below is more on the contest, the scoring criteria and three of the comics that were used for the contest.

Starting this week we will have new contest in which someone will win a gift certificate to one of Lexington’s many wonderful restaurants each week.

Each week, we will hand out a comic (strip or one panel) with a specific topic.  Your job will be to provide the caption for the comic within the requested topic.  Points will be awarded for:

• Creativity
• Humor
• Links to life/experiences at Deep Springs

Below is a sample of something that would be appropriate:

Mock Interviews

A good way to motivate teachers and staff is to highlight unique events they organize.   The other evening  I participated in such an event.  The biomedical teachers at Elkhorn Crossing School set up mock interview session for senior students with members of the community.  Outside of the official interview, the students, teachers, administrators and members of the community were able to mingle and become more familiar with the expectations of the business world.  This was a great night for all involved.    As we look for ways to make learning more relevant and to find ways to incorporate the local community, I recommend reading the description below.

The biomedical sciences village at Elkhorn Crossing School hosted the first annual Professional Night at ECS. Fifteen seniors completing the capstone biomedical innovations course participated in mock interviews with industry professionals to gain real world experience in the interview process.  Prior to Professional Night, Dr. Adams, biomedical sciences instructor, worked with students on creating a resume and letter of application for current job opportunities and future dream careers. Students also received a crash course on professional interview attire. With resume in hand, students participated in two mock interviews on Professional Night with extensive feedback from industry professionals on their overall performance.  

Click on picture to see  large panoramic view

Hats Off To Our Staff

As I said in mentioned in my last post, I am going to highlight some of the events from Eastern Elementary's Sunshine Club.  Below is part of an email that promotes a upcoming Read-a-Thon and it also promotes the teachers and staff.  What I really like is  the promotion shows all staff members and it promotes the importance of reading to students.  

Eastern Elementary has a new way to celebrate its staff …. with a display created by Erica Wachter saying “Hats Off To Our Staff!”  All staff members posed with a Dr. Seuss striped hat for a photo which was then displayed in the front hallway.  The display is a part of the birthday celebration for Dr. Seuss that Eastern will be having on March 7^th at 6:30.  It is also part of the Read-a-thon which also begins on March 7^th. 

Eastern's Sunshine Club

One of my major goals with the blog is to create a format to share ideas.  If you have an idea or event that you would like to share, send me an email and I will post it.  Below, I highlight part of an email from Kelsey Davis of Eastern Elementary.

Really awesome stuff is going on at Eastern Elementary in Georgetown, Ky.  Kelsey Davis and the teachers are organizing a "Sunshine Club", a club that will focus on how to have monthly events to increase student and staff morale.  Over the next couple of weeks I will highlight different aspects and events of the club.
One of the first events is a contest to match faculty names to his or her baby picture.  This is such a great contest because of the conversations it will generate among the faculty.  I have copied and pasted part of the email below that describe part of the process.  I will add other ideas from the "Sunshine Club" and hopefully a couple of the official baby pictures over the next week or two.

One of our first official orders of business is a contest involving your oh-so-adorable baby pictures and trying to identify who the faculty member is. There  are prizes involved for the best guesser! Anyone and everyone is welcome to submit a picture – the more the merrier! So please, please, please send me some baby pictures (email me the file or let me borrow the real deal for a quick scan) by MONDAY.

Student of the Week

A lot of schools recognize "Students of the Week".  In today's blog, I will highlight how Scott County High School not only recognizes academic excellence but also highlights students for leadership, effort, spirit and most improved. By recognizing students in different areas, it appreciates different strengths and it helps develop an appreciation for hard work and growth.  To develop a "Growth Mindset" we must recognize student effort and their willingness to push themselves for constant improvement. The program at SCHS does a great job of recognizing student and helps develop a growth mindset with the students. 

Mrs. Julie Marshall, French teacher, organizes the program.  One of the most unique aspects of the program is the prize list students get to select his or her prizes. What I really like is how teachers and administration personalize prizes as they add their own unique ideas to the list.  There is even a prize that allows lunch with the Principal.  Below is a list of prizes students can select: 

   Student of the Week Prize List

Please choose one(1) and return to Mrs. Marshall in Rm 246

Student’s Name:____________________

____10 minute extended lunch 1 day during your week (to be arranged with your 4^th hour teacher)

____Ticket to a sporting event of your choice (non-tournament)

____ Homemade cookies from Mrs. Napier

____2 free homework passes for Mrs. Marshall’s French class

____ 2 free tickets to the fall play

____ two free tickets to the spring musical

____ 2 free tickets to the fall choral concert

____ 2 free tickets to the winter choral concert

____ 2 free tickets to the Ice Cream concert

____ Exemption from 1 reading quiz- GOPO

____  Drop lowest quiz grade in GOPO

____ Drop lowest grade in APUSH (excluding tests)

____ Drop a homework grade from Mrs. Adkins

____ Candy bar from Mr. Marshall

____ 2008-2009 yearbook

____ 2010-11 yearbook

____  library fines forgiven

____ brownies from Mrs. Feeback

____ m&m chocolate chip cookies from Mrs Murphy

____ Drop lowest grade in WHAP (excluding tests and quizzes) (Mrs. Booth)

____ Exemption from one reading quiz or homework questions in WHAP (Booth)

____ one cheesecake from Mr. Maxwell (1 only per semester)

____ pizza lunch with Mr. Howatt

____ two bathroom passes for Ms. Manlief

____ 1 dropped weekly quiz from Ms. Mucio

____ No bake cookies from Mrs. Dant

____ drop lowest quiz score for Mrs. Faulkner’s World Civ or US history class

____ Drop lowest homework grade in Mrs. Beckett’s class

____ 1 day late pass in AP Biology with Ms. Spears

____ Drop lowest grade on the 9 weeks for Biology with Ms. Spears

____ One no dress day in PE from Mrs. Wands

____  $3 McDonalds gift certificate from Ms. Nichols

____ bag of gummy bears from Mr Gravitt

____ free rice krispie treat or no bake cookies from Mrs Pope’s class on Friday

Along with the prize students are recognized on a bulletin board at the front entrance of SCHS.   

SCHS also recognizes an outstanding member of the faculty along with a parent or volunteer of the week.

Random Acts of Kindness

February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day.

I encourage each of us as we start the work week to take time to make another person's day a little bit better.  It doesn't take much to make another person's day.  Ann Curry started 26 Random Acts of Kindness after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. I challenge each of us to keep the spirit of these 26 Acts alive.

Consider some of the following for February 17th or any day of the year:

Write a letter to someone who has made a difference in your life
Pay for another person's lunch Make copies for someone else Cover another person's duty Let someone else in front of you in lineBuy lunch for the police or firemen If you need other ideas, I have included a few links below: 
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas
102 Random Acts

G.O.O.S.E.

G.O.O.S.E.

The post below from the administration of Scott County Middle School proves you don't need to spend money to reward your staff.  Sometimes a little time off means the world to your teachers and staff.  Thanks to Cristina Green for sharing the following idea from the administration of SCMS.  

Staff members at SCMS participate in the fun of earning tickets and rewards for going above and beyond every day at their job just like students! We have been working hard to find fun and creative ways to reward staff members since their tastes differ significantlyJ. One very motivating reward we have found is our GOOSE. (Thanks to Melinda Halsey at Western and her donation of a red goose!). GOOSE stands for “Get Out Of School Early” and our teachers have a chance to win the GOOSE at each raffle drawing and have an administrator cover the last 30 minutes of their day. Some staff members have even suggested variations such as, rather than leaving early they would like to leave for lunch one day or have a certain class covered by an administrator.