MMM052316 Last Week

Dear Deep Creek Family, 

As our year together comes to a close, I want to thank each of you for your hard work. We leave tired as we have done our very best all year. My hope is the summer will be a time of refreshing and renewal so you have the strength to come back and do your amazing work another year. 

Our first set of FSA data for 3rd grade is awesome! My hope is the rest of our data will follow the same pattern. Much accolades to our third grade team for their collaborative approach all year which has resulted in fantastic scores and improvement from the year before. 

Since we will not be together when FSA results come out, I recently read the following and would like you to keep it in mind:

Schools undertake performance benchmarking to identify their position relative to other schools or education systems. This sort of benchmarking is useful when a school wants to gauge the levels of performance they will need to reach the levels of “the best.”

Schools undertake strategic benchmarking to identify the strategies and approaches that have enabled high-performing schools to succeed. This sort of benchmarking is useful when a school wants to identify potential solutions to improving their own performance.

Of course, performance benchmarking and strategic benchmarking are often linked together.

The district and the media will take care of the performance benchmarking for us. It will be important that we use the strategic benchmarking ourselves for our growth. We must remember where we have come from and where we are going! I started the year with the Mission Possible prezi and within it there was a quote that said "Perfection is a direction not a destination!" We will always be climbing uphill. So stay in shape by sharpening your saw. Read a book or attend a professional development this summer. I'll be glad to recommend a book, loan you one, or purchase one if you just ask. 

I don't know how to insert the song, so I am including the music video for "The Climb". One of my favorite songs and appropriate for the topic this week. 

Thank you for EVERYTHING! 

Enjoy your summer, 

Adrienne 

MMM051616

Good Morning Deep Creek Family, 

Nine days that is all that is left. As everyone begins the countdown, I ask you all to think about it as 9 days left to impact the lives of a student in your room. Not all of the children in your room go home for a fun filled summer. Some of our students will do without many things you provide: breakfast and lunch, hugs, intellectual stimulation, the opportunity to be a leader, the safety of your classroom, the friendships of their peers, conversation, the opportunity to have a better life. When I was in the classroom, I remember thinking it was one or two students in my room so maybe it wasn't so bad. Now that I see things more globally, I know it is one or two in each of our classrooms. Which equals about 20% of our population. This is heartbreaking to me. Many wonder why I am so against the watching of movies at school. It is for the reasons listed above and most homes have televisions which become the babysitter to our students over the summer. Every year things happen, some of our students will not return for one reason or another. We have taught them, challenged them, now it's time to just enjoy them. Do stimulating activities with your students that you haven't been able to do. Yes keeping structure is important but hopefully some of the pressure is lifted. Please take the next 9 days to be THAT PERSON to your students. 

I do understand that we all need a break. I just ask that you take into consideration the things I said above and make the most of the last nine days. 

Thanks for all you do, 

Adrienne 

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Deep Creek Family,

I believe Staff Appreciation Week was a huge success.  It is very rewarding being able to thank you all for the work you do each and every day for our students.  I am not Star Wars expert, but I enjoyed the Star Wars Theme, of course the food, and the trivia each day that Mrs. McElroy and our PTO came up with for the week.  Also a huge thank you to our BBBB Committee for the work they did in making that event a success.  I do believe that I finally have the glitter out of my hair, and I am very proud of Mrs. McElroy for wearing a bucket of green Cheerios.  Truly a great ending to the week and a fun week for our students.

(Gentlemen, you can stop reading now, your day is next month.)

I also want to take the time to thank all of our "mothers", and yes, and I am also talking to those staff members that do not have children of their own.  Each of you have a group of children that you love unconditionally in your class, or others that see all our students daily.  These students don't always, or may never appreciate all that you do for them, but unfortunately that is often the way a Mother's love goes.  It can never be repaid, it is often unappreciated, but you know it is always there.  Thank you all for caring for our students and loving them even when it's hard.  I hope you all enjoyed your day.

Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do. ~Author Unknown



Looking forward to a great week,
James

Staff Appreciation 2016

Good Morning Deep Creek Family, 

I really hope you enjoy the week! Don't forget to refresh your memory on Star Wars trivia for the daily challenge. Please see a menu preview below.

Thanks for all you do,
Adrienne

“A true disciple shows his appreciation by reaching further than his teacher.”  -Aristotle