October 12th-October 16th

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Dates and Details
8:10-8:25, 8:30-8:45 Star in Motion! This week we start the REAL Star In Motion beginning with day 1 in the plans. The first new song is Good Life, it's a slow one, and easy, and probably won't take the whole time so we may fill the time Monday with 5-6-7-8 or PBJ time. Tuesday we add Thriller! We will walk through the steps for the new dances. And I have been practicing. LOL. I do find that I am able to get in from drop off to participate in both grade level times and I have been loving it!

Intervention continues! Here's the schedule. 

October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am. Check out Google Classroom for a few docs to review in advance.
October 15th- Dive In PD! This week we have two sessions happening- a Prodigy Math Playdate for 2nd-5th grades hosted by Tammy, Susie, and TJ, and TK-1 Writer's Workshop- getting started in Hope's room. Both of these will be conversation and idea sharing style.
October 21 Star cadre - all staff meeting at 8:00 am in the staff room
October 22- No Dive in PD-- conference prep
October 26-30 Minimum days for conferences (progress reports go home at this time, conferences for all students) *No intervention during minimum days
Star Academy Red Ribbon Week: October 26-30th
Red Ribbon National Theme: “Respect Yourself, Be Drug Free”
http://www.redribbon.org/
Social Media Campaign - Show your school spirit on Facebook or Twitter and share how you’re making #healthychoices all week long!
Monday - Day 1: #MindfulMonday #NCSRedRibbonWeek #NCSStar
Share a picture of something that brings you happiness or peace!
Spirit Day: Pajama Day

Tuesday - Day 2: #ChooseHealthy #NCSRedRibbonWeek #NCSStar
Choose Healthy! Share a picture of your healthy food choices today!
Spirit Day: “Aloha” Theme/Tropical Style

Wednesday - Day 3: #GetActive #NCSRedRibbonWeek #NCSStar
How do you get active? Share a picture of what you do to burn energy!
Spirit Day: Sports Team/Active Clothing

Thursday - Day 4: #KindnessMatters #NCSRedRibbonWeek #NCSStar
Kindness Matters! Share an act of kindness that you did for someone or that someone did for you!
Spirit Day: “Crazy” for Kindness Dress Day - Wear mismatched or extra bright/colorful clothing!

Friday - Day 5: #SayBooToDrugs #NCSRedRibbonWeek #NCSStar
Say “Boo” to Drugs and make healthy choices for life! Share a picture of something you enjoy doing during the fall season or the month of October!
Spirit Day: Say “Boo” to Drugs: Wear a Costume or Orange & Black Clothing
(no masks, “weapons”, 0r scary/gory costumes)
October 28- no late start - and Jog-a-Thon! Schedule TBA
October 28 no mtg / min day
October 29th- No Dive In PD- parent conferences
November 5th- Dive In PD Got Mentor Texts? Come explore how to use your favorite books to create mini lessons that focus on ideas, craft, and structure.

Mindful Minute 
(from http://buddhaimonia.com/50-mindfulness-meditation-tips-for-beginners/)
Look for “moments of nourishment”

Find it difficult to carve out time to sit and meditate? One of the great things about mindfulness is you can do it anywhere, and that means even those times you typically feel are wasted like sitting in a waiting room or in your car during a long commute.

These are what I call potential “moments of nourishment”, little bits of time in your day where you can slip in your meditation practice that would otherwise be unproductive or just boring wastes of time.

Of course your goal should be to practice mindfulness throughout your day, but practicing in this way is a really effective way to grow your practice in the beginning and can have a big impact in lowering your stress level and helping you find a sense of peace between the chaos and craziness of your everyday activities.

September 28th-October 2nd #everydayheroes

A little bit of Star Academy at Skywalker Ranch!

First, I want to say that although it's fun to get away and it really recharges my batteries to get to teach and learn with grownups, I really miss you guys and the kids. I also try to be all in where ever I am, and don't check my work email during the day...but I am typically on Twitter! Can I just tell you how much I loved seeing the tweets come out of Star on Thursday and Friday? TK at Fairytale Town, Star in Motion, 2nd grade at the library, and paper mache art all popped up on my Tweetdeck and made me smile! I hope you also know that where ever I go, I'm mostly talking about you all and the things that make Star so awesome! I try to bring a little bit of Star with me.

Stars in motion! @MissKloczko the leader & our admin for the day @ucdjoe working it! @StarAcademyNCS #ncsstar pic.twitter.com/hCjaYgvhwH

— Julie Torres (@mrsjulietorres) September 24, 2015

Yoda selfie #pooponhisheadoops

Our theme for the 3 days at #cuerockstar? The hero's journey

What makes a hero?

Some of my #leadwild principal friends and 
one of the few photos of the facility

Bringing Star to Skywalker? Yes!

Check out these school leaders getting down and doing the Dino Stomp! Have a great week!

.@ValVerdeSupt and @CandaceReines getting the day started with @GoNoodle pic.twitter.com/dguNoFtcpi

— Joseph Williams (@jswilliams) September 26, 2015

.@jcorippo dancing with @GoNoodle at #cuerockstar pic.twitter.com/MDhCPVRrTF

— Joseph Williams (@jswilliams) September 26, 2015

Dates and Details
8:10-8:25, 8:30-8:45 Star in Motion! We have parent coming to help on most of the days but it would be great if we could all help lead- even from the side :) I'll be back out at pickup and Joan is on vacation- we should have parents but just in case, we'll do one more week of 5-6-7-8 and Peanut Butter Jelly Time. I will have the headset mic set up and iPod ready to go, and I'll have the new routines for after fall break ready for you in your box. We will begin the real program October 12th.
Intervention continues! Here's the schedule. 
September 30 prep Wednesday
September 30 3rd grade to Auburn Nature Center
October 1st 1:45-2:15 PFAA Dance Assembly for 2nd-5th graders in the gym
October 3 Area 3 Writing Project Super Saturday
October 5-9 Fall Break!
October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am
October 21 Star cadre - all staff meeting at 8:00 am in the staff room
October 26-30 Minimum days for conferences (progress reports go home at this time, conferences for all students) *No intervention during minimum days
October 28- no late start - and Jog-a-Thon!
October 28 no mtg / min day

Mindful Minute: Everyday Heroes

You are my heroes, you are the heroes of our school, and for our kids! Here's a little Kid President to get your week off to a happy start!

September 21st-25th #tellingourschoolstory #mindfulness

Twitter, Facebook, and Blog Posts- oh my!

#tellingourschoolstory

There's no doubt who's telling our school story- everyone! We have teachers tweeting out awesome pictures of exciting things happening in classrooms. Kids and teachers are blogging. We have parents posting on Facebook in our Star Academy families group and classroom groups. Our counselor posts about mindfulness. Parents are posting pictures of a singing and dancing principal because they think it would be fun if I would do that in the parking lot (I would!) Thank you for telling our school story all day every day. Even when I'm off campus, or in my office, I can still see magic everywhere. 

You rock!

Dates and Details
September 21st Star in Motion begins! We have parent coming to help on most of the days but it would be great if we could all help lead- even from the side :) I'll be there Monday and Tuesday to help.
September 21st Intervention starts! Here's the schedule. Day 1 goal? Get everyone to their correct spot!
September 23 PIP - on your own
September 24th- Jennifer gone (CUE Rockstar Admin) Joe is in charge
September 24th Dive into PD 3:15-4:15  I heard a rumor Joe is talking Minecraft this week!
September 25th Jennifer gone (CUE Rockstar Admin) Amy is in charge
September 25th field trips- 2nd grade walks to library and TK goes to Fairytale Town
September 25 Minimum Day (planning)
September 26th Cap Cue Tech Fest at the Main Campus
September 30 prep Wednesday
September 30 3rd grade to Auburn Nature Center
October 3 Area 3 Writing Project Super Saturday
October 5-9 Fall Break!
October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am
October 21 Star cadre
October 26-30 Minimum days for conferences (progress reports go home at this time, conferences for all students)
October 28 no mtg / min day

Mindful Minute

The Buddy Bench

just one example of a Buddy Bench

Tammy let me know she had a parent to build our first buddy bench, and was just looking for donations for supplies. I posted the info on the Star Facebook page and within an hour had THREE people each donate enough for a bench-- meaning we will have three benches! If you haven't heard of the Buddy Bench, check out this post. Thanks to Tammy's idea and our awesome parents, we'll have three benches to inspire kindness and friendship with our kids!

September 14th-September 18th

Teach on the table?

Getting mullety

Math talk

It was a day about math, and so much more. Math practices, hype, getting kids STOKED about school. It was awesome to see so many ideas implemented the very next day-- and in subject areas besides math. Thanks for all you do to learn, grow, and make our school an amazing place for kids!

Dates and Details

September 14-17 upper grade GLAD demo in Jenny's room
September 16- Math and Literacy Cadre meetings 8:00-9:00 am-- 
Literacy room F2 Main campus
Math room E4 Main campus
September 17th Dive into PD 3:15-4:15 This week's theme is STEAM - post a link to share or explore in the doc. Sphero painting is just one idea I saw this week!

September 18 picture day
September 23 PIP - on your own
September 25 Minimum Day (planning)
September 26th Cap Cue Tech Fest at the Main Campus
September 30 prep
October 3 Area 3 Writing Project Super Saturday
October 5-9 Fall Break!
October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am
October 21 Star cadre
October 26-30 Minimum days for conferences (progress reports go home at this time, conferences for all students)
October 28 no mtg / min day

Mindful Minute
Looking for a way to relax? I'm loving my new coloring book and amazing pens (thanks Tammy for the recommendation!)

August 31st- September 4th

Construction begins tomorrow!

This week we'll begin planning for our new differentiation block that will provide struggling students with an additional layer of support and will help provide a time for every student to get just what they need. This week, we'll take a look at our student data and begin to dive into these questions:

What do we want our students to learn?

How do we know if each student is learning?

How do we respond when students are struggling?

How can we enrich and extend learning for students who are proficient?

Every classroom has students with unique abilities, strengths and areas for growth. There are also may structures already in place at Star that help students feel challenged, engaged, and supported. We are ready to take it to the next level!

Dates and Details
September 2 Star staff meeting in Susie's room 8 am - please bring laptops
September 2 Love & Logic 6-8 (first session) click here for info
September 7 No School - Labor Day
September 8 NCS PD Day. 8 AM main campus, 10-4 Star for La Cucina Matematica!
September 9 grade level meeting
September 14-17 upper grade GLAD demo in Jenny's room
September 18 picture day
September 16 K-12 cadre
September 23 PIP - on your own
September 25 Minimum Day (planning)
September 26th Cap Cue Tech Fest at the Main Campus
September 30 prep
October 3 Area 3 Writing Project Super Saturday
October 5-9 Fall Break!
October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am
October 21 Star cadre
October 28 no mtg / min day

Mindful Minute

August 24-28 Positive Power!

The Power of Positivity

image credit

This past week, I read a post on Edutopia- The Power of the Positive Phone Call Home, and literally when I got home I happened to read a post from one of our parents on her Facebook page about just that! That Facebook post was the first of many happy and positive notes I read about our school and staff this week, and one of our first grade students even emailed her teacher! Thank you for all you do to create such a happy and positive environment at Star! If you've received some love this week, please share in the comments at the end of the post. It's been a fabulous first two weeks!

Dates and Details

August 25th SST Torres in conference room 3:30-4:00
August 26th Star staff meeting- PIPs - we'll meet in the staff lounge to chat briefly and brainstorm topics
August 27th Jennifer off campus all day (after 9:30), Joe Wood in charge. 
August 27th STEAM Team parent meeting 5:30-7 
August 27th  Dive in to Learning 3:15-4:15 Add some notes to the board ;)
August 28 Minimum Day and Project Lead the Way Training! 1:30-3:30 led by Carly and Susie location TBA
September 2 Star staff meeting in Susie's room 8 am - please bring laptops
September 2 Love & Logic 6-8 (first session) click here for info
September 7 No School - Labor Day
September 8 NCS PD Day. 8 AM main campus, 10-4 Star for La Cucina Matematica!
September 9 grade level meeting
September 14-17 upper grade GLAD demo in Jenny's room
September 18 picture day
September 16 K-12 cadre
September 23 PIP
September 25 Minimum Day (planning)
September 30 prep
October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am
October 21 Star cadre
October 28 no mtg / min day

No Office Day starts in September! This year I'm looking forward to being out of my office most of the time! If you are new to Star, you've probably noticed me out and about and in your rooms. I love to be out of my office and with kids, teachers, and staff! Last year, I was able to be out on Mondays, and this year I'm hoping to be out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week. Tuesday will be my official "office day" (ish) where I'll catch up on paperwork as needed. Starting in September, I'll have a No Office Day doc where you can sign up to have me co-teach, assist, or I can teach your class so you can get out and see your colleagues in action! Otherwise, just plan on seeing me around campus. I'll bring my notebook and my book and I will just join in on whatever is happening! This week, I'll be out as much as possible and am just wrapping up the beginning of the year setup of enrichment, POs, etc that take a bit more office time. 

Have a great week!
Jennifer

Back to School August 17-21

image credit

Diving in... the first week of school! Congratulations on a fabulous first week back! It was so fun to be out and about in classrooms, at drop off and pickup, and at our first Workout Wednesday walk! Students are excited to be back and your hard work and preparation are evident everywhere! Students and teachers were diving in to many things this week and teachers tackling content engaging way starting the first week of school! Here are some of the things I loved this week:

choice time in kinder

dress up!

building in k

5th grade Go Noodle

2nd grade Star in Motion

1st grade Star in Motion

1st grade Go Noodle!

Growth Mindset in 5th grade!

Building community in 3rd grade

Two truths and a lie

First selfie stick shot

Working out!

Health and happiness!

Thanks for a great week!

Dates and Details!
August 18 BTSN TK, K, 4th, 5th (5:30 in the gym, 6:15 present in rooms)
August 19 BTSN 1st, 2nd, 3rd (5:30 in the gym, 6:15 present in rooms)
August 19 grade level
August 26 PIP - we'll meet in the staff lounge to chat briefly and brainstorm topics
August 28 Minimum Day and Project Lead the Way Training! 1:30-3:30 led by Carly and Susie location TBA
September 2 Star staff meeting in Susie's room 8 am
September 2 Love & Logic 6-8 (first session) click here for info
September 7 No School - Labor Day
September 8 NCS PD Day. 8 AM main campus, 10-4 Star for La Cucina Matematica!
September 9 grade level
September 14-17 upper grade GLAD demo in Jenny's room
September 18 picture day
September 16 K-12 cadre
September 23 PIP
September 25 Minimum Day (planning)
September 30 prep
October 14 Star staff meeting in Amy's room 8 am
October 21 Star cadre
October 28 no mtg / min day


Mindful Minute
Did you know coloring can be as relaxing as meditation? Try this free app recommended by Caroline: Colorfy! A coloring book app for adults!

Tammy also shared the adult coloring books last year - there are a bunch on Amazon! Click here to check them out.

Here are some other mindfulness apps you might enjoy: http://www.mindful.org/free-mindfulness-apps-worthy-of-your-attention/     My favorite is Calm.