Our 3 Focus Areas for the 2019-20 school year:
Communication
5 Questions to help us focus as we move into 2nd semester:
1. Am I modeling what I want to see in others? (Newsletter 1/20)
2. Am I making others better? (Newsletter 1/26)
3. Am I caring for others, personally and professionally? (Newsletter 2/2)
4. Am I making others feel valued?
This week when one of our team members brought up completed Cougar Cards to send out, she commented how surprised she was that there were so many great kids on the list that hadn't received a card yet this year. I looked at the list this weekend and she's right! We've recognized a lot of students this year with a card, but there are many more that we haven't.
We challenge each other at the beginning of the year to set a positive tone and look for ways to recognize students with a Cougar Card right off the bat, especially if we think they may struggle later. While this is a good practice, we also need to think about the ones that do great stuff all of the time. It may not be that they need the recognition to do the work that they have already been doing, it’s just that everyone needs to feel valued no matter how well they do.
Sometimes we forget to recognize those students that do great everyday? We just come to expect it. But most kids want validation. They want to know what they are doing is "right" and appreciate being acknowledged for their efforts.
Writing Cougar Cards lets us make “deposits” in our students "value" accounts. This communication can help build relationships and can help to ensure that all of our students feel like a valued part of the CN Jr/Sr HS community.
5. Do I care about who's right, or what's best for kids?
Reading
http://www.guysread.com
The above website is under construction, but Samuel and I found it while looking for books he might like. If you are looking for books for boys, you can check out the Guysread website or if you have any of these let me know.
Social/Emotional Learning
Please see the image below shared by Mrs. Gard. Thank you for sharing and helping us to consider changing our perspective. Sometimes it is hard to remember that students with emotional difficulties are limited in their ability to cope, communicate, and relate. We must take time to understand and accommodate just as we would for students with learning difficulties or physical limitations. We are not all the same, but we all deserve time, attention, and understanding.
