Author: Van Am Gram

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Soup…stirring the pot!

Soup…it’s warm, hearty, nourishing, filling, comforting…  It’s a great day for some homemade soup in fact with the weather turning so cold once again, so the office staff did just that during our lunch time.  With two new members added to our LME office team since October, we started a book study by one of ourSoup favorites, Jon Gordon, called Soup…A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture.  (Side note:  As a principal for many years, I should really own stock in Mr. Gordon’s company—we’ve managed to study ALL his books in some form or fashion over the years!  You can never go wrong with a JG book! )  🙂 

Soup is the story of Nancy, the CEO at Soup, Inc., a struggling company in steep decline.  Nancy is questioning her decision to run the company when she steps into Grandma’s Soup House one day, a little place that quickly becomes an unlikely source of great inspiration (often times, the answer we seek is right in front of us!).  With Grandma’s help, Nancy discovers the key ingredients to revitalize the company, the team, and herself in the process.

souptagSoup is a recipe for success for anyone in any position because it delivers the powerful message of how the quality of our daily lives (school, home, community) is really determined by the quality of our relationships with others.  The problem may be people, but the solution is also people…people matter and how we lead and work with them everyday matters most!  So, we’re positively stirring the pot with office team as we venture in 2014 in service.  After all, the one who stirs the pot is the most important ingredient in the soup…here’s hoping you stir your pot with your personal best everyday!

Thanks for those who came out today to participate in our LME Community Coffee with Dr. Stewart and his team; great job all! 

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Thanks, Mrs. Williams!

January is School Board Recognition Month and Midlothian ISD always takes the opportunity to thank our community leaders who voluntarily serve countless hours in the best interest of the our entire learning community.

Great leadership begins with a willing heart, a positive attitude, and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. We have seven individuals who exemplify these (and many other) leadership qualities in MISD:  Wayne Shuffield (president), Cindy Williams (vice-president), Todd Hemphill (secretary), Duke Burge, Keith Hitt, Jim Mentzel, and Matt Sanders.  Learn more about each board member here.

In appreciation for her work in MISD, our campus cw1adopted Cindy Williams for the month of January to celebrate her 15-year commitment and overwhelming contributions to our growing district.  Mrs. Williams participated in a special Friday Miller Rally (led by our Student Honor Council) where grade levels presented tokens of appreciation and notes, the staff prepared a homemade breakfast buffet to cw2share, StuCo led her on an engaging campus tour (as seen through the eyes of our learners), and rounded out her visit with hugs and congratulations for a job well done.  Her message to us today sums it up best:  “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching!”  Thanks, Mrs. Williams, and all our extraordinary MISD Trustees, for believing in the power of learning through your commitment, words, decisions, and community service in action!

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Too soon?

A child visited with me today by request; she’s dealing with things no child her age should have to deal with this early in life.  She’s seen and done more at her tender age than most adults by age 30.  She’s what my Granny B. called an “old soul trapped in a young body with big ideas.”

Near the end of our conversation, this child looked into my eyes and said, “You know, Mrs. Van, sometimes when you get where you’re ‘pose to be, it’s just too soon, huh?”  OH MY STARS…such a profound life statement for one too young to really understand.  I had to catch my breath while I hugged her up tight…

As the guiding adults in young learners’ lives, our educational lifecameratask is daunting most days and completely overwhelming on others, just like the task of a parent everyday!

So here’s the question to ponder today:  In our society we push and motivate for things to occur faster, neater, more efficiently, go farther, and so on, but are we trying to “get there” too soon?  Here’s hoping you take a moment to stop, reflect, and decide when “getting there” is “just right.”  🙂

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No complaining today!

One our teachers is known for telling her young learners, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!”  🙂  It’s her humorous way of reminding learners not to waste precious time complaining; move forward, work with what you’re given, and make it excellent.  I remember my Granny B. saying, “When you complain, you focus on everything else but being your personal best…”

I read an interesting article recently that noted how much images-2complaining costs our country in lost dollars, productivity, morale, engagement, and culture.  We all have things to complain about, but I propose we encourage one another to go on a complaining fast–not because it will make those around you happier (although it will), but because it will help you experience more JOY, peace, success, positive relationships, and better productivity; our staff is on this quest right now with their learners and their team.

images-1In his book, The No Complaining Rule, author Jon Gordon offers five specific ways we can actively practice the No-Complaining Fast:
1.  Practice gratitude:  Research shows when we count three blessings a day, we get a measurable boost in JOY and in our immune system to uplift and energize us.  It’s also physiological impossible to be stressed (with negativity) and thankful (with JOY) at the same time!
2.  Praise others:  Focus on what others are doing right.  Praise them and watch success rates increase.  Mistakes help us learn and grow, but for every mistake you point out to someone, give three praises later.
3.  Focus on excellence and success will follow:  Start a success (or what I call my gratitude) journal.  Write down something great about each day; you’ll look forward to creating more success the next day.  Do this with your child each day–start a list on the fridge or a special memo board so the list grows.
4.  Let go:  A dear friend of mine always says, “Let go; let God.”  Focus on the things you have the power to change and surrender things beyond your control; you’ll be amazed when you stop trying to control everything!  This is a tough one for everyone, especially young learners.
5.  Breathe:  Spend time daily deep breathing, meditating, praying . . . all of these reduce stress, boost positive energy, and promote good health.  When you are faced with the urge to complain:  stop, be still, and plug-in to your ultimate Power to recharge.  Teach your child to practice this coping skill daily.

These tips should help you realize you are not powerless; you have the power to choose your beliefs, attitudes, and actions everyday.  I tell learners at the end of our Morning Message everyday:  You have a choice everyday; I hope you choose to make it your personal best today.  Focusing on the positive, instead of the negative complaining, will help you find the faith, strength, and confidence to take on challenges and identify solutions for any complaint…no complaining!  🙂

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Bigger Than Ourselves

It started with a question in their social studies class back in October:  What am I interested in (and can do well) that would be of help to others?  Our fifth grade learners thus embarked on a special service-oriented project with fruition of each project taking place by the end our semester (this week).  movienight1They took a portion of their class time each week to work on the specifics (written plan, log, presentation, implementation notes, etc.), and to prepare their final results to share out with their classmates.  According to some 5th grade friends who visited with me, Mrs. Gunter, 5th grade social studies teacher, summed it up best:  “It is our responsibility in school to help families build character, confidence, knowledge, and skills in learners to be successful life citizens…a project where they have to positively impact the life of another person provides an engaging, meaningful learning experience while they realize their own special potential as a growing, productive citizen in our community.”

According to their results, these students successfully implemented extraordinary ideas into full action!  From dog-sitting to learning games for tiny tots to senior citizen board games to crocheting baby blankets for a local hospital, no idea was too small or too large for them to accomplish.  Bravos ‘e Bravas young ladies and gentlemen for sharing your spectacular talents, gifts, and service in remarkably kind gestures!  Your inspiration to serve others shines in a million brilliant ways; may we all aspire to be Bigger Than Ourselves in 2014 and beyond…

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READ in the new year…

It’s our annual LME tradition to READ In The New Year on the Friday we return from holiday break each year.  Today, we read in 2014 seconds, which is actually 33 minutes and 34 seconds (for all you mathematicians checking our work today).  From novels to e-readers, our classrooms were readinthenewyear2014filled with all manner of great reading materials, picture books, and special “friends” to assist in the process.  Even the office staff enJOYed some time for reading and sharing today.

Special thanks to Ms. Daniell for sharing the attached picture of first grade friends celebrating their reading success in true 2014 form!  Here’s hoping you find time soon to READ in the new year!  🙂

Note:  It is a campus goal to assist every learner in becoming a lifelong reader.  We encourage you to check out http://www.tumblebooks.com for a special reading program our school purchased for students to enJOY books at school and at home everyday.  (login = laruemillerelem; password = books)

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Like rockin’ and rollin’ fer sure…

Yes, we celebrated the 80th Day of school this year in true 80s style!  From mullets and big hair to shoulder pads, crochet collars, legwarmers, Ray Bans, and cut s80s3Kweatshirts, we had all manner of fashion, music, and trending imaginable–especially from our staff members.  While we have a few staff members not even born in the 1980s (ouch!), you would never know it by their participation today.

Fourth and fifth grade friends shared specific trends during group discussion (such as Swatch Watches, Rubik’s Cube, and slap bracelets), popular music of the day (Duran Duran, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, 80s6Bon Jovi, Journey, and more!), video-gaming options (Pac-Man, Donkey Ko80s2ng, Mario Brothers), and popular TV/Movie choices of the decade (Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Back To The Future, MTV, Seinfeld, Different Strokes, Full House, Cosby, Dynasty, Dallas, and others).  Students were simply amazed at the diversity of ou80s4r pop culture during this decade of great social80s5, economic, and general change.  Even the Internet (as we know it today) was “born in the late 1980s.”

As one friend noted, “Our campus culture was like rockin’ and rollin’ fer sure on this 80th day of school!”  🙂

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Happy New Year!

“We’re back!”  These were the first words the first student happy-new-year-2014-hd-wallpapers-6said from the first bus as I started greeting the unloading bus students early on this frosty morn.  What a JOY to greet and welcome everyone safely into our warm building–the smiles, new coats, funny hats, and great college shirts.  It was college bowl shirt day today (really, just an excuse for our staff to wear their jeans on the first day back).  🙂  Most importantly, as I completed my first walkabout, classroom morning messages, carpet meetings, circle time, and interesting hallway conversations gleaned fun facts about how everyone spent their break.  Fun observation too:  More parents were smiling ear-to-ear as we unloaded cars in both lanes today than I can remember since the first day of school this year!  🙂 And as one little friend said it best, “If I can just remember to write 2014 on all my work, I’ve got this year made!”  Yes, indeed…we’re back!

Special reminders:  Tomorrow is the 80th Day of school this year.  We encourage everyone to tap into their 1980’s gear and show us your best.  Thursday is Winter Hat Day, so wear those funny hats with pride.  Friday is our annual READ In The New Year, so bring some great reading material for 2014 seconds of silent sustained reading time!

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“The highest form of wisdom is kindness…”  The Talmud

As we get ready to close out 2013 and prepare to embark on the educational adventures of 2014 as a learning community, the simple reminder to be kind on our personal quest for educational greatness and excellence resonates soundly.  There are so many profound daily gifts in this life we are given, especially when you move within the walls of an elementary campus each day!  question-mark2It starts with being grateful. What are you grateful for each day?  How do you show kindness each day?  When you are grateful for the gifts in your life, big and small, you always seem to find more things to be grateful about, thus abundance continues to flow into our life when gratitude flows out of our heart.

We are challenging ourselves at LME to find ways in 2014 to be grateful and kind along our personal and educational journeys.  Our classroom leaders are challenging our families to find more ways to model this example in action to each child on the educational journey each day; it takes all of us.  Be optimistic and excited about the new gifts coming our way and allow kindness (to you and yours to others) be one way to show peace, JOY, and love in action…Be wise; be kind!

In closing, the powerful words of John Wesley sum it up best:

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can…

…So what will 2014 bring?  Blessings and best wishes for a most prosperous, kind, grateful, extraordinary 2014, LME!  Happy New Year!  🙂

Note:  We look forward to everyone returning on Tuesday, January 7th!

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“That’s some present!”

We were honored to reunite a first grade sister with herIMG_3386 big Army brother this afternoon.  He’s in training and home on leave for a short time…what a happy reunion!  As one young friend noted, “Now that’s SOME present, Mrs. Van!”

It’s ironic then that we shared a special poem today during morning message.  Written in 1943 during WWII, this particular gift was special indeed:

The lights are dim, but atop the tree a star is shining bright;
For in spite of closing darkness, it’s Christmas Eve night.
Small hands clasp at a doll’s soft curl, and small eyes open wide;
And a small heart thrills with happiness at the presents side by side.
But dear little one, the things you have are more than those you see;
The gifts at this Christmastime are not placed upon the tree.
A family close in love and JOY, the care that they each give;
The promise you shall always have, this country in which you live.
Each may have some presents, but yours are more precious dear;
For you give love and hope anew by simply being here.

It is true in this season of JOY for those who believe that it’s more fun to give than it is to receive!  The blessing of giving should be freely shared, not just now, but throughout the coming year.  As we get ready to close our doors for a holiday break, here’s hoping you take time to enJOY a wonderful season of hope, peace, JOY, and great love.  You are greatly loved at LaRue Miller Elementary!  🙂

Note:  We are on holiday break Dec. 21 – Jan 6.  Students will return to class on Tuesday, January 7, 2014.