Personal Reflections

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Math and bubbles and bluebonnets and MEF…

Whew…what a way to start our Spring Break today!  Our Miller Rally and the day’s events gleaned great surprises for all.  As one of my little friends noted, “let’s break this down now…”

BBB31.  Our Bluebonnet Book Bowl Team presented their big award and shared their reading journey and medals with everyone.

2.  The Midlothian Education mef1Foundation presented our own Mrs. Perez, Coach Rogers, Mrs. Garippa, Mrs. Lassetter, and Mrs. Gunter with a huge innovative teaching grant award for their clever idea involving keyboards in music, PE, math, science, and history.

bubbles3.  Our Head Start friends celebrated the beginning of Spring Break by sharing giggles and bubbles in hopes of blowing winter goodbye.  It was all part of their marvelous math experiences throughout their day (and you should see them counting bubbles).  🙂

4.  Our 6th annual Marvelous Miller Math (3M) Day 3m2was spent experiencing a variety of math opportunities…from guest speakers sharing how math applies in their “real” lives each day to engaging and meaningful math activities. 3m3 MHS Pals, parents, visitors, and community leaders all helped throughout the day to ensure math dominated in marvelous Miller ways!

mvp25.  Special congratulations today goes to our own Desiree who earned our second MVP award this semester.  She is our morning greeter everyday.  From her sweet smile to the extra miles she goes to daily to bring JOY and assistance wherever she goes, we are proud of the outstanding model she is for learners everyday.

From math and bubbles to bluebonnets and 3m1grants, we covered a unique spectrum of learning opportunities today.  We were also blessed to share some quality time with our very own LaRue Miller; what a beautiful way to start our break indeed!

Here’s hoping you find great rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation as you venture forth into various adventures in the coming week…be safe out there; we’ll see you again on March 17th!  🙂

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Bluebonnet Book Bowl 2014!

…and the crowd goes wild!  Congratulations and big BRAVOS to our LME 2014 Bluebonnet Book Bowl (BBB) Team!  They won the gold tonight, the big trophy, and the right to brag for the next year.  During the 8th annual MISD competition, teams from each elementary and the two middle schools compete in a series of nail-biting questions related to this year’s Bluebonnet nominees and winner.  Third, Fourth, and Fifth graders are challenged each year to vote and pick the winner of the annual Texan Library Association’s challenge—but you have to read a minimum of five books on the list in order to have the right (and responsibility) to vote.  Having only read a handful of the books myself this year, it was quite a feat for those who read ALL the selections to conquer.

Once the books are read, then students BBB2014try-out for our school team through a special audition.  “This is serious book business, Mrs. Van,” shared a team member.  They spend time outside of class researching, sharing, comparing, and preparing for any and all question possibilities.

Congratulations go out to our BBB Team and their enthusiastic sponsor, our star library media specialist, Mrs. Bolgiano, for their diligent and thorough preparations!  Read on, my friends; read on…  🙂

Note:  Spring Break (March 10-14) is a GREAT time to enJOY the sunshine and read some wonderful new books.  Be sure to stop by the LMC and stock up before the break!

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Voting Day!

vote5It’s March primaries and we are open for voting today.  It’s our first time to host this event on campus; so far, so good!  🙂

Here’s hoping you take time to exercise not only your right as an American to choose your candidates of choice, but your responsibility as a citizen to share your flagvoice.  As my daddy always says, “If you don’t vote, then you don’t gripe!”  The sun is shining and the polls are open; enJOY this opportunity today!

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The BIG Potato…spun from Irish gold!

Who doesn’t love a great story?  Who doesn’t love the opportunity to spin a tall tale?  Such was the challenge of a class to me today, so I brought out one I’ve known from my childhood with “proof” later from a legitimate source as well!
“Jamie O’Rourke was the laziest man in all of Ireland.”  So begins the tale of a popular Irish folktale, Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato.  You see, Jamie is accustomed to his wife doing all the household and garden chores on his potato farm, so when she injures her back, he figures he’s sure to starve to death. As luck would have it though, while walking to the village one day he chances upon and captures a leprechaun. In place of the traditional pot of gold, the elfin man offers Jamie magical potato seeds which he promises will produce the biggest “pratie” in the world in exchange for letting him go. Feeling self-satisfied, Jamie plants the seeds, soon growing a potato big enough to feed the O’Roarke’s and the villagers far longer than any can imagine. Everyone, including Mrs. O’Roarke ends up happy and well-fed.
(Side note:  Imagine Irish brogue while orally weaving the tale…)
Although this is not a redemptive tale (Jamie still does not learn to be industrious), it does provide a lively generational story about an Irish man and a potato with a leprechaun thrown in for good Irish luck.  jamie1
Likewise, beautifully retold and illustrated in 1992, Mr. DePaola’s inspired version of the beloved Irish folktale clearly illustrates that taking the easy way out of a situation is sometimes more trouble than it’s worth.    Thanks to Mr. dePaola’s thatched-roof cottages, stone hedges, and sheep doting the bright green landscape (depicting rustic life on the Emerald Isle), the book provides the perfect opportunity to re-spin vibrantly great folktale!
As my Granny always said:
Wishing you JOY that is lasting and true; a heart that’s not troubled or gray,
Friends who travel life’s pathway with you, and the luck of the Irish each day!
Here’s hoping you spin one of your own traditional tales in the coming days!  

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DinoSoaring!

Our second graders were truly dinoSOARing IMG_3935last night during their prehistoric musical adventure.  Written by Jill and Michael Gallina, this rip-ROARing presentation brings dinosaurs to life with fun facts, catchy tunes, “Anylosaurus terminology,” and cool dance moves (dinosaur-style, mind you).  🙂

IMG_3926Congratulations to our talented learners, their classroom leaders, our entire Specials team (especially Mrs. Perez our music teacher), and our Art Club (for the clever sets and scenery).  Special thanks to the many parents and volunteers who donated material and sewed for hours so every child had a clever dinosaur outfit to wear!  WOW!  So…if you see a Stegosaurus walking down the street, chances are he or she is DinoSoaring!  🙂

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Success!

success3Each night before my own children went to bed, my husband and I asked them what their success of the day was (even when we got the “eye roll).  The idea came from a story we read about the Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast, Bart Connor. He gave his parents all the credit because they did this with him.  He said, “Every night before bed my parents would ask me what my success was, so I always went to bed a success every night of my life. I woke up every morning a success. When I was injured before the Olympics, I knew I was going to make it back because I was a success every day of my life…”  What a confidence booster indeed…and you know what?  It works!

Teachers and classrooms who focus on and celebrate success create more success. Success becomes ingrained in the class culture and students naturally look for it, focus on it, and expect it of themselves and those around them!  When you implement systems and principles creating a culture celebrating and expecting success, this drives behavior and habits creating successful outcomes.

So how do we put this into practice? The ideas are endless, but here are two you can do right now:

  1. Create a success journal where you write down the success of each day.  Do this for a month and you’ll be amazed at your results!
  2. Ask the members of your household each night about their success for the day.  They get to verbalize it and YOU get to celebrate it with them!

Jon Gordon says, “What we focus on shows up more in our life.  If we look for and celebrate success, we’ll see more of it.”

So…how do you and your child celebrate success?  Here’s hoping you focus on and find creative ways to celebrate success daily.  🙂

Note:  Speaking of success, our 2nd graders perform their clever DINOSAURS program this evening at 7:00 p.m. in the LME Cafe; we hope to see you there! 

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Parent Survey!

parentsurveyMidlothian ISD is seeking parent feedback to help measure an accurate representation of parent and community engagement at the campus and district levels; you are invited to participate with us in this important process now.

Please complete the following survey based on your experience at your child’s campus.  All responses are valuable and completely anonymous.  Survey ends Friday, March 7 at 4 p.m.  Click here to take the parent survey:

[ https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MISDparent ]

Thanks for participating and sharing your thoughts as learning partners and participating members of our learning community!

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Tutus and Ties 2014

tt1Yes, our PTO moms have topped last year’s highly successful annual Tutus and Ties Event at LME with even more this year!  From the stunning decorations, red carpet, top tunes, and 100s of colorful tt2balloons, to the scrumptious food, fun, dancing, and friendly fellowship…truly and simply extraordinary indeed.

tt3Special thanks to our creative PTO Board of dedicated moms with great vision and insight who lead the with grace, style, and great humor.  They spent the better part of Friday evening and all day today attending to the details of this enormous undertaking.  Thanks to the moms, grandmas, staff members, and other volunteers who worked the event (and clean up) tt4so our dads, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers can give their undivided attention to the young ladies who brought them.

It’s such a pleasure to be a part of a learning organization where our parents are our partners and actively participating members of all we do—during school hours and well beyond.  Tutus and Ties 2014…a true Red Carpet Affair!

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Chili Cookoff 2014!

chili1Yep…it was hot, hot, hot!  The annual C.A.T.C.H. Committee’s Chili Cookoff and Dinner was a huge success.  From mild to smokin’ spicy hot, we noshed on proud entries.  Our esteemed panel of judges, Dr. Stewart, Coach Timm, chili2Bella, Mr. Fio, Mrs. Worley, and Mr. Van sampled 16 family entries and collaborated to determine the winners.  Congratulations to:

  • 5th Place:  “Momma’s Mean Beef Chili” and the Hurst Family
  • 4th Place:  “Chili De’Lite'” and Nurse Sullivan
  • 3rd Place:  “Your Daddy Can’t Handle It” and the Huse Family
  • 2nd Place:  “SW Roo Chili” and the Hampton Family
  • 1st Place:  “Lone Star Chili” and the Pirotte Family (with bragging rights for the next year!)

chili3Our People’s Choice Award this year went to “Awesome Adin’s Chili” and the Shaver Family.

Special thanks to our wonderful C.A.T.C.H. Committee, Family Events Committee, our staff members volunteers, and families who set-up, served, laughed, and participated in the food, fellowship, and family fun.  Here’s hoping you make plans now to join us next year for a spicy good time!

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Innovation-ready?

Are you an innovator?  Are you thinking about your student as being innovation-ready (versus college-ready)?  What must we, as parents, educators, future employers, and community leaders do to enable our young learners to be innovation-ready?

Through the eyes of young innovators themselves and their profound stories (including conversations with their parents, teachers and employers),creatinginnovators Dr. Tony Wagner, explores these and many more questions in his groundbreaking book:  Creating Innovators…The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World.  Dr. Wagner carefully constructs a deeper understanding as to what it means to innovate and how we need to best develop the capacities of students today to become more innovative in what they do throughout their lives.

Nurturing creativity and sparking imagination while teaching children how to learn from failure with perseverance is paramount.  Dr. Wagner identifies a clear pattern:  “a childhood of creative play leads to deep-seated interests.”  In turn and over time, these special interests develop and blossom into a deeper purpose for career and life choices.  He notes:  “Embracing the principles of play, passion, and purpose…these are the forces driving young innovators today.” 

Just to prove his point, Dr. Wagner’s book features its own innovative elements:  more than 60 original videos expanding on the key ideas of the book.  Produced by filmmaker Robert Compton, the videos are embedded into the eBook edition and accessible in the print edition via QR codes (talk about using my 21st Century devices creatively!).

Over the next few weeks, I’m exploring Dr. Wagner’s challenge and call; I’ll share my findings along the way.  It’s time we all play our part in creating the transformation to innovation!  Are YOU innovation-ready?

Note:  Please join us tomorrow evening for our innovative C.A.T.C.H. Committee’s annual Family Chili Cookoff Event starting @ 6:00 p.m.