Pennoyer Staff Newsletter - 2/16/24

                                          Hawk Thoughts & Happenings

Team Pennoyer,

Wow...Valentines Day brought a lot of love, but I could have done without some of the other things brought on this week.  We survived it together though!  I have to say, I was so excited at the Board Meeting this past Wednesday night for our teachers and the long overdue contract that truly honors the work you all do each and every day.  You show up, and you've certainly earned it, and I couldn't be more happy for you as a Union.  Here's a few pictures from that special night!!!

Ok people, I also have to share the fact that as of today, I officially have TWO teenagers in my life!  Sadie joins her brother today as she turns 13 years old.  I really can't believe it.  Where has the time gone?  I'm definitely getting old, but when I look at her, I still see that little girl that I can't stop hugging.  Wonder if that will even leave.  I'm sure I'll be there crying and embarrassing her one day when she's walking down the aisle and all of the other moments that lie ahead.  We've got a special birthday weekend planned for her starting tonight, and I'm super excited.  Here are "then and now"pictures of her starting school many, many years ago, and a pic from this past week as she practiced a pose for her dance company pictures...not my little Sadie anymore.

Shout out from Julia Peters to Emerson Burghart this week...

"Huge shoutout to Emerson for bringing us a bit of friendly competition and football conversation in a #creative and #fun way! These hashtags are great! And I was probably in last place with my picks but having made them with my Pennoyer Family has definitely made watching the games more enjoyable. Thank you, Emerson!"

Hawk Action Items 

• Attention all Pennoyer Staff...most of you should have gotten a link from UChicago by now to take the 5 Essentials Survey for this school year.  Thanks to many of you that have already completed this survey.  If you haven't had time to do it yet, I'm planning to keep our staff meeting open without any other agenda items on March 18th if you'd like to complete it then.  It's just due before March 29th, and last year we had almost 100% of our staff complete it.  I really appreciate this feedback for our school as whole.  There are some questions on the survey that might not be fully applicable for our non-certified staff, so just do the best you can to answer them.  For anyone who has not gotten the email, I just resent them out yesterday.  If you still haven't received one to your school account, you can always go on to take the survey through this provisional link and it will count with our school data. Here it is...https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/teacher/provisional/  Please reach out to me with any questions.  Our 4th-8th grade students will be taking the student version of the 5 Essentials Survey sometime after the week of February 26th.  Login cards should be distributed to all 4th-8th grade teachers by Team Leaders, and the following is the link you'll need to put up on Google Classroom and share with your students when you're ready for them to take the survey... http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/student/  I'm going to start pushing out the parent 5 Essentials Survey starting today as well.  HERE is the letter going home to families today if you're interested.  Thanks for your time and support with all of this!

• I will be visiting Grade Band meetings during your plan time next week from 2:30-3:15pm on Wednesday, February 21st to answer any final questions/concerns and make sure we're all on the same page with our new Behavior Flow Chart and Referral Policy before we roll it out March 4th. I really appreciate all of the feedback and questions I've gotten so far. (I plan to start with Specials, then K-2, then 3-5, and finish with 6-8)

• Interested in helping out at our 1st Annual 3 on 3 Pennoyer March Madness Basketball Tournament after school on Friday, March 15th...Check out this flyer and sign up to be a court monitor HERE. We're still looking for staff who can help out for this special event!  More than one person can sign up for a grade level to help supervise.  Please reach out to me with any questions you might have.  I'll make sure everyone who volunteers is ready and prepared to support our students at this event in March...I'm super excited!

• Kristin and I are starting to share construction plans with families this week, and I've shared some of this with our paraprofessionals and lunch/recess supervisors, but wanted everyone to see our upcoming plans we'll begin utilizing starting the week of March 11th.  Please look over the plans HERE.  I also plan to put together a short presentation to show students as well the week of March 4th sometime so they're prepared for some of these changes ahead of time.  I will share that with all of the teachers when it's completed.  Thanks in advance for your flexibility, patience, and support as we embark on this construction process.  I know it won't always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it in the end!!!  Reach out with any questions or concerns to Adam or Kristin along the way.

• Spirit Week is coming up on Feb. 26th, and then we have our Trimester 2 PBIS Spirit Assembly on Thursday, February 29th!  Let's kick up that spirit and Pennoyer Pride!!!

• HERE is the part 2 video of our continued PD on Restorative Practices with PBIS Rewards Coach Adam Efird.  The video link does expire on March 4th, but we'll be sharing out other resources as well moving forward.  I thought it was a productive 2nd hour of professional development as we continue down this road to build our capacity for these thoughtful practices and shifting our mindsets.  More to come with all of this for our staff in the future for sure.  Reach out to Adam or Rachel if you'd like any support with incorporating some of these ideas into your everyday classroom or have any questions.

• As we prepare our students for IAR testing that will start for 3rd-8th grade the week of March 4th, don't forget about these IAR supports/resources you can utilize during ELA/Math blocks and/or Enrichment time.  Reach out to Adam with any questions or support if needed.

• If you're interested in signing up to supervise and facilitate any Behavior Academies after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, feel free to sign up on the  spreadsheet.  Here's a reminder about the protocol for our Behavior Academies if you're interested.  Thanks to everyone who has been supporting these. 

• I hope all is going well with instituting our universal expectations each day of the week for EVERY CLASS PERIOD they teach a new group of students to support behavior, expectations, and build connections.  3 to Succeed! 

                  1. Greet students every morning.

2. Display School PBIS expectations OR PBIS Expectations (BLANK) in the

classroom and review everyday. Example: What are 2 ways we are

responsible in the classroom? In school? (This doesn't have to take long each

day and each class period)

3. Anytime your kids are in the hallway (arrival, dismissal, transitions,) you are

in the hallway with them. Middle school - transitions between classes.

• Wanna make somebody's day at Pennoyer...don't forget about our staff shout outs we'd like to get started up again this year!  It's real easy; if one staff member wants to give another staff member at Pennoyer a positive shout out for something that week, just send a quick email blurb to Adam, and he'll feature it in our weekly Hawk Happenings!

• Great job with all the social media posts shared for the month of January! Keep it up in February. Here's the Google Form for teachers to complete.  Thanks!!!

Weekly Hawk Playlist/Lyric

*(Ok, I don't usually have commentary with my weekly Hawk Playlist/Lyric, but this week I felt compelled.  Billy Joel is one of my all-time favorite musicians, and I was amazed to see at 74 years old, he wrote this incredible song, sounding like he did in the mid 70s and crushed it at the Grammy Awards a week ago.  I've been obsessing about this tune over the last week.)

"Time can make you blind, but I see you now.  As we're laying in the darkness.  Did I wait too long, to turn the lights back on?"

                                                                -Turn the Lights Back On by Billy Joel

Hawk Celebrations

This week, I'm super excited to celebrate 5th grade teacher Mr. Widd!  He is truly somebody I feel so lucky to work with each and every day.  Mr. Widd has such an authentic way with connecting with students, building relationships, and delivering instruction.  I always enjoy visiting his classroom that's full of positive energy, creativity, and high levels of engagement.  Mr. Widd is so much more than a 5th grade teacher though.  When there's an after school event, you can be assured that Mr. Widd is there supporting our students and taking pictures to celebrate them in the yearbook.  He's also stepped up as an amazing leader in math as the Department Chair this year, and helping to lead out revamping the curriculum to best support our students' learning as a whole.  I can't leave out the technology piece either.  Mr. Widd is so incredibly organized in the world of tech and understands how put things together in an efficient way.  I often look to him for guidance with things, and whether it's building a new schedule for our school or creating systems for organizing lesson plans, curriculum, pacing guides, and resources, Mr. Widd is second to none!  He is certainly #Pennoyerpride all the way in my book!!!

February Birthdays! 🎂

Nina Torossi - 2/11