National Compliment Day

 

Did you know...

The word COMPLIMENT is derived from the Latin word, complere, which means to fill up.

Saturday was National Compliment Day, and I thought now, more than ever, is a great time to remind ourselves to appreciate the good people around us. National Compliment Day focuses on building positive connections, boosting self-esteem, and building community through genuine, sincere praise.  Not only does this brighten someone's day (and makes you feel good, too!), but it often causes a ripple effect.  It really does fill up our buckets - by both giving and receiving.  This is a great reminder to encourage peers, and to hopefully help reduce the challenges we are facing in our daily lives.

There are small notes available in the staff workroom -  please help yourself and spread some joy this week!

Gratitude Journal - January Week 2

 

January Newsletter (classroom ideas from Lisa)

The focus for this month's Gratitude Journal is Barriers and Renewal, with the Week 2 focus on how to maintain gratitude during hard or stressful times.  Take a minute to think (or write - p. 62) about the following prompt:

What specific steps can you take to choose gratitude during hard or stressful times?  For example, could you try to reframe a challenge as an opportunity for growth? Gratitude for these lessons doesn't erase the pain, but it can help to create meaning from the struggle.

This prompt also reminds me of the Character Building trait, Reflective.  Are there ways you can combine these two things this week?

In our current lives, choosing gratitude may be getting more and more difficult - at work, home, or in our community/world.  Think of someone who seems to demonstrate gratitude - what behaviors do they exhibit?  Why are they able to do this?  And what can you learn from them?

May you find many things to be grateful for this week!

Sue

Educator Effectiveness Reminders

 

Dear Certified Staff;

Welcome back after a long winter break - I hope it brought you rest, joy, and rejuvenation.  2026 - here we go!  

Upcoming Educator Effectiveness reminders: the mid-year SLO reviews are due February 6, 2026.  Year 2 (probationary and non-probationary) survey analysis reports are due February 27, 2026.  Here's a link to an overview of the mid-cycle goal review (tutorial).

Links:

Educator Effectiveness Timeline

Teacher Educator Effectiveness Components

Specialist Educator Effectiveness Components

Twas the week before Christmas...

 

Here are the details for the week!

Monday

• Holiday Wardrobe - Holiday Socks
• Cookie Baking Contest - vote in the staff lounge
• Joe to Go on the playground for staff, and then for students - Joe to Go Coffee Orders 
• 3rd grade - 12:50-12:55 (lunch recess 12:30-12:55)
• 4th grade—1:10 (lunch recess 12:50-1:15)
  
• 5th grade—1:30 (lunch recess 1:10-1:35)
  
• 1st grade—1:45 (change: extra recess from 2:15-2:30 to 1:45-2:00)
  
• 2nd grade— 2M at 2:20 (extra recess 2:20-2:35); 2B at 2:40 with K
  
• Kinder—2:40 (change: add a recess right after specials, 2:40-2:55) - note: 4th grade second recess is 2:45-3:00

• Snowman on the Loose (prizes given to 3 winners at the end of each day this week)

• Elf on the Shelf - ALL GRADES will come in through the main entry (1st and 4th will line up as usual, but then walk to Door 1) to ensure that everyone sees it!
• Testing this week: K Aims and 3rd FastBridge

Tuesday

• Holiday Wardrobe - Holiday T-Shirt (i.e. Santa's Favorite)
• Snowman on the Loose
• PBIS Tier 1 meeting @ 8:00
• Elf on the Shelf - everyone comes in Door 1
• PLCs
• December Readers of the Month due to Jess (shown on Raider Report on Thursday)
• Dance Practice at 4:15 (auditorium)

Wednesday

• Holiday Wardrobe - Ugly Sweater
• Dance Practice @ 8:05
• Snowman on the Loose
• Elf on the Shelf - everyone comes in Door 1
• Limit office visits - Vanessa is out
• Staff Lunch! - compliments of Willow River Parent Group
• Happy Hour at Sue's (4:15) - bring the family!

Thursday

• Holiday Wardrobe - Red and Green
• Dance Practice @ 8:05
• Snowman on the Loose
• Elf on the Shelf - everyone comes in Door 1
• Readers of the Month - announced on Raider Report AND the celebration immediately following
• Field Trips - 4th Grade (Bakken) and 5th Grade (bowling)

Friday

• Holiday Wardrobe - Free/Team Choice or black for the staff dance
• Staff "Meeting" @ 7:45 (breakfast, Will-O-Mania, and gift exchange)
• Snowman on the Loose
• Elf on the Shelf - everyone comes in Door 1
• All School Sing Along @ 3:10 in auditorium
• Frontline trainings - complete by today!

And you made it!

Teaching in December...

 

Below are some reminders to help you manage December in our classrooms. Each of our students have different home experiences that determine how this time of year will feel for them. A variety of backgrounds, beliefs, demographics and family situations can impact how our students will react during these next few weeks. Consistency will assist these students with success.  Keeping our schedules and learning expectations consistent will help students feel grounded, even if their lives outside of school are not.  I know each of you see your students practically like your own, and will support your students, however they need it, through these next few weeks. As always, let me or Sarah know if you have a student or family you are concerned with during this holiday season.

REMINDERS

The holiday season can be tricky when acknowledging the various religious and secular holiday traditions celebrated during this time of year, while also balancing the need for sustained quality teaching and learning. The following guidelines can help:

• Public schools must never appear to endorse religion over non-religion or one particular religious faith over another.
• Public schools must be careful not to cross the line between teaching about religious holidays (which is permitted) and celebrating religious holidays (which is not ).
• Religious music, literature, art or other religious activities should not dominate school activities. School events, assemblies, concerts, and programs must be designed to further a secular and objective program of education, and must not focus on anyone religion or religions observance
• Religious symbols are not appropriate seasonal decorations in public schools. At the same time, students should not be restricted from choosing to express their religious views in course assignments (e.g. artwork, personal narrative).
• High quality standards-based instruction and student learning is the expectation in December, as it is throughout the year. Holiday activities, parties and showing of videos should be a minimal part of the school day. Based on district policy, the showing of videos is limited to those shown with direct alignment to current curriculum and require prior approval. Note: the Parent Group's movie license expired November 30th.
• The goal for our schools is that we provide an inclusive learning environment for all students. Every student should feel welcome and represented at a public school and should be able to participate in every activity we provide.

May the upcoming weeks allow you time to enjoy the spirit of the holidays,

both at school and at home!

Better Together!

 

Especially in challenging times, 

we are BETTER TOGETHER!

Lockdown Drill

 

Lockdown

Locks, Lights, Out of Sight!

This week we will be reviewing and practicing a lockdown drill during the staff meeting on Wednesday., November 5th.  Then sometime before the end of the week, all staff that have an instructional space need to review the process with all of their students (i.e. classroom, sped, specialists, interventionists).  Please see the reminders below

Lockdown Reminders:

• Lunch: if students are in the cafeteria, they will go to Alex's office and the staff lounge. Sped rooms would be back up, as needed.
• Recess: students would go straight to the evacuation site; noon duty has rosters; staff should bring their own rosters
• Resources: Let Vanessa know if you need a magnet or a color copy of the Crisis Response Process sheet; make sure you have a copy of your class list wherever your "hiding spot" is
• Space: Identify a space that is out of site (use a colleague to help) before you practice with your students
• Outside: Anyone outside should have a walkie as the office will do a walkie call after the overhead message; if outside, head straight to our evacuation site.  Make sure you have access to a class list when you are outside; call the district office as soon as you are relocated (715-377-3702).
• Notification: A reminder that anyone can make the announcement from any classroom phone (this is why you need the protocol sheet handy)
• Window Coverings: you can have something in place that can be released to cover a door window in the event of an emergency.  This covering is to remain up during normal classroom instruction.
• Questions: Let Sue know if you have any questions.
• Sign off:  Please complete the drill by Friday, Nov. 7th and sign off on this document. This is for all teachers that have an instructional space.