Imagine! Winter behaving like winter!!

It's 6:09 I am at school, couldn't sleep, time to get the Monday Memo out on Tuesday and catch up with you.

There are many things we need to catch up on:

• The community of Rainbow Lake has experienced a death in the community. One of our dual students Breanna Latham's stepdad passed away Friday evening. This tiny town is reeling. Our school division has  mental health workers in the schools for the next few days. They came to the Learning Store yesterday. I am going to Rainbow tomorrow.
• You may not know this. Steve and I are going to Hawaii over teacher's convention. I have never taken personal days over convention in 35 years. However, when Steve had his last health crisis, I swore that I would make time for him. He has sat alone at home on many a weekend and weeknight while I worked away. New focus is on Steve. Also, more gossip- Steve is taking early retirement. His last day of work is January 31st, however, he does get paid until the year end. (A lovely transition I'd say.) Steve is ancient , he is 63. I am much younger than he. 
• Eva's daughter Raelene is getting married in one month. Let's look after the momma of the bride there are lots of emotions that go along with your only girl getting married. 
• Jenine's daughter Alayna is expecting in the middle of June. We can not wait till Jenine is a grandma. 
• Allan had a birthday yesterday. Please send him a birthday wish. He'd love that. He is 20 x 3 plus 6-2. 
• Every school is having a Wellness session this month. We are catching on to this. The realize we need to teach character education and have to give students the info they need to make good decisions. 
• Do you need condoms? I have been given some and can get more if need be. We do not openly give out condoms, however, in each bathroom in high level i have a treasure box that has condoms in it. If students need one it is there. Let me know if you are interested in having treasure boxes in your bathrooms. 
• Pregnancy tests- Let me know if you'd like a couple, we have certainly given out a few this year. We have student expecting in August. Need to get this girl graduated. 
• Cold weather policy update. Minus -40 or -48 wind chill will stop buses from running. Today we are good. Let's celebrate the fact that Edmonton is -34 and we are minus 31. Yeeeee haaaaaa. Jasper is a balmy -43. Las Vegas is 3. What is going on???

Staffing

Huge thanks go out to Annelise for volunteering to help out a grade nine class whose teacher has gone to be with his pregnant wife, who is having medical complications. ( Let's be serious we feel badly for the position the schools are in when this happens so suddenly) LCPS knows Annelise is highly skilled. Linda has a offered to work .6 until teacher's convention. In addition, Karen Harder is subbing in for two days per week. Karen is a very skilled High School Math/Sciences teacher. It is all under control and with grace everything will work to the advantage of most. 

My schedule is so iffy. 

Diplomas are happening this week. Please check the calendar for learning stores to see where everyone is, except me i'm not on there.

Tuesday

Anne is High Level supervising diploma- The bus to Chateh is cancelled so our student is not writing in Rainbow. He will be exempted. 

Chad is in Fort

Karen is supervising in La Crete

Wednesday - No diploma

Anne in Rainbow Lake

Thursday

Anne in High Level as Allan worked his three days Mon Tues wed. 

Friday Chad and Dean in High Level

Anne in La Crete

Many Thanks

• Alex who is helping out with diploma prep in La Crete. He has organized accomodations and digital writers. Interesting that so many kids are wanting to write digitally now. Both of ours wrote digitally yesterday.
• Thanks to Allan who went to Rainbow two days in a row during dicey, icy conditions to cover for Kayleen. MIke and Natalie were in on Friday which kept me in High Level. 
• Huge thanks to Alex, Eva and Holly and Leah for getting grad status notices out. It is a great exercise for us seeing where our grads stand. 

Thinking Ahead

• Let's think ahead to the next diploma sitting. This is the one students can not miss. If there are special materials needed for a student lets order them now. Materials such as MP3, large font are available for our students we just have to request them. There is a deadline for that, I am always late , I would love to be early with these requests. 
• Diploma prep courses. There are diploma prep courses available on line. Rock the diploma has a schedule for those on line courses. we would be willing to pay for any student interested in taking these courses in April. i bought the 30-1 videos for ELA, but haven't looked at it thoroughly yet. 
• Accountability survey- Once again we will be doing the accountability survey with our students. Do you have ideas of how to get our students involved with this? I will drop codes off to each school. Parents will get the survey in the mail. 
• Budget- Thanks to Bonnie for pulling this off and reviewing it. We are right on budget 28% spent and we are 1/3 of the way through the year. 
• Student contacts- Please get on this, these next few months are the perfect time for kids to get things done. What else is there to do? I know.... gaming. I am  reading a book entitled, Death by Gaming. It speaks to the gaming obsession and addiction. People have sat at gaming consoles and soiled themselves because they felt they couldn't leave. People have actually died after playing for long stretches. Blood clots  can form  when we stay in one position for days. Sooo interesting and sad! 
• CRM meetings will happen the last week of January. 
• Mike's and Natalie's meeting- Mike recognized the great work you are all doing. He sees the successes in all buildings. He has no worries about us. (I guess that's good news.) He was very complimentary. 

Are you an old Bull Elephant? Why do I ask? Here's a story...

A wildlife preserve in Africa opened a new enclosure. They decided to put the white rhinos and the teen elephants together. They thought it a good fit. There was ample room and it would give the teens some time away from the bull elephants. 

The next morning upon inspecting the enclosure, they found a white rhino dead.

The next day another rhino was  dead. The rhinos were being stomped by the teen elephants, they considered this fun. 

How did the trainers solve this dilemma? They put the bull elephants back in the enclosure. Not one more rhino was harmed. The bulls kept those teens in check. Just their presence stopped the bad behavior. The bulls modelled respect for the rhinos. 

I think I am a bull elephant. ( Certainly on my way to weighing as much as bull, Ha ha self deprecation not a good character trait!) 

Are you a bull elephant?

Well it's been a pleasure catching up. It is now 7:19. Time to get diplomas ready. 

Enjoy your week. 

Anne