RM Bacon Weekly: January 22

Bears,

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend thus far. Good things are continuing to happen here at Bacon, and I'm proud of the work our teachers and staff members do day-in and day-out.

Before we get to the announcements, I'd like to share something that I believe is powerful, practical, and potentially beneficial to all of us. There is an approach to building rapport with students called the 2x10 method. Here's the idea - if a staff member spends two minutes a day with a student talking about whatever the student wants to talk about for 10 consecutive days, it may lead to more meaningful connections. And those connections can lessen or even prevent discipline issues, lead to better student achievement, keep the student interested in learning, improve attendance, and create feelings of goodwill between the staff member and child. All from two minutes of "off topic" conversation a day. These seem like obvious outcomes, but it's something that can be easily overlooked or pushed aside due to other things that pop up and pull us in different directions.

The reality is that building a connection with someone requires an investment of time and emotion. It also requires a mindset that is both positive and selfless. After all, there's no guarantee it will work, but for it to even have a chance, the person attempting to build the rapport must want it and believe it's possible.

Think about it - the 2x10 method is basically claiming that in 20 minutes, you can begin to reach someone and have a better chance of influencing their life for the better. Just 20 minutes. Isn't it worth the time to at least try? Now, in the classroom, it's not practical to do this with every student at once. The caring teacher knows who needs a little extra love and attention in the moment, but can't we apply this beyond the classroom? I'm seeing this as something we all can do. What if each of us made an investment of 20 minutes into each other? What if those 20 minutes were all it took to reach, help, guide, embrace, or maybe even save someone? Wouldn't those 20 minutes be worth it, especially to the person being helped? Even more specifically, aren't others worth just 2 minutes of our time? While the 2x10 method requires the consistency of two minutes repeated over a 10 day period, in our personal lives, we don't need to be so scripted. The point? Make time to talk, share, be available, listen, or simply be nice. Take an interest in someone, maybe someone you don't know. Be bold. Reach out of your comfort zone. Make it about someone else and not yourself. You just might influence that person in ways you can't possibly imagine - all from making a decision that someone is worth at least two minutes of your day.

Announcements
Do you need some Bacon gear? Now is the time to stock up! Orders are due by Jan 26th. See flyer below for more info.

Attention all Bears - Do you want to send someone a valentine message while raising money for our school? Then buy a carnation gram. Each one is $2, and all proceeds will go to help fund student activities here at school. See below for details. All orders are due by 1/29.

On Monday, the Parents as Leaders Coalition will be sponsoring a Family Yoga Night here at the school. The event will run from 6:30 - 8 in the Bacon gym. Please call Honesty at 856-265-1456 if you are interested.

Note: The Parents as Leaders Coalition will be hosting a number of events here at Bacon. These events will take place on Mondays throughout the winter and early spring. Stay tuned for more info.

Everyone have a great week!

The Week Ahead

Monday (1/22): D day - Lesson plans due, RTI and 2nd grade PLCs, Family Yoga Night sponsored by the Parents as Leaders Coalition (6:30 - 8 in the Bacon gym)

Tuesday (1/23): E day - A great day of fun and learning

Wednesday (1/24): A day - K, 1st, 3rd, and 4th grade PLCs, Workout Wednesday

Thursday (1/25): B day - A great day of fun and learning

Friday (1/26): C day - 5th grade PLC, wear Bacon gear

Upcoming January Dates

January 29th: NO SCHOOL - staff professional development day

**The Parents as Leaders Coalition will be hosting a number of events here at Bacon. These events will take place on Mondays throughout the winter and early spring. Stay tuned for more info.**

Bacon Pics