RM Bacon Weekly: March 5

Bears,

You know the saying - March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I hope Mother Nature holds true to the latter, because March sure came in roaring! Weather-wise, that is.

Well, I guess you could say March roared in at Bacon, too. On Thursday, March 1st, we had our monthly PBIS Pep Rally. A number of students were honored for grades, attendance, and we even had a special spotlight on two young men who acted quickly to help a staff member in need (see pics below). After the business part of the assembly was over, it was time for the fun and games. This month, we did Hungry Hungry Hippos, Bacon style. Even the staff got in on the action.

This past week was Read Across America Week. Each day had a theme for what to wear, and each day our students and staff didn't disappoint. The week ended with students and staff members dressing as their favorite characters from books. There were plenty of characters to be found in the halls and classroom of our great school that day - more so than usual.

As hard as it is to believe, we've got Spring Break coming up in less than a month. We've got a full, busy March to get through first. Everyone - stay the course, keep doing great things, and above all, keeping making learning meaningful and fun!

I'll close with this thought -- last week, I talked about how we'd probably do well to listen and observe twice as much as we talk. This week, I want to follow up with this idea: when we do talk, our words matter. I know that's cliche, but it's true. What we say matters, possibly more than we'll ever realize. A cutting word here, a negative tone there - they all add up and accumulate. The weight of these words eventually impacts others in ways we might see immediately or in ways we may not see right away. I know we all have off days, and there are things that come out of our mouths (myself included) that we wish we could take back. The idea here isn't perfection, but I would encourage us all to be consciously aware of what words we use - in school, out of school, whenever and wherever. If you know me, I can sometimes (ok, often) use words to try (and I really stress try) to be funny. But I know I have to be careful. A wrong word here, or an ill-advised joking comment here, and I could have the opposite effect than what I desired. The same is true for our learners. If they are exposed daily to words that are positive, uplifting, kind, and encouraging, the total effect will always be for the better. And the opposite is true. In fact, the opposite is probably more true because life has a way of producing negative effects faster than positive ones. This even plays out in nature. The few times I tried to plant something, weeds shot up right away while the intended fruit took much longer (much of that was user error, but the point is still there). So hang in there. If you don't see the results you want as quickly as you'd like, keep watering. Keep tending the seed. It will grow, eventually. And part of that process is what we say to our learners and how we say it. I once had a teacher in high school tell the class that when things got a little testy between he and his wife, she'd stop him and say, "Excuse me, I can't hear you. You are speaking too loudly." There's a great lesson in there. How we say things are just as important was what we say.

Keep being positive. Keep being kind. Keep being an influence for good. We're all better for it!

Parents - don't forget there is NO SCHOOL for students on Wednesday, March 7th.
Staff - don't forget there IS SCHOOL for you on Wednesday, March 7th!

Everyone have an excellent week!

The Week Ahead

Monday (3/5): B day - Lesson plans due

Tuesday (3/6): C day - 3rd M.P. progress reports go home

Wednesday (3/7): NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (staff professional development day)

Thursday (3/8): D day - staff meeting (8 am in the library)

Friday (3/9): E day - Wear Bacon gear

Upcoming Dates

3/29 - 1:45 dismissal

3/30 - 4/6 - Spring Break

4/9 - School resumes

Bacon Pics

Creating some delicious, healthy snacks with Miss Candy

Looks good!

Crazy sock day

A Dr. Seuss-themed puzzle

Working on the puzzle

Some young Bear singers to get our morning started right

On Friday, many of our staff and students dressed as their favorite characters from a book.

Can you tell who they are supposed to be?

PBIS Pep Rally

Matthew Harris (left) and Bryant Nelson (right) being honored by members of the Cumberland County Sheriff's office for their quick thinking during a medical emergency. Great job, gentlemen!