WELCOME CARVER STAFF! We are so HAPPY to have all of you here for the year!!!!

We have new staff members that have joined our Carver family!! We welcome you with open “wings!”

The Good News Is….. Please share with us any good news you have experienced over the summer. We are listening!

School Climate & Culture

WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE? Why do you get out of bed every morning and come to Carver Elementary School? Take a few minutes to reflect and then write your answer on an index card at your table.

SHARE Share with the people at your table your purpose for doing what you do here at Carver. PLEASE KEEP your purpose. You will need it again later.

Think about this… “The most powerful change in the life of a student occurs when an individual teacher has high expectations of that student, and then acts on those expectations in ways that help the student be successful.” Blackburn, B.(2008). Rigor is not a four letter word

Getting to Know Yourself: Our Colors of Success We all have 4 colors in our individual personality makeup, but in each profile, certain colors are more or less prominent. Most of us have a dominant color shaded by the other three colors-thus creating our own color spectrum. There is no “good” or “bad” color profile

Keys to Personal and Professional Success ●Discover YOUR True Colors and dynamic keys to unlocking your personal Success ●Think about the people you interact with everyday. Are we bringing out the best in each other or driving each other crazy? ●That’s the power of knowing your TRUE COLORS.

What are your True Colors?

Card Sort Activity ●Read all 4 color cards ●Decide which seems most like you to least like you ●Line the cards in front of you in order (most like you- least) from left to right. ●Write these colors at the top of true colors sheet ● TRUE COLORS WORD SORT ●Follow the direction on the word sort to see if your prediction was the same. ●Add up the totals at the bottom. ●The color with the highest number is your True Color.

ORANGE ●Zest for life ●Hunger for variety ●Spirit of Adventure ●Positive Outlook ●Charm and Wit ●Entertaining Others ●Love competition ●Prefer hands on approach to problem solving ●Master Negotiator

GOLD ●Cherish traditions ●Strong Work Ethic ●Order and Structure ●Predictability ●Generous ●Steadfast and loyal ●Show you care by helping others do the right thing ●Strong sense of right and wrong

BLUE ●Devotion to relationships ●Sensitive ●Seek harmony ●Make a difference in the world ●Help nurture the potential in others ●Authenticity and honesty are valued ●Self-searching ●Living a life of significance

GREEN ●Abstract thinking ●Exploring Ideas ●Variety of Interests ●Curious Minds ●Perfectionism ●Strive for competency ●Precise language ●Seeking universal truth

Line up to see shining colors ●Look at the amount of GOLD in you ●Line up as a group according to the number of gold you have. (highest gold (20”s)- lowest gold (5) ●Do the same for: o BLUE o ORANGE o GREEN

Share your True Colors with others ●Once you understand the True Colors spectrums of those around you…. you can use the Keys to strengthen your communication with them and improve your personal and professional success! ●Meet at the table that has your True Colors Eagle in the middle of it. As a group complete the following task: o Identify/come up with a “color motto” o Identify your groups:  Values  Strengths  Needs  Communication preferences ( how you prefer to communicate)

How does understanding colors help you? ●Think about our teachers, staff, and students…. ●Share out with whole group

Something to remember…. ●When we build relationships with others, we are better able to motivate them to reach their fullest potential. ●When we find it hard to like others, we must seek to focus on their gifts,talents, and goodness. ●Those who are the most difficult to love often need love the most. Bearden,K.(2014) Crash Course

Carver’s Mission Statement Challenge ●What is our Mission Statement? ●Why is knowing the Mission Statement crucial to what we do? ●How can we ensure that everyone knows the mission statement at Carver? I am Glad you Asked me!!!

Here’s the Challenge!! ●We want every staff and faculty member to own the Mission statement for Carver. ●So here we go...Pre-K-2nd grade teachers, 3-5 teachers, specials, administrators and support staff (cafeteria, custodians,counselor) will meet to discuss what you want our students, school and each other to experience daily.

cont... ●Once every group has completed the task, at the appointed time we will come together to get a consensus of the groups input and then….rewrite the Mission statement. ●After it is completed it will be our job to learn and memorize the new statement. ●Mr. Westbrook will give us ample time to learn it, after that time he will randomly ask any staff member to recite the mission statement. ●If the staff member recites it correctly their name will go into a drawing, for those staff members who when they are asked aren’t able to recite it correctly they will have to make a monetary deposit into the jackpot jar at the end of the challenge a drawing will be held for the money that was collected from the challenge!! Are you up to the Challenge?

What are our students saying about Carver? Watch this... SBsk3rS6shttps:// SBsk3rS6s Listen to the words that students use to describe their learning environment.

What should our students expect from us daily? ●Create a climate in the classroom that they can feel like a family. ● Model a family o Show that we care o Have each others back o and nobody else should be messing with you.

cont... ●Set high expectations for our students ●Set goals for children ●Don’t lower goals for children that learn differently ●Teach them differently ●Never judge when parents don’t “show up” ●They may have had a negative experience with school themselves ●Build a relationship it affects how they perform ●See them for what they can become and not what they are now

Things that Contribute to Excessive Climate and Culture 1. Passion 2. Rules 3. Relationship 4. Support 5. Expectations 6. Parent Relations 7. Legacy 8. Service 9. Exposure 10. Magic

The School Bus What kind of bus rider are you?

The “Runners” ●Works hard ●Gives 100% all the time ●Takes the initiative ●Supports other staff members ●Never negative ●They Carry the school bus!

“The Joggers” ●They show up to work ●Do what they can, if asked ●They do no more, no less ●They go along with the majority

The “Walkers” ●Are problem seekers, never solution finders ●Sees the faults of everyone else ●Finds reasons not to participate ●They know all the rules, policies and procedures and make sure they call the attention to those who are violating them ●Always has a negative outlook

“The Sitter” ●Comes to work and does absolutely nothing ●Sits to see where everybody else will take the school bus

SELF REFLECTION ●THINK ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF RIDER YOU CURRENTLY ARE. ●HOW ARE YOU AFFECTING THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU? ●HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR STUDENTS FEEL IN YOUR CURRENT BUS? ●Look at the yellow bus you have in your hand and write down “I am a___.” then turn it over and write “I want to be a ___.” Then do everything you can to make a change for the better.

IN CLOSING ●We must take the time to plant seeds of goodness, faith and wisdom within others ●We must make sure we are instilling positive messages that will yield positive results ●When we support others’ needs together, we all become stronger ●Focus on the things that you can do, not the things that you cannot do. ●Positive and negative thinking are both contagious. Be careful what you spread.

cont... Lastly, understand that we have the abilities that can make our student’s world a better place. Remain patient when working to help children, and do not grow weary or frustrated if they do not respond in the way that you hope they will. Believe that one day, the seeds will take root and grow. Bearden, K. (2014). Crash Course