Mobley’s Monday Message 1-28-19

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Extreme Weather This Week

Happy Snow Day…will it be the only day schools are closed this week? I know there are a lot of us looking ahead and wondering what is going to happen later this week, especially on Wednesday, an Inservice Day. SEEO President Kathy Jesuit and I have already been in communication with Superintendent DuRoss this past weekend. As soon as a decision is made, you will be notified. We thank you in advance for your patience. He is also talking with administration about what is the best way to run Bus Duty on extreme days.

Building Rep Meeting Rescheduled

Due to the snow day, today’s Building Rep meeting will be rescheduled to next Monday, February 4^th,from 3:30-5:00 PM in the Board Meeting. Because next Monday was originally an Exec Board meeting, I will be sending out information to the Exec Board via email. Thank you for your flexibility!

Food 4 Thought

Did you know District 54’s Education Foundation has committed to raising enough money to fund breakfast programs in all of our schools? $1 buys breakfast for a student for a day. $200 buys breakfast for a student for a year. $10,000 sponsors an entire school for a year. To learn more or donate to “Food 4 Thought” visit the Foundation’s website at www.d54foundation.org.

Transfair

Last week Dr. Hannigan sent out information about this year’s Transfair on Monday, April 1^st, at Keller Jr. High. If you are interested in attending, the deadline to notify Dr. Hannigan via email is this Friday, February 1^st. Many teachers in the district submit their interest in participating just to make sure they are on the list. Even if you don’t end up attending, it at least allows you to see what other positions in our district are available to you. I realize February 1st seems early to be submitting this information, but it is based on our contract: Any tenured or non‐tenured teacher requesting a change in teaching assignment for the following year must make a written request to the Assistant Superintendent by February 1.

Online Learning Portal

As a reminder to you, one of the benefits of being a member is you have access to IEA’s online learning portal which you can access by signing into the Members Only page. This is FREE professional development at your fingertips that can be completed at any time and at your own pace. A complete list of course offerings can be found on the IEA Online Learning Portal. Some of the topics I saw which may be of interest include managing student behavior, social emotional learning foundations, understanding rigor in today’s classrooms, positive discipline, project based learning for student engagement, communicating with families using technology, and much more! Login to Members Only to get started!

Community Closet Volunteers

Thank you to the team of teachers from the SEA who volunteered at Addams’ Community Closet this past Saturday. I enjoyed having the opportunity to serve with Cynthia Dressler (ELC), Lin Hsieh (Campanelli), Steven Kitowski (MacArthur), and Lu Temoczuk (MacArthur). It’s nice seeing how many members across the district have filled the volunteer slots for the entire school year. If you have never volunteered, the SEA has two more dates reserved: Saturday, April 27^th (10 AM – 12 PM) & Tuesday, May 14^th (6-8 PM). We would love to have you join our team those days!

Out of the District Later this Week

I was fortunate to be one of 15 local presidents across the state to be selected to attend a National Education Association conference for new presidents in Washington DC this Thursday, January 31^st and Friday, February 1^st. I will still have access to my email. If you need immediate assistance on those days, please contact our Vice-President, Vicki Mikos, at vamikosSEA@gmail.com or at x. 1902.

Here are some fun ways to celebrate this week:

January 28^th: National Have Fun at Work Day (oops, guess we will be having fun at home instead!)

January 29^th: Plan for Vacation Day (don’t take one yet, just plan for it…and don’t forget to be add up to five snow days to the end of the school year)

January 30^th: National Croissant Day

January 31^st: National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day (thank you art teachers!)

February 1^st: Decorating with Candy Day

Important Dates in January/February:

January 28^th: SNOW DAY!

January 29^th: Member Benefits visit to ELC (during lunch) & Fairview (afterschool)

January 30^th: Half-Day Teacher In-Service & Member Benefits visit to Eisenhower

January 31^st: Member Benefits visit to Einstein (at lunch)

February 1^st: Member Benefits visit to Dooley (at lunch)

February 4^th: SEA RESCHEDULED Building Rep Meeting

February 25^th: SEA Building Rep Meeting

February 26^th: Retirement Meeting for TRS Employees @RAC (contact Diana Peters if you are attending)