Today was SO COOL! 🤩🤩
The Men’s USA Team Handball team came to our school and played with our students while they are in the Quad Cities competing for the North American & Caribbean Championship.
Such a great experience & amazing group #TeamHandball#PhysEd
Congratulations to the PV 7th Grade girls on winning the large school team championship, and our 8th graders on their runner-up finish!! Beautiful day for a meet! #PVGTF
Come work with us! My 7-8th grade building is hiring a #HealthEd / #PhysEd teacher at Pleasant Valley Junior High.
Let me know if you have any questions! #hiring
🚨Register NOW for this learning opportunity!
🆓 for current SHAPE Iowa members
🗓️ October 14,2023 (Noon-4:00 pm)
📍Pleasant Valley Junior High (Le Claire, IA)
💻 https://t.co/oL2uj9er1I
(Membership can be purchased for $35 to attend workshop)
Over the past week, all 7th grade students were introduced to the Mission and Vision and Spartan Statements at PVJH. Absolutely love the energy and passion our students have to get better each day.
I was in 4 grade schools in 5 years growing up.
I still get a pit in my stomach when I think of the 1st day in a new classroom because being a new kid sucks
These are 5 things I tell my son & daughter to do when they see a new student having it rough:
1/ Pay Attention to the Edges
As a new kid, recess is terrifying.
Seems like everyone is playing. Having fun. Except you.
I tell my kids to scope the edges of the field/playground.
Who's wandering solo? Who's alone?
Introduce yourself. Ask them to play. It's HUGE.
2/ No Lonely Lunches
Second to recess, lunch is a tough time.
Feels like everyone has someone so sit/eat/talk with and you don't. So you sit alone.
I ask my kids to sit next to the kid eating alone. Or ask the new kid to join their table.
The gesture itself goes a long way.
3/ Avoid "Choose a Partner" Purgatory
When you're a new kid and the teacher says, "partner up" for a project...
Man, you get chills. You KNOW nobody is asking you.
I ask my kids to be on the lookout for this.
And if possible, pick the kid you know doesn't know anybody.
Tiny act. Big effect.
4/ A Basic "How Are You?"
New kids feel super isolated. It stinks.
I remember days where it felt like no other kid even notices you.
A simple, "Hey! What's up?" could mean the world.
Shows someone sees you.
And that you're not invisible...
5/ Smile
The simplest of all gestures.
When you're a new kid in a new school you'd kill for a friendly face to acknowledge you.
Too often, it feels like you're drowning in a sea of strangers...
But often all it takes is one smile to pull you out of a funk. Just an big, full smile when you walk by someone let's you know that there are nice people around.
And you smile back... And now you feel better.
Easy.
It's been several decades since my last 1st day of school as a new kid.
I can still feel it.
And that's why I hammer home these points to my kids at the end of every summer.
Thanks for reading and please share with other parents.
Hopefully this'll help one new kid adjust sooner.
And follow me @Jon_Finkel for more dad columns like this.
Two great opportunities for building and district leadership in eastern Iowa with @PleasantValleyCSD. #HighSchool#Principal & Director of #Secondary#Education. See more or apply by March 19th at https://t.co/PcVlXNRzUT