Oct. 21st - Oct. 25th   LEADER IN ME
     This week launch's the first week of our attempt to implement the habits found in "The Leader in Me" program.  You will be hearing a lot about this in the upcoming weeks.  We are very excited about introducing the 7 habits of happy kids to all our students and their families.  They have the power to change our students futures and make them more productive and happy people.   Below is an explanation of the habits we want to instill in our students.

	Habit 1 — Be Proactive You're in Charge I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.
	Habit 2 — Begin with the End in Mind Have a Plan I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
	Habit 3 — Put First Things First Work First, Then Play I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.
	Habit 4 — Think Win-Win Everyone Can Win I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others’ Emotional Bank Accounts. When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives.
	Habit 5 — Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Listen Before You Talk I listen to other people’s ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking.
	Habit 6 — Synergize Together Is Better I value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than anyone of us can alone. I am humble.
	Habit 7 — Sharpen The Saw Balance Feels Best I take care of my body by eating right, exercising and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I find meaningful ways to help others.

Fri. Sept. 13th   "A Tribute to 911"
    This Friday the students in 2nd - 5th grades gathered by grade level to learn more about Sept. 11th 2001.  We started the conversation by showing them a picture of the twin towers before they were bombed.  Then one by one each teacher shared where they were when they first heard the news and the impact that day had on their own lives.  Then we watched the following video made for kids, to help answer questions about that moment in history.
http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/nick-news-what-happened-the-true-story-of-september-11th-full-episode.html
     At the end of the presentation we talked about our own freedoms and how important it is to honor our veterans and first responders.  Below are some pictures from that day.

With the younger 2nd grade students we lightened the mood by reading to them the book entitled " The Man Who Walked Between the Towers".  It is based on the true story of a man named Phillipe Petit who did just that.

Mrs. Riley's daughter, Rachel, the day after  911 wrote this poem to her express her feelings about that day.  She was a Senior in high school and some of her friends had just signed up for the military and she knew that this event would impact their lives forever, and it did. 

     Well, we are into school full tilt now, and already we have begun our "Class Act" on Fridays!.   The first week we learned procedures and how to move around the gym with at least 100 people in a safe and sound way.   Believe me, this is no small task, especially with kindergarteners!  But, with that behind us we have now moved on to Drama and Dance. This past week the students heard the book, "Onstage and Backstage at the Night Owl Theater" read aloud to them.  They we mesmerized all the jobs and how many people it takes to put on a play.  They even got to try their hand at acting.  Below are some pictures that show the children trying their hand at portraying the grumpy step-sisters and poor little Cinderella running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to obey their hateful commands:

Here are the students learning about the procedures for Fridays.

Cinderella fetching a glove!

Purnella, spouting an order!

The kids listen attentively as the story is read aloud.

The worksheet they completed that had them tell 3 jobs of a director, 3 jobs of an actor and then they had to label the stage with the correct stage directions such as center stage, upstage, downstage, stage left and stage right.

Kindergartners dancing!

My leap's better than your leap!

Life is great!!

Let Us Entertain You!!

   Welcome to Scottie Theater News, a blog to help keep you posted on all the theater and drama opportunites that the students of Highland Elementary will be exposed to during the 2013-2014 school year.  On Fridays when the students come to their specials classes they will all come together by grade level and be immersed in either drama, dance, career, and character education classes.   We plan on teaching these by introducing a different area of concetration per month.  The breakdown will look like the following.
Aug. Fitness Testing
Sept. Drama
Oct. Dance
Nov. Character and Carrer
Dec. Practice for "Annie" and Christmas Programs
Jan. Annie and Character and Carrer
Feb. Drama and Beta practice
March Dance
April Fitness Testing and Character Ed
May Last of school events

     The leaders of these classes will be Mr. Woodward (art teacher), Mrs. Taylor (music teacher), Mrs. Riley (P.E.) The schedule above is due to change