THE AVENUE - Edition 9 (10/7/2020)

Volume 3 | Edition 9 | 2020-2021

October 7, 2020

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dearest Daves Avenue Families.

On Monday evening, Superintendent Johnson proposed a recommendation which was approved by the LGUSD Board of Trustees to remain in a virtual classroom learning model until at least January 2021. While this pandemic and the year 2020 continues to present hurdles, I have learned that our community of stakeholders including students, teachers, parents, and administrators can unite and engage in difficult and respectful conversations to benefit all students. When considering the polarizing topic of reopening schools amidst a pandemic, I want to assure you that the many stakeholder meetings have incorporated and taken into consideration the perspectives of a wide range of individuals. Our journey to transition back to in-person learning is one-rooted in the following guiding principles which were used to frame the analysis and decision to remain in virtual classrooms:

Physical Health & Safety
Educational Quality
Social-emotional Learning/Wellbeing
Educational Consistency

As we navigate the coming months together, I challenge us to proceed with grace. I challenge us to continue to unite in times of challenge and assume best intentions. I continue to be grateful for all parents and teachers for your relentless support and positive mindset. Our children are watching our every move. In ten years from now, my greatest hope is that our students will reflect back to the year 2020 and remember how the trusted adults in their lives rallied together in times of chaos and uncertainty. I have no doubt that we will continue to rise to the occasion.

In education together,

Jenna Mittleman

Principal, Daves Avenue Elementary School

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Please join the second Daves Avenue Home & School Club Meeting of the 2020-2021 school year:

Tomorrow, October 8 at 2:30pm

ZOOM LINK

All are welcome!

All are also welcome to join our next virtual School Site Council meeting:

Today, October 7

at 2:30pm

ZOOM LINK

ONLINE COMMUNITY EVENT

Join Us for a LIVE Zoom Event with

HAPPY BIRDS!

Friday, October 16th

4 to 5pm

Learn all about parrots

Watch them...

• talk and sing

• ride a bike and scooter

• play the shell game

• perform flying tricks

...and more!

All Cool Cats Are Welcome!

HAPPY BIRDS ZOOM LINK

Meeting ID: 946 086 2150

Passcode: PAWS

PARENTING CONTINUUM

Keep Your Bucket Full Series (Part 3 of 3) from Parenting Continuum

Welcome back! In PART 1, you learned about mental-emotional well-being as a bucket and why it may feel lower than usual. In PART 2, you explored strategies to “drain less” and “fill more” such as focusing on your circle of influence, reframing your self-talk, boosting the happiness chemicals in your brain, and gratitude exercises.

Now it is time to GROW your bucket!

What do I need to do, so that within one year

I can say this current situation is the

best thing that could have ever happened to me/us?

At first glance, this might feel like an impossible or even ridiculous question. A famous author once said, “life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it”. How might you reimagine the next 3, 6, or even 12 months?

Here are the hidden learnings and gifts that my clients discovered as they explored this question.

• “Turn off the devices and use the time to really get to know my kids”

• “Rally my employees to innovate a new business opportunity”

• “Model self-care for my employees and family”

• “Take an hour each week for my development – webinars, reading, and a coach”

Shift out of survival mode into thriving mode with these 4 growth strategies.

1) Time Travel – Consider a time in past that felt devastating at the time. What are your gifts and lessons now 10, 20, 30+ years later? For me, I think about not getting into Georgetown University for International Relations at 18 and how crushing that felt. But if I had not experienced that disappointment, I would have never found the career I love and better yet my soulmate and husband, Jeff. The same is true for this moment in time as challenging as it may feel. Imagine your future self, 20 years from now, what advice would you give your present self?

2) Bring a Growth Mindset – Growth mindset is the belief that talent can be developed. It is when you believe challenges help you grow, feedback is constructive, and learning is everywhere. Here is a 6 minute overview of growth mindset. (Or you might enjoy the ClassDojo version like my 7 year old daughter.) A simple strategy to put growth mindset into action is to become a YET person. “We haven’t figured out the best schedule as a family… YET.” Simply adding this word shifts your brain from disappointment to discovery. What have you not quite mastered YET?

3) Find (and Scale) Bright Spots – Watch this 4 min video on bright spots. Look for something that is working well at home, in school, or at work. Study it. What makes that successful? How might you scale that? Example: Maybe your kids have better quality or focus on homework after a bike ride. Perhaps taking a break to play a game together during lunch improves the mood throughout the rest of the day. Maybe packing your lunches the night before saves you heartache and drama mid-day. How might you scale what is working?

4) Grow Your Mental Fitness – In times of great change, our minds can go negative and sabotage our likelihood of success. You need to be in a calm and positive state to innovate, adapt, and navigate. In part 1, you took a Positive Intelligence (PQ) assessment. To build your PQ, you need to calm your mind, quiet the inner critics, and take action as the best version of yourself. Learn more about Mental Fitness (6 min) and a simple technique called a PQ rep.

Make this the best year yet.

Drain less, fill more, and grow your bucket.

About the Author: Erin McAuley leads Be Change Coach with the mission to unleash change capacity in leaders, teams, and organizations. She and her husband Jeff live in Monte Sereno with their 2nd and 3rd graders attending Daves Elementary. You can enroll in her 6-week Mental Fitness Reboot program or email Erin directly at erin@bechange.coach for 1-on-1 coaching or corporate engagements. “We have three choices for any situation – accept it, change it, or convert it to a gift. What choice will you make?”

ONE COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN

DONATE TO ONE COMMUNITY LG

WHAT BEING ON THE BOARD MEANS TO ME

“After moving here from Texas last year, I was looking for a way to get plugged in to my children’s school and the community. The Board welcomed me and my ideas with open arms. And it has been such a pleasure getting to know the other board members and committee volunteers. Being on the board has enriched my life and helped with our transition to a new school.” Jill Cox - H&SC Board Secretary

Current positions open: The H&SC Board is looking for a new member ASAP to serve in the position of President-Elect. The President-Elect will be an invaluable member of the Board this year who will transition to H&SC President for the 2021-2022 school year, and then to Parliamentarian for the 2022-2023 school year. The ideal candidate will be a parent with children in the 3rd grade or younger, who wants to take on a leadership role at Daves Avenue supported by a great team! The role is absolutely open to working parents. Interested? Have more questions? Or know someone who may be a great candidate?

In addition, the Room Parent Coordinator position is now OPEN.

If any of the roles interests you, please email our Board Vice-President, Emma Garner.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Oak Tree Children's Club has been a ministry of First Baptist Church since 1983. Oak Tree has and will continue to provide a safe and secure environment for students of Daves Avenue to grow, play, and interact with each other. We opened our doors September 8th to our first pod back onto campus since the closing of campus on March 13th! If you would like more information on the new regulations and requirements please visit Oak Tree's website at: www.oaktreelg.com or contact us at: 408-395-6682.