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The Week Ahead at DMHS.

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Mon. Aug. 26th, 2013:

FIRST DAY for STUDENTS!!! Safety PD During Planning: in Media Center **all classified staff AND teacher assistants should find time to attend ONE of these sessions..

Tues. Aug. 27th:

8:30-9:30am: 1st period planning teachers 10:00-11:00am: 2nd period planning teachers 12:00-1:00pm: 3rd period planning teachers Dalton l. mcmichael high school 2:00-3:00pm: 4th period planning teachers Wed. Aug. 28th:

Student Grade Level Meetings: **all meetings in Auditorium: we will call them down

10:00-10:30am: Freshmen 10:45-11:20am: Sophomores Thurs. Aug. 29th:

Student Grade Level Meetings: **all meetings in Auditorium: we will call them down

10:00-10:30am: Juniors 10:45-11:20am: Seniors Fri. Aug. 30th: HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! Upcoming Events: Sept. 2nd: HOLIDAY: NO SCHOOL Sept. 3rd: SLT meeting in Media Center **anyone is welcome to attend Sept. 9th: 3:30-4:30pm: Staff meeting in Media Center Sept. 10th: 4:00-6:00pm: HS Collaboration meeting Sept. 16th: Progress Reports GO HOME Oct. 7th: End of 1st Grading period and STAFF MEETING: 3:30-4:30pm

10 Lessons Ive learned from Harry Potter

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By: Starr Sackstein http://bit.ly/12XUG2S

I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter. Hopefully many of you do too. I thought this was appropriate for not only our first days of school but also for our relationships project this y ear. This author also has a pretty cool blog..See you Monday! Here are 10 life lessons from the Harry Potter Series in no particular order: (there could probably be 100):

1. Friendship and love make life worthwhile. worthwhile Harry is able to overcome the odds in his early life,
even without the guidance of a nuclear family. His friendship with Hermoine and Ron and the entire Weasley family help him grow into a man his parents wouldve been proud of. It is because of these relationships that he is able to persevere over the most terrible circumstances. Even when times get hard for each of us, the people we surround ourselves with will make those times more bearable in life and in the classroom. We all need help sometimes. In many situations, Harry didnt want to include his friends or allow them to feel the weight of his most grevious burdens; he thought he could fight the most dangerous wizard alone. He was wrong and luckily for him, his friends always were there to help, even when he didnt want them to be. Without the help of Harrys friends, he could never have accomplished what he did. Although asking for help is often challenging, we will all need and should accept the help of others when the circumstance deems it necessary. Sometimes its okay to break the rules. Although not adviseable all the time, in certain situations Harry had to break the rules in order to save his friends and/or the school. In life, we all have to make decisions that feel right in our gut. There may be rules that say we shouldnt, but in matters where the greater good will benefit, its okay. For example, in NYC schools there is an electronics policy in place that says students cant bring their personal electronic devices to class. My administration allows me to break this rule because the students are so engaged in their learning and the devices arent being misused. Although plans are useful, sometimes you have to just go with it. In the final Harry Potter book (and movie), Harry tells Hermione that they have to go back to Hogwarts to find a horcrux that is hidden there. Hermione, adamant about methodical planning protests only to have Harry remind her that none of the plans have worked thus far. In life, we can organize and plan, but often things dont go as we expect; there must be a certain level of flexibility and adventure in all of us if we want to succeed in our tasks. This is particularly true in the classroom; with so many different personalities, a teacher must be ready with alternative solutions always. Perseverence is possible, always. always Despite Voldemorts exhaustive efforts to kill Harry over a 7 year period, Harry always manages to persevere and save the day. In each of our lives there will be many obstacles that seem like they can break us, but we cant allow them to, we MUST push on. As teachers, every day is a new day and despite the challenges, hardships or woes that could ruin our journey, we must remember why we chose this noble profession. Its okay to ask for what we want. Dumbledore says, It is our choicesthat show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. Although the sorting hat was confused as to which house Harry belonged in, Harry knew he didnt want to be a Slytherin. Simply asking for what Harry wanted, skewed the hats decision. When we want something, we must ask for it or else we will never get it. Dont judge people by what they seem. seem The obvious first person to consider here is Snape, a teacher who seemed to have it out for Harry since the day he stepped foot into Hogwarts. Later, we find out that Snape has always been protecting Harry because of a deal he made with Dumbledore and a true love he felt toward Lily Potter. We will always meet students or colleagues who arent what they seem. Judging, avoiding or hating them doesnt help. Always get to know someone, find out what they are about before you determine your relationship with them.

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8. Words are our most inexhaustable resources. resources Dumbledore speaks of magic when he uses a similar phrase, but it is so in life. Words have the power to inflict harm or create passion, inspire dreams, change lives. Its always good to remember the power of what we say and write and be in control of the purpose of our choices. 9. Dont dwell on the past and forget to live. live Although dreams are what propel each of us on our way, when Harry gets mired in the fantasy of his parents in the mirror of Erised, Dumbledore reminds him that he mustnt linger on what can never be because he will miss his opportunity to experience life. Each of us has moments we cling to that comfort in times or challenges, but we cant remain in the past forever, we must always move forward creating new experiences. Great students will grace our classrooms. Amazing moments will happen, but there will always be more and we should cling to that fact, not the old experiences. 10. Recognize the significance of learning. learning You never know when any small tidbit of learning will be essential. Many times over the course of the novels, Hermiones learning was able to bail the trio out. Whether it was her knowledge of Devils Snare or her inexhaustive thirst for knowledge in the library, Hermione shows us that being logical and observant will help us through most situations. Although she does state that there are more important things than cleverness, we know her smarts are extremely worthwhile. Students often grace our classrooms disinterested in our subject matter. It is our job to make what we present to them worthwhile and connected to their lives. We must provide them with the skills to find answers to questions they seek, as we continue to find answers to our own questions. I can probably go on forever as I have connected really deeply with these characters. Both as a young adult and now as a parent and grown up. We never know 100% what we will latch on to, so Ive learned the importance of keeping an open mind.