WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

Hello and Goodbye everyone!


I am having surgery tomorrow on my back and will be out until January or so...  I won't be able to keep up with the blog for you 100 or so families that access, but I will be back in 2016!


David Laboranti will be the acting Principal
Rebecca Mullen will be our Instructional Asst. Principal
and here and there, retired administrator Jim Gama will be in to help out as well.  
Your students are in great hands!




Take care, be kind and smile!

~Mr. CL

The Week of September 14, 2015

Welcome back after a week of 100 plus degree weather!  This week we'll get down to the  80's where we belong.... 

Anyway!   Hello!

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I'll start out with some not so good news...  As many of you know I have been having back issues since I was rear-ended about two years ago in my car...  At the time it didn't seem too bad but through the months it continued to be a growing painful bother... Some MRI's, Physical Therapy, cortisone shots and a back surgery last May and here I am in worse shape than before as the original herniated disc just hasn't healed and has now collapsed.    Probably too much information, but I wanted you to know why I will be gone.  

So... I will be taking a Medical Leave of Absence--again!  This time I will be out much longer.  My last day before I go on leave will be this Thursday, the 17th and it is projected that I will be out until mid school year--so January or so.  Hopefully, this will be the cure to what ails me and I'll come back strong and be able to get around to the classrooms and the students much better than I have the last couple of years.

David Laboranti, our Assistant Principal will be the acting Principal while I'm on leave.  Dr. Flores is working on Mr. Laboranti's support partner who will be announced this week and we have had a number of teachers step up to take leadership roles in different areas so that the students are fully supported. Your child will be safe and secure and will continue to get a great education at Brownell Middle School.

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Speaking of a great education.... 

SBAC (State test results) have finally been released and you should soon be receiving your child's test results.   As is predicted, the old CST scores look nothing like the new test results.  Different test, different process and different standards.   As has been the case in nearly all ares of the State, percentage scores correct have dropped from the last State Tests.  And they should!   

Besides being so different and new....  the new standards are much harder!  Here are our scores per grade level, as well as overall.  Compared to the other two middle schools we compared favorably so we all have a lot of work to do!  
Compared to the State overall we scored higher and compared with the whole county we scored lower.   

These results will be used as our base line for State Academic Performance Indexes (API) for growth comparisons.  

You can find school results at:
 http://caaspp.cde.ca.gov/sb2015/Search

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WOW WORD of the WEEK!

rel·e·vant

‘reləvənt

Adjective

closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand.

"The candidate's experience is relevant to the job"

synonyms: pertinent, applicable, apposite, material, apropos, to the point, germane

The "Mindful Word of the Fortnight" is 

FRIENDSHIP

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That is all for now! ~ Mr. CL

The Week of September 7, 2015

Hello!

Here is some quick news you might have missed on the front page of The Brownell website:

We are excited to welcome you to our 2015-16 Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 9, 2015, starting at 6:00 – 8:00 pm.  Please follow your student's CLASS SCHEDULE for the class rotations from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. 

We are looking forward seeing you here!

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CROSS COUNTRY:

Practice: Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school until 4:30 pm

All Cross Country Meets are at Xmas Hill Park - Start time ~ 3:30 pm

Sept. 10th

 SV- Brownell- ASMS- Bernal Britton Murphy (top 10 fun run)

Sept. 17th 

South Valley Invititational (top 10 fun run) 

Sept. 24th

SV- Brownell- ASMS- Davis- Britton

Bridges-Bernal- Hoover- Herman (top 10 fun run)

October 1st

SV- Brownell- ASMS- Davis- Murphy- Herman- Hoover

October 8th

South Division Meet

October 15th

Sectional Finals

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Wow Word of the Week!

role

rōl

noun

an actor's part in a play, movie, etc.

"Dietrich's role as a wife in war-torn Paris"

synonyms:  part;  

the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.

"She greeted us all in her various roles of mother, friend, and daughter"

synonyms: capacity, position, job, post, office, duty, responsibility, mantle, place; 

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That is all for now!  ~Mr. CL

Week of August 31st

Hello,

Students will start dressing out for PE, Cross Country is starting, it is Spirit Week this week and it is suppose to be a bit cooler this week, right? Well... we are suppose to dip into the 80's and even the 70's this week!

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Back To School Spirit Days ( August 31^st – September 4^th)

All school dress codes must be followed. In doubt ask one of the teachers at school.

Monday: 

“Lazy Monday” – Wear sweats or what you feel comfortable. No flip flops or slippers

Tuesday: 

“TV Tuesday” – Wear your favorite TV character

Wednesday: 

“ Mathletes vs Athletes” -  Dress up as a Mathematician or an Athlete?Back 

Thursday: 

“Throwback Thursday”: Dress up as 60s, 70s, 80s…

Friday: 

“Class Color Day” – 6^th grader wear Maroon – 7^th Grader wear Gray and 8^th grader wear white

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In case you missed it on the Schoolloop news:

Attention All Students! PICTURE MAKE UP DAY is on Friday,  Sept. 4th during 6th, 7th & 8th grade lunches in the Multi Purpose Room. Do not forget to:  - Fill out your Order Form - you may get it at the front office.  - Choose your Picture Package  - Enclosed Payment (cash,check, Money Order)  - Bring your Smile :-) If you are a new student and have not taken your ID picture yet, this is your chance! SEE YOU THERE....do not forget!!!

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WoW:  Word of the Week!

e·val·u·ate

əˈvalyəˌwāt/

verb

Form an idea of the amount, number, or value of; assess.

"When you evaluate any hammer, look for precision machining"

synonyms:

assess, judge, gauge, rate, estimate, appraise, analyze, examine, get the measure of

MATHEMATICS

Find a numerical expression or equivalent for (an equation, formula, or function).

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MWow:   Mindful Word of the Week!

Em·pa·thy

em·pa·thy

ˈempəTHē/

noun

1. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Sounds simple enough?  ... no not really...  

What Is Empathy? The Greater Good, the science of a meaningful life (UC Berkeley) 

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.

Contemporary researchers often differentiate between two types of empathy: “Affective empathy” refers to the sensations and feelings we get in response to others’ emotions; this can include mirroring what that person is feeling, or just feeling stressed when we detect another’s fear or anxiety. “Cognitive empathy,” sometimes called “perspective taking,” refers to our ability to identify and understand other peoples’ emotions. Studies suggest that people with autism spectrum disorders have a hard time empathizing.

Empathy seems to have deep roots in our brains and bodies, and in our evolutionary history. Elementary forms of empathy have been observed in our primate relatives, in dogs, and even in rats. Empathy has been associated with two different pathways in the brain, and scientists have speculated that some aspects of empathy can be traced to mirror neurons, cells in the brain that fire when we observe someone else perform an action in much the same way that they would fire if we performed that action ourselves. Research has also uncovered evidence of a genetic basis to empathy, though studies suggest that people can enhance (or restrict) their natural empathic abilities.

Having empathy doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll want to help someone in need, though it’s often a vital first step toward compassionate action.

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The following article is from: 

The Greater Good, the science of a meaningful life (UC Berkeley) 

Four Lessons from “Inside Out” to Discuss With Kids

By Jason Marsh, Vicki | July 14, 2015 | 5 Comments

The new Pixar film has moved viewers young and old to take a look inside their own minds.

Since its release last month, Inside Out has been applauded by critics, adored by audiences, and has become the likely front-runner for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

But perhaps its greatest achievement has been this: It has moved viewers young and old to take a look inside their own minds. As you likely know by now, much of the film takes place in the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, with five emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—embodied by characters who help Riley navigate her world. The film has some deep things to say about the nature of our emotions—which is no coincidence, as the GGSC’s founding faculty director, Dacher Keltner, served as a consultant on the film, helping to make sure that, despite some obvious creative liberties, the film’s fundamental messages about emotion are consistent with scientific research.

Continue reading... 

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That's all for now!

Mr. CL

The Week of August 24, 2015

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!

We do so much to speed our children up...  maybe it's time to slow them down so they can catch a breath!

Learning Emotional Intelligence, Meditation, and Yoga in Schools

How mindful curricula can make a huge impact on children’s lives.

By Mindful Staff | August 2, 2015

Kaila Winkler practices her breathing. Photograph by Mark Mahaney.

Children can seem young and carefree, but often, childhood can be filled with stress and confusion. To help children deal with this, meditation and yoga programs are taking place all over the country. These curriculums are designed to help children build stronger relationships, do better in school, and manage their emotions.

One curriculum in Harlem has kids lead each other in meditation and sit for about 10 minutes a day. The teachers have been trained in the RULER program, designed at Yale University, with the goal of helping children develop emotional intelligence.

The results of this program reflects the research on emotional intelligence: “They’re doing better in school. They have more positive relationships and on top of that, they have better physical and psychological well-being,” says child development expert Denise Daniels in an article from the Time Warner Cable News.

Another program similar to the one in Harlem is the program in Baltimore created by theHolistic Life Foundation that aims to help kids living in some of the toughest parts of the city. The average dropout rate for high school students in Baltimore is 50%, yet 19 of the first 20 boys who participated in the program graduated, and the other got his GED.

The program has now grown to include girls and boys of different grades and backgrounds.The students learn breathing techniques and yoga, play team sports, and get help with their homework. The program is super successful and the kids love it, proven by the fact that the program has at least an 85% attendance rate. In a piece from the April 2013 issue of Mindful, past participants of the program gave their stories about how HLF helped them:

“I guess I could say I was one of the ones with the behavior problems,” says Darrius Douglas, 22, who was in the first program and now teaches as a volunteer. “But once I got into it, I understood how the breath controls the body. I wasn’t getting into arguments so much. I definitely thought more before I reacted.” Later, when he failed out of school, HLF founders Ali and Atman Smith and Andy Gonzalez helped him write the letter to get him accepted back. “These guys helped me more than anyone else in my life.”
Most of HLF’s work takes place in West Baltimore where Ali, Atman, and Andy teach yoga and meditation to kids in after-school programs and other settings. If you want to learn more, read Mindful’s feature on HLF, “Raising Baltimore—One Child at a Time.”

WOW Word of the Week!

prin·ci·ple

ˈprinsəpəl

Noun

1. a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.

"The basic principles of Democracy have been violated"

synonyms: truth, proposition, concept, idea, theory, assumption, fundamental, essential, ground rule

"This is an elementary principle or rule of law"

2. a fundamental source or basis of something.

"The first principle of all things was water"

A Teen view of Mindfulness 

Cross Country 
will start on Tuesday August 25th  with a short informational meeting- please meet at 2:45 outside Multi Purpose Room. 

Meeting should last about 15 minutes. 

Practice to start Wednesday and Thursday 8/26 and 8/27 until 4:30

Athletes dress out in appropriate attire and bring water. 

Thank you,

 Brownell Cross County Coaching Staff

That is all for now!  ~ Mr. CL

Our First Week Back to School!

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!
School Starts on Tuesday the 18th at 8:30 am!
(but you already knew that!)

This and that...  

If you have a concern about your student's schedule make sure you fill out one of our counseling forms in the office so we can address them as they come in.   We are never quite sure what our final population will be and sometimes we need to rearrange a class or two.  This can take up to a week or more depending on how involved it becomes.   

This Friday, 21st  is Picture Day!!!  All students will have their picture taken during PE!

Make sure you have filled out the lunch form for the Federal Free and Reduced Meals program.  If you qualify, not only does your student realize a healthy lunch, but the number of qualifying students also helps the school and the district receive more funds that can be used for your child's education.  Your student will bring home an application on Tuesday along with a lot of other important materials and if it doesn't arrive home, come by the office and we will get you an application to fill out.   

We will know in a couple of weeks how many students we have this year, but we do expect to go from the 905 last year down to about 850 this year.  It is always a guessing game as many arrive new to the district, families move to other places in town or move out of the District all together and we find out after school starts when the new school request their student records.  Makes for an interesting guessing game sometimes!

We will have copies of schedules ready for you if you have forgotten your schedule at home.   6th will be given out between the Gym and the Kitchen.   7th will collect theirs in the quad area by Rooms 1-4.  8th Grade will be able to pick theirs up by Room 25.  

Word of the Week will start next week!

The first order of business will be going through the Student/Parent Handbook.  We go through it with the students and we ask that you go through it with them as well and sign the paper that states you did.  Having students and Parents know what is in the Handbook will save parents and students a lot of grief and time down the road. 

The Following will be distributed to the students during 1^st Period on Tuesday

•  Welcome Letter
•  Avid Binder Comparison - Donation Letter
•  Student Emergency Card*
•  Food Service Lunch Application*
•  Student Parent Handbook
•  Handbook Information Letter from Principal
•  AUP Contract in English and Spanish*
•  Picture Taking Order Forms--(bring to PE on Friday!)

It is very important that you remind students to return the documents with asterisk (*) next to it by Monday, August 24^th.

That is all for now! ~ Mr. CL