S.M.A.R.T. News
November/December 2007

Better Tools

Senator Stumpf is S.M.A.R.T. in Plummer by Nancy Farnham

What's CORE with the CORE on the floor? by Cindy Harvey

Better Training

Common Confusions by Cindy Harvey

Nutrition by Launa Ellison

Water by Launa Ellison

Better Results

"What's Cool in our School" in Jordan

S.M.A.R.T. Principals Meet

 

Spins On Helicopter Spinning

Want a way to involve your whole school in S.M.A.R.T.? Try starting the day with group spins!!

At Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School in Mitchell, SD, part of each class lines the hall (for more space) and the rest get ready in their classroom. When the music starts on the intercom system, the whole school spins and they freeze when the music stops (15 seconds spinning and 15 seconds stopping). The goal is 8 - 10 spins a day. Students love it and spinning helps them start the day with more focused and attentive minds.

At Winfair Elementary School in Windom, MN, part of the morning announcements on the intercom is music with a different S.M.A.R.T. movement each day that the entire school does. They have made over 20 music selections with voice-over telling the students what movements to do. Sometimes it's cross pattern movements switching body positions as the directions tell the motion. Some days it's spinning and other days it's different S.M.A.R.T. moves. What a way to start the day and unite the student body!

At Gregorio Esparza Accelerated Elementary School in San Antonio, TX, all of the students in the building spin together at the start of each day, also using the announcement time. They use all kinds of music, from Spin, Spin Again to Latino choices, encouraging the students to spin moderately fast and with eyes closed. They all know that spinning helps to focus everyone's brains!

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What People are Saying about S.M.A.R.T. Workshops

"I must say I don't think I have ever been to a conference or workshop where I was so engaged the entire time-never bored, never sleepy. There was so much great information - there was input, input, input."
Minneapolis, March 2007

"It was one of the most amazing workshops I have been to. I know that I will use almost all of this stuff with my own son."
Huron, SD, June 2007

"It's so fun to have so many movement-based, brain-based activities organized and proven to work. I've always felt that I should do this but wasn't sure how."
Willmar, MN August 2007

 


S.M.A.R.T. Ideas

At Short Mount Elementary in Cannon County, Tennessee, the 7th and 8th graders set up and take down the equipment in the gym for the S.M.A.R.T. classes to use. They also roll in the overhead ladder that can be locked in place. SMART students AND SMART equipment!

At Zumbrota-Mazeppa Elementary School in Zumbrota, MN, six classrooms of kindergarteners and first graders ALL get their S.M.A.R.T. floor time within the first hour of the day! Two classes at a time share the gym for 20 minutes, each using half of the gym for their own station rotation. Pretty SMART use of space and time!

In the second year at LeCenter Elementary School the S.M.A.R.T. teachers and principal figured out a way for the entire S.M.A.R.T. team to have a team meeting the last Friday of each month. By using other staff members to supervise and dismiss classes for about 20 minutes at the end of the day, S.M.A.R.T. teachers meet partly during student time and use part of their after school planning time. They LOVE it because they are able to discuss activities, share ideas, make new materials to keep the activities fresh, and brainstorm to solve problems or keep children challenged and having fun! A very SMART idea!

 


CONTENT
Senator Stumpf is S.M.A.R.T. in Plummer by Nancy Farnham

Dear Readers, We had a terrific turnout of S.M.A.R.T. principals, teachers and community leaders for a luncheon with Senator Leroy Stumpf, Chair of the E-12 Education Budget Division, this past week in his home town of Plummer, MN.  
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What's CORE with the CORE on the floor? by Cindy Harvey

S.M.A.R.T. has many exciting, high-quality activities, ideas, and instructional methods! You've been through the workshop and want to use many of them but have a hard time recalling which are CORE towards the 80 hours and which are just great activities.
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Common Confusions by Cindy Harvey


S.M.A.R.T. activities make so much sense and can be easy to do. However, with so much information taken away from a workshop and with the overloaded plates from which teachers are working these days, it's natural that sometimes there are areas of confusion, mistakes, or misunderstandings.
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Nutrition by Launa Ellison

"Nutrition," I ask my students, "what does that mean to you?" Our discussion begins. "Let's start by keeping track of what you eat.
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Water by Launa Ellison

What are your water needs? Each and every cell in your body must have water. Babies are close to 90% water and adults are over half water. Students must have enough water in order for their brains to function well.
(more)

"What's Cool in our School" in Jordan

Watch KARE 11, Thursday morning, December 13 at 6:20 to see Jordan Elementary School's S.M.A.R.T. program featured on "What's Cool in our School"! Stacy DeCorsey, Principal at Jordan Elementary School in Jordan, MN and Renae Milawski, Title 1 Teacher and Reading Specialist are spreading the S.M.A.R.T. word! They have opened their doors to a number of schools from across southern Minnesota interested in learning more about the program. We so appreciate their "hospitality" and also recognize that, in large part due to Stacy and Renae's efforts, S.M.A.R.T. interest across the region continues to grow. Contact the MLRC at 612-706-5549 to let us know if your school is one that can be visited in the future!

S.M.A.R.T. Principals Meet

Randy Pederson, Principal at Red Lake County Central Elementary School in Plummer, put much time and effort into welcoming Senator Leroy Stumpf and area S.M.A.R.T. leaders to his school on December 6th! (See Dear Reader's article.) Randy and his staff not only planned and organized the day but his tour of the school's outstanding S.M.A.R.T. Room and super creative  "Edu-Playtional Room" ( designed to enhance S.M.A.R.T. and offer intervention options for students with ADHD tendencies) made the day extra special!

 


Minnesota Learning Resource Center
1800 2nd Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
www.themlrc.org