Come to Cole for the small school feel and stay for the quality of the educational experience. At James Cole Elementary School - When you’re here; you’re home. Yes, we have chickens and Mrs. Tilley and her ‘Chicken Tenders’ take care of them. How uniquely fun!

Awards Day from 9:00-11:30 this morning. Pictures with students and families. Stack chairs and put away the gym from all the decor before 12:50 PE classes. Giving third grade student IREAD Retest at 1:15. That’s the life of a principal right now.

No matter which way SCOTUS rules, I predict the charter world will never be the same. pv4ps.org/with-religio... @apnews.com @juddlegum.bsky.social @delauro.house.gov @bertisdowns.bsky.social @dianeravitch.bsky.social

Click/Print/Cute is not a curriculum. Too many in education think it is

Well done, @cubsbot.bsky.social Sensory bags for checkout and a sensory room available. Way to focus on needs of all!

Simply Loving “The Culture Code” by Daniel Coyle

Our talented staff never ceases to amaze me.

We opened our school’s Barnyard Airbnb today. Mollie, the Calming Cow, came to visit. What a glorious thing. Stating soon for our children’s delight - goats, horses, sheep, maybe a llama, and most definitely - a Zonkey.

The Cole Elementary Assessment Effort Rubric docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Skate Mate All a person needs is a little assistance to roll with everyone else. A simple aid like a Skate Mate was the difference between standing on the sideline or hugging the wall and rolling with your friends and everyone else. What Skate Mate do you offer the children in your care?

Stop asking, “How was your day today? Instead ask. ….

A joyful part of my day - Lunch with the Principal and the magic color changing pencils

A timeline cleanse - a kindergarten student and that yummy rectangular pizza.

Interesting article on the history of the school lunch program www.vox.com/today-explai...

Second grade book tasting event was a great motivator for students to pick up different types of books. We are readers at Cole.

Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, believe in yourself, and take your best shot.

How fortunate are we to have this gorgeous pond on our school grounds

Some Saturday ‘Lonely Work’. We teach thank you notes to our fifth graders in the Cole Professional Academy. I’m writing mine for the volunteers at our upcoming Interview Day. Leaders need to model good behavior for the practice to resonate as real. Handwritten notes still matter (in my opinion).

In a world where rules, norms, and protocols seem to be thrown aside with increasing ease, the schools continue to plod along teaching an ever increasingly greater needs-filled population of learners and honestly also trying to reinforce the basic ideas “Do the Right Thing” and “Treat People Right”.

We switch gears quickly in education. 100s Man, a Mathematical Superhero, celebrated the 100th Day of the Year. And in costume you are called to the office to take the Fire Marshal around for an inspection

13000 days ago (June 16, 1989), 37-year-old Sports Illustrated writer Rick Wolff finishes a three-day stint as the starting second baseman for the South Bend White Sox. Wolff goes 4-for-7, which obviously is quite good. Wolff played at Harvard and was a Tiger farmhand in '73-'74.

When you see a talented adult find a connection with a disregulated child with a disability, there is a moment of awe. Awe is all around us if we stop and look for it

The best part of the first week back to school has been the many “Dialogues with Meaning” I have had

There is no tidy separation between self and other. Our species is intertwined, such that helping others is a kindness to ourselves, and watching over ourselves supports others.

Reciprocity Mindset - people are more likely to twist investments when others believe in them and more likely to cheat when they are treated like cheaters.

Acts of kindness are one of the fastest, most powerful ways to boost well-being. But the motives behind these actions matter. People become happier and less stressed on days they help friends, if they are moved to do so by compassion.

Skepticism - a reluctance to believe claims without evidence. Cynicism is a lack of faith in people: skepticism is a lack of faith in our assumptions. Cynics imagine humanity is awful. Skeptics gather information about who they can trust.

I’m spending a decent portion of Winter Break working through the required 80 hours of Keys to Literacy training for Indiana educators for a Literacy Endorsement. The asynchronous offering is helpful for my schedule.The PD so far has had value.Many pieces I already knew. Some learned. Praxis awaits

1st grade indoor recess issue - Someone touched the class elf on the shelf. Tears everywhere “Her magic is gone.” A principal & teacher with an elf & ‘magic restoring glitter’ poured over it into a trash can, move to a higher perch - fully restored power - learning can occur again.

The couple behind Curious George fled Paris during the Second World War. Their backstory, which was largely unknown for years, makes the dream logic of the books seem different from how it first appears.

Crab Bucket Mentality

It’s interesting how this simple cookie works so well despite the fact that half of the top is iced differently than the other half. We don’t have to be exactly the same to live deliciously in harmony. Ask the black and white cookie. It pulls it off thousands of times daily. So can we.

The sound of an ice cream truck elicits pure joy for me. Imagine if we could bottle that same power toward something we offer of ourselves in the service or care of others.

Our identity and our gifts make us unique. When teachers can bring their identity into the classroom, dreams come true and joy is bolstered. Exercise - Create a Google Form asking those you respect to offer the 5 words that describe your identity. The responses are enlightening.

I stood talking in the lobby with an adult who has helped our school in many ways over the years. He told me of his dementia diagnosis. It doesn’t take much to melt your own worries away when you look around and see the burdens others are carrying.

How many Elf-on-the-shelf does a child need? The action research I’m doing on my cafeteria listening tour is trending toward two. Not sure where this leads but thinking there may be a loss of purpose to the whole idea.

We had a wonderful Cole Professional Academy today featuring a speaker on all the tools in your toolbox to be a success, funeral etiquette, and sportsmanship. Many lessons learned.

We had Boomer come to our school today from the Indiana Pacers. We had a blast with his visit.

Be generous. Be kind. Be accepting. Be reasonable. Be thoughtful. Be a difference-maker. Be humane.

What we need to understand about every interaction in our school is that all of them matter because we don’t know which ones people are going to remember. @joesanfelippo.bsky.social

Anyone can be about kids when things are going well. When uncertainty and challenges come up, however, the true character of a group is revealed. @joesanfelippo.bsky.social

Bear in the Chair. A terrific program supporting students who are patients at Riley Hospital and their classmates back home. Many schools around the state of Indiana and the Indiana Association of School Principals are focused supporters of Riley Hospital for Children

It was so great to learn and reconnect with Miriam Dalton, Ed. D. today. She was a member of Indiana Production Cohort 2. She gave a great presentation at the Indiana Association of School Principals State Conference today. Phenomenal reminders about being very intentional.

Fortunate to work alongside these fine principals who are leading their buildings with heart in my role as an Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Mentor

Where does average exist in your organization? Average exists in every building. We don’t want average to become standard. If we are exactly where we were a year ago, that’s called APATHY Jimmy Casas

Check 5 Deep Dive Close 5 Lead your organization with intention including your office staff talent. Prioritize time to focus your team. Jimmy Casas

Is this an issue of skill or will? Most often, the issue isn’t will, it’s a skill gap that you as a leader can support. Jimmy Casas @casasjimmy.bsky.social

Is that really a fire or are you creating a fire? @casasjimmy.bsky.social

I have the privilege to serve on the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Leadership team. We met today to work to fine tune Values and Beliefs, Vision, Mission, and Outcomes. Great collaboration around the table to make a great program in support of principals and teacher-leaders better.

Sitting down with an instructional coach and having a “strategic” dialogue with meaning about where we are and where we are going as a school yesterday was the best time I have spent in support of students and staff I have had in a long time.