Mr. Kavs Blog

Sad Day

2011-10-12T22:08:00.001-07:00

So bummed that we had to come home from Outdoor Ed early. Major outbreak of some sort of stomach flu. Over fifty kids from the two schools sick or presenting systems. Some of the camp staff were also ill. Students were doing great, trails were awesome, really fun up until 7:00 this morning when the yogurt hit the fan (almost literally) So proud of our students they shinned in a major way. Lisa Leon from Olive and Dianna Moore from Crescent were amazing. They jumped into the infirmary and helped kids who were violently ill and needed comforting. They completely helped turn around an over whelmed camp staff.

2011-10-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

2011-10-11T20:16:00.001-07:00

Busy day, students were all over the mountain today. Were hiking a strenuous trail while others were playing games on fields. One group got a lesson on survival and go to make shelters. We saw playing with parachutes and then make some as they learned about wind currents. Don't worry no actually got jump off anything much to their disappointment. The most engaged grouped might have been the bridge making groups as tried to create bridges that could free stand and support weight. As they headed off tonight there was a little bit of homesickness, but they were putting on a good face, and very ready for bed.

Happ Trails

2011-10-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great first day out on the trails. Students woke at 6:30 showered and prepared for the day. Students had the chance to write down the things they have enjoyed the most as well as any of their concerns. Fortunately the only concerns were not getting enough sleep due to some chatty room-mates.

After breakfast students went out on trails with teachers or instructors. Almost every group received a score of five, which is the highest you can receive. After lunch they went back to their cabins for a little down time. Next they are back on trails or making some crafts using recycled materials.

2011-10-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Day 1

2011-10-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well we have survived the first day. Students went on an afternoon hike with their instructors, while teachers had a chance to learn the trails that they will be teaching. After dinner students started working on their skits for skit night and then either experienced a night hike or astronomy session. With the full moon flashlights were not needed; however that did not stop them from fighting the urge to turn them on over and over again. Fun night and a great start. They are now getting ready for bed, and looking forward to that 6:30 wake up. Check back tomorrow for another post.

Last minute preparations

2011-10-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

On The Road Again

2010-11-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our skit night and the teacher skit was a big hit. As usual the skits were very creative, and it was great to see some of our students taking some leadership roles.

Today we will be getting to the buses around 10:30, I hope to be on the road by 11:00.
Because today is a minimum day, our plan is to beat the normal pick up if at all possible. You should plan on being at our arrival spot by 12:00 even if that means you have to wait a little while.

we will be updating the hot line as soon as we have phone service, and will update it every 20 minutes.

See you soon

Last Full Day

2010-11-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

We Got a Visitor!

2010-11-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Once again we got to see deer up close and personal. Mrs. Martin made it up for the morning trails and got to experience lunch and was a celebrity for the day.

The afternoon gave students the chance to go on some more strenuous hikes, according to their comfort level. Tonight students will rotate from station to station; learning about chemical combination's, nutrition and everyone's favorite SMORES! Guess what station Miss Leon and Mr. K will be helping with!

A Few More Pics

2010-11-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

2010-11-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Day In Pics

2010-11-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Afternoon senses group

Outdoor Ed Day 2

2010-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Monday night ended with students getting to look at Jupiter and her moons. Many were amazed to see so many stars. It was great to hear of the mysterious noises that were coming from the bushes. (Don't tell them it was me)
Students were on the trails bright and early; again many saw dear on the meadow, and many pictures were taken. I was pleased to hear that most of our students received a rating of five (the highest) while on trail.

After lunch schools met with just their students to hear some of the highlights and concerns. Overwhelmingly there were very few concerns. Food made just about everyone's list as a good thing.

This afternoon groups went on activity trails, where some learned about survival, or building shelters, others learned about optical illusions and the senses, and one group learned about art.

Some homesickness has been reported but it looks like they are hanging in there. I have tried to meet with those that I know of.

2010-11-01T17:27:00.001-07:00

Monday Day One

We made it. Students have gone out on the trail and most of them were able to get within twenty yards of a heard of deer. What a great start!

There were a few food items that students brought that were quickly handed over to camp staff.

Lunch was great, dinner is right around the corner. Tonight we will be using telescopes down on the meadow. We should get a great view of Jupiter.

The only problem is that there is no phone service, so we will have to use the blog for our updates.

Take Care I will post again tomorrow.

Chip Kavanaugh AKA Mr. K

Outdoor Ed

2010-10-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

On your mark, get set, Last minute prep for Outdoor Ed. Packing double checking paper work, and trying to get things done around the house.

Outdoor Ed Meeting

2010-09-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

We had a great meeting tonight with our parents to address questions about this years Outdoor Ed week. Forms are due back on Friday, any questions can be left as a post and we will get back to you soon. Thank you to all those who came out tonight. I think this will be a good year.

2010-2011

2010-09-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well we are off to another year. Students have hit the ground running. I had 68% of my student's parents show up for Back to School Night. Always fun to get to meet a few of the new faces.

It has been great having the Riverdale students join us, they add a lot and seem to be fitting in just fine.
Outdoor Ed is coming up quickly and I am really looking forward to seeing this group get up to the mountain.

Here We Go

2010-02-21T19:55:00.000-08:00

Well last week we saw some of the best famous person reports ever. The problem was that the memory card fell out of my pocket somewhere on the playground. I hope that we can find it.

Friday was a fun day, we had PJ day and Ice Skating at night. Alayna, Cayley and Gabby all earned Platinum cards for their efforts, and taking place in the "Belly Slide."

This week we will transition into our regular work schedule and crank out some in class writing. Hopefully we will get a new printer cartridge.

Great First Day Back

2010-01-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

Today was a great First day back. Students were awesome. It seemed like we were able to pick up where we left off. Students are working to gather 100 facts about their famous person, as well as get started reading about all their person. Looking forward to seeing the final projects.

This class has amazing potential, and seem to be moving along well. There seems to be a lot of interest in doing some Saturday prep days for the famous person report and State Testing. Wow!

Mery Christmas

2009-12-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well the 6th Grade students pulled off a great Winter Program on very short notice. We learned a new song two days before the program. Our final performance was also our first dress rehearsal.

Some of our girls sang "Where Are You Christmas" and nailed it. The group K-4 (made up of 5 of our 6th grade boys) Did a great job and helped make it a great day.

Also the students of Area 13 were very generous, many thanks for the candy, cookies, mugs and gift cards.

I hope everyone had a great Holiday and is enjoying the break. Keep checking back for updates.

MOMS are everywhere

2009-11-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

In order to help with our overall organization and homework we have recruited some MOMs. MOM stands for Motivational Organizational Managers. Students who are struggling to get their homework turned in or they are having difficulty managing their papers once they are returned will be assigned a MOM. So far we have two MOMs that have stepped up to make sure that everyone has what they need. MOMs will check their charges backpack to make sure that they have all that they need at the end of the day. They will also turn their homework in to their MOM in the morning and their MOM will make sure that they receive credit for it. Once a student has completed an entire week's work of homework and all papers are in place they will only have to check in with MOM twice a week. At that time they will regain their independence.

Star Gazing

2009-11-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

Well it's hard to believe that we have been back from Outdoor Ed and trying to get back to normal routines. That part has been a little difficult. It didn't help that we came back to a week of minimum days for parent conferences.

We have had to put some of our fall themes aside :( for a while.

Thursday night Cerro Villa sponsored a "Star Gazing" night and it was a lot of fun. It was great to see so many former students doing well at the next level. Keep up the good work. I miss you guys.

Thursday at Outdoor Ed

2009-10-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today the students were able to finish hiking so that every student has hiked every trail. Almost every student has had a bird eat out of their hand over the past few days. The hoe-down was hilarious and everyone, including Mr. K and Miss Leon had a great time. Tonight is skit night and we can't wait to see the skits that all of the students put together.

This is our last post from up in the mountains. Tomorrow, beginning around 11 a.m., you can check the hotline ((714) 721-9537)for updates on when we will be arriving at Olive school. It's been a great week and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Wednesday afternoon

2009-10-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, students were able to hike a trail of their choice (the trails had different levels of difficulty). While on the hikes, students made hieroglyphics on rocks (boulder painting), trail art, and necklaces. We also painted each others faces (I made a great ladybug on Olivia D's face, and she put whiskers on me). The students also made friendship bracelets.

Everyone is doing well.

Tuesday at Outdoor Ed

2009-10-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

This morning, the students were divided into three different hiking groups. One group hiked the ecology trail, one group hiked the wildlife trail (taught by Mr. K), and one group hiked the geology trail (taught by Miss Leon). It's great when the classroom is outdoors. There are so many opportunities for hands on learning on these trails.

The (hugely popular) afternoon activities were: studying flight (by testing paper airplanes and homemade rockets), art projects, and survival tips. Your child participated in one of these three activities this afternoon.

Tonight will be round 2 of astronomy, and we will have the opportunity to do a night hike.

Everyone is doing really well!

Check back tomorrow..

p.s. Cell service is very inconsistent. We update the cell phone message when we can. The last update was today (Tues) around 4:45 p.m.

Outdoor Ed Update

2009-10-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely, got the students assigned to their cabins, had our first meal and our first fire drill (standard safety procedure). The students have already been out on the trail and everyone is doing great! We are well on our way to an awesome adventure of a week.

Stay tuned...

Back to School Night

2009-09-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well my ninth Back to School Night has come and gone. It was great to see the excitement of the parents. Similar to the excitement that I see in some of my same students. I know that we are only 11 days into the new year, but I am very excited about the potential the students seem to posses. As usual the parents who came were the ones who could have skipped, with a few exceptions. A couple approached me afterward to see how their son was doing, you could sense the excitement in their voice and mannerisms, the relief to hear that all was well and that he was doing great.

As I packed up I was overwhelmed about how much I love my job and the students that I have the chance to work with. So far about a dozen students have had the courage to call for clarity of homework or maybe it was just curiosity to see if I would really give my numbers out to my students. Makes my think what next weeks post will be like.

2009-08-21T19:31:00.001-07:00

Don't Underestimate the Power of a New Start

2009-08-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

The first day of school has come and gone, so the journey begins. Great group of students, we shall see how they do when the pressure of the day to day stuff comes into play. One of things I love about the first day of school is that you really have the chance to start anew and fresh. Not just the teacher but the student as well. Teachers have the chance to see how they did the previous year and make the improvements and fight the temptation to fall into the same traps that kept them from achieving all that they wanted. For students they really have the chance start anew. No carry over, no judgment, truly a fresh start. A chance for them to influence how they want to be remembered. To become known as the student who worked hard, encouraged and surprised those around them. There is something powerful about a new beginning, today I saw a handful of students who were glad to have the chance to start over.

The lights are on and folks are home.

CST Scores and Count downs

2009-08-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

CST Scores

Well I finally got my student's scores from last April Standardized Testing. Over all we went up 194 points in Language Arts and 145 in Math. There were several students who amazed me with the jumps that they made. There were a few that stayed close to where they were. There were also students who prove the rule that you must be careful how much emphasis that you put on these tests. I know of a few students who have a great work ethic, but have a difficult time when it comes to standardized tests. I feel for those students because in some cases they may not get into the honors classes in Jr. High.

Countdown

School starts on Thursday, I am looking forward to meeting my new students. As usual I really miss my students from last year, and I will probably will feel the same way next year. (At least I hope so)

Monday will be my big room push, any former students are welcome to come by and help out. Looking forward to getting the theme for August and September up and running. There is an excitement in the air this time of year that sort of kicks automatically as the first day of school draws near.

There were several times this summer when I was able get thoughts down on paper and I can't wait to see them come full cycle to lessons in practice. I also brought in a professional, aka mom at 73 she can out work just about anyone I know.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Less Than a Month

2009-07-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

School will be starting in less than a month, and as of today we have not received the results from last years Standardized Tests. It would be great to have this time to look back and review the areas that students scored low in. There will be time no doubt, but it will come at a time when teachers have all sorts of details to worry about.

The remainder of my time will be spent trying to get the last of my summer projects completed and making lesson plans. We also have two more trips planned, it is safe to say we are squeezing all we can out of this summer.

Bye Billy Mays

2009-06-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

I was sad to hear about the passing of Billy Mays. He was fun to watch, and seemed like a nice guy. We teased him for being a bit of a Diva on his pitchmen show. I know his passing will be eclipsed by Michael and Fara, but he will be missed. His family is in my prayers.

Billy knew the power of a good deal and the importance of finding the same way to say things over and over to increase comprehension. I think he would have made a good teacher.

School is out! I think

2009-06-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Well we it's hard to believe that we have been out for two weeks. The promotion went well, and I made it through without any huge weeping fits. The year went by so fast that I still can't believe we are out. On top of that we left for Lake Don Pedro on Monday after school was out, came back for a recital and left for the river. So it feels like we just got out.

Working on themes for next year

My Students Blow Me Away

2009-04-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

As the school year gets closer to ending my students continue to impress me. Every day you can see the lights going on about the new things they are learning.

What impresses is me is that it is coming along with compassion and respect towards one another. I am already gearing up for the loss that I will feel when June comes. This is one of those classes that you would love to move on with. Three minutes into our library time today there was blanket silence as students selected their books and started reading. As we prepared for tests today I was able to witness students helping and truly teaching (not just giving the answers) their fellow classmates. I pray that I have served them well as they prepare for the jump to middle school.

Survived the Birthday week

2009-03-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well the week flew by and my students are back on track and things are going well. Gracie got sick and luckily my mom could come out in time so that Sandy or i did not have to miss any school. Gracie was happy to get the special attention that only grandmas can give.

My students gave me a great little surprise party at the end of school on my birthday and it was a lot of fun. We finished Tuck Ever Lasting both the book and the movie. The timing was good, we will start writing a compare and contrast and then we can move on to our next book.

I was able to get the microphones working with our Read 180 program, we have a visitor coming to observe and I thought it would be great if everything was working this time.

Well I have got to start getting OSN done for tomorrow.

It's Been A While

2009-03-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Okay so it has been a little while since I checked in. Well I have not hurt any more students to the best of my knowledge.

We finished our Famous Person reports and some students did a great job of preparing both the written and oral portions. Unfortunately there were several that did not put the effort into the project.

We are starting our Country Reports next and I am sure that things will be better this time around.

We are back on our feet and looking to finish strong. We received transponders to use with our Smart Board software. So far we have only set up the basics. I can't wait to have them in full use, hopefully by the end of the week.

Are you sure I was the one who threw the ball to you?

2009-02-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

This week we had P.E. - Sort of a highlight because it is normally one of the things that gets pushed aside when time gets busy. We were working on running and catching football drills and things were going great. Students would weave around obstacles and then turn and make a catch, (thrown by me) run the ball back and move to the next line. During the last round I was having students get a drink after their last turn and then line up. One student who is always helpful and never complains came up to me and said he thought that he hurt his hand on the last catch. I looked down and was pretty sure that his finger did not normally go in that direction. I wrote him a pass for the health office hoping that maybe it was just my imagination. Five minutes later I got a call requesting his items be brought to the office. After school I called home and spoke with his dad, sure enough the finger was broken he was already in a cast.

Usually I'm the one that gets hurt when we have P.E. Nick I am So Sorry. See you in class.

Finally a Day Off

2009-01-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

Well as this week concludes we have our first day off in 9 days. I'm not complaining and neither are my students. A fellow twitter principal (a twitter user) has had 5 no school days, 3 due to ice and 2 due to extreme cold. As we enjoy 75-80 degrees weather I can't believe what it must be like.
Hill running is becoming addictive, there are so many great sites, especially when you make it to the top and look down.

Week one down and one to go

2009-01-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

Students were great this week. We have a new principal, and she got off to a great start with staff and students.

This week students are taking Pace Standards test to see how things are progressing as we get closer to the state tests in the Spring.

Got several good hill runs in as well as the normal stuff. Hoping to increase mileage this week.

Missing England a little, but slowly getting back into the swing of things. This week should go fast. Lots of prep work for lesson plans and project directions to pass out.

Ready Set Ut Oh

2009-01-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

Well I'm sitting on my back step thinking about how great these last 2 weeks have been and getting for my first day back.

So much has happened over the last 2 weeks that it feels more like a month. Several times since we returned from I have thought about how I have had more time off than many have for a year. We returned with plenty of time to adjust to the time change, get all the decorations down and even straighten up a little around a major feat for us.

Cale helped me get my room ready for my wonderful students and I even have a pretty good idea of what I want to accomplish in class this week. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is ready for the coming year.

Back from London minus one Pig

2008-12-31T05:57:00.000-08:00

Well we made it back. We had a great trip back. I was able to get one last run in, I ran by Big Ben and then turned down the Thames for the final time, I crossed at Blackfriers. I passed another jogger who i think was an American, in some sort of weird way I thought, this is probably what a lot of visitors do when they come to England run along the Thames i felt that i was passing a torch.

The only casualty we suffered was my daughters stuffed pig got folded up in the sofa bed. We discovered this last night unpacking while we were unpacking at home. We called the Hotel were we stayed and nothing had been discovered it was 4:00 a.m. their time. I woke up at midnight and called it was now 8:00 a.m. their time still no sign of the pig. Sandy called back at 2:00 a.m. our time and received good news, Piggy had been found! We made arrangements for transport and included a reward.

The hotel staff was very nice and really made the trip a lot of fun. Every morning I would check in with the front desk so they could open the door for me to go on my predawn runs, and let me in when i was finished. At the Continental Breakfast they were very helpful friendly.

During our stay i really enjoyed going down to Greenwich and seeing the Prime Meridian. It was almost by accident. We caught a river cruise down and hopped off at Greenwich and walked up the observatory where the world gets it time.

Friday in England

2008-12-26T02:11:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up wanting to go for a run. I had missed the last 2 days due to Christmas and Christmas Eve. I was planning on going around 10 miles. Everything was going well, I ran down to Big Ben, over to Buckingham Palace, up to Trafalgar Square, then headed east on The Strand. I made it to the London Bridge and crossed back over on to the South bank side. At some point I took an un-noticed detour or a "Diversion" as they say here. The next thing I knew I was 2 miles south of where I wanted to be. I was determined not to back track, so I pressed on not knowing that I had now overshot my landing by 2 miles. Finally I popped up on Waterloo street a mile south of the Thames River, I quickly dropped down and was on familiar ground. My legs felt like cement when I finally arrived back at the hotel. 15 MILES and change

Here in England

2008-12-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

We went to St. Paul's Church and then went up Piccadilly Circus and ate a late lunch. I have loved running in the early mornings here in England.

2008-12-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

Well we made it England and all is well. Our flight went well and we met mom at the airport and a driver. We arrived at our hotel and then walked down to a pub and had a good meal.

Sick Day

2008-12-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well at 2:00 a.m. Gracie was obviously sick, and with Sandy giving her two finals I was on deck. I went down to school at 3:30 a.m. and started to prep my room and make sub plans.
Gracie and I have enjoyed dry toast, the jello is chilling in the fridge. I hate missing students especially the day before winter break.

Wifes Birthday

2008-12-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend we celebrated Sandy's birthday. She was a good sport, the business got a little out of hand and some of our birthday outings transformed into Christmas shopping trips. To make things worse we are leaving for England on Saturday.

I can't wait. Hard to believe that we will be across the pond for Christmas. This week should be challenging.

Outdoor Education Science School

2008-12-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

Dec 2-5

We loaded up our 6th grade students and headed to Camp. The students did great and really loved the camp. I was very proud of our students. They learned a lot and did a great job of representing Olive.

I like the 5 day camp over the 4 day, you don't feel as rushed.

Class

2008-11-15T19:15:00.001-08:00

Just finished another day of classes for my admin credential. Good day.
The morning started out warm and windy. I went for a quick run and fell while i was trying to get out of a lady's way (so she could stay on the sidewalk). I don't think she even noticed. No harm no foul.

Getting ready to watch the Randy and Brock fight in HD

Parent Conferences

2008-11-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

I have completed most of my parent conferences and the turn out has been great. Only one no show.

Movies

2008-11-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching "Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed" Very interesting movie I really liked it. I recommend this movie to people but be ready to be disturbed about where things are within the scientific community. What do you think?