Principal ponderings... Hopefully everyone had a great week off. While mine was busy with moving, at least it was a change from the regular routine and I am excited to be organizing my new home. To start us off this week, I am not going to write a blog post. Instead I will include some video clips to make you smile. (The truth is...my brain is still switching back to work mode!)
This is hilarious. Watch kids reenact some scenes from 2014 Oscar nominated films:
Here is a clip about how Kid President came to be:
And here is a non fiction rap I came across, created by students, for students!
Currently reading: I would have loved to spend the vacation week reading lots of books, but I had to spend the week unpacking and moving into my new home. Unpacking lots of boxes of books reminded me of my long list of books that I still need to read! I don't think the movers were too happy with my multiple heavy boxes of books. I did manage to start reading The Mighty Miss Malone. Thank you Mrs. Roundtree for loaning it to me. I finished reading Rules...can't wait for Cynthia Lord to visit our school next week!
Events this week: Monday - Welcome back! Hope you all had a restful, relaxing vacation. Tuesday - Director of Pupil Personnel Services candidate visits the district, 4th grade author visit Wednesday - Grade 1 chorus @2:25, School Council Meeting @3:30 in the library, School Committee Meeting at the high school @ 7:00 Friday - Grade 2 Abe Lincoln program @ 9:30, Jack and the Beanstalk in the PAC @ 7:00 Saturday - Jack and the Beanstalk in the PAC @ 7:00 Sunday - Jack and the Beanstalk in the PAC @ 2:00
Dear Staff, As we just passed the 100th day of school and are finishing up the 2nd trimester, I felt it was important to write a letter to all of you and tell you about one of my goals for the school year. While I have been working on many different projects and plans during my first year as a principal, my number one goal has been and continues to be...be an instructional leader. Being an instructional leader is the most important aspect of my job. I want to be helping all of you continue to grow professionally. And the only way that happens is when I am in your classrooms on a regular basis. I came home after a long day last week, and shared with my husband how frustrated I was from the day. As I was talking to him, I realized something: the reason that I felt so lousy was because I had not stepped into a single classroom all day. The next morning I blocked off the entire morning and walked through several classrooms. It was a much better day.
To be an instructional leader, yes, I need to be in the classrooms, but it goes beyond just simply walking through. I like to see both what you are teaching and how you are teaching it. I also like to observe the students and observe the learning that is taking place. I like to ask students what they are doing and if they know why they are doing it. To be an instructional leader, besides walking through and observing, I also need to be providing feedback; feedback which will help everyone grow, staff and students.
Just like all of you, I want to keep growing and improving through professional development. I recently signed up for a 21 day instructional leadership challenge. Every day I get a short video clip sent to me with some advice and usually a task to try out. I am also connected with principals and other administrators from across the country who signed up for the same challenge. Together, we discuss how to make walk throughs and observations more beneficial for students and staff. I have also been participating in a High Performance Instructional Leadership Network since the summer. Dianna and I both participate in this network where we engage in monthly webinars about being effective leaders.
Even with everything that is going on with the budget, my goal is to visit each classroom at least once every other week. I know many of you are used to seeing me in classrooms, but I want to remind you that I don't want to disrupt learning by stepping into your class. Please don't feel like you have to stop what you are doing or have the students stop what they are doing to talk to me. I like to be able to slip in and not stop the flow of learning. And after I have popped into your class, hopefully you will get feedback in some format, whether it's a quick note, an email, something in Evernote or a face to face conversation. And sometimes, if I have not given you feedback after a classroom visit, it's ok for you to come find me. I always love to talk about teaching and learning!
Looking forward to seeing you in action! Thank you for making this school a learning environment where all students can learn and where we can learn from each other.
Sincerely, Liz, your fearless instructional leader! ;)
Currently reading: I started reading Rules by Cynthia Lord, the author who is coming to talk to our 3rd and 4th graders in March. It is reminding me of Out of My Mind, the difference being it is told from the perspective of a sibling of a child who has autism. I'm enjoying it so far. I also started reading a new book called Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. It's written by Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, who is ranked on Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Events this week: One more week before another vacation week. Can't believe how fast the school year is flying by! Monday - Have a Heart Campaign will be taking place all this week. Tuesday - Grade 2 and Multi-age rehearsal @1:00 Wednesday - TLA consultant working with lab teachers, Grade 2 and Multi-age School Show in the PAC @ 1:30, Staff Meeting @3:30 (Dr. Bent will be attending), School Committee Meeting and Budget Hearing at the PAC @7:00 Thursday - Elementary curriculum half day (Grade level teams will have PLC time), Grade 2 & Multi-age Chorus Concert @ 7:00 Friday - Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the vacation week!
Great things I noticed last week:
I caught some of Mr. Rider's students doing some partner reading.
Mrs. Margolius's first graders were doing 'turn and talk' after listening to a read aloud.
Mrs. Taylor's kindergartners were talking about what good readers look like. She was sharing some photographs where she had caught students sitting quietly and reading.
Mrs. Kineen played this song for me the other day and I want to pass it along to all of you. You can't help but dance along to this tune. And if you watch the video...you see all sorts of people dancing! Hopefully this song can put a smile on your face and some pep in your step as we start this week...
One of our goals this year is to focus on improving our classroom libraries and providing more independent reading time for our students. I know recently grade level teams had the chance to have some conversation around classroom libraries with the reading coaches. I have also had several conversations with teachers, and recently I spent some time conducting informal assessments of the lab teachers' classroom libraries. It's great to see the progress we have made in just half a school year! Mrs. Potter was just telling me the other day that her students have been reading non fiction during independent reading time, but they were asking her for more time in the day to read some of their fiction books. Kids asking for more reading time...how awesome is that?! By developing their reading stamina, implementing a consistent reader's workshop model with significant time for independent reading, and allowing for lots of choice within the classroom library, those 4th grade students in Mrs. Potter's class have developed a love of reading. Plus, they realize from the environment created in their classroom and their teacher's modeling, that reading is important and valued. This isn't just happening in 4th grade. I was in Mrs. Taylor's kindergarten class the other day, and several students were proud of their classroom library and excited to tell me about the different choices of books they had in their room. Kindergarteners were choosing books and going up to other students and saying, "Hey, do you want to read this book with me?" Again, awesome stuff happening with reading in our school.
Some of you have already made changes to your library. Some of you have read articles I shared over the summer, and talked with your peers about your classroom library. I encourage all of you to keep having those conversations with each other. Come chat with me...I love to talk books! Seek out Grace and ask her about ways to improve your classroom library. Stop into one of the lab teachers' classrooms and take a look at their libraries. Ask them about how they organized their bins. Ask them about leveling some of the books. (Did you know we have parent volunteers who are already eagerly helping some teachers level books using the Fountas and Pinnell website that I purchased for us?) The lab teacher have done a lot of work to get their libraries organized and running smoothly, where students utilize the classroom library on a daily basis and take pride in their books. They know that they still need to keep adding books to their libraries, but they all have a great start, so make sure to utilize their knowledge!
"To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul." --Cicero
Our classrooms are our students' homes for 6 hours a day. Does your classroom have soul?
Currently reading:
This week I spent some time reading some of the great picture books that the PTA bought to add to classroom libraries and our school library. One of the books is called Those Shoes. It's a wonderful story about a young boy who learns that what he has in his life is worth much more than things that he wants. Another great book I read was called Battle Bunny. This book was supposed to be about a birthday bunny, but through the magic of writing over words and adding to the illustrations...it becomes a completely different story. It's a book that will certainly motivate our young storytellers! Check out this video where the illustrator explains how he put together the drawings in the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5tcduZJQx0 I also read a book called Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. This is one of the those books that remind us it's ok to be different and the illustrations are awesome! I can see our young students begging to have this story read aloud. Here is the author talking about his book:
I picked a book back up this weekend, and I was glad I made myself finish it. It was called Lighting Their Fires: How Parents and Teachers Can Raise Extraordinary Kids in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World. The author, Rafe Esquith, is a fifth grade teacher who has amazingly high expectations for his students. The book is written about his trip to a Dodgers-Cardinals baseball game with some of his students, and throughout the innings, he shares terrific advice for teachers and parents on how to raise thoughtful, honorable, successful students. I absolutely recommend this book!
Events this week: Tuesday - 2nd grade public library trip (Miln and Benkley) Wednesday - Kindergarten enrichment: Nashua River Animals in Winter, Grade 2 and Multi-age Chorus practice @2:20, Staff meeting @3:30, Dr. Bent will be attending Thursday - Report Card Committee Meeting @ 3:30 Friday - Grade 2 and multi-age chorus practice @2:20
Great things I noticed last week:
Mrs. McEvoy's 2nd graders were enjoying the poem "How to Talk to Your Snowman."
Mrs. Wilkins was reading aloud a story about Chinese New Year to her class and discussing what a narrative non fiction book is like.
Mr. Coronis and Mrs. Smith were working with students on understanding the relationship between multiplication and division. The room was buzzing with eager mathematicians!
Mrs. Wenz's students were starting the day off by having two confident students run the morning meeting.
Check it out: Many of you know that I don't have cable at my house, and since we weren't rooting for anyone in particular, we did not watch the Super Bowl. I discovered this little list and thought it would be perfect to share: 14 books you could have read in the time it takes to watch the Super Bowl. My kind of list! http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/fourteen-books-read-time-takes-watch-super-bowl-2/
Principal ponderings... Here is a five minute video clip about technology integration: What is technology integration? Are we integrating technology in our classrooms? I mean we have iPad carts, Chromebook carts, ELMOs (not the fuzzy, ticklish ones!), projectors, even 2 Apple TVs, but what that really means is we have technology in the school. We have taken the first big step, but we have a lot more baby steps to take. Simply having all this technology means we are including it; it does not mean we are fully integrating technology. We could certainly wheel an iPad cart into any classroom and give every single kid their own iPad to work on...but my question, is that integrating technology? I don't think so.
I was reading a short piece on the Edutopia site titled, "Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum? The Reasons are Many." The post stressed that effective technology integration must support the 4 key components of learning: "active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback and connection to real world experts." It is important for us to keep these key components in mind when thinking about and planning for technology integration. I recently came across this graphic that someone in my PLN had posted to twitter. Perfect timing since I knew I would be writing about technology integration in my next blog post! Take a look at the chart and think about where you fall...are you more on the left hand column? If so, now you have some really detailed goals to strive for on the right hand column. We all have to start on the left, but we can all get to the right; it's just going to take some time. And if you think you have made your way to the right hand side of the chart...invite a peer into your class and show them how you are supporting the curriculum with technology!
What is your technology integration goal going to be?
Be on the lookout...Coming soon...another Technology Open House Day at Flo Ro!
Currently reading:
Thanks to Mrs. Guernsey for letting me borrow her copy of Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. We were talking about poetry writing the other day, and she had mentioned this book which is written in free verse form, modeled after several poems. It was also an appropriately themed book to read this weekend since as I write this blog update, here is a new friend who we adopted this weekend: (I think she would rather have me pet her than type on my laptop!)
Meet Cleo!
I also spent some time revisiting Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller. The section that I was reading this weekend was focused on read alouds. Here's a great piece of advice from the author about what kinds of read alouds to select: "Choose books from authors who will lead your students to more books." At each grade level, I am sure you can all think of authors who have written several books that appeal to your students. As soon as you read one of their books and show your enthusiasm...then you will have students begging to read other books by the same author.
Events this week: Monday - Half day kindergarten AM and PM switch Wednesday - 2nd grade and multi-age chorus practice @ 2:25, Budget Informational Meeting at the PAC @ 4:00 Thursday - School Committee Budget Info Night at the PAC @ 7:00
Great things I noticed last week:
Mrs. Morin was working with a student on the touch screen computer...a program the PTA purchased for us...RazKids
I managed to catch some third graders practicing with their recorders during music. They were making sounds like the chickadees do!
Speaking of music, Mr. Wiesner and the 4th graders did a fabulous job last week at their school concert and their evening concert for parents. The audiences were entertained and by the end of the night the 4th graders were letting loose and dancing to "Ease on Down the Road." And the parents were even dancing in the aisles!
Mrs. Goddard was demonstrating to 1st graders how to draw a cardinal by looking and listening and using shapes and lines.
Mrs. Hourani was teaching kindergartners the beginning stages of coding.
And check out this great stash of non fiction texts that Mrs. Volpe got in the mail last week! All of these awesome mentor texts were purchased with the help of a GDEF grant and will be located in the Shared Lit Collection. Be sure and check them out!
This past fall I had the opportunity to attend the ASCD Educational Leadership National Conference. This past weekend I was going back over some of the notes I took while at the conference. The keynote speaker the first morning of the conference was Eric Jenson. His topic for the keynote address was 'Leading with the Brain in Mind.' Something that he discussed and I have been processing in my brain for a while is an idea he called 'gaudy goals.' He stressed the importance of not creating wimpy goals for ourselves or for our students. James Cameron, the director of the movie "Titanic", one of the highest grossing movies of all time, said, "Set your goals ridiculously high and you will fail above everyone else's success." So what does that type of goal setting look like for our school?
Setting 'gaudy goals' means setting goals so high that you can't achieve them until you grow into someone who can achieve them. It means looking at your class and saying 100% of my class will meet the benchmark in reading. Or everyone in my class will demonstrate an understanding of fractions. We have to be willing to fail, but more importantly, we have to be willing to challenge ourselves and set high expectations. If you set a goal that is easily achievable...what's the point? You want to set a goal so high that when you share it with your team members they look at you like you're crazy, their jaws drop, and they say, "Are you out of your mind?" If you get that response, then you know you have set a gaudy goal.
During Jenson's talk, he showed us some brain research. The next time you are doubting what you are doing or you think there is no way all of my students can reach a goal, think about this: There have actually been studies done that show structural changes to the brain after only 5 days of intervention! If instruction from a teacher can change the brain in only 5 days...think of what you can do for your students over the course of a month, a trimester, a year! If you set high expectations and provide relevant, purposeful instruction...you will change students' brains which will ultimately lead to greater student achievement.
What is your jaw-dropping, brain-changing, gaudy goal going to be?
Currently reading: I have been reading Touch Blue, a book by Cynthia Lord. Cynthia Lord is an author who lives in Maine. We are fortunate that the PTA is paying to have her come visit our school! In March, she will be coming to speak to our 3rd and 4th graders about the writing process. I ordered several copies of all of Cynthia's books for our school. She has written several chapter books as well as several picture books.
Events this week: Monday - No school, Martin Luther King Day Tuesday - 3rd grade team meets with Grace and Sharon in pm Wednesday - SPED teachers at training, 2nd grade team meets with Grace and Sharon in am, 1st grade team meets with Grace and Sharon in the pm, Grade 4 Chorus concert @9:30 in the PAC, 3rd grade electricity program in classrooms in the afternoon, 4th grade students perform the pledge @ School Committee meeting, 7:00 at the high school Thursday - 4th grade team meets with Grace and Sharon in the am, Kindergarten team meets with Grace and Sharon in the pm, Grade 4 Chorus concert @7:00 in the PAC Friday - Breakfast will be provided by Liz, Dianna, Carol, Lorinda and Maureen! 2nd grade field trip to the library (Jacques and McEvoy), Grade 4 Wild about Weather program
Great things I noticed last week:
3rd graders in Mrs. Guernsey's class were experimenting to determine which materials were conductors and which were insulators.
Mrs. Riley's first graders were working with Mrs. Wynn to collect data and create their own bar graphs.
Mrs. Cragg's first graders were diving into non fiction by sorting some of the books in their classroom library into different topic piles.
I also caught some 4th graders reading non fiction in the hallway. I will be trying to "catch" more readers and post my pictures on our front lobby bulletin board so be on the look out for readers in our building!
Recently, on Twitter I have been reading about people doing something a little different than the usual new year's resolution. Many people have either watched this clip from the Today show ( http://www.jongordon.com/blog/today-show-one-word/ ) or read Jon Gordon's blog or book, and they have taken his advice to simplify the resolution process. Instead of deciding on a few resolutions that we tend to do for a little bit and then forget all together, Jon Gordon suggests that we decide on one word to focus on for 2014.
I was reading different blogs and articles written by people I follow on twitter, trying to decide what my one word would be for this year. And then, a few days into the start of the new year, my word arrived in the mail. I had generated several possible words in my head, but opening up a package with a tiny box in it from my mother made my decision much easier. In the little box was a necklace with four letters on the chain: H-O-P-E. That's it, my word for 2014 is hope.
Hope is a little word that contains so much potential. Hope is a word that I will certainly be leaning on in my personal life this year, but it is also a word that I know will help me in my professional life as well.
I hope that we will continue to collaborate and come together as a school to provide the best learning opportunities for our students this year.
I hope that our teachers will keep growing and learning from each other, opening their classroom doors to each other so that we can always be improving.
I hope that our students will develop a love of reading after seeing their teachers share their love of reading.
I hope that we will look back on this year and be proud of all of our hard work.
I hope that I will motivate others to try new ideas.
I hope that our school district will do some creative problem solving to get us out of the current budget crisis and come out stronger and wiser on the other end.
Yes, I think hope is the perfect word for me. I am looking forward to 2014 and all it has to offer. I am full of hope for our school and our students. And I am going to make sure that 2014 is a year full of hope.
What will your one word for 2014 be? Currently reading: I have been reading Tango, The Tale of an Island Dog, another MCBA book. I have had a little trouble getting into it. But I'm not going to abandon it, just have to keep going. I've also been reading a funny graphic novel that Mrs. Fulreader gave me called Hyperbole and a Half. It's full of short little stories that make you laugh out loud. I feel like I have been taking a break from professional books, so hopefully this week I will find a good new one or revisit one I have already started. Events this week: Wednesday - 4th grade chorus @2:25, Staff meeting @ 3:30 in the library Thursday - PTA meeting @ 3:30 in the cafeteria Friday - Para meeting @ 9:00, 4th grade chorus @ 2:25, Dr. Bent and SLT Team will be meeting at FloRo and visiting classrooms
Great things I noticed last week:
Mrs, Benkley's 2nd graders were listening to a nonfiction read aloud called One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies. The students had previously heard another book by the same author, Surprising Sharks. Mrs. Benkley has having the students notice the differences between the way the two books were set up. Students were begging her to reread their favorite page in the shark book; they loved how the author used different fonts on the page. And then when they began to listen to the poetic book about a tiny turtle and view the illustrations, I heard one student tell another student, "it's beautiful."
If you are looking for more ways to incorporate technology into your students' everyday activities, then stop into Mr. Crowley's classroom. He has put an old laptop to good use...students use it to sign out for bathroom, water or nurse. And he is able to keep track using a simple google form.
Mrs. Cahill was having an interesting discussion with some 4th graders in Mrs. Nissi's class about the emotions involved when we do something and we have to apologize for our actions.
In the lab classrooms, as well as some other classrooms, students have been diving into non fiction. I'm looking forward to learning lots of new facts from our readers!
Over the break, I jumped back in...to the pool that is. I've always been a swimmer and when I was a teacher, I often swam several mornings a week before school. I have fallen out of the habit, but this break gave me the opportunity to get back into the water. There is something so relaxing about swimming back and forth up and down the lane. I can tune out the rest of the world while I'm in my underwater world. While I was swimming I couldn't help but think of how swimming reminded me of one of my other favorite activities...reading! Let me share with you my top 4 reasons for why swimming is just like reading: 1. Swimming is a skill that takes time to master, but once you know how to do it, you never forget. When I dive into a pool, I no longer have to think about what I'm going to do, my body responds automatically. Reading is also a skill that we all had to take time to master. But now that we know what to do, we can read wherever and whenever we want, and we really don't have to think about how we read anymore. But what we should remember is that our students are still learning to read and have not yet mastered this skill, but with our help, they will. 2. There are all levels of swimmers. When I swim at the Y, there are young kids just learning to put their faces in, there are ladies who like to sidestroke and chat while they do their laps, there are college students home on break who effortlessly swim a mile in under 30 minutes, and there's usually a retired fellow walking his way halfway down the lane and then floating on his back for the rest of the lap. Everyone may be at a different level, but they can all enjoy swimming. Similarly, there are all levels of readers. Our students may pick up reading very quickly or it may take some a little longer, but the ultimate goal is that they can all enjoy reading at their own level. 3. When I am swimming, my mind has a chance to wander. Even though I'm in the pool, swimming up and down the lanes, I can be somewhere else entirely in my mind. In fact, I often try to count how many laps I've done, but because I start thinking about all different things, I lose count...a lot. And that's the great thing about reading. When you are into a book, you can be in the classroom, but the book can take you to all sorts of places. You can get lost in a book. Hopefully during the second half of this school year, our students will have an opportunity to lose themselves in books during independent reading time. 4. Swimming is one exercise where you can do more with less. You get minimal impact on your joints, all you need is a pool and a bathing suit, and you get a great workout. Plus it definitely helps relieve stress. And reading is an activity where you can do more with less. All you need is a book, the perfect reading spot, and you can escape. With one simple book, you can learn something new, you can laugh out loud, you can gain a new perspective. As readers, our students will have the ability to do more with less. While swimming can build muscles, reading can build minds. Happy new year and here's to a great 2014! Let's all jump back in with your young readers!
Currently reading: Well having 2 weeks of vacation/quiet time in the office meant that I did a lot of reading! I will just share a few books that I read over the break. I enjoyed reading Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli. The author does a great job of telling the story from the 2 different perspectives of twins. I also read My Life as a Book. This is a great book to recommend to a reluctant reader because, well, it's narrated by a reluctant reader! I spent the morning of New Year's Day in bed reading The Tiger Rising. This is a sad story about 2 different children who are dealing with loss. Kate DiCamillo is an interesting author to me. One of my favorite books of all time to read aloud is The Tale of Desperaux. And now that I think about it, that is another book that deals with loss, but in a different way.
Do any of you use Goodreads? It is a website that allows you to keep track of books that you have read, want to read, are currently reading, etc. It also allows you to connect with other readers and authors. One feature they have on their site is a reading challenge where you can set a goal for how many books you want to read for the year. On January 1, I set a goal for myself. I am going to try to read 200 books this year! It's a lofty goal, but I'm all about setting high expectations and striving for them! As I read and record books, the Goodreads site keeps track for me. How about any of you? Have you thought about setting a reading goal for yourself?
Events this week: Welcome back! Hope everyone enjoyed the extra long vacation! Monday - We have several new students starting today! Here are the teachers who will have new students in their classes: Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. Riley, Mrs. Margolius, Mrs. Cragg, Mr. Rider, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Crowley. If you see one of the new faces, please welcome them to our school. Tuesday - Mrs. Hoke's class will be going to the Groton library Wednesday - 4th grade chorus in the gym @ 2:25, School Council meeting @3:30 in the library Thursday - Dr. Bent visits the school in the morning
Great things I noticed last week (before the break):
Mrs. Miln's 2nd graders were participating in a book swap, how fun! Students brought in a wrapped used book from their house, and then all the books were put into the middle of the circle. Every student got to open a present...a new book to take to their house!
Mrs. Cahill got into the spirit on Wednesday for tacky holiday outfit day.
Shivani was our fabulous Principal for the Day. She had a full day of doing classroom walkthroughs, recess duty, helping in the cafeteria and reading to a kindergarten class. She even met with the assistant superintendent to talk curriculum! She was definitely tired by the end of the day
Here is a sample of the beautiful singing by the high school students who visited us on Friday.
I would have loved to spend the vacation week reading lots of books, but I had to spend the week unpacking and moving into my new home. Unpacking lots of boxes of books reminded me of my long list of books that I still need to read! I don't think the movers were too happy with my multiple heavy boxes of books. I did manage to start reading The Mighty Miss Malone. Thank you Mrs. Roundtree for loaning it to me. I finished reading Rules...can't wait for Cynthia Lord to visit our school next week!
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