2017.8.15
Reflections on the new beginning…
As I reflect on the first month “on the job”, I have much to be thankful for. To be honest, it was a difficult decision to leave my previous district and a job that I truly loved (a little more about that in my first blog entry, here). After transitioning, it did not take long to realize what I had thought all along, I have been blessed to have an opportunity in another amazing district. The experiences that I had and the professional relationships that I have built through an amazing professional learning network (PLN) from around the globe will continue to grow and span any discipline. This will allow me to best serve our most important stakeholder - our students.
The first couple of weeks were filled with introductions, getting used to the new environment (physically and culturally), and learning new operating systems (purchasing, keys, student management, facilities, etc.). Taking tours of the building with different people allowed me to see and hear different perspectives. This was soon followed by venturing off by myself and doing it the way countless generations of students before me have done by “just figuring it out” (with a little help from my trusty laminated building map). This was a good introduction to my first project, building signage…
Interestingly, the building had been designed and numbered in a manner that has left many people confused and sometimes literally lost. Almost every person that I passed commented on the room number system. A few of my favorites were:
“The room numbers were designed to look like a Ram (school mascot) on the map”
“Nothing makes sense”
“The developers must have been products of the 60’s”
“Just ask for directions”
“Good luck trying to figure this building out”
After using sticky notes on the laminated map and mocking up several iterations of room numbers, arrows, and color schemes, I believe we have a product that will be helpful to any newcomer in the building (students, parents, staff, visitors, etc.). A huge “thanks” goes out to parent volunteers, teachers who were around over the summer, maintenance staff, administrative assistants, and fellow administrators who all provided feedback and advice to polish each version.
Another observation is that NCHS is a valued asset in the community. The projects that have been taking place over the summer are nothing short of amazing. There are new turf fields being installed, a new track (and interior field) replacement, student & faculty recognition display cases, and outdoor plantings as part of the ongoing beautification project. This is beyond the tremendous job the maintenance staff has done getting the building ready for approximately 1,500 students and staff in a couple of weeks.
In an effort to increase communication and provide insight to the great occurrences at New Canaan High School, I worked with the Principal (Mr. Egan) to put together a slideshow that will be updated regularly, displayed on the school website, and shown on the television network throughout the school. It is pretty slick and you can check it out on the NCHS website.
A quick side note and shout out to that amazing, aforementioned PLN… In searching for some motivational videos to consider for the opening staff meeting, there were 30+ responses to a simple
Tweet asking what videos people had seen that motivated or fired them up professionally. If you are interested, you can find the list here. It included responses that capture grit, resilience, creativity, & inspiration and came from people across the country and overseas. Thank you!
If all of the above did not convince you of the type of place this is, check out some of the pics as I left on the first day:
Sometimes subtle hints are enough to convince you that you have landed in the right place. The fact that the NCHS Chamber Orchestra played a song from arguably one of my favorite bands of all time during the 2017 graduation, was just that:
This entry is a little longer than I expect in the future. If you made it this far, thank you!
With all of the above being said, I am looking forward to the coming weeks and the reason that any of us got into education in the first place - meeting those students I mentioned in the opening paragraph!
Please feel free to contact or follow me:
Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org
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