2017.9.2
Opening Week - Return of the Students
“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:
Students are the heartbeat of a building.
It is important to remember that we don’t just teach content (in respective disciplines), we teach students.
What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:
Shorter blog posts :)
Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Saying this was an exciting week would be an understatement. A new school year in a new building, meeting new staff who are reporting back for the new school year, welcoming 1325 students (and many of their parents) back, and celebrating the return of school for our own kids (Ellie, Brooke, and Nicholas) at home in Bethel. This is like a superfecta for educators!
Monday began with the NCPS Convocation which was held in the cafeteria of NCHS. The theme of the morning exuded positivity from beginning to end. The first selectman (@rmall3) shared his commitment to the important partnership between the town and its schools. The Board of Education showed their gratitude for the work of the hundreds of educators in the room and their pledge to support one of the best school districts in the state. Our Superintendent (@Dr_Luizzi) shared professional and personal moments and gratitudes. There were references to our positive psychology (Orange Frog) administrative retreat, inspirational quotes, and the message that we need to continue being considerate of all of the needs of all of our students and staff. It is refreshing to hear the emphasis on the social-emotional needs of everyone and the importance of educating the whole child. Monday afternoon, the building became alive again as the freshmen entered the building for their open house to explore the building, find their classrooms, and meet some of the NCHS staff.
Tuesday was a time for staff to meet with their course-alike colleagues, do some professional learning activities, and prepare for the return of the entire student body the next day. I worked with the NCHS Science department in the morning. Seventeen of us started the morning with some ice-breakers (twisted and rock, paper, scissor group championship), followed by some positive reflections (dopamine shot) from the summer, and then diving into some great content specific work. Congratulations to Jeff Hague - the August, 2017 RSP Champion!
Tuesday continued with a presentation on the Connections program at NCHS. It focused on the importance of connecting (hence the name) with students and getting an opportunity to learn about and build relationships with them outside of the context of “the classroom”. This is a great model. The day rounded out with a full faculty meeting that further extended the theme of positivity and the focus on the social-emotional needs of students and staff. This is a great place and should be a great year...
Wednesday was game day! The moment that we have all been waiting for. The return of the student body. As expected it was filled with excitement, enthusiasm, smiles, handshakes, hugs, and the over the top school spirit that only the senior class can bring (each year)! The hallways are like a circulatory system and the students are the heartbeat of the building. It was great to see the building filled with vibrant life again. Throughout the day we made rounds, visited classrooms and saw staff doing what they do best, building relationships to prepare to teach their students.
Thursday was the first full day and maintained a positive level of excitement. Visiting classrooms was a treat as teachers were now beginning to dive into their craft and share their expertise with their students (pics below). NCHS is truly an amazing learning environment filled with committed professionals.
By the end of the week, all class meetings were held. Principal Egan (@WEganprincipal) greeted each class and delivered an inspiring message to each group. The theme was not on rules and policies of the school, but about appreciating the resources and opportunities that are available, being kind to one another, being a leader and role model in the school community, and just being a good person. It was clear how much Mr. Egan cares about the students of NCHS and this is why the students seem to respond so positively in return.
I realize in my first blog post that I stated I would try to make these entries shorter. Future posts will not be as much “day by day” as they will be more on a relevant topic to explore. Thank you again to those who have taken the time to visit and read!
Please feel free to contact or follow me:
Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org
No comments:
Post a Comment