Tri-State Consortium Visit: A professional, collaborative approach to continuous improvement

2017.11.17

Tri-State Consortium Visit to NCPS

A professional, collaborative approach to continuous improvement

“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:

Critical friends, continuous improvement, and a commitment to educating the whole child are foundational components of a successful school environment.

What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:

Looking at ways to improve myself and our school through the responses from the Tri-State consultancy.

Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:

~ No matter how busy you are, take a moment to notice the wonderful things that surround us every day.

~ Be comfortable being uncomfortable.

This week, we had the Tri-State Consortium visit the New Canaan Public Schools for a three-day visit to evaluate an essential question, “to what extent are all students cognitively engaged in rigorous and relevant learning in our classrooms.” NCHS Principal, @WEganprincipal, provides some more detail in his weekly update, but I wanted to reflect on what an experience like a Tri-State visit means from a personal and professional perspective.

The visit includes dedicated professionals from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. The visiting team members are not paid to do these visits. Some know each other from “being in the field” for a while, others are meeting for the first time. They all have been trained by the consortium and calibrated in their view of what they should be looking for on a visit. Kathleen and Marty from the consortium lead/guide the process and have experience and a critical eye for maintaining focus on the guiding question(s) for each respective visit. The common denominator for each individual is that they all care about quality instruction in a healthy school environment.

The process for the host district is an intense one. Work is done for months in advance, over the summer, and after school hours. We are asking professional colleagues to come into our schools and process what is going on over the course of three days from a critical perspective. It is not always easy to “put yourself out there”, but it is a process that we all benefit from. Everyone. Every stakeholder in the district is getting exposure to common language that is grounded in best practice and what we expect of our employees in the New Canaan Public Schools. This process allows us to be comfortable getting uncomfortable.

This was one of the most authentic visits that I have seen. I have been on a visiting team and I have on the side of different host districts. It is easy to try and “up your game” and put on a show in a situation like this but I saw a level of respectful confidence that NCPS is proud to show where we shine and a willingness to hear about where we can and should consider improvements. At the end of the day, we are fortunate to be in a district that values critical feedback, continuous improvement, and ultimately, what is best for all students. I am looking forward to hearing how the team felt about their time spent in the New Canaan Public Schools later this morning...  

Please feel free to contact or follow me:

Twitter: @DavidGusitsch

Blog: https://davidgusitsch.blogspot.com/

Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org

Here a few pictures from around NCHS this week showcasing what we have to offer our students and school community:

Professional Learning: A reflection on the 11/7 PL Day and the importance of quality PD

2017.11.10

Professional Learning

A reflection on the 11/7 PL Day and the importance of quality PD

“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:

Professional Learning is a key component to continuous improvement.

What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:

Helping others find the benefit (and power) of expanding their professional learning network (PLN)

Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:

“I will prepare and someday my chance will come.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln

The first (or second) Tuesday of November every year is election day. It is also typically a Professional Learning (PL) Day for staff in public schools across Connecticut. This past Tuesday, NCHS staff participated in their PL Day and it was a great day of collaborating, learning, and creating. The building was bustling with staff in their respective departments as well as staff from other levels/buildings. All in the name of continuous improvement and providing the best education possible for the students of New Canaan!

The departments that I work most closely with are, Career and Technical Education, Health and Physical Education, and Science. The Science department worked with a consultant to learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and how they will help the program evolve to best serve the varied paths that NCHS students take. They even did a K-12 Science teacher meet-and-greet at the end of the day to continue to build community and bridge the gap between K-8 and NCHS. Awesome.

The Health and Physical Education staff discussed curriculum and visited an annual statewide workshop that brings in and shares some of the latest research and best practices in the field. The Career and Technical Education teachers worked on some exciting course proposals, researching resources to enhance student’s experiences, and collaborated on current trends. We even had staff present at a state conference, which is a complement to our district and a nice way to build a greater network of professionals within respective disciplines.

Overall, the opportunity to work with colleagues (course-alike, and non…) on a regular basis throughout the year is essential. It fosters the growth mindset for staff and translates to an improved learning environment for students. NCHS staff are committed to providing the best for their charges. In addition to the regularly scheduled district PL days and local conferences that are attended, many staff engage in quality professional development through social media, webinars, podcasts, and more (there are so many options. This will be a blog post for another day…). I felt it was important to share a quick behind the scenes look at the great work that is going on in the schools when students are not in session! Here are a few pictures too…

Please feel free to contact or follow me:

Twitter: @DavidGusitsch

Blog: https://davidgusitsch.blogspot.com/

Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org

NCHS Student & Faculty of the Month - Celebrating our Assets

2017.11.3

NCHS Student & Faculty of the Month

Celebrating our Assets

“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:

Any opportunity to celebrate positive events around a school building help improve the school culture.

What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:

The focus on positive social-emotional well-being.

Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:

“Kids do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care” ~ anonymous

Educators should always remember that they are not just teaching content, they are teaching kids.

The recently instituted Student and Faculty of the Month programs have gotten off to a positive start with the 2017-18 school year. Beginning with the jumpstart by the fabulous NCHS PFA over the summer, the display cases underwent a complete overhaul. They turned out great and are an attractive way to showcase and celebrate some of our most deserving assets, our students, and staff!

Students are nominated by staff members who feel that they have seen a student (or students) go above and beyond the typical academic, or social, expectations over the course of the month. We have wonderful students at NCHS and many are recognized for their incredible accolades in their academics, arts, athletics, and even extracurriculars. Students who receive the Student of the Month award may be standouts, or they may be considered “normal, everyday” students. This is what makes the program great. In the eyes of the person or people who have nominated them, they have done something special. To recognize this, students receive a nice certificate, a letter is sent home describing the award, that letter is included in their personal file, and their photo and name are on display in the display case for that respective month.  

Faculty of the Month undergo a similar process. They are nominated by students, or colleagues, who feel they have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Both programs truly are a nice way to recognize deserving members of our community. It is a simple way of saying “thank you!” for being you. You can read more about the program and the October recipients, here. The November recipients are included in the images below.

Please feel free to contact or follow me:

Twitter: @DavidGusitsch

Blog: https://davidgusitsch.blogspot.com/

Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org

Students:

Grade 9

Teddy DeClue

Isabella Fernandez

Grade 10

Olivia Caron

Natalie Lopez

Grade 11

Alexandra DeGhengi

Christian Sibbett

Grade 12

Kely McDonald

Emma Smith

Staff: Scott Cranston, Jessica Cullen, Bill Doyle, Reka Cebulski, Paul Reid, Olivia Patrizzi

Spirit Week at NCHS - 2017

2017.10.27

Spirit Week at NCHS

“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:

Our students are amazing. They can have a fun time, but know they come to NCHS to learn.

What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:

Keep the positive school spirit alive.

Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:

“Can our school be so welcoming, so inviting, and so comfortable that every person who walks through our doors believes they are about to have an amazing experience?” ~ Fisher, Frey

A few words that are synonymous with “Spirit”: Character, courage, energy, enthusiasm, essence, heart, humor, life, mood, morale, quality, warmth, animation. I can honestly say that I have seen each of these on display in one form or another this week at NCHS. The most common phrase that I heard leading up to this week was, “just wait until Spirit Week…”. And now, I know why. It is an event-filled week that is like no other!

The comfortable atmosphere on Pajama Day reminds me that while many of these high school students are “adult-size”, many truly are still kids (as they should be). There is nothing quite like seeing several unicorn onesies or 6-foot+ males wearing footie pjs. Some may say that takes courage. High Society day reminded me that the students of NCHS are sophisticated and appreciate fine quality. It also seemed reminiscent of a time when people dressed up for most occasions. Costume day was filled with cheerleaders, minions, animated characters, and superheroes that span generations (i.e., Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and my favorite, Captain America). Turn Back the Clock Day was a trip seeing leather jackets and pink dresses from the 50s, colorful, paisley filled dresses and shirts from the 60s, bell-bottoms and long dresses from the 70s, and my absolute favorite, the fluorescent/neon colors from the 80s. It was like being back in grade/middle school myself.

If I can capture Spirit Week in about a couple of paragraphs, I believe it would go something like this… Every day started with energy and enthusiasm, excited about the theme-filled day ahead. Lunch waves were similar to photo shoots. Groups of students gathering to capture the essence of the moment and pose for some fun photos with friends. I heard on several occasions that “my camera roll is full”. Amazing…  (real-life flashback: imagine they had to experience cameras with 24-shot rolls of film that you had to wait a week or two to have developed to see how they turned out!). In between classes, there was an energy that carried a positive morale and definitely a good level of humor (for students, and staff).

Most importantly, and definitely not lost in the spirited mood, was the learning that continued once each class began. This is a tribute to the students and staff here at NCHS. They can have a great time and enjoy fun events, but they also realize they are here to learn and receive a quality education. I saw presentations being given by students looking like they would have fit into a Richard Simmons Jazzercize video, labs being conducted by groups of minions, assessments being taken by students who would fit into any Woodstock video, food being prepared by students who could have been cast on Happy Days, a full orchestra play amazing music dressed with angel wings and/or donning NFL and NBA jerseys, and a live, behind the scenes, professional grade, NCTV broadcast with every student proudly wearing their Ram Black & Red. I could not be more proud to be part of such a well-rounded learning environment! Thank you NCHS...   

Please feel free to contact or follow me:

Twitter: @DavidGusitsch

Blog: https://davidgusitsch.blogspot.com/

Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org

The Penguin Suit Challenge

2017.10.20

The Penguin Suit Challenge

“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:

Having the opportunity to wear a full penguin suit all day in a high school in front of students and professional peers sounds terrifying. For a good cause, I’m in!

What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:

It’s coming up on Spirit Week - School Spirit!

Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:

The highest result of education is tolerance. ~ Helen Keller

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. ~ Helen Keller

This week I was approached about participating in The Charity Link Penguin Challenge. All I knew about the event was that the “winning” staff member “gets to” wear a full penguin suit for the entire day. You can see building principal, @WEganprincipal stylishly donning the penguin suit below… I am all for school spirit, but I was a little concerned about being a new staff member at NCHS and trying to maintain a level of professionalism while looking like Chilly Willy the Penguin...

Shortly after I heard about the challenge, I was provided some details and I was all in! Here is a quick snapshot:

“CharityLink has been running the costume fundraiser for about ten years, since the club's inception.  Each year, the penguin suit contest is one of our most successful events.  Students carefully select some of their favorite teachers and educators to participate in the contest each year.  Normally the club members choose their own charities for each fundraiser, but as a way to entice faculty members to participate, we've asked teachers to select where they'd like the funds to go if they "win." Last year the group raised over $500.00.” (English teachers, Kristen Brown & Arri Weeks)

Of course, it is a meaningful event and I would have participated either way, but the opportunity to choose a charity of choice was a nice twist. Having the opportunity to personalize the experience makes it even better. You may have seen an earlier blog where I shared that our 7-year son, Nicholas has type 1 diabetes (link). It is a challenging disease, it is difficult that people with T1D do not “look sick”, and we have many students in the NCPS who navigate the stressful highs and lows on a 24-7-365 basis. With that being said, I wanted to choose an organization that would benefit someone with T1D, and possibly one of our current or former students. After reaching out to a trusted source in the T1D community, I chose The College Diabetes Network. You can learn more about it, here. If you would like to donate (and possibly see me in a penguin suit, all day), feel free to contact me or send some money in to donate with your child :)  

Now the fun part… The competition will be tough this year, and Principal Egan has already tweeted out that he is looking forward to a successful “3-peat”. This challenge is a win-win. Staff get to have fun with a little friendly competition, students get to raise awareness and advocate for a cause or causes they may be passionate about, and one charity will benefit from the generous donations from the student body. It seems obvious why this has been part of the culture for so long and I am excited to take part it in it this year!

Please feel free to contact or follow me:

Twitter: @DavidGusitsch

Blog: https://davidgusitsch.blogspot.com/

Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org

The “Competition”!

Reigning 2-time Champ, Principal Egan:

College Diabetes Network programs across the country:

Speaking of school spirit, this all ties in nicely with Spirit Week next week!

“Official” campaign organizers for the CharityLink Penguin Suit Challenge: