Face to Face

So, I am guilty. Guilty of getting caught up in the technology. Caught up in the gadgets and the websites and the social networking. Guilty of connecting to places and things thousands of miles away and not within my own sphere. I have to keep remembering the need personal need to connect with people face to face. Have a conversation while reading their mood and needs. Talking about everything and anything. I need to put the Blackberry away.

Twitter versus Facebook

SO what do you use? It is the topic of the week among my friends. I have not even scratched the surface of Twitter but I think I will like it more than Facebook due to the amount of information available. But Facebook is all the rage and I strive to be cool.... Twitter it is.

Snow Days and unfazed

We have officially reached the point in winter that when it snows for two straight days and a dusting turns into 4 inches, we are unfazed. Living in New England can be a drag sometimes but when you see how beautiful the last couple of days have been you don't mind. Shovel the light dusting away and go!

Time Flies

It seems like we were just starting the school year and here we are in the middle of January. Time flies when you are doing good things. WE are really doing good things everyday with kids, parents, and community members. This really is a good school and community of educators to work with.

Hoop

We accomplished a rare feat this weekend, my kids both had basketball games and both teams won. This rare occasion has not happened this year as one team or the other has struggled at one time or another. I do have competitive kids but usually they can let it go pretty quickly when they don't win but I will say it was a kinder and gentler household this weekend.

Playoffs?

I love the first two weeks of the NFL playoffs. You get an idea of the teams that will be the ones to beat. Last year it was Arizona. Who will it be this year? Who will hit their stride at the right time? Hanging around to catch the games makes a cold day a little better. January doesn't hold a lot for those who don't ski but this weekend, at least there will be football.

Happy New Year

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one always brings about nostalgia and resolutions. Shouldn't we just try to live a good and balanced life all the time? I think we try to but the challenges of that life make it hard to stay balanced. Strength of character will see you through it all but who knows where to find it all the time.

I cleaned my office and organized my thoughts this week. I played with the kids and hopefully will be skiing this weekend. I am ready for the best year yet.

Christmas

So here we sit the week of Christmas with so much to do and so little time to do it. Christmas is a wonderful time for family and friends but we get caught up in the preparation and the going. Party here and party there, go to the in-laws, go to the store, it all becomes a little too much. When do we catch our breath and allow for the spirit to seep into our mind and body and do we truly enjoy the holiday? I hope to find out.

C'Mon Man

Every Monday Night, my son and I watch the segment "C'mon Man" on ESPN Monday Night Football coverage. It is a review of teams that just don't get it or plays that guys make that are so bad all you can say is "C'mon Man!" Wouldn't it be great if we could do that in life when someone just blows you away with their ineptitude? When someone pulls a Tiger Woods or a parent forgets to pick up their child from a dance or even a student treats another poorly just because they can. "C'mon Man! would be so great!

Put away the clubs

So I left at 3:00 and ran around nine holes before it got dark Friday. My last round of the year. To be greeted by 3 inches of snow on Sunday morning, I realized that basketball season has begun. Sore muscles and bruised egos are next in line.

Slow Down

Thanksgiving was great. I actually took a couple of days to slow down. The rain helped slow down the activities but I made a "subconscious" effort to slow down. I spent time playing with my son and daughter. Not so easy with a 15 year old who seems to being going at 90 miles an hour all the time herself. We are overbooking ourselves and our kids. We are trying to better ourselves and our kids at the expense of really enjoying life and family. I am in favor of reaching potential and getting the most our of life but "the most out of life" is enjoying what we have right in front of us. Family and friends.

Vision for 2010-2011

I am asked to create a vision statement for the upcoming year when it comes to our budget. Here is this year's:

The vision for Rye Junior High School has changed very little in the past year. Preparing students for the world ahead of them is our highest priority. High school is the first step from here and the world after that can take on many different forms depending on the student and their individual skill areas. How do we meet the various needs of the students who walk through our doors every morning?
Students are developing at different rates in their three years at Rye Junior High School. Whether the changes come physically, mentally or even socially, RJH is positioned to meet the needs of all its students. We establish programming, opportunities, and a building to reach each student at their own level. Students challenge us each day to give them an understanding of the ever changing world by their questions, needs and dreams. Teachers respond by creating new lessons, activities, and assessments designed to push students to higher levels. They integrate technology in new and exciting ways. Research is being done both electronically and with traditional methods to allow students to find the answers they want and are asked to uncover. We work to develop the “whole child.” To quantify development is very difficult. Although we have measurable outcomes academically, the three years at RJH is a journey and the pace at which students get to the end varies dramatically. Each student hits his/her stride at different times. Think of your own journey and when you hit your stride.
Additions to the school, we have a couple that allow us to move forward at a more rapid pace. A newly finished library greatly expands our ability to teach integrated research in a suitable location. There is plenty of learning space while allowing the library to continue to function as a traditional lending library. Internet access and expanded collections allow students to have adequate resources to complete their work and read the most current literature. This space will once again be the hub of activity in our building but will allow for more access and enhanced learning opportunities. With funding from the Rye Education Foundation, we were able to create a One to One Netbook pilot in the seventh grade. This immediate access to technology for teachers and students has allowed students to grow more proficient with technology as they are using it on a daily basis in more than one classroom. Increased writing, research and data analysis promotes higher level thinking and greater skill development, not only in technology but in their core classes. Continuation of this pilot would be optimal for student learning for a modern world.
But these are tough times economically and continued expansion of programs is difficult. Our strength is in our teachers and their skill sets. We continue to pursue professional development opportunities for all and allow teachers to grow and develop. We have initiated the Professional Learning Communities model to bring a focus to learning and not teaching. Data analysis is part of our weekly conversation. How are our students progressing? What areas are they proficient and what areas need greater concentration? How does our curriculum allow for student progress? These are conversations that are the focus of common planning time. We are thankful to have the resource of our colleagues and their collective wisdom.
Moving into the second decade of this century, we are still committed to the ideal that all students can learn what they need to be successful in the years to come. We are preparing students for the world around them and the world that is to come. It is our mission and our responsibility.

Yankee Baseball

So far the Yankees have lived up to their payroll. After years of people pointing to chemistry or the lack of it, it is clear the mix of players have made a difference in this playoff run. So the question is, what is the biggest factor in winning a playoff series. Clearly, you have to have the players and especially the pitching. But what about that player with all the intangibles; Nick Swisher, Bill Miller, Bucky Dent to name a few. Not the highest paid player but the ones who get it done despite their paycheck. Those are the difference makers and the ones I cheer for.

Get back to what is important

I am mired in reports and tasks. So many things that are dictated to be done that I can see an end. I realized this morning that I had gotten so far afield of what I do this for that I left my office and went to classrooms. I saw teachers doing great things and kids engaged in their work. I had to smile and was re-energized for a while.

Tell her that its human nature

I probably won't go see the Michael Jackson movie. It is just sad to hear "Human Nature" and remember how great his music was and how innocent he was. It was so long ago and he was even older than me but I will remember him with his brothers in the Jackson 5. I was young, it was easier to enjoy the music without knowing what would become of him.
I probably won't see the movie.

The Test is Here

The school has fully undertaken the NECAP test today. Kids are actively engaged in the test and you could hear a pin drop. It is too quiet in the building.
Life in the modern school includes this accountability measure, ours in NH is the NECAP test. Is this a measurement for the school and the children or is it a clearer picture of our society as a whole? Are kids coming to school ready to engage in their learning? How do they know to do so? Are parents supportive of the school and its practice? This question is answered in how students engage in the test.
Take out those students with specific learning issues. They are going to struggle with standardized tests and have struggled forever. But those who do not have learning issues, their level of engagement is partially due to the messages they get in the home. It is partially due to who students are as individuals. It is partially due to the nature of tests. It is partially the school and its presentation.
Will we solve the engagement issue at school? I have no idea.

Rainy Saturday

How about Sunday with the NFL on instead of Saturday with youth soccer games and end of year barbecues? Can somebody get control of the weather please?

Frost

I am not the person who wishes for colder weather but I may welcome a little frost tonight. Other than slowing the growth of my grass, I will be glad to have the frost take care of these mosquitos. EEE has been a concern for too long and it will be great for kids to go outside in the afternoon with no fear. I usually love September but this year it has been a cautious infatuation.

Communication Breakdown

In the day and age of multiple communication methods, how do we guarantee we stay in touch? Funny question huh? You can text me, email me, tweet me, check me out on my Facebook, call me on one of my cellphones, or even call me at the office. The problem seems to be that with all the options, no one does it the same way. You have to keep an inventory of the specific methods of communication for specific people. This is my latest challenge.

Friday On My Mind

Why is it that my whole mood changes with the prospect of the weekend? I do love the kids and teachers in my school and have fun with much of what I do here at RJH. But the prospect of the weekend and not working always brightens my Friday. Would I work if I didn't have to? Probably not.