Today is my final day with Henrico County Public Schools. I'm packing up my office, and packing up my house and family for the big move to Albemarle County. Certainly I'm excited to be moving to Albemarle and to get started at Henley, but it's hard to let go of a place that played a major role in my development as both a teacher, a school leader, and as a person. There are many, many people who helped to shape and influence my ideas about education and doing the right things for kids, and I will deeply miss them and their guidance.
Let's think for a minute about the experiences and emotions that we feel when we are going into something new. We ask questions like, "Will I fit in?" "Will I be able to meet the expectations I have set for myself?" "Will I be able to build relationships in my new surroundings the way I built them in my previous environment?" "How long will it be until my comfort zone returns?" There are so many unknowns that we face as we try something new, but the rewards that we reap from taking that risk and by getting out of our comfort zone can be tremendous.
I guess there are really two thoughts that can sum up how I'm feeling today. The first is directed to the eighth graders who have just left us and to the sixth graders who will be arriving in August: "I feel your pain." But really, it's not pain, it's excitement, I hope. We're going to experience a great journey together next year, and I'm determined to quell my trepidation, to try something new and, most importantly, I think, to have fun. The second thought is probably the much more important one for many of us at this time of the year, and it brings me back to the reason for the title of this post: "I need a vacation."
And I'm going to take one. My family and I will be heading to what I believe is one of the most relaxing places in the world, Brewster, Massachusetts on the shores of Cape Cod Bay. It will be a week of Cape Cod League Baseball, trips to Emack and Bolio's for the world's greatest ice cream, lazy days on the beach, and maybe even a couple of lobsters or a bowl of chowdah. We're all going to relax, rejuvenate and have some of that much needed family time that we all know is so important, but seems harder and harder to come by each year.
I hope that all of you are following my example and taking some time to connect with your families in some way this summer. So, until July 4 I will truly be off the radar screen, and then on July 5 it's full speed ahead.
I'll talk to you again in a couple of weeks, and, as always, Go Hornets!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A few questions answered
I received an e-mail from a rising eighth grader last week who had a few questions about some things that are going to be taking place at Henley next year. Unfortunately, since I'm just beginning the process of learning about Henley Middle School and its programs and traditions, I couldn't answer her questions right away. I enlisted the help of one of our assistant principals, Dr. Clare Keiser, who filled me in on the answers so that I could get back to this young lady. As I was e-mailing my reply, it occurred to me that many of you may have the same questions, and I wanted to post the questions and answers here for all to see, so here they are:
What exactly is STING?
STING stands for study, teach, improve, nurture, grow. It is a 30 minute remediation/enrichment/study hall period that will meet Monday through Thursday next year. On Fridays we will have mentor groups meet during STING. We are following a plan in which some students are involved with assigned remediation or enrichment activities with specific teachers. Students who are not involved in those assigned activities are expected to work in a study hall. We're still working on the details and expectations, and will have much more information about this program at the beginning of the year.
My personal vision for a program such as this, particularly the mentor group aspect of it, is that all students will find an adult in the building with whom they can connect. I have worked with many programs in other schools that are similar to this and have often asked participating students what they felt helped them the most after they had completed the program. While many mentioned that they appreciated the extra academic help, the overwhelming majority said that the greatest benefit they reaped from the program was that they knew at least one person in the school who really got to know them on a personal level. Hopefully, STING will help us to strengthen that atmosphere at Henley.
Is it true that next year the students will take social studies one semester and science the next?
While other schools in the county are doing this, we are not planning on implementing this at Henley next year. We will continue to collect data from other schools and from educational research studies to see if this will be something that will benefit Henley students in the future.
Is the eighth grade still going to go to Busch Gardens at the end of next year?
This has been a tradition for our middle school students for many years, and, as far as I know, there are no plans to change it. I feel that a trip such as this is a great way to celebrate our success as middle school students and to have one last time together as Henley Hornets before we move on to high school. Personally, I can't wait to be a chaperone on this trip, and to ride the Griffon!
So, I hope this had provided some insight into some happenings at Henley next year. As always, please feel free to contact me via my e-mail link if there are any questions that I can answer.
Have a great summer break! Go Hornets!
What exactly is STING?
STING stands for study, teach, improve, nurture, grow. It is a 30 minute remediation/enrichment/study hall period that will meet Monday through Thursday next year. On Fridays we will have mentor groups meet during STING. We are following a plan in which some students are involved with assigned remediation or enrichment activities with specific teachers. Students who are not involved in those assigned activities are expected to work in a study hall. We're still working on the details and expectations, and will have much more information about this program at the beginning of the year.
My personal vision for a program such as this, particularly the mentor group aspect of it, is that all students will find an adult in the building with whom they can connect. I have worked with many programs in other schools that are similar to this and have often asked participating students what they felt helped them the most after they had completed the program. While many mentioned that they appreciated the extra academic help, the overwhelming majority said that the greatest benefit they reaped from the program was that they knew at least one person in the school who really got to know them on a personal level. Hopefully, STING will help us to strengthen that atmosphere at Henley.
Is it true that next year the students will take social studies one semester and science the next?
While other schools in the county are doing this, we are not planning on implementing this at Henley next year. We will continue to collect data from other schools and from educational research studies to see if this will be something that will benefit Henley students in the future.
Is the eighth grade still going to go to Busch Gardens at the end of next year?
This has been a tradition for our middle school students for many years, and, as far as I know, there are no plans to change it. I feel that a trip such as this is a great way to celebrate our success as middle school students and to have one last time together as Henley Hornets before we move on to high school. Personally, I can't wait to be a chaperone on this trip, and to ride the Griffon!
So, I hope this had provided some insight into some happenings at Henley next year. As always, please feel free to contact me via my e-mail link if there are any questions that I can answer.
Have a great summer break! Go Hornets!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Learning at its best
I just returned from a whirlwind weekend in Boston where my family traveled to attend the christening of my nephew. We began with a trip to the airport at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday and got back to our house around 2:00 a.m. last night after our return flight was delayed by the weather. Needless to say, we all need a vacation from our vacation.
The trip included a birthday party for my mother, the aforementioned christening, a Yankee/Red Sox game at Fenway Park (one more item crossed off the must do before I die list), and a rather spontaneous trip with my wife, Erica, and children, Maggie, age 3, and Colin, 13 months, to the Boston Children's Museum, which turned out to be an incredible educational experience for the whole family. When yesterday's dismal Boston weather forced us to cancel a day trip to the beach, Erica suggested the Children's Museum, and we piled into the car and headed downtown.
The miserable conditions outside, and the fact that the closest parking space was three blocks away in a driving rainstorm, had us wondering if we should have just stayed home. The kids were wet, tired and grumpy and I saw tantrums on the horizon, but when we finally got to the museum, something magical happened. The minute we walked through the door, you could feel the energy of the place. The entire building was filled with the raucous voices of children playing, learning and discovering. My kids' faces lit up and they were off. They were climbing on a two story jungle gym, they were experimenting with boats and currents, they were discovering new artistic talents and forms of expression, and they were interacting with other children who, moments before, they never knew. This was truly learning at its finest, when it was not a burden, but an adventure.
As educators, creating an environment that fosters this type of learning needs to be our goal every day. The magic that I saw at the museum, the genuine interest and engagement, the curiosity, the willingness to take on a challenge and to solve a problem are the same things I see when I walk into great teachers' classrooms. True, not every day at school is going to be a day at the museum, but every day can be engaging, every day can be challenging, and every day can stretch us as individuals to do something that we haven't been able to do before.
So...field trip, anyone?
On another note, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to introduce yourself to me via e-mail over the past couple of weeks. On all levels, Albemarle County has been a truly welcoming place, and I am excited to be coming home to raise my family in this wonderful community.
The trip included a birthday party for my mother, the aforementioned christening, a Yankee/Red Sox game at Fenway Park (one more item crossed off the must do before I die list), and a rather spontaneous trip with my wife, Erica, and children, Maggie, age 3, and Colin, 13 months, to the Boston Children's Museum, which turned out to be an incredible educational experience for the whole family. When yesterday's dismal Boston weather forced us to cancel a day trip to the beach, Erica suggested the Children's Museum, and we piled into the car and headed downtown.
The miserable conditions outside, and the fact that the closest parking space was three blocks away in a driving rainstorm, had us wondering if we should have just stayed home. The kids were wet, tired and grumpy and I saw tantrums on the horizon, but when we finally got to the museum, something magical happened. The minute we walked through the door, you could feel the energy of the place. The entire building was filled with the raucous voices of children playing, learning and discovering. My kids' faces lit up and they were off. They were climbing on a two story jungle gym, they were experimenting with boats and currents, they were discovering new artistic talents and forms of expression, and they were interacting with other children who, moments before, they never knew. This was truly learning at its finest, when it was not a burden, but an adventure.
As educators, creating an environment that fosters this type of learning needs to be our goal every day. The magic that I saw at the museum, the genuine interest and engagement, the curiosity, the willingness to take on a challenge and to solve a problem are the same things I see when I walk into great teachers' classrooms. True, not every day at school is going to be a day at the museum, but every day can be engaging, every day can be challenging, and every day can stretch us as individuals to do something that we haven't been able to do before.
So...field trip, anyone?
On another note, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to introduce yourself to me via e-mail over the past couple of weeks. On all levels, Albemarle County has been a truly welcoming place, and I am excited to be coming home to raise my family in this wonderful community.
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