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| Mr. A - demonstrates physics of the Barbie Bounce |
Celebration Point:
This past week marked two milestones for the year at New Start: curriculum night and our first Brag Day. I'm happy to say that both exceeded my personal expectations. New Start Night was lightly attended, but the staff represented our school in an excellent fashion. Teachers showed off the work their students have been creating, and we had some great chats with some of the parents in attendance. Jackie's Motown playlist gave the event a relaxed party atmosphere, and gave me something to talk to Lisa and Angelia's dad about (he's a music lover). It was one of many examples of how we are evolving as a school to offer a richer, more comprehensive school experience in our alternative universe.
Another thing that has evolved (very much for the better) is our Brag Day assembly. Thursday's gathering was, in my opinion, the best assembly we've ever had as a school. Kids were cheering and engaged, the music made it lively (and gave me an excuse to dance), and we gave out more awards than ever before. All of which is worth mentioning in a celebration post. Good job, New Starters.
Data Point:
The election is right around the corner, and we all know that Washington is voting on a charter schools initiative (for the third time). This data point is a little unorthodox, but I though I would take this opportunity to give you a figure to share with your friends and family. Stanford University recently did a study, and found that only 17 percent of charter schools do markedly better than their public school counterparts. The alarming thing, though, is that 37 percent do markedly worse than public schools.
The other thing to share is that New Start is a charter school! We try new things to help students who don't connect with their normal schools, and we do it all within the structure of the public school system. We are a model of some of the successes people want from charter schools, and we should be proud of that.
Instructional Point:
Recently, we've had some a couple of group discussions that have gotten me thinking about how to further improve our students' school experiences. First, we had a PCT on project based learning, during which we shared ideas we had about good, content specific, high quality projects for our students. The second was a discussion we had at the New Start staff meeting about making more enrichment activities available to our students. As far as I see it, these two things go hand in hand, and really digging into them could possibly take our school to the next level.
I want to create a culture at our school where students are willing to try new things and try to figure them out on their own. This is where project based learning comes in. I believe that a thoughtful, well planned project can be an excellent way for a student to synthesize concepts and apply things they've learned. It can demonstrate learning and understanding while also helping students build the “21st Century Skills” we're starting to hear more about. But more than anything, a good project with the right student could get them to look at school differently. Like, not just a series of worksheets, but an opportunity to improve.
I also think that more projects could, over time, improve our attendance. I've noticed that some students will make a point of being in class when they know that their group is depending on them. If we can get more students to be willing to depend on their peers, then it seems conceivable that we could actually use peer pressure for good. As opposed to the evil it is usually associated with. I know that I'm going to start assigning more projects as we move forward, and I hope you all think about this too.
Guest Writer Point:
The last point leads me to enrichment opportunities. To me, this means looking for ways for students to see the benefits of school without necessarily receiving credit. Some of our students play sports at schools in our district, which is one example of enriching their physical education. We don't have, and have never had, any successful extra-curricular activities. This bums me out; I would love to have the opportunity to see my students doing things they care about outside of the classroom. And these opportunities are the things that can keep kids coming back to school.
Obviously, our students are at New Start because, for whatever reason, comprehensive high school didn't work for them. This means that providing enrichment is going to have to look different, but I think it also means that we need to work hard on it. And we need to start soon. So I would like to have us start thinking of fun, interesting enrichment activities for our school. Done right, it will keep moving our school in a better direction.
PCT Point: November 2, 2012 Team Time or District Job Alike.
This Friday, you direct your collaboration! If you are not sure who to join, I would recommend your Data Team. Please send me an email to let me know who you will be collaborating with. Thank you.
Mike’s Schedule:
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Oct 29
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Oct 30
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Oct 31
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Nov 1
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Nov 2
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Session Transition Planning
In Classrooms
CH M/Parent
M/PSO Pres.
CHOICE Data Team
HIPP Data Team
Sped Meeting
School Board Meeting
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M/John Boyd New Start
In Classrooms
PSSC Presentation
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Learning Walk HS3
In Classrooms
Alt Ed Leadership Team
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In Classrooms
Observation
M/Counselor
ELL Workshop
Data Book Study Group
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Principal Meeting Steering Team
Supervise Team Time
Sped Team Meeting
Monday Points
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Professional Growth Note: Thursday after school we begin our 5-Part ELL Workshop Series. Extra service pay, clock hours, snacks, and practical practice improvement, all for you! After school until 4:45. Thursday Nov 1. Hope to see you there.
Have a great week.
Mike
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