The Second Week of Winter Break
This post is for parents…
We are now in the second week of our winter break. While I know we are still very busy with family and work events, it’s also a great week to engage your child intellectually. Here are some ideas/tips for you to consider:
- Talk to them about current events.
- Ask their opinions on matters, it doesn’t need to be those difficult, open-ended questions (especially if you have a teenager).
- Have dinners together.
- Take them to a museum, to the library, or to a park.
- Encourage your child to be creative. Challenge your child with a project (like a puzzle or a snow structure).
- Place boundaries on television and computer time.
- Encourage your child to read a book and then discuss it with them.
I am not advocating to turn this last week of break into school. Your child needs some down-time from school and your family deserves quality time together. I am challenging you, though, to think about the opportunities you have to enhance their learning and growth.
Saline Middle School – Science Department
The Middle School Science Department stole the show at the December 21st Student vs. Staff basketball game.
You speak my language??
As many of you know we are developing plans to implement a world language program at the elementary level this fall. The program will be designed to build fluency by the time our students are in the 6th grade. Click here to learn more and to consider supporting the Foundation for Saline Area Schools push to raise $75,000 to support our efforts.
You may not be aware that we currently have over 115 students that come from homes where English is not the primary language. From the 115, we have 21 different languages spoken. Below is graph of the languages spoken in Saline Area Schools:
There is no lesson plan for a tragedy…
What a weekend… no matter what I was doing over the last two days, my mind kept going back the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.
I follow Angela Maiers on Twitter and often read her blog. She summed up many of the thoughts I have had as we prepare for Monday.
She wrote,
There is no lesson plan for that. There is no magic strategy or super app that can look children in the face and assure them that the world will be well again….. You have just been reminded of why we are indispensable and why no one can simply walk in off the street and do our work. You are in this position of privilege to do one thing like no other person on earth can do: TEACH
Our teachers, support staff and administrators will need to be prepared to move forward – the 5,300 students that will enter our buildings tomorrow deserve our best.
Message to SAS Families
SAS Families,
The tragic event in Connecticut has brought up some questions regarding the safety plans for our schools. Please let me assure you that Saline Area Schools is well prepared for a wide variety of emergencies. Each school has a safety plan in place. This plan includes a heightened awareness from the main office staff and by our school staff. School doors, are in general, locked during the school day except for the front doors. Teachers and staff members have classroom safety plans with instructions in each classroom that are reviewed frequently.
There are staff members trained in crisis response and CPR in each building. Many staff members have also participated in staged training exercises in response to potential school emergencies.
Saline Area Schools works closely with the Pittsfield and Saline Police Departments. Police have reviewed and contributed to the district safety plans and participate with us in the training exercises. While today’s events are just now unfolding, we need to assure SAS families that we continue to assess our safety plans as we will again after this tragedy.
Please feel free to contact your school principal if you have any further questions. I want to share with you a link that we use to provide parents a resource to help talk with students when a tragedy, either locally or nationwide occurs.
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/aftermath.aspx
This type of event is impossible to explain. Our thoughts are with the families at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the entire Newtown, Connecticut community.
Scot Graden
Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season
Since many families in our community are giving gifts to their children (our students) over the next fews weeks – here is my shameless plug to consider items that support our learning targets.
- Books – You can never go wrong with books. Consider non-fiction titles like biographies, autobiographies, travel/geography, how-to, and science/technology options. (Magazine subscriptions can also be a good fit for non-fiction reading.)
- e-Readers – same as above but in Kindle, iPad or iPad Mini format
- Legos – Always popular and great for creativity. They can also help build dexterity and develop math and pattern skills.
- Technology – This area can be pricey, however, we are encouraging our students at many grade levels to bring their laptop, tablets, and smartphones to class to use as a learning tool.
- Hornet Gear – Okay, not educational – but kids and adults alike look good in Saline Hornet apparel.
Feel free to comment with other educational gift ideas.
Community Conversation – December 18th
Saline Area School Community,
As we wrap up school for the 2012 calendar year, I would like to schedule one more “Community Conversation” meeting. Over the last five years I have had the opportunity to host several “Community Conversation” events to learn more about what interested community members see as the strengths of Saline Area Schools, and what areas they felt we needed to focus attention on for improvement. Through these conversations and other opportunities, I have learned a great deal about how many of you see our district and it has helped guide me, along with the Board of Education, as we move forward.
In an effort to continue this dialogue, I will be making time available on Tuesday, December 18th from 9:30am- 11:00am at My Favorite Cafe, 101 S. Ann Arbor Street. Please stop by, say hello and bring any thoughts about the district you feel I should know.
Thank you,
Scot Graden
Clear Vision & Strategy
Reading a recent article in McKinsey Quarterly by Colin Price titled, Leadership and the art of plate spinning reminded me how important the Strategic Framework Committee really is to success of Saline Area Schools.
Price notes,
….our research shows that the most successful organizations, over the long term, consistently focus on “enabling” things (leadership, purpose, employee motivation) whose immediate benefits aren’t always clear. These healthy organizations, as we call them, are internally aligned around a clear vision and strategy; can execute to a high quality thanks to strong capabilities, management processes, and employee motivation; and renew themselves more effectively than their rivals do. In short, health today drives performance tomorrow.
Change, obviously, is often needed in response to emerging student needs, new legislation/regulations, and financial challenges. However, constant or sudden change is unsettling and destabilizing for schools and individuals alike. With all the changes public education is facing – having a clear vision and strategy is key to the health of the organization.
Evaluation….
Evaluation…. In my opinion, it is a word that should be on the Lake Superior State List of Banished Words for 2013. With recent changes to the State Law – there are now mandated components and even mandated categories – ineffective, minimally effective, effective and highly effective. This now provides yet another “rating” that can be published in media reports comparing districts.
I believe in the need for individuals and groups to be evaluated. My issue is that we need to think about what the desired outcome of the process. It’s about the “Why?” If, as I hope it is, the goal is to grow and improve – then developing a process that is tightly managed may not be the best approach. If the goal is to rank and sort – then the new system seems to be a step toward that end.
On the bright side, as an administrative team we have had numerous (and that’s an understatement) conversations about evaluations, student growth, effectiveness ratings, eportfolios – all with the goal of improving. We all have areas we can work on to improve – having thoughtful conversations about ideas and strategies to improve is the key.
Team Effort
This week I had the opportunity to meet with 70 community members and staff to kick-off the process that will provide a road map for Saline Area Schools as we move forward. The meeting included a discussion about the current points of pride we share about Saline Area Schools. During this conversation I was reminded that so much of the success of our school district is based on the people – students, teachers, parents, support staff, coaches, and administrators…. we all have a role to play. It’s a team effort.
We then reviewed the 5 goal areas currently outlined in the Strategic Framework:
- All Students will acquire the essential skills and knowledge to meet or exceed standards in reading, writing, and mathematics by the end of Grade 3.
- All students will acquire the essential skills to be lifelong learners and leaders in an ever-changing 21st Century global society.
- Strengthen family-school relationships and continue to expand civic, business, higher education, and community partnerships that support improved student achievement.
- Enhance a positive work environment that promotes employee well being, satisfaction, and positive morale.
- District shall establish short-term financial stability and long-term fiscal solvency
It was a positive start to a very important process for Saline Area Schools. I look forward to sharing more about the discussions as we move toward the March 26th Board of Education meeting where we will report the recommendations of the Strategic Framework Review Committee.
Scot Graden's Blog 