Advancing the Vision 5-4-18

This week I was reminded of what makes our school so special.  You all have figured out how to be professional in your responsibilities, have high expectations for student success, understand where our students are coming from, and HAVE FUN.  Finding that balance is critical in a profession where we serve the public.  We constantly face changing expectations and criticism from the outside (which have hit us especially hard this year) and yet our students come back to us every day, each having their own sets of baggage and issues, expecting our best.   Place on top of that a brand new principal with a whole different set of expectations and I can only imagine how hard this year has been for many.

This week I had the opportunity to meet with several of you all regarding your professional growth and student growth goals.  I love how you brought your data and owned it for every single student.  Tara Lewis is one of those teachers who "brings it" EVERY SINGLE day.  She apologetically shared with me her data because it was a little "messy."  I thought it was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.  Check this out:

 

After sharing individual data where she analyzed where all her students were in relation to the Kentucky Writing Rubric and then predicted how they would score on KPREP On-Demand, Mrs. Lewis was able to determine the percent proficient/distinguished our school would ultimately have.  She knows her content, the assessment and her students THAT WELL.  That depth of understanding and ownership is priceless.  Mrs. Lewis is an incredible asset to our school in so many ways.  

Speaking of incredible assets, I also got to meet with Mrs. Burton.  I wish you all could pop into the kindergarten classrooms sometime to see the way they are differentiating instruction in reading.  Lindsay has worked so hard this year and her results show it.  Over 80 percent of her students met their growth goals on Map.  These results are a direct result of Lindsay's determination to make sure ALL of her students make the most progress possible.  What is really exceptional about her, though, is her growth mindset.  When we discussed how the PGP would work for next year, she immediately started thinking about how she wants to learn how to create similar structures in math so that her students will enjoy the same results in math.  

These two teachers exemplify how no matter how we they are individually evaluated through our evaluation system or how our school is held accountable through state testing, they will do what is right for each and every student and how they do not rest until they have laid it all out there on the field.   I see this attitude throughout our school every day and I love how we balance it with fun.

I have not stopped laughing this week as I have seen the decorations throughout the school.  I love what the crew has done to the office window...

It cracks me up!!

Mrs. Best's students were having a great time in math this week.  She and Mrs. Gentry found "Breakout" games online that go with their fractions unit.  It was AWESOME.  The kids were so pumped up.  Check it out!

I love celebrating how wonderful you all are!  It reminds me when I have tough days about how special Paint Lick Elementary is.  I got to celebrate Amy Jennings on Thursday night at the Teacher of the Year Banquet.  It was awesome to see the caliber of teaching we have in this district.

Thank you all for being you. I am blessed to work with each and every one of you.