The Weekly Roar
Notes from Nick Novak: Saturday November 14, 2015
Kudos...
To John Arnold, Ron Capurso, and Demetrius Ball for filling in for administration this past week. I'm sure that the APs appreciated your assistance in holding down the fort!
To all of our Fall coaches who (with the exception of Varsity Football) have all wrapped up their seasons. Outstanding job in putting forth a competitive effort while also promoting teamwork, sportsmanship, and positivity.
FYI
1) American Education Week kicks off on Monday 11/16. This is a time when HCPSS encourages parents to come in and see what's going on in their child's classroom. Please welcome any parents who drop by, but let the front office know if the visit causes any issues.
2) As part of American Education Week, I am conducting a little social experiment that allows teachers to get the student perspective for a day. On Tuesday, Matt Stump, Dave Klotz, Allyson O'Neill, and Matt Hanson will be following students' schedules and on Thursday, it will be Josh McGoun, Michele Silva, Tyler Petrini, and Venice Burrows. Stay tuned for info about the insights these teachers gain during their day as a student.
3) Wednesday November 18th is ESP Day. I'm not talking about mind readers here, but the Education Support Professionals being celebrated today are just as impressive as a clairvoyant. Be sure to thank our outstanding secretaries, paraprofessionals, assistants, etc.
4) The planning period meetings scheduled for Friday November 20th will be rescheduled.
Staff Birthdays
11/14 Greg Metzger
11/16 Jennifer Ford
11/17 Toby Morris
Instructional Tidbit
With conferences coming up, you might find yourself wanting to try out a new format for these brief meetings with parents, especially if you can pretty much predict how each conference will go. And how beneficial can the conversation really be when the person you and the parent are talking about isn't even there?
One group of teachers who tried out student-led conferences focused on:
* A guiding structure for the conferences (such as using portfolios to discuss strengths and goals)
* Preparing students to lead the conferences
* Communicating the change in format to parents
* Developing procedures for the conferences (e.g.-a script for students to follow)
The teachers found that students who led conferences reported an increase in communication with their parents while parents appreciated a direct conversation with their children and the way it empowered them.
Want to learn more (and maybe try it out)? Check out this article from ASCD!
How Your Parent Conferences Will Go?
Mission
In partnership with families and the community, it is the mission of Howard High School to cultivate an environment of collaboration, empowerment, and engagement that exhibits world-class support for staff and inspires students to thrive in a dynamic world.
Email: nnovak@hcpss.org
Website: http://hohs.hcpss.org/
Phone: 410-313-2867
Twitter: @PrincipalNovak