the RAH
August 15-19, 2016
from J: The MUST DOs of the first day of school (and every other day thereafter...)
2) Every student gets fed.
3) Every student gets home.
Beyond the big three, here are a few other thoughts:
1) Avoid your office on the first day, even the first week of school. Be out and about your school. Be visible to students and staff alike. Your visibility will scream so much more than you what you ever say or write from your desk. Establish visibility by being actively involved in learning as your priority, on the first day, and everyday afterward. It is difficult to lead a school from behind your principal’s desk.
2) Always make the first week or two about relationships. I don’t care if one rule, curriculum or learning standard is even approached; the learning time that you will get later in the school year is completely dependent upon the quality of relationships that are established those first days of school.
3) Use their names- teachers and students alike. Nothing acknowledges the worth and value of a person like greeting them warmly, calling them by name, and sharing a positive comment with them. You will never get their heads if you don’t get their hearts.
4) Learn the power of empathy. Don’t confuse this with sympathy or being soft. Rather, use empathy on the first day and every day after to serve in giving others what is needed for them to be successful in learning and achieving. (note: this does not translate to giving them what they want- this is a very important distinction)
5) Focus on the students through the adults. One of my greatest failing forward moments from my first year as a principal was trying to run a classroom of 350+ students. I was focused on the students. I failed miserably. I learned that my role was to be a teacher of teachers- that I needed to focus on leading, supporting and building the capacity of teachers so they would, in turn, do the same with students.
Finally, develop an understanding that culture and leadership are two sides of the same coin. Their influence on each other is inseparable and direct. When one suffers, so does the other. When one is influenced, the capacity of the other is always directly impacted, and that knowledge prompts action for the better.
from Bret-
I’ve been working with the SIS department to clean up student information access requested by outside agencies. We are preparing a FERPA “sign off” acknowledgement document for us to use with all outside entities or individuals with whom we are sharing SPS student personal identification information. If you receive a request from an outside agency similar to this, please let me know ASAP.
I’m still in need of 2 elementary reps to serve on the PTA Executive Board.
Make sure you schedule emergency drills for the first two weeks of school. Additionally, e-mail drill information to school police dispatch after each drill is complete.
Here is one of my favorite videos and a great reminder to think differently as we begin a new year.
First Day with Students!
We will be out to visit all sites during the first three days.