The #DexterParkPride
Every Child. Every Day.
The Dexter Park Innovation School
Vision
At the Dexter Park Innovation School we celebrate each other’s differences and strive to meet the needs of all students through collaboration among staff, family, and community. By providing an inclusive, welcoming environment and sustainable instruction carried out with fidelity, we will nurture the whole child and meet individual needs. We believe all students can find success.
Mission Statement
The Dexter Park Innovation School will strive to provide an inclusive environment with instructional practices designed to meet individual needs. All students will be provided with differentiated educational opportunities to increase achievement. Our mission is for all students to gain skills, both academic and social, in order to be successful in the future.
Core Beliefs
We believe that all students who attend The Dexter Park Innovation School:
Can learn
Have a right to feel:
Safe
Welcome
Respected
Successful
Adult Community Guidelines
We will strive to recognize and respect the perspectives and ideas of all staff, while assuming we all have positive intent for our students.
We will work together to create an adult learning community in which all members feel valued and respected.
We will communicate our ideas, concerns, or needs for support openly, honestly, and respectfully.
We will help each other identify root causes of problems and consequences without judgement to problem solve as a team.
We will work together to create and protect time in our schedules to share, discuss, and collaborate with fellow educators.
One Word to Change Your Life
My word for this year is "Manage", which may seem strange since I have never considered myself a manager. The word manager means "to work with and through others", which is largely the work I am trying to do. My hope is that I can build your capacity as a staff so that our culture is one that operates largely without me. My job is to listen to you, reflect with you, encourage you, and support the the life altering work that you do. To me, to "Manage" means to do just that, while also managing my time and tasks better so that I can be more present with you when we work together.
I am excited to hear your word for the coming year and how it is going to drive you towards your purpose and ultimately impact our school community.
Be well,
Chris
This Week at Dexter Park
Lemonade War is On!
Positive Behavior Support Update
Our Dexter Park Promises
Positive Phone Calls Home
Current phone call count= 7
This Year's Keynote
Math Night is Coming!
Staff Book Study
Get Staff Updates to Your Phone!
Upcoming Events
October 26th: Goals and Plans to Chris!
October 27th: No School (PD @ Mahar)
October 31st: Vocabulary Parade @ 2:00 p.m.
November 2nd/3rd: Parent Teacher Conferences (11:30 release)
Quotes of the Week (If you want the full article, let me know!)
“Due to the constant temptation to check their smartphones, today’s students are spending less time on their schoolwork, taking longer to complete assignments, and feeling more stressed in the process.” Larry Rosen
“An emerging line of research suggests that a short walk in a natural setting may be the best way to restore students’ flagging attention.” Eileen Merritt in “Going Outdoors: A Natural Antidote for Attention Fatigue?” in Phi Delta Kappan, October 2017 (Vol. 99, #2, p. 21-25), www.kappanmagazine.org; Merritt can be reached at emerritt2@asu.edu.
“Research in the last few decades has complicated our view of manipulatives. Yes, they often help children understand complex ideas. But their effectiveness depends on the nature of the manipulative and how the teacher encourages its use. When these are not handled in the right way, manipulatives can actually make it harder for children to learn.” Daniel Willingham
“There’s no way to know what’ll happen Friday when so much changes on Monday.” Norman Eng on planning a week’s lessons in advance
“Trust matters for learning. The more children trust their peers, the more likely they are to take the risks necessary to learn.” Jennifer Hauver James, Jessica Kobe, and Xiaoying Zhao
“So long as schools merely reflect the inequities that exist in society at large, they have limited capacity to serve as sites of powerful learning for all children.” Jennifer Hauver James, Jessica Kobe, and Xiaoying Zhao (ibid.)
Need Some Information?
About Us
Email: christopherdodge@orange-elem.org
Website: http://dexterparkprincipal.blogspot.com/
Location: 3 Dexter Street, Orange, MA, United States
Phone: 978-544-6080
Facebook: facebook.com/dexterparkinnovationschool
Twitter: @PrincipalDodge1