The Principal's Office
Dexter Park Staff Weekly Roundup
Dexter Park Core Values
We believe that all students should feel:
- safe
- welcome
- respected
- successful
January 4th-January 8th
What a great start to the new year! Things this week have gone tremendously smooth. You can tell that students are happy to be back in the building and getting back into a predictable routine. I want to thank you all for engaging your students in the work to choose a Word of 2016. As I traveled through classrooms and asked students about their word, I was pleased and amazed with the depth of thought they put into their word. The words themselves are powerful but more important are the conversations as to why they chose them. Truly meaningful!
I want to thank all of you for welcoming me into your rooms this week. There is nothing better than seeing the work you do, learning with students, and having conversations with you about your practice. I am sharing all of your work throughout the day via my social media platforms so be sure to check them out. On that note, I am scheduling my weeks a little differently to stay more connected. Tuesday and Friday are now my "Office Days", while the other 3 will be spent out and about. If there is an emergency or something that needs my attention immediately and I am out, just let Pam know and she will find me. My hope is that scheduling this way will help me prioritize my time to allow me to be where it truly matters: with kids.
Yours,
Chris
DP Readers
Kids in Action
Dexter Park's Got Talent
Snowball Fight!
Connected Students
DP Artists
Upcoming Dates
January 12th: Staff Meeting @ 3:15 p.m.
January 18th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 19th: Geography Bee @ 1:30
January 20th: Early release (Math PD at Petersham Center School @ 12:30)
January 22nd: Marks close
January 29th: Report cards sent home
Quotes of the Week
“Test-based accountability systems create policy incentives to lower test difficulty, generate sometimes irresistible temptations to cheat, and almost universally encourage dedication of time to unproductive test preparation rather than real teaching.” Catherine Snow
“The point is not just to know what can make things better or worse; it is to develop the know-how necessary to actually make things better.” Anthony Bryk
“When a child’s behavior commands our attention, we need to ask ourselves, ‘What do I want this student to learn from my response to his/her action?’” Heather Bleakley Chang
“The idea that a zero-tolerance philosophy based on punishment and exclusion could create effective learning climates has proven to be illusory.” Russell Skiba and Daniel Losen
“I strongly believe that all rules should be followed.” Richard Curwin
“Consequences have the goal of changing future behavior, not punishing the past.” Richard Curwin
“Fair is not equal. We are never fair when we treat all students the same.” Richard Curwin
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/dexterparkschool
Twitter: @PrincipalDodge1