Mark's Monday Morning Memo
February 6, 2017
VIP Days
Tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday, we are welcoming family members to see a regular school day in action by visiting during VIP Days. Guests will meet with me for an orientation and introduction, visit the school, and come back to ask questions and provide feedback. During the orientation, some of the key points I will address are to limit yourself to visiting each space for no more than five minutes, keep devices off and away, remember not to share information with others, and act as a "fly on the wall". This is not a time to ask teachers questions or interrupt students. There are morning and afternoon sessions that were listed in the weekly bulletin and thank you for welcoming our visitors. I'm proud of what happens at Gatewood and want others to know that.
Mid-Winter Meltdown
This Friday is Mid-Winter Meltdown. Enjoy Hawaiian Pizza and Tropical Smoothies during your lunch and get into the spirit of being halfway through winter by dressing in your tropical/summer wear!
February 20th Professional Development Day
February 20th is a district professional development day. For licensed staff, please pay attention to the opportunities and the schedule for the day. If you have any questions, I can help with that. Also, there will be professional development opportunities for non-licensed staff members that day and we'll share information as it becomes available.
Shadow A Student Day
Last year I participated in the Shadow a Student Challenge by shadowing a third grader all day. The Shadow a Student Challenge is a journey that starts with seeing school through a student's eyes, identifying meaningful opportunities to improve the school experience for students, and taking action to create change at school sites. I will be participating again this year and have selected Friday, February 17th to shadow one of our Gatewood Gators. I'll share next week which student I'll be shadowing!
MESPA Winter Institute
Last week, I attended the 2017 MESPA Winter Institute. This was one of my final major responsibilities as President. I enjoyed learning, leading, listening, connecting, reflecting, and honoring others, but it is good to be back at Gatewood! One of the experiences I enjoyed most was listening to Dr. Sharroky Hollie (pictured below) and I created the following WordSwag to keep his messages front and center for me.