October 2 - Are you ready for hike?!

Thank you BonFire Chaperones, organizers, s'mores makers, fire lighters, bbqr's, technicians and all!

Great energy in and our of the building last week! 

We just had a big week! Homecoming, Open House, Heat Wave and a BonFire with S'mores to top it off. Thank you for all the extra hours and work you put in to make last week go smoothly and enjoyable for students (and parents). The Open House was a great success and I know that every parent I talked with truly appreciated the opportunity. Thanks for opening your classrooms, sharing your knowledge, and showing that you care! 

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While on that idea of lot's going on....

Construction is messy. Rebuilding is difficult. It's especially challenging when done while 'flying the ship that you are rebuilding'. When individuals are involved in the design phase of a new undertaking,  they tend to have patience, belief, and trust in the process. This is partly because they know the purpose and benefits of the project. They understand there will be benefits after the mess. They know that when the project is over, things are new, fresh, stronger, better and there is a wonderful feeling of completion. When a person is not involved in the design phase or when the rebuilding doesn't go according to plan, one can be skeptical, frustrated, or doubtful. All perfectly normal responses to messy situations.

As you know, we are in a rebuilding phase - physically, emotionally, and mentally. We are in transition. Our emotional responses to the entryway construction project might be a perfect metaphor for how we feel right now. One may feel frustrated and anxious and have a myriad of thoughts: - why the heck is this behind schedule, why is it incomplete, it is messy and in my way....but I see that it is necessary (the stairs were crumbling and unsafe prior to new construction). Another set of views could be: phew, it's almost done, there is lots of progress being made, this looks like it's going to be really nice, wow, those guys are working hard, this is a cool design, it's going to be an improvement, it's messy and in my way, but I see that it is necessary.

Maybe it's a bit of both? Either way this construction project and our rebuilding of 'what we call school (PBL)' are our reality. The rebuilding of school undertakings is immense and the risks feel huge. And, you may feel as though you don't understand the process, the purpose, and the timeline. It's perfectly normal to feel skeptical, frustrated and overwhelmed. We are in transition and the pace is fast, really fast. Your feelings are real and they are ok.

Thank you for hanging in there, amidst so much. In our first 5 weeks we've embraced, struggled with, celebrated, learned about, or started for the first time....: Flex Time, Schoology, Restorative Practice,  M3, CSR, Homecoming, Bonfire, 1st Chapel, 1st Community Meeting, New Scholarly Habits, New Schedule, New Grading and Reporting, New Students, New Construction, New Website, New Blog, New Open House, No more Parent Portal, loss of prep time, loss of trees, and suffered through a record breaking HEAT WAVE. And this week, the ALL SCHOOL TRIP. Did I get it all? I doubt it. While this stretch has been challenging, there is a lot to celebrate.

We are still standing, superb learning is happening, and we are still doing our best to smile and greet each other with kindness and warmth every day. THANK YOU...you are amazing! Hang in there, a break is on it's way. And, there is a design behind all this work with a happy ending.

The future is bright!

Schoology 

Thank you to everyone who helped and participated in the Schoology Help Sessions last Wednesday. I heard good reports and know that lots of needs were met, lots of new questions and needs emerged, and there is lots still to do. People came with good questions, good intentions and often left with what you needed. We are working on designing more supports for all levels. Thanks!

Upcoming Events:

10/3 - TA M3 starts

.....coming soon....

10/5 - SHHHHHH!!!! All School trip
10/9 - Best Practice: PBL- Scholarly Habits & Schoology
10/16 - Best Practice: PBL - Flex Time & other TBD
10/18 - Data Day (REPORT CARD FOCUS)
10/19 - CONFERENCES!!!!
10/20 - FREE
10/27 - 1st Quarter Ends
11/10 - In-Service

FYI - TA CALENDAR (This is a living breathing document, sort of. Anyway, it's dynamic, it changes as our needs change.)

Schoolwide Happenings: 

A twist on Cinderella in French Class. 

Students getting up close and personal at a meet packing plant. 

Student helpers at Open House (PA Stage Company and CSR)

Befuddled 9th graders in World History

Sustainability class visiting the long standing and productive Rooney Farrn in Mud City. 

Are you ready for the kick off!!

Celebrations: 

It's October, and we're still standing!

Amazing goal with 15 seconds left to tie Thetford at Homecoming. 

If you see Laura B., please congratulate her on winning the Newport Invitational Girls Golf tournament yesterday for D2.She shot a 93 for 18 holes.What an accomplishment!!






Happy Birthday: Lesley Schuster (10/2)