Thank you and Have a Great Summer!

Thank you GIPS (click for video)

From the viewing of the Solar Eclipse way back in August!

To  Graduation Day, May 20, 2018

Be present today, for you can never get it back, and it will influence tomorrow!

Have a great summer!

Happy Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week!

Every day our student's lives are changed because someone chooses to listen, smile, engage, challenge, hug, teach, advocate, care.  It could be the crossing guard, grounds crew, custodian, social worker, teacher, paraeducator, nurse, secretary....it could be me, it could be you!  Sometimes we know, sometimes we don't.  It doesn't really matter I guess.  What does matter, is that we approach every student, every day, with the recognition and understanding of the opportunities and power we have to make a difference!

Think about your own story.  Who made a difference in your life? What do you remember about that person?

If you have never heard Rita Pierson's Ted Talk, it's worth 8 minutes of your time. If you have already viewed it, watch it again.  Listen to the stories, her message, and her charge to all of us.  I know you are the champions of our students every day and for that, I thank you!  The students thank you! 

There is a challenge sponsored by Learning Forward to share on twitter and facebook how you inspire students and each other on this educational journey.  I encourage you to participate and inspire others through your stories.  To make things a little more exciting, they are giving away a brand new ipad to the person who gets the most shares or retweets on Facebook and/or Twitter. The social post/tweet must include #InspiredByTeachers, and only posts/tweets within the Teacher Appreciation Week will be considered (May 7-11). Please include #wearegips with your story.

This is my opportunity to personally send a shout out to all GIPS Teachers and Staff! I know this time of the year it becomes a challenge to keep students engaged, don't give up!  Our students are blessed to have you in their care, in our clean and safe schools, supported by our district team, Dr. Grover and the Board of Education! It takes all of us!  We are #bettertogether.

  "Every Student, Every Day, A Success!  We Teach Hearts, as Well as Minds!"

What Do We Know About Our Students?

"Kids", Second-order change", "Urgency", "Enthusiastic", "Momentum", "Bravo", "Thank you", "Amazing", "Little things make a difference".  These are the words from our Board of Education members at the end of our two-day retreat last Friday and Saturday.  The articles in the paper captured a summary of a few presentations, however, the reflection, processing, and learning that took place went well beyond the newspaper stories.

I have to admit, I had an emotional response when Dr. Grover displayed the following numbers: 381, 772,743, 12, 18, 30.8%, 272, 1402, 70%.  By themselves, they don't mean a lot to us.  However, here is little context: 381 preschool students attend ELC (we have over 700 kindergarten students), 772,743 FREE meals served so far this year, 12 students are considered "couch surfers" as they go from place to place for shelter, 18 pregnant teens, 30.8% of 272 homeless students are proficient on state tests, 1402 students are transported by bus, 70% of our students are considered eligible for free and reduced lunch.  A few demographics important to understanding who our students are as we consider the "how" to provide the best opportunities and education so they can "thrive in an ever-changing world".

Our board president Bonnie Hinkle then presented a session on "leading and learning through the lens of poverty".  She shared stories and case studies of districts with fewer resources, higher poverty, and other risk factors, yet overcame the barriers and are recognized as some of the highest achieving schools in the nation. The common thread: know and understand who your students are, build relationships, understand the needs and break down the barriers, maintain high expectations, provide opportunities. She shared a student documentary, "After the Bell Rings" highlighting the stories of her peers.  I encourage you to watch and think about the connection to your students.  How well do you know them?  How do you engage with students throughout the day? How is a community built during your time with them in class? 


Related to this topic, I recently read a tweet challenging educators to learn something new about their students.  I'm challenging myself to do this as well.  How does what you learn inspire you? Motivate you? Impact your planning, Give you purpose? Consider taking part as we close out the 2017-18 school year. Everyday Matters!

It is clear how proud the GIPS Board of Education members are of the work that has been accomplished this year and of all of you for making it happen!  The message I heard, "Keep the momentum going, "Every Student Every Day, A Success. We Teach Hearts as Well as Minds".  It is an expectation for our students to graduate prepared to "thrive in an ever-changing world" and the BOE is fully supportive of our plan to accomplish this through Empowering educators to be instructional leaders, Personalizing learning for students, Using data to design decisions and Partnering with our community. 

After the two days, I was inspired, reenergized, yet still feeling a sense of urgency to do more.  I believe we are not alone on this journey and ultimately "Better Together"! Our students deserve the best from all of us. Thank you for being a part of this work and committed to RISING GI!