Dear Blake Families:
Hopefully everyone enjoyed a nice weekend. Katie spent Saturday, day and night, with Maggie at Girl Scout Encampment, so it was a weekend with the boys here at the Vaughn abode. After running in the 'Taylor's Triumph 5k' Saturday morning, the boys and I had a pretty low-key day -- playing, walking to the library, and dinner out. Our Sunday was low-key as well, knowing how busy the weeks are for all of us.
As shared last week and you are well aware, reflection is very important to me and the month of June is rife with opportunities for this practice. I have enjoyed reading the reflections that everyone shared at our faculty meeting on Monday, and I feel fortunate that I was able to have conversations this week with various staff, students, and parents about the year. My hope is that these conversations will continue as the honest feedback that I am getting will serve me well. One common theme that I hear is the importance of 'balance' and the need to make sure we can 'say no to a good idea' in the vein of making sure our efforts with our students (in all of our endeavors) are thoughtful, thorough, and focused. With this in mind we will continue to look at thematic focus points for the upcoming year, as best we can. I encourage everyone to join me in the process of reflection this month, both individually and collectively, so that we may improve our work for the students. At our end-of-year luncheon in a couple of weeks, continuing a tradition from the past few years, as a staff I will be asking everyone to reflect and jot down thoughts on the following:
- What was meaningful this year? What made teaching worthwhile? What mattered?
- Describe a positive interaction or experience you had with a student during this academic year.
- Describe or explain an accomplishment you attained or something you are proud of taking place during this academic year.
- Describe a particular student or situation during the school year who or that you feel you could have handled in a way that would have resulted in a more positive learning experience.
- What is an area that you would like to grow professionally?
Over the next couple of weeks, I have encouraged our staff to take some time to think about these questions once again, reflecting upon the past year. This last of stretch of school can certainly be trying, but my hope is that these questions will help center our work and remind us of the important role we play and impact we have on our students and community. Please help me with this process as well.
This week I am highlighting three articles of interest. The first article, 'Progress, Not Perfection: Three Tips for Your Journey', is from Edutopia and highlights the importance of reflection in professional growth. Although its audience is primarily intended for a new teacher, I believe the tips hold value for all of us: "So when did I finally stop and take a breath? Thankfully, through difficult discovery in my second year teaching, I soon learned that seeking 'perfection' from myself as teacher was not what it was about...Rather, it was about the journey or progress that I made in my work as a new teacher, and about how I unpacked that learning, set goals for myself when I failed, and laughed out loud with my kids (sometimes till I cried) that made a difference!" This message is one that we should continue to convey to our students as well. The second article, 'You're Not Really Thinking of Taking Away Recess, Are You?' is written by one of my favorite principals, Peter Dewitt. In this blog Peter references the growing pressures we feel in school and the importance of making sure that our students get breaks from academic time. Last year we began piloting recess and I am thrilled that it has now become a part of our fabric at Blake. Balance is indeed critical, and physical activity and opportunities for socialization are necessary components and contributors for the growth of our students: "As a school principal, I understand the pressures of increasing academic performance. Accountability and mandates feel like they are stifling our creativity. However, to give up recess and other physical activity is a mistake. We cannot lose sight of the fact that our children need downtime during the day as well as after school when they get home. We need to foster more Mary Cain's (referenced in the blog) in the world, not stifle them. In a child's world, a great kickball game, a game of 4-Square or tag is just as important as what they are doing inside of school. The playground provides students with an opportunity to meet new friends and learn to play new games. Recess has long been the place where I can watch students interact and the conversations they have with me out on the field helps to build a bond. There are benefits to recess for both students and adults." Our Blake mini-marathon was a great success and I look forward to the many returns of this event in years to come, as it benefits our entire community. With summer days coming closer, the third piece I have attached for your summer reading lists - 'Summer Reading for Educators: My Favorites'. My list is growing and I am sure there are many other good reads that we can all share, but I wanted to pass it along.
Please click here for Important Dates and Announcements.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat Vaughn