Two For The Road: Appreciation and Planning

ap·pre·ci·a·tion  /əˌprēSHēˈāSH(ə)n/    noun  

1.  recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.

So this month I intentionally waited to post my blog until today:  Teacher Appreciation Day.

Today marks the beginning of a sequence of staff appreciation day beginning with our Teachers and then moving to School Nurse (May 8th), Transportation (May 9th), Teaching Assistant (May 14th) and Teacher Aides (May 21st).  And while I know that we truly appreciate all of these staff members every day of the year - and that I am very thankful for a PTO that ensures our staff knows how appreciative our parents are by spoiling them with a special ARE baseball jersey and treats across the week - this is also my chance to publicly thank them for the amazing job they do each and every day from September to June, and throughout the summer months as well.

As you know, the profession has changed, and this is not the same job description it once was.  I watch the breakfast line increase in length each morning, count the number of new countries represented in our building by students coming in from all over the world, hand out materials for days on end to get them rolling on state tests, marvel at their ability to balance rigor and high expectations with love and nurturing, and am simply amazed.

I am fortunate that I have the chance to hear so many of you as parents share with me how much you love Allen Road and how happy you are to be a part of our school community.  And today - as we begin celebrating the work of our different staff members - I want to make sure you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is all because of them.  Our staff look at all of the students in the building as all of our responsibilities - and they collectively take personal responsibility for the success of each and every one.  I couldn't be more proud of having the honor to be their 'leader' - which they make so easy to do.  

So today, publicly, I recognize the superhero job that all of our staff members do to educate, protect, challenge, connect with, care for, and simply love, our Allen Road students.  And I enjoy this day as much as they do because of the pride I take in being their Principal.  Thank you for joining with me this month and taking a moment to appreciate the one who is appreciating your child at school!




Planning ahead...it is amazingly already the time to begin thinking of winding down the year and getting ready for next September.  At this time of the year, one of the things that is most prevalent on parents mind is beginning to think about the classroom and teacher for next year.  

Many years ago, all six elementary school began addressing the questions parents had about this process by all publishing a consistent message explaining how we approach student grouping.  Below is a piece we all share with our parent communities, that I hope you will take a few minutes to read as we wind down the year:

Regarding our grouping process:

Parents often have questions about, or wonder what procedure is used to group students into classes for the next school year.  The question is an important one as the process begins very soon.

    

At each elementary school a grouping committee consisting of classroom teachers, special educators, and support staff assist the principals with this process.  Beginning in May with initial draft lists, students are grouped taking into consideration primarily the mix of boys and girls and the mixture of academic abilities.  Because many new students register throughout the Spring and Summer, the process is not completed until mid August.  Once class assignments are finalized, a letter will be e-mailed to parents indicating their child’s room number and teacher.  Our overall goal is to create balanced, heterogeneous classrooms at each grade level.  This gives each child the optimum chance for a successful school year.

    

Beginning with spring conferences, staff is asked to NOT discuss placement with parents.  Individual teachers cannot guarantee the placement of any student and requests for specific teachers will not be honored, but you may wish to share concerns about your child’s particular educational needs.  Again, these concerns will be considered by the grouping committee, but do not guarantee a specific teacher or classroom.

    

Please communicate these concerns in writing to Mr. Lunden by June 1st.              

Be concise and limit your comments to the following:

~Your child’s specific learning style, strengths, or weaknesses;

~A request to not have a teacher an older sibling had;

~Critical information that your child’s teacher may not have access to.

Requests for specific teachers will not be accepted and will be returned to parents.  Once placements are made and letters are e-mailed, it is very difficult to make any changes.  If you have a concern, please do not wait until you receive your placement letter via e-mail.  It is much easier to handle special cases early in the process. 

    

Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions and have a great spring!