Bring in the New!

I love new things!  I just got my car detailed, and it looks and smells brand new.  It is amazing what having something new can do for your attitude.  The part of my life that really makes me happy is a new year. I am not talking about New Years - January 1st.  As a life long educator, my new year excitement comes in August.  I love a new school year!

My school year started last week.  My new Assistant Principal, Sarah Williams, and I have been planning and preparing the new school year for teachers and students at Curtis Elementary.  In the midst of creating staff development and processes to start new this year, I get really excited.

This year will be even more exciting having new folks at Curtis.  I am really excited about working with two new office members, Sarah Williams and Jenny Chapman. 

You all met Sarah in my last post.  Jenny Chapman is coming to Curtis from Aledo ISD. She will be our new counselor!  Jenny has great ideas for how she will help to transform Curtis and create a positive learning environment for students, teachers, and parents at Curtis. 

This year we will have more than new staff members.  Our building has gone through some renovations over the summer.  In a few short weeks, we will move back into new offices!  Through the WISD bond, we were able to create secure entrances!  This new entrance will allow us to ensure a safer learning environment for our students, parents, and teachers. 

I can't wait to start this new year, meet our new teachers, and welcome all of our students back to school. It will be a great, new year!

Summer of Fear - NOT!

With every new school year approaching, we are challenged with new adventures.  Over the last few weeks there have been some big changes at Curtis Elementary.  Some of these changes were a little scary. Change can be scary.  Change can be uncomfortable.  Change can be beautiful!

 A huge change for me and the Curtis staff is Marie Hernandez leaving Curtis to lead the Crockett Elementary campus.  At first I felt some sadness and even panic!  This change was huge!  At first, I thought, “I lost my right hand.  What am I going to do?”   However, this moment of change will have a tremendous, positive impact on Weatherford Independent School District.  While I will miss Marie, I am super excited about her new adventures at Crockett Elementary as Principal.  I know Marie will do great things there, and I will continue to work with her as we help each of our campuses to grow!



Marie and I at our first Meet the Teacher with Dave Cowley.

 

A few days after adjusting to not having Marie with me on campus every day, I lost my left hand, Lindsay Fuller.    Of course, the first thing that flashed through my mind was, “Now what am I going to do?  My first thoughts were, “What about our Curtis kids?  What about our teachers?”  The role of the counselor is important to a school. I was worrying about the impact this could have on my school and only seeing negative impact, but I realized I was wrong.  Lindsay has already built so many positive relationships with students, families, and teachers at Curtis.  Now she has the opportunity to extend her reach positively impacting more students, parents, and teachers at Crockett Elementary.    

 Mrs.  Fuller is excited about this new opportunity to help students, parents and teachers on another campus.  I am proud for her courage to continue to grow and help others on another campus.  I know she will continue to do amazing things at her new school.



Sarah Williams

I took some time to reflect on this change.  Change can be scary due to the unknown outcomes.  Thinking about leading Curtis with a new administration staff really excites me.  I am going to replace an awesome assistant principal with another awesome assistant principal.  Sarah Williams has been the assistant principal at Seguin for two years.  The knowledge and experience she will bring to Curtis will only help to make our school stronger.  I am so excited about this new partnership and want to welcome Sarah to our campus. 

 I have an opportunity to hire a new counselor that will have to fill some pretty big shoes. I know that our new counselor will immediately take care of our Curtis students and we will be alright.  Curtis teachers will be alright.  In the words of Jo Dee Messina, “I’m all, I’m all, I’m alright!”

What I want to continually remind myself, teachers, parents, and students is that change makes us better.  Change will allow Mrs. Fuller and Mrs. Hernandez to grow and empower others to grow.   This change will allow Curtis Elementary to gain new perspectives and reach beyond what we once imagined.    In order for us to grow, we must allow ourselves to accept change.  The only change that is negative is if we do not embrace it and get better from it. If we take the advice from another song I love by Jo Dee Messina, “That’s The Way It Is, you’ve got to roll with the changes. That’s the way it is, you’ve got go where the wind blows.  You Live and Learn. You Crash and Burn.  It’s Hit or Miss. That’s the way it is.”   

 Change is what you make of it, and I’m making the best lemonade anyone has ever tasted with all of the new change at Curtis Elementary.   That is why I say that this is the summer of fear -  NOT.  It will be a great year!   This is opportunity, and it is better to get out of our comfort zone every now and then in order to learn and grow.  I close with these words from Robert Frost.   “Two roads diverged in the wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

 

 

I Got a New Attitude!

Spring is definitely in the air!  It is that time of year when the stress begins to build!  Teachers, students, and parents stress about "The Test". While STAAR is important, we must keep in mind that it is just one day out of an entire year.  One day does not define a student.  The experiences and opportunities we provide for students each and every day is what really matters.

I am mindful of our school culture and the school environment.  As the leader of Curtis Elementary, I am constantly reminding myself about, "Doing What is BEST for kids!"  Providing a safe place to learn is our most important charge.  Our mission is to "Teach, Challenge, and Inspire".  It is my job to make sure that our students, staff members, and families know that and feel that.

As we trudge our way through the high stress and business of school at this time of year, the one word that comes to mind is "Attitude". We choose our attitude.  No matter what is happening around us, we have a choice.  With these thoughts, I reflect on a classic from Patti LaBelle.

"I'm feeling good from my hat to my shoe,

Know where I am going and I know what to do,

I've tidied up my point of view,

I've got a new attitude."

Attitude is contagious and can make all the difference.  A positive attitude is the one thing we can choose to have every day.  An attitude can spread like wildfire, so it must be uplifting and positive.  A positive attitude is energy.  It is the voltage that flows through the school.  Its current runs through each person. When I enter Curtis Elementary, I want light it up with bright, positive energy.  If we as educators remember this, we will brighten every classroom and office lighting the way for kids.

Teachers at Curtis have a strong desire to instill the love of learning.  How can we do that?  We can do that with a positive attitude.  When we are passionate about the work of each day, students will love coming to school and love learning.   As educators, we insist that students possess a positive attitude. What we need to be mindful of and insist of ourselves to be positive because our attitudes matters.  

 My challenge to myself as well as teachers, students, and parents is to choose to have a positive attitude.  When students enter your room or office, is it well lit?  Does your passion and excitement for learning brighten the way for student success?  

STEAMing into Innovation!

Wow! It is the first week back to school for the 2016 school year, I am so excited! I have to admit that, "I just cant hide and I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!" The Pointer Sisters said it best. Today was the big  reveal of a surprise for our Curtis students. Students toured, for the very first time, the brand new Innovation Lab! This room would not be possible without the generous donation from the Curtis PTA. We are blessed with the most amazing group of parents and volunteers at Curtis. Like the staff, they are focused on what is best for kids. We are very thankful for the WISD Maintenance Department.  They worked hard to complete the painting of this room over the holiday break.    

Under Construction!

Rick Montgomery crafting words on the walls!

  I came up with the idea about five weeks ago. Many people are following the one word challenge,  #oneword,  on Twitter. My one word is #listen.  Five weeks ago I did just that - I listened. There was a student in my office that was struggling with making good decisions. I listened to him explain what was going on with him and asked what he loved most at Curtis.  After he responded, I realized that due to his academic struggles, he is not able to do the one thing he loves most which is going to the Maker's Space. This student is pulled in several directions throughout the day and works on an online tutorial after school. Because of this he has no free time to go the Maker's Space or attend the Maker's Club. In several discussions, Librarian, Kim Scoggin, has also been thinking of ways for students to access the Maker's Space more frequently.  In conversations with Kristie O'Keefe, Creative (Art) instructor,  she expressed the many challenges surrounding this class. Often times students are not able to engage in great experiences because of time. Nearly 40 students are in the room working on a creative art activity. Managing students in this environment and engaging them in creative opportunities in 45 minutes is challenging.   Teachers have been frustrated with not having enough time to access online tutorials and programs, and they have to use instructional time to ensure students are able to utilize the computer lab. The  schedule is usually booked, and classrooms are unable to visit the lab. 

After reflecting on these three situations, I brainstormed viable solutions. How can we provide the best education for our students at Curtis Elementary?  I thought about the work I do with principals all over Texas with the Texas Principal's Visioning Institute.  I have been learning how to change - no transform, education. How do we transform Curtis? We do school differently! 

In our quest to do school differently at Curtis, we encourage creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. One of the ways we do this is through the Maker's Space - which only a few kids occasionally access. Following the lead of our students, I am continuing to learn. As the Lead Learner, my Maker's Challenge to myself was to create a space where every student explores their passion in a risk-free environment. After planning with my team at Curtis, we created an Innovation class modeled from the great work of Don Wettrick that runs an Innovation class in Noblesville, Indiana. 

Amy Wallace

With the creative designs of Amy Wallace, we helped to transform a typical classroom in our building into a bright, interactive lab that immediately sparks excitement. Amy worked tirelessly over the last two weeks, managing projects and re-purposing old furniture into a collaborative, inviting learning space. Some of the highlights of this room include a 4 x 8 Lego wall, a giant Lite-Brite, rolling art tables and magnetic surfaces along with dry erase tables. There is also a textile center where students can sew and crochet among other things. One wall of this room will be utilized as a green screen so that students have a space to create videos. 

 Kim 

From the top-left: Marie Hernandez, Kim Scoggin, Lindsay Fuller
From the bottom-left: Abbi Blackburn, Kristie O'Keefe, Amy Wallace, Lori Bratcher

Scoggin teamed with Abbi Blackburn to plan engaging projects. Abbi Blackburn, Kim Scoggin, Lindsay Fuller, and Kristie O'Keeffe, have coordinated to integrate connected activities during collaboration. Shawna Ford, Future Ready Coordinator for WISD consulted with our team to help guide them with ideas and plan how to use this space.

Students will attend the Innovation class during their collaboration schedule each week. They will focus on STEAM activities that enable them to make connections and solve problems without the constraints of traditional instruction and fear of failure. Students will be able tap into their innovative and creative talents. 

Abbi Blackburn introducing the Innovation Lab to students. 

During the unveiling, students entered the Innovation Lab with excitement and curiosity.  They were blown away with the opportunity to innovate and create.  One students' words were, " Most schools do not allow students to choose the way they learn like Curtis.  Kids will be able to be creative in this place." Students were eager to look around and think about all the possibilities for how they can express themselves and pursue their passions.


As the lead learner of Curtis Elementary, my goal is to ignite passion in learning through not only my students but also staff. I believe that this new opportunity will provide a time and space that empowers innovation and continues our educational transformation along this journey as we transform Curtis Elementary

Let the STEAMwork begin!

.

Listen

It is a new year and as they say, "Out with the old and in with the new!"  Many of us ring in the new year with resolutions for how we will change and improve our lives in the coming year.  Along with many others this year, I will not make a resolution. I will join many others with the hashtag #oneword that is sweeping the twitter community.  My one word is #listen.


Inspired by my friend, Matt Arend, a principal from Plano ISD, I will also turn my focus to one word. His is #moment.  Matt's eloquently describes how important it is to take in each moment in his recent blog post.  I could not have picked a better one word to inspire a new year.  Stopping to enjoy the moment sounds so easy, but it can be very difficult to do.  It is all of the little moments in life that add up to make our lives richer and better.

I will turn my focus this year on my one word - #listen.  If I were to have a resolution, this would or should be mine.  I sometimes get it such a big hurry to get things accomplished that I do not always stop to listen - really listen to others.

Listening to others is not always actively hanging on every word.  Truly listening is not only listening with your ears, but your eyes.  Listening to what a student is really saying with his/her body language when he/she is not completing work in class is one example.  A look or body language sometimes says much more than words can express. Maybe the student is having a rough time at home because his parents are constantly fighting.   Maybe the student is not getting enough to eat at home.  Maybe the student is grieving or suffering from depression.  It is easy to rush through a conversation with a student and just tell the student to do his/her work.  Really listening may provide insight to really help solve the problem.

  I hope to really listen to everything someone says not only with their words, but their actions and expressions.  The work we do in schools reaches far beyond filling minds with knowledge.  We are connected with each person we interact with every day.  We are connected with students, colleagues, parents and family members.  Being an effective leader involves the keen senses to notice and understand someone's perspective no matter what that person is actually saying or how loud the person  may be saying it.

My focus at work (school) or at home is to sit back to really listen.  I will challenge myself to listen to students, teachers, parents, and my family.  I want to be the kind of person that is always an open ear to hear someone's cheers and celebrations as well as a sounding board for fresh ideas.  I want to the person that can be the filter or cushion for venting frustrations.

I just want to really listen.

Education Beyond the Walls of the Classroom!

I am so excited about what is happening here at Curtis Elementary!  At Curtis we are all about creating a positive learning experience for all:  students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community! 

We are embarking upon a new journey after school at Curtis!  Students have the option of joining a variety of clubs after school three days a week.  It is all about impacting students' lives in a safe environment.  

On Tuesdays, students gather in chorus in the Music Club.  Mrs. Johnson, our music teacher, Kristi O'Keefe, our Creation class teacher, and Chastity Puckett, the STAR mentor coordinator have teamed up to provide an opportunity for our students to express them through music.  Students will work to perform vocally and instrumentally.  They will be planning to perform at various events throughout the school year. 

The Bouncing Roos are in the house!  The Curtis nurse, Kayce Camp, Judy Tidwell, the Curtis Secretary, Shanna Garner, the Curtis Attendance clerk, Lindsay Fuller, counselor,  Marie Hernandez the Assistant Principal, and I will be teaming up to help some of our students to enhance their basketball skills.  This is a performance group that will improve fundamentals and ball handling skills.  Students will perform at a couple of Weatherford High School basketball games as well as Weatherford College Coyote games!  

Curtis Elementary is also really trying to encourage positive behaviors with our students.  The Kindness Club will meet on Wednesdays after school.  Students will partner with Lindsay Fuller, the Curtis Counselor, to look for ways to promote positive relationships and eliminate Bullying!

One of the many opportunities our students have 

at Curtis is the Maker's Club on Thursdays.   Students partner with one of our parents, Dr. Keith Emmert, a professor at Tarleton State University.  He is going to work with students in the Maker's Club and help them to create model cars on our new 3D printer.  The students will use math to help predict and increase distance and speed of these cars.  

Creating opportunities for students to pursue their passion is important.  We hope that providing after school programs like these will be the beginning of greater things to come!  Because of all of these after school experiences, Curtis is the World-Class school of choice!  2015-2016 is sure to be the best year ever!

The Finest Hour

Wow!  We are off to an awesome start of the school year at Curtis Elementary!  Classrooms are looking better than ever with innovative, collaborative spaces.   This new classroom design allows students and teachers to create, innovate, and collaborate! 



One way that we try to do school differently at Curtis is through Genius Hour.  Teachers encourage creativity and innovation during this time each week.  This simple idea came from Google.  Google allowed employees to spend 20% of their time at work on their passions.  Around 50% of Google's projects originated from  this creative time.  At Curtis, Genius Hour is all about student voice and choice!  Students are encouraged to research, discover, and learn about their passions. Teachers facilitate by devoting a set amount of time each week for students to work on their passions. 

 During the first week of school, many students participated in the cardboard challenge.  During their Genius Hour time, students created useful items with cardboard boxes.  It was thrilling to see the innovative ways ours students could use a cardboard box.  Teaching students to think is an important part education at Curtis Elementary.  Thinking is taught through creativity allowing students to dare to be innovative.  It is all about the journey of learning.  Genius Hour is a great way for teachers to tap into students' passions and to learn beyond the walls of the classroom.