The workshop was postponed and I have an extra day today, a day to ponder and think about what matters. The week ahead is a week of important meetings and decision making.
New Principal Finalist Candidates
The second of two new principal finalist candidates will visit our school on Monday. I thought the first candidate was terrific and believe he could bring our school great value, and soon I will meet the second candidate. It's probable that soon, a new principal will be chosen which will begin a number of transition steps from our current principal of many years to a new building leader.
Faculty Meeting
This week's faculty meeting will include a number of important discussions related to how we curate curriculum choices to technology tools and more. The discussions will impact future work so I'll be listening carefully.
Union Meeting
Our union has been dealing with a host of issues related to all kinds of personnel and professional issues. Again I'll be listening to the discussions. I am thankful that we have a positive group of local union members who are willing to speak up, debate respectfully, and work towards optimal working conditions and fair salaries so educators can do the good work that they're tasked to do.
Student-Led Family Member/Teacher Conferences
Students will fill out their introductory scripts and look over their portfolios one last time before the conferences begin on Monday afternoon. Throughout the week and into next week we'll spend about a dozen hours meeting at these meetings--meetings that play an important role in the learning program to come. For me, it's important to be a good listener at these meetings and to not promise too much. Last fall I promised a few initiatives that proved to be impossible to fulfill given the time and support we have at school--I have to be realistic about what's possible. By listening well, I can keep notes about how to best revise the teaching/learning program to meet students'/family members' needs and interests in ways that also aline wth curriculum standards and expectations.
Teaching/Learning Program
To sustain good energy for the family member/teacher conferences, it's good to have a more quiet week of learning/teaching tasks. That's why I'll use this week to study the details of addition and subtraction of fractions with students using a fraction booklet. We'll spend good time reading and meeting with reading groups, completing the inspirational film "Science Fair," beginning our climate change projects, and ending the week with a science exploration focused on the difference between chemical and physical changes.
It will be a busy week ahead so it's critical to do what I can to prepare for the positive events above over the weekend.