Our second grade team feels that we do not have overwhelming issues such as those listed on page 261 however, we are well aware that public funding is a major issue for North Carolina Schools and directly impacts school performance. We appreciate the way that our administration is using creative ways to fund our "must have" list.
We LOVE Whiny Wilma. We realize that all of us at one point or another can be whiny. As a team we try to stay positive for each other, building up the one that feels whiny at the time. We want to feel that our concerns are being heard.
The EC Team (Shepard, James, Gavins, Bartow, Falkowski, Klein) believes that attendance and lack of a space for in-school suspension/time-out/chill out space both affect our students' achievement and classroom management for all teachers.
Our favorite character in the 1st grade performance was "Whiny Wilma." Mrs. Jenkins was hilarious and a terrific actress. In reality though, it's the whiny folks that are the most toxic to the morale of a school. We have to make sure to offer suggestions or constructive criticism when things are not going our way.
The idea of a core team is a great one. I really like the idea of having the PTA involved in our core team because they are our outreach to the community and also a "just someone" to really ground us and help us not get too big or off track with what we want to do. I think a core team should get involved with activities that will help us know one another better. As the music teacher I sometimes do not know things about our children that I feel I should know like home life, education levels etc.. I expect all of my kids to rise to my expectations but some can't and I have no idea who they are until they just quite since they are frustrated. So, I would like to meet with all the teachers before school and get a good handle of where the kids are.
The character I liked was "I don't have time" mrs. Merritt. I had a teacher tell me something once when I was in the 9th grade and I never forgot it. He said "Cindy, you will always have time for the things that are important to you." (I told him I didn't have time to learn to play the French Horn) anyways, he was correct - you do make time. So, we just need to have a clear head about what is important to us and try not to over extend.
I love the way that staff, students, and the community jumped on board with the opening of this school. If you were to bring me form the outside and say that, this was our first year I would think that they were telling a farce. I have enjoyed watching the growth of this school from day one. We always have support from our administrators, our parents, and staff members. The obstacles that we face are the ones that lie ahead. Are we going to keep perusing greatness, or do we settle for mediocrity? I know where TES stands; we want the best for our students and make sure that they receive the best all around education of their young lives.
We discussed the “I don’t have time” character in our itinerant meeting. In addition, we drew the conclusion that we always seem to have more than enough time for the things that we want to do. I know that I have told that excuse to myself on occasions. I need to make sure that I do not use that as a crutch and not be afraid to shake things up in my own efforts. These students are my way of life, and I have to make time for them no matter what it takes. They say that “insanity” is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different result. My goal is to make sure that does not happen.
Team "Westler" (Brandi and Beth)agree with Gardner's comments regarding the energy of the staff in a first year school. We hope that we can maintain this positive attitude when we are faced with budget constraints that may affect materials and staff. As we develop Core Teams, communication should be kept a priority to prevent this from becoming an obstacle in the future. We liked Whiney Wilma because when we run across whiners, we will remember the drama queen and get a chuckle.
The third grade team believes that the issues we are faced with are relevant to being a new school. We have yet to establish a baseline, therefore we have a lot of "I don't knows". For example, we don't know our achievement gap, proficiency level, or patterns of attendance. Creating goals this year have been difficult.
We really liked all three characters due to the fact that we can identify with characteristics of each. Wilma was whiny, which was funny, but NOT in reality. Time is always a factor that frustrates all uf us. We wish we had more of it! And like the "perfectionist", we want to do things right. We work for chocolate and chips!!!!
I agree with 3rd grade...we can really get down to business next year when we have our very own school data to look at. One of the obstacles we face is a very wide range of achievement levels. We have some really 'high' students, a 'higher middle' than some schools which makes being 'low' even a tougher place to be. An achievement gap exists at TES. Being who we are, we will not define it as an obstacle, but rather as a problem needing a solution. It speaks to our need to be the leaders in how to do small groups right! I am excited for how we will begin this second leg of our journey. TES staff has shown to be both positive and resilient..no issue or obstacle is too big for us. This year has shown that to be true!
And my favorite character...I enjoyed seeing the female version of 'Dr. King'.
The obstacles I believe that will effect us the most next year are the lack of funding and adequate space. Both of which are out of our control. We will overcome this obstacle however by working together as a team.
Whiny Wilma was my favorite character in the 1st grade performance. We all loved laughing at her but in real life, a Whiny Wilma could bring your spirit down. Thankfully I haven't experienced that at TES.
The obstacles that we(Melissa,Devon,Renee,and Sarah) believe that we are faced with come from this being our first year and trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. Another obstacle is getting to know everyone that's on staff. We think that we will benefit from the multipleintelligence that is available from each other.
We loved Whiny Wilma. We all know someone like that and sometimes that can enter our spirit as well, but we think that here at Topsail, we have overcome any obstacles in a positive manner.
Fourth grade agrees with a lot of posts by our fellow staff/teams. We have had many obstacles to overcome this year, mostly due to being the new kid on the block. But the phenomenal staff, parents and students have made it seem almost easy and we accomplished more as a new school, than some more established schools can claim. We have learned a lot this year and we can identify areas that we are really proud of and others that we can work on. Having test data/info from this year will definitely help us plan next year. We agree with Janet that there is definitely a gap, but with the creative minds at TES, we can find the tactics to tackle this issue. Next year, we would love to see more planning/discussion between grade levels, and continued integration with the itinerant classes-that was great this year!
We loved all of the "characters." We all know or have been around a Whiney Wilma. She can definitely be a downer, but we haven't run into her this year at TES! We look forward to a fabulous year two and working with this community of staff, parents, and students to continue TES on the path to success!
As the only one of me in the building (counselor!), I sometimes feel a bit out of the loop on what's happening at grade levels, or even with the itinerants. Yet for the most part, I find this school to be highly inclusive and filled with excellent team players! I agree with many above that some of our biggest challenges are out of our hands (budget cuts, space, etc.), yet we have vast parent/community resources at our disposal. We just need to tap into them more fully next year! Also, coming together for the first time this year, we still have a need for more cohesiveness. I'd really like to see a Guidance Committee to help direct my Guidance and Counseling Program for next year, so that we might use the data we will have from year one to best prepare services for year two and beyond!
My favorite character from the skit was "Miss Goody Two Shoes" the perfectionist who always does it the right way. I don't think we notice these folks as much as the Whiners, since they're often very productive, but they too can be self-destructive. I myself am a recovering Goody Two Shoes!
Our second grade team feels that we do not have overwhelming issues such as those listed on page 261 however, we are well aware that public funding is a major issue for North Carolina Schools and directly impacts school performance. We appreciate the way that our administration is using creative ways to fund our "must have" list.
ReplyDeleteWe LOVE Whiny Wilma. We realize that all of us at one point or another can be whiny. As a team we try to stay positive for each other, building up the one that feels whiny at the time. We want to feel that our concerns are being heard.
The EC Team (Shepard, James, Gavins, Bartow, Falkowski, Klein) believes that attendance and lack of a space for in-school suspension/time-out/chill out space both affect our students' achievement and classroom management for all teachers.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite character in the 1st grade performance was "Whiny Wilma." Mrs. Jenkins was hilarious and a terrific actress. In reality though, it's the whiny folks that are the most toxic to the morale of a school. We have to make sure to offer suggestions or constructive criticism when things are not going our way.
The idea of a core team is a great one. I really like the idea of having the PTA involved in our core team because they are our outreach to the community and also a "just someone" to really ground us and help us not get too big or off track with what we want to do. I think a core team should get involved with activities that will help us know one another better. As the music teacher I sometimes do not know things about our children that I feel I should know like home life, education levels etc.. I expect all of my kids to rise to my expectations but some can't and I have no idea who they are until they just quite since they are frustrated. So, I would like to meet with all the teachers before school and get a good handle of where the kids are.
ReplyDeleteThe character I liked was "I don't have time" mrs. Merritt. I had a teacher tell me something once when I was in the 9th grade and I never forgot it. He said "Cindy, you will always have time for the things that are important to you." (I told him I didn't have time to learn to play the French Horn) anyways, he was correct - you do make time. So, we just need to have a clear head about what is important to us and try not to over extend.
I love the way that staff, students, and the community jumped on board with the opening of this school. If you were to bring me form the outside and say that, this was our first year I would think that they were telling a farce. I have enjoyed watching the growth of this school from day one. We always have support from our administrators, our parents, and staff members. The obstacles that we face are the ones that lie ahead. Are we going to keep perusing greatness, or do we settle for mediocrity? I know where TES stands; we want the best for our students and make sure that they receive the best all around education of their young lives.
ReplyDeleteWe discussed the “I don’t have time” character in our itinerant meeting. In addition, we drew the conclusion that we always seem to have more than enough time for the things that we want to do. I know that I have told that excuse to myself on occasions. I need to make sure that I do not use that as a crutch and not be afraid to shake things up in my own efforts. These students are my way of life, and I have to make time for them no matter what it takes. They say that “insanity” is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different result. My goal is to make sure that does not happen.
Team "Westler" (Brandi and Beth)agree with Gardner's comments regarding the energy of the staff in a first year school. We hope that we can maintain this positive attitude when we are faced with budget constraints that may affect materials and staff. As we develop Core Teams, communication should be kept a priority to prevent this from becoming an obstacle in the future.
ReplyDeleteWe liked Whiney Wilma because when we run across whiners, we will remember the drama queen and get a chuckle.
The third grade team believes that the issues we are faced with are relevant to being a new school. We have yet to establish a baseline, therefore we have a lot of "I don't knows". For example, we don't know our achievement gap, proficiency level, or patterns of attendance.
ReplyDeleteCreating goals this year have been difficult.
We really liked all three characters due to the fact that we can identify with characteristics of each. Wilma was whiny, which was funny, but NOT in reality. Time is always a factor that frustrates all uf us. We wish we had more of it! And like the "perfectionist", we want to do things right. We work for chocolate and chips!!!!
I agree with 3rd grade...we can really get down to business next year when we have our very own school data to look at. One of the obstacles we face is a very wide range of achievement levels. We have some really 'high' students, a 'higher middle' than some schools which makes being 'low' even a tougher place to be. An achievement gap exists at TES. Being who we are, we will not define it as an obstacle, but rather as a problem needing a solution. It speaks to our need to be the leaders in how to do small groups right! I am excited for how we will begin this second leg of our journey. TES staff has shown to be both positive and resilient..no issue or obstacle is too big for us. This year has shown that to be true!
ReplyDeleteAnd my favorite character...I enjoyed seeing the female version of 'Dr. King'.
The obstacles I believe that will effect us the most next year are the lack of funding and adequate space. Both of which are out of our control. We will overcome this obstacle however by working together as a team.
ReplyDeleteWhiny Wilma was my favorite character in the 1st grade performance. We all loved laughing at her but in real life, a Whiny Wilma could bring your spirit down. Thankfully I haven't experienced that at TES.
The obstacles that we(Melissa,Devon,Renee,and Sarah) believe that we are faced with come from this being our first year and trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. Another obstacle is getting to know everyone that's on staff. We think that we will benefit from the multipleintelligence that is available from each other.
ReplyDeleteWe loved Whiny Wilma. We all know someone like that and sometimes that can enter our spirit as well, but we think that here at Topsail, we have overcome any obstacles in a positive manner.
Fourth grade agrees with a lot of posts by our fellow staff/teams. We have had many obstacles to overcome this year, mostly due to being the new kid on the block. But the phenomenal staff, parents and students have made it seem almost easy and we accomplished more as a new school, than some more established schools can claim. We have learned a lot this year and we can identify areas that we are really proud of and others that we can work on. Having test data/info from this year will definitely help us plan next year. We agree with Janet that there is definitely a gap, but with the creative minds at TES, we can find the tactics to tackle this issue. Next year, we would love to see more planning/discussion between grade levels, and continued integration with the itinerant classes-that was great this year!
ReplyDeleteWe loved all of the "characters." We all know or have been around a Whiney Wilma. She can definitely be a downer, but we haven't run into her this year at TES! We look forward to a fabulous year two and working with this community of staff, parents, and students to continue TES on the path to success!
As the only one of me in the building (counselor!), I sometimes feel a bit out of the loop on what's happening at grade levels, or even with the itinerants. Yet for the most part, I find this school to be highly inclusive and filled with excellent team players! I agree with many above that some of our biggest challenges are out of our hands (budget cuts, space, etc.), yet we have vast parent/community resources at our disposal. We just need to tap into them more fully next year! Also, coming together for the first time this year, we still have a need for more cohesiveness. I'd really like to see a Guidance Committee to help direct my Guidance and Counseling Program for next year, so that we might use the data we will have from year one to best prepare services for year two and beyond!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character from the skit was "Miss Goody Two Shoes" the perfectionist who always does it the right way. I don't think we notice these folks as much as the Whiners, since they're often very productive, but they too can be self-destructive. I myself am a recovering Goody Two Shoes!