We Are Dover: Making a DifferenceAs we have started the school year, we have talked a great deal about the importance of building relationships with students. Let's be honest, this is not a new concept in education. We have known for years that in order for students to effectively learn in a classroom, they must know that the adult in front of it cares about each of them individually. Two weeks ago as several of you shared your reflection on those educators that were champions for you and made a difference in your life, common themes started to emerge: high expectations; honesty; and caring. Earlier today, a colleague shared an article with me about a school who put every student's name on the wall of a room. In this activity sometimes referred to as "No Dot Kids," staff members then took turns walking around the board, looking at each name, and identifying those students who had a meaningful adult supporter within the school. For each student with such a relationship, they placed a dot on the student's card. At the end, they looked at those students without dots and made a commitment to seeing a dot on every single name card by the end of the school year. I do not share this example because we are doing anything less. I simply share it because I want to share with you the power of relationships I see in the hallways each day. As we build upon those connections, I want us to keep considering those kids without dots, those students for whom we may be the only positive adult presence. As we continue to reach out to each student, we continue to build those relationships that matter the most. I would like to close with a personal reflection on relationships. As some of you know, my career did not start in education. My career started in politics. In 1999, I was given an opportunity to join a cause that seemed quixotic in nature when I was approached to serve the McCain campaign. I spent months working to support the campaign as I tried to engage young voters. In my time there, I only met the Senator briefly several times. I was one of many serving his organization. That short time serving the Senator I saw someone committed to building relationships with each person he met. Agree or disagree, he listened to each individual story, searching for the common connection. It was a powerful lesson in relationship building that I still carry with me today. I am being sincere when I say this has been a difficult week for me. The lessons I learned were powerful enough that I felt the need to say my goodbye to someone who briefly, yet greatly, made a difference for me and impacted my development as a leader. On Friday, I had the chance to do that. As educators, we get the opportunity to make this impact every single day, in every single moment. I encourage you to continue to seek out those moments, some of which may not be as pleasant as an educational textbook may lead us to believe. I encourage you to continue listening and seeking that common connection. Most importantly, I say thank you. Thank you for seeking out those moments to make a difference and build a lasting legacy with your students. Article on "No Dot Kids" (ASCD)
APL in PracticeOne of the most important aspects of classroom engagement and reflection is closure. The video below highlights one way to steal an elementary concept (the morning meeting) and integrate its methods into a quick closure activity for your students that builds upon learning while fostering a responsive classroom. PBIS FocusDuring the month of September, our PBIS focus is on the impact small moments can have. Our Advisory lesson on September 5th will focus on "Making a Difference." The video and accompanying lesson focus on the power that one individual can have by utilizing their talents to help others. As we launch into these lessons, this message is important for us to stay centered around as we encourage our students to find ways to impact others and the school in a positive manner. DATA REVIEW In August, we looked at some preliminary numbers related to discipline data. As we continue to focus on PBIS, it is important to look at trend data across graduation cohorts. In particular, this month I would like to look at the data for our students in the Class of 2020. As 9th graders, these students totaled 1015 office referrals. As 10th graders, these students demonstrated a 36.2% decrease in office referrals. Overall, we saw a decrease in office referrals of 6.5% over the previous year. We still have work to do, but these data trends are a testament to your work on culture and expectations for all students. Professional LearningOn September 28th, we will get the chance to hear from Jimmy Casas. Jimmy is a nationally-recognized educator who lives by the motto of "be the change." He will be working with all district staff members on the ideas presented in his book, "Culturize." We have centered our work this year around his four principles and I am excited for each of you to hear his message in person. Following Jimmy's presentation in the morning, all secondary staff will be participating in Suicide Awareness training. This training meets the requirements set forth by PDE for all educators and will assist us in assisting our students. SEPTEMBER CLC WEEKLY BREAKDOWN September 4th - 6th Data Analysis Teams September 10th - 13th Committees & School Focus September 17th -20th PLCs September 24th - 26th Department Teams September 27th Faculty Forum #WeAreDover MomentsPrior to our Resurgence Team Rally on August 24th, we encouraged our school community to post pictures in Dover gear using the hashtag #WeAreDover. We had a number of parents, staff, and students take part on social media as well as sending emails. We collected several of these photos into the collage below. I also want to take a moment to thank each of you for your work to start the school year. There are several groups I would like to particularly mention. Instructional Leadership Team A huge thank you goes out to our ILT for their work in planning the in-service days at the start of the school year. The collaborative time, opportunities to share, and mindfulness lessons were awesome. Resurgence Team Advisors Thank you to Loni Kress and Tori Everhart for their work with our Resurgence Team. They did a fantastic job assisting our students in planning the Resurgence Rally to end our first week back to school. School Counseling Thank you for all of your work in adjusting, building, and readjusting schedules for our students to start the school year. This year's enrollment influx made this an even more daunting task and you all did an amazing job. Keystone Support Teachers Thank you for all of your work in planning, designing, and implementation of the Keystone Support class. Building a plane in flight isn't easy and you all have met teh challenge head on for your students. September Calendars & EventsSeptember Activity Calendar
September CLC Calendar HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS September 3 School and Office Closed September 7 DASD Staff Tailgate (5:00PM - 6:30PM) September 18 DASD Board of Directors Voting Meeting September 20 DASD Board of Directors Committee & Planning Meetings September 24 Senior Class Graduation Meeting (FLEX) September 25 Parent Advisory Council (6:00PM - 8:00PM) September 27 3 Hour Early Dismissal (Data Analysis Teams) September 28 Jimmy Casas - "Culturize"
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