Saturday, June 6, 2009

End of the Year? Nope, It's Just the Beginning!

Last year we packed our bags, squashed our fears and embarked on a quest, a virtual journey that took us beyond the borders of the classroom and to the far reaching corners of the Earth. This year is about experiencing life through the moves of music.

Kindergarten will keep it simple as their little ones boot scoot and boogie into school on a Country beat.

First Grade will do the bump and hustle as they master reading and math in the glow a sparkling Disco ball.

Second grade will face the bright lights of Broadway and show their talents to the musical Showtunes.

Our Resources will hit the high notes like the masters of the everlasting Classics.

Third Grade will synthesize all learning styles into a sound as smooth as Carribean rhythms.

Fourth Grade will know their skills so well that they’ll be able to improvise like the great Jazz musicians.

And Fifth Grade won’t stop without Rockin' N Rollin' us all year long!

Imagine one person banging away day after day on an instrument trying to play a symphony. Imagine trying to make a piano sound like a guitar or a trombone like a flute. Imagine trying to figure out the melody when you should be playing harmony. H.E. Luccock said, "No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it." It takes skilled musicians who have studied, and continue to perfect their craft working together to put each note in just the right place so that the sounds blend together into something so moving that the listener is changed forever. Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination,and life to everything. Next year at Chets Creek Elementary we’ll be orchestrating a symphony of student success. So join our Learning Conductors as we work on tuning our instruments, reading the score perfectly, moving our musicians to deliver each note with just the right timing and put together a beautiful masterpiece the likes of which no one has ever seen or heard.



Chets Creek Elementary: Orchestrating a Symphony of Student Success!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Minnesota Here I Come!

Earlier this school year, my Media Specialist and I were contacted by children's book author Pamela Duncan Edwards and illustrator Henry Cole about presenting a session with them at the International Reading Association Conference this year. They have visited Chets Creek a couple of times and love the Book of the Month work that we do as much as we love them! Our proposal was accepted and we will be presenting a symposium on next Thursday afternoon at the 2009 IRA Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As always, we will be blogging the conference "live" on the Live From The Creek blog and can't wait to bring back all the incredible things we learn about Reading while attending the conference. Be sure to check in on our adventures as we head to the mid west!

Risk...Care...Dream...Expect...

Friday, April 24, 2009

A Wiki is BORN!

The Principal's Book of the Month was introduced to us by our founding principal, Dr. Terri Stahlman, in the first year of our standards based reform implementation, America's Choice. It is a leadership strategy in which the principal selects an authentic piece of children’s literature for all classes in the school with the purpose of creating a common literacy conversation between students and teachers. In addition, this strategy can be used to connect children’s literature and an adult professional text to drive professional development. Since its inception in 1999 Book of the Month immediately became a highly anticipated opportunity for our learning community to grow our vision for students and introduce new instructional practices for the classroom. Whether its an oldie but goodie like Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse or a new read like Woolbur teachers and students alike enjoy revisiting these great stories year after year after year. Thanks to Melanie Holtsman we have created a wiki to house all of the work done to create the BOTM experience monthly. It's a work in progress so make sure to check it out frequently and let me know what you think.

Risk...Care...Dream...Expect...

Friday, April 17, 2009

Traveling Up I-95 on SEEDLINGS!

Last week, Melanie Holtsman and I were fortunate enough to be invited to speak on SEEDLINGS. This is a weekly show that is audio broadcast by EdTechTalk. EdTechTalk is a community of educators interested in discussing and learning about the uses of educational technology. Cheryl Oakes, Alice Barr and Bob Sprankle hosted a lively conversation with us regarding my role as the instructional and technology leader at our school and the ways that Melanie supports technology work at our school. I am amazed at how all of this happened and that we actually pulled it off. The three moderators were not in the same location in New England, Melanie was in the back office of a store in Orlando on the internet and I was trapped inside my vehicle on a cell phone with my husband, brother in law, child and two dogs as we traveled up I-95 into South Carolina. (No, I wasn't driving, amazingly neither dog barked and I didn't laugh out loud as my husband and brother in law acted out my side of the conversation! ) While it was a a little nerve wracking it was also a lot of fun getting to share all the incredible things that are happening with technology in our classrooms. I was so proud as I shared our story. If you'd like to have a listen Go here :)

Risk...Care...Dream...Expect...

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Welcome to the Chets Creek Crab Shack!

The highly anticipated annual opening of the CCE Crab Shack took place this past Wednesday. For one day only our faculty lounge is transformed each school year immediately following our Spring Break into a Crab Shack filled with tons of fishy fun (ironically, we don't even serve crabs). We enjoy food and fellowship together as we sing along to great tunes and even get heckled by the principal, yours truly. Everyone leaves having caught a "big one" (gummy worms to gift cards) and ready to face our final push until the end of the school year. The day is also designed to remind us all to put the four practices of the FISH! philosophies back into our daily routine.

These practices have helped to build the type of school culture that can mirror the success of the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington:
Be There - be present in the moment of anyone you come in contact with, pay attention and participate with them!
Play - have fun, create joy, and laugh!
Make Their Day - do the unexpected in an effort to provide someone else with happiness - it is not about you - its about them!
Choose Your Attitude - you control your approach to the day, pick kindness, try respect because the outcome almost always reflects your attitude in the first place!

At the end of lunch our bellies are full of fish, grits, cole slaw, homemade desserts and a reminder of how lucky we are to be together doing this most special work with children. Here's a peek at the fun:




Risk...Care...Dream...Expect...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Chicago: Here I Come!

Duval County Public Schools recently underwent the district accreditation process by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Counsel on Accreditation and School Improvment (SACS CASI). It was an excellent process for reflection of our successes and in planning the next steps to prepare students for the global workplace. During the visit I was invited by the committee chair, Dr. Nikki Armato, to present the incredible work we do at Chets Creek of creating and sustaining professional learning communties for all stakeholders at their 2009 AdvancEd Annual Conference. The conference is being held in Chicago and I really look forward to hearing from other educators about the extraordinary things being done to create environments of change and improvement for students. I will be blogging the conference on Live From the Creek. Be sure to check in on my adventures (I think they are calling for snow one day) and to find out about the new strategies shared that will "Shape the Future of Learning".

Risk...Care...Dream...Expect...

Friday, March 20, 2009

More Important Than EVER...

This past Monday night we had over 250 people show up to become educated about the budget crisis facing public education in Duval County and the state of Florida. They asked very intelligent questions and were given a multitude of ways they could become involved. They left armed with knowledge about where we stand and how they could help. Thousands of parents and educators from around the state "Rallied in Tally" this week to urge our elected officials to stop making painful cuts to education. Unfortunately, the news continues to worsen...

Duval County Public Schools just received word from the State of Florida that we may be cut an additional $15 million to the current budget.

This mid-year cut increases the potential shortfall for 2009/2010 to $135 million in addition to the $70 million budget shortfall the District suffered in 2008/2009.

“The news of additional reductions in our budget is devastating during a time when we are already facing a financial crisis in public education,” said Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. “We remain dedicated to providing quality education to all of our students and will continue to work with our legislators to explore options to lessen the impact to our classrooms.”

Never has there been a more important time for action...

Write, call and get involved! Let your voice be heard to save education for our children and our future!

Risk... Care... Dream... Expect...