It's Budget Time - We Need Help!

I am in the throughs of preparing our school budget for next year and I have to tell you this is probably the most stressful event of the entire school year for me. We face the darkest, bleakest situation of my career this year. I implore you to read what I have written below and then take action! Help me not have to make devastating cuts that will effect our teachers and children. HELP US!

Article IX, Section I of the Florida Constitution guarantees that:
"The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida."

"It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for … a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education …."

Duval County expects to suffer from a $60-80 million budget deficit for the 2011-2012 academic year. All the facts tell us there is NO WAY to “trim the fat” and balance this budget crisis without affecting the classroom. In short, your child's school will suffer.

Valuable resources like Art, Music and PE may be cut!
Media and Guidance services could be reduced!
Our school week could be cut to four days!

Teachers could be forced to serve as associate teachers for half the pay!

Essential supplies and materials could disappear altogether!

It is important to understand that this problem, this CRISIS, is not limited to Duval County alone. This fiscal crisis is statewide. Regarding the total amount of funds allocated and spent on education, the state of Florida is ranked 50th in the nation. I ask you, does this represent your priorities? I doubt it.

Are our legislators upholding the requirements of our state constitution?
As voters, we share a heavy burden. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves with accurate facts. It is our responsibility to make our voices heard. It is our responsibility to act. It is our responsibility to advocate for our children. It is our responsibility to fight for their rights, for today and for their future. If not us, then who? If we do not meet our duties, we cannot expect others to meet theirs.

I urge you. Educate yourselves. Research the facts. Go to the source. Ask questions. Speak out. Make demands. Do not accept it as fact because others believe it to be true.

Ask yourself, is 50th good enough for your child?

If the answer is NO - contact our state's legislative delegation and ask for immediate help from one of these short term solutions:

1. Please give flexibility to the school districts in the areas of categoricals, (SAI, Class Size, Instruction Materials, Reading, Safe Schools).

2. Please suspend unfunded mandates on the districts. (Examples: Transportation, Testing & Curriculum Requirements, Safety Nets, and Staffing Requirements.)

3. Please give flexibility of capital funds—so they can be used for General Revenue.

Ask them to find long term solutions to the critical funding situation in Florida and urge them to make public education a priority so that even our children's children can benefit from a right guaranteed them by our state constitution!

To learn more about how to get involved and about how to contact our legislators and ask them to make funding for public education in Florida a priority visit SaveDuvalSchools.

We've Got the Power! FCAT is NO SWEAT!

You know attitude really is EVERYTHING!  When our teachers and students really believe in themselves I know there is nothing that they can't do - and the FCAT is certainly the perfect example.  There is so much that rides on this high stakes assessment, whether we like it or not, but I really try hard to convince our students that because of the hard work they do EVERY school day that it really is just their opportunity to show the rest of the world what we at the Creek already know about them - they are the BEST!

Every teacher along the way has equipped every student in their care with the strategies it takes to succeed period, but especially during this testing week.  And as a result of our everyday work and expectations students were calm, confident and even excited.  Our younger students and their teachers adopted the older ones to support and motivate them with encouraging messages and creative snacks.  The resource team and support personnel wrote positive postcards to those that needed an extra boost.  I even decided to put my powers of positive persuasion into a sweatband for each student being tested and every teacher or proctor they would encounter by arming them with the message they hear from me over and over...

Our third and fourth graders are done and only fifth grade has Science left to take and I haven't worried for even one minute about the test - I hope my students haven't either.  At the Creek no extra antiperspirant is needed: FCAT - No Sweat! 

It's Spirit Week at the Creek!

We have had such an exciting first here at Chets Creek Elementary this past wek. - our first ever Spirit Week.  The whole school participated this week as we celebrated the hard work our third, fourth and fifth grade students and teachers have put into preparing for the upcoming FCAT beginning next week.  I am so proud of our children already - this test next week is just the opportunity for them to show the rest of the world how brillant I already believe they are.  Our whole school rallied to help them enjoy the week instead of being uptight and nervous about this high stakes assessment.  On Monday we kept with our school theme and dressed like FARMERS.  On Tuesday we threw on all our funky colored clothes for MIS-MATCH day.  On Wednesday we fixed our hair in WACKY ways and wore our SILLY socks.  On Thursday we reached far back into our closets to find a CCE t-shirt, past or present, to show our school pride.  On Friday we all came dressed as our favorite SUPER STAR and celebrated all our special gifts and unique talents.  We also culminated the day with a PARADE and PEP RALLY where the teachers performed songs and dances of encouragement for the kids!! We even had a special visit from a former Creeker who is now a ROAR cheerleader for the Jacksonville Jaguars and her teammate to help us get pumped up. It's been such a fun, low stress week and I'm so proud of all our teachers and students for participating in the schoolwide celebration.

Barnyard Book Bonanza BINGO

This year we have totally revamped our Readers to Leaders Million Word Reading Campaign and I really think the changes have been very motivating for our students. Everyone who met the second goal at the end of our last quarter got to participate in our first ever Barnyard Book Bonanza BINGO! In 45 minutes we were able to play enough rounds of picture bingo for Kindergarten and First Grade that every student was a winner and for the older grades over half of the students won at traditional bingo. I also made sure everyone left with a little something (reading sticker, pencil or bookmark). For bingo winners our Media Specialist, KK Cherney, outdid herself - students were able to pick from mountains of books and other prizes. I have to say the event was one of the most exciting times I've had celebrating with our students. I'm so proud of all my readers and they can't wait to participate in our next celebration. Rumor is it has something to do with a picnic under the pavilion with popsicles and a PIG that needs a kiss from the principal. Oink!

March Madness - Chets Creek Style

Alright Creekers - because March isn't quite mad enough with all those evaluations I have to write I thought I'd challenge myself to getting into at least one (and sometimes five :) classrooms a day during the month to do a read aloud for you and every homeroom in the school!  I plan to dig back through our past book of the month books and pull out some "oldies but goodies" that some of you as teachers may not ever have been exposed to for the read alouds.  I am very excited about getting into the classrooms and sharing some of my favortite stories with all of you and the kids.  Click here to sign up for your homeroom's date and time.  Make sure to choose the "I don't want an account. I'll just enter my name" circle after you have clicked on the sign up box for your chosen time.  Sign up soon, there are only a limited number of spots - the madness begins March 1!!!!!

We Love You Romy Day at the Creek!

When you look at any successful organization, you will always find people behind the scenes who are dedicated, organized and who put all their energy and efforts into whatever task they have been given. Rosemarie Wilkening (Romy) is one such person to our organization. Romy serves as a part-time ESOL paraprofessional, working in classrooms and with small groups of students as a safety net instructor. She also manages all of the communication with our Hispanic families as their liaison and advocate.

Everyday Romy ensures that all of our students and families, regardless of the language they speak, feel informed and included. She routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty for our staff by translating written communication and sitting in on parent conferences long after her paid time has ended. Over the years she has consistently provided literacy support to our youngest at risk students. She meets with students daily, never missing an opportunity to boost their self esteem and reinforce their work in the classroom.

Romy’s willingness to help out wherever and whenever needed and her fast, efficient, no nonsense style has quickly earned her the valued respect of her peers. She has built strong relationships with her peers and the teachers she serves. You will always see her doing whatever is necessary, in order to benefit the school – even if it does not pertain to her normal duties. That’s just another way she shows her dedication to teamwork. Her attention to detail and her willingness to help in any way make all of our jobs easier.

Romy has gone out of her way to build relationships with many of our neediest families over the years. She’s been to their homes, been to court, interpreted legal documents, investigated immigration laws, met with distraught families and struggling children daily, and even cleaned out the spare room at her house in case she had to foster any of these families in need. Her heart knows no bounds!

Everything Romy does plays a direct role in educating children and fostering their academic success, her extraordinary compassion ensures that even their emotional and physical needs are met. She is a truly irreplaceable part of what makes our learning community a success.

So today we celebrated "Romy Wilkening Day" at Chets Creek! Not only was she chosen to represent our school this year as the Employee of the Year but then went on to be selected out of all the school district employees as the Duval County Employee of the Year! We are proud of you Romy!!!

Stumped...

This week has been a total blur...I mean really! As I sit here in my office, still and quiet for the first time this week I have absolutely no idea what to blog about. I already know what I'm going to write about next week, but this week - nada, zippo, nothing! I'm complettely stumped! I think it's because I've been so busy that I've had no real reflection time. At least I hope that's the only reason. So I'm going to turn this one on you, the reader - what exactly would you like for me to write about this week?