Principal's Message 12/15/08

'Twas the week before holiday break

'Twas the week before holiday break, when all through the school
Not a child was suspended and no one was cruel;
The decorations were hung by the stairwell with care,
In hopes that December 23rd would soon be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their classes,
While visions of sleeping late were expanding by the masses;
And teachers were writing lessons in a snap,
But still looking forward to a vacation nap,
When out in the office there arose such a chatter,
I sprang from the grade team meeting to see what was the matter.
Away to the exit I flew like a flash,
Tore open the door almost slipping on some trash.
The 6th and 7th graders were at lunch down below
Gave an empty hallway an easy way to go,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Miss Selina with the Chancellor near,
With a little ambition, so lively and quick,
I prayed for bonus checks in less than a tick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called me by name;
"Now Mr. Michelman your school is remarkable and Well Developed!
According to your Progress Report, much can be said.
Your student work is improving and can be seen on the wall
You can tell there is so much care for community from all.”
I gave him a tour and introduced people on the fly,
He recognized the hard work, noting our limit above the sky,
Into the hallways and classrooms we flew,
With notebook in hand and optimism too.
And then, in a twinkling, he saw the proof
Strong instruction everywhere under our roof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
He shared many compliments I thought were profound.
He was dressed in his suit, with data on his mind,
Asking how specific students were doing all of the time;
Told him about our focus groups, he was taken back,
Told him about the goals and how we would keep track.
“You’re far ahead of other schools—it’s kind of scary.”
“We’ve got a great staff!” I answered with merry.
“Now you’ll be able to see your students grow,
Your staff’s hard work will be easy to show;”
He smiled so much I could see his teeth,
Distracted he almost tripped over a wreath;
He said he needed to put something in his belly,
I offered a sandwich from our famous Sun Deli.
In my office, we talked about education’s wealth,
Noticing my extreme excitement he questioned my mental health;
Regardless, he saw the progress and how far we were ahead,
He was satisfied and announced his departure with dread;
He spoke so much of the evidence of hard work,
Talked about visiting a school like ours as a perk,
He noticed my smile underneath my nose,
It was understandable how our scores had rose;
He walked out of the building with a happy whistle,
And away from the school he drove like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"DESTINATION: EXCELLENCE!"

ATTENDANCE FOR THE WEEK

Monday (12/8): 88%
Tuesday (12/9): 91%
Wednesday (12/10): 92%
Thursday (12/11): 88%
Friday (12/12): 88%

How exciting is the school on Mondays and Fridays? How do we make it more exciting? It is becoming more apparent that this is going to need a whole school effort to change this pattern.

STAFF BIRTHDAYS:

Josh Allen December 7th
Shirley MacClean December 11th
Hilda Tirado December 18th
Deborah DeStaffan December 28th

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired.” --Erik H. Erikson

Note: There will not be a principal's message for December 22nd.