Pride: An Idea Coming to Fruition
(The Sixth Thing I'm Grateful For)

January 26, 2012

Greetings! I do hope this posting finds you staying warm as we experience our a beautiful winter snowfall. In sitting down to write this post following an eventful and monumental weekend for Voorheesville Elementary School, I am filled with an all-encompassing feeling of pride. Pride, as formally defined by Websters' Dictionary, is: pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect upon oneself or a group.

To clarify, the pride I am experiencing is certainly not in oneself, but for the collective, faculty, staff, and students of our school community. This pride is fueled by the success of our maiden Student Talent Show, which took place last Friday, Jan. 20, in the Lydia C. Tobler Performing Arts Center. The show, which featured close to 50 student acts, filled the entire auditorium, with families and patrons standing in the aisles to show their support for these brave students. For the first time in many many years, students had the opportunity to showcase their artistic talent, providing a venue for those who dance, sing, and tell jokes to feel their own sense of pride and value as they took to the stage. Like everything we do at Voorheesville Elementary School, there are many layers to this production. This was not simply a chance to showcase the amassed talent of our building, but served as a culminating fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

As many of you will recall, our building commits to an annual year-long theme that attempts to raise student and community awareness regarding character education and overall humanity. This year, our theme is gratitude, which, as mentioned in my previous Corners, has asked students and staff to think beyond our walls and town boundaries, and to recognize the multitude of things one can be grateful for as a member of this world community. Our timing couldn't have been more perfect, as we began our introduction of this theme through our monthly assemblies immediately after the detrimental impacts of Hurricane Irene. With numerous change drives to raise money for local farms affected by the severe flooding, to the sale of Make-a-Wish Angels that decorated our hallways, such opportunities represented a means for students to not only be thankful in their current lives, but to be grateful for their overall place in the world, considering the plethora of people outside of our community that have much less.

Our building's staff Spirit Committee is responsible for the design and implementation of these themes, from the selection of touchstone texts to guide students in understanding the theme (this year we have used The Secret of Saying Thanks, and in the past have used such whole school texts asOrdinary Mary's Extraordinary Deeds,and Have you Filled Your Bucket Today,to the planning of our K-5 spirit group assemblies. The word committee quite a misnomer, in that committee does tend to imply a smaller group of people that represent the thoughts and sentiments of group as a whole. Voorheesville Elementary's faculty and staff are far from possessing only a small number of people who care to implement such important student program. Our committee, which is over 20 strong and counting, used some time in the summer to "think big." Though students making contributions to change drives or the sale of angels is important, it does naturally remove the student from the overall experience of "giving back' to those less fortunate. During our December assembly, we presented representatives from the Make-a-Wish Foundation (one of which was a former VES graduate who had benefitted from the this charity) with a check for $350.00, as a result of our sales. Once again, though a valiant fundraising effort, students simply brought money in from home to show their support. In an effort to take this contribution idea one step closer to the student, the idea of organizing a talent show, and asking students to perform as a means of benefitting this very important charity served a two-fold purpose; to showcase those students who might not always be in the spotlight, and to allow students to make an immediate connection to their hard work and effort as it relates to raising money for a cause.

As we began planning for such a project, you can imagine what an undertaking it is to organize a talent show, especially when it has never been done before, and not a previous protocol to pull from. From the solicitation of acts, previewing of student performances, to the logistics of the show order and music compilation, this was certainly not a small ordeal. Also, using space that was unfamiliar to us (the high school Performing Arts Center) also posed a unique scenario, in which we could not fully rehearse until the night of the show. Thanks for the assistance of Mr. Matt MacArevey and Mr. Matt Robinson (PAC Co-Managers), who also embodied the same dedication and enthusiasm as our Spirit Committee, they were more than accommodating. Prior to Act II, I asked all those involved in the show (from committee members, to those that worked well into the evening to chaperone a dress rehearsal) to join me on stage as a means of celebrating what is right at Voorheesville Elementary School. This "committee" (which still didn't take into account those that were too bashful to join us on stage- even our own school secretaries volunteered their evening to sell tickets and refreshments) filled platform. The old aphorism, "it takes a whole village to raise a child" could certainly be applied to this entire experience. Unlike many buildings, in which it is only a handful of participants organizing everything, Voorheesville Elementary School is one of the few examples of local, state, and national schools in which building-wide participation in activities that go "above and beyond" is just a way of life. As you can imagine, this pervasive spirit is the reason why we were able to raise a record-setting $1700 and counting from this single event! By requesting a simple $2.00 donation, you can imagine the number of people who attended this event to support and praise our talented students. The whole school community truly came together to create a show that was a true dosage of positivity, even on the coldest of Friday winter evenings.

Michael Fullan, a noted leadership scholar, refers in his text, "The Six Secrets of Change" , those environments that are innovative (schools that succeed, Apple computer, Southwest Airlines, etc.), and those that have a perpetual case of the "yeah buts" (always looking for a reason to avoid something potentially difficult and challenging by finding an excuse not to take on a new, potentially risky idea). I am truly proud to be a part of a school community in which innovation, a willingness to take risks, and enthusiasm to give up their own time for the greater good is why an all encompassing feeling of pride can be felt throughout our building for the success of this event. I'm sure Merriam Webster and Michael Fullan could certainly use the events of this past weekend as live examples of what makes VES such an amazing, unique environment, free of "yeah buts," but filled with ideas and synergy to take our building in a perpetually positive direction.

Top Five Things I am Grateful for at VES

January 3, 2011

Greetings! I do hope this posting finds you relaxed from the extended vacation and prepared for a new and invigorating 2012. I've always enjoyed the local papers the week between prior to the New Year. With holiday ads and a plethora of advertisement that tends to dominate the news, there is a complete change in the layout and content of these daily publications. Though commercial stores certainly attempt to allure us into their domain with post-holiday discounts, the accent of the document transforms from that of reporting, to that of both simultaneously reporting the late-breaking news of the local and global, but also takes on more of a reflective tone. The Monday, December 26th edition of the paper contains the first portion of a "year in review," recounting all of the changes to our state and world over the past 365 days. The paper will certainly continue this reflective tone in writing such features as, "the top twenty moments of 2011," and follow such chronological lists as a means of capturing the noteworthy events of a year. Certainly, such writing satiates my fascination with the passage of time, and how we, as humans, mark extended periods of time with milestones that prevent the melding of years.
With the new calendar year upon us, it serves as an interesting time to, apropos to the style of local journalistic writing, to reflect upon the first-half of the school year. Following the style of the "top" lists, I thought this would be a great moment to reflect upon the Top Five Things I am Grateful for at Voorheesville Elementary School, which also serves to follow our year-long Spirit Theme of Gratitude. Here they are, all of equal ranking:

1. Voorheesville Elementary School's Embracing of the Gratitude Theme

As mentioned in previous postings, we have used the text, The Secret of Saying Thanks as a means of instilling a greater sense of awareness of the world outside of our immediate surroundings. Over the course of the first five months of the school year, we have not only raised significant funds for local farmers greatly affected by Hurricane Irene, but we have also continued in our mission to express our gratitude for our fortunate situations by making a significant donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation through the sale of paper angels, which will also be perpetuated by our Spirit Committee sponsored talent show on Friday, Jan. 20. With 50 student acts willing to perform with the idea of donating proceeds to this foundation, it is a pleasure to continue to organize an event that not only allows students to showcase their talents, but also, to work towards something tangible; using their own talent as a means of raising money. So often, it is too easy and anonymous to simply place a donation in a collection jar. Such an opportunity allows students to make a deeper connection to this beautiful foundation, of which we were graced with guest speakers to explain its purpose during our last in school Spirit Assembly. I look forward to seeing what our work produces. In addition to our financial donations, we have donated over 90 pounds of "recycled food" from our cafeteria to a local pig farmer, who has had significant financial and physical damage to his farm. Thanks to the support of our families, this one week trial will continue throughout the school year, with many families offering to step forward and assist in the delivery of this food. If you are still interested in assisting, do kindly drop me an email and we can certainly add you to our schedule.

2. Voorheesville Elementary School's Continuous Commitment to Instructional Excellence

From engaging in math professional development sessions to prepare for the ever-changing standards of New York State as we move towards Common Core Curriculum Standards (for more information, please visit http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards), to using their planning time to share and prepare interactive lessons that not only support new curriculum, but also represent the commitment of VES to provide a differentiated program within each classroom, it is a pleasure to lead a building in which I am confident will prevail as state and national standardized tests naturally become more rigorous.

3. Voorheesville Elementary School's Proactive, Ever-Changing Approach to Communication

The increased usage of our School News Notifier System and our addition of Twitter (with over 100 people following us and counting) serves as yet another means of maintaining frequent communication that represents our families' ever-increasing use of technology to remain informed. With Fall parent conferences behind us at a stellar 100% attendance rate (both during the half-days, before, after school, and phone conferences), I am grateful for staff that go above and beyond to ensure they make contact with our families, but also, in the support our families provide in making the commitment to remain a vested member of our school community. We have already commenced the early stages of preparing our maiden use of scheduling software, to assist parents in easily scheduling parent conferences via a simple online calendar interface, for the March parent conference opportunity. Though provisions are still in place for parents to call and connect with teachers and main office should this interface be uncomfortable, significant summer research brought us to the use of this parent conference scheduling software, which, like our other online resources that are accessible from home (Renzulli, Big Universe), is easy-to-use, and will allow parents the option of scheduling, re-scheduling, and to receive email reminders of their conferences dates and times. The March conference will provide parents with yet another opportunity to meet with their child's teacher, if other opportunities have not been available or sufficient enough throughout the rest of the school year.

4. A Commitment to Regular, Project-Based Learning Opportunities for Students

Project-based learning continues to be a staple at Voorheesville Elementary School, with grade-level teams consistently re-examining their approach to summative assessments, and electing moreso to utilize technology available within the building to designed student-centered activities that persist in asking the child to answer one or more essential questions relevant to the topic. Recently, the fourth-grade team culminated their study of New York State colonial trade positions via asking students to research and design a podcast that could capture not only the roles and responsibilities of various trades positions, but also, whether this position could or should be relevant in contemporary society. The students then displayed their podcasts in a living museum format, dressing as their character, and allowing families to experience the podcasts through listening to their creations on laptop computers. Certainly, a much more engaging way of assessing student understanding than a paper and pencil assessment, and a reflection of teacher desire to apply project-based learning strategies frequently within regular course content.

 

5. Support, in All Shapes and Sizes

Curriculum and instruction aside, the support of our school and community families is absolutely unmatched. From extensive staff donations to our adopt-a-families, to the willingness of parents to perpetually volunteer for everything from room helpers to delivering food for pigs to a remote farm in Schoharie, there is not a vision we have had at Voorheesville Elementary School that is not supported by our community at large. Such volunteerism allows us to "think big," and though such thoughts sometimes require a change in thinking that might deviate from the traditional methods of doing things, we, as a school community, can never complain that it was a lack of parental involvement that precluded us from offering an opportunity to our students. As we prepare for talent shows, Fun Fests, and other such events that would be impossible without the financial and physical support of our families, our programming would certainly look differently.

Though in no particular order, this top five list is in no way expansive and all inclusive of the onslaught of things one can truly be thankful for as a member of the Voorheesville Elementary School Community. I am truly thankful that, while we bid farewell to the 2011 calendar year, we are still graced with five wonderful months remaining in this school year. I am confident that the first part of 2012 will continue to be just as impressive for you and your children. Thank you, as always, for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such a giving school community that truly personifies the spirit of gratitude.

Celebrating What’s Right at VES!

November 23, 2011

Over the course of a rainy weekend, I had the opportunity to view the abridged version of a picture documentary created by long-time photojournalist for National Geographic, Dewitt Jones. Mr. Jones worked for this famous publication for over twenty years, photographing the most exotic and local beauties of our natural world. Dewitt’s photographs were not posed or doctored; they simply depicted a brief snapshot of beauty and art that existed before and after his camera left the premises. National Geographic provided its readers with a Monthly chronology of the infinite microcosmic examples of the world, at its finest, even when nobody was expressly looking to find such gems. Jones compiled a comprehensive series entitled, “What’s Right with the World.” In this series, Dewitt Jones works off the thesis that, despite the plethora of negative attention in the world (war, economic collapse, poor decisions of political leaders), there is plenty to be celebrated. He uses and features his photography as a medium for expressing this idea.

This same philosophy has been transposed into the character education aphorism, which states, “character is what you do when nobody is watching.” This common yet poignant statement draws attention to the same concept Jones was attempting to communicate in his candid photographs. Though any image or moment can be posed or manipulated, the most authentic moments occur when one is not looking to appease the camera, but instead is behaving as they normally would in their natural surroundings. Though good deeds can certainly be showcased and fabricated, capturing the true essence of an environment’s character can be found not during moments in which specific attention is being focused, but during those moments when the proverbial “business as usual” is taking place. It is then that a true sense of an organization can be found, similar to the essence Dewitt Jones was attempting to showcase in his spontaneous world photographs.

That being said, I would like to emulate the work of Dewitt Jones, using photographs as a means of capturing what is “right” in Voorheesville Elementary School, recognizing that these photographs were not staged or posed, but instead a mere representation of a wandering principal privileged enough to capture a few of the infinite examples of greatness, even under the auspice that nobody is watching or documenting.

Photo #1: Exercise and Academia Go Hand-in-Hand

Over the last few weeks, students in fifth grade used recess equipment as a means of working to their optimum heart rate, and recording such data for an interdisciplinary math and science activity. The new fifth grade schedule allows for the flexibility for such critical thinking activities, and allows both staff and students the opportunity to extended learning opportunities, while also providing students with the opportunity to rotate classes in the afternoon. It is truly a pleasure to observe students engaging in hands-on, interactive activities with an overarching purpose, further accentuating our commitment in moving away from two-dimensional pencil and paper activities, and incorporating a hands-on learning philosophy.

Photo #2: Modeling on a Friday

For the 2011-2012 school year, Voorheesville Elementary School has established exploration of mathematics curriculum and instruction as a top priority, especially as it relates to re-alignment to the Common Core. During our work whole and grade-level group work with our professional math staff developer (Gail Sobolewski) and in utilizing this consultant as a resource for sending a team of teachers to an introduction to Math Modeling workshop, each grade-level has commenced piloting this new version of teaching problem solving, using blocks as a means of reframing the problem and the numeracy involved in its solution. Featured in this picture is a third grade teacher (Mrs. Snyder) introducing this method to her class, prior to pairing students to work in solving traditional word problems using this extraordinary method. This component of Math Modeling is taken from the Singapore Math program philosophy. As you might be aware, Singapore and Finland are ranked amongst the top performing nations in mathematics. For more information on the Singapore style of teaching, please visit this article featured in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/education/01math.html?pagewanted=all

In addition to block modeling, the Singapore philosophy puts strong emphasis on number sense (which coincides with the demands of the Common Core), and in the use of regular manipulatives to solve problems. Manipulative use has become a staple in all VES classrooms, with teams continuing to enhance their instruction by the use of everyday and commercial manipulative tools.

Photo #3: A Fabulous Fifth Grade Math Class

Going along with our re-alignment and examination of mathematical curriculum and instruction, a fifth grade class uses construction paper manipulatives to strengthen their single-digit division facts, before proceeding to double and triple digit division. Once again, this is a true affirmation of our K-5 commitment to instructing in a hands-on, cooperative, interactive manner that resonates with students. Instructional pedagogy of the past assumed that such means of instructional delivery was reserved only for the primary grades, with the expectation that “older” students should be instructed in a more rote, teacher-driven fashion. Clearly, such a philosophy is not child-centered, hence why such a display of interaction can be found on any of our three floors at VES.

Photo #4: Fourth Grade Mathematical Curiosity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrmattison/6289615376/
(taken from Tim Mattison’s Class WebPage)

Even on a Friday afternoon, small group instruction is a staple in all classrooms. In this fourth grade cooperative activity, students are applying the structure of The Daily Five to their mathematics instructional program. Having the regular opportunity to sit and authentically interact with students during their afternoon station rotation illustrates the ability of our students to work cooperatively in playing a game that strengthens numeracy, while also challenging students to think critically using a series of numbers and functions to construct a variety of operations. Students utilize a cooperative station format during their math and literacy blocks, illustrating their devotion to these two areas that are valued highly both in Common Core and standardized testing parameters. Unaware this photo was being taken, I must confess that my complete concentration did not result in a “win” of this round (in fact, I was five operations behind the rest of our group).

Photos #5 and #6: Got Spirit?

October 31st marked our first K-5 spirit community assembly of the 2011-2012 school year. Like all things at VES, our Spirit Committee used this as an opportunity to try something new. Rather than continuing with our team-building activity games, students engaged in a Family Feud game (created by teacher survey) that asked students to reflect and hypothesize as to what teachers are grateful for in their lives. After reading a whole class text, students then worked with their “mentor partners” within these K-5 spirit groups to each create a page of gratitude for our whole school book, which will be featured in our library. Students discussed and assisted one another in thinking about something that they are grateful for. The answers truly captured our students’ true sense of appreciation for the small yet important things in life that far surpass those things obtained only through wealth and materialism. This was an organic activity driven entirely by our core group of Spirit Committee members (which now is well over 20 staff members). It is no wonder our building would be nominated by the Times Union as one of the most positive places in the Capital Region to work. Such activities are a tangible representation of our whole building commitment to instill a sense of social education and character in our students.

Photo #7: Bonding Through Differences

The VES Go Beyond Series has certainly evolved from its first inception. What began as an opportunity for parents to share a hobby, craft, or career opportunity has moved to cover world languages, cultural experiences, and most recently, recognition of Disabilities Awareness Month. Last week, students had the opportunity to meet candidly with Doug Bartling, a local radio broadcaster and paraplegic. Mr. Bartling told the story of his paralysis to a small group of fourth and fifth grade students, who then asked him questions ranging from his daily routine, to his ability to stay positive despite such tremendous setback. Though a small number of students, his impact was large.

As the Principal of VES, it is a true honor to walk the hallways and experience was is truly and daily right in our world. These seven unannounced photos taken over the course of the past two weeks represent only a small portion of our daily philosophy to provide our students with experiences that enrich both the mind and spirit. It’s truly amazing to see such magic not just on special occasions and days of observation, but truly when the perception is that of nobody watching. It is a pleasure to share with you our daily philosophy and activities that are anything but ordinary, but truly encapsulate the extraordinary.

The First 26: A Look at VES Through Tweets!

Oct. 25, 2011

As provided by Mr. Reardon to the Board of Education for its Oct. 18 meeting.

It is amazing to think that, with open houses and welcome back festivities behind us, we are 26 days into the 2011-2012 school year. As some of you might recall if you attended our parent evenings, our theme this year was that of a metaphorical journey, regardless of the age of your elementary child. For some, this journey is their first, navigating the new experiences of Kindergarten. For others on the opposite end of the spectrum, this is a concluding road that still possesses many new freedoms. Each journey is unique, and regardless of the chronological path, promises to be filled with 182 days of instilling intellectual
curiosity.

Parent evenings also serve as a powerful means of unveiling new global changes to the building. In addition to some cosmetic changes and schedule alterations, we have been pleased to pilot the use of Twitter as yet another means of staying connected with our school community. For those unfamiliar with this web-based application, Twitter allows the subscriber and author to send “tweets” of information of 140 characters of less! As somebody who tends to be more on the verbose side, such an application can be a challenge, but is also a true reflection of the needs of the 21st Century. In an era of fast-paced exchanges of information, descriptive language can sometimes be more of a hindrance in communication, rather than a sign of detail. In using Twitter simultaneously to our use of SNN, a bi-weekly Principal’s Corner, and a monthly edition of The Blackbird Bugler, this has been a new area of my own writing development and communication style, as we aim to perpetually serve the needs of a changing community. With over 70 subscribers and counting, such a device has been a positive addition to our communication repertoire. (To follow VES on Twitter, sign up for a free account here, and search for @VoorheesvilleES and then select to "follow.")

In looking at the past few weeks since our last meeting, it is interesting to use the posted Twitter messages as a succinct yet direct means of summarizing the academic and social activity of Voorheesville Elementary School. In an effort to provide a different lens of communicating our work, do see a chronology of the first 26 days, as bookmarked through Twitter postings:

• VoorheesvilleES Principal Reardon tweets:
  Happy beautiful Saturday! What a wonderful welcome back assembly on Friday afternoon. Ask your kids about gratitude attitude :)
  17 Sep Favorite Reply Delete
  
  Our first Spirit Assembly took place on Friday, Sept. 16. This afforded us the opportunity to not only welcome back our students (and welcome the 20 new students to our Voorheesville family), but also to unveil the summer retreat work of our Spirit Committee, who worked diligently to develop a year-long assembly theme based around the concept of gratitude. This couldn’t be more appropriate, considering the atrocious weather conditions of the past month. During this assembly, our new library media specialist, Mrs. Rappoccio, unveiled our touchstone text, The Spirit of Saying Thanks (Wood and Shed). This text will serve as the backbone of our work throughout the year, including K-5 spirit group community projects, and guest speakers from local charitable organizations that will re-affirm the many things we can be grateful for within our daily lives. We were fortunate enough to have Mr. Thomas Dellarocco, a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture, speak to our students regarding the devastation of our local farms and livestock. In immediate response and classic VES fashion, our students participated in a week-long change drive, raising over $350.00 to donate to a local farm consortium use for the funding of animal feed. We look forward to presenting these funds at our next assembly.

• VoorheesvilleES Principal Reardon tweets:
  A New Elementary Principal's Corner has been posted. Please visit http://bit.ly/nConwR for more information!
  26 Sep Favorite Reply Delete
  
  Please visit the most recent Principal’s Corner for specific information regarding our Trimester reporting and parent conference opportunity dates. Such information will be broadcast throughout the fall and winter, and will also be the topic of presentations at PTA meetings.

• VoorheesvilleES Principal Reardon tweets:
  Have you considered joining our book group on parenting? Contact treardon@vcsdk12.org for more information (as mentioned at Open House).
  27 Sep Favorite Reply Delete
  
  Mrs. Paulson and I are very pleased to be hosting a second year of parent book group. Our fall session will be using the text, The Power of Positive Parenting (D. Latham). Meeting over the course of two sessions, this will allow our group of over 13 families to participate in an impromptu discussion over coffee and a user-friendly text for new and seasoned parents. As responsive practitioners, we decided to utilize this theme based upon informal parent feedback and suggestions during our spring book group regarding gender. We look forward to a successful series of fruitful conversations this Fall!

• VoorheesvilleES Principal Reardon tweets:
  With numerous substitutes in the building today for staff P.D., kudos to your children for excellent behavior. Well-done!
  28 Sep Favorite Reply Delete
  
  September 28 marked the kick off of work with our math staff developer from Questar III BOCES. Mrs. Sobolewski, who comes to us with over 30 years of classroom and staff development experience, will be working with our K-5 staff to ensure alignment with the Common Core State Standards. Wednesday, Sept. 28 allowed for two half-day sessions (K-2 in the morning and 3-5 in the afternoon). Subsequent meetings will allow for Mrs. Sobolewski to work with grade-level teams for 90-minute blocks to refine their curriculum maps, and assist in the development of activities that instill a deeper level of critical thinking and concept development. I will be assisting teams the second portion of their half day in taking this theory and putting into instructional practice.

• VoorheesvilleES Principal Reardon tweets:
  What a great festival today! A whole new appreciation for organic foods! Thank you, Blackbird Paradise volunteers!
  2 Oct Favorite Reply Delete
  
  Though the weekend of October 1 was marked with the festivities of Homecoming, the Blackbird Paradise and Farm 2 School committees presented a final Harvest festival, as the growing season comes to a close. From 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, over 100 people visited the Blackbird Paradise garden to sample the product of our garden, prepared and grilled by our very own local Chef Brian Molino (head chef at The Brown Derby and husband of special education teacher Jennifer Molino).

The end of the month has also marked the formal end of our Fountas and Pinnell Reading Assessment period, which truly represents a philosophy towards continuous improvement and efficiency. Staff spent considerable time in grade-level groups working with Karen and I to ensure their administration of the assessment was universal and accurate. Because such data is immediately used to form appropriate reading groups and for the identification of instructional needs and strengths, the accurate administration of this assessment is of utmost importance, which staff readily recognize. The data gleaned from such assessments has also been incorporated into the conversations regarding report card revision, so that we are truly reporting upon what we value in the assessment, and also ensure our report cards reflect our move towards our value and quantification of critical thinking and 21st Century Learning skills, rather than basic rote and behavioral attributes.

While 140 characters is succinct, I don’t know that there is a succinct way to summarize the elementary faculty and staff’s perpetual work towards greatness, even within the first 26 days of school. Our staff continue to push themselves beyond expectations. From immediate experimentation of new math teaching strategies, revision of old reporting practices, and even the introduction of trout eggs to our science lab represent a few of the many individual examples of our staff, looking to do anything but re-create the ordinary and mundane. I thank you once again for allowing me the opportunity to share the work we have commenced in 26 short days, recognizing that while the reporting mechanism and format will continue to evolve, so will the ideas and creativity of our staff. Such ideas, at VES, inevitably come to fruition, thanks to the willingness of a school community to take daily risks in exploring the unknown.

Upcoming Important Dates

October 31st- AM Spirit/Team Building Activities (9:00-10:30 a.m.)
November 9-11th- Report Cards Sent Home
November 14-16th American Education Week
November 15th- Site Based Management Team Meeting (6:00 p.m.)
November 18th- Parent Conference Day #1 (11:50 dismissal); Fifth Grade Activity Night 7:00-9:00 p.m.
November 29th- Parent Conference Day #2 (11:50 dismissal)
December 1st- Parent Conference Day #3 (11:50 dismissal)

Off to a great start!

September 22, 2011

As we begin the final leg of September, I just want to take a moment to thank you for such positive open house experiences. Having had the privilege of meeting almost all of you over the past three sessions, it is truly a pleasure to commence our school year, having laid the initial procedural and philosophical outline for a fantastic 2011-2012 "journey" (to re-quote our opening remarks).

One of my favorite things about the fall season is that, while Open House is the opportunity to visit our school and classroom for the first time, your second interaction is not that far away. During your classroom visit, you had the opportunity to schedule your first November Parent Conference. As you might recall from last year's conversations and Principal's Corner, we have modified our previous grade reporting system from one parent conference and four report cards, to three written report cards and two parent conference opportunities. Also, our new system will allow you to receive the report card weeks prior to your parent conference visits, thus allowing you ample time to digest the material, and make efficient use of your one-on-one time with your child's teacher to discuss specific strengths and areas for improvement. To give you a preview of our new system (which is also included on the District Calendar), our timeline for reporting is as follows:

• First week in November- 1st Written Report Card Sent Home
  November 18th, November 29th, and December 1st- Parent Conference Opportunities (we encourage you to bring your report card to this conference and ask questions pertaining to what is written)

• First week in February- 2nd Written Report Card Sent Home
  March 23 and 29th- Parent Conference Opportunities (sign up online for a time frame during these half-days, unless previous arrangements have been made with the teacher prior to this opportunity)

• Last week in June- 3rd (and final) Written Report Card Sent Home for the Summer (report cards will now be sent home before the last day of school, so that you may call or email any concluding questions)

Such a change in our reporting mechanisms not only allow you the opportunity to meet with your child's teacher at the beginning and mid-point of the year for face-to-face, authentic conversation, but also, allow you the chance to make efficient use of the written report card document. Each year, we revise our report cards to make them as user-friendly and reflective of the ever-changing curriculum we are teaching. Special area teachers will also be reporting three times throughout the year for all students, rather than the previous two times. All grade-levels will also be including full narratives in the second and third report cards, which is truly the most individualized means of reporting your child's progress.

Though you have signed up for your November Conference (as they are only a few weeks away), we are very excited to pilot a new method of arranging for the March half-day parent conferences. We are in the process of setting up a very user-friendly scheduling software, that will allow you as a parent to easily log on and schedule a March time frame with your teacher. Not only will this allow for easy scheduling without the conflict of numerous email back and forth between your child's teacher, but the software will also provide you with the opportunity to receive email confirmations prior to your scheduled date. Should you need to change a date, the software is live at all hours of the day, and will allow you to switch to open time slots, if necessary. Rest assured as the software is set up, plenty of information will be provided regarding log-on instructions and access. For those that do not have internet access, scheduling through your child's teacher will always continue to be an option.

As an ever-evolving building, we are very excited to pilot a new, innovative way of providing you with useful, constructive communication. PTA meetings will provide families with presentations regarding the effective and efficient parent conference, and correspondence will continue to include logistical information as we pilot this new and exciting mechanism. Like everything else, your involvement, and support as we remain an ever-evolving building is greatly appreciated. I will continuously encourage you, now and forever, to remain involved, ask questions, and continuously provide us with feedback and ideas for how we can continue to serve the academic and social needs of our students.

Once again, welcome back for a fantastic school year! I look forward to seeing you over the next few weeks for Parent Conferences, and do hope you will consider the infinite ways of being involved in our fantastic school community!

Are you ready? We certainly are!

August 30, 2011

Greetings, VES Families! I can hardly believe I’m writing a pre-welcome back message, but, the calendar cannot be deceived. As the days grow shorter, the leaves begin to change, and signs and advertisements of fall activities and sign ups replace those for summer enrichment and camp opportunities. But, though such a treasured season could be mourned, this is truly a time for the celebration of what promises to be a fantastic 2011-2012 school year!

In a previous posting, I discussed the procedures of floor waxing, and the meticulous nature of our custodial staff in ensuring our building is ready for student return. With four more weeks of cleaning, painting, and organizing, VES is a masterpiece, with immaculate classrooms and hallways readily awaiting student return.

I am pleased to announce the addition of two new staff members to our Voorheesville family. Like all of our hiring processes, we truly scour the Capital Region and beyond to find our finest candidates. After a series of interviews involving a plethora of faculty volunteering their time and energy, we are pleased to introduce two new additions to our special areas:

Anne Rappoccio will be our new elementary librarian. After three rounds of interviews, Anne surfaced from over 40 candidates, who applied as far away as Texas. Ms. Rappoccio comes to us from the Bethlehem Central School District, where she was an elementary librarian in the Clarksville and Elsmere schools. Ms. Rappoccio has been diligently working throughout the summer to make the Library Media Center a truly welcoming, academically stimulating environment.

As you were aware at the end of the school year, Ms. Matheke, our instrumental and general music teacher, resigned in order to care for her son. During Ms. Matheke’s maternity leave two years ago, Mrs. Christy Beauregard filled in, doing an extraordinary job. We are very excited to welcome Ms. Beauregard back in a full-time capacity to our program. With over 50 applicants, Ms. Beauregard surfaced as our lead choice. Our interview process, which varied slightly from our other positions, in that an instrumental performance piece was required, due to the nature of job. Ms. Beauregard comes to us with experience in numerous Capital Region school districts, including Niskayuna, Schalmont, Lansingburgh, and Bethlehem School Districts. It is always wonderful to have a familiar face come home.

Though there are only a few staffing changes, our learning community is ever-evolving. In an effort to continue to increase our means of instant, effective communication, we have commenced using Twitter as a means of connecting families to information. We will continue to use your School News Notifier (SNN) service, but I encourage you to sign up for both of these free services that can connect instantly to your email or cell phone.

Weather, a familiar conversational topic, is now even closer to home. Thanks to the donation and diligence of Dr. David Fitzjarrald, Atmospheric Scientist and second grade parent, we are the proud hosts of an on-site weather station, which will provide our student and family community with instant, live weather information. The curricular links are endless, and we encourage you to visit this site for your own exploration.

With our new student orientation taking place on August 18th, we are pleased to welcome 15 new students to our Voorheesville family. They will be welcomed officially during our in school welcome back assembly, hosted by our Spirit Committee. At this point we will unveil our theme for the year, which, as in previous years, promises to be all encompassing, and a means of affecting the hearts and minds of those around us.

September is a month with plenty of activity, I encourage you to explore our new Google calendar as a means of staying involved. Our PTA meetings are always in need of greater attendance, so please consider joining us for our first meeting.

Welcome back! Watch those leaves change and the nights grow shorter, knowing that they are a true symbol of the impending splendor of a fabulous 2011-2012 school year. Enjoy your final days, as we truly anticipate your long-awaited return!

If These Floors Could Talk.....

July 21, 2011

Greetings! As we approach the end of our fourth week of summer, I am still in awe that, in the blink of an eye, the 2010-2011 school year has come to a close. With the elementary year coming to a screeching halt on Friday, June 24th, I am still finding remnants of our final morning together. Most recently, I was perusing the hallway to clean up loose papers, and found four remaining programs from our fifth-grade graduation celebration. It's rather interesting to look at such items as artifacts of the previous year. Each program was slightly folded, indicating that they had been taken and read during one of our greatest ceremonies yet. One can picture a proud family member taking this program, and, in the excitement of the exodus of students to the courtyard, left it behind on a table as they left to celebrate the achievements of the future class of 2018. Now, four weeks later, such items are a two-dimensional reminder of the festivities of a successful year.

As the summer months unfold, the elementary school becomes eerily quiet, especially compared to its usual pace of round-the-clock activity. Though our summer enrichment activities have kept our hallways active with students during the morning, by early afternoon, the lights are dim, and activity is a distant memory. Because inactivity is a rarity, our custodial staff, under the direction of Mr. Maliszewski and Mr. Coons, work diligently to repair, replenish, and rejuvenate classrooms and hallways for the start of a new beginning. In walking around the hallways over the past few days, I am amazed at the pace in which this crew has worked. During our morning coffee meeting yesterday, they mentioned they were proceeding to the final stages of room preparation: floor wax coating. Being fascinated with how these floors are brought back to life after months of trampling, I couldn't help but ask to observe this process. Over the course of a morning, specified floors were scrub-brush cleaned with soap and water, waxed, and sealed, leaving the rooms to appear as if mirrors were installed to the floors. Throughout this three-step process, it was amazing to see the quantifiable dirt and grime removed from each classroom. Though a site in and of itself, it's interesting to reframe such an image in terms of what this dirt and grime represents. If these floors could talk over the past 182 days, what would they say?

Certainly, these surfaces could attest to the hard work, compassion, dedication, and enthusiasm of our community, working tirelessly to invent, engage, and participate in academic and social programming that was stimulating to the heart and mind. From interactive assemblies to differentiated instruction, these floors have not been idle, but have been privy to feet scurrying around, learning by doing, and creating lasting impressions. Even looking back at our previous posts on this Corner, it is evident that, the dirt and grime of these surfaces was not accumulated in neglect, but in the kinetic energy of over 600 staff and student community members actively engaging in each school day. Though these surfaces are washed away, the new coat of wax simply ensures they are ready for new start. With new students joining us, some new staff (a new librarian and a new music teacher), and certainly, continuously changing and improving instructional programming, the 2011-2012 school year is destined to be just as energetic and noteworthy. But, with new changes and new faces, the integrity and traditions of the past (even our newest tradition of hosting an in-school graduation ceremony, and a whole-school field/spirit day) will remain in-tact. Symbolic of the sealer, the greatness of our past will not be forgotten, but will be sealed for posterity, and built upon each year. Amazing such a metaphor can be found in floor wax!

Speaking of surfaces, even the smallest of changes can have the greatest of impacts. In the photographs at right, you will see our recently-repainted arrows and parking reminders in our main lot. Please do note them, as they attempt to accentuate the morning drop-off procedures. Our continued efficiency will not only improve traffic flow, but most importantly, will prevent the creation of an unsafe environment for our students. Though clearly marked, just a friendly reminder to:

1. Follow the arrows for traffic flow, which do include circling the entire lot upon entering and exiting
2. Drop off should occur in front of the bridge from the right side of your vehicle. Students should exit from the right side of the car unescorted (our staff will take care of the rest)
3. Parking should occur only in designated spots. Though we added a few more, parking will always be tight. If no clear spots exists, please do make use of the lots available at St. Matthew's Church.

From parking lots to schedule changes, to the re-design of new curriculum to meet the needs of a changing world, Voorheesville Elementary School continues tirelessly, even in the "slowest" of months, to ensure each year is even more spectacular than its predecessor. I once again thank you for the opportunity to lead such a dynamic, ever-changing institution.

Hope to see you soon!

Principal's Corner Archives