Updates -- 27 Feb. 2015

Hello everyone,

The potential for a storm of practically unprecedented proportions, that's what we're looking at for the near-term.  Some 6+ inches of precip looks to be on its way here Saturday through the early part of next week.  If it falls as rain, it'll be impressive.  If it falls as snow, it'll be epic!

I'm positively giddy with anticipation.

Lockdown Drill
Great job during today's lockdown drill.  The school was a ghost-town about 15 seconds after I made the announcement.  That's pretty awesome.

A number of teachers contacted me afterward asking, "What do I do about my missing kids during a lockdown?"  It's a great question.  And, fortunately, ensuring the safety of kids in the halls, restrooms and elsewhere in the building during a lockdown is already a component of our plan .   Our Lockdown Procedures state:
  • If you encounter a student in the hallway as you are closing your classroom door, bring that student into your classroom, whether they are yours or not. In the event of a lockdown, members of the Crisis Team have been assigned to check restrooms and will retrieve these students and escort them to a safe and secure area.
If you have a kid that's missing from your classroom during a lockdown, don't wait at the door for them.  Lockdown.  Make certain the children you have are safe.  Trust that someone else in the building has followed our guidance above and made your missing child safe elsewhere.  Don't ever deliberate during a lockdown.  Don't ask, "Is this a drill?"  Don't wait by your door.  Lockdown.  As you're shutting your door, glance into the hallway and grab everyone you can, whether they're your's or not, and get everyone safe as quickly as you can.  Lockdown.

We're all in this together.

Legislative Concerns
I am pretty fired up about what's going on down in the state capitol.  Our new governor, as well as a majority of the members of the House and Senate, seem dead-set against adequately funding or supporting public education lately.

What's happening down there really is another kind of storm of practically unprecedented proportion.

I'm so worked up about what could happen if some (or God-forbid all) of the currently proposed legislation passes, I did something the other day I've never done before.  I wrote a letter to an elected official, our new governor, Doug Ducey.  And then I forwarded my letter to each of our elected representatives (their emails and telephone numbers at the capitol are listed on the Marshall School Blog).  And then I plastered it all over my Facebook page and the school's Facebook page, too. A few others picked it up and shared it around on their Facebook pages as well.  I've included a screen-grab of it below, click it to enlarge it:

I know there's a typo in the last sentence.
Like a Navajo weaver, I like to leave at least one small typo in everything I write.
To let the evil spirits out.
I encourage you to do the same: write a letter or make a call.  Seriously.  It's all we've got: our voice of dissent.  I hope you will consider contacting Gov. Ducey and Reps Thorpe, Allen, and Barton to let them know how you feel about all of this.  If you do, do so ASAP.  They've not been reluctant to pass measures in quick succession and under the cover of night, this new legislature of ours.

To help you better understand all that's going on, you can download a helpful overview of most of the proposed anti-public-education legislation, prepared by Finance Director Ken Garland.  Be forewarned: it's kinda scary.

Calendar
Week B

  • Tuesday, 02 Mar.
    • All 3-5 students to Symphony @ NAU, 8:45-11:00
  • Wednesday, 03 Mar. 
    • PTO in the Library, 6:30-7:30
  • Thursday, 04 Mar.
    • Coe @ Fifth-grade Ski Trip, all day
  • Friday, 05 Mar.
    • End of Grading Period #3
    • Jump Rope for Heart in the Gym, 8:45-10:30


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