Updates - 31 March 2017

Hello everyone,

Remember, almost exactly a year ago today, I quit my job?

But not for reals.

Just so you know: I've no plans to spoof you again this April Fool's season, or ever again, such as I did last year.  As far as I'm concerned, you're safe from such jokes and pranks coming from me, especially since 01 April won't fall on a Friday again (and thus coincide with a Blue Note) until the year 2022. And, if all goes according to plan, I hope to have been officially retired for reals for some time at that point.

And that's no joke.

What's Your Plan, Stan?
Speaking of quitting or retiring for reals, I've already heard from a few of you that it's your intention to not return to Marshall next year in order to seek other forms or modes or avoidances of employment elsewhere. This is part of the natural order of things and a circumstance I've come to accept.  Nevertheless, it is but rarely that this is news I accept with any sort joy in my heart.  I am, at this point in my tenure, extraordinarily proud of the team we've assembled here, so it's always with a measure of remorse that I accept your resignations or hear of your plans to "put yourself out there" to seek a place of employment for yourself that you feel might be more personally fulfilling or better suited to your temperament.

Anyways, here we are, it's almost April and we're waaaay past the point in the year where we should have a plan in place for who's teaching-what-where for the coming year. But we don't.  In fact we're actually at the point in the year where I like to have already posted and begun screening applicants for our open positions for the coming year.  I've always been of the opinion that it's now (rather than later) when we tend to garner the highest quality candidates, those who will be best able to work with our particularly challenging blend of students and and our complex schedule and thus carry the mantle of Marshall Magnet School forward into the future, ya know.

But that's not where we are, we haven't posted jobs-for-hire yet for a host of reasons.

If you haven't already told me what your intentions are for next year, please do so soon, stop in or shoot me an email.  It will be helpful for me to know these things as we (hopefully soon) begin to draft our staffing plan and tentative special and extracurricular class schedules for the coming year.

AZMerit Testing
Our testing calendar officially began on Thursday this week, when our fourth graders sat for their annual AIMS Science test.  However, the bulk of the testing that we must accomplish will begin on Tuesday 04 April when the fifth graders complete their AZMerit Writing tests.  AZMerit testing will continue through Thursday next week and every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday through 20 April.  Fridays will be reserved each week for make-up testing.

Otherwise, don't forget, on 05 and 06 April and again on 12 and 13 April we will flip-flop the 2/3 and 4/5 lunch times in order to allow our students to complete their tests during the morning session rather than in the afternoon.

Finally, thanks for keeping your classes extra quiet as you move them through the halls, and away from the building during recess, as we endure three long weeks of mandated testing.

Calendar

  • Wednesday 05 Apr
    • PTO meeting in the Library, 6:30
  • Thursday 06 Apr
    • Faculty meeting in the Library, CANCELED



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Updates - 24 March 2017

Today's lockdown drill
went well. Thanks for
preparing your students
to follow this important
school safety protocol.
Hello everyone,

My thanks to those of you who represented our interests at the superintendent's forum at Sinagua Middle School this week.  I was pleased to learn that so many of our faculty turned out for this important event.

Likewise, I was pleased to see a number of our faculty members attend, and in many cases present, at our third annual PTO Family Fitness Night, which was held simultaneously to the superintendent's forum on Wednesday evening.

Nice that we were able to effectively divide-and-conquer in order to ensure Marshall's staff was well-represented at both events.

A "Fine Tuned Machine"
Thanks for the efforts you make to keep our daily schedule running like the "fine tuned machine" that we hope for it to always be. Whether it's between specials, before and after RTI, or as we send students to Suzuki and Magnet Monday classes, your awareness of the schedule and the time-of-day when things are supposed to occur is essential to our ability to maintain our fine-tunedness.

Calendar
  • Monday 27 Mar
    • Kindergarten Suzuki performance at FHS, 5:30
  • Tuesday 28 Mar
    • First grade Suzuki performance at FHS, 5:30
  • Wednesday 29 Mar
    • Payday!
    • Second grade Suzuki performance at FHS, 5:30


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Updates - 10 March 2017

Hello everyone,

I hope your Spring Break is glorious and relaxing and filled with meaning.  I trust you will find yourself empowered to return to work on the 20th renewed and ready to push through testing season and onward toward the end of the school year with great vigor.

International Women's Day
It is a fact: most of the very best people I know are women.  And for every day of my professional life, it has been my good fortune to work in the company of lots of them. Truth be told, I prefer the company of women to that of my own gender much (if not most) of the time, and appreciate your patience with me as you allow me the extra-processing time my Y-chromosome so often requires.

But, I must admit to all of you, I was a little nervous in the days leading up to Wednesday, having heard Internet rumors of planned walk-outs and protests, wondering what might happen around here on 08 March.  I want you to know: I was willing to roll with whatever happened, and had even prep'd a few contingency plans in my head... most of which entailed having Steve, Bobby, Travis, Angelo, Ethan, Marcus, Mr. Sam, Mr. Billy, and me showing movies in the Gym and then playing soccer all morning until dismissal time (at the mercifully early hour of 11:10)...  Fortunately, that's not what materialized.  So, I just wanted to say thanks to all y'all women for coming to work yesterday and for working just as hard on International Women's Day as you always do every day on behalf of our kids.

You really are some of the very best people I know and, speaking (I'm sure) for all the Marshall men-folk, it is our honor and privilege to work alongside you.  Not just because you're women, but because you're damn good at what you do.

CCA Youth Art Exhibit
Mrs. Hobson has had the work of many of our students emplaced at the Coconino Center for the Arts through March 25th.  A. Marez, E. Martinez, K. Mitchell, J. Strain, C. Briggs, O. Schepper, J. Grahmann, N. Littlechild, J. Rubledo, T. Moore, S. Kircher, N. Meyers, and L. Yazzie are among the artists featured at this year's Youth Art Exhibit.  I hope you'll have a chance to stop by the Center over the Break and check it out.

Award Winners and Nominees
Congratulations to Marshall teachers Renda Fisk and Sheila White!  Sheila won the Flagstaff Arts Council's Arts Teacher of the Year Viola Award at this season's event last weekend.  And Renda won the STEMCity STEM Teacher of the Year award at that organization's annual awards dinner last week.  Pretty awesome.

Congratulations, as well, to Judith Arnold, who's been nominated for Coconino County Teacher of the Year, and to Janelle Reasor, who was nominated for the Viola Leadership award again this year.

STEM Night
My sincere thanks to all the teachers and support staffers who showed up at NAU's city-wide STEM Night at the Skydome this past Monday evening.  Sure do appreciate your willingness to show off your wares and make Marshall look so good.  I think this year we had one of the best, most interactive booths at the event, but I'm probably a little biased.

Cleaners and Cleansers
Please ensure that students have no access to cleaners and cleansers that contain bleach.  Chlorine bleach is too caustic for student use and could result in an injury if mishandled.  If you have such materials in your classsroom to sanitize items, please make sure they're kept out of the reach of children at all times.

Middle School Applications
Fifth-grade teachers, FUSD middle schools have asked that you make every effort to encourage your students to complete and submit their applications to Sinagua and MEMS as soon as possible.  Thanks.

Marshall School Partnerships
The school board recently asked Asst. Supt. Walton to compile a list of school-community partnerships that have been developed by each school site.  I submitted our list to her yesterday and I'm super stoked about it, so I wanted to share it along to you.  We've worked hard as a school community for many years now to develop meaningful collaborations with a wide variety of individuals and organizations to enhance our art and science magnet programs and field experiences. I think our efforts are well-reflected in this list.
  • Granting & Funding Organizations
    • Flagstaff Unified District Foundation - MakerSpace
    • Arizona Game and Fish Heritage Fund - School Yard Habitat and Outdoor Education Grants
    • Arizona Commission on the Arts - Japanese Taiko Drumming
    • Flagstaff Arts Council 
    • Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff Suzuki Violin Project
    • Marshall School Parent-Teacher Organization
    • Flagstaff Episcopal Church of the Epiphany
    • Flagstaff Medical Center - Fit Kids of Arizona
    • Northern Arizona University College of Arts and Letters - School of Music - Catherine B. Adel Foundation - Suzuki Violin Project
    • City of Flagstaff - Annual Heritage Square Violin Performance 
    • Marshall Adult Dodgeball Tournament
    • The Arizona Lottery 
    • SCA Tissue North America
    • The Phoenix Zoo
    • The Challenger Center
    • The Arizona Science Center
  • Social, Academic & Experiential Learning Partners
    • Arizona Snowbowl
    • Grand Canyon Field Institute - Grand Canyon Association
    • Willow Bend Environmental Education Center
    • Flagstaff Arboretum
    • TeamMastermind
    • Ballet Folklorico de Colores Flagstaff
    • Jake Bacon Photography
    • Tippy Toes Dance Company
    • TerraBIRDS Environmental
    • Sunset Lions Club
    • Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra
    • FIRST Lego League
    • Young Rembrants 
    • Tony Trapasso Japanese Taiko Drumming
    • Northern Arizona University - Foster Grandparent Program
    • Northern Arizona University - College of Education - Praxis Program
    • Northern Arizona University - College of Education - Student Teacher Program
    • Northern Arizona University - College of Education - Practicum programs
    • Northern Arizona University - Physical Education Program
    • Northern Arizona University - Mountain Jacks Kids' Camp
    • Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Arizona
    • Chicanos por la Causa - Parenting Arizona
    • Girls on the Run
    • 100-mile Club
    • Coconino County Recreation - Walk To School Day
    • Coconino County Recreation - Bike To School Day
    • Coconino County Public Health - Nutrition Network
    • Flagstaff Biking Organization
    • Flagstaff City Council - Bicycle Advisory Committee
    • Flagstaff Snow Sharks
    • City of Flagstaff Recreation - Aquaplex
    • All That Dance
    • Flagstaff Athletic Club
    • Arizona Trail Association
    • Coconino National Forest - Elden Pueblo
    • Flagstaff Soccer Club
    • FUSD F.A.C.T.S. 
  • Awarding Agencies
    • Flagstaff Arts Council - Viola Awards (Educational Institution, Arts Teacher of the Year)
    • Flagstaff STEM City (STEM Teacher of the Year)
    • Arizona Department of Education (Spotlight on Success Award)
    • Arizona Commission on the Arts - Governor's Arts Award (Arts Education Institution)
    • Dale Crick Purple Heart Chapter #793 (Northern Arizona Honorary Purple Heart Elementary School)

 Calendar
13-17 March -- SPRING BREAK!
  • Tuesday 14 Mar
    • Payday!
  • Monday 20 Mar
    • Coe at Admin Council, 1:00
  • Tuesday 21 Mar
    • Site Council in the Library, 4:00
  • Wednesday 22 Mar
    • Coe at Elementary Admin, 9:30
    • PTO Family Fitness Night, 5:30
    • Coe in PHX, PM-shift only
  • Thursday 23 Mar
    • Coe in PHX, all day
    • Flagstaff Symphony Link-up Concert at NAU (grades 3-5), 9:00
  • Friday 24 Mar.
    • Emergency drill (lockdown), 9:30
    • Faculty luncheon & meeting in the Gym, 1:00
    • AZMerit meeting in the Library (grades 3-5 only), 2:00

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Updates - 03 March 2017

Hello everyone,

 At long last, a weekend filled with bright and sunny bluebird skies.  A bit of wind, too, I think.  But that's to be expected around here this time of the year.  Despite the bluster, I hope you're able to get outside and enjoy yourself.

 A Growth Mindset
More than anything, I find the National Title 1 Conference to be affirming and reassuring.  Every year at this get-together of teachers and admins from hundreds of schools like ours across the country, I am reminded in so many positive ways that Marshall is not alone in the challenges we face.  Every attendee at the National Title 1 Conference, whether they're a keynote speaker, session presenter, or the random person seated next to me in the audience, echos the same basic sentiments: as teachers in Title 1 schools we are all faced with myriad responsibilities and struggles when it comes to providing a valid and meaningful education to students who come to us with profound challenges and disabilities; this is hard work we do, but also important work that can be, at times, its own reward; there are innumerable points of light and glimmers of hope in every corner of our nation that lives are being changed for the better through the vital work we do.
The view from the nosebleed section

As I wrote last year following the National Title 1 Conference, I continue to believe we have every ingredient in place here at Marshall to be a truly remarkable place of learning for our community, we just need to turn the oven on.  We've had our compass pointed toward this objective at every turn since then and have sought out opportunities that will enable us to enhance our professional practice, among them FOSS NG Science, support for early adopters of EngageNY ELA, and a schoolwide Reading A-Z initiative.  

But implementing excellent research-support programs and curriculum is only one piece of the puzzle. On the last day of the conference, the keynote speaker, Eduardo Briceño, spoke to the assembled crowd of thousands and reviewed in great detail the other missing piece of the puzzle: a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset applies to the attitudes we as professionals possess about our own work as well as it does to the ways we view student learning and assessment in our classrooms. Briceño's point is actually pretty simple: we confuse learning with performance too often. I hope you'll set aside eleven minutes to watch his TEDx talk, When performing gets in the way of improving, I think it's kind of eye-opening, and inspiring, too.


Friday Faculty Meeting
I'd like us to get together as a faculty again for a short Friday PD on 24 March at 1:00.  I'd like us to eat together (probably a sandwich bar) and then do another team-building type of activity that I learned about at the Title 1 Conference.  Between the food and the activity, I don't think I will take more than an hour of your time that afternoon.  Please let me know if your student teacher will attend so I can buy enough food.  Thanks for making plans to attend.

Morning Recess Concern
It's been brought to my attention that we have developed a problem with stragglers not heading out to the playground in the morning.  Purportedly, these wanderers claim to be delivering things to classrooms before the start of school.  This is a practice that we have, in the past, always worked hard to discourage.  But we don't have sufficient personnel this year to put someone on patrol in the halls this year.

Please discourage your students from coming to your classrooms before the bell rings in the morning.  Please remind them that they should go from the bus to the playground straight-away (stopping only to eat in the Gym if needed) if they arrive at school before the 8:35 bell.  And, if you see stragglers in the halls, please be willing to admonish them for this lapse and steer them out to the playground as you are able.  I will do my best to be more attentive to the halls as a part of my daily morning duty as well.  Thanks.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Please remember, we will release students early for conferences on the following dates and times:
  • Wednesday, 08 March: 11:10 
  • Thursday, 09 March: 12:25 
  • Friday, 10 March: 12:25 
Due to our odd dismissal schedule on Wednesday, March 08, lunch will occur on our now well-established but nevertheless super wonky special schedule. As always, it will be imperative that everyone abide by the schedule below as closely as possible, as we will be operating on very tight tolerances in order to accommodate everyone's lunch and recess that day.

The lunch schedule for Wednesday only will be as follows:
  • 9:35-9:55 -- K-1 eat lunch 
    • 9:55-10:15 -- K-1 on playground 
  • 10:00-10:20 -- 2-3 eat lunch 
    • 10:20-10:40 -- 2-3 on playground 
  • 10:25-10:45 -- 4-5 eat lunch 
    • 10:45-11:05 -- 4-5 on playground 
I've written myself a note to reset the bells accordingly.  A flyer regarding our early dismissal times for Conference week was delivered earlier in the week and a ConnectEd robo-call on this subject went out last night at 5:30.

Calendar
  • Monday 06 Mar
    • Coe at HR Director interviews, all day
    • NAU CAEP site visit, 1:00
    • STEM Night at NAU, 5:30-7:30
  • Tuesday 07 Mar
    • Science Council meeting in Lab, 3:45
  • Wednesday 08 Mar
    • Coe at HR Director interviews, all day
    • Early dismissal for Parent-Teacher Conferences, 11:10
  • Thursday 09 Mar
    • Wharton Foundation site visit, 9:00
    • Early dismissal for Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:25
    • Book Fair Family Night in the Gym, 6:00-8:00
  • Friday 10 Mar
    • Early dismissal for Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:25
    • Report Cards go home


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