Sadly, my required training in Phoenix at Fortress ADE was kind of a bust yesterday (four hours parsing through over-precise definitions and exemplars of formative and summative assessment). But, I got to take my mom out to a late lunch afterward, so the 350-mile round trip wasn't all for naught. Also, was fun to get my still-sorta-smells-new car out on the open road, too. Can't tell you how nice it is to drive anywhere in a vehicle with working climate controls, a real stereo, and without a view through the floorboards of the road beneath my feet. Makes me feel so grown up, ya know.
Weatherwise, it looks likes we're back to warm and dry for the weekend and the near-term period of time. Get out there early to avoid the mud (if you're bound for the woods) and the traffic (if you're headed up to Snowbowl).
Have a great weekend!
School Facilities Bond
A district-wide inventory of needful repairs, upgrades, and maintenance concerns will be place on the ballot in Nov. 2018 when voters will be asked to approve a multiyear Facilities Bond for FUSD. Based on your knowledge/familiarity with our building and surroundings, please respond as best you are able to the two survey items below:
Hey, how about I don't update you on anything related to my health this week? Sound good?
I think so, too.
Instead, I'll divulge that I think it's very likely to snow a bit tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. Sure do hope you're able to get out and enjoy it... that's definitely my intention.
These Halcyon Days
I'm sure you feel the same as I do and can easily acknowledge that the school weeks following the Winter Break each year contain some of the most pleasant days we get to enjoy during any given school year. Never completely devoid of their challenges, they are, nonetheless, typically the calmest and most rational work days of the school year.
But, as always, they are drawing to an end. Already, sporadic reports of springtime girl-wars, lunch recess boy-fights, as well as rumors of overwrought and overworked faculty and staff are beginning to trickle into my office a little more each day. I've no doubt, we will be fully back-to-normal, both socially and emotionally, each of us in his/her own way (in my case, with my head spinning, basically half-crazed, and barely holding it together), in very short order. Soon the halcyon days will be gone once again.
As I've said before, "February [always] brings planning for the coming year, the impending pressures of upcoming testing, the rush to complete all that's on your curriculum map before it's too late, and the resurgence of the madness that inevitably must come as we work together toward the end of the school calendar." That inevitable madness is just around the corner, and, as we always have in the past, we must collectively steel ourselves to face the coming storm.
With that in mind, I'd like to encourage you, as I often have before, to keep your wheel round and your vessel full by seeking to be balanced and remain fulfilled by the things you do and the people you love beyond the confines of school. Remember: this work is hard; physically and emotionally, it's some of the hardest work there is. We are poured out here each and every day. And our work is not always as rewarding or as fulfilling as we hope for it to be, we often do not see the fruits of our labors for many, many years. But still, it's important work we do. Good work. And in the lives of our students it's essential work. I'm blessed to be reminded almost daily by your positive attitudes and demeanor, however, that deep down, even in the depths of our occasional despair and exhaustion, we're all committed to working hard to ensure the well-being and success of each student that comes through our front doors.
So be prepared for the hectic, chaotic, frustrating days to come. But also be encouraged. Remember: you possess great power, the power to change lives for the better.
I've shared a Dr. Saenz talk or two with you in the past. I think he's pretty cool. I listen to him now and then, whenever I need a good pep talk, or a reminder to keep my life in balance, or a push to recall when I grow discouraged why it is I continue to to the work that I do. I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch the video below, and, likewise, that you'll be left feeling encouraged and empowered by it.
Calendar
Monday 22 Jan
Magnet Monday Showcase, 2:10
Tuesday 23 Jan
10% Tuesday at Fratelli, all day
Coe at Educational Enrichment Director hiring committee, 7:30-12:30
Optimistically, I am beginning to feel a little more hopeful this morning that this infection will not eat my face off, which is a thing I've actually been kinda concerned about the past few days. I'm grateful to all y'all for working together for the past three days to keep the school up-and-running while I've been away. Don't like being away. But it sure was nice to not need to be stressed about work while I was being stressed about my face. I don't like to think I'm a particularly vain individual, but I will admit to being vain enough that I really didn't like the idea of losing a part of my face to a gross, scary infection.
At the moment, as I write this sitting here at our kitchen table casually drinking coffee (and eating another probiotic yogurt), I'm obviously feeling a little guilty about missing the better part of three full days of work this week. And I find myself feeling all the more so because (might as well tell you now) I'm going to miss a few more days at school in February. I've been booked for some time to attend the annual National Title 1 Conference in Philadelphia 07-09 Feb. And yesterday, following my visit to the doctor, I scheduled a Mohs surgery to have the basal cell cancer removed from my ear canal on our Presidents' Day holiday on 19 Feb. Maybe I won't need to miss any work after that gig, but I suspect I will. Last time I had a Mohs to remove a cancer on my neck, I was left with a 5-inch long incision, some 17 sutures, and ultimately a really gnarly scar. Missed a few days of work for that one, for sure. So we'll see what happens.
Sure am glad we've go so many exceptionally capable folk on staff who can fill in as acting-admins when I'm gone.
Calendar
Monday 15 Jan
NO SCHOOL - MLK Day
Tuesday 16 Jan
Fifth grade middle school registration in the Gym, 1:20
Site Council in the Library, 4:00
Wednesday 17 Jan
Coe at Elementary admin mtg, 9:30
Coe at Educational Enrichment Director hiring committee mtg, 11:30
Friday 19 Jan
Emergency drill (Fire), 9:30
Two-hour professional development seminar for faculty (vertical CTs), 1:00-3:00
Seems as though it's been a long time since I last put fingers to keyboard to write to you. How have you been? Hope your winter break was gratifying.
Mine was kinda meh. Broke a couple of my ribs falling off a ladder. And got a gnarly and persistent sinus infection. So I watched a lot of movies and read a few books during mine.
I'm feeling a lot better now. Still, getting old is a bummer sometimes.
Looking forward to a little winter weather someday? Me too. The Wednesday-Thursday timeframe next week is looking better everyday. Fingers crossed.
Admin Intern Updates
Both Reasor and Overton have successfully completed their administrative internships as of December 2017 and are now in possession of NAU's much coveted institutional recommendation, which will permit them to sit for the state's 8-hours-long principal certification test soon. I'm quite proud of them and likewise am both hopeful and extraordinarily confident that they will each make fine new school administrators in the (near?) future.
Almost simultaneously to Janelle and Heather finishing up their admin internships, Casey Reger began hers mid-December and will be working through the many rigorous components of her own internship throughout the course of the spring semester. I'm excited to be working with Casey now, too, and thrilled that by year's end Marshall will have fostered the future of school leadership (one hopes in FUSD) so positively by fledging such capable, soon-to-be school admins three-times over.
Townsite Community Land Trust (TCLT)
Just down Bonito Street at Aspen Avenue, four small houses have been remodeled and are now available to purchase as permanently affordable housing for "low to moderate income residents." The group that has arranged for this opportunity hopes to encourage the sale of these homes to local public servants like teachers, cops, and other working-class folks like you and me. If you're looking to put down roots in Flagstaff, I hope you'll give them a look. I've put information about TCLT in the lounge and would be happy to put you in touch with a representative from their organization if you think this might be a good fit for you.
