The school board thing this past Tuesday evening already feels like it took place a month ago, so much else has transpired over the course of the week this week. These are craaaazy days at Marshall School, for sure.
Suffice to say the board received my message, and the messages of my fellow principals graciously and with good, probing questions, as well as a few smiles, considerate nods, and even appropriately polite laughter at times. I think all the admins, myself included, walked away from this time (at ten minutes to 9:00 PM) feeling like we had the board's support and approval for what we're trying earnestly to carry out at our individual school sites on behalf of all the students in FUSD.
I'm going to be coming around to each of your classrooms over the course of the next two weeks to reluctantly-but-of-necessity interrupt your carefully planned instruction in order to review with your students our common hallway expectations.
About a thousand of you have brought your concerns and complaints to me in the past week or so about how off-the-rails our passing/transition periods are lately. I'm really sorry things have degraded to this point. I'm gonna do what I can to fix it, but I can't possibly be everywhere to supervise every class' behavior in the halls. I'm going to need your help with this. Thanks for your persistent vigilance in making sure the students under your supervision are prepared to walk and wait in the halls in a manner that more closely aligns to our school-wide expectations.
Classroom Management
That being said (above, about our school-wide behavior expectations), we will convene for our next two-hour faculty professional development opportunity on 17 November at 1:30 with trainers from Behavioral Consultation Services to help us develop better classroom management and Tier 1 PBIS strategies and interventions. FUSD and NARBA wrote and received a grant recently to provide this training to all elementary school sites. I hope all certified faculty and staff will plan to attend.
The Pledge of Allegiance
Please remember, we are obligated by state statute to provide students with an opportunity to pledge the flag each day. However, the Supreme Court's ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) is still the law of the land. This ruling made clear the fact that it is unconstitutional for public schools to compel students to salute the flag. Please, as you carry out the state's mandate that students have an opportunity to recite the pledge, make certain that you do not compel them to do so. Likewise, please do not restrict them from choosing to do so or to elect not to do so in any way. You can read more about the West Virginia v. Barnette decision here. I've excerpted a bit of it's most eloquent and important wording below:
"To believe that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous instead of a compulsory routine is to make an unflattering estimate of the appeal of our institutions to free minds. We can have intellectual individualism and the rich cultural diversities that we owe to exceptional minds only at the price of occasional eccentricity and abnormal attitudes. When they are so harmless to others or to the State as those we deal with here, the price is not too great. But freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order.
"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."
Flagstaff Fire Public Education Program
Flag firefighters have offered to come to our fourth and fifth grade classrooms to talk about emergency responses and prevention behaviors. Presenters are available 09-27 October and the class visits will last 15-30 minutes. If you're interested, you should call them ASAP at 928-213-2500 or 928-213-2504 to schedule a time.
The County has ordained that Wednesday 04 October 2017 shall be Walk To School Day. They have made arrangements with FUSD Transportation to have students with signed permission slips (sent home this week) dropped off at the Armory on Thorpe Rd. that morning and escorted to school by Marshall faculty, staff, and a handful of NAU volunteers.
It would be super helpful if teachers could plan to walk with a group of students that morning. If you could be at the Armory around 8:10-8:15, you would be able to gather a small group and walk back to the school with them with plenty of time remaining to be in your room before the bell rings. If you're someone who doesn't start the day with kids, it would be great to have you at the Armory maybe a bit after 8:15-8:20 to walk with some of our bus kids whose buses tend to arrive later.
TL;DR: We always need teachers and staff members to help with this little Walk To School Day exercise which, honestly the County kind of imposes on us, always with little notice. I'm grateful to you for being willing to help Marshall endure it and ensure that our kids are able to walk to school safely that on Wednesday 04 Oct.
End of Grading Period Stuff
Gradebook czar Overton wrote to you this week about our end of grading period procedures. Her notes are reproduced below for the good of the order:
October 6th-End of Quarter 1
"All special area grades must be entered by 12:00 noon on this day. Office managers need to do an attendance rollover by noon as well. Classroom teachers cannot print report cards until specials' grades are entered and attendance has been rolled over.
"Teachers can transfer grades at any time prior to noon on Friday. It is just important to wait for the announcement that Standards Reports can be printed."
October 9th, 10th, and 11th
"Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on these three days. Teachers should have report cards to share with parents at this time.
"If you have never transferred grades before or need a refresher, you are welcome to come to my room at 1:00 on Friday, October 6th and we will walk through the process together.
"As always, please let me know if you have any questions."
Calendar
- Wednesday 04 Oct
- International Walk To School Day at Armory on Thorpe Rd. 8:00
- Arizona Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS) monitors on site, all day
- Parent Teacher Organization meeting in the Library, 6:30
- Thursday 05 Oct
- Faculty Meeting in the Library, 7:45
- Hauer and White at PBIS conference, all day
- Friday 06 Oct
- Mustang Gallop on the field, all morning
- STEAM Council meeting in the Science Lab, 12:45
- End of first grading period
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