Monday, March 18, 2013

Tourney Time

March Madness has us all immersed in college basketball and the possibilities that a new season in the form of the NCAA tournament offers. That energy and excitement is hard to define, it just is. It’s a special time of the year when the months of hard work, long hours, careful planning, and commitment come together for teams across the country. Anything is possible. I equate it to the school year in many ways. Not that our year is just about over or that we’re playing for a championship, but it is the time of year when all of the planning from the previous summer, the hard work, long hours, and commitment of everyone connected to our students begins to shine and payoff.
The best part of my job is being in classrooms seeing both our teachers and students in action. It’s here that one sees our collective efforts coming together. Regardless of the classroom or grade level, one begins to see and experience the work occurring in an effort to maximize student achievement and learning; to connect concepts across disciplines and engage our students in learning opportunities that challenge and stretch them, not in isolation, but as a part of an entire educational experience. Like many of the teams in the tournament, we have hit our groove and are at our best. 


Pre-concert jam session.


The energy and excitement associated with that high level of performance from our students and staff is inspiring. I get that feeling walking into our classrooms seeing our students collaborating with one another, or seeing them struggle to solve a challenging problem in mathematics.

I get that feeling watching our students engaged and contributing to our Olweus Classroom Meetings or seeing our teachers connect and collaborating to make their instructional practices stronger. I got that feeling listening to our Optimist Speech Contest participants earlier in the month (amazing!) and I also got that feeling watching our students perform at different concerts over the last two weeks (they could charge money!). That energy and excitement is hard to define, it just is. And it is that time of year where you start to see all of our efforts at supporting our students come together here at school. Truly, anything is possible.

Please email me or call with any questions, comments or concerns. Your feedback is always appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff.
Continued Success,
Steve Dunham