Kimberly Moritz BlogPosts

You may think it’s Autumn but at Randolph the season is Sectional! Thanks to the regular season success of our student athletes and coaches, our teams are going strong. Read about our teams and plan a night out to watch our kids.

Check out the #1 RCS Girls Volleyball team this week– tonight as they play Pine Valley here at 6:00 and when they secure a win tonight, on to play this Friday night at 6:00. This team is on fire and hoping for another big win this year!

RCS Cross Country will be tearing it up in the CCAA League Championships at Long Point this Friday at 3:30.

Friday night brings our RCS Football Team(7-1) to our field to battle Portville (7-1) at 7:30 pm. Next game? Friday, November 6, 6:00 pm at the Ralph. If you want to see excellent football played with enthusiasm, Randolph’s field is always the place to be.

#3 Randolph Boys Soccer should dominate #6 Chautauqua Lake at home this Friday at 3:30, with Semifinals around the corner on November 3 at Southwestern. Friday is clearly the day to see lots of sports action for the Red & White here at home.

And don’t forget #5 Randolph Girls Soccer taking to the field today at 3:30 against #12 Silver Creek then advancing to the Quarterfinals on Saturday at 2:00 pm against #4 Holland. Soccer has come a long way over the past several years and spectators can expect to see some great play from our girls!

And if sports isn’t your only thing–join us for a High School Halloween Howl of a concert tonight at 7:30 being performed at the Elementary School for the benefit of all of our little ghouls and goblins who are attending our Halloween Fun Night from 6:30-8:00.

Maria Shriver’s report, A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything, was published on October 16, 2009 and is down-loadable for free. I’m still not sure what I think about the full report–read it for yourself– but there are a couple of things that I just can’t leave alone.

The premise of the report is that it describes how a woman’s nation changes everything about how we live and work today. Chapters include among others: The New Breadwinners, Family Friendly for All Families: Workers and caregivers need government policies that reflect today’s realities, Sick and Tired: Working women and their health, Better Educating Our New Breadwinners: Creating opportunities for all women to succeed in the workforce.

I’ve not expressed my opinions on working women/mothers often. Largely I’ve been quiet because I don’t want to generalize or take away from someone else’s struggle, which may be real. So here’s my disclaimer, loud and clear, I am NOT generalizing or speaking of any other woman’s experience but my own. This is my personal experience with the topic at hand.

I don’t want anyone “creating opportunities for women”. I have thirty years in the workforce. Thirty, started when I was fifteen and have worked as everything from a sales clerk to a 7/11 manager to a secretary and then on to teaching and now administration. Throughout my education and in my professional life, I have never once been discriminated against, left out, eliminated or treated differently because I am a woman. Never. I worked hard and with ambition. I have gone after every job I’ve ever wanted, competed against men and women, and succeeded. Because of who I am as an employee/leader/thinker/problem solver–NOT because of my gender nor despite it.

Any talk of equalizing the opportunities for women is galling.  I’m proud to know that I can now sit at the school superintendents’ table as an equal without ever having been given a hand up. I have succeeded on my own merit and would compete against any male or female superintendent who I know for a position, without hesitation.

Next, I’ve succeeded while raising two kids along side my working husband. We’ve done it together as a team, we sought out and hired excellent caregivers when our children were small and we’ve shared responsibilities. I can remember feeling guilty for leaving my kids at the same time that my sister in law got to feel guilty for staying home and not providing an income. Hogwash. It’s a personal choice that a family makes and neither is right nor wrong. How we work out the details is what makes the difference.

“Sick and Tired?” As far as my health goes, I would challenge that my involvement in the work force, my commitment to learning, my ability to set and achieve goals are the same qualities that get me out of bed at 5:10 am to get on the treadmill, exercise, eat right and make healthy choices. I also maintain friendships with other working and non-working women who all do the same things. We support and encourage one another.

“Workers and caregivers need government policies that reflect today’s realities.” And here’s what really has me furiously writing this post–the conclusion of Shriver’s report is, get this:

The academic research, anecdotal evidence, personal reflections, and poll results that make up this unique report all confirm that recognizing women now constitute half of the workers in the United States is only the first step. The second is identifying what we need to do to reshape the institutions around us. We can then begin to take the necessary actions to readjust our policies and practices.

Yep, that’s just what successful hard working women like me have been waiting for all of these years–GOVERNMENT policies and practices to help us figure it out because goodness knows we can’t do it on our own. ARGH! Perhaps our government should just mind their own business, something that could sorely use their attention.

For the first time today, our attendance has taken a dip which may or may not indicate that our turn for H1N1 at Randolph Central School is here. We are up to 14% absent in our elementary school as compared to last week when we averaged 7% and we’re at 11% in the high school when we averaged 5.6% last week. We’ll watch our numbers closely this week to see if today is an anomaly or a trend.

What we do know is that we have some children who have been identified to have Influenza A. This may also indicate H1N1. Either way, it’s important that we again review what will help prevent the spread and possibly the severity of the flu–stay home if you’re sick and stay home early in the illness.

I’ve been reading about H1N1 since last year and listening to my colleagues who’ve had it affect their school districts before ours so that we can learn as much as possible. This doesn’t make me an authority on the topic but with responsibility for our entire school community, I need to be well informed. Please realize that if you have questions or concerns specific to H1N1, you should contact your family doctor.

Here are some things that I’ve learned from listening to my colleagues and from reading sources such as the guidance from the CDC which you can read here. We recently included guidance about H1N1 in our school newsletter too.

1. Stay home when sick.  Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. In H1N1 flu infection, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.
2. Wash your hands frequently.We have Beverly Bennett from the Cattaraugus County Health Department coming in to work with our PK-3 students for a hand washing clinic in our elementary school on October 21, November 2 and 4 .
3. We are routinely and effectively cleaning all of the rooms in our buildings.
4. Based on the guidance from the CDC and the Department of Health, it is highly unlikely that we will close school.

We are pleased to announce that Cattaraugus County will be offering an H1N1 Clinic here on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Vaccines will be available on a first come, first served basis to any RCS enrolled school children. There is no cost to the family and the child must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Unfortunately, the vaccine is not available to younger or older siblings who are NOT enrolled at RCS. We will have school personnel on hand to help the County and to help comfort our children.

I can’t help but remember my own trip as a small child to a vaccine clinic in the late sixties for small pox. I remember gripping my mother’s hand and standing in a long line. Let’s work together to make this a manageable experience for our children. If you have any questions, please call me or either of our school nurses, Sharon O’Neill and Lottie Abers.

Check out this WONDERFUL way that teacher Kevin Hind found to use technology to engage kids and help them to OWN THE CONTENT. I particularly love the way these third graders work hard to come up with something unique in each answer. It also allows our parents to see what’s happening first hand and besides, who can’t use a reminder of fire safety lessons?

Randolph Elementary Third Graders Rock and Roll!

Our second BOE retreat is tonight and I think it’s particularly fitting considering that it’s School Board Recognition week as designated by Governor David Paterson. This is a wonderful time for us to recognize and commend school board members for their dedicated service to the children of the Randolph Central School District. What better way to recognize this service than through a BOE Retreat when our members can have a real voice in the course that we set?

We previously met for a BOE retreat in July and I blogged about it in this post on July 14, 2009. During that retreat we accomplished all that we set out to in the four hours scheduled. We talked about how we do business and clarified the open meetings law, the function and organization of our meetings, committees, and officers. It was a great opportunity for open dialogue and every BOE member offered much in the conversation.

At that time we determined that our next step is a retreat to work on district goal setting–from the “Big Idea” point of view to help direct all that we do within the district. I’m excited to meet with the BOE members and our facilitator, BOCES Assistant Superintendent Lynda Quick, because I believe this is one of the ways our School Board can make a real difference through their governance activities. I hope we can answer the following:

1. Where is our district headed over the long run?
2. Where is our district now?
3. How is our district performing (educationally, administratively, financially)?

NYSCOSS, the NYS Council of School Superintendents,  defines three sure signs of a high quality governance team as,

1. A school board that consistently produces high-impact governance defined through vision, strategic directives, long-range goals, and resource allocation.
2. A school board that has a close, positive and productive Board-Superintendent working partnership.
3. A school board that takes deep satisfaction in and feeling strong ownership of its governing work.

We’ll set out to strengthen those “three sure signs” in Randolph tonight.

I can’t stop thinking about this post by Chris Lehmann, Principal at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. Chris is talking about charter schools like KIPP and Mastery Charter and the Ted Ginn Academy. While we don’t have charter schools in our immediate area, I’m intrigued by the conversation. I can anticipate that we will be working with virtual charter schools in the next couple of years and so I continue to pay attention to the discussion.

We know that kids need different opportunities to succeed and some need different pathways. That’s why we need to switch things up in the classroom and teach using a variety of instructional strategies, integrate technology, offer lots of different extra-curricular programs, provide electives that reach every kid, participate in BOCES programs and offer AP/College level courses.

As a school team of administrators, counselors, and teachers we also become preoccupied with reaching every student in a way that keeps them in school and helps them to succeed. This can be a challenge for any number of reasons, some within the school and many from beyond our walls. It is truly heartbreaking every time we lose a child to a decision to “drop out”. So reading about alternative routes like those found in some charter schools is compelling.

That’s where Chris makes a poignant point that cannot be ignored,

… because if we could only believe that we could solve all the problems of educating students in poverty with charismatic school leaders and hard working teachers… and that all the kids who don’t get the education they need are simply being underserved by those lazy teachers… that would absolve our society for not being more just, more equitable, more fair. We could point to those schools that succeed against all odds and say, “See… if they do it, every school should be able to do it.” It is a myth that keeps us from really understanding what is necessary to solve the problems for the children of our cities. It is the myth of the schools that have solved the problems.

Read Chris’ entire post. Think about the students who don’t stay in the Charter Schools either. Our public schools work for the vast majority of our students, but not for all. Charter schools don’t seem that different.  And we all continue to ponder and to plan, to connect and serve, to try to reach every student. 

What do you think: Can we truly reach every student?

If you’ve noticed most of our buses parked outside the bus garage in the past two weeks, that’s because we have a large number of items inside the bus garage for our Silent Auction. With the snow ready to fly, we need to get those buses back inside so please consider participating in the District’s Silent Auction.

As we change and improve our materials and facilities, we sometimes end up with items that are outdated or obsolete. We are offering those items to the public in our Silent Auction and we’re hoping that the sale of these items can both benefit other individuals or organizations and generate some money for the district.

How does it work? Items may be seen between the hours of 9:00 am and 2:00 pm starting today and continuing through until Friday, October 16, 2009 at 2:00 pm. Bids will be accepted until 10:00 am on Monday, October 19, 2009, when they will be publicly opened.

How do I bid on an item? Every item or “lot” is numbered. Bids must be submitted to the District Business Office on District Bid Forms with a signed non-collusive bidding certificate in a sealed envelope marked “Silent Auction Bid ‘09″.

Payment must be made by cash or certified check within one week of notification of a bid award. The Randolph Central School Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

Special thanks to Dave Chambers, Business Manager, for coordinating this event. Thanks also to Brian Hinman and our entire Transportation Department for your tolerance and patience as we commandeered your space for the Auction items.

Reason #4 for Administrators to Blog

In many ways, the best reason to blog is the personal side of it. I can write ten posts about the business of running a school and receive two comments total. But if I write one post as a parent or a friend, I’ll receive ten comments on those two posts. Why? I think it’s because readers relate best to the human interest story, the personal side of life.

When I share what I really think about those topics most important to me, readers come to have a sense of who I am as a person. I’m not just some suit sitting in an office. I’m real to them and that makes me more approachable. They feel as if they know me and can talk to me about their own kids or the problems they’re facing or their complaints about our district. I need to know all of that to make things better. And I care enough to want to know.

Parents don’t want some suit they can’t talk to, they want a real person who will listen and understand and help them to problem solve. Putting yourself out there on the blog helps them see who you really are.

I’ve blogged about my son’s accident, my daughter’s student teaching, a dear friend’s son’s motorcycle accident, and 357 other posts in the last three years.

I can share my thinking about the huge moments in life and get it out of my head. And we even used the blog to share daily updates and pictures of their kids on a blog log of a student tour of Europe. What parent could resist that?

I won’t say much about it now, but also consider the blogging legacy you can leave behind. We don’t have to be published authors to do leave that “legacy” any more. It can happen right here, on your blog.