Seeking Stories from Springville

At this year’s high school graduation, Isobel Hooker, our valedictorian, talked about a memorable learning experience that she had in her middle school social studies class. From Isobel’s speech, I would go so far as to say she found that lesson life changing.

Isobel has me thinking. How many experiences do our students have like the one Isobel had in Mr. Beiter’s classroom? What are those things that happen here that stay with a student, far beyond the day, week or year in which it was studied? What are those lessons that change a child’s life?

What is the story of learning in the Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District? 

Our leadership team is meeting for a full day retreat on August 7 to talk about our beliefs about learning, our hopes and dreams for our school district, and our mission or purpose for existing over the coming years. Who do we want to be Springville? What do we want an SGI education to mean? From that day’s retreat, we will expand to broader school community conversations with our teachers, families, and students.

I’d like a starting point from all of you. Only through a sincere understanding of the narrative of learning in our school can we begin to develop a shared understanding of our mission moving forward.

What do you believe about teaching and learning? What is your story that you tell of learning here, as a teacher, SGI employee, student, parent or graduate?

Please take a few moments to email me at kmoritz@springvillegi.org. 

I promise you I will treat your stories with respect and that I will think about them deeply. I promise that I will honor any requests to keep your story anonymous if you ask me to do so because I know that sometimes people are afraid to tell their story. And I promise we will work tirelessly to rethink our story as a district so that all of the best learning stories continue and expand. I promise we’ll study those things that aren’t working and encourage our teachers and students to take necessary learning risks in which we rethink and rewrite our SGI story.

I can’t make us better alone. We can make an SGI education the very best gift that our school community gives to each of our students. Together. Tell me your story. Please. I care about what you have to say.

 

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One Comment
  1. I still remember our French club trip to Belgium and Paris 40 years later. We not only learned about the language and the geography but learned that people are wonderful wherever you go.

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