Category Archives: Our students

G-Town Wrestlers Rock

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For the last ten hours of this beautiful Saturday, I sat in the gym at Iroquois High School for a wrestling tournament and it was worth every minute of it. Wrestling is, by far, my favorite school sport. Granted, I went to school in Pennsylvania where every boy worth his salt at that time wrestled and carried a can of snuff in his back pocket, so it’s sort of ingrained in my subconscious. Our neighbor, Wayne German, was the wrestling coach at Plum High School and he used to drag me along to the meets. Anyone ever coached by Mr. German knows what the meaning of “heart” is.

There were a ton of wrestlers today and only a handful of parents (not too many want to sit there for 10 hours), but what a terrific day for sportsmanship. Wrestling is an interesting sport because a kid can win individually, even if the team loses. Still, I watched kid after kid run from one mat to the next to watch his teammate’s match. They’re polite and easy to be around. They look out for each other. Real athletes pushing it to the max. Heck, a kid can lose, show a ton of heart and still come off the mat feeling good about himself because he fought hard and gave it 100% until the end.

The moment worth the price of admission came when one of our rookies got his first pin. The grin on the kid’s face when he came up from the mat and the reaction of his teammates were fantastic–brought tears to my eyes. The coach ran himself ragged running from bout to bout, but he never stopped coaching and supporting every kid.

Yeah it was a great way to spend a Saturday, in a smelly gym filled with adolescent boys all treating each other with respect. Win or lose, those kids were as good as it gets today.

Acceptance & Tolerance/GSA?

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At the beginning of this year, three students met with me about starting a group for gay students. We talked a lot about what they wanted out of the group, what they thought the purpose of the group would be, and what they needed from us. They weren’t really clear on all of those questions and neither was I. So we moved forward with a caring counselor as the volunteer adult in the room, the three kids met after school with her, and we called it the “Acceptance and Tolerance” group. Kids had to get permission to stay after school and Jen facilitated.

Next, we hosted “Rachel’s Challenge”, an assembly program which talks about treating everyone with kindness and compassion. The next week’s “Acceptance and Tolerance” group met and 46 students showed up.  46 out of 500! The students talked about being the GSA, Gay-Straight Alliance, and about why each person was there. Most were straight kids who wanted to show support for their friends.

Now I have even more questions. Is it the role of the school to run a club that’s basically about sexuality or is this beyond our school’s purpose? Or is the purpose of the club really something else? Is it really about acceptance and tolerance and treating everyone fairly, with respect? Does it limit the group if it’s focused on the differences we have sexually? Wouldn’t it be more inclusive if it was about diversity and included all of the ways we differ, but more important, all of the ways we’re the same? I need to attend the next meeting, so I can ask the students those questions.

Is it a case of an open forum, with the students meeting on their own and using the building the same way other organizations would ask to use our building? What do they really hope to accomplish as a “club”? How do I support all students within our academic setting, and by support I mean protect, listen to, understand, and create an environment that’s so safe and caring that every child can achieve to his fullest? And again, what do they hope to accomplish–what will they actually do as a school group?

How do I say “yes, we hear you”, but now can we get back to the issues of your homework, attendance, class performance? How do I say, “yes, I accept all of you, now get to work”?

And the personal question I keep coming back to, the Kim question that’s unrelated to the professional person, wonders why anyone would want to be defined by this one part of who they are? I try so hard to see people for ALL that they are, not judging them for one piece, that it’s hard for me to understand why anyone would want to be DEFINED by one thing. I want to say, yes, you’re gay, so what? You’re a lot of things and I see them all. I support you simply because you are ours, a G-Town student.

Spit It Out or Think and Defend?

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We have a recurring theme here in G-Town surrounding our students and academic achievement. As our teachers analyze data and discuss new literacy strategies, I keep hearing the same thing. Our students don’t want to think.

It seems that they really prefer assignments that are specifically spelled out and require only regurgitation of facts. When we ask them to really think about something, to investigate, to reflect, and to respond, they are reluctant. Our kids continually ask the teacher for the answer or for reassurance that they’re on the right track, that the answer is what the teacher is looking for.

Our graduates struggle with this same analysis and reflection, this same critical thought, when they hit college. It leaves me wondering how we got to this point. I graduated from high school 26 years ago and I have strong recall of numerous projects and position papers/speeches, including one from sixth grade. I felt well prepared to analyze and to think critically, it’s obviously a way of thinking on which I rely in my current profession.

So when did we stop asking students to really think and learn? Did our focus on the students at the bottom cause this shift? Did we start spoon feeding students and continue to the point where we are now? I’m curious how this shift occurred and certain that it’s time to make a change.

Student Member on the Board

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G-Town Board of Education gave the oath of office to it’s first student board member, Jeremiah Davis, last night. How cool is it that we have a superintendent and a school board who value what our students think so much that they’ve adopted policy to include a representative on the Board?

My English 12 Blog Assignment

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Mr. Goss, our English 12 teacher, posted an assignment on his class blog that asked each student in the class to read classmates’ posts, find a topic about which they’re interested, quote them, and write about it. Sounds like he’s teaching them how to read, reflect, and respond. Thought I’d help out by participating in the assignment here.

Meg writes, “So our next assignment was to read a letter from a Marine who’s over in Iraq. I feel so bad for this man and what he has to go through each and every day. I’ve read some war books before and I felt sorry for that person or persons but not as much as I do for this guy. I’m not sure why but maybe it’s because this war is going on right now and now that I’m older I can feel for the person more. The way he writes makes me never want to ever go to war and it makes me wonder how anyone can bear it because I know I would absolutely hate it and probably would go crazy. I wonder how this guy will be able to function in society when or if he comes home.”

I also wonder how the men and women serving in a war (that I find extremely difficult to believe in and to support) will function when they come home. Someone close to me served for many years and I realize how difficult it was for him to receive recognition and support from the branch he served. After seventeen years of service, the military found it difficult to assume responsibility for any post-traumatic stuff he was dealing with–as if it could possibly be from anything else after 17 years of service. Our young men and women, who don’t know the system or are too young to fight for their rights, deserve treatment and care when they return, not just a presidential pat on the back (if even).

Several years ago, my husband and I went to see Saving Private Ryan. I found it excrutiating to watch because I was teaching young men and women who in a different day would have been involved in that war instead of celebrating their latest basketball victory.

Every statistic and soldier mentioned in the news, so briefly and without enough pause, is someone’s student, son, sister, friend, grandchild, spouse, or parent. Our decision makers MUST NOT take those lives for granted, or de-humanize them. Those men and women are working hard, every day, to do their best–we must do the same for them.

Thanks for adding your honest thoughts for our consideration, Meg!

Who keeps students safe at school?

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Our superintendent’s conference days were yesterday and today. Yesterday, Superintendent Rinaldi put together a panel of law enforcement experts, along with school personnel and counselors. Our entire district staff was in attendance for discussion about keeping our students safe, what law enforcement has learned about school shootings and how to respond, and what can we do better as a district.

The conversations were meaningful, the expert advice prudent and right on the money, and the staff feedback helpful. The message that I kept getting was that prevention will be much more effective than anything we can do should someone enter our school.

I’m not talking about metal detectors, armed guards, and security cameras. I’m talking about the one-to-one knowledge of every student. The concerted efforts to connect every kid with some adult in the building. A teacher, staff member, SRO, counselor, coach, bus driver, cafeteria worker, or principal. Helping our students to feel so comfortable and valued in our building that they share the responsibility of safety.

Parents, students and teachers talk to us every day about concerns. The follow through is just as important. And if the problem isn’t remedied when we’ve addressed it, that’s when we really need to hear back from parents, students, and teachers again. No one should ever think, “I told the principal and nothing happened.” Most likely something did happen and we assume the problem’s been taken care of unless we hear back from school community members again.

I hope the message is clear that communication and caring overwhelmingly trump metal detectors and armed guards. Anyone who thinks an SRO (school resource officer) alone can take care of school safety is wrong. It’s every member of the school community’s responsibility. We have to work together so that every child is noticed, supported, and safe.

Principal Disappointment

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We had 89 of our seniors absent today, many for a “Senior Skip Day”. This is November. Not May or June when I might be able to look the other way. And it probably wouldn’t be as bad if report cards hadn’t just come out and 54 of them are failing one or more subjects.

Coincidentally, I’m working on the Senior Lounge applications. This is a privilege afforded our Seniors who have excellent attendance, complete homework, maintain at least a passing average in every class, and participate with a good attitude and behavior. I’m not really feeling the desire to provide my Seniors with any privileges when a large portion don’t assume the responsibility of coming to school. And the Senior Trip? That was designed as an incentive to eliminate Senior Skip Days. As you can tell, I’m disappointed in a group of students who I expect more from, every day in G-Town. Not every Senior, but those who “skipped” today. Did I mention it’s only November? And over 1/3 of them are failing?

From where I sit, I’m wondering where we get an atmosphere of entitlement that means we do everything we can for students and they take a Skip Day in NOVEMBER? Having a great school takes everyone and it’s not okay for me to care more about how each student does than he or she does–1/3 of the class failing one or more subjects?! Is it really that hard?

Woman to Woman

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My daughter, Bryna, is nineteen years old. I’ve always been conscious of the need for positive role models in her life. I’ve encouraged her to form relationships with her grandmothers, her aunt, my very dear friend Tina, and other strong women in our lives.

The girls I know spend a lot of time imagining who they will become one day. As a teacher for eleven years, and now as a building principal for seven, I’m always aware of my role as a possible example of a healthy, happy, strong adult. Too many of the young women we work with don’t see a happy adult and value themselves too little. Maybe it’s being aware of this lack for other kids that’s caused me to look for role models for my own daughter.

I think the thing I’ve said most often to our young women who are considering dropping out of school is,

“You need to get a diploma so that you can be strong and take care of yourself and your kids. So that you never have to rely upon anyone else. You need to always be able to point to the door when your significant other treats you beyond reason and say ‘there’s the door’. You never want to have to stay in a bad situation because you can’t take care of yourself financially.”

Helping to raise strong young women in our community has been important to me for as long as I can remember. It’s part of what motivated me to enter the teaching profession in the first place.

I’m glad to see my daughter spend this week in Pittsburgh with the best role model I know.  My mom, Donna Lee, has always been my strongest supporter, the person who’s always believed in me and expected the best of me. She raised me to be independent, to make my own decisions, to make the most of every day. I’m happy for her influence and time with my other strong supporter, Bryna.

Whether related or not, we need to support each other. And we need to seek out those young women who are still deciding who they’ll be one day and help them to figure it out.

G-Town Salutes the Armed Forces

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Our Fall Band Concert was tonight for grades 5-12. As always, it was wonderful–everything from fifth graders who have been playing for three months to a terrific jazz band that includes three of our teachers. The auditorium was packed and everyone seemed to enjoy the concert. Our music programs have always helped G-Town shine the brightest.

I’ve worked in four districts over my eighteen years in education and we have something that happens at our Fall concert that I think is unique to G-Town. At the beginning of our concerts, our concert choir performs the National Anthem and the members of our local American Legion and VFW participate with a presentation of Colors. The concert concludes with the Armed Forces Salute and as our 9-12 Band plays, each flag is presented. Members of our audience who have served stand as their flag is presented. It is unusual and inspiring.

It’s unusual because it takes our 5-12 concert and turns it into a community event. It’s inspiring because it teaches every child in attendance that our veterans, our country, and our flag are meant to be honored and respected. The presentation and removal of Colors is a formal and serious part of our concert, and it teaches our students something important about service and about patriotism.

It also teaches each of us that we’re part of something much bigger than our school community, and that’s a good place to be.

Students step up

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We have five seniors coming to our BOE (Board of Education) meeting tonight to interview for a student seat on the BOE. I’m not sure what questions our BOE members will ask of them, but I’m pleased and proud to see that each student feels committed enough to G-Town to spend several hours twice a month talking about it. And hopefully, the student member will be listening and learning too.

To be completely honest, at first discussion I couldn’t really see why the BOE was looking for this input. After all, I’m at every meeting and I work hard to represent their needs and interests. I’m looking out for each student here. But hey, I’m an adult with my own slant on things and my own perspective. I talk about listening and learning and I give students a strong voice within the building, why not on the BOE? I’m glad the BOE members pushed on this one and I can’t wait to see what perspective a student member on the BOE brings to the discussions. I wonder what influence they’ll have? I wonder what I’ll learn.