Simply the Best

As the semester comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’. Education is a not an easy profession, and we know genuine success comes only to those who have prepared for it.  Though we face challenges from time to time, or even trip-up along the road, we need to continue pressing forward accepting new challenges and overcoming the hurdles that may lay before us.  My hope is that all your dreams from last year become achievements in the coming year.  So thank you for everything you do for our students and for making a difference today and everyday to come.  Grab a blanket, a cup for hot chocolate, and have a restful weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Tina Turner – Simply the Best)

Finals Season

At the end of today, we will have only ten days remaining in the Fall semester.  The end of the semester is always very stressful for many reasons, but let us all work to not make it more than it is.  Students are stressed with finals looming.  Staff is stressed preparing for the final lessons, and additionally piled with family holiday concerns.  Take a moment to slow everything down and evaluate what is important.  Try to stay positive as we all know misery likes company.  Let us encourage each other as the season allows, because we are all trying to do the best we can for our students.  Enjoy the cold and have a fantastic weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Queen – Under Pressure)

Black Friday

Next week will be Thanksgiving then Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and so on.  We, as a society, have created a season of holidays beginning with Halloween and not ending until January.  Add to that, with the Winter breaks being extended and the Super Bowl not arriving until February, it gives us over 4 months of Holiday cheer.  Let’s hope that is the case, however, the weather reports say El Nino is going to be big.  We need the rain..alot of rain.  We just don’t need monster hail, hurricane winds, and neighborhood floods.  Maybe my holiday wish this year will be that everyone’s roof holds up to the weather.  It’s not a flashy wish, but if your roof fails, I don’t want to be the guy that didn’t send the well wish.  Take pause in the things that matter this weekend.  Have a unbelievable weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Bad Moon Rising – CCR)

Take a Pause

 We have arrived at the middle of November and soon we will be closing out the semester.  Before it arrives, take note of how far your students have come.  In this high paced world of education, we all keep looking up the mountain at what we have yet to climb.  Every now and then, it is refreshing to stop and reflect on the distance covered.  Celebrate that with your class.  I’m sure all students could use an ‘attaboy’ about this time of the semester.  As we experience the short days and short tempers this season brings, a pause may be the perfect remedy.  If not, there is still hot chocolate or cider, blankets to sit under, and plenty of good books, games, or movies to enjoy.  Have a incredible weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Rock this Town – Stray Cats)

Veteran's Day wish

Veteran’s Day is here next Wednesday and I wouldn’t feel right not mentioning it. We have so much with which to be thankful.  Though we may have our differences of opinion, squabbles over political ideals, or other daily challenges that present themselves, we are fortunate.  All it takes is a conversation with a visitor from another country to remind us that we live in a really cool place.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to speak to a foreign visitor, do yourself a favor, speak to an individual in the military that has been deployed.  Their words will be politically correct, but their face will tell the story.  I know this first hand as my son is currently deployed in Afghanistan.  I have been lucky enough to speak to him on Skype and his words say one thing, but his face tells the story.  We have it really good.  With that, my wish and hope is that all our deployed military make it home safe.  As we all know, hope is not a strategy but it’s all I have.  Have a dazzling weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Rock the Casbah – The Clash)

Time Flies

The end of the second grading period has arrived. WOW Time flies! In our management meeting this week, we discussed next week and coming Senior nights in Volleyball, Waterpolo, and Football. These are emotional nights for the students and parents as well. The end of high school athletics is the end of organized sports for many. Very few have the opportunity or accept the challenge to experience collegiate athletics. It is a culminating event where students meet that realization, and then parents are met with a different reality. After years of investing time, emotion, and money in the student endeavors, the end appears. The emotion is real to both the students and parents and our challenge is to not trivialize or desensitize ourselves to the event, for everyday we have the power to make a memory. Have a magnificent weekend…Go Pups!(cue: I Wanna Go Back–Eddie Money)

Homecoming

Homecoming has arrived and the weather is much cooler.  Soon we will be handing out candy (Halloween) and changing our clocks back (Nov. 1^st).  Before the holiday hustle starts, take a moment to reflect on the days past.  The second grading period will be over next week signifying one third of the year is behind us.  Have we done enough to reach those students that need the extra attention?  Have we accepted their failure?  A hand extended is not necessarily a hand out, but it could be a hand up.  Celebrate those students that get up after they have fallen (literally and figuratively) and for those that are stuggling, offer an extended hand.  You are their best option.  Have a breathtaking weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Take My Breath Away - Berlin)

Heat is ON

Here we are in the middle of October and still experiencing the heat.  Though we are not strangers to the temperature, we are all experiencing the same emotion about it…GIVE US A BREAK ALREADY!!!  Thank goodness for the rain on Thursday and if the reports are true, we should experience crazy weather like that the next few months.  Though hope is not a strategy, we can hope that the weather energy doesn’t bring with it crazy events on campus.  We can handle the high energy students in the classroom, it’s the unpredictatable we are never sure about.  As my father once told me, “Expect the unexpected”.  That is never more true than it is sitting behind my desk.   Have a splendid weekend…Go Pups! (cue: The Heat Is On – Glenn Frey)

Connectedness

Considering topics for the week, I decided to keep the theme of connectedness.  What are the ‘little things’ we can do to make a student feel more connected at school.  There has been quite a bit of research in the area of relationship building in schools.  Consistent in all the reading I have done, three simple things stand out:  1) Greet students at the door with a friendly ‘Hello, welcome to class’, 2) Listen, 3) Know their name and use it.  We have the opportunity to change lives and create allies or adversaries.  These ‘little things’ may just be the ingredient that begins the transformation.  Of course, a daily dose of these three ‘little things’ may not bring about the change that is desired, but I’ve never read a study that kindness hurts our chances.  Have a spectacular weekend…Go Pups! (cue: You’re a Friend of Mine – Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne)

Connections

I have always been interested in the interaction between teacher and student.  The professional healthy connection that drives a student to perform for fear that they may just ‘let the teacher down’. That connection is the most powerful and the hardest to achieve.  Sometimes, great teaching is less about curriculum and more about our attitude toward students, our subject, and school.  According to several studies, there are nine essential characteristics that all great teachers display such as: 1) Respect of students, 2) Creating a sense of community and belonging in the classroom, 3) Be warm, accessible, enthusiastic, and caring, 4) Set high expectations, 5) Have a personal love of learning, 6) be a skilled leader, 7) Be able to ‘shift gears’, 8) Collaborate with colleagues, 9) Be professional in all areas.  Teaching is like playing a musical instrument.  It’s difficult to learn, fun when it’s going well, collaborative, and when you become really good, it becomes a natural part of you.  Just as learning the instrument, the rewards are great because you get to change a life. Have an awe-inspiring weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Hall of Fame – The Script)

Just Slow Down

Well, the Dog Bowl has arrived and the heat is still upon us.  Next week we will finally see the arrival of October and some relief from the heat.  By the looks of things in the stores, one would think the end of October was near and Halloween was tomorrow.  It seems retail stores have extended the holiday season so much that we will soon see the Christmas season begin.  Gone are the days when there wasn’t a mention of Christmas until after Thanksgiving.  Whether it be the digital age, retail pressing for profits, or just the pace of life, things are moving fast.  That is why it is all the more important for us to slow down.  Time is the best gift we can give a student or a child.  Take some time for yourself, spend some time with your family, and give some time to the student in need.  We will all be better for it. Have an marvelous weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx)

Rule of Thirds

What a week!  As we close this one out, let us take a collective sigh, whew!  Take some time to have perspective.  We come in contact with so many individuals during the passing of our day, and rarely learn the backstory.  Every one of us have to deal with things outside of school, and at times, it effects us here.  Students are the same way.  My rule of thirds is that we are sleeping for 1/3 of our day, at work for 1/3 and at leisure for 1/3.  At any time those thirds cross over, the outcome will not be desirable.  You shouldn’t take leisure or sleep at work, nor should work interrupt the other two.  The events of this week have reminded me at the very minimum, a day is just a day.  To borrow a line from ‘Annie’, “the sun will come out tomorrow.”  When it does, we will be thankful to have another day to get it right.  Have an extraordinary weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Roll With The Changes – REO Speedwagon)

Planting seeds...

The last heatwave is upon us as we look to the second half of the month.  Soon we will be experiencing more mild temperatures and the end of the first grading period signifying 1/6^thof the year.  I asked a student today what their expectation of school for the day would be.  The response was canned, packaged and equal what we expect of our students:  Be in class on time, be respectful, and give it your best effort.  I asked again and explained that I wanted his expectation of what he wanted.  His honest response opened a frank conversation about what school is all about.  Though our discussion may not change behavior, we at the very minimum we came to an understanding and reconciled our expectations.  Maybe in this case the seed planted may yield something positive.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Have an exceptional weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Nothin’ but a Good Time – Poison)

Teachable Moments

Well, September has arrived and with it we have the start of college football.  Whether you follow sports or not, it is difficult to be removed from the sport that captivates so much of society.  The storied programs and the rivalries they have with each other are time honored.  College football season is a time when we can keep college in on the minds of our students.  Whether they are rooting for a program as a fan, or not even understanding what all the fuss is about, it can be our moment to teach about the value of a college education.  Those ‘teachable moments’ can happen several times a day and we should all spend the time.  We never know what we will do or say that may positively impact a life, but we can begin making lists of what can negatively impact one.  The moment you spend may just be what that student needs that will positively impact them for the rest of their life.  Teachable moments…Have a great weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Friday I’m in Love – The Cure)

We are Family

Here we are at the end of of August.  Back to School night has past, the first football game is behind us, and the heat is still here.  Soon the heat will fade, the long days of September will pass, and we will be carving pumpkins again.  During these days it is ever so important to take the time to share some kindness with your colleagues.  To draw from our Football team motto, “We are family”.  We are all part of the Bullpup family.  That means we support each other on the tough days and celebrate the great ones.  Let’s teach our students that being part of HHS comes with the pride of being part of an extended family.  As we shape their experiences, we can also teach them compassion for their classmates that may just last a lifetime (cue We Are Family – Sister Sledge).  Have a great weekend…Go Pups!

Time to settle in...

Time to settle in for the year.  The symbolic start to school of Labor Day will be here soon and then it is a race to the symbolic finish of Memorial Day.  Interesting how back to school is ‘labored’ and the end of school is ‘remembered’.  I know those days weren’t created for us educators, but they seem to fit.  We work hard to welcome our students back from the summer off and hope that the ‘summer slide’ hasn’t effected them too much.  When I think about my days in school, I can remember the start (the day after the Jerry Lewis Telethon) and finishing with the anticipation of summer activities.  Let’s continue to help our students make memories they’ll draw on for the rest of their lives (cue You’ll Never Walk Alone – Jerry Lewis).  Have an extravagant weekend…Go Pups!

Not Yet...

Welcome back!!! The feeling of the first day of school never gets old. As we settle in to our daily routines, let’s always keep in mind the power we have to influence. We have the opportunity to create adversaries or allies with our students. Let us all remember how good it feels to achieve and every student that enters your class begins with that goal. Also give consideration to the fact that grades can be demotivating or uplifting for a student. Though we don’t use the following scale, we can certainly keep it in our minds:
A = Excellent
B = Above Average
C = Average
NY = Not Yet
Whether the student learns in the first week or last week, they still learned. The difference between ‘Not Yet’ and ‘Fail’ is the difference between ‘Possible chance’ and ‘Certain defeat’ in the mind of a student that is trying. However measured, the feeling of success is a great motivator. Let’s make this year the best ever for our students (cue The Best is Yet to Come - Frank Sinatra). Enjoy your weekend…Go Pups!

Almost there...

We have three weeks to go until the end and things are busy as we prep for the final push to the end. Before I look too far forward, I want to take some time to reflect on how far we have come. This year we have had our share of wins: including two successful AGB visits, a WASC visit that reaffirmed accreditation, positive data in both cohort graduation rate and dropout rate, curriculum conversions, many successes in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, and individual wins are too frequent to count. However measured, whether as objective as a win in a game or subjective as a feeling of success, 2014-15 has proven to be a really good year. On behalf of the administration team, thank you all for you hard work and devotion to our students. (cue Abba – The Winner Takes It All) Enjoy your weekend…Go Pups!

Home Stretch

Now that April is over, we looking down the home stretch. Some Seniors are looking forward to great things to come and finishing strong, others just want it to be finished, and then some just hope to reach the finish. This is a busy time when I get to meet with a number of students that are ‘sitting on the bubble’. They tell me they ‘hope’ to reach the finish and I respond every time with, “Hope is not a strategy”. That saying has meaning for all of us. Are ‘we’ collectively doing everything we can to make certain every student is given the opportunity to finish? Are we providing the motivation and pushing them if need be to the finish, or are we simply hoping they are going to make it on their own. I’ll let you be the judge. Enjoy your weekend…Go Pups!

Spring Break

Well, we have made it to Spring Break, and the end of the semester is quickly approaching. When we return, we will have testing on our doorstep, Senior Ethics will soon follow, Master Schedule planning, then AP testing, Senior jeopardy lists, and final preparation for graduation. Before all that, we have a week to catch our breath and rest up for the final 9 weeks. My hope is that you take some time to reflect on the year. Our collective success is determined by each one of us identifying our individual obstacles and overcoming them. Once we define them, we can implement a plan to overcome. In my office I have a little sign that says, “Bring It”. I look at it multiple times a day and it reminds me to take on my day with a competitive fire. Bring the hurdles, we will find a way to jump them; bring the challenges, we will meet them; bring the students, we will teach them. Enjoy the week off. You’ve earned it. Go Pups! (cue Go-Go’s - Vacation)

First Day of Spring

The first day of Spring has arrived very quietly and we may be able to attribute it to the fact we really didn’t have a Winter this year. Then again, we all know our Valley weather cycle to be the seasons of Fall-Fog Season-Allergy Season-Summer. Having not had a Winter, we can all count on a really hot summer with water restrictions that will make it more difficult. Thankfully, even with our extreme heat, our Valley is still a great place to be. I know this to be true, because every now and then I get reminded when I travel to other schools. Having made the trip to Compton High School last weekend, I have a new frame of reference that makes me really appreciate my surroundings. Yes, we have our challenges, but in perspective, we need not continue to chase something better. Have a great weekend. Go Pups! (cue Alanis Morissette – Thank U)

Testing Season

The first grading period has past and we are quickly approaching testing season. In no time, we will be at Spring break wondering where the year went. In the meantime, we need to focus on the student in the desk, not the teenage attitude, but the story behind the student. That story has you playing a key role and the ending has yet to be written. You have the power to impact a life. You can be the teacher you remember that influenced your life for the better. The next time someone asks you what you do for a living, tell them you positively impact lives because as Larry Bell puts it, “On your worst day, you are a child’s best hope.” So true. Have a great weekend. Go Pups! (cue Beach Boys – Be True to Your School)

Two week break...

 After missing in action for two weeks, the Weekly Communication returns. No doubt, the Spring semester has arrived fast and furious. Hopefully we will experience a wet and rainy February, so we can swim into March. Whether it rains or not, we all know allergy season is just around the corner. In no time, our our eyes will burn (just don’t rub them), and our noses will tickle causing us to get to the pharmacy. Ah yes…the Valley in the Spring. Before then, embrace the cold weather, rain, and snow. We’ll miss it when it’s gone. Have a fantastic 3-day weekend. Go Pups!

Happy New Year!

 

Another year as arrived and with it, the Spring semester. Before we know it, the warm weather will assault us along with the dress code issues. Before then, let us embrace the cold, hope for the rain, out run the flu, and spend our weekends resting for come what may. Go Pups!