tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14017712528229193762024-03-05T01:02:53.028-05:00With Great ExpectationsThoughts from a 40-year teacher at Chets Creek Elementary, Jacksonville, Floridadayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.comBlogger636125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-73865490351199576882016-01-30T15:17:00.000-05:002016-02-01T09:46:31.748-05:00Once a Creeker, always a CreekerThis last week before retirement has been full of tears and laughter - and to think I just wanted a simple breakfast... I guess I should have known that that just isn't Chets Creek's style!<br />
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Believe it or not, I don't actually look for the limelight, although I know that must be hard to believe after this week! For me the silver lining to this week is that through all the activities, other people outside of our school are able to see the school that I see. There's such a great sense of family, of love and caring, of taking care of each other. When teachers feel that kind of support on an adult level - when their cups are full - it is easier for them to give to children, to get involved in their lives and to really understand the mission of making a difference. If there is a larger message that I hope that people will get from this week of tears and laughter, it is that relationships have to be the foundation for quality instruction. When you trust the people you work with and when you feel safe and honored for your efforts, when you are invested in the children and families that you teach, you are willing to take <i>risks</i> and with risks and <i>relationships</i> (and good on-going embedded professional development) amazing <i>results</i> are possible. And we do know how to celebrate our results - triumphs and accomplishments!<br />
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Does that mean we don't have problems at Chets Creek. Absolutely, we have problems. Even with Julie's radiant sunshine as we enter every day and KK dancing through the halls sprinkling her fairy dust, we have devastating, difficult, heart wrenching problems, the same that every school in America faces. But the difference is that when the problems come, and they inevitably do, we are able to see them as learning opportunities because we know there is always someone who has walked before us and now there will be someone to walk beside us and to stand behind us to pick us up if we need the support. You are never alone and that makes the difference.<br />
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As for me, I will take the lessons I have learned at Chets Creek and the forever friendships that I have made into this next chapter. I will smile often at the memories and I will remember my time here... with love, because I know...<br />
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<b><i>Once a Creeker, always a Creeker!</i></b></div>
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dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-35123500783415438522016-01-29T05:53:00.000-05:002016-01-29T05:53:00.646-05:00It's always been about the children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I look back on these last 40 years, it is the faces of the children that run through my mind. From my first class of children that are now moms and dads (and possibly even grandparents! Ouch!) to this latest bunch, I have worried and even cried over some of these children, but I have laughed so much more and have loved the joy of celebrating their accomplishments. I once said that it was amazing to me that I could spend my days enjoying the company of children and someone actually paid me for it. That's basically still how I feel. I have been the luckiest person ever to have been a teacher and to have learned from so many children over the years. <em>For the love of children</em> is the reason I started teaching and it is another group of children, my grandkids, that is the reason I am ending this chapter in my life and moving on to the next. What an amazing journey this had been. Little did I know that when God whispered in my ear that this was what I was suppose to do that He had designed a life of such joy for me that would bring meaning to my life and always be one of my happy places. I am so thankful for this incredible journey!</div>
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I tried to select pictures of students I have loved and adored for this blog, but there were just too many - hundreds really, so I decided to only choose pictures of special children if I was in the picture. LOL! I knew that would cut the selection down quickly as I'm not particularly a fan of having my picture made! Enjoy some of the children I have adored through the years...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very first class in Florence, SC, 1970. <br />
Our Florence County Public Schools had only been integrated<br />
for five years when I began teaching, with the first black child<br />
entering our all-white high school during my Sophomore year in 1964.<br />
1970 was the first year teachers were allowed to wear pants<br />
to school and only if the top and bottom matched!<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhyphenhyphenWwNZNVv-9bkzniDHe9HuR4HySr8IULnXyZDeb828ifTdWWgHCL0QF5lCglkAeng_N7zvy_nTEiTn3KokhURqVqIT4p9o4K22e9j8Txaqwv7yRKugeYw2i5XRQUqoeJ6aIe75-Tllpt/s1600/radishes+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhyphenhyphenWwNZNVv-9bkzniDHe9HuR4HySr8IULnXyZDeb828ifTdWWgHCL0QF5lCglkAeng_N7zvy_nTEiTn3KokhURqVqIT4p9o4K22e9j8Txaqwv7yRKugeYw2i5XRQUqoeJ6aIe75-Tllpt/s200/radishes+002.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Haley with the angel's voice...<br />
"I have been changed for the better..."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For Asher's Sake</td></tr>
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<b><i>...and as one chapter closes, thus begins the next...</i></b></div>
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<br />dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-1790993947007175812016-01-28T17:58:00.000-05:002016-01-28T18:02:51.964-05:00My Walk Down Memory Lane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I could never capture my years at Chets in a single blog or even in a dozen blogs... I have written about many of the people that have made life at Chets such an amazing place to teach but there are so many others. I could never list them all... However, through the years <a href="http://mallonmessages.blogspot.com/">Maria Mallon,</a> Cheryl Dillard, Elizabeth Conte, Debbie Harbour and Tracy Ruark have been my on-going PLC. Others have joined for a year or two, in and out, and have certainly made their mark on my life but that core group of K-1 "loopers" has always embraced new learning and been the place where I could<br />
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bounce my craziest ideas and newest thoughts. They have always shared my enthusiasm because they too are each lifelong learners and take the mission as seriously as I do. They are risk takers, hard workers and, oh, so much fun! They are full of joy! Each has the ability to lead and they have each led at different times in different ways. They are all "eagles" and just flying in their company makes me better. I am a better teacher - and a better person - because of the time I have spent with them... I am forever indebted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkenw-Vmr_TCsQvuLKKTMtzNvzYv9DiK7W_iR0y4k8subbL9_wHdU3lMyTYLgCvLGvpC7rTdRE6ST4n2xXxeFdnHyWE3eE6_VVoZehKpYAoY-t3z3QixFIC0B0p5pbOFD4KIev1uf53Z7m/s1600/DSC_4131+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkenw-Vmr_TCsQvuLKKTMtzNvzYv9DiK7W_iR0y4k8subbL9_wHdU3lMyTYLgCvLGvpC7rTdRE6ST4n2xXxeFdnHyWE3eE6_VVoZehKpYAoY-t3z3QixFIC0B0p5pbOFD4KIev1uf53Z7m/s320/DSC_4131+%25281%2529.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My techy friends, KK and Melanie</td></tr>
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One of my other longtime literacy learning partners has been our Reading Coach, <a href="http://onceuponateacher.blogspot.com/">Melanie Holtsman</a>. She shares blogs, books and articles, and ideas on a daily basis. She's a creative, out-of-the-box thinker and always takes a different twist to what "could" be done. She has so willingly shared the knowledge and ideas she has brought back as a Google Certified Teacher and from Teachers College and is often my thinking partner. She taught me to blog (and how to use my iphone!) Because of Melanie, there are people who think I am technologically savvy, but those people have no idea! I still can't work the document camera and projector! I always had to get my co-teacher to teach a kindergartner of first grader to use that basic equipment so when one of the teachers is absent, I can get through the day! I could fill a book with what I can't do and will never understand, and if it weren't for Melanie answering my stupidest questions at all<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1tgM-Yvs3eSXF71kdgaXylmxOvAjJ7fOTNqysF4M6ASofoqq1WgvPO12-DJold_gCx9UHh6gdbAQUarEFV-QErzEEHg9mmPpPR3l3SCqZ78SgCbM5luLA5jPra60tEqlaSazM2ZYnfUh/s1600/Melanie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1tgM-Yvs3eSXF71kdgaXylmxOvAjJ7fOTNqysF4M6ASofoqq1WgvPO12-DJold_gCx9UHh6gdbAQUarEFV-QErzEEHg9mmPpPR3l3SCqZ78SgCbM5luLA5jPra60tEqlaSazM2ZYnfUh/s320/Melanie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">It's always been about the children.</td></tr>
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times of the day and night, I would get nothing done. She has pushed and dragged me into this techy century, one careful step at a time. I have always been her daily RtI group (she was a Special Education teacher so I benefit from her best strategies!), but honestly, she has made it possible for me to laugh through it all. I will be indebted to her always, for her immense knowledge and her forever friendship... and will always have her on speed dial!<br />
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I have really only blogged about life from a K-1 teacher's perspective all these years, but just as much could have been written about what has been going on in our intermediate school at the Creek over these last 18 years, especially when it comes to <i>results.</i> Melanie has led the charge in literacy K-5, standing on the shoulders of the work that has been done by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues at Teachers' College. Melanie holds the banner high as both new and seasoned literacy teachers do the hard work of preparing our students for high stakes testing, but so much more than that, preparing them for life. <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-glue-that-binds.html">Suzanne Shall</a> and Angela Phillips have led the charge in Math and in Suzanne's absence this year, Angela carries the banner using her own classroom as the Math lab without missing a beat. Carolyn Swidorsky has led Science K-5 from inside her classroom too, making sure that the lower grades build a foundation that can hold the "skyscraper" that is built in fifth.<br />
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Of course, it hasn't always been just about <em>risks</em> and <em>results </em>because much of our time has been spent on <em>relationships</em>. The pictures that follow in no way represent all that has happened at Chets during my time here, but they do represent some of my fondest memories. Here's a quick glimpse of this one teacher's incredible journey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY-RujGPHSWcmS0iqJgUbt_4SvockvpZLyob35RTG1urJBwlj0kiJbZixulVJo2vj1wWcZAL431SZH3ZgM0FeqSxvZw5dlgKxAYWnsEYb7W3m6gHREGofNKpFDJKbcCu8mxwnxhrlWAHz/s1600/IMG_2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY-RujGPHSWcmS0iqJgUbt_4SvockvpZLyob35RTG1urJBwlj0kiJbZixulVJo2vj1wWcZAL431SZH3ZgM0FeqSxvZw5dlgKxAYWnsEYb7W3m6gHREGofNKpFDJKbcCu8mxwnxhrlWAHz/s400/IMG_2742.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="400" /></a><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9_SxZF7awF7lQHKHV_x3lb8jmuPpC7pprMUknaxNI5EvmCc9JFDwAuCj8R1pQdjHp25WfvOPM3_1XYITNn4ZnwaXz-HRaesK-8qPH5hFjYC4wKgnN7ZaF5AEpxmSlBqkGZWDCFp5oZIC/s1600/IMG_2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9_SxZF7awF7lQHKHV_x3lb8jmuPpC7pprMUknaxNI5EvmCc9JFDwAuCj8R1pQdjHp25WfvOPM3_1XYITNn4ZnwaXz-HRaesK-8qPH5hFjYC4wKgnN7ZaF5AEpxmSlBqkGZWDCFp5oZIC/s320/IMG_2792.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg_c8qhlJ5QiHfe1_oGj46pcRylMjPJHcszGo_ipNIBeCs5g1buOjmgzQ2eaXY2azfYNmUIhQk7i8WpY1gjN0owPJmtL-98zx5JqSPfgKRwzU5omAIAFs3MtoOEaOYeYpoSnDMApK0NQc/s1600/IMG_2744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg_c8qhlJ5QiHfe1_oGj46pcRylMjPJHcszGo_ipNIBeCs5g1buOjmgzQ2eaXY2azfYNmUIhQk7i8WpY1gjN0owPJmtL-98zx5JqSPfgKRwzU5omAIAFs3MtoOEaOYeYpoSnDMApK0NQc/s320/IMG_2744.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Your want me to be a what? a Barbie doll?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAdeLx8NSc12zQ6GZROy3zK_yGqDem8qnFTP9hrCdvL__oseA0f7GIpwEixY-li73CzxGbWy4uEmXmVYJm5XvHVCaWuKxNnl6uHHM-DKcU7woNal4QDTnnb8NeFlC8YvFEjNn-qauFIlJ/s1600/IMG_2777%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAdeLx8NSc12zQ6GZROy3zK_yGqDem8qnFTP9hrCdvL__oseA0f7GIpwEixY-li73CzxGbWy4uEmXmVYJm5XvHVCaWuKxNnl6uHHM-DKcU7woNal4QDTnnb8NeFlC8YvFEjNn-qauFIlJ/s320/IMG_2777%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The f<u>irst</u> "Dream Team!"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY-RujGPHSWcmS0iqJgUbt_4SvockvpZLyob35RTG1urJBwlj0kiJbZixulVJo2vj1wWcZAL431SZH3ZgM0FeqSxvZw5dlgKxAYWnsEYb7W3m6gHREGofNKpFDJKbcCu8mxwnxhrlWAHz/s1600/IMG_2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY-RujGPHSWcmS0iqJgUbt_4SvockvpZLyob35RTG1urJBwlj0kiJbZixulVJo2vj1wWcZAL431SZH3ZgM0FeqSxvZw5dlgKxAYWnsEYb7W3m6gHREGofNKpFDJKbcCu8mxwnxhrlWAHz/s1600/IMG_2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-EXOG32FoJM4JE1K3bx3sk1G3BukbnntlV1dH-fgzcXf206tI3u2HeXznxEVHlm9KO4mEwSzCQegpGjJj2ZOebOSt8nT0lBmaUoD_Py9inT2yG41HILZHw8pGcFQY0oecn_aE5XOfogr/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-EXOG32FoJM4JE1K3bx3sk1G3BukbnntlV1dH-fgzcXf206tI3u2HeXznxEVHlm9KO4mEwSzCQegpGjJj2ZOebOSt8nT0lBmaUoD_Py9inT2yG41HILZHw8pGcFQY0oecn_aE5XOfogr/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Sharon Taberski<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbr2lzN54geUV7PqSaSWnaaI_40duXpfBPOI_Pw0xwqireZyo1VXUvfzOxQYo6LegA6-2Tnlf6a7kSLLkg-Vs5Jf0vN53vNLtfuSU2Xqwm5woXMT0-gLVDbj7EPvCJDiWqV1QUlc3gIoU0/s1600/IMG_2820%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbr2lzN54geUV7PqSaSWnaaI_40duXpfBPOI_Pw0xwqireZyo1VXUvfzOxQYo6LegA6-2Tnlf6a7kSLLkg-Vs5Jf0vN53vNLtfuSU2Xqwm5woXMT0-gLVDbj7EPvCJDiWqV1QUlc3gIoU0/s320/IMG_2820%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R8eisi_xqY-JQuCTn9PHKXi5Lihw7NrqFLsPC4uFT-0YuvfiPzC4wPWdq4Am9SkI7AmDz-JcbaHyMSDatvXIuXI8U1GIly5JNoQni-pKeR0E10rKfuS5ir59HR5qvYTyKQFDA3KoPbP-/s1600/IMG_2756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R8eisi_xqY-JQuCTn9PHKXi5Lihw7NrqFLsPC4uFT-0YuvfiPzC4wPWdq4Am9SkI7AmDz-JcbaHyMSDatvXIuXI8U1GIly5JNoQni-pKeR0E10rKfuS5ir59HR5qvYTyKQFDA3KoPbP-/s200/IMG_2756.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Fountas and Pinnell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaalDcnQZfKyoyWiPKgCPs8raC0DV4KBqFTE4Q1tXYsJ0nMDUd44jGzlI9Kc9O-iCno2BXL6LhlhTyoQltsCETGwAji4aWnUg_OrgGBDHd_wPRdASt6kexyQoeWZqJiXbCprKhqeOJoZCb/s1600/IMG_2746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaalDcnQZfKyoyWiPKgCPs8raC0DV4KBqFTE4Q1tXYsJ0nMDUd44jGzlI9Kc9O-iCno2BXL6LhlhTyoQltsCETGwAji4aWnUg_OrgGBDHd_wPRdASt6kexyQoeWZqJiXbCprKhqeOJoZCb/s200/IMG_2746.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleepover</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr08x_YvxpYwa_blNHfIM90N7AM_0_0V40rYQP9ftGKM1MAeyDd9_l-piCUhAZ7PpE6N9sg6h5h5KsGieJ83JeJZmVpklHJleJpb_J-PRudUGSu7Q7nZsOXzXpNdyQJEv7w1E0xomWbe_R/s1600/IMG_2784%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr08x_YvxpYwa_blNHfIM90N7AM_0_0V40rYQP9ftGKM1MAeyDd9_l-piCUhAZ7PpE6N9sg6h5h5KsGieJ83JeJZmVpklHJleJpb_J-PRudUGSu7Q7nZsOXzXpNdyQJEv7w1E0xomWbe_R/s200/IMG_2784%255B1%255D.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9bcMPCnSrkvVRx_K34LXubDMkluGBnj7pLj4cmgu3_Xg-P6eq69ShdSTSZWK8C7PB7yw6rhe6wMRyiBDcVj2_ea6BFFK0ek7mMrU3e9GK5TwLEPYPJYIeDtw8HpnSmjn2GA7o47ituoP/s1600/groupcouch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9bcMPCnSrkvVRx_K34LXubDMkluGBnj7pLj4cmgu3_Xg-P6eq69ShdSTSZWK8C7PB7yw6rhe6wMRyiBDcVj2_ea6BFFK0ek7mMrU3e9GK5TwLEPYPJYIeDtw8HpnSmjn2GA7o47ituoP/s400/groupcouch2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;"> We're in Hollywood! I never did learn all the words to that apple bottom boots song!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yPvI41XF4p4xunX1jg16p3fuW4kCvRoDGifBHh2RcqRPxRupPVrlFnrm_3xfRTTkd_x-943jg8lQvaOw0NHAzyhlMuCACdYaumGyhtsfAMFSAXfny0l3SVIdOrHspSLr_7oGQ532hkLE/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yPvI41XF4p4xunX1jg16p3fuW4kCvRoDGifBHh2RcqRPxRupPVrlFnrm_3xfRTTkd_x-943jg8lQvaOw0NHAzyhlMuCACdYaumGyhtsfAMFSAXfny0l3SVIdOrHspSLr_7oGQ532hkLE/s320/IMG_2793.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aSuJl3HrKEkH4kakEtuUC7nw-IU7-HmE5-ey9CY0dFsMf7ijLtySPydHeP3m44o0RbuCyG_CwxbW0o8npiOspNI56rB0zF7tycGPOQfCOAZf1cl5Gd2jkSg4-C0Kh2BTqUooLhpefWrO/s1600/IMG_2747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aSuJl3HrKEkH4kakEtuUC7nw-IU7-HmE5-ey9CY0dFsMf7ijLtySPydHeP3m44o0RbuCyG_CwxbW0o8npiOspNI56rB0zF7tycGPOQfCOAZf1cl5Gd2jkSg4-C0Kh2BTqUooLhpefWrO/s400/IMG_2747.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSbCTkW7wqlQUdsUnUqgHJU8cxUEcbhAb9RvAYySBs2O_Hfia3Wf-g3zkLOJ5cSXh8Y-k0yHX0qJSmOsErWhxBLizVJ4UZjqlKO7NktBRcUlxeiPG0XKDYqeogAVUXVHIXbPc8IKmQQfR/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSbCTkW7wqlQUdsUnUqgHJU8cxUEcbhAb9RvAYySBs2O_Hfia3Wf-g3zkLOJ5cSXh8Y-k0yHX0qJSmOsErWhxBLizVJ4UZjqlKO7NktBRcUlxeiPG0XKDYqeogAVUXVHIXbPc8IKmQQfR/s200/IMG_2748.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duval County Teacher of the Year </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost falling off the back!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissA6yMtKc3m3PWOtkto2KUqecJARJGE4afzvMclI-bFXs_3nOzPCyb6OOzt7W9xEtyQL4nIOsYUBl1_-FeUg5-ofkFV-UaRHX5JOckxsYueGF9Bc7lfsZpHpiBUrtQyaCMk4YdQz3zZzB/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissA6yMtKc3m3PWOtkto2KUqecJARJGE4afzvMclI-bFXs_3nOzPCyb6OOzt7W9xEtyQL4nIOsYUBl1_-FeUg5-ofkFV-UaRHX5JOckxsYueGF9Bc7lfsZpHpiBUrtQyaCMk4YdQz3zZzB/s200/IMG_2750.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcTTl-AEGtRk0zvePsLbpBaQoQoL5nm80ZmadQdmZxo2MRKWnYpToi7rlaQGoOcDvrUittbAviGwRV1JXBDf7e4vQqdozbh0PtAYuiYmcTasPIbnGL0u3Yw6L8Wkabw9ZrYhO0EUbNeAC/s1600/IMG_2751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcTTl-AEGtRk0zvePsLbpBaQoQoL5nm80ZmadQdmZxo2MRKWnYpToi7rlaQGoOcDvrUittbAviGwRV1JXBDf7e4vQqdozbh0PtAYuiYmcTasPIbnGL0u3Yw6L8Wkabw9ZrYhO0EUbNeAC/s320/IMG_2751.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi372TAGUVpmyjDKzQWlBGDoJ8qEveVsi2IsVqPQfgRP7uoDYvE-w7ou2dUGmleEI_UGp9iOjZrq6ily_Wetu_B-gudMNzn2oSr44y15y89YUqt2YaDv4X5vuJbxLtyoffmJz-g2oOQ_kvj/s1600/IMG_2754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi372TAGUVpmyjDKzQWlBGDoJ8qEveVsi2IsVqPQfgRP7uoDYvE-w7ou2dUGmleEI_UGp9iOjZrq6ily_Wetu_B-gudMNzn2oSr44y15y89YUqt2YaDv4X5vuJbxLtyoffmJz-g2oOQ_kvj/s320/IMG_2754.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qhThIl0GlQoS_rsL4cZmRTcfQt4vVby7FBR8AK5CQ_zDT38n2ohfAAuiP_Cfk_wstUHtLJZr3M479L8Bai2M54nRIb-63gAO-dJ4myhdHxuIcj-dP7EAC2PzdSV8ubw6Ikyd_Jxj-R1y/s1600/IMG_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qhThIl0GlQoS_rsL4cZmRTcfQt4vVby7FBR8AK5CQ_zDT38n2ohfAAuiP_Cfk_wstUHtLJZr3M479L8Bai2M54nRIb-63gAO-dJ4myhdHxuIcj-dP7EAC2PzdSV8ubw6Ikyd_Jxj-R1y/s200/IMG_2758.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brothers Bush<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO7I7rOuk4irB82DMunm0P5NNM1k3yB3Z1mMRLOV2U7mJNq-e5-b0qmpoDiDWb4_npyd4frPGpQSqPqkNKfLkuvIu1jHEFsnafgxDKlOQrC7PPw8xBDIgH3puODxwz-FQfcXYhD4RsMTY/s1600/IMG_2778%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: start;"></a><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvUDpKuGlPfVmUNtyOzn917lhppIWHD_RKieQOhXJ1nqJrqo7a4wy65NRJWz49m9uj_cnrfm9t9lX1jzu711c7bMie66Lzp0w1P-PENS8K9msJxZKvTacx4BYVzMaZhE-epIgeXXbSyw8/s1600/IMG_2791%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvUDpKuGlPfVmUNtyOzn917lhppIWHD_RKieQOhXJ1nqJrqo7a4wy65NRJWz49m9uj_cnrfm9t9lX1jzu711c7bMie66Lzp0w1P-PENS8K9msJxZKvTacx4BYVzMaZhE-epIgeXXbSyw8/s320/IMG_2791%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">With Kyleen Beers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDCekVcgSZMiHv7_zRyn9B99hQ0RfSY4vgwudK9IFYl4K8trTMAmMbrdNwabZSp4sm6BJW89HkXfg6GyCvzmlVPDkBwM3YAKggufMA2h2Vt1XBINbN4VPyrbqqgGCZUXMJjEVWzSXiKMW/s1600/blogger-image--442976251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDCekVcgSZMiHv7_zRyn9B99hQ0RfSY4vgwudK9IFYl4K8trTMAmMbrdNwabZSp4sm6BJW89HkXfg6GyCvzmlVPDkBwM3YAKggufMA2h2Vt1XBINbN4VPyrbqqgGCZUXMJjEVWzSXiKMW/s320/blogger-image--442976251.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Lucy Calkins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honoring Betsy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Praying for Rebecca </td></tr>
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The wack-a-doodles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professional Development</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild and wonderful - Greatest Journey on Earth!</td></tr>
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dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-7120127856517270282016-01-27T20:12:00.000-05:002016-01-28T01:07:34.068-05:00e.e. cummings and the Pen CeremonyWhen I was in the second grade I was a shy kid with ponytails that sat in the back of the room. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Gilmore. I was very quiet, very unsure of myself, but Mrs. Gilmore would come by my desk often, lean close and whisper in my ear, "You can do this. You just have to believe in yourself."<br />
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Mrs. Gilmore introduced my class that year to American poet e.e. cummings. He was famous because of his use of inventive punctuation and the lack of capital letters in traditional places. Mrs. Gilmore's love for his poetry was contagious and so all of my classmates began to use Mr. Cummings as our writing mentor and adopted his style by writing our names in lowercase letters. During that year, under Mrs. Gilmore's tutelage, my self confidence grew as did my love for Mrs. Gilmore. I began to believe in myself.<br />
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As we graduated to third grade, my friends reverted to writing their names in the traditional way but I continued to write my name in the top right hand corner with lowercase letters just to remind myself of Mrs. Gilmore's words. Every time I wrote my name, I could feel her gentle hand on my shoulder and the whisper of her soft voice in my head encouraging me to believe in myself. When I went on to college I continued with lowercase letters because I had decided that I wanted to be a teacher, just like Mrs. Gilmore. As my teaching career gathered in years, I continued writing my name in lowercase letters as a tribute to the dedicated teachers who mentored me and changed me along the way. Today... all these years later... I still write my name in lowercase letters because I want to be a teacher like Mrs. Gilmore. I want to inspire students like she once inspired me. It reminds me that one teacher can change a child's life... because it happened to me.<br />
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Over the years I have told this story often when people have asked me why I sign my name in lowercase letters, so many of my colleagues know the story. Today, much to my surprise, I walked into my last Chets Creek Book-of-the-Month and saw this beautiful painting by talented CCE artist Karen Willett of an e.e. cummings' quote. Our Principal, Susan Phillips, had chosen this month's book selection, <i>Enourmous Smallness</i>, by Matthew Burgess which is the story of e.e.cummings! Karen's painting is taken from one of the book's illustrations. The book is the story of Cumming's life from a small child into adulthood. The book is filled with Cummings' unique poetry. As Susan, the great storyteller, read the book to the assembled teachers, memories of Mrs. Gilmore reading poetry to us in second grade flooded my mind. I was touched beyond belief.<br />
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When she finished, she laid two pens in front of me, a Chets Creek pen and a Chets Creek Church pen tied together with her trademark Clemson orange ribbon, representing a partnership that has meant so much to me over the years. It was then that I tearfully realized that this was a penning ceremony. The Pen Ceremony is a fictitious ceremony created for the movie "A Beautiful Mind." Historically university professors have used pens to communicate their ideas to others. The giving of one's pen is a symbolic gift to the person being honored for recognition of their wisdom and contribution. The only other time we have done a Pen Ceremony was when founding Principal Dr. Terri Stahlman left Chets Creek.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjE20RjVh_32jw-aNTwY_pkfgyacg_W38ovk9T1JRICJqgeWYTz_Toim5e0xRINPz06Vg4ce8-dap6yi4s13T1OL0tqkZWjSHT5hZEArFCySg5_4EEXCDykYYXDHYRuaBmY8PhS212tna/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjE20RjVh_32jw-aNTwY_pkfgyacg_W38ovk9T1JRICJqgeWYTz_Toim5e0xRINPz06Vg4ce8-dap6yi4s13T1OL0tqkZWjSHT5hZEArFCySg5_4EEXCDykYYXDHYRuaBmY8PhS212tna/s320/018.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
The faculty lined up silently and each presented me with a pen. The pens were as varied and as significant as the teachers presenting them. From the pen that screams "NO!" that I am suppose to use any time Susan calls to the beautiful engraved Waterford pen from KK Cherney (who couldn't even be there because her husband was having surgery) and the engraved pen from Suzanne Shall who came after everyone else had left (she is the Principal of her own school) with an engraved pen with my signature closing of "With great expectations." Each and every pen will be cherished because of its significance and people that they represent. To top it all off the gorgeous box that they gave me to keep the pens in is the very same box fashioned by master craftsman Doug Morgan (Deanna's husband) that we have used to hold all of our prayer requests and celebrations each week during our Monday Morning Prayer Group. To say the tears flowed like a waterfall is an understatement. I am not sure anyone ever deserves this kind of honor.<br />
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It is truly humbling for me to think that I have effected anyone else's life and believe it or not, it is difficult for me to stand in this type of limelight. But former Alimacani Principal, Donna Hulsey, once said to me, "Get over yourself. This is about so much more than you. When a single teacher is honored, it honors all teachers and the entire teaching profession." It reminds teachers of why they come to school everyday and why they give so much to so many. It reminds each of us of the difference that one teacher can make in a child's life.<br />
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Today... I think Mrs. Gilmore would be pleased... dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-67944239348100922812016-01-27T15:12:00.000-05:002016-01-28T01:07:13.570-05:00Making a Difference through Book-of-the-Month<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdhqG6PpZJya2Dg0EJA-0a1ScloA7MxxjPeg7oNRQo-ybBq7Y6_8yFySHtPWI9IYwpfWBVyHeUT7EdAWreG8MOdVsFPINrYPNthQk6sy7V0aex4OLYZa8z9coK4vI4cu9bcgDhE52u8mY/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdhqG6PpZJya2Dg0EJA-0a1ScloA7MxxjPeg7oNRQo-ybBq7Y6_8yFySHtPWI9IYwpfWBVyHeUT7EdAWreG8MOdVsFPINrYPNthQk6sy7V0aex4OLYZa8z9coK4vI4cu9bcgDhE52u8mY/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Phillips reads the <br />
book-of-the-month to the faculty.</td></tr>
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When people ask about why Chets Creek is what it is, I know that it is our school culture and results that they are asking about. Building culture was by intentional design from the very first vision of the school. It was the starting point for everything that followed and is partially responsible for the incredible results we have gotten over the years. Part of that culture building included the design for professional development. Over the years professional development has taken many different forms. Some designs have endured over time and continue to bring us together for collegial work. Those are the ones I am highlighting through this series of blogs about professional development that makes a difference.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpx8fUvjnFhqrTAX6q4p_vW9dDkoZr1I0B_URdHPEPoJ6vyuKqerKTeEPDdF5KEbAdpCOBJz8rRNmf8fNXlMKDWTmhSc0nfRSsqZMIL08j9CS16_ANooEoM71z5YpCF7WzO1tSRrI1ybX/s1600/_DSC5862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpx8fUvjnFhqrTAX6q4p_vW9dDkoZr1I0B_URdHPEPoJ6vyuKqerKTeEPDdF5KEbAdpCOBJz8rRNmf8fNXlMKDWTmhSc0nfRSsqZMIL08j9CS16_ANooEoM71z5YpCF7WzO1tSRrI1ybX/s320/_DSC5862.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Teachers follow along as Principal Phillips </div>
reads the book-of-the-month.</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://ccebom.wikispaces.com/">Book-of-the-Month </a>-</i> The idea for Book-of-the-Month was to choose one children's book every month that could be shared with the faculty who would then share it with the students in their classrooms so that the entire school had a common text for discourse. This sets the Principal up as the instructional leader for the school. The Principal introduced the book to the faculty (and nobody can read a children's book better than Susan Phillips!) and then each teacher introduced it to her children. This practice of introducing monthly books has been continuous through the past fifteen years at Chets Creek, although it has taken many different forms.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkFGb6WS7mHAKP0r0UM_4cqdZBC4DTSrrBy5pb-wwCvE_xmwA3ZNU78cDo5C91HNs_jKfzDjAUxGHCEl6AbT5Kvrd1Rr6KTWGSknQcojyh3TYzbceLbFX5hX3CSSco3i0mEI3CpSNaiRm/s1600/DSC_2681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkFGb6WS7mHAKP0r0UM_4cqdZBC4DTSrrBy5pb-wwCvE_xmwA3ZNU78cDo5C91HNs_jKfzDjAUxGHCEl6AbT5Kvrd1Rr6KTWGSknQcojyh3TYzbceLbFX5hX3CSSco3i0mEI3CpSNaiRm/s320/DSC_2681.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working in small groups</td></tr>
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In the beginning, I think the principal chose books just because they were good books for children, and she was somehow drawn to each of them on a personal level. She chose the very first books to "motivate, encourage and inspire." They were culture building books. Eventually part of the Principal's presentation each month was a <a href="http://ccebom.wikispaces.com/file/view/Nov%20Dec%20BOTM%2014.pdf/560045153/Nov%20Dec%20BOTM%2014.pdf">"point paper"</a> that included why she selected the book and ideas for how the book could be used. Some years the books-of-the-month emphasized <a href="http://ccebom.wikispaces.com/BOM+2004+-+2005">vocabulary strategies</a>, writing and <a href="http://ccebom.wikispaces.com/BOM+2003+-+2004">reading strategies</a>. These presentations of strategy work always included an activity to first demonstrate and then practice the strategy so that we felt like the students in the Principal's class. Even in years when the emphasis has had more of a language arts slant, the Principal has tried to demonstrate principles that could be used across disciplines and across grade levels with the goal of engaging <em>all</em> teachers in the conversation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzt18-lV4LTBLfcL3YW-Y9MzZhYNRKrpHfaxIXADORHK45OfeIy-dOrHsbOi9bOqQdrtj5KJL95yPydzkqhvv7s0RHzAToQ_JqOQF9nIYXD8oPZgD9sMG0mGG2iKCW9jhf05YWwtqyvx9/s1600/DSC_2684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzt18-lV4LTBLfcL3YW-Y9MzZhYNRKrpHfaxIXADORHK45OfeIy-dOrHsbOi9bOqQdrtj5KJL95yPydzkqhvv7s0RHzAToQ_JqOQF9nIYXD8oPZgD9sMG0mGG2iKCW9jhf05YWwtqyvx9/s320/DSC_2684.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers working with book-of-the-month with Principal Phillips.</td></tr>
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In the first years, the books were given to the teacher and they belonged to her but it didn't take many years for us to realize that as those books left the building with teachers that left, that we probably weren't being the best steward of our very limited resources. Now the books go to each classroom and they remain in that classroom, which has helped to build a strong library in each room of good books that can be used as touchstone text. You can imagine how the libraries have built up over time with six to nine quality books added each year for 15 years! These are books that the teacher knows well because she has studied them as books-of-the-month and that students know because they hear them and see them through the years. It's easy for a teacher to pick up a BOM to make a point without having to read the entire book because the students are familiar with it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WaUFygCmKfRLnFvBdKQE-QMuCGK1Cd_LL3vZTiseo48B7uMXXzMeBHtkJTLasMXn9zx-ihwZYlxcsbT7epXzoXm1yLTUvQkQPl_vAVhWlKbZnDfCJ85EGjoE62sloWvg7oobihyGokhl/s1600/DSC_0787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WaUFygCmKfRLnFvBdKQE-QMuCGK1Cd_LL3vZTiseo48B7uMXXzMeBHtkJTLasMXn9zx-ihwZYlxcsbT7epXzoXm1yLTUvQkQPl_vAVhWlKbZnDfCJ85EGjoE62sloWvg7oobihyGokhl/s320/DSC_0787.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">It has not always been easy for the school to afford to buy books-of-the-month. The fact that there have always been books each year, even though funds have been so limited, is a testament to the tenacity and creativity of Chets Creek Principals! In fact, in years where there wasn't a book </span><i style="text-align: center;">every</i><span style="text-align: center;"> month, it is most often due to cost.</span></div>
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Not only have the books been the linchpin for teaching many different strategies and ideas over the years, they have provided us with common ideas that have led to conversation across grade levels and across disciplines that strengthen our relationships which effects our results. It's all woven together.<br />
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I could talk about so many of the books that have made a deep and lasting impression on me but I will stick to just three examples so you can see the impact, at least through my eyes. I am sure, if asked, each teacher would have her own stories of favorite BOMs and books that have made a difference in her life and in her classroom.<br />
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One of our earliest Books-of-the-Month was <i><a href="http://ccebom.wikispaces.com/BOM+2000+-+2001">Knots on a Counting Rope</a> </i>by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archembault. This was not a book that was entirely new to me but not one that I had studied with much depth either. However, it was to become a book that would change many of my assumptions about studying books together with my peers. Before presenting this book to the faculty, Dr. Stahlman asked the Leadership Team to read the book with the idea that we would discuss it at our following meeting, (sort of a preview to the faculty presentation) so... I read this picture book about a small Native American boy and his grandfather. I do not remember the specifics of our book talk at that next meeting but I will never forget the electricity in the room as we discussed what we had read and our interpretations. I realized that I had missed much of the story including that one of the main characters was blind- which is a major point to understanding the text. It was the first time that I really truly understood the power of a book talk and how conversations with my peers could change and deepen the way that I interpreted text. That book talk changed the way that I taught and what I did with book talks in my classroom from that day on.<br />
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Several years later, <a href="http://mallonmessages.blogspot.com/2007/10/preparing-for-pow-wow.html"><i>Knots on a Counting Rope</i> was integrated into the kindergarten homework</a> during the month of November when kindergartners celebrate Pow Wow. The young Native American boy was an Iroquois, one of the tribes that we study. Teachers read the story aloud several times during the month (now that everyone had the book because it had been a Book-of-the-Month!) and explained to the children that the grandfather in the story had a rope and that he tired a knot in the rope each time he told the young boy a story. The rope represented time. Kinder teachers then sent home a length of rope with each child with information for the parents of how to find a reading of the book on-line. They asked the parents to tie a knot in their child's rope each time they told their own child a story about their family. The children returned the lengths of rope at the end of the week and shared some of their family stories with each other and with the class. The fact that the work that was born out of this book has endured for 16 years is a testament to its original power as a book-of-the-month!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHCc2eLpejTf2_7uWosaCz5OZ2NdZxfW1E9fnzFYcsyGt0zwp22YbDDVAl_TR3_WoASSZOZKHGhUO7t_H7JWb2qfuP9eJGUU_tVFYg2xgkflqzRtDzMCrz_ulh6d3G_wwS56wXXT4ihHA/s1600/whitetable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHCc2eLpejTf2_7uWosaCz5OZ2NdZxfW1E9fnzFYcsyGt0zwp22YbDDVAl_TR3_WoASSZOZKHGhUO7t_H7JWb2qfuP9eJGUU_tVFYg2xgkflqzRtDzMCrz_ulh6d3G_wwS56wXXT4ihHA/s1600/whitetable.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://ccebom.wikispaces.com/BOM+2005+-+2006">America's White Table</a></i> by Margot Theis Raven is another book that made a lasting impression, not just on me but on an entire faculty and an entire school of children. <b>"</b><i>America’s White Table</i> is the story of a little
known tradition outside the military of setting a remembrance table to honor
the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces. The white table has served as a solitary and
solemn reminder of the sacrifices made to ensure our freedoms. On Veteran’s Day Katie and her sisters are
asked to set this special white table in honor of her uncle who served in the
Vietnam War. As the girls set the table their
Mama explains the significance of each of the items and shares the story of
their uncle’s captivity and escape."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1LrewrEHUrJLM4Iw_r_yy_t7TT37nqZ1AwAM8AmlFPEcBGdK9ndVcpLfyfkqmMPHIb1SATc6NjB0HSbXIdSGbiZQMwhDClwC0sDqDeus03GRsbQPGgiUgSEzO_jr6qao1HRvYR7NjXmk/s1600/blogger-image-1652757722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1LrewrEHUrJLM4Iw_r_yy_t7TT37nqZ1AwAM8AmlFPEcBGdK9ndVcpLfyfkqmMPHIb1SATc6NjB0HSbXIdSGbiZQMwhDClwC0sDqDeus03GRsbQPGgiUgSEzO_jr6qao1HRvYR7NjXmk/s1600/blogger-image-1652757722.jpg" /></a>As we walked into the presentation for <i>America's White Table</i> on Veteran's Day, the Media Center was completely dark except for a single spotlight in the ceiling that shone down on a small table with a white table cloth. The ambiance completely quieted the teachers as they took seats in this theatre in the round. As Principal Susan Phillips began to read this solemn story, Media Specialist KK Cherney, dressed in black, began to add the symbols to the table. As Susan closed the story and a bugle began to play Taps, I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. We are a school with many military families with many moms and dads and husbands deployed at any given time, but more than that we are patriots who understand sacrifice. The faculty was so moved by this book that they asked Mrs. Phillips to present it to every grade level... and she did - to all 1300 students! In the years since that first reading in the week leading up to Veteran's Day the table is set in our lobby and on Veteran's Day Mrs. Phillips repeats the reading of this patriotic BOM for new teachers or anyone that would like to attend. As many times as I have heard this book and seen this powerful demonstration, it still brings tears to my eyes. What are we teaching? We are teaching patriotism but we are also teaching the power of words to create emotion.</div>
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The final book is one of our newest books this year, <i>Mr. Ferris and His Wheel </i>by Kathryn Gibbs Davis that goes with our circus theme. While I cannot know if it will have the staying power that other favorites have had, it made an explosive impact immediately on our work. With this book came the new strategy of sketch noting. <em> Sketch noting</em> is an individualized visual technique for taking notes that brings a new meaning to "stop and jot" or "stop and sketch" or just general note taking and writing about reading. It requires you to synthesize so that you can represent an idea. We probably all do it when we take notes ourselves with arrows and asterisks and boxes around important information, but sketch noting encourages those types of organizational sketches and more that brings meaning to text and to our notes. Many of the reading teachers were first introduced to sketch noting through Reading Council with a demonstration by Reading Coach Melanie Holtsman. Their reaction was, "Why can't we teach content teachers to do this too. so we are all working together on this idea together?" Thus was born a strategy that crossed grade levels and content areas and was the perfect BOM strategy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4sKbhUMEr0FbMb6qhvoMhVB509w1yNP6susQHhFuE7C0lXGZHSeeSd67_16MgUGkNzZ3BpKCEbRAnKytvyvh9bdc1UQvFy7nMxReW2LBif0vqkf6jEZ1cJleH4aSHxnH-CWnuvMaUVy6/s640/blogger-image-1060752930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4sKbhUMEr0FbMb6qhvoMhVB509w1yNP6susQHhFuE7C0lXGZHSeeSd67_16MgUGkNzZ3BpKCEbRAnKytvyvh9bdc1UQvFy7nMxReW2LBif0vqkf6jEZ1cJleH4aSHxnH-CWnuvMaUVy6/s400/blogger-image-1060752930.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen Meissner's first grade bulletin board featuring sketch noting to a readaloud.</td></tr>
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As teachers bought into the idea of how sketch noting could help students organize and remember information, we saw <a href="http://chascin.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-is-sketch-noting.html">blogs</a>, and standard-based bulletin boards (like the kindergarten board above) and examples of student work shared all over the building such as the second grade examples below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5VycJUWsKKOisjgqrAy5AdcrcRzpDAEDtO8Cs7P_Te6gs7Oia6feuw1-2ebOkvyeb_x4G12i7Dzz5VR64kxcSLv3m3TWBDDFjNaeKprf8UMXvkXTEtcZYdM-ATujHuSL2nb_ZFT4LNNB/s640/blogger-image--980614533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5VycJUWsKKOisjgqrAy5AdcrcRzpDAEDtO8Cs7P_Te6gs7Oia6feuw1-2ebOkvyeb_x4G12i7Dzz5VR64kxcSLv3m3TWBDDFjNaeKprf8UMXvkXTEtcZYdM-ATujHuSL2nb_ZFT4LNNB/s640/blogger-image--980614533.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second grade examples of sketch noting</td></tr>
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This is the impact that so many strategies that have been demonstrated with books-of-the month have had on our work.<br />
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Sometimes the books-of-the-month make us feel - laugh or cry. Sometimes the books help us understand a new concept or strategy through demonstration and practice, but always they give us a common vocabulary and text to discuss our thoughts and reflections. Books-of-the-month as professional development lifts the level of our work and brings us together. How fortunate I have been to spend the last couple of decades learning with children's literature as the focus!</div>
dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-69017232119694732682016-01-25T23:33:00.000-05:002016-01-26T23:24:38.877-05:00Making a MARC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaOkRUQvttJAxjgAFnjc7YR2lqRgrcN3nzpWl3vKtMDMxDMjJzwlCxAODlFu-KJK9H_FUnVyeQnWoO5Jrsig37TUmqgJr2i_bPkQIU1IzX62zfIocSPU3VGzGhWX6_TjkExMpUmWmQ7J4/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaOkRUQvttJAxjgAFnjc7YR2lqRgrcN3nzpWl3vKtMDMxDMjJzwlCxAODlFu-KJK9H_FUnVyeQnWoO5Jrsig37TUmqgJr2i_bPkQIU1IzX62zfIocSPU3VGzGhWX6_TjkExMpUmWmQ7J4/s200/IMG_2868.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Today I left the MARC for the last time. I will be retiring at the end of the week. The MARC was the dream of a small group of educators to do something about a large neighborhood in our attendance area. We simply wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children in that under served geographic area. We met with the administration of the community and worked out an agreement so that they would let us use a room in their Community Center and we would provide some volunteer tutoring. Their hope was that the tutoring would hold families in a community that could be somewhat transient. As we got into the community of majority second language families, we realized that the needs were much greater than mere tutoring.<br />
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At about the same time in 2010 a family in our larger community lost their precious daughter to a sudden illness, a beautiful blonde teenager with the heart of an angel. It was devastating for the family but instead of drowning in their sorrow, they decided to create a living memorial to their faithful, spirited and talented daughter, establishing the <a href="http://caregivegrow.org/">McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation</a>. Their mission was to honor McKenzie by inspiring and helping young people find their purpose in a world of challenges. Through church connections some of the teachers who had been volunteering at the MARC were put in touch with the Wilsons (Divine intervention?) Today the Foundation funds many diverse projects that all build on McKenzie's passion and honor her life by helping young people realize their full potential. The MARC (McKenzie Academic Resource Center), which now takes up the entire Community Center in our under served area is only one of the many projects that carries McKenzie's name and is proud to represent her faith and spirit. Because of the Foundation and Chets Creek's involvement, the MARC today is involved in family life in a variety of ways - a preschool program, middle school and high school tutoring, a weekly Saturday Sunday School-type program, Blessings in a Backpack and a multitude of other social service-type programs. The Foundation pays for a full time school-to-Center Liaison. The model has now been replicated in another school community in another part of town.<br />
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This year I have been tutoring on the day 4th-5th graders come. As I walked through the Center today, this is what I observed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Rc9h-P6Q14IgtWufRll9gpml0uq2ry-2x-IV2SJwY9IhR6B3zkVaeTQ7oHH3AaIKF46M1m5vxJNx_RX_KMDswYPOriNLhX3vmvLLFhNn8Nj31Y9n92Tdgl9FZQXGiiCH13yHOEfYJDIZ/s1600/IMG_2867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Rc9h-P6Q14IgtWufRll9gpml0uq2ry-2x-IV2SJwY9IhR6B3zkVaeTQ7oHH3AaIKF46M1m5vxJNx_RX_KMDswYPOriNLhX3vmvLLFhNn8Nj31Y9n92Tdgl9FZQXGiiCH13yHOEfYJDIZ/s320/IMG_2867.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small group Math turoing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A second language student who speaks no English working on<br />
a new language-based computer program, Imagine Learning, <br />
also being piloted at the school. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic19gJra4eqOvQ7U3eF2O41hX94ILCK2xIECFp_lJ42pnx0NT5LJR0eLqpnrByPoJR0aIr0lwjg3F6LkG_yEQRFB9PH6yS-rzYoV-TxNwi0lqXS_Fx7QNHQkW3L4z6sFMTmbZFnaL0rMTZ/s1600/IMG_2871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic19gJra4eqOvQ7U3eF2O41hX94ILCK2xIECFp_lJ42pnx0NT5LJR0eLqpnrByPoJR0aIr0lwjg3F6LkG_yEQRFB9PH6yS-rzYoV-TxNwi0lqXS_Fx7QNHQkW3L4z6sFMTmbZFnaL0rMTZ/s320/IMG_2871.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A computer lab where students can get extra practice in iReady and Achieve 3000, <br />
programs being offered at the school and for homework for extra practice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHzz-XkbM_erYnmFul60dBziOEHGw71SgZ79Mn-zern_I0iRh8YiMok00eeJUXHjSiYiQHBQ-xbgPCbhHJFgxjVJBvQK-KGGr0aS38H-dekA-EOe4ERnCviaYPDLqKx06on_2pu3A9g__/s1600/IMG_2874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHzz-XkbM_erYnmFul60dBziOEHGw71SgZ79Mn-zern_I0iRh8YiMok00eeJUXHjSiYiQHBQ-xbgPCbhHJFgxjVJBvQK-KGGr0aS38H-dekA-EOe4ERnCviaYPDLqKx06on_2pu3A9g__/s320/IMG_2874.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small reading strategy group</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWNoJg3KPgd9wHAghQ8D_Wagb3s9FRVT0dmWv2-tGdy_DPaKGzS6IiEynr7lqfd39MYIfK0QvnAbsHlO84sCVWfQuNt_bN8tLhbuj9zXRvYFZDQ8ARIa5FNir_M0NPT9-tdehNAKDyGeG/s1600/IMG_2876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWNoJg3KPgd9wHAghQ8D_Wagb3s9FRVT0dmWv2-tGdy_DPaKGzS6IiEynr7lqfd39MYIfK0QvnAbsHlO84sCVWfQuNt_bN8tLhbuj9zXRvYFZDQ8ARIa5FNir_M0NPT9-tdehNAKDyGeG/s320/IMG_2876.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Individual tutoring</td></tr>
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This is place that once was hardened soil but today nourishes a rich green garden of possibilities. Seeds were planted that today have begun to bloom and the beautiful colors of McKenzie's butterflies swoop down to brighten every day. Dreams have become reality.. and the best is yet to come...<br />
<a href="http://caregivegrow.org/about-the-foundation/mckenzies-story/"></a><br />dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-85523948965949559642016-01-20T13:38:00.000-05:002016-01-21T18:41:12.780-05:00Happy Birthday Chets Creek!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chets Creek adds a candle for each year. <br />
All 18 candles are displayed in the school's lobby.<br />
This year's "The Greatest School on Earth" (right)<br />
was painted by talented Art teacher, Jen Snead.</td></tr>
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Happy Birthday! Today Chets Creek is 18 years old! I was watching a video of years past in the lobby with a 5th grader this morning and he said, "Wow! Do you know I wasn't even born then?" It was quite sobering to think that every child we are educating today at the Creek wasn't born when the first group of children came over with "Mrs. Fizzle" from three different elementary schools to form that first class in the middle of the school year. That first group of children are grown now and we have even had second generation children entering Chets Creek. Incredible! <br />
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Chets Creek began to build a reputation from those very first days. I can remember however, that we had very few teachers interviewing at Chets in those early years. There were rumors that we worked too hard, that teachers were required to work on Saturdays and Sundays, and that the Principal sat in the parking lot with a camera and checked cars coming in and out to make sure teachers came on time and didn't leave early! Have no idea how those rumors got started but they were so ridiculous. Instead we were busy building a learning community. Teachers who didn't feel comfortable being transparent and opening their classroom to others generally self-selected out. Soon test scores began to verify what we already knew - that something quite extraordinary was happening at this new school. Now we generally have teachers interviewing that say they really want to come to Chets as their first choice because of our reputation with on-going professional development.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the detail in this year's candle <br />
with a nod to the Principal's championship team,<br />
Clemson Tigers.</td></tr>
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After five years the county promoted our founding Principal. I'm sure people wondered if Chets would be able to maintain - was the school's success due to a single charismatic leader? Some internally may have wondered that too! Thankfully the county promoted a teacher from within who was familiar with, and had had a pivotal role in, establishing the culture and community. She was able to continue what had been started - business as usual - which is as hard as establishing the initial foundation. While many schools that opened around the same time that we did have had six, seven, even eight principals in these 18 years, we have had only two. That stability has been our strength.<br />
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As test scores came in this year, Chets Creek ranked second in our large county (behind the gifted magnet) and 36st in the state, but what has been built here is so much more than test scores. We have established a true learning community where children, as well as adults, work together and lean on each other for support. Regardless of the winds of change, we have stood steadfast in what we believe is right for children. Because we have always had strong test scores, thank goodness, we have been allowed much autonomy in charting our own course.<br />
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For 18 year Chets Creek has maintained a solid reputation as an outstanding school, inside and out. What a celebration! Happy Birthday, Chets Creek. Just as teacher leaders have continued to exceed the expectations, may they continue to rise to exceed the expectations for the next 18 years!dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-71855414011001268672016-01-19T19:00:00.000-05:002016-01-21T18:24:58.408-05:00The Glue That Binds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I have been reflecting this last month on my years at Chets Creek, I have written about so many of the people who have influenced my life at the Creek - our Principal <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/leadership.html">Susan Phillips</a> and founding Principal <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/leadership.html">Terri Stahlman,</a> the magic of our Media Specialist <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-magic-of-miss-kk.html">KK Cherney,</a> the sparkle and shine of <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2016/01/miss-julie-sparkle-and-shine_14.html">Julie Middleton</a> at our front desk, and some of the faculty that inspire me every day (<a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/people-who-inspire.html">Elizabeth Conte,</a> <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/people-who-inspire.html">Lori Linkous,</a> <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/other-people-who-inspire.html">Karen Morris</a>, <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/other-people-who-inspire.html">Liz Duncan,</a> <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/people-who-inspire.html">Lauren Skipper,</a> and our head custodian <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/other-people-who-inspire.html">Ms. Pat</a>), because they don't just observe life, they choose to live the life they have been given with such a difference... but gosh, there are so many others.<br />
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Two of those that come to mind are <em>Suzanne Shall</em> and <em>Lourdes Smith</em>, who each in her own way has really provided the glue that keeps everything together. They are the supports that strengthen us and the ones that we turn to with our questions, when we are anxious, and when we are frustrated. They are also the ones that we want to celebrate with when we've tried something new that works! Suzanne, who had been our Assistant Principal, left Chets this year to be Principal at her own school (how fortunate are those teachers!) but her influence remains. Lourdes is our Dean of Students and what these two have in common is their energy, commitment, and dedication. They hit the road running the minute they walk in the school door. They work hard every minute of every day. They are often the last to leave as the sun goes down and too often with an armload of "stuff" that still has to be done. They are both super organized and if they tell you they will do something, you can guarantee that it will be done. If you ask a question, they respond immediately and, considering their jobs, that is miraculous. They follow up and they do not hide from the difficult assignments. They both can see the big picture but are also just as engaged with the details. They care about children and speak with parents with respect and ease, but they also really care about teachers. They remember and hold on to, even though they are now administrators, what it was like to walk in the shoes of a teacher. They hold teachers accountable for what is expected, but they are also the first to realize when too much is being asked. They both started as teachers at Chets, were both inclusion teachers, left for a while (Lourdes to have a family and Suzanne home to PA for a while to be closer to her family), but both returned to Chets and stepped into Administrative roles. They both have supportive nuclear families who love and adore them and put up with their need to do their job well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Lourdes Smith clowning around.</td></tr>
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It probably is no coincidence that both Suzanne and Lourdes took on the Presidency of Chets' PTA while they had their own little Creekers here. I will never understand how it was possible for them to juggle the PTA, their administrative jobs and their family, but they did it with an ease and expertise that honestly, amazes me. Of course, there have been days when each of them looked tired, when you knew they were working too hard and were beaten down, but they never seemed to complain. There were times when they seemed to be carrying the weight of the world and yet they somehow persevered, as if they knew something the rest of us didn't. Don't get me wrong, they can also both be feisty and have a bold, angry outburst at injustice, but it is just the passion of their commitment, and it's always short lived.<br />
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In other ways Lourdes and Suzanne are complete opposites. Suzanne is a tall striking blonde and Lourdes is a petite Cuban who wears heels to be taller than most fifth graders. Lourdes speaks both English and Spanish with ease. She is a safe harbor for our Spanish speaking families and their children. I can't imagine what we would do without her. She is as gifted at talking to the innocent kindergartner as she is to the savvy street-smart fifth grader. She speaks her mind at the Leadership table, when asked. She's quick to celebrate others and to recognize those that take risks or those that are going "over and above." Lourdes leads with passion and by example, solidifying relationships everywhere she goes. She is loved and adored by our staff, by our families and by the children.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family is a priority.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEU8V34tb2tqWubfWAlArwLouTxdCXWP453ErI4V05J9FFKpzt1J1wU-C8xHG9-CEqf57wE_T4UWkAihLVMpX-2EywDTxwozNFFkjs0khUZqu-O6Q2MIFM8Z65K-LiOjpp7I9xiNcQGj1/s1600/10944851_10204151267090426_5742698736330339236_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEU8V34tb2tqWubfWAlArwLouTxdCXWP453ErI4V05J9FFKpzt1J1wU-C8xHG9-CEqf57wE_T4UWkAihLVMpX-2EywDTxwozNFFkjs0khUZqu-O6Q2MIFM8Z65K-LiOjpp7I9xiNcQGj1/s320/10944851_10204151267090426_5742698736330339236_n.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzanne reads to a group of children.</td></tr>
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Suzanne on the other hand, rarely waits to be asked her opinion. She always has a response and she doesn't mind sharing it. She believes that people should do what they say and they appreciate knowing when they mess up. Of course, it took her a while to learn that they don't really want to know! I think she was surprised to learn that lots of folks would rather put on rose colored glasses and pretend everything is okay rather than face the brutal truth! However, she has figured that out now and never backs away from a difficult situation. She's smart. She's brave and she's fun to be around. The thing about Suzanne is that it is really difficult to hurt her feelings. She is one of those very rare people that can take criticism at face value and not let it seep into her soul. She recognizes it for what it is. She hears it, evaluates it and then she jumps to solutions. Suzanne synthesizes faster than anyone I know. She usually doesn't mull over problems very long, but is quick to go about fixing them. It's one of the things that teachers always loved about her. Suzanne was <br />
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so very well respected by us all, but she left at the end of the year last year to run her own school. Not only is she a manager, but she is a teacher, an instructional leader. She left a gaping hole at our Leadership table. Most people thought she was irreplaceable. However, as it always happens, Chets is full of people who have the potential to lead at that level but just haven't yet had the opportunity. With her absence you can already see the hole beginning to slowly fill with people who have risen to the challenge and who now begin to fill her shoes. For me, as much as I know she was ready for this new journey, she is missed as a learner, as an outspoken observer, and as a friend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family first.</td></tr>
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The truth is that no large school runs successfully without people like Lourdes and Suzanne who really are the glue that binds everything together. They are hard working and serious but they don't take themselves too seriously. They laugh easily and know how to live in each moment. They are on a mission to make a difference. They touch teachers daily and they strengthen both the highest flyers, weakest links and all those in between. They know that they need to stroke their high flyers as much as they need to touch base with the weakest link. They realize that the weakest link simply needs more support and they make sure that the support is there. They are the secret weapon in a large school.<br />
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A school like Chets Creek is really about the synergy of the whole. No one person is able to produce results alone. All of the pieces have to be there and they all have to fit together. It's the leader's role to make sure that happens. To be a great school is one thing but to maintain is something entirely different and as Jim Collins wrote in <em>How the Mighty Fall</em>, high flyers can't begin to believe their own press! They have to continue to strive and to climb mountains and never stop at the plateaus. So... here's to the many mountains still to climb!dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-88452016537903410532016-01-14T22:33:00.000-05:002016-01-14T22:33:13.165-05:00"Miss Julie" - Sparkle and Shine<br />
Haven't you always heard people say that they can tell a lot about a school when they walk through the door? I didn't really believe that until I had the opportunity to travel all over the state and visit some of the finest schools in Florida. Surprisingly, it is so true. You can walk in the door and walk ten steps to the front office and you can feel the culture and character of a school.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwn5RzDN3HX5v0D9Md6vLEEvUtsP2VffgGcXpcqg0eBXhqBZdxSllgELp8tN-fNy8qrsP89T9RVqrg4hd-CRKXTzUDpgW_yP08pJYDEpoFxctWCeXsVlXR1TtmZpN-5Dc-_CyTNXZLngwz/s1600/10417667_10201039861679242_2802473756271600608_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwn5RzDN3HX5v0D9Md6vLEEvUtsP2VffgGcXpcqg0eBXhqBZdxSllgELp8tN-fNy8qrsP89T9RVqrg4hd-CRKXTzUDpgW_yP08pJYDEpoFxctWCeXsVlXR1TtmZpN-5Dc-_CyTNXZLngwz/s320/10417667_10201039861679242_2802473756271600608_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell that Miss Julie loves pink?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At Chets Creek, it's "Miss Julie" (Julie Middleton) that greets visitors to our school in the front office and she is truly the sparkle and shine! She represents all that I hope people feel when they walk into our school. I love Miss Julie! In fact, everyone loves Miss Julie. She always has a smile for everyone, laughs often and never seems to get ruffled. She's happy! Joy just oozes from of her pores. <br />
<br />
Julie came to Chets Creek about 13 years ago when her second child, Jacob entered our school. She volunteered to be a Room Mom and was quickly drafted to the PTA. She was so active that it seemed that she was a full time employee almost from the beginning. She assimilated into the busy hub of Creek life as if she belonged here. At Chets Creek, when you become that involved and are that good, you get a job offer. Julie was a natural and so she was quickly offered the job at the front desk! It takes someone very special to handle the busy-ness, the roller coaster of emotions, and the all encompassing duties and details of the front desk. Julie accepted (probably without knowing what she was really getting herself into!) and has been there every since! I can't imagine walking into school in the mornings and not being greeted by Julie's warmth. She looks at you and smiles... and any negativity or stress you might feel just melts away. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_52K4BALvP0dbUHVitbyWmgbSawGjCf2s3svNzdUP8jqEkJHp6SQzQ61GV3NE3Em5FqAat2mH9T4t8KnZsXC6sQukE2YhIGl_XR-InMcm3sP9RGxSaQWNMuGdi2U2Fcjp7cy1SEdJ9lRQ/s1600/11204466_10202895746515203_4835762178915541774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_52K4BALvP0dbUHVitbyWmgbSawGjCf2s3svNzdUP8jqEkJHp6SQzQ61GV3NE3Em5FqAat2mH9T4t8KnZsXC6sQukE2YhIGl_XR-InMcm3sP9RGxSaQWNMuGdi2U2Fcjp7cy1SEdJ9lRQ/s320/11204466_10202895746515203_4835762178915541774_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julie with her other family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Being at the front counter in a school with 1300 students and about a hundred staff might be the most difficult job in the school, but you would think it was easy if you watched Julie. She handles it all - late arrivals and early dismissals, children that don't get picked up, taking temperatures, checking for head lice, soothing a crying child, dispensing all the medicine, handling all the substitutes and leave forms, dealing with angry parents and complaints, emergencies, enrolling new students, work orders, working hand-in-hand with the PTA, calling parents in difficult situations,... and I could go on and on. She answers every question, even the really stupid questions without rolling her eyes, and usually with a genuine smile on her face. She knows the name of every child and which parents are attached to which child. If you want to know... anything, Julie is the person to ask. It's not only that but Julie is the embodiment of "walking the talk" because she cares so deeply for children, for the faculty and for our Creek families. She develops relationships with them all. It's not unusual for children to come in the mornings and stop to give Miss Julie a hug or for there to be children that she has taken a special interest in (usually because they are so very difficult and needy) that are "helping" her at her desk. They each trust her and confide things they wouldn't tell another soul. Julie is just so easy to talk to about anything. She has her fingers in every single detail of Chets Creek. I am sure every school has memorable people that color the fabric of their school, but Julie IS Chets Creek and really defines who we are, how people see us, and who I hope we will always be.<br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I asked Julie recently why she stays at Chets. Her son is gone now - a college student - and she is so incredibly talented, she could certainly earn more money - much more money - doing something important somewhere else. I wasn't surprised when she said that she stays because of the relationships she's made. It's hard to explain but that's the thing about Chets Creek. It seeps into your heart and becomes more than people at work who you care deeply about. It becomes your extended family.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aKt52qoZ6WJZBsrPAjr9DHFhFTMQCVRe8yk5kAL5TlsN-uh_ikOhDbqSWoIMkEtfkov4GpCChAyEgyGSXWGPKyMRMkracBEQ2U06b_vF8ojAFEuDR-Jm7T-VG30LbN5-iopR5Wet4yVI/s1600/IMG_2718%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aKt52qoZ6WJZBsrPAjr9DHFhFTMQCVRe8yk5kAL5TlsN-uh_ikOhDbqSWoIMkEtfkov4GpCChAyEgyGSXWGPKyMRMkracBEQ2U06b_vF8ojAFEuDR-Jm7T-VG30LbN5-iopR5Wet4yVI/s320/IMG_2718%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's all about relationships!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-61541640114934705362016-01-06T19:55:00.000-05:002016-01-18T02:33:35.241-05:00Making a Difference through Book StudiesI am often asked what makes Chets Creek so special. "Special" can be defined many ways but when I think about what is special, one of the things I think about is our professional development.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiq_yJgSaMhI-S65MSn6r0qZP1g2geYYAvvn-nEH8ipgTMXQ_M7VPiGkPnKzzCNwILBfvqNA93KGBp-jrsYK0J7ZyxwIoL1weSazW3KY-HKRxAuxo1dcK6te-hqXoHKqmZylIzNCDUGi4/s1600/54552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiq_yJgSaMhI-S65MSn6r0qZP1g2geYYAvvn-nEH8ipgTMXQ_M7VPiGkPnKzzCNwILBfvqNA93KGBp-jrsYK0J7ZyxwIoL1weSazW3KY-HKRxAuxo1dcK6te-hqXoHKqmZylIzNCDUGi4/s200/54552.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><i>Book Studies</i></b> - One of the things that has always set Chets apart is the way the administrators and teachers have embraced book study as one arm of professional development. The first school wide book study, <i>Improving</i> <i>Schools from Within</i> by Roland Barth, was completed before the school even opened. The school actually pulled students and faculty from three different elementary schools in the area. In the fall preceding its opening in January, the faculty gathered together each week at one of the schools and began reading and studying Barth's ideas. Barth's book is a foundational "how to" book for administrators and teacher leaders on how to make a difference, a blueprint for school reform. Barth sets up the steps for how to create change or how to lay the building blocks for a new foundation. From his work emerged the foundational vision, mission and core values for Chets Creek Elementary that were to become the cornerstone for all that was to follow. As teachers left those meetings and talked about what they were doing, you could see the sparkle in their eyes. They were inspired! So, from the very beginning, Chets was able to dream the impossible dream and then create the type of school culture that is rare in public schools but that was to become the hallmark of its success. What an appropriate beginning!<br />
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The following year was my first year at Chets. Like all new teachers at CCE, I was given Barth's book at my Chets' orientation. I had already been teaching for nearly twenty years in seven different elementary schools in four different states, so I recognized immediately how different Barth's ideas were from anything I had ever experienced as a teacher. For the first fifteen years, Dr. Stahlman and then Mrs. Phillips, started all new teachers at Chets with the gift of that book because they wanted new teachers to understand that they were stepping into a culture that thrived on collegiality. They wanted the newbies to understand that they were walking into... a family... on a mission to make a difference in the lives of children. As time went on, the book became unnecessary, because the culture itself provided the lessons.<br />
<br />
By the next year, the county had adopted the <i>America's Choice School Reform Design</i>. How much of the book study agenda in those first years was part of the America's Choice Design and how much of it was Dr. Stahlman is hard to tell. The Design was based on state-of-the-art research, but its implementation was by a Principal who was innovative, creative and an out-of-the-box thinker, so while America's Choice may have laid the foundation, Dr. Stahlman took their ideas and ran. Book Studies became a staple in the pantry of professional development ideas. Susan Phillips had carried that same torch as she took over the helm but has added her own torch of flaming red hair, fun and passion.<br />
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Lucy Calkins' <i>The Art of Teaching Writing </i>was the first book study that I remember during my first year at Chets. The Leadership Team, or at least most of it, began meeting as soon as the book came out, with Dr. Stahlman facilitating the conversation and always asking the hard questions. We met at Starbucks and I'm pretty sure it was off the clock. Dr. Stahlman bought the books and gave them to each of the six to eight of us that were interested in meeting (a practice that continues to this day - if you enroll in a book study, the book is a gift for you to keep and mark up as you like!) I had <i>never</i> had anyone <em>give</em> me a professional book! I was in awe... and totally hooked on this community of learners! We were all so anxious to get our hands on this new book and to start reading and studying. We had so many questions. As we began reading and meeting, our conversations were full of excitement, curiosity, and... how to embed these practices at Chets. For me, this discourse about educational issues, reform and design with my colleagues was invigorating. I couldn't stop my mind from bubbling over. I could barely wait to share what I was learning through my reading. One of the added benefits of meeting together was that as we met, fellowshipped and shared our questions, fears and dreams,... we also became friends. I don't think we finished that entire book (it's a l-o-o-o-n-g book! ) but I do think we were all changed by that experience, because we realized that as we sat together and talked about the ideas of what we were reading, the learning deepened, questions were answered, the fog of misconception cleared and the impossible became possible. As we began to trust each other, we weren't afraid to show our vulnerabilities, confusions, and fears. We were able to argue, debate and we actually learned to listen. It sounds so cliche now to think that the book study was an "aha" experience... but for me, it was.<br />
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We knew immediately that we wanted to take that same book study experience to the teachers, so we offered an elective book study of that same book. Dr. Stahlman purchased the books and we set up a schedule to meet off the clock. I think about 20 teachers signed up for that first elective book study. This experience mirrored that first excitement. We learned so much from each other. You could walk through the hallways and see the implementation of the ideas from the book study - workshop models,conferring, peer review of writing, partner work, examples of writing everywhere... as those reading and working through the book took the lead. As for me, going through the book a second time only enhanced my experience and helped me deepen my understanding. My first time through was about "big picture," but the second time through was about the nuts and bolts. Dr. Stahlman really wanted to reward those first teachers who took a risk, our early adopters, so instead of a final meeting, she surprised the group with a half day substitute and had us take the group to a local Book Store with a $20 gift certificate for each teacher to pick out a few books for her classroom. I don't know if it was the gift certificate or piling into cars and heading for the bookstore with a half day out of the classroom that was the most fun, but it was so unexpected and... thrilling! Teachers were almost giddy with the suspense and excitement. For me, I think it was just the idea of being appreciated that meant so much.<br />
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After those first experiences, book studies have continued in many different forms through the years. Now we try really hard to make sure we offer book studies before, after and during school "on the clock" to show our respect for a teacher's time. I guess we average about two-three book studies a year and have offered them in Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Technology, and Leadership. Sometimes, grade levels have asked to study a book during their grade level time or sometimes Council Groups (which are vertical subject leadership groups) have requested to study a specific book during their scheduled time together. The Leadership Team selects a book to study every year. Sometimes we all study the same or different books during our Early Release time. The money has gotten much tighter over the years to buy books, but basically, if a group is willing to meet, read and work through a book, it is provided... somehow! Time is also at a premium with so many new mandates, but we have stayed true to what we know works and teachers have continued to respond. Below is a list of some of the books we have studied over the past few years. This is not an exhaustive list, but as at look at it, I have to admit it is pretty impressive. It does give you an idea of how professional development has been spiced up by providing what teachers need and what they ask for over time.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Culture/Community Building </b></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/08/inside-magic-kingdom.html">Insidethe Magic Kingdom,</a> </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Tom
Connellan<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2011/10/end-of-molasses-classes-post-1.html">The End of Molasses Classes</a></u>, Ron Clark</span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Revved,
</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Harry Paul &
Ross Reck<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">How
Full is Your Bucket,</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
Tom Rath and Donald Clifton<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Raving
Fans,</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Ken Blanchard
and Sheldon Bowles</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">FISH</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">! and </span><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">FISH! Sticks, </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul and
John Christensen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Who
Moved My Cheese</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Spencer Johnson</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Leadership </b></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Improving
Schools from Within</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Roland Barth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Results
Now, </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Mike
Schmocker<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Shaping
School Culture</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Terrance Deal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Standards
for Our Schools</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Marc Tucker and Judy Codding<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Professional
Learning Communities at Work</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Richard DuFour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2008/07/school-leadership-that-works.html">School Leadership That Works</a></u>, Marzano<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
Teaching Gap</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Jim
Stigler</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Masterful
Coaching</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Robert
Hargrove<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Leverage
Leadership</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Paul
Bambrick-Santoyo</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/09/whole-new-mind.html">A WholeNew Mind,</a> </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Daniel
Pink<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Blink, </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Malcolm Gladwell<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2008/02/disney-way.html">TheDisney Way,</a> </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Bill
Capodagli & Lynn Jackson</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
Radical Leap</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Steve
Farber</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">New
Work Habits For A Radically Changing World</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Price Pritchett<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The 21
Indispensable Qualities of a Leader</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
John Maxwell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
Heart of a Leader</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Ken Blanchard<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Developing
the Leaders Around You</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
John Maxwell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Good to
Great and Great by Choice</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Jim Collins</span><br />
<u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-mighty-fall.html">How the Mighty Fall</a></u>, Jim Collins</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Mission
Possible</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Ken
Blanchard and Terry Waghorn</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Zebra’s
and Cheetahs</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Michael Burt and Colby Jubenville</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2009/08/greater-than-yourslef.html">Greater Than Yourself,</a></u> Steve Farber<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Shine</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Larry Thompson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Blink</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Malcom Gladwell</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Mindset</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Carol Dweck<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Math</b></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Knowing
and Teaching Elementary Mathematics</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Li Ping Ma<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Young
Mathematicians at Work: Addition and Subtraction</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Catherine Twomey Fosnot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Young
Mathematicians at Work: Multiplication and Division</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Catherine Twomey Fosnot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Young
Mathematicians at Work: Fractions, Decimals and Percents</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Catherine Twomey Fosnot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Teaching
Mathematics Developmentally in the Elementary and Middle School Grades</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Van de Walle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/05/number-talks.html">Number
Talks</a></span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/05/number-talks.html">,</a> Sherry
Parrish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Literacy </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2008/04/pattern-books.html">First
Grade Writers</a></span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2008/04/pattern-books.html">,</a>
Stephanie Parsons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Second
Grade Writers,</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
Stephanie Parsons<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Craft
Lessons – Teaching Writing</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Ralph Fletcher<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The Art
of Teaching Writing</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Lucy Calkins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The Art
of Teaching Reading</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Lucy Calkins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/07/mosaic-of-thought.html">Mosaic
of Thought</a></span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/07/mosaic-of-thought.html">,</a> Ellin
Keene<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
Fluent Reader</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Timothy Rasinski<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Growing
Readers</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Kathy
Collins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Classrooms
that Work, They Can All Read and Write</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Patricia Cunningham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Literature
Circles and Response</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Bonnie Campbell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Literature
Circles Voice and Choice in the Student Centered Classroom</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Harvey Daniels<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Nonfiction
Matters</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Stephanie
Harvey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2012/09/ants-on-log.html">Is That a Fact?</a></u> Tony Stead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I Read
It But I Don’t Get It</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Chris Tovani<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Guiding
Readers and Writers</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When
Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Kylene Beers</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">About
the Authors</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Katie
Wood Ray<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://creating%20robust%20vocabulary/">Bringing
Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction</a></span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://creating%20robust%20vocabulary/">,</a> Isabel Beck, Margaret McKeown </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://creating%20robust%20vocabulary/">Creating Robust Vocabulary,</a> Isabel Beck, Margaret McKeown<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Is That
a Fact?</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Tony Stead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">On
Solid Ground</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Sharon Taberski<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Reading
With Meaning</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Debbie Miller<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Words,
Words, Words</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Janet Allen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2012/09/sorts.html">Words Their Way</a></u>, Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, Johnson</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Wondrous
Words</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Katie Wood
Ray</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Strategies
That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Stephanie Harvey</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Learning
to Learn in a Second Language</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Pauline Gibbons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Units
of Study for Reading and Writing, </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Lucy
Calkins</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2014/01/falling-in-love-with-close-reading.html">Fallingin Love with Close Reading,</a> </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Christopher
Lehman and Kate Roberts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Scaffolding
Language, Scaffolding Learning, </span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Pauline
Gibbons<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Pathways
to the Common Core</u>, Lucy Calkins, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Mary
Ehrenworth, Christopher Lehman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/rti-and-interventions.html">What Really Matters: Response to Invtervetion</a></u>, Richard Allington</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoHeader">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Science </b></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Understanding
by Design</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, Jay McTighe, Grant Wiggins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoHeader">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Inquire
Within: Implementing Inquiry-Based
Science Standards</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Douglas Lewellyn</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Primary Science: Taking the Plunge</u>, Wayne Harlen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Inquiring into Inquiry Learning and Teaching in Science, </u>Jim Minstrell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Nurturing
Inquiry: Real Science for the Elementary
Classroom,</u> Charles R. Pearce<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Science
Workshop: Reading, Writing and Thinking
Like a Scientist</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Wendy Saul<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Science
for All Americans</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
F. James Rutherford<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Active
Assessment for Active Science: A Guide
for Elementary School Teachers</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
George Hein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Teaching
Science with Interactive Notebooks</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Kellie Marcarelli<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Science
Notebooks: Writing About Inquiry</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Brain Campbell and Lori Fulton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Technology </b></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2008/08/teachers-return.html">Web 2.0New Tools, New Schools</a></span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
Gwen Solomon & Lynne Schrum<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Web
Literacy for Educators</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
Alan November<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Integrating
Literacy and Technology</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">
Susan Taffe & Carolyn Gwinn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Leading
21<sup>st</sup> Century Schools</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">,
Lynne Schrum and Barbara Levin</span><br />
<u><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2013/05/connected-from-start.html">Connected from the Start</a></u>, Kathy Cassidy<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvV8H9uXDmv2cuAeHtfne28w-MkNFo6M1q4Y1xrqXjuSztxTjbQuZSAPFGlcG9ZKKynJEJ448FXpo5_27iPwTF2Uifl2FC8yxIVIn3n25ukKPCHKwYHoVPLVrTT9hDfQdR7jsYScR2oaK/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvV8H9uXDmv2cuAeHtfne28w-MkNFo6M1q4Y1xrqXjuSztxTjbQuZSAPFGlcG9ZKKynJEJ448FXpo5_27iPwTF2Uifl2FC8yxIVIn3n25ukKPCHKwYHoVPLVrTT9hDfQdR7jsYScR2oaK/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers meet together over the summer to work <br />
on vocabulary activities after reading <em>Bringing Words to Life</em>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMw2eYyvs9kFwplBo7_Na2eVc7kFGhOswCRxSfagxKJnSLkMdkXGj-ZLECk7SCjSGIGe03rYM9oPV-N86qfkqIVxqkztdx_8-6kko1CKWx5SZKdYY8SjeRIJXUcq7eSAf3mQTDsh8o94D/s1600/8495787474_l.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMw2eYyvs9kFwplBo7_Na2eVc7kFGhOswCRxSfagxKJnSLkMdkXGj-ZLECk7SCjSGIGe03rYM9oPV-N86qfkqIVxqkztdx_8-6kko1CKWx5SZKdYY8SjeRIJXUcq7eSAf3mQTDsh8o94D/s200/8495787474_l.gif" width="131" /></a>The results of Book Studies have been profound. For instance, after studying Beck and MeKeown's vocabulary work <i>Bringing Words to Life, </i><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/06/summer-happenings.html">a group of six kindergarten teachers </a>spent the <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/09/star-vocabulary.html">summer writing vocabulary </a>activities based on the book to be used with the read aloud stories they would read the following year to their children. They continue to use these <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2007/09/vocabulary-continues.html">vocabulary activities</a> today and now sell them on Teachers Pay Teachers as <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/K-1-Vocabulary-335454">"Star Vocabulary"</a> and donate the proceeds to the charity, <a href="http://promisetokate.org/">Promise to Kate</a>.<br />
<br />
Another example - After the faculty studied <i>Fish! </i>the Principal opened the Chets Creek Crab Shack in Pike Place's Fish Market-style and served fried fish, gift certificates, laughter and fun to remind teachers in the middle of the year to "choose their attitude, play, make the students' day and to be present in the moment!" This became an annual event and is a much-anticipated stress reliever each year. It reminds us about the joy every day in teaching!<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnIiOkaakFI6VI5iA7JpYp4ufYW3d7L9tNSlfIGsejCIi4FCYMfDUmuNe613aQ9BCMqUi6wMQtjPB-tX7eDE3NYnC6C12hT7NeD2k7bd0OsKa0q50i05rlJXd56Q0CFd6yE66ec6BNUwW/s1600/4522432744_b577fd3110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnIiOkaakFI6VI5iA7JpYp4ufYW3d7L9tNSlfIGsejCIi4FCYMfDUmuNe613aQ9BCMqUi6wMQtjPB-tX7eDE3NYnC6C12hT7NeD2k7bd0OsKa0q50i05rlJXd56Q0CFd6yE66ec6BNUwW/s320/4522432744_b577fd3110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to the Chets Creek Crab Shack!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVEVhp2RlNHdzY15r_FiqltNhoR59ZMNq88kYUifkoX54hl5JnvRczw6wwce06u7X9RCRthnkSvQRHoZwswxKRc8-Dr2BDUnkyw1OASglKnHfNzlnBynAVzXzBdbMHFRh1uGPQQVVFcSu/s1600/51glVJ8alSL__SL500_AA240_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVEVhp2RlNHdzY15r_FiqltNhoR59ZMNq88kYUifkoX54hl5JnvRczw6wwce06u7X9RCRthnkSvQRHoZwswxKRc8-Dr2BDUnkyw1OASglKnHfNzlnBynAVzXzBdbMHFRh1uGPQQVVFcSu/s200/51glVJ8alSL__SL500_AA240_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
And a final example - Several groups studied Richard Allingtons' <i><a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/rti-and-interventions.html">What Really Matters: Response to Intervention</a> </i>when we were trying to figure out the RtI process. We were able to take the tangled, flawed system that was being imposed on us and to develop a better in-school system that made sense and that got results. Understanding the research and how all the pieces fit together made a profound difference in our work and we were able to give the system what it mandated but to also really do what was best for our children.<br />
<br />
I could go on and on about how different books have made a difference in our quality of life, our decisions, and our teaching at Chets, but you get the picture. Ask any teacher at the Creek about her own experiences. They are as individual and unique as the teachers themselves.<br />
<br />
So why is this particular form of professional development so powerful? I am sure there are professional lists of reasons, but these are the benefits that I see from my own personal experience.<br />
1. Book Studies introduce new knowledge and push learning. Teachers learn from teachers and through dialog. Teachers teach each other, explore new ideas and noodle new possibilities when they have the time and a vehicle for spending time together.<br />
2. Book Studies offer long term, embedded opportunities for practice. Each teacher has a room full of children to practice and refine new ideas and if things don't work, a teacher can always come back next week and share her experience and reflections - and ask for suggestions.<br />
3. Book Studies promote natural accountability. If all the participants agree to try something, it's hard to just blow that off, when you continue to see and meet with those same folks!<br />
4. Book Studies naturally help teachers develop collegiality. After talking together and meeting in each other's rooms, teachers are more likely to visit each other when they have questions at other times, or are looking for someone to bounce off a new idea, or just need a stress reliever. Teachers begin to feel safe - to be risk takers.<br />
5. Book studies offer teachers a way to form professional and personal relationships and friendships. Teachers share both professional and personal ideas, problems and solutions that lead to conversations and relationships outside of the Book Study.<br />
<br />
The biggest deterrent to Book Study is teacher apathy. All teachers have times in their lives when they simply cannot take on one more thing, which is understandable, but every teacher also needs to commit to times that they continue to develop their skills, not just by adding points for re-certification but by making a commitment to engage, learn and improve as a professional. When a teacher thinks they no longer need to learn, in my opinion, it is time to leave the profession! That's what Book Study offers - a relevant topic with people that will hold you accountable. If teachers are not signing up for book studies, there is a reason. Examine the reasons before bashing teachers - maybe it's the presenter, the timing, the topic, crushing paperwork, too much going on... It's not a teacher problem, it's a culture problem.<br />
<br />
My advice for administrators and instructional leaders:<br />
1. Buying the book for each teacher to participate in a book study is a necessary perk.<br />
2. Listening to what teachers <i>want</i> to study and balancing that with what you think they <i>need</i> to study is just plain common sense if you want engagement.<br />
3. Model your expectations by being an often and enthusiastic participant in any book study. Never go unprepared. There's nothing that makes teachers perk up more than when the Principal becomes a learner in the trenches beside them!<br />
4. Make sure teachers can earn re-certification points for doing the study. Unfortunately, it's a rather novel idea to have relevant work for professional development re-certification, so surprise them! Make sure you do the paperwork to give the teacher maximum benefit for their efforts!<br />
5. Notice and praise implementation of book study ideas often! Teachers, just like our students, never get tired of hearing what they are doing something right.<br />
<br />
I feel very blessed to have had the experience of working at a school where book studies have always been available. I have loved the idea of picking and choosing my own course of development. After all, I do consider myself a professional and having the learning right here, so available, makes it easier for me to realize my personal goal of continuing to improve my practice. I have learned so much from my colleagues and have grown to respect their time, talent and wisdom. There is nowhere I have learned more than right here with the people who are walking the talk.</div>
dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-41416888663806795782016-01-04T21:00:00.000-05:002016-01-17T16:26:26.102-05:00Making a Difference through Demo LessonsPeople often ask me how Chets Creek Elementary became the school that it is. Why did the teachers open their doors in the beginning and let their colleagues in? Why did teachers agree to do demonstration lessons? Why did teachers come in droves to Book Study groups that were often scheduled off the clock? What did we do to make the culture what it is?<br />
<br />
Creating and sustaining the culture at Chets is not really my story to tell. The inspiration and design for the culture building piece at Chets goes back to the founding vision and first Principal, <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/leadership.html">Dr. Terri Stahlman</a> and then to our current Principal <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/leadership.html">Susan Phillips</a> who was left with the mission of sustaining the culture. How to create and sustain a culture in a high performing school is their story to tell. However, what I <em>can</em> say about teaching in this school for so many years is that professional development has played a significant role in and continues to support the culture. To me, the biggest pieces of professional development that have served to bind us together across the years are <em>demonstration lessons, book-of-the-month, </em>and<em> book studies</em><i>.</i> Through a series of three blogs, I would like to share my view about how each of these has played a part in supporting our learning over time.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers watching a demonstration lesson as it unfolds.</td></tr>
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<strong><em>Demonstration Lessons</em></strong> - It is demonstration lessons that are at the heart of our PD. These are lessons where one teacher teaches while other teachers watch. <strong><em> </em></strong>After a demonstration lesson, there is always a debrief where those watching list all the positives that they saw and then also ask questions about things they didn't understand. Some years we have called those Warm and Cool Comments and in other years, "Glows and Grows." With new groups, the comments are usually superficial, because they don't yet trust each other but in a Chets group they jump right to the heart of the matter and get to the core questions, the new information, and the wonderings for implementation. Regardless of the group, the conversation is always enlightening. The teacher that presented the lesson usually stays to listen and answer questions and to reflect for the group on how she thinks that lesson went and what she might have done differently.<br />
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I am not sure who did the first demonstration lesson at Chets Creek, but it was Dr. Stahlman's vision that if we were going to get good at this work, we would have to learn from each other by opening up our classrooms and watching each other teach. It was not easy to prepare a lesson and stand before your peers and present it. I will never forget my own first demo lesson. It was shortly after coming to Chets. I was a 20 year veteran of the classroom, but in all those years I had only had a very small handful of people watch me teach and those were usually principals at evaluation time. I was so nervous that Stacy McCollough, whose students and classroom I was using for the lesson, brought over a trashcan because she thought I might throw up!<br />
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I think if you ask any of the teachers that do demo lessons, they would all agree that they were pretty shaky that first time. It is risky. What if you fail and the kids are <em>terrible</em>? Maybe the others will find out that you aren't as good as they think you are. I'm sure on some level those thoughts go through everyone's mind, so why do we even agree to do the demo lessons? We <em>probably</em> could say, "No!" but most of us don't. You never want to disappoint the person asking, because they have faith in you, and... you know they will help you, if you need it. I guess it seems like a compliment to be asked. Besides Chets Creek is a place where it is safe to grow, learn and make mistakes! And there is this mantra that if you know something, you have a moral and ethical obligation to share it for the greater good! Maybe that sounds corny, but we became a community of learners early in our history. Instead of trying to be <em>the</em> best teacher, we became a community that believed our best was only as good as our weakest link and that we could only get better by supporting each other, not competing against each other, so... we have learned to work together. We demo because we know that those watching understand how we feel, and that they know we are taking a risk and... they know they might be next! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers debriefing a lesson they have just watched.</td></tr>
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Of course, as time went on we learned that having something unexpected happen in a demo lesson was inevitable. It was okay and that was most often where we learned the most. We discovered that teachers don't want to see the "perfect" lesson with the "perfect" kids. They want to see the lesson that doesn't go so well and the class with the "challenging" child, so they get some ideas on how to handle those things when they happen... and they always do! In fact, it is those "unplanned" happenings that often exploded with the most honest, pure and deep conversation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After teaching a lesson teachers <br />
debriefing with an audience of teachers <br />
at the professional development site.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers at our county's PD site watching<br />
and then debriefing a lesson with the <br />
teachers through videostreaming.</td></tr>
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It wasn't long before the "demo lessons" broadened to groups visiting our school. For about five years we hosted over <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2009/02/visitors.html">400 visitors</a> <em>a year</em> literally from around the world who came to watch lessons! Then for several years we video streamed <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2009/05/chets-celebrates-175-live-lessons-to.html">175 live lesson</a> to our county's professional development site. The professional development instructors would let us know what lesson they needed when and we would match their needs with what was being taught at the time. We tried not to present anything artificial, but instead we strived to present actual lessons as they were being taught. It took leadership that was willing to say "whatever it takes" and lots of trust and collegiality between the school and professional developers to make those lessons a reality, but that was <em>usually</em> managed! We would film the lesson live while it was happening at Chets Creek while a classroom of teachers taking a class at our county's professional development site from all over the county watched the lesson and then the teachers who taught the lesson would debrief through videostreaming. While this might not seem like such an amazing task today, at the time the technology was so new that most of us had never seen anything like it. Talk about risk taking!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professionals from all over the <br />
world watching a lesson live <br />
at a national convention in Hollywood, CA<br />
from CCE in Jacksonville, FL!</td></tr>
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One time we even videostreamed a live kindergarten lesson from Chets Creek across the country to a national conference in Hollywood CA. You can imagine the headaches trying to do the lesson live with <em>kindergartners</em> with the time change and with the technology challenges of the time! I don't know whose crazy idea that was, but, like I said, we had become risk takers! Those years or videostreaming live lessons and doing so many lesson for visitors gave many teachers a chance to get comfortable with the idea of opening up their classrooms. Most became comfortable with the transparency.<br />
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We also began having professional development days once a week so one grade level met each week and those days always began (and still begin) with a demo lesson. I think if you asked teachers, they would tell you that this is a part of professional development that they look forward to - at least the observing part - and one of the activities where they feel like they have learned the most. It also opens up dialog between teachers. It is not unusual to watch a demonstration lesson and then go back to the teacher later in the week to ask about a resource or a behavior technique or to ask for help in getting your class from where they are now to where you want them to be after watching the lesson. We know that watching a lesson live is much more memorable than just telling a teacher about a concept. The advantage of the lesson live in your own school is that the observing teacher has ready access if there are questions about the lesson later on. The resource is right there to go back to any time! And that leads to collegial friendships and partnerships. From a leadership standpoint, when you have your finger on what the grade level needs, then it's easy to guide the demonstration lessons to meet the need. Of course, that takes an experienced instructional leader (principal or coach or Leadership Team).<br />
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What demo lesson have done is to breakdown the walls of teachers' classrooms. For years we taught in little isolated cubicles. We never watched another teacher teach and we never had feedback on our own teaching except through artificial evaluations. The practice of demo teaching allows us transparency, the ability to observe and take from the observation ways to move our own teaching to the next level. It takes a lifetime to learn this work, and one thing I know for sure, it cannot be done alone. Demonstration lessons open the doors, provide the camaraderie for open dialog that continues to be a hallmark of our success.<br />
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How do we sustain the culture of collegiality? By embedding demonstration lessons as a cornerstone of professional development! Learning at its finest!dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-54177748152027974572015-12-27T21:35:00.000-05:002016-01-14T22:33:26.091-05:00The Magic of Miss KK<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KK is "technically" our Media Specialist but, oh, so much more!</td></tr>
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There are so many incredible folks that make Chets Creek tick but "Miss KK" is the <em>magic.</em> Describing KK Cherney is like trying to catch stardust - it's impossible to put words to qualities that are so elusive, so mysterious. Eternally positive, she is the <em>memory maker</em>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KK, the Book Fairy</td></tr>
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I live in the area where I work, so I am often out in the neighborhood with my Chets Creek shirt or running errands right after school with my ID still attached, and I have often run into former Creekers out in the working world - often teens checking me out at Publix or Target! They will look at my shirt or tag and say, "Oh, you work at Chets Creek. I went to Chets Creek..." and the question that ALWAYS follows is, "Is 'Miss KK' still there?" Then they go into some special memory that always has something to do with KK. She's just one of those people that you never forget - a one-of-a-kind, a bigger-than-life, a once-in-a-lifetime. Susan Phillips says that KK farts rainbows and sunshine! And honestly, it's true!<br />
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KK technically is our Media Specialist and when she reads a story it just grabs you and takes you right into that book. You live with her in that story until she lets you go. She sprinkles her sparkly magic so that even the most reluctant reader embraces reading, just because "Miss KK said so." However, as the years have passed, her role has evolved into more of a Tech Specialist, a role that I'm sure she never imagined, but she has graciously filled because of the need. Her Media Center has become a revolving stage of Library and Tech Lab and goes up and down on a daily basis. People don't always believe it, but Chets is extremely technically challenged with outdated infrastructure and hardware that would drive most faculties mad, except... we have KK. She convinces people all over the county (and anywhere else she can find them) with her charm and savvy into helping us. She piece meals and reworks and creatively manages an impossible system. She wraps our frustrations in a bundle of creative possibilities, so that we don't self-destruct, and she usually manages it with a smile and an absolute can-do attitude.<br />
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KK lives her life with such abandonment. She never hears the word "No" and she sincerely believes that anything is possible. She is full of energy and enthusiasm - like the Energizer bunny - embracing both whimsy and real determination. She embraces life with a passion that is unsurpassed. She is driven by a spiritual, a moral compass. She's never met a stranger and has no inhabitations about stepping right up and talking to anyone, anywhere - doesn't really matter who they are or where she is! When you go anywhere with KK, you realize that she knows EVERYBODY and she can work a room better than any politician that I have ever met! She makes friends so easily and somehow just magically goes right to a person's heart and grabs it. People that meet KK never forget her!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KK as "Peaceful Waters" in the PowWow teepee <br />
making memories with the talking stick. <br />
If you've ever been there, you never forget!</td></tr>
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The indomitable Miss KK is the person that brings the theme alive each year at the Creek - whether it is the magical Land of Oz or the comical circus, she's the one that brings the vision to life in our lobby and in the Media Center and, really, throughout the entire building. She's the one that provides the over-the-top WOW events for our children and brings authors that we never imagined meeting, right into our lives. When you go to her about a simple idea, she suddenly dreams it into a major event. One year we told her we were going to have a space-themed day in first grade and the next thing we knew she had storm troopers escorting us in a parade and a man-made planetarium that first graders climbed into so they could watch the night stars! Another time we told her we needed a center for PowWow and she imagined a life sized teepee that has become a tradition that represents the epitome of Chets Creek life. I could go on and on about how KK brings life to every event at our school, every single day, but there is so much more to KK than her bigger-than-life personality and ideas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children just can't take their eyes off KK!</td></tr>
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KK has a heart that is bigger than anyone can imagine. She feels so deeply for children and just like with adults, she goes right for the heart. Children trust her. They love her. They are mesmerized by her, and they are changed forever when they meet her. There is not a faculty child that has ever been to Chets or that returns to Chets that doesn't make a beeline to see Miss KK. And KK is just as glad to see them. She embraces and hugs and asks about every single thing they have done since she saw them last, like she has nothing else in this world to do but listen to them. She believes in them and they know it. They feel her warmth, her soul, and her pure love. KK is just that memorable to every student at Chets, but to students that struggle.... she is the magic that heals them. She has taken so many of our babies that struggle academically or that struggle with family life or that struggle with friends - children that are hurting, scared, needy - and turned their lives around. They talk to her and tell her things they wouldn't tell another soul. They just know she can help and she does. I tell you, she is magic!<br />
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If I could ask for anything in this world, it would be that every single child could go to a school where they could experience at least one relationship during their school life with an adult like KK. Every single child deserves to feel the oozing of love, trust, security and safety that KK provides to our children at Chets. I don't know how we got so lucky to have KK as one of our founding teachers, but maybe that is because she was part of the vision of what Chets was to become from the very beginning (Thank you Dr. Stahlman!) It's always been about taking <em>risks</em> and about <em><strong>relationships</strong></em> that produce <em>radical results</em>. We are blessed indeed!<br />
<br />dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-9343538515052595552015-12-16T22:31:00.000-05:002016-01-17T03:51:01.035-05:00CCE Fights Hunger!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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During this season when we are trying to teach our children that giving can be better than getting, Chets teachers walked the talk. About 60 members of the staff gathered after school with their families and some of our Extended Day children and packed 10,000 meals for hungry families through the Fight Hunger organization. All of these meals will be donated to under served families in our community which will include the families in our own school attendance area. Thank you Jamie Klicker for suggesting this project during this season!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hair nets are a stylish accessory!</td></tr>
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dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-23896792136904766102015-12-15T10:57:00.001-05:002016-01-17T03:50:07.014-05:00LeadershipAs I was cleaning out some cobwebs in my own mind, preparing for my final opportunity to express some things I want to say, I uncovered several thoughts that have been forming in my mind over the years. Thoughts are like files. Some I have been through and used extensively and some I file and never fully develop, so that seed of an idea just languishes in the file over the years, waiting... Now I'm shaking the dust off those seeds so that I can develop these final thoughts.<br />
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One thing that pops up again and again throughout the files in my head as I think about my school career, is leadership. I guess the reason that it is such a recurring theme is because the foundation of a school rests on the leadership of that school. A school fails or succeeds depending on the direction and guidance of the person in charge. While in many schools that can be a team, the direction and the strength of successful schools is always equal to the strength of the single leader. <br />
Three powerful leaders stand out for me in my last twenty or so years in Duval County.<br />
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The first, I found by accident. I stayed home after my second child was born. I just couldn't seem to balance the demands of being a new mom for the second time and the demands of my job, so... I made a choice. I chose to be a full time mommy. It wasn't a choice that my husband and I planned for so the financial stress was real (the gain in my personal life was pretty real too!), but it was just one of those decisions in life you know in your core is right. When Courtney was school age, I knew the time was right to return to work, but if I am honest, my heart was not in it. I decided to go only to the school where my daughter would be entering kindergarten because I thought if she and I went to school together that I wouldn't have to leave a piece of my heart every time I walked out the door. Alimacani Elementary, a brand new school, was our neighborhood school, so... I dropped off my resume. They were very courteous but said, "Don't call us. We'll call you." They were fully staffed for their inaugural year well before I considered returning to teaching...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Donna Hulsey, circa 1992</td></tr>
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I figured that was that, but God has a way of changing reality... and during the summer, I was offered a job at the last minute when a pregnant teacher of preschool handicapped children was ordered to bed rest. So there I was - my first job in a long while - at my daughter's school. My principal was Donna Hulsey. I knew nothing about Mrs. Hulsey at the time, but I quickly found out that she was a rising superstar with a stellar reputation in Duval County. She was a true visionary who was charming and overflowed with charisma. Teachers had flocked to interview with her and she had the opportunity to pick the very best. Donna hired a corral of very high acievers to meet her very high expectations. What an exciting opening and thrilling beginning... During the Hulsey years at Alimacani, the school won every award and became an icon in our county. What was so inspirational about Donna was that she had such heart for children and she reminded me of all the reasons I had become a teacher in the first place. She put me back in touch with my dreams, my personal mission and my desire to make a difference. She reminded me of the dedication, the commitment and the passion that was inside me. She modeled the patriotism that had always been a part of my heart and the professionalism that was a natural part of my makeup, She made me a better person as she was a role model for integrity, character, and class.<br />
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Interestingly enough she mentored the next inspiring leader that would enter my life, Dr. Terri Stahlman. Dr. Stahlman founded Chets Creek Elementary, where I still teach today. When I could have rested and retired at Alimacani, she enticed me with an opportunity to join a young, energetic faculty and a school that had the most advanced professional development in our area. She was a creative, out-of-the-box thinker. I'm a risk-taker so she became the perfect conduit to help me live beyond anything I had ever imagined I could be. Terri is energetic, dreams big and has the charisma of a movie star. She inspires with her words and her actions and is simply bigger than life. She reacts quickly and fiercely. She's irreverent, disarmingly direct and candid, and wrapped in a package of both vulnerability and strength at the same time. In her six short years, Chets became a flagship for a new school reform. She built a foundation and a philosophy that is as much a part of our story today as it was when she first shared her vision. She is a true visionary. She is the one that said to me, "We are blessed and when you are blessed, you have the moral and ethical responsibility to share what you learn." It's a creed that I have lived by as a coach and as a teacher. I still love being in Terri's company. She makes me laugh and reminds me that even when life is sometimes filled with heartbreak, it can also be full of joy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Dr. Terri Stahlman and Susan Phillips at the Eddy Awards, 2003. I was introduced that night by precious kindergartners, Tanner Stahlman and Miller Phillps. They stole the show!</td></tr>
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And as the circle goes, Terri mentored the baby teacher who grew into the principalship and has now been my leader for over a decade. Susan Phillips is young enough to be my daughter. We share a small South Carolina, somewhat redneck, heritage and the same name (her maiden name is Timmons) although we're not related - to our knowledge - although you never know in SC! Susan took a high performing school... and maintained (sometimes harder that establishing excellence in the first place!) She has always had an older and wiser soul beyond her years and even though she was one of the youngest principals in Duval County, her youth and energy were part of the excitement as the school founder passed the torch to this new generation leader. In times of crisis, Susan has stepped up with honest emotion and creative thinking. She is quick, witty, has a phenomenal memory, is loyal to the end, would never divulge a confidence, and believes in having fun (she also likes weird music - I think it's a generational thing!) While she may first have a knee-jerk reaction, she thinks before she acts and always responds thoughtfully... and she is rarely wrong. She has guided us on a steady and sure course through five superintendents and dozens of new curriculum and initiatives without losing our way. Things all around us have been politically, educationally volatile over the years (one year Susan had five different direct supervisors!), but Chets Creek has stayed the course, fighting for the same tenets of rigor, relationships and results that were part of our founding principles. Susan fights the good fight. She cares deeply about the children (and families) in her care and the people that work in her building... and they all know it! As long as Susan is at the helm of Chets, it will continue its arrow straight mark of excellence.<br />
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Each of these women have made schools stronger because they have been at the helm. They have been visionaries guided by a moral compass. I have never underestimated the power of the principal behind a successful school. To have had three such inspirational women during my career is a gift beyond words and one that I cherish every day. May they each continue to inspire and to show those of us who follow, the way.dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-26041801941380513752015-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:002016-01-17T16:27:15.653-05:00The Grinch Comes to Chets<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Te5Q4Hw0-e-8qrLnn9eQgLQmehPxunoPcMctce0Wh322Azc1ABpwmb7IDBQZRoJMqwPfL_gZcWpMcTmnxB90amqxysG_v1eE1iXXekC-gQA4J12wl00ly78VvFKwJaHAzdLWTQeJcaSu/s1600/grinch03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Te5Q4Hw0-e-8qrLnn9eQgLQmehPxunoPcMctce0Wh322Azc1ABpwmb7IDBQZRoJMqwPfL_gZcWpMcTmnxB90amqxysG_v1eE1iXXekC-gQA4J12wl00ly78VvFKwJaHAzdLWTQeJcaSu/s1600/grinch03.gif" /></a>I have often been called a Pollyanna, because I usually see the glass half full. It's true that I have spent most of my professional life climbing mountains and basking in the view on the mountaintop, but this week I seem to be spending my days walking in the Valley of Discontent. I haven't spent much of my time here over the past fifteen years because I teach at a school where teachers are mostly sheltered from politics, and the focus at Chets has been on living in a state of gratitude, striving for continual self-improvement with a mantra of children first. It's not just an idea. It's the culture.<i> </i> It's a lifestyle.<br />
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After Thanksgiving we come back to three weeks before the winter holiday. I usually love December's short month. It is usually a time of holiday joy and good cheer. We have a hilariously fun Book Exchange and enjoy the "Twelve Days of Cookies." Classes prepare a "Season of Giving" project so they can practice giving instead of just getting. Holiday music can be heard in the hallways and 2nd graders prepare a holiday play for all to enjoy. Teachers finish up units of study and make sure they have a handle on where the children are before they leave and make goals for what they want to accomplish in the new year. You can watch the children's hearts leap with excitement as we move closer to the break and their eyes begin to twinkle... except this year... This year is different. This year the Grinch came to Chets Creek... in the form of TESTING!<br />
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This type of mandated over testing (in Reading, Writing, Math AND Science!) is like a suffocating fog that so masks the view that it is hard to see anything clearly. It's just too much for the children. Even Rudolph's bright red nose couldn't light the way through this clog of frustration. Changing the name to "scrimmages" is just putting a wolf in sheep's clothing! It's still TESTING and in its worst form! The idea to get some data so that we are ready to hit the ground running when we come back in the new year seems like such a good idea... In fact, it's one we have embraced for years. It's one we prepare for way in advance at the school level, but this year the county's new mandated implementation has been short sighted, last minute and disorganized. A perfect dream may start at the top but as it reaches the reality at the bottom, it's more like the perfect storm. I could go on and on and on and on... about all the problems, but it wouldn't solve anything now. The worst part is that we have wasted one of the most beautiful times of the year with our children and this time can't be made up. It's gone forever...<br />
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We will continue testing through early next week, because we have no choice. Wonder how many children are really going to have writing prompts, numbers and science experiments in their heads next week instead of the sugarplums that are usually dancing this time of year? We will NOT let the Grinch steal the joy of this Christmas season! Of course, we have to work with that which we cannot change, but some way, some how we still have to make these last days special for the children we care about so much. Maybe it's the <em>rigor</em> of our commitment to children and the <em>accountability</em> of our love that is really being tested... Hmmmmmm...<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #38761d;">P.S. - A few days after this blog was posted, second grade teacher Christy Constande pulled some of the K-1-2 teachers together. Since they had not been effected by the testing, she suggested that they each take a 3-4-5 class and do something holiday-ish for our students that had missed so much of the holiday joy because of testing... Every single primary class adopted an intermediate class! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why this IS the greatest school on earth!</span></b></i>dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-74603490249401815552015-12-10T07:02:00.001-05:002015-12-10T10:18:25.878-05:00The Asher Effect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAB-QuSJIdVRg86eHrHE2267AkQO58fk0ZZMdDPO6_yqwGOYwlrVS427NBbSP8AWOSEEQ4tjyfyXKKD9WRoZWBaUAcn4S4QuanbMIQyXMtV-YoJAKIJYSoiadB6bBP737rD1zNogVD-M0w/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAB-QuSJIdVRg86eHrHE2267AkQO58fk0ZZMdDPO6_yqwGOYwlrVS427NBbSP8AWOSEEQ4tjyfyXKKD9WRoZWBaUAcn4S4QuanbMIQyXMtV-YoJAKIJYSoiadB6bBP737rD1zNogVD-M0w/s320/017.JPG" width="240" /></a>I first met Asher when his mom came with her thick notebook, professional dress, and can-do attitude for a meeting. Asher was new in our class. It was kindergarten and she came to introduce herself to her son's new kinder teachers, Randi Timmons and Tracy Ruark. I was the Special Education teacher. We knew, of course, that Asher was a child with autism because his mom, Tia, had made sure that we had the facts before he came the first day. I asked Randi what she remembered about Tia in that first meeting, and she said it better than I ever could.... "I remember her depth of knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of how gifted her son was. I remember her aura that demanded respect, not in a prideful way, but in a mama bear sort of way. It was obvious from the very beginning that she would settle for nothing less than our very best and that she had a non-smothering kind of love for her child. And he loved his momma. He always knew that she was his biggest fan."<br />
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Tia was also very astute in dealing with teachers. She never threatened, but we definitely knew that she had great expectations for us and our relationship with her son. She was also always willing to do her part. We also knew that she knew the law, although she never actually said it, and that she would fight for him if she had to. She never had to... It's quite a balancing act of respecting and appreciating teachers and yet making sure that your child's needs are met, and she walked that line better than any parent I have ever worked with.<br />
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When I asked Randi what she remembered about Asher that first year she said the thing that first struck her was that when you looked into Asher's eyes, it was as if it was a window into his soul. She remembered his crooked little smile, and how silly and quietly funny he was. He was such a jokester with a dry, spot-on type of humor. I won't lie - those first few weeks were a little rough. Change is never easy and often difficult for children with autism. Asher self- stimmed with his fingers in front of his eyes when he had had all he could take of us and just needed a break from all the commotion... but then he would answer a question in the middle of instruction and we would be blown away. No way he was paying attention! He engaged in ways that both surprised and amazed us. He had "meltdowns" when he got overwhelmed, but he also became a class favorite and never left a day without making us smile.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asher, 1st grader, has always been a class favorite.</td></tr>
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We knew from the beginning that Asher needed additional services in social skills so we suggested an outside agency. Mom went right to work and Cliff arrived. Cliff is an enlightened therapist that often came into the classroom to observe. He took our suggestions and often offered suggestions of his own that worked for him in his small groups with Asher at the Center. We have been so fortunate that Cliff has remained with Asher for all of these elementary years. He is that extra piece that makes such a difference in it all working together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOmOKrnjq8GkAb6Ud0MuzaRi4UfNRAbotdIjC6f2bfoown1v_YGWz74xFIhzo5fIYlYV3T-UfFzKuZMyWWhgeaR3H3uubQup1Qvhlm3J7GVTi9da7fhrMWHWlRe9o05SamiyNeFyeoHBL/s1600/ASher.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOmOKrnjq8GkAb6Ud0MuzaRi4UfNRAbotdIjC6f2bfoown1v_YGWz74xFIhzo5fIYlYV3T-UfFzKuZMyWWhgeaR3H3uubQup1Qvhlm3J7GVTi9da7fhrMWHWlRe9o05SamiyNeFyeoHBL/s320/ASher.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asher, 2nd grader</td></tr>
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As time went on, Asher flourished in so many ways. Tia checked in regularly and made sure that all was right in Asher's world. She was always just a phone call away. He knew it and we knew it. Her questions and suggestions were always helpful and spot-on. Her genuine concern for Asher and for the other students in the class was always so real and so heartfelt. She never had unreasonable expectations and she was always willing to follow through with your suggestions for Asher. There was a respect between us that always made us feel like we had a true partnership. At the end of first grade Asher was selected as the "Soaring Eagle," the child in that final nine weeks who has made the most gain. He was a popular, unanimous choice by teachers and students. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OWJAYkwSSE1Izc0vEG9_kdGP1xf9re-tT_6En6poozvq6Qoh2hfmQjCvGsOBEc1FGcIb0h-W18jkBydMZytzbGVGLbHg5SzOZ5gCvc6FiitdTU-a-fMusQZp9J4DX91_2KcPu7f9VJkQ/s1600/12108875_931109123642550_7319717943128605456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OWJAYkwSSE1Izc0vEG9_kdGP1xf9re-tT_6En6poozvq6Qoh2hfmQjCvGsOBEc1FGcIb0h-W18jkBydMZytzbGVGLbHg5SzOZ5gCvc6FiitdTU-a-fMusQZp9J4DX91_2KcPu7f9VJkQ/s320/12108875_931109123642550_7319717943128605456_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asher, the 3rd grade jokester, has a contagious laugh.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz_IoOCry5opEJYWGfjVSP79PRu8_utL6FkHAvIj5Uyi7XVPozRcSim4e0hS4mvKWJ1SHMYCpF2f8dlyGiD2IxdfAxVV97zat9dHAlJbNg60xpF0MdEQ6q1LcW26KFhtIts0ysF5-W17T/s1600/945596_453693924717408_86471749_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz_IoOCry5opEJYWGfjVSP79PRu8_utL6FkHAvIj5Uyi7XVPozRcSim4e0hS4mvKWJ1SHMYCpF2f8dlyGiD2IxdfAxVV97zat9dHAlJbNg60xpF0MdEQ6q1LcW26KFhtIts0ysF5-W17T/s200/945596_453693924717408_86471749_n.jpg" width="121" /></a>Asher is now a 4th grader and his adorable little sister, Ava, has joined our Chets Creek family. The thing about Asher that I was totally unprepared for was how much I would fall in love with him. There is just something about him that just grabs your heart and won't let go. There is something about Tia's faith and tenacity that attracts and mesmerizes you, so when she decided to start a foundation <a href="https://www.facebook.com/For-Ashers-Sake-307619332658202/">"For Asher's Sake"</a> as a way to give back, all of those of us that have been touched by Asher wanted to get involved. Tia didn't ask us to buy shirts to support Asher. We asked her if she would have shirts made for us to buy so that we could show our support for Asher and for her efforts. We believe in her and we believe that she has the unique experience and attitude to make a real difference in the autism community, in the lives of families with autistic members, and in life, in general.<br />
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I have no idea what Asher's future will hold, but I don't worry about him like I do so many of my other students, because Tia will make sure that this story has a happy ending. There is no question that each of us is better for having known Asher . It's simply a love story...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asher today with his delightful and committed family.</td></tr>
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dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-78396337489094877102015-12-09T16:00:00.000-05:002016-01-17T16:28:05.909-05:00Other People Who InspireI have written about the "stories" of <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/12/people-who-inspire.html">people at Chets Creek who inspire</a> me every day. I am fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people whose lives impact my heart. I have still another group that have touched me and all of our school community is such special ways...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz works with families</td></tr>
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Liz Duncan is a National Board Certified Special Education teacher at Chets Creek with a strong moral compass. Even though she cares about teaching, she cares even more about doing the right thing for the children whose lives touch hers. Her own personal mission collided with our school mission when several years ago our school recognized an under served population of children in our attendance area. Our leadership team made a conscious decision to make a difference in the lives of the children in that specific area. We met with the community's home owners and agreed on a small space where we could offer tutoring free of service in the community. Teachers volunteer their time for tutoring. Of course, as we began to tutor we began to meet families every week bringing and picking up their kids. It didn't take long to realize that the need was so much more than tutoring. We began to help with small projects (covering windows with plastic to keep out the cold, power washing homes, delivering food, looking for English classes for second language adults, providing clothes and household furniture and goods...), but it was soon evident that we needed a more comprehensive plan to meet the need. Liz led our efforts and soon worked through church contacts (<a href="http://beachchurchjax.com/">Beach Church</a> and the <a href="http://www.coe22.com/">Church of Eleven 22</a>) to reach the <a href="http://caregivegrow.org/">McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation</a>. They agreed to become partners in funding a comprehensive program within that community. While that in and of itself is remarkable, it's not the end of the story. It was just the beginning.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The MARC serves Chets students.</td></tr>
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Soon it was evident that the program had grown into more than we had imagined and the Wilson Foundation was interested in using the model for city wide expansion. We needed a teacher liaison to act as our school go-between to make this massive dream come true. None of us knew if this would work or what a job like this would look like. What would it pay? Would the job have benefits? Could the county negotiate a contract with a non-profit? Even with all the uncertainty Liz was willing to step out in faith and say, "I'm willing. Use me." Who does that? Obviously someone who cares deeply and is so committed that she actively listened for the call and then acted. Certainly, as expected, there have been bumps in the road as the program has grown and changed. but when I think of the children and families that have been helped, whose lives have been changed, it humbles me deeply. Somewhere along the way Liz even opened her home to "angel baby," a child who needed a family that is with her still. The MARC (McKenzie Academic Resource Center) is an example of full service comprehension programming through a grass roots effort, the dream of a small group of educators to make a difference in the lives of the children that sit in their classrooms. Liz so inspires me because she wasn't content to sit around and just talk about the need. She stepped up. She saw the need, and she responded.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We wore purple t-shirts all year to support Miss Pat.</td></tr>
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Miss Pat and Ralph Thomas are also part of our Chets family. They inspire us all. Ralph is a 70-year old custodian at Chets and is an Amazon of a man who affectionately high fives every kid he sees. His wife, Miss Pat, is our head custodian. They came to us after escaping the flooding of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. They lost everything. As if one tragedy in a lifetime isn't enough, last year Miss Pat was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer... What I expected was gloom and doom but what I saw was a woman with a smile and an extra skip in her step. Even on her worst days, she was at school smiling and even dancing her way through the hallways. <a href="https://vimeo.com/108746673">Check out the faculty's video to lift her spirits.</a> We wroe purple shirts all year to honor Ms. Pat and to remind her to "let the good times roll!" She is now cancer free but she has taught me that when you have faith, nothing, and I do mean nothing, can really keep you down. She knows that attitude is simply a choice you choose each day. The children (and adults!) in our building know her and love her and have her remarkable example to emulate. I am so much better because I have watched Miss Pat live her daily life and face her trials with joyous faith and thansgiving.<br />
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Karen Morris is another of the remarkable people that call Chets Creek home. She is a second grade, second career teacher who co-teaches with... her sister! Together they are two of the most gracious women that I know. They are always thoughtful and the first to volunteer if there is someone in need. I have watched them with awe and learn from their example every day. What I love about Karen is that she saw a need in our school and a way to meet the need and then did something about it. As a teacher you can't help but notice when a child outgrows his clothes, when the pants are a little too high and the long sleeves barely cover the elbows, when clothes begin to fade and have rips and tears that go unmended. You know when you have to glue the soles together of a child's tennis shoes that these are often signs that a family is stressed. Maybe the crisis is temporary or maybe it is chronic, but nonetheless, the child is in need. He can't really learn while he is carrying such a heavy burden. As those things happen, teachers at our school, on a very regular basis go out and buy clothes for needy children or go through their own child's closet to find clothes that no longer fit or sometimes put the word out to other colleagues with kids about the same size. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Clothes Drive at Chets Creek</td></tr>
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But Karen decided to do more than just hit and miss. Instead she decided to organize an annual clothes drive. Children all grow out of their clothes and often the clothes are still in very good condition, so why not gather all those clothes together in an organized fashion and then redistribute the clothes, allowing families at Chets to come and get what they need? That's exactly what Karen began to do several years ago. Once a year she organizes a week long clothes drive that ends with a Saturday shopping day. Karen has corralled a faithful group of friends and PTA volunteers to sort through all the donated clothes (no small task) and to be there on Saturday. On Saturday morning every table in our over-sized Dining Room is loaded with clothes, divided by size and gender. There is even a section for household goods and books. The line of those waiting is out the door! What I love about Karen is that she didn't just see a problem, but she did something about it that has bettered the lives of so many.<br />
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I am sure in every school there are people like these who walk the talk, people who live their lives in such a way that you are somewhat in awe. Don't get me wrong, they are not perfect people who have perfect lives, and they would be the first to tell you that, but they are people who choose to live their lives with integrity and in service to others. Can we ask for better role models for our children?dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-10977733471961096572015-12-05T21:36:00.000-05:002016-01-17T03:27:55.531-05:00The Holiday Book Exchange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Hawes' Christmas tree, fireplace and snow globe!</td></tr>
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Each year the Reading Council hosts a Holiday Book Exchange. They provide the food and hot chocolate. Teachers are invited to come in their tacky holiday sweaters and bring a new holiday book in a gift bag. Sarah Hawas, on the left, is our annual <i>Tacky Sweater Winner </i>for her creative and fun sweaters through the years. The event has become very popular and this year we had about 60 teachers participate. One of the reasons that it is so popular is that Susan Phillips, our fearless leader, decided the exchange was going to be a Chinese gift exchange and she writes the rules (and the rules sometimes change!) It is hilarious fun! Each teacher gets a number as she comes into the room with the books in their festive bags in the front of the room. Beginning with number 1, that teacher chooses a bag. Then the next teacher can either steal that book or choose a new book. The most coveted number is #1 because that teacher gets to choose the first book and then at the end after all the books have been unveiled, gets to make a final choice. The exchange continues and by the time we get to about number 20, popular books can get stolen many, many times. Susan does have a "3 rule:" Once a book has been stolen three times, it is dead and belongs to the holder of the book at that time. The good news is that you usually get a book that you like. Most teachers are trying to add to their class library and some are adding to their person family library. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHs4o3UjqZjjgW6JMM3VgffgbFpYJ3Vo-I0RTrcVVei6-leUxfQCmmMB8ahOgSDBEIk1BkuMbEUXl0AHU3ap4Zs4_Rln5cv7KcZtGFjNSvbJsL_rT7t37XZFi1euy4hFe-AkgLrdDgPnf/s1600/61WI%252BtaW8hL._SX388_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHs4o3UjqZjjgW6JMM3VgffgbFpYJ3Vo-I0RTrcVVei6-leUxfQCmmMB8ahOgSDBEIk1BkuMbEUXl0AHU3ap4Zs4_Rln5cv7KcZtGFjNSvbJsL_rT7t37XZFi1euy4hFe-AkgLrdDgPnf/s200/61WI%252BtaW8hL._SX388_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
After steals and being stolen from, I ended up with the delightful and new (2015 copyright) <em>How to Catch Santa, </em>which will be a gift to my newest grandson.<em> Pete the Cat Saves Christmas </em>was another popular choice this year, but it is the fun that brings the teachers. In this busy, busy season, it's just a nice bit of fun to add to the festive spirit and one of those traditions that you just don't want to miss.dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-71420592624797770112015-12-05T01:07:00.001-05:002016-01-17T16:28:43.640-05:00People Who InspireWithin a school community, there are always "stories." You know, stories of people that you teach with that have this incredible, sometimes surprising, life outside of school and although it's something totally outside of the school day, it impacts you - often affecting your heart the most. These are not perfect people with perfect lives but imperfect people who take the hand that they have been dealt and make a conscious decision to play that hand to the best of their ability. We have those kinds of insprational people at Chets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyGQjVUmL54V0OdlnAh2-mn45zyoyeNu6H20db4jmxECiyr4myKFfouyJmOlr0-YRn35d8IGEjFmaqewGDGD90iIqB9udJayPr03VRR0WtKsThMrijtjLG00-fKbzhdEpbbAAJhrVywm_/s1600/logo-lg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyGQjVUmL54V0OdlnAh2-mn45zyoyeNu6H20db4jmxECiyr4myKFfouyJmOlr0-YRn35d8IGEjFmaqewGDGD90iIqB9udJayPr03VRR0WtKsThMrijtjLG00-fKbzhdEpbbAAJhrVywm_/s1600/logo-lg.png" /></a>The first that comes to mind is Elizabeth Conte. Elizabeth began her teaching career at Chets. While she was working on a Masters degree in Education she began working at Chets as a para and then walked seamlessly into a teaching position. She was one of those teachers that just had "the gift," and you knew it as soon as you watched her teach the very first time. Through the years our school community watched as she fell in love and got married, and then her first child, a son, Charlie, was born. Soon precious Kate was born. It was soon apparent that Kate was struggling with some medical issues and to make a long story short, she was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy, which is a rare genetic form of muscular dystrophy. After being initially devastated by the news, Elizabeth and her husband, Dave decided to do something. They knew that research was the only way to improve Kate's future and so they have dedicated themselves to their foundation, <a href="http://www.promisetokate.org/">Promise to Kate,</a> that raises money for research and supports our local Children's Hospital, a facility that hosts Kate all too often. Elizabeth has returned to teaching as a Special Education teacher. Kate is now a first grader at Chets so their story is a roller coaster ingrained in our everyday life. When I look at Elizabeth, I see tireless determination and pure inspiration. She doesn't consider herself a hero, but to me, and to so many others, she makes me want to work harder and to be better every single day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2Ev-dqAEXCa-zOf4ZW9u40I0NAmCTEhs9O2_z_qbEnXflDJ3upPXY0kO37rkpLnQ-1KgfCeaAu4LnZHzAfJzpUG4H_cJPc-T-1yQHsZ2CZMPWGzGIHoM_dzDXMuLFlIsB_5Sovy-iC8T/s1600/11146631_10152748490141231_3255768556082947999_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2Ev-dqAEXCa-zOf4ZW9u40I0NAmCTEhs9O2_z_qbEnXflDJ3upPXY0kO37rkpLnQ-1KgfCeaAu4LnZHzAfJzpUG4H_cJPc-T-1yQHsZ2CZMPWGzGIHoM_dzDXMuLFlIsB_5Sovy-iC8T/s320/11146631_10152748490141231_3255768556082947999_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Conte Family</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ8Fq6dlYjavOqmw6fbYsBElN2ZB71yqtt31M9MWEyq_dSY4KYaxzlNEe-zTBNCr7adpFCMwi8bf7i0Bs-a-iNaHjHYZEPJYZ0UqvrL4gBV3bg5RgDMeCcxosfrqiz_bdEpHBmqZdZ2sx/s1600/CTF_Logo_118w.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ8Fq6dlYjavOqmw6fbYsBElN2ZB71yqtt31M9MWEyq_dSY4KYaxzlNEe-zTBNCr7adpFCMwi8bf7i0Bs-a-iNaHjHYZEPJYZ0UqvrL4gBV3bg5RgDMeCcxosfrqiz_bdEpHBmqZdZ2sx/s1600/CTF_Logo_118w.png" /></a>Then there's Lori Linkous. Her son Connor grew up at Chets. Before he came to us he had brain tumors that required surgery and chemotherapy. Lori was an ever-present parent volunteer as Connor entered school. She eventually took a job in the front office (if you spend enough time as a volunteer at Chets we eventually figure out that you need a paying position!) and, as the years went by, Connor graduated from Chets and now attends college. Somewhere during those years, Connor was diagnosed with <a href="http://www.ctf.org/">Neurofibromatosis</a> (NF) which is a genetically inherited condition that leads to the high possibility of tumor formation. Lori and her husband, Ken, have slowly embraced Connor's diagnosis and have recently begun to sponsored an annual run to raise money for research. Lori has always been Connor's advocate but now all of the family have become advocates for a better life for people with NF. Watching Lori each day as she worries and then calms those fears to move steadily forward is another role model for living life in the face of an uncertain future. The Linkous' are such a close knit family and you watch as they depend on each other and stand with hands clasped together to face anything that may come. They have refused to let their circumstances limit the possibilities and have decided instead to commit themselves to making a difference in the lives of others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MQDMRVsBzGXFBNryaLiRWk4z2u3wOb5GtyeL0XCcYZOwOUQma7j1_nlbOG1BPtRn_0rFNk6kBzUCQ-iw5LnE-iGSFkPl9oCPez70q7_3u5w9aCH-bfmGdVKETksZNPzaYM93nezBk12L/s1600/12037963_10208021165832365_1877274172664048988_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MQDMRVsBzGXFBNryaLiRWk4z2u3wOb5GtyeL0XCcYZOwOUQma7j1_nlbOG1BPtRn_0rFNk6kBzUCQ-iw5LnE-iGSFkPl9oCPez70q7_3u5w9aCH-bfmGdVKETksZNPzaYM93nezBk12L/s320/12037963_10208021165832365_1877274172664048988_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chets supports Lori and the NF Run to raise money for research.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjofWnP3E6i8ieJfo6XPy1NaLuQy-IhN4_cuG4mmpCpWwDW4Sq7i7w0xGnApsAjVgFPU-_I0-9P8sc73I5jX1CF3wR3WPBdvhM98Bjlri3GL73J4Iwj0jFgMdocp4GD0uxk4VN8K9vfXoS/s1600/blessings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjofWnP3E6i8ieJfo6XPy1NaLuQy-IhN4_cuG4mmpCpWwDW4Sq7i7w0xGnApsAjVgFPU-_I0-9P8sc73I5jX1CF3wR3WPBdvhM98Bjlri3GL73J4Iwj0jFgMdocp4GD0uxk4VN8K9vfXoS/s320/blessings.png" width="320" /></a>Then there's Lauren Skipper. Lauren's story is little different. Oh, it's the same in the fact that she started her career at Chets. She was another gifted beginning teacher, always strong and determined. She did things well from the very first moment she walked through the doors of Chets Creek. We watched her fall in love, marry, and have two beautiful children. Her son has now graduated to middle school and her precious daughter remains with us at Chets. After teaching K-1 for several years, becoming National Board Certified, getting her gifted certification and then dropping back to part-time work, this year she is a stay-at-home mom. Lauren could just relax, get her nails done and luncheon with friends, but that's not really Lauren's style. She's a doer, a leader. She decided to start a "Blessings in a Backpack" program at Chets several years ago, after seeing the need in the families in her class. Lots of folks think Chets is a "country club" school because a country club is our closest neighbor, but the fact is that almost 30% of our population includes students who are on free and reduced lunch. In a school of 1300 that means that we have a sizable number of families (a school within a school) who struggle to make ends meet. The "Blessings-in-a-Backpack" program is meant to tide those students over through the weekend. A bag of food is sent home each Friday to make sure there is a little extra to eat. Not only does Lauren make sure there is enough money to buy food or donations of the food itself, but she also makes sure that there are adults to pack and deliver the bags. She has elicited her own dad and some of his retired friends to help with the packing and delivering. Lauren reminds me that we can each do something meaningful to make a difference in our school community and that we have a moral responsibility to use our gifts and talents for service. On a personal basis she inspires me to think about how I can make a difference, not only now, but as I face my own retirement from teaching.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx_JdNWl83CtA7YqrlAU9zUr_ADAp7TqwAn4rUEnmSI4v5hZpimQfB8cPYUPK7utY-Wf3aeXPuurmyVqaS4BYB2jgqTqf7y8ifmrwds4et-HhRdwgxPNk0R27FYk2BDF03cgzWgdkT4TV/s1600/12227687_10207907240097059_2583605841134213110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx_JdNWl83CtA7YqrlAU9zUr_ADAp7TqwAn4rUEnmSI4v5hZpimQfB8cPYUPK7utY-Wf3aeXPuurmyVqaS4BYB2jgqTqf7y8ifmrwds4et-HhRdwgxPNk0R27FYk2BDF03cgzWgdkT4TV/s320/12227687_10207907240097059_2583605841134213110_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lauren was recently named CCE "Volunteer of the Year"</td></tr>
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So I guess the point of this blog is that if you look around your school. just like mine, you too will find people with such inspiring stories who make our lives better just by being there. And don't think these are the only folks like this at Chets... I could make this a running column because when I look around there are people who are role models for living joyful, courageous, heroic lives everywhere.<br />
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And... if you're looking for an end-of-the-year tax donation, I know of three perfect places to invest your money!dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-90356595200375945122015-11-22T12:11:00.000-05:002016-01-17T16:29:41.017-05:00Thankful Traditions<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
As I watched the colorful kindergartners dressed in Native American attire parade into Pow Wow with their tribes, I was overwhelmed with the rainbow of colors, happy faces and memories. One of the things I have always loved about the Creek is the way tradition and family weave into the tapestry of a Creeker's life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFvKU_hmBSmrcwgCe-n5jXA2gS2haMvIzEuL3U2eUdaeKLm9R-vtgsJ2JsuXQ4THprmhnVlMJDR84Jh6WFx7saD3ZvNaMV1uGExFs4kIqs6bg2oMhLvGgHpjJIh02lqbz_82MdUPMv51g/s640/blogger-image-1350465751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFvKU_hmBSmrcwgCe-n5jXA2gS2haMvIzEuL3U2eUdaeKLm9R-vtgsJ2JsuXQ4THprmhnVlMJDR84Jh6WFx7saD3ZvNaMV1uGExFs4kIqs6bg2oMhLvGgHpjJIh02lqbz_82MdUPMv51g/s320/blogger-image-1350465751.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chief Spotted Horse</i> and <i>Chief Jumping Frog</i></td></tr>
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As I looked to the podium, there stood JJ Brown in her first year as our Chets Creek Vice Principal. She has been a longtime kindergarten teacher at the Creek, so she has led many of her own tribes through the Pow Wow tradition and both of her own older girls. Today, however, she looked at Pow Wow through new eyes, those of an administrator, and took her place beside <i>Chief Jumping Frog</i> (Principal Susan Phillips) as <i>Chief Spotted Horse.</i> JJ's mom, Beverly Jackson, retired teacher and guidance counselor stood quietly behind JJ. Beverly was just named Chets Creek's <i>Senior Volunteer of the Year. </i>Not surprising, she worked with the Resource teachers today to provide one of the storytelling stations after the big Pow Wow event. When you work at Chets Creek, it's literally all about family and it's not unusual for generations of families to be involved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMks9Ooz5woMDhsCX6Ox6XuHeHPiZsoycfniEKKcCQerFtKsy7H5IdscsscVZn23PdkKl7vcaNgc_lsAjTcz9buR-HppBHLzEsWbZnpZaLidqOfiYxAkk22PjBQjJe7-pDMU8FfaucfWx/s1600/blogger-image-492463308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMks9Ooz5woMDhsCX6Ox6XuHeHPiZsoycfniEKKcCQerFtKsy7H5IdscsscVZn23PdkKl7vcaNgc_lsAjTcz9buR-HppBHLzEsWbZnpZaLidqOfiYxAkk22PjBQjJe7-pDMU8FfaucfWx/s320/blogger-image-492463308.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverly Jackson, JJ's mom and CC <i>Volunteer of the Year</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijntWe8xoA8C532QFR4dRRY2Urb3trt1WjoSqxoiCzoV0LMleipkAIZkhYvFKQMJRD7Uq7FiWJjkDDRw_0YO_VSBaIeN4HRV1luGweOGMLX79TD_nRatFm-Yp1onjOQKWi2q6QdcNLkBIl/s1600/blogger-image-1831403522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijntWe8xoA8C532QFR4dRRY2Urb3trt1WjoSqxoiCzoV0LMleipkAIZkhYvFKQMJRD7Uq7FiWJjkDDRw_0YO_VSBaIeN4HRV1luGweOGMLX79TD_nRatFm-Yp1onjOQKWi2q6QdcNLkBIl/s320/blogger-image-1831403522.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Susan Phillips, Tanner Stahlman, JJ Brown</i></td></tr>
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Another example of continued family commitment was evident with the Stahlman family. Dr. Terri Stahlman, the founding principal of Chets, known as <i>Chief Soaring Eagle </i>to kindergartners, presided over the inaugural Chets Creek Pow Wow. Before she left Chets Creek, her son, Tanner, entered kindergarten at the Creek, celebrating his first Pow Wow with his mom as part of the mighty Nootka tribe. Today, Tanner who is employed in our Extended Day program while he attends college, was in full Native American garb, ready to welcome families to this 17th annual Pow Wow. Wonder if he was thinking what so many of us were thinking - from a tiny Nootka to a full fledged Chief right before our eyes!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chip Boyd honoring his father</i></td></tr>
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And still another emotional family connection... JB Boyd was a beloved volunteer at Chets Creek from the moment the doors opened. He stayed on even after his children left elementary school, which is not unusual. JB could do anything and for years he was here every day working with KK Cherney in the Media Center. Three years ago he lost his fight for life, but his hand is on so many of the things that we love about Chets Creek. When KK dreamed about a full sized tepee in the middle of our kindergarten playground to represent all of the different original native homes that we studied, JB sewed all the pieces and rigged a design to make it come to life. Chris Phillips, husband of current Principal Susan Phillips, designed the metal piece that intertwines all the pieces of rope and canvas for erecting the tepee. On the morning of Pow Wow each year the tepee goes up and then comes down at the end of the day. What happens inside that tepee is sheer "KK" magic. JB also played the part of <i>Chief Chets Creek </i>for many years dancing through the kindergarten tribes at the Pow Wow celebration. Today, his very talented son, Chip Boyd,who is a professional dancer, flew in so he could help erect the tepee in his Dad's memory and then donned his Daddy's Native American costume. He followed in his father's footsteps as he danced the steps that his father had once danced through this new generation of kinders. Brought tears to the eyes of so many as they realized the significance and history of that dance and dancer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chip Boyd dances in the footprints of his father, JB Boyd.</td></tr>
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This entire tradition of honoring First Americans at Thanksgiving is so full of history. At Chets Creek we have tried to look authentically at that history. Although our presentation may not be perfect, our effort to honor those First Americans that first inhabited our land is heartfelt... as are the memories that we offer our children through this process. May the traditions continue through the generations... with deep thanksgiving...dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-69676164059812574912015-11-18T18:58:00.000-05:002016-01-17T03:16:27.167-05:00Pow Wow Memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSfPtCeC2jV4VidJ2XFUdIlMawloTPNjxgjK1OJcMGafNKpJiOzgR8Kep03aLzSTW8LaTwxFIWhgRDdAhORYeq77PBXAvTC54o7Yys4SonOdnNjQ3t_iPodojdBPW8MuPczSxYlRgrLpD/s1600/ccf11202009_00000+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSfPtCeC2jV4VidJ2XFUdIlMawloTPNjxgjK1OJcMGafNKpJiOzgR8Kep03aLzSTW8LaTwxFIWhgRDdAhORYeq77PBXAvTC54o7Yys4SonOdnNjQ3t_iPodojdBPW8MuPczSxYlRgrLpD/s200/ccf11202009_00000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preschooler Courtney Timmons (Bogard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My very first Pow Wow was with my daughter, Courtney, when she was a preschooler. She and her sweet little friends sang songs around a paper campfire about "Indians" and prayed with thanksgiving for all their blessings. Parents were invited to join them for a feast that included a paper bag folded into the shape of a turkey. When it was "carved," the children were delighted to see that it was stuffed with popcorn!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh2OBjpbSf3Oo6XhPRnSf4RuenrCKT5QPGAyEgZTDXZp6REdncx5GqmxAYwQMLFkGKJOzn_YXY8Ym4MfWVVys7gF1IBi5UwVi9f60Nv-geJXO1rxJJeSEVYWJvfHwYJLUFPMdza9gM5BX/s640/blogger-image--1141801282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh2OBjpbSf3Oo6XhPRnSf4RuenrCKT5QPGAyEgZTDXZp6REdncx5GqmxAYwQMLFkGKJOzn_YXY8Ym4MfWVVys7gF1IBi5UwVi9f60Nv-geJXO1rxJJeSEVYWJvfHwYJLUFPMdza9gM5BX/s320/blogger-image--1141801282.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preschoolers at Alimacni Elementary School</td></tr>
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The very next year, in the inaugural year of Alimacani Elementary School, Courtney danced into the courtyard with her kindergarten tribe (led by Linda Zeiler) as I led my own tribe of preschoolers to celebrate the first Alimacani Pow Wow. As I recall we honored Chief Alimacani at that celebration and each Pow Wow afterwards, as he had once walked on the very ground where the school and children now stood. I continued to celebrate Pow Wow with my preschoolers each year as Courtney marched through her years of elementary life. She graduated to middle school and after a total of ten years, and ten memorable Pow Wows, I moved to Chets Creek... and so did the Pow Wow!<br />
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Pow Wow came to Chets Creek with that cute and perky Kindergarten Lead Teacher (surplussed from Alimacani to Chets Creek) Susan Phillips. Susan, <em>Chief Jumping Frog</em> (named after her collection of frogs during the Alimacani multi-track years when her kindergarten class "jumped" from class to class every three weeks!) now leads Chets Creek as its Principal. She brought Pow Wow with her to this new school of Creekers and thus began one of our most endearing traditions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV92CjZB2s8rlKo_IRTNcDDG6AEtaxYzpcrz1Ka67Zazz2CNwg35ihSUhFMyBDXYsbLLwK39H8mrmTNHxZrUEM5eq0XQpezIaX_67l0EtWU-xzjdHyZJZDVUgd1ovz7h-rmRTLWqXTmkb/s640/blogger-image-789032800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV92CjZB2s8rlKo_IRTNcDDG6AEtaxYzpcrz1Ka67Zazz2CNwg35ihSUhFMyBDXYsbLLwK39H8mrmTNHxZrUEM5eq0XQpezIaX_67l0EtWU-xzjdHyZJZDVUgd1ovz7h-rmRTLWqXTmkb/s320/blogger-image-789032800.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chief Jumping Frog</i> and <i>Peaceful Waters</i></td></tr>
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Of course, Creeker teachers weren't satisfied with the traditional generic Pow Wow and so at the insistence of a music teacher, Dan Smith, they began to research and develop more authentic tribes and attire, songs and dances. In the midst of all that authenticity two of my favorite Native Americans emerged, my daughter-in-law and kindergarten teacher Randi Timmons of the Mighty Iroquois Nation and my sweet granddaughter, Kallyn, of the peaceful Lenape tribe. That's a very special memory!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQQAa7rx621UFCmgAp3Nof4ETeQF6uBR4sn5m05QC4YZdzbvjWOX3M87eFWhjTI6a0G5uYVZPQR3zaOBzi8Z6ZsIRx0XAdjxU57doTBJkjm1t3D57Kco3LEIGFYLL7jHwXe79acJG70ej/s1600/Pow+Wow+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQQAa7rx621UFCmgAp3Nof4ETeQF6uBR4sn5m05QC4YZdzbvjWOX3M87eFWhjTI6a0G5uYVZPQR3zaOBzi8Z6ZsIRx0XAdjxU57doTBJkjm1t3D57Kco3LEIGFYLL7jHwXe79acJG70ej/s320/Pow+Wow+097.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Randi Timmons and Kallyn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99TMrP1lAXhIL6Q0lRxAX4_rl-HyEVISjzIatGWqnozGs1tigvpPTIDy6NnLAHxgRQhBAEvOikJ10xfP4LCQqfuKUf-iOh9TdGv9zmHnkyttQ2nVwCjwcpylEGO1SccYtJH69nURv2iGc/s640/blogger-image--1693645798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99TMrP1lAXhIL6Q0lRxAX4_rl-HyEVISjzIatGWqnozGs1tigvpPTIDy6NnLAHxgRQhBAEvOikJ10xfP4LCQqfuKUf-iOh9TdGv9zmHnkyttQ2nVwCjwcpylEGO1SccYtJH69nURv2iGc/s320/blogger-image--1693645798.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beloved JB getting ready to raise the tepee.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What has evolved over the years is a crowning traditional event at Chets Creek that includes a study of traditional music and foods and even a tepee that rises like a phoenix on the eve of Pow Wow thanks to the genius of our beloved James Boyd and KK Cherney and all of her tribe of workers. Each kinder tribe has the opportunity during the Pow Wow day to spend some time in the tepee with the master storyteller, <em>Peaceful Waters </em>(aka "Miss KK")<em> </em>as she weaves her story of the Three Sisters. She then passes the "talking stick" and gives each child and adult the opportunity to tell the group why they are thankful. There are always tears and it's usually an adult who is hit by the pure innocence and raw honesty of the children. One of the most special times for me is the opportunity at the end of the day for the Leadership Team to lay under the tepee and think about our own blessings - and they are many.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTK2Oohrk2H_vYDwlTqoOAJghWmBBfkP6UhKpKenxhWgolEkGkLCx3V5YGbzYN9iqM1tRJFw7XQX_j5xuFR1qIO4AFU6lavvZkI6iSChkWyB1R9OmJ7O94UCKopvZ_JtRGTKT7ZeqThg7/s1600/Diamond+D+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTK2Oohrk2H_vYDwlTqoOAJghWmBBfkP6UhKpKenxhWgolEkGkLCx3V5YGbzYN9iqM1tRJFw7XQX_j5xuFR1qIO4AFU6lavvZkI6iSChkWyB1R9OmJ7O94UCKopvZ_JtRGTKT7ZeqThg7/s1600/Diamond+D+067.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leadership Team counting their blessings inside the tepee.</td></tr>
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This year I will be watching Pow Wow with fifth graders who will have their own memories of being a kindergarten Native American to fill their minds as they hear the music and watch the excitement... and as they realize that this is the last Pow Wow that they will experience at Chets Creek. Last year's K-1 class was my final year with a tribe of kindergarten First Americans - <em>Wise Woman</em> of the Mighty Iroquois Nation,</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb93gobyb-11BSZ5iwSjrjyGIkll87O9OKFRvO17h0FcGM2w3-ZWic89OB0ACCP2DOIiKDpryoqRLqvR3_eLoIai4FKqniGFTkG6lZMIjdWAiDqUhWNPaTQ6O1Y0U3U3Z6OKLGQTLw2JcU/s1600/DSC_0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb93gobyb-11BSZ5iwSjrjyGIkll87O9OKFRvO17h0FcGM2w3-ZWic89OB0ACCP2DOIiKDpryoqRLqvR3_eLoIai4FKqniGFTkG6lZMIjdWAiDqUhWNPaTQ6O1Y0U3U3Z6OKLGQTLw2JcU/s320/DSC_0658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mighty Iroquois Nation</td></tr>
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but the snapshots of Pow Wows will live with me forever in my memory. And each year as we approach Thanksgiving, not only will I be counting my blessings but I will be thinking of the new crop of little kindergartners who will have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all that is what the Chets Creek experience is all about.dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-63556443268240618412015-11-17T08:18:00.000-05:002016-01-17T16:30:34.504-05:00The Board Walk<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUay_HuMJghC90j_mcENI9NMKXq0Ryh0BAW_7yjZEM4WigBHotqTKWMRKzATWgzms3E3qiQURYIzl-VyWoICdve1I9btDVOKz5bj0wwSlmy8u7nsTSzFbSb4aVqiCEy2e-hPhoQVJyIlss/s640/blogger-image-713351275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUay_HuMJghC90j_mcENI9NMKXq0Ryh0BAW_7yjZEM4WigBHotqTKWMRKzATWgzms3E3qiQURYIzl-VyWoICdve1I9btDVOKz5bj0wwSlmy8u7nsTSzFbSb4aVqiCEy2e-hPhoQVJyIlss/s320/blogger-image-713351275.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the well-organized boards that my group discussed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have written about standard-based bulletin boards often at this site. Over the summer I was most distressed when our Union negotiated that schools would no longer be required to do standard-based bulletin boards as a step toward paper-reduction. I am thankful that as the year began our school's Shared Decision Making group voted to <a href="http://timmonstimes.blogspot.com/2015/06/recently-our-union-bargained-for.html">continue with the bulletin boards</a>. I have always thought that the boards are such a great opportunity for self-reflection, for looking at alignment and a way for teachers to look at student work, really reflecting on what the students did and how they did it. It is a window into the instruction that is going on in the classroom. How appropriate that our school would vote to continue a practice that is time-consuming but that they see value.<br />
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To honor that work and time they put into SBBB, teachers have often reflected that if they are going to put the work into the boards, they would like to know that someone is reading them and they would like some constructive feedback. So... at Early Release this week, we did just that. Our faculty went on a "board walk." Teachers were assigned to a group of three and were given a list of three boards to visit in a certain order so groups were not on top of each other. One teacher was assigned to capture the conversation on a chart that asked for comments/compliments, wonderings, and next steps.<br />
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As I joined my group (which was all teachers teaching different grade levels) I overheard several teachers in other groups wondering how their boards would be received by the group that was reviewing it. Hmmmm... As we approached each board we looked for a title, standard, a description of the task, 3-4 pieces of student work and commentary on the student work. Of course, many of the boards had extras such as pictures of the students whose work was displayed, photos of other students in the classroom involved in the same work, artwork in borders and surrounding the boards, rubrics, etc.<br />
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One of the things that hit me immediately is how a well organized board is so much easier to read and understand. Seems obvious, I guess, but sometimes it was hard to see which commentary went with which piece of student work or it was hard to understand the task because the teacher included so much that it was hard to really focus on the point of the board. I also noticed that the format of the commentary made a difference too. Bulleted commentary was especially easy to read or commentary that was in a t-chart format with the standard on the left and an explanation of how the student's work met the standard on the right. This walk certainly gave me a unique view of the boards and set me thinking about how to design a really significant board.<br />
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The charts of collegial feedback that we filled out went to the Principal to review. The names of the teachers that reviewed the board were not included. The paper will go to the teachers who completed the boards. Wonder how the feedback will be received...<br />
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This was really a very stress-free and constructive way to look deeper into bulletin boards that teach. I hope that we will do this again, maybe with different group configurations such as looking at the grade above with your grade level or looking at one board in each grade level, k-1-2-3-4-5 all in the same subject. Or maybe the Academic Councils could choose some of the best boards in the building and have the teacher stand with the board and explain her thinking to groups of colleagues... Oh, the possibilities are endless!dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-16092502676506622362015-11-12T07:46:00.003-05:002016-01-21T18:53:21.266-05:00Book Study: A Guide to the Reading Workshop, Chapter 1For those that want to follow along with our current book study, but are not able to attend...<br />
<i><u></u></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1OIuT47z6ZdIvX0AUjveVxip6bvVSjVO5FShAy0NF1yaWa2-TDV2iout2TjySoRlOtPFHPReiW8FamJyD0UFfxPBTzJejpKXbCDt-YoSH3BIpg24fXo1JRZql7FqCr6aL0Jeh8srafu2/s640/blogger-image-658526268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1OIuT47z6ZdIvX0AUjveVxip6bvVSjVO5FShAy0NF1yaWa2-TDV2iout2TjySoRlOtPFHPReiW8FamJyD0UFfxPBTzJejpKXbCDt-YoSH3BIpg24fXo1JRZql7FqCr6aL0Jeh8srafu2/s320/blogger-image-658526268.jpg" width="320" /></a><i><u></u></i></div>
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<i><u>A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary Grades</u></i> by Lucy Calkins<br />
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What are the BIG ideas in <i>Chapter
1: First Things First</i>?<o:p></o:p></div>
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“You cannot create
what you cannot imagine.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Too many children are not learning to <i>love</i> to read. The
longer kids stay in school, the less they like to read!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>What are the conditions that make reading bad for you? What makes reading good? It's the same for kids!</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Large, for-profit companies with core reading programs are
not the answer. We have 50 years of
research saying packaged programs do NOT work.</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>The most important thing we can do to lift student
achievement is to support the professional development and retention of good teachers.</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Students need to spend most of their time reading in books
that are just right. We will not close
the reading gap by having students read
grade level text that is beyond their reach.</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>We must model the professional learning as adults that we want in our
classrooms.</li>
</ul>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><b>Next assignment for 11-19-15: Chapter 2 - Follow the rest of this book study on <a href="http://livefromthecreek.blogspot.com/">Live from the Creek</a>, Chets Creek's professional development blog. A synopsis of each chapter will be posted that reflects the text and the conversation.</b></span></i></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-80023607173616778142015-11-10T16:10:00.000-05:002016-01-17T03:05:22.455-05:00Retirement "Party"<div class="MsoNormal">
To the children and families, faculty and staff of the Greatest
School on Earth,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIpsSbZxgIAhfBTTMgPEs6I5a5vdgBj1ZNXqs3s3dKvgaGvAh8-fqmRLwWBI9Ipbz8cU86DSjta16VkYbVRrMlA0tgo145ee9fNpmto-6X9pX0a_jbU3rXaoYHqziIJGoKHM_s8sM-UnA/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIpsSbZxgIAhfBTTMgPEs6I5a5vdgBj1ZNXqs3s3dKvgaGvAh8-fqmRLwWBI9Ipbz8cU86DSjta16VkYbVRrMlA0tgo145ee9fNpmto-6X9pX0a_jbU3rXaoYHqziIJGoKHM_s8sM-UnA/s1600/th.jpg" /></a></div>
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So many folks recently have asked me about plans for my
retirement “party,” so I thought it might be better to share in one
simple response. For those of you that
may be new, and anyone that could possibly not know, I will be retiring on
January 29, 2016 after 40 years of teaching.
I guess in so many ways that is a lot to celebrate. Hard to believe it's been 40 years! I certainly need to celebrate how fortunate I
have been to love my job all these years!
They say it’s not work when you live your passion and that certainly has
been my story. I have looked forward to getting up and coming to school almost
every single day from my first day as a self-contained Special Education teacher in a little
school in my hometown of Florence, SC, to my ten years at Alimacani with my daughter
in tow, to these “golden” years at Chets Creek.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My story has been like a lot of teachers who spend their entire adult years in a classroom, but unlike most teachers, I had the amazing opportunity to
represent teachers in Florida for an entire year. During that year I was celebrated in ways
that few teachers get to experience. Many
of you were with me the night Marvine almost fell out of the balcony in
excitement when I was named Duval’s Teacher of the Year. Some of you were there for the state
announcement, and then so many of you came to celebrate my homecoming that first
time I returned to Chets –you sent a limo as I recall! You made me feel like a celebrity – a
“queen!” So many of you sent me cards
and e-mails and notes - throughout that
entire year! You even followed my daily
journeys with a map in the school office. It wasn’t just you, but so many teachers who
had been administrators, mentors and friends from other schools throughout my
entire career reached out during that year. I even heard from a teacher who
taught me when I was a student! I think I heard from every child and family
that year that I had ever taught and was often left in tears when a grown man
or women remembered me as their teacher.
You have celebrated me in pictures, slide shows, videos… and skits! I have no secrets (at least not anymore!) When
I came home after that year, the celebrations continued. You celebrated when I turned 60 (although I’m
still not sure why we celebrated that!)
You celebrated with me as each of my children married and when I became
a grandmother. You too often have
honored me, deserving or not, with awards at the end of the year.
And… I guess when it’s all said and done… I have enjoyed it all. Who wouldn’t?<o:p></o:p></div>
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But now… I am coming
to the end. I really don’t need a “party”
to remind me of the deep friendships that I have made on this journey or of
those of you who have transformed my life. I will hold those memories in my heart always
and forever. I don’t even need the children to tell me if I
have made a difference, because I have
always known that children who have entered my room have come by Divine appointment. Originally I was egotistical enough to think
they came because there was something that I was supposed to teach them, but I
soon realized that they came all too often because of what they were supposed
to teach me! Besides, I have been so fortunate, from the
very beginning, that I have always known that this was God’s plan for me, so it
has never been my glory to claim. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So... it has become the tradition at Chets, that as teachers retire,
they are honored with a simple (I said simple, KK!) breakfast on the morning of their retirement. So it should be with me. I hope you will join me for a few
moments to laugh and reflect and reminisce.
Nothing fancy – nothing stressful – just joyful fellowship. And
then as the day closes, “clap me out” as you have so many other teachers and
students who have left through these doors… with memories to last a lifetime
and love overflowing… and knowing that
as this chapter closes, another joyful chapter will begin… for this book is not yet complete…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401771252822919376.post-53703230864366223662015-11-03T13:56:00.000-05:002016-01-17T03:01:34.361-05:00Revisiting Teacher Evaluations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been thinking for a long time about teacher evaluations and how effective they are - especially for a very seasoned teacher. Each year the experienced teacher prepares for both a formal and informal evaluation - not so very time consuming for the teacher, since she should mostly be doing what she normally does, but at least a few hours of extra work for the administrator. To me, it seems more like jumping through hoops. So... I have been thinking about how seasoned teachers could be evaluated in a more effective way.<br />
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It seems to me that once an experienced teacher has reached a level of "highly performing/ proficient," for maybe three years in a row, that the administrator might be wasting her time in evaluating that teacher every single year. The administrator's time might be better spent with less seasoned teachers. That's not to say that an experienced teacher no longer has anything to learn, but my experience has been that when a teacher reaches that point of "master teacher" that she basically is designing her own professional development. She has figured out what she needs and goes about finding her own way through on-line resources, books, etc. to meet her need. Administrators find it time consuming because they want the evaluation to reflect all that they think that teacher has become. Of course, teachers never reach a point where they have nothing more to learn or a time when they should never be evaluated again, but maybe the administrator only needs to see the teacher once every three years - or five years. Maybe instead of the administrator seeing the teacher every year, the annual evaluation could include a reflection by the seasoned teacher of what she has learned since the last evaluation, how her teaching has changed, and what she plans for the following year.<br />
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In the meantime, what could be beneficial to the seasoned teacher to help her continue to improve her practice? Seasoned teachers still need feedback, but how could a seasoned teacher get the feedback in another way? I would propose that master teachers in this category do a demo teach each year instead of an administrator observation. She would teach a lesson for a group of her colleagues that would include all the preparation materials that she would gather for an administrator's evaluation and a debrief with the group. The seasoned teacher would have the opportunity to explain her thinking and why she made the decisions that she did during the lesson, how she will evaluate the effectiveness of the lesson, etc., using a format similar to National Boards for reflecting on a lesson. Observers would have the time to make noticings of positive things they saw and to ask questions about things that they still wonder about. Since teachers at this level are usually providing their own self-reflection for their own growth, I think going through this process would be much more valuable. This seems like a win-win all the way around. The teacher goes through her own growth cycle. The observers see a master teacher and have the opportunity to questions and reflect, and the administrator is able to spend her time with teachers in her building that are needier of her supervision.<br />
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Anybody else interested in a change?. dayle timmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313072094826276617noreply@blogger.com1