The Glue That Binds

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 Susan Phillips and founding Principal Terri Stahlman, the magic of our Media Specialist KK Cherney, the sparkle and shine of Julie Middleton at our front desk, and some of the faculty that inspire me every day (Elizabeth Conte, Lori Linkous, Karen Morris, Liz Duncan, Lauren Skipper, and our head custodian Ms. Pat), 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.

Two of those that come to mind are Suzanne Shall and Lourdes Smith, 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.


Lourdes Smith clowning around.

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.

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.

Family is a priority.

Suzanne reads to a group of children.

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

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.

Family first.

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.

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 How the Mighty Fall, 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!

"Miss Julie" - Sparkle and Shine

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.

Can you tell that Miss Julie loves pink?

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.

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.

Julie with her other family

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.

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.

It's all about relationships!

The Magic of Miss KK

KK is "technically" our Media Specialist but, oh, so much more!

There are so many incredible folks that make Chets Creek tick but "Miss KK" is the magic.  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 memory maker.

KK, the Book Fairy

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!

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.

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!

KK as "Peaceful Waters" in the PowWow teepee
making memories with the talking stick. 
If you've ever been there, you never forget!

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.

Children just can't take their eyes off  KK!

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!

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 risks and about relationships that produce radical results.  We are blessed indeed!

Leadership

As 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.

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.
Three powerful leaders stand out for me in my last twenty or so years in Duval County.

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...

With Donna Hulsey, circa 1992

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Other People Who Inspire

I have written about the "stories" of people at Chets Creek who inspire 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...

Liz works with families

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 (Beach Church and the Church of Eleven 22) to reach the McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation.  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.

The MARC serves Chets students.

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.

We wore purple t-shirts all year to support Miss Pat.

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. Check out the faculty's video to lift her spirits. 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.

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.

2015 Clothes Drive at Chets Creek

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.

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?

People Who Inspire

Within 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.


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, Promise to Kate, 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.

The Conte Family

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 Neurofibromatosis (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.

Chets supports Lori and the NF Run to raise money for research.

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.

Lauren was recently named CCE "Volunteer of the Year"

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.

And... if you're looking for an end-of-the-year tax donation, I know of three perfect places to invest your money!

Head Lice

Yuck!

In all my years of teaching, I have never had head lice, but I realize how fortunate I am.  Many of my fellow teachers have had to deal with it at home!  It's expensive.  It's labor intensive!  It's a pain!  In a family that has the money and patience and the endurance, head lice usually comes and goes without too much more than some very LOUD moans and groans.  But to many of our families living in poverty, it is a dreaded curse.  And it can be a constant worry.   I am sure it is embarrassing.  I know it is uncomfortable, because I have seen the scratch marks on the back of of a child's head that has been fighting the itching,  but its more than that.  A child that is sometimes already struggling is eliminated from school.  While I agree with the policy, it really breaks my heart.

This week, my heart was broken in two.  A little first grade girl that I love and adore had her head buzzed in response to head lice.  According to the mom the child asked to have it cut so short because she didn't want her mom pulling her hair to get the nits out.  The child's story is different, but it doesn't really matter.  She appeared at school, "looking like a boy," the bus kids said.  But that's not the story I want to tell.

The story I want to tell is what happened in our little community...  The news spread quickly as adults who knew this child were horrified that a parent would shave a little girl's head because of head lice!  I was in a meeting that morning and before I got back to class, Julie and KK had transpired to make her four of the cutest little flower and glitter headbands you have ever seen.  They brought her down to the Office, let her try them on, and paraded her through the Office as the Principal and office staff ohh-ed and ahh-ed about how beautiful she looked.  She was shy at first but basked in the attention.  The next morning Melanie sent a handful of headbands that she had gathered from her daughter's closet.  We allowed our little munchkin to choose from one of the colorful new hair accessories that morning, and you should have seen the sparkle in her eyes!  She really walked with a new confidence all day!  And her work - more focused, better handwriting, more engaged!  Christy brought down a large bag of the cutest new tee-shirts and shorts.  Melanie brought new jeans. When we showed her the large bag to take home, her eyes got so big, they nearly popped out of her head!  Tracy measured her foot so she could get her a new pair of shoes.  I don't think I have ever seen her in a new pair of shoes.

Marissa, a former Creeker

Then to top everything off,  KK appeared with a former student at our classroom door.  She was a former Creeker that is now a college student.  She told the children about herself - she is very beautiful.  Then she took off her hat to show her bald head (cancer has taken her hair).  She talked about looking different now - the sometimes unkind remarks.  She talked about how each of the children in our class is different and how those differences make us a strong classroom family because we value those differences.  She took my little munchkin off for some very valuable one-on-one quality time...

Who does this?  Where else would this happen?  I wanted to tell this story because it illustrates the heart of our community. I didn't go around shouting this story when tears filled my eyes when I first saw my little munchkin.  In fact, just a small handful of adults who have a relationship with this child noticed the change, but those people didn't just talk, they jumped into action. I think I work with some of the MOST giving and loving people... who really walk the talk.  I know there are educators doing this sort of work - mission work - all over the country, but I feel blessed to work in a place where this is a daily occurrence.  To each of you out there who cares enough to invest yourself in the life of a child, and especially to my Creeker comrades who always rise to the occassion, my heartfelt thank you.  Thank you... for making a difference...

Unexpected Blessings

My daughter is a kindergarten teacher in another county in Florida. She was recently married and is entering her third year of teaching. Like many teachers she receives pay for the summer at the end of the year, all in a lump sum. If you have ever received pay for an extended time in one payment, you may be aware that it is a little more difficult to budget! Somehow the money always runs out before the month so this time of year, teachers are often short on cash... and it's difficult to open a new classroom without a little cash. It is not unusual for teachers to spend $200-$400 getting ready for the new year out of their own pockets. Sometimes it's about a new theme or a new grade level and other times it's just sprucing up, but even for the thrifty teacher, opening can be a financial burden. Some years teachers receive a check the first week of school for $50-$125 for just that purpose, but so far this year, I haven't heard a word. Regardless, school will be opening. My daughter called just to tell me about her planning and she happened to mention that her team was going out to lunch all week but she had told them that she would only be able to go on Thursday. She was bringing her lunch each of the other days to save money, vowing to try to plan better next summer. Her story is not that different from many teachers who have been hit by the economy, whose husbands have lost jobs or been cut back, who have had babies and extra expenses, or who just spent a little more because it was summer. Don't get me wrong. Every one of them is grateful to have a job, but this is often a stressful time for many teachers for many reasons.

With that on my mind, I received an email from a young teacher at a school across town. She said that her school was using the same theme, Superheroes, that my school had used last year and she wondered if we might have any things that we might be discarding that they might use. She mentioned the hardship on many of the young teachers at her school who so wanted to provide a fresh and exciting environment but who were strapped for the extra cash to make it happen. My thoughts went directly to my daughter... I sent out an e-mail to my kindergarten and first grade teammates asking if they had any personal theme supplies, if they could drop them in a box in front of my door. Some of the teachers had already been contacted by other teachers and had gathered and delivered their theme-related extras, but not surprisingly, the box filled quickly. About 6:00 tonight the teacher, whom I had never met, came all the way across town after her own long day at work to pick up the supplies. She was very grateful... and very young.

I am just so very thankful to work at a school where teachers didn't think twice about giving. We do it all the time amongst ourselves. We have teachers in our building who are stretched this time of year too, but it just makes me feel good to know that the people I work with would give so generously without ever asking for anything in return, without even knowing this teacher. I am indeed blessed to work in this building...

Blessings in a Backpack

One of the programs that our school supports is Blessings in a Backpack.  The program is really quite simple.  Its mission is to provide children who are in need with food over the weekend.  Teachers identify children in their classroom that are in need and then a small bag of groceries is slipped into their backpack on Friday so that the child will have food over the weekend.  PTA, teachers, families, etc can donate to the program or they can leave food at a giving area in the lobby.  In our school this project is the brainchild of a single teacher, Lauren Skipper, who saw a need and fills it every week.  Such a simple idea - such an awesome project!

Above What is Expected...

Sometimes things happen at our school and I am just blown away by teachers who go so far above and beyond.  Something like that happened recently.  I had a cute little pudgy, in that baby sort of way, towheaded munchkin in Kindergarten and first grade.  He struggled in a quiet sort of way and was identified for Special Education services.  In the process I met his Dad.  It was obvious that this Dad cared about his son dearly.  He reminded me of what I would call "a good ol' country boy," a little rough around the edges but he always showed up to let us know that he cared.  He tried to do the right thing, worked hard and did the best he could for his son.  I'm not sure where Darrin's (name changed) mother was but she was out of the picture entirely.  This was a Dad raising his son alone.

As the years went by I would see Darrin walking to his bus or would hear how he was doing from one of his other teachers.  He was a struggling student, barely making it through the maze of education.  Every now and then he would be in some sort of trouble but nothing serious - sort of "all boy" stuff.  Sometimes, in recent years, it would be a little more serious.   Darrin has moved on to middle school and I had heard he was beginning to get into some trouble.  Then, about a year ago, I heard that his father had cancer.  During the last year, our school reached out to the Darrin and his Dad - meals were taken, work was done on their tailer, a local church was asked to get involved.  This past week his father died... and his son is now an orphan.  The school, along with the church, stood beside this 13 year old boy, during a time of great crisis.  At the father's memorial our Principal delivered the eulogy at the request of the son.  The pew at the funeral was filled with almost every teacher the child had ever had at Chets Creek and some that just came for support.  The Media Specialist made a slide show of pictures that the son got together.  The church, along with our faculty, provided food and desserts for the small family and guests.  Money was collected to go into an account to be used for the son's needs.

I don't know what will happen for this young man.  Several of our teachers are involved with a family that is thinking about taking this young boy in.  Even though he had wonderful teachers at our school, we were not able to remediate all of his academic challenges but we did establish a relationship that reached well beyond the classroom.  As I looked around at the Memorial, I was just so proud of the people that I work with.  I feel so blessed to work with people who REALLY care about children and their families and who are willing to go the extra mile for each one of them...  You can't put that in an evaluation or even a pay check, but when you work in a school that walks the talk, it is life changing...  You can't expect any more from your life's work than that.

Outstanding Kindergarten Teacher

I am not surprised that Kindergarten teacher Haley Alvarado was selected to be a feature teacher on Channel 12.  She was nominated by two former students.  Haley is one of those teachers that is the whole package.  She is an amazing teacher in the classroom.  When you watch her teach you are mesmerized by her ability to teach content and manners and respect all at the same time.  She has a way of talking to kids that lets them know that she cares about them but that she also holds them responsible for their own behavior.  She is the one that you will often see at the tee-ball game or the dance recital or the soccer games, cheering on one of her students after school hours.  I know she is all those things because I worked in her room for an entire year, day in and day out.  She was simply magic.

Haley is a master at organization and regularly shares the lessons and artifacts that she works so hard to provide for her own class with the rest of her grade level.  She is always the one that takes the new teacher under her wing and takes the time to answer questions and check to make sure everything is going smoothly.  Any time I ask her to respond to an e-mail from a colleague from out of town, she responds with cheerful suggestions and insight.  She gives unselfishly of her time to her colleagues.

The thing about Haley is that she is also a wonderful mother who keeps her family time sacred.  She manages a nuclear family with several children of her own and even has time for foster children.  She is, in every way, a model of what teachers today offer to their children in the classroom and to our society in general.  It is such an honor to teach and learn beside teachers like Haley, who make me proud to be an educator.

The Best Among Us

Each year Chets Creek chooses an Employee of the Year. We have so many paraprofessionals, office staff and other support staff that go above and beyond that we always have an outstanding representative. This year Romy Wilkening is our Employee of the Year. She has also recently been named the Duval County Employee of the Year and will move on to the state competition!

We always spend a morning before school celebrating the Employee of the Year around a theme. This year the theme was Valentine's Day because Romy certainly exhibits love in everything that she does. We started with a slide show of her life. Romy's children have been at Chets Creek so we got to relive their lives as well. Then it was on to the grade level skits - hilarious and touching! The faculty always presents a money tree and the PTA made a special presentation because, after all, Romy is one of their own. Added to all the ways that Romy has been of service to our school - she is also a past Chets Creek PTA President!

 

I'm not sure how long Romy has been at Chets Creek. I first met her as a kindergarten para. She was so anxious to do all she could for our youngest learners. She worked with kindergarten teacher Maria Mallon and quickly became one of our strongest safety net providers under Maria's tutelage. She quickly became one of our best Reading Mastery teachers. You would see her in the hallway with her rolling cart and little group of safety net students every single day. She became so proficient that for many years she was the person that kept up with all the supplies and trained the new legion of paras working with safety nets each year. I have no idea how many newbies she has trained over the years, but it is a significant number.

As the years went by it was evident that Romy had a special place in her heart for our second language families. She is fluent in Spanish (Bolivia native) and has always been available to the front desk when parents needed a translator - which has been more often as the years have gone by. You could always call on her to translate for a parent conference or to translate a parent note or to call a family to figure out what was going on. She became a vital link in keeping in touch with our second language families. Often we called on her off the clock, but I don't think I can ever remember her saying no.

When we decided we needed a family night for our Spanish speaking families, she was right there, making sure that parents knew about the night and brought their entire family so that they could be involved in their child's education.

When we decided to open a tutoring center for an area of our school where some of our neediest students live, we recognized that many of them were Spanish speaking, so Romy led the support team in offering a hand in so many areas - not just tutoring, but explaining school rules, even going to court, explaining immigration laws and getting information about green cards! She has even cleaned out a room in her own home so she can lend it if the need arrives. How do you say thank you to a person like this that lives and breathes service to others?

Romy is currently serving as a para for our second language students but she is so, so much more than that. Years ago Romy gave me a wooden figurine of a little girl smiling, holding flowers. She wrote on the bottom, "You inspire me." I was so touched. I have the statue in my office at home. My grandchildren love it and drag it all over the house. I look at it often as the sun streams over it in the early morning. Now, however, when I look at it, I reflect on how the tables have turned and how much Romy inspires me. She has shown me that I can make a difference - even with families that don't speak my language - even with children who come into my class without knowing a word of English. It's Romy that inspires me... inspires me to believe. How fortunate am I that someone like Romy has touched my life in such a profound way!

Our Boy TOY

Chets Creek 2010 Teacher of the Year

5th Grade Math Teacher, Tom Ruark

I guess lots of schools across the country select their own Teacher of the Year, but I do think we have more fun with the process than most. On Thursday we "honored" our Boy TOY, Teacher of the Year Tom Ruark in a hilariously irreverent and tissue-crying celebration.

At our school the grade level of the Teacher of the Year, the Spirit Committee and the Media Center staff decorate the Media Center around a theme that is chosen especially for the selected teacher (check out that Mountain Dew can painted by our Art Department!) This year Tom and his family (wife Tracy is a 2nd grade teacher at our school and his daughter is a 5th grade student) entered the Media Center at the appointed time with the staff on each side of a green carpet clapping, yelling and holding up Mountain Dew cans - a Tom favorite. Then the lights were lowered as we were treated to an adorable slide show of Tom's life to music. He was such a cute baby! I think it meant even more to the faculty because Tracy, Tom's wife, is a 2nd grade teacher with us and his daughter is a 5th grader who has been with us for her entire school career. Tom's parents were also in attendance. The slide show began with adorable little Tom as a baby and toddler and moved through his long hair, mustached teen years, his marriage and birth of his daughters. I don't know why but even the funny parts of looking back bring tears to my eyes as I watch a child who has realized his dreams.

As the faculty begins to get in line for an outstanding buffet breakfast, each grade level comes forward to give a skit to represent the Teacher of the Year. Several of the grade levels presented their skits digitally but I hope you can tell from the pictures below how really funny this is!It is such fun to begin the day remembering times that bring tears to your eyes and then laugh until your belly hurts! The morning just makes you feel good about being a teacher! In the evening about 20 of the staff got all glitzed up for the county's Eddy Awards, which celebrates all of the almost 200 Teachers of the Year in our large county. It's a glamorous affair celebrated by 1300 teachers and their families and friends with a delicious dinner, but it's really just icing on the cake. I don't think anything means as much to our Teachers of the Year as being honored by their own - the teachers who know you inside out and still vote for you! Tom, we love and adore you and are so thankful that you have chosen to spend your life making a difference with our precious children! What a gift!