New Staff and More!

I'm super excited to announce the additions to our staff this coming year.  I know you've most likely heard a bit about our newbies, all with a wide variety of experiences in and out of the classroom, but allow me to formally introduce our newest Scotties.  They each are highly capable, creative, well-rounded, and interesting individuals who will help us further our goals of producing capable, creative, well-rounded, and interesting students.  Setting the foundation now for college, career, and life graduates in the years to come.


At Kinder, Christina Ryan and Lauren Farmer will fill our fifth and sixth teaching slots for 12-13.  Christina received her BA in Music and Ed.M in Early Childhood Education from Boston University.  She has been a kindergarten teacher since 2001, first in Durham, NC and most recently in Cambridge, MA.  Her resume is much too lengthy and over-the-top impressive to include everything in this short space, but I will tell you that she was the recipient of the 2012 Cambridge Science Festival and Cambridge PS Curious Teacher Award and the 2010 Zula International (National) Science Teacher Association Early Science Educator Award (for a lesson creation entitled Immersion in Geometrical Optics).  She also was a Tufts University Fulcrum Institute for Leadership in Science Education fellow, presenter at several NSTA national conferences, and recently presented at the NSELA conference held in Austin.  In Christina's own words, "I want children to perform to the best of their academic abilities, but I also actively nurture their development as people by helping them become kind friends, responsible members of a community, reflective learners, and individuals who take risks and embrace challenge".  Christina will bring much to our kinder team and their interdisciplinary approach to teaching; in fact her former principal tells me that she just isn't sure "how she's going to run the school without Christina".  Her husband has recently accepted a tenured teaching position at UT and we are so very glad to have them both in our school and community at large.

Lauren Farmer many of you know, as she was a first-rate student teacher at second grade last school year.  Lauren brings an enthusiasm and a level of confidence and professionalism sometimes not seen in new graduates.  In fact, I've joked with staff that when I called Lauren to offer her the position and told her that I knew she would learn much this year, she calmly stated, "Ms. Workman, I know I can bring a lot to your school as well."  Love it! Lauren just earned her BS in Early Childhood Education, from UT Austin, has served as a mentor and tutor at several AISD elementary schools, embraces the use of technology in the classroom, and as a fun fact, was a UT Cheerleader (go Horns!), even serving as Captain one year.  She is interested in starting a gardening program with her Kinder students and is exploring the possibility of co-sponsoring our Math Pentathlon program with Mr. Gay.  Wonderful addition!

At first grade, we have such a find in Katie Ferguson, who will be joining as the fifth team member.  She holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Alabama and a Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix.  Katie comes to us with 8 years of first grade teaching experience in Georgia, first at Annette Winn Elementary, and for 6 years at Sarah Smith Elementary in Atlanta.  While at Sarah Smith, Katie received in-depth training in the primary years IB program (Sarah Smith is an International Baccalaureate campus and recipient of the Georgia Schools Platinum Award), SMART phonics program, Jr. Great Books, Empowering Writers, and much more.  Her principal Dr. Baker also indicated that when she said she was moving to Austin, "I said no".  Best of all perhaps, was a letter written by a former parent of one of Katie's first grade students - "Katie has the gift of seeing the complete child and knows intuitively how to get the most from her students.  Our son struggled with reading during the year and became discouraged and distracted easily.  Katie nurtured him, tutored him during her own time...during the spring she made time to come to soccer and baseball games to cheer for her students...I would like to say that we were special, but have learned that she extended the same love and concern for each child in the class".   We look forward to the talents Katie will bring to our school, specifically in the area of inter-connected disciplines, inquiry based learning, and differentiation for each child. 

Rounding out our new teaching staff will be Spanish Enrichment teacher George Ayres.  Our community knows and loves the Ayres family, having had their four girls attend our school over the years (all four now are at St. Stephens and doing quite well I hear).  George, a graduate of Texas Christian University in Ft Worth, received his BA in Spanish Literature and is fluent in the language.  He comes to us with truly a variety of experiences, having been a bilingual teacher at one point in his early career, as well as serving as an ESL tutor and Spanish document translator.  Those of us who know George, however, also know that his real passion lies in the area of writing; this is a definite strength he will bring to HP.  Again, too much to print here, but George is a published author of numerous articles, essays, and fiction, is a writer/producer of web commercials and short films, former copywriter for Mad House advertising (received the Silver Addy award), former marketing information specialist/editor/writer for TX Dept of Agriculture, current media and communications director for the Sun Valley Film Festival, and much more.  Recently, I've been following George and fellow HP parent Phil Hardage on Twitter and their new internet cop show, "Freefall".  Pretty cool.  This is a busy guy as you can tell, he is super excited to get started with our program, we've brainstormed the creation of a school newspaper with a possible Spanish focus, and much more; I forsee this position growing in many new and creative ways.  Glad to have you on board officially George!

Last but not least, stop in to welcome Robin Moore as our new office clerk.  Like George, Robin is a former HP parent and has subbed at our school over the last few years, both in and out of the classroom.  She is a graduate of UT with a BS in Education (Spanish and Biology) and completed the Landscape Design School at College Station, Texas.  Many of you remember Robin and her family through their business Howard Nursery and most recently as the proprietor of Robin's Garden Designs - something she still does in her spare time!  She has much experience working with the public, is organized, experienced with our office procedures, and we are thrilled to have her on board.  Welcome Robin!

As you remember, Badgerdog Publishing worked with our second and third grade students last year.  I'd be remiss by not passing on the links to check out the poetry and writings from some of the classes.  Check out a sample of third grade offerings at  http://www.badgerdog.org/unbound/2012/06/14/no-boundaries/  to read "about a pie with Michael Jackson dance moves and amazing feats of synesthesia" or some second grade samples at http://www.badgerdog.org/unbound/2012/06/04/where-every-lego-is-free/ and http://www.badgerdog.org/unbound/2012/05/30/the-places-poems-make/.  I especially liked Bella's In the Country of Fashion at the last link.  Enjoy!

Final two items, both PTA related.  First, we want a really good showing for this year's Art Reflections program.  Last year's theme was Diversity Is, the entries were impressive, so make plans to check the site ptareflections.org to find out how to get started on this year's entry details.  A great way for kids to get connected to the many forms of art. 

Though she probably needs no formal introduction, a big welcome to our newest PTA president Debbie Esterak, shown below with outgoing president Shay Rogillio.  These two ladies are quite the dynamos, Shay will serve on the board for 12-13 as well, and I look forward to working with Debbie and the board as we continue to make Highland Park the best school it can be for kids. Thanks for all you do PTA!




Debbie receiving the official PTA gavel from Shay

Next week, my every Friday blog will begin again in earnest.  Check back for the latest on our 12-13 initiatives and programs, teacher planning news, and last minute info from the week.  Full steam ahead!

Mid-July Updates

Summer is moving along at such a fast pace that Rally Day will be here before we know it.  Lots of activity has been happening this summer on and off campus, so just a sampling of what we've been working on at school...

The summer months are always full of trainings. Most teachers and administrators use this time to participate in additional professional development opportunities to enhance their practices in the classroom and on their campuses.  As we look ahead to Year II with the Any Given Child Creative Classroom (AGC) initiative for HP and the other pilot schools, we have some very solid next step plans to continue the work began in 11-12; additionally, all feeder schools in the MAC VT will be coming on board, participating in trainings and making their own arts/creativity plans as they relate to their individual campuses. Cool.  More to come closer to start of school.

For our campus, two worthwhile arts related trainings deserve mention here.  First, Kalene Guenther and Laine Leibick (both members of the pilot schools' AGC design teams) participated in a 2 week course of study with UT's Drama for Schools program.  I was honored to attend the culminating reception/overview and loved how participating teachers were able to show collaboration and enhancement of content area lessons through the use of drama based instructional practices.  Really, it's about enhancing what we are doing already, reaching learners who don't get it through traditional methods, thinking critically and creatively, and so much more.   The enthusasism for the training from the teachers' perspective was inspiring to me and I know will produce positive results in their classrooms. 

Collaboration with other teachers

Another very special training attended by teacher representatives from each AGC pilot school, myself, Lamar principal George Llewellyn (both of us attending as part of the community leadership committee), mindPOP's Brent Hasty, and AISD's FA director Greg Goodman was the Kennedy Center's Arts Integration Conference in June.  Limited to a couple of hundred attendees across the nation, I can't stress enough the power of what we walked away with from those sessions.  Not only were we able to hear and see and participate in arts integration activities with a variety of experts in the field, we were also also able to collaborate with teachers and administrators who are doing it and doing it well across the country. Added bonus - our own pilot group collaboration time with each other each day as well.  Though we all took away various things for our own campuses (attendees are required to present to their campuses next school year), definitely look for Process/Product displays, including teacher and student reflections, as part of HP's Year II participation; so many transformative ideas that will take us deeper into our work.  Truly, one of the best things I've attended in awhile.  Very affirming knowing that the data we are all held to (think standardized testing) truly does underscore what we know - arts rich schools and opportunities for students to be engaged beyond paper and pencil can have powerful and positive outcomes.



With Mrs. Hunter at the farewell dinner/performance

 


Our learning team celebration after a long week of training!

 

Along with many reading, writing, and math trainings offered through our district (just got an update from Mrs. Golliher and her 2 week reading/writing workshop - seems to love it so far!), our McCallum Vertical Team will be an SEL (Social Emotional Learning) VT for 12-13.  Each MAC elementary, middle, and high school campus sent teams to a two day kick-off training in early June, along with administrators, and I firmly believe the work of SEL will be a natural fit in our classrooms.  As you know, we built  a 30 minute Face Time (think community circle) into our 11-12 master schedule, so this will be that "next step", with structured lessons and discussion becoming much more formalized.  Along with academics, we want our students to be prepared to handle all the emotional stuff that comes up on any given day, and most importantly, we want to produce emotionally healthy and happy children once they leave HP's halls at the end of fifth grade.  Cari Land will facilitate SEL for our campus, but special thanks to Lori Gates, Sally Hunter, and Lizanne McDaniel for their participation on our new campus SEL committee.  Enjoyed it!

Of course, front of school landscape work is in progress as seen below (if interested, you can also check my twitter account @hpchief for in the moment updates happening at HP), Scottie Camp wrapped up a fun- filled three weeks in late June, and our new hires are all almost officially in place - really, just waiting on some final paperwork.  Though word tends to travel fast around the HP community and many of you have the unofficial word on who will be on board, look for a formal introduction of new staff by end of July (latest, promise!).

Enjoy the days ahead, please know we are gearing up for 12-13, and yep, I'm pumped about the upcoming year, whatever it brings.  This is going to be a Golden Year for AISD.  I just know it.