A positive whirlwind

This week was a whirlwind for me.  Finishing up a few teacher goal setting conferences, visiting classrooms, trouble-shooting (lots of that!), and of course, meetings.  Wouldn't be a week for me without scheduled meetings (DAC to ECM!) but as I remind staff, sometimes we just have to meet in order to get things done.  So, all good. 

A couple of happenings off campus deserve mention here.  I was able to attend the Dan Siegel Whole Brain Child lecture on Wednesday evening at the LBJ auditorium and left feeling validated and further motivated about our goals this year.  The lecture centered around child development and the scientific research that supports whole child learning, as well as (loosely) focused on "12 strategies to nurture (a) child's developing mind".  It was a packed house, with many parents, educators, mental health workers, and some policy folks in attendance - saw a few people from HP in fact.  Cool to see this diverse crowd coming together around kids.  A couple of my take-aways included Dr. Siegel's messages of honoring differences, promoting linkages - I immediately thought of things we connect such as people, concepts, and disciplines -how our experiences shape the structure of the brain, and how we should all practice mindfulness each and every day.  He mentioned reflection, relationships, and resilience as specific mindfulness components, but most importantly, he also talked about the need for teachers to build in opportunities for students to be mindful each and every day.  Certainly underscores the work with SEL, as well as our continued goal of fostering creativity through the Any Given Child initiative.  I urge you to discover his work if you can, as it is very affirming for what we know about child development. Special thanks to Lee principal Elyse Smith for the invitation to join her for the lecture.  Worthwhile evening.



Brent Hasty and Greg Goodman presenting

 Tying into Siegel's work so well is the work being done by those connected to the roll-out of Any Given Child in Austin.  The first of two planned community meetings surrounding AISD's Annual Academic Facilities Recommedations (AAFR) took place at McCallum HS Thursday evening and what a night it was for those involved in the work.  Brent Hasty, Greg Goodman, and Shirley Heitzman put together a very common sense, informative power point presentation for those in attendance (I'd estimate 100+ at this point, but don't know final count), there were well formed audience questions and recommendations which will help inform next steps, and honestly, I left on such a high note at 9 pm that I still felt the good vibe even this morning.  I know that we are preaching to the choir  for anyone connected to the McCallum High School vertical team for the most part, but there were audience members from several areas of Austin, so I was heartened to see that and hear their positive comments.  This is truly a city-wide initiative; by giving all teachers quality professional development in creative teaching strategies (more tools in the toolbox), providing opportunities and connections to community arts providers, working together with district, city, business, and philanthropic partners, we can make a positive difference in children's lives.  In academic performance, in attendance, graduation rates, emotional and social health, and so much more.  A good night indeed and continued gratitude for those leading the charge on behalf of our schools.

Headed outside to check out the Back to School picnic for a bit, but see below for some random shots from this week that made me smile.  Being in school is a cool thing, I never want to lose sight of that, and yep, I'm Scottie Proud!



Ms. Guimbarda's Question of the Day board



Magnus and his pet pig Zoot!



Mr. King and Ms. Brunello got the "blue" t-shirt memo!