Improving Our Team Play

I couldn't believe how good I felt as I walked away from our last School Community Council (SCC)  meeting of the year last week.  It was fun to look back at our year and have some laughs over the good moments we had. So many good moments! It was hard to believe that just a…

Finding My Focus

Sometimes school breaks come at the most needed times.  Walking away from the daily expectations and allowing ourselves to just take a moment to enjoy life without the adding stress of work is rejuvenating, to say the least.  Now, don't get me wrong...I love my job! There are so many reasons why I love what…

Understanding the (not so) New Math

I will confess I am a social media junkie and like to participate on a daily basis.  I encourage our teachers to use twitter accounts to share classroom happenings and I put effort into keeping our Pleasantdale School twitter account and Facebook page up to date. I have always had an unwritten rule about social media, that…

Reaching Out to Our Parents

  This fall when we re-organized our School Community Council (SCC) for another year, I was struggling to try to find a member who wanted to step up to be chairperson for the committee.  Our past chair had worked tirelessly for two years and was wanting a break.  I can't say I blame her because…

What I Learned in 2014

      I started the school year in September kind of beat up and shell-shocked from a very stressful year that ended in June.  I had allowed the stress of the year to consume me and it took a toll on my enthusiasm, health and desire to do my job well. Over the summer…

We Are Smarter Together

Every year as I watch my son's hockey teams start their season it is the same thing.  For the most part, his team consists of a different group of boys each year. They do not start off playing as a team. It seems as if each player is trying to prove themselves as the best goal…

Attendance Does Matter

There seems to be so many reasons why our students miss school and in some cases, school attendance is becoming a chronic issue.   Everything from being sick, having appointments, attending sporting events, taking family holidays and many other reasons,  seem to be contributing to a growing idea that school attendance does not matter. Although we realize that our…

Strong Relationships for Student Success

    We have just completed another round of 3-way conferences and in some cases teachers are still meeting with a few parents who needed rescheduled times. As I was leaving the school on Wednesday evening when conferences were finished,  reflecting on how things had gone, and feeling very weary, I must admit,  I also felt lucky to…

5 Things I hope Our Parents Know

One of the things that I have learned over my years as a teacher and school administrator is the importance of parents and home support in the success of children.  I spend a great deal of time thinking and reflecting on the things we do, in the hopes of improving home school communication and relationships. …

We Need You…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7815007@N07/9484507128/ It is nice to be back to a sense of calm after what seems like two weeks of frantic meeting of deadlines and obligations.  Report card prep, reading through the reports and student led conferences are rewarding but exhausting activities.  I am forever in awe of my staff who takes it in their stride and always manages to…