The Noisy Doldrums of Summer

As I type this post, our school is in the midst of the summer doldrums.  We are about halfway through the summer vacation.  The temperature outside is decidedly hot.  And our hallways are filled with students!

Three years ago the directors of our summer school program made a huge shift in how we approach this "time off" for kids.  We thought that we could change the thinking about what summer means.

Summer used to mean three months off of learning.

Now summer means some time spent progressing on learning targets.

Summer used to mean little interaction with content that pushes students' thinking.

Now summer means wrestling with literary concepts and word problems.

Summer used to mean, "See you in September!"

Now Summer means, "See you in a couple of weeks and then again in September!"

We at OMS and the School District of Onalaska are trying to change the definition of summer.  What used to be just time off is now being used, at least to some degree, as time spent learning.

Students are spending three full weeks enrolled in blocks of literacy and math instruction during the morning hours and spending the afternoons in enrichment classes ranging from "The World of Hogwarts" to Basket Weaving to basketball to simple machines.

This approach has had an impact on the overall achievement of our students as well.  There is a noticeable increase in the test scores of students who have participated in Summer School over the last three years.

We sit here in our third year of this new approach and I can happily report that we have successfully redefined what summer now means.

Mr. K

Referendum

This February the School District of Onalaska will be asking our community to approve three referendum questions to assist in maintaining the high quality of education we currently provide.

As a district, we take our job of educating your children very seriously.  The mission of the school district is "To work together to ensure high levels of learning for all." We collaborate on every topic and decision to ensure that what we are doing is best practice and is beneficial to all of our students.

This past year the School District of Onalaska ranked in the top 3 percent of all school districts in the state of Wisconsin based on the district report card issued by the Department of Public Instruction.  A great accomplishment for sure, but one that our staff, students, and community expect.

From a fiscal standpoint, we operate very lean.  The School District of Onalaska continues to be, per pupil, one of the lowest spending districts in our area at $10,674 per pupil.  The state average is $11,829.

There will be three questions on the referendum next month:

1. Will voters allow the School District of Onalaska to exceed the State's reveneue limit - $1.9M for two years, $2.1M for three years?
2. Will voters allow the School District of Onalaska to exceed the revenue limit - $500,000 for technology, for five years?
3. Will voters allow the School District of Onalaska to borrow $16M for Nothern Hills Elementary School (addition, remodel, and equipment) and Irving Pertzsh Elementary School (convert gym to classrooms, build new gym)?

If you would like more information or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Mr. K

Here it Comes!!!

This is art.

This is what makes summer great.

There is no better feeling than gazing upon a freshly waxed floor in your commons and seeing the shine and the reflection of the lights.

It truly is beautiful.

I almost don't want anyone to go in there and make a mess of any kind. :)

It makes me realize that we are getting close to the date in which students will grace our halls again.  We are getting close to the date when the joyous noise will return.  We are getting close to the date when teachers and students will embark on a 9 month journey of discovery and wonderment.

We are getting close to the first day of school.

I realize that we have about a month left until students actually come back.  But this is the best time of year.

Our custodial staff is working hard in a tight time frame to get everything ready for our students.  Along with the floors our custodians are cleaning carpets, windows, and lockers.  They are fixing desks, water heaters, and the air conditioning.

Everything is getting checked out to ensure that it is up to code and ready for our kids in a month.

But I keep coming back to that shine on the commons floor.

Wow.

We may need to find a different place to eat lunch this year!  :)

See you soon.

Mr. K

Scheduling

The teachers and staff at OMS have been feverishly working on a new daily schedule for the 2013-2014 school year.  The primary impetus behind this new endeavor is the implementation of the Common Core Standards.

The Common Core Standards are agreed upon learning expectations for students that most of the country is adopting.  With these new expectations come greater demands for teaching time in certain curricular areas.

With those expectations in mind, OMS will be moving to a "Block" schedule next year.  A student's day will consist of three 84 minute core blocks, two 40 minute allied blocks, a 40 minute intervention/enrichment period, and a 30 minute lunch/recess period.  Through this new schedule we will be adding time to math instruction, integrating our language arts and reading classes, and maintaining the same amount of time for Social Studies and Science.

There is much more to come and a great deal of work to complete.

Stay tuned.

Mr. K

Report Cards

This past Monday, October 22nd, the Wisconsin Department of Instruction released the 2011-2012 School Report Cards. Here is the link to read report cards for schools in Wisconsin.

These reports allow schools and districts to look at the details in which they can improve what is going on in their buildings.  Whether it's student achievement, closing the gaps, or college and career readiness, schools have a very detailed road map for improvement.

More importantly, these Report Cards allow us to recognize all of the fantastic and wonderful things that are occurring here at OMS.

We have dedicated teachers that commit themselves to student success.


We have amazing support staff that make our building "run."

We have hard working students who know that diligent commitment will pay off in the end.

These report cards give us a lot of information.  But there is one thing they tell us that I already knew.

We have a pretty great school.

If you get an opportunity please congratulate our staff, students, and families on being part of such a great place.

Mr. K

Summer School

Thanks to the efforts of some extraordinary people within our district, our summer school program has a totally different look this year.  Lindsey Schubert, Associate Principal at OMS, and Toddy Antony, Principal at Irving Pertsch, have taken on this gigantic task of making summer school cool.

Yes, I said cool.

In years past, the notion of summer school elicited thoughts of failure, punishment, and extended torture.  Kids who were coming to summer school were directed to go there, not invited.  They were told that they had to attend or suffer the consequences of remediation during the school year, uncompleted credits, or being "held back."





Summer school was not cool.


No one wanted to attend school in the summer.

"That's my time off."

"That's when I get my break!"

"I'm too stressed out after the regular school year!  I'm 10 and I can't handle it!!!!!"

There was a terribly negative connotation with summer school.  We needed to change it.

We needed to adopt a new attitude and direction with summer school.

First, everyone could come.

No longer was summer school reserved for students who may be struggling.  Everyone was invited to benefit from this program.  Whether students were reading at grade level, below grade level, or above grade level, we had something for them.

Second, academics in the morning = fun in the afternoon.

We created dozens of new enrichment classes that included everything from basket weaving (class filled in one day!) to robotics.  Drama class to rocketry.  Technology integration into your life to basketball.  You name it, we had it!

Students could attend for however long they wished.  They could come for the academics and leave before the afternoon sessions.  They could just come for the enrichment.  They could also stay all day.

I can hear the questions now:

"Why?"

"Why re-do summer school?"

"Research shows that summer school has little to no effect on student learning and achievement!"

Maybe.

But what message are we sending by allowing students to take three months off of learning?  What passive statement are we making about "life long learning" when we allow kids to not be engaged during the summer months?

I know what you're thinking.  Your thinking, "Lots of parents sign their children up for programming during the summer that keeps kids sharp, allows them to be involved, and keeps them busy."

Yes they do.  But not all families have an inexspeive, readily accessible programs that will help their child stay on track.

That's our job.  It's our job to provide these types of programs and it's our job to ensure that all students are learning.  Summer school can be a tool that helps us teach kids that learning occurs....always.  Even in summer.

Hopefully their also learning that school is cool.....at least in the summer!

Mr. K

Too Hot!

I started my  career in a school that had no air conditioning!

That's no joke!  I have very vivid memories of kids in my class looking like they were melting on very warm September and May days.  They may have been hallucinations caused by the heat but it sure made me appreciate a cheap, poorly made window air conditioning unit that I found on the streets of Milwaukee.

It was a small, brown contraption that looked like it weighed about 100 lbs.  What could be the harm in trying it out?  Worst case scenario, it wouldn't work and I would throw it in the school's dumpster.  Or so I thought.

Upon picking it up I realized that it did not weigh 100 lbs.  It felt like it weighed 1000 lbs!  Add sweltering heat on top of that and I was looking at a real dilemma here.

In order to get it to my classroom I had to throw it in the back of my 1991 Ford Festiva.  That may have been the smallest car ever made at that point.  The minute I set that climate control device in the trunk, the whole car sunk to the point where the wheel wells were rubbing on the tires.  I thought I heard my poor car moan at one point.

After sweating off 5 lbs. lugging that thing around I was finally ready to plug it in and give it a try.  Success!!  It worked.  Sure, it was loud......really loud.  I had to yell to be heard over it.  But if that was the cost of comfort, we would be a class where yelling was the norm.  The kids adapted quickly.  Pretty soon the kids would only speak one another if they were yelling in each other's ears.  A rudementary sign langauage was developed that consisted mostly of kids giving the "thumbs up" sign when they agreed with something and throwing their hands up when they didn't understand.

After a short period of time our room became the place that every student, faculty member, and parent wanted to be.  Everyone would stop by and say hi or just sit in and "listen" to what was going on.  This made me accutely aware of what I was doing in my class, what we were covering, and how my students were doing.  It was awesome.

The collegial collaboration of our building improved, conversations were occuring surrounding student achievement, and we were getting better at the business of educating kids.

All because of an air conditioner I found on the streets of Milwaukee.

As the year went on, the temps cooled off and the AC unit was no longer necessary.

With the air conditioner leaving so did the crowds of people that would stop by our room and discuss learning.

The lesson I learned from all of this is "be the air conditioner."  Find a way to make your class, your school, or wherever you are the place where student achievement is center stage.  Be the place where collegial conversations are the norm.  Find out whatever your "air conditioner" is and get the word out.

You may do more than just cool off your students.

Mr. K

Ahhhhh.....Summer!

Summer is change.  Kids grow....quickly.  Temperatures rise. Principals become more efficient.

As I sit at my computer and type my thoughts, I am constantly looking over my shoulder for a student or staff member to come knocking on my door.  For the last nine months, that is what has been occurring.
Don't get me wrong.  I anticipate someone coming in and asking me for help, discussing an issue, or just saying hi.  It's the highlight of my day.  But what develops is a kind of skittish, low level of attention that allows a principal to do his or her job during the school year.  That skittishness is what makes us able to handle many things at once.

With the onset of summer, that hyper-sensitive hearing starts to fade.  A principal is better able to sit at a desk and complete paperwork, finish thoughts, and plan the "next big thing."

But the fading of that super human sense takes time.  Here we are in the second full week of summer vacation and I can still feel my neck wanting to twist and look at my door.  But that desire is not as strong.

Hopefully, by the middle of July, I won't budge when I'm penning my next blog post.  I hope I won't move a muscle when completing emails.  I hope I remain focused reading an education journal.

I have the same hope for all of our staff and students.  May summer grant you serenity and a chance to slow down and enjoy the task at hand.

And not have to see the chiropractor too often. :)

Mr. K

We've Only Just Begun

It's difficult to end a school year and not look back and reflect.  You think about the good things that occurred but you also think about what you would do differently.

Middle school is a lot like life.  You start off very unsure of yourself and your new surroundings.  By the time you're done, you are a seasoned pro.  You know your way around, nothing surprises you, and you feel as though you could call your teachers by their first names.

There is one catch though.  Just as in life, the minute you feel like you know everything, something happens to remind you that there is always the next step.

Our eighth graders are secure, confident, young people who are on top of the world.  That world is about to change drastically.  High school will send them to a place where they may regress to some of those feelings of insecurity and doubt.


Our 7th graders are ready to lead.  They've paid their dues and ready to step up and take OMS to the next level.

Our sixth graders are building their confidence up and are ready to not be the "low men and women on the totem pole."

Whatever the next step may be for your students, always remember that this is always just a beginning.  The next step will be bigger and better than this one.

We've only just begun.

Have a great summer!

Mr. K

The Only Constant is Change

Much like a middle school student, OMS has been undergoing some significant changes in the last year.

We had numerous retirements last year which led to us having 18 people in our building in new positions.  In fact, we have more new people across the district than we ever have had before.

With large change comes opportunities to overcome obstacles.  With numerous retirements we needed to consider the amount of institutional knowledge that left our building as well.  We also needed to pull together as a team and redefine our mission and the direction of our school.

The efforts of our teachers, new and veteran, have been nothing short of remarkable.  They have all put in extra time and have demonstrated extremely high levels of commitment to what we believe at OMS.

Our next step will continue to challenge us.  We are re-aligning our school so that grade levels will be more physically aligned.  This means that most teachers will be moving classrooms this summer and the building will look much different in the fall.

When OMS was built in 1979 (for the second time following a fire), the ideas of "pods" or "units" were thought of as a way to keep students separated to ensure that the school followed the "middle school philosophy."  Placement of teachers and students was the only way to force that kind of collaboration.

Over the years pros and cons have emerged from our physical set up at OMS.

Pros:

• Interdisciplinary teams helped adolescents develop academically, socially, and emotionally.
• Students had a home base.

Cons:

• The grades were separated.  Teachers only knew half of the students.
• That separation led to differences in teaching i.e. curriculum, lessons, pacing, assessments, outcomes. 
• We were not able to "ensure" that each student was receiving the same great education.

Then, about 6 years ago, our district took on the commitment of learning about and implementing Professional Learning Communities (PLC's).  This idea asks teachers to teach utilizing the same Essential Learning Outcomes, the same Summative and Formative Assessments, and teach at the same pace.  It also asks teachers to collaborate using student data as the driving force behind development of best practice.

This type of philosophy requires that teachers meet frequently to discuss student achievement and make decisions that improve practice in the classroom thus improving learning.  If your PLC partner is not near your classroom, a journey to the other end of the school is required.  There is a path worn in the carpeting in the LMC where many teachers are walking back and forth to collaborate with their teaching partner. :)

The commitment to PLC's is our greatest feature in this district.  It ensures that all students are receiving the same great education no matter what teacher or unit they are in.

Our success on this PLC journey has been undeniable.  We have progressed quickly and have made major impacts on student achievement. The next step is for us to combine the ideas of the middle school philosophy (interdisciplinary teams) with the idea of Professional Learning Communities.

There will be more information on this process and what it means for students coming.  In the meantime, your teachers will continue to work hard in preparation for moving classrooms to further ensure the success of each student at OMS.

Mr. K