In case you missed my earlier post about planning for next year, I want to reiterate my desire for parent communication and input as plans are set. While the School Board change to Policy 672 formalizes that collaborative planning, I have sought this participation throughout the year and will continue to do so henceforth. There are many parents I thank for their feedback on ideas and their contributions to many of our plans and the jointly shared plans with PTA. While many elementary schools are waiting for the secondary calendars to be finalized before we can solidify our dates, the planning of events is still ongoing. Here are some of the ideas I have already discussed with faculty, students, PTA exec board and parents:
I'd like to propose a fall event day similar only vaguely to field day. This event would focus on expanding the team building activities all teachers do with theri classes into a building-wide event. I am hopeful that we can create several problem-solving type team activities to engage our students in collaborative effort and group dynamics improvements. This event would need to take place very early in the year so it can actually enhance the team-building process that takes place annually in every classroom. Specific events must still be brainstormed and planned.
The trend at Owen over the last several years, beginning with my predecessor and continuing with me, has been to reduce the emphasis on Halloween during the school day. After talking with several other elementary principals, many parents, faculty, and PTA executive board members, I suggested in the early winter that we prepare an evening event called a Monster Mash or Halloween Howl or some other mellifluous name. I originally focused only on an evening because I saw how many more parents were able to attend Donuts with Dads or or Movie Night versus our mid-day assemblies or Fall Festival. I think it is important that we include as many parents as possible. I should have also suggested a weekend as a possibility. Certainly either can work depending on what our plan looks like. By doing this outside the school day, we can make it a potentially larger event than we could manage during the school day.
There will be additional suggestions posted via this blog over the summer as I move further into the year with my planning. Please let me know what you think of these two ideas. I do not yet know what mechanism the School Board may require for collaboration, but I hope the use of technology is part of it. If you do not feel comfortable posting your thoughts about these ideas with your name, I understand that. I would ask that you send me an email to let me know who to contact if I have questions or would like to know more about your ideas.