Category: Principal’s Blog

Welcome to the first issue of 102 Review for the 2016-2017 school year!

Your job this month is to relax and spend time with loved ones so I’ll keep this brief.

HIGHLIGHTS

The 2016 state test results went public yesterday, and I’m proud to share with you some of our results. No matter how you look at it, our scores increased in both Math and ELA, and the results are reflective of the hard work of you and our families. The table above illustrates the growth our students gained when compared to themselves a year earlier. (e.g. grade 6 students in 2016 this year are compared to grade 5 students in 2015)

We saw double-digits growth in 6 out of 12 categories, with 8th grade ELA leading the pack at a whopping 17.3% gain.

Thank you everyone for your hard work; now go do the exact opposite before we meet again in a few weeks.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Summer planning is available for 3 days this month: August 4th, 9th, and 11th. You must confirm with Ms. Mulé before you come in.

The school will be open to teachers to come in and set up on August 30th and 31st. Some staff members will be relocating to new spaces to accommodate our vision for next year and beyond, and you will be receiving an email from your AP by the end of this week.

All staff are to officially report on September 6th. Please also review the NYCDOE 2016-2017 Calendar.

End of year is for celebrations (and vacation planning, for the lucky ones), and this week we had one just about everyday. Ms. Smith gave out amazing and creative-sounding awards for her pre-k students during their stepping up, and the kindergarten team coordinated two amazing graduations with Ms. McClain and Ms. Landaas leading the way. And then there’s the staff domination of the students in the basketball game, followed by an 8th grade graduation that was just about perfect.

One upping perhaps only herself at this point, Ms. Zecca provided the highlight of the graduation with a slideshow that hits just about every emotional note. We saw our graduates grow into the mini-adults they are now through a series of photos taken in the last decade, going all the way back to when they were kindergarteners. And it was something else to see a decade old photo showing them at their stepping up in 2007,  dressed in the very same colorful t-shirts I saw their 2016 counterparts wore a day earlier at Thursday’s stepping up.

This week leaves little doubt that 102 achieves, and a key to our success has always been consistency; we find out what works and we don’t deviate from it. However, as everything around us change at an unprecedented pace, it is important that we are vigilant in self-reflection so that our many traditions can continue to serve as a foundation for excellence rather than a hindrance. We can’t afford to walk the same path as the likes of AOL, Blockbuster, and Sear’s; our students deserve better.  Institutions with long-term success often struggle with distinguishing What is and what has been with what ought to be, and it’s something we need to tackle not just next year but every year thereafter. This work isn’t for everyone, but it’s work that’s intrinsic to a school that truly prioritizes student needs above adult wants.

Be ready come September: it’s 102’s turn to step up.

Weekly Highlights:

In record turnaround time, Mr. Gebhardt has already served up incredible photos for the Stepping Ups, student/staff basketball game, and the 8th grade graduation. Go here to see them all.

Things You Need to Know:

Monday PD: We will meeting in grade teams Monday afternoon to discuss end-of-year procedures before we break up to learn more about Thinking Generators.

CEC Meeting: If you can, please attend the CEC meeting at 7PM to support Ms. Meenan as she is recognized for her work. It’s going to be amazing.

There couldn’t have been a better reason for the Chancellor to visit 102 Friday. Notifying us only a day prior and subsequently double and triple checking to make sure her visit–and the news she’s bringing–would be a surprise, it’s good to know that amidst all the political ruckus she still cares enough about people to put in all this leg work.

The Big Apple Award isn’t just a certificate declaring its recipient as one of the cities top 17 teachers. Big Apple Award winners–selected through a long, rigorous process that involves families, principals, superintendents, the chancellor, and seemingly everyone in between–will also be able to serve as advisers to the chancellor on policies and new initiatives. Lacking any of the cynicism and bicker that finds their way into far too many people who work with children in schools, I’m confident that Ms. Meenan will elevate any discourse as the voice of compassion and quiet fortitude. We’re all so proud of you, Ms. Meenan, and we’re honored to have you as our voice and colleague.

Things You Need to Know:

June 9th is the Chancellor’s Conference Day, and teachers will follow the regular Thursday start and end time. Before lunch we will all learn about how we can better drive student thinking, and how next year’s observations protocols as well as lesson expectations align with this push. Curriculum team members will be sharing their work with you, and I’m sure they’d welcome any feedback or comments. Department/grade teams will be able to gather/move/organize materials after lunch. Western Queens will be providing our entire staff with lunch at 12PM so please be sure to thank them.

Throughout the day APs and I will be meeting with individual teachers for End-of-Year conferences. We will discuss setting your professional learning goals for next year and we ask you to please share with us any feedback or concerns. Feedback is always bilateral!

June 14th is the Clerical Day, and teachers will meet in grade teams to organize class rosters for next year. More information to follow in a staff memo and you will have your teaching assignment by this day.

The latest edition of Staff Spotlight features our new assistant principal Ms. Mintiens. I think the middle school teachers crafted some of the questions–thank you!

Lastly, thank you to everyone for emailing me and the admin team regarding absences. It’s been very helpful and please continue to cc all APs and myself when you can’t come in. Additionally, morning line up has been much more effective, and I appreciate your efforts in holding students accountable.

One more thing: This is my first opportunity to work on the many end of year items as a school principal, and it’s been quite a challenge to learn as you go. I’ll get there this time next year but for now it’s taking up far too much of my time during the day. Please reach out to Teresa should you want to speak with me–I’d love to chat and I want to do so when I am able to fully attend to you.