Texting and Driving

The new texting and driving law goes into effect today, and it seems as if the population that is most directly aimed at (teens)...is more concerned about how to get away with it and prove that the police cannot prove they were texting while driving. Many teens claim that it won't stop texting and driving, and that may be the case, but with an initiative such as this if ONE life is saved from the law then it's well worth it. It reminds me of the starfish story...one person CAN make a difference potentially in the lives of many by refraining from texting while driving. The message that these teens are missing is that the law isn't being put in place to be a hassle or curb their instant gratification need, it's there for their personal safety. I've always said as a driver that I'm not worried about the way I drive. I'm worried about the way others drive. I've attached a link to some interesting PSA's and stories about the topic, enjoy...but hopefully you're not reading this while driving!!!

MCAS

As we sift and sort through the latest MCAS results and attempt to make sense of what was positive and what we need to work on, I am trying to give food for thought based on how our students respond to MCAS. Many of our students, even those who passed their MCAS with flying colors, have reported that they are very disenchanted with the length of the test and specifically the open response portion. In a day and age of instant gratification, they want to be able to come up with the answer NOW! What would take me two sentences to write in a text message, they use 8 words to complete the same thought. Many of the students simply skim over the open response section or don't read it all based on its length. Maybe instead of "designing" better MCAS test taking students, we design a better MCAS test which accentuates our students academic and technological strengths?? The test "is what it is" and it doesn't appear that it's going anywhere so our job as educators is to find strategies to get our students to a point where they can all have success with it.

Longer School Year??

Today President Obama announced that he would be in favor of an extended school year. He didn't say specifically how much longer the year would be or what the school hours would be, but it's an interesting topic that will be heavily debated...especially amongst educators and current students! There are certainly two schools of thought here. The data shows that a country like China, which has a school week of 6 days, has produced more successful students. The US in some instances is outsourcing for jobs which allows them to pay less but also get more qualified candidates. Studies in the US have shown that a 4 day work week yields the best working results. I think it comes down to the individual and the expectations that are set at a young age. I was taught that if you wanted to accomplish your goals that hard work was the key. I'm not sure going to school MORE would have yielded me better results as opposed to the results I was able to achieve. It's definitely a great topic for debate. The DVD "One Million Minutes" helps explain this topic a little better.

Rachel's Challenge

In an effort to keep the momentum that was built last year around Rachel's Challenge, Rachel's Legacy (year two of the program) has been proposed and hopefully will be presented to our school and family community sometime late fall. Last year really brought into focus the need for adults and students to be sensitive to the dangers of bullying. Rachel's Challenge was able to give us all an outlook on the importance of compassion. Friends of Rachel groups were formed at the high school and the middle school. Rachel's Legacy should set us in motion again and provide the reinforcement of just how important treating other people truly is.

Healthy School Food?

I have heard a lot of scuttlebutt lately about schools changing over to "healthier" school food choices. The federal government unfortunately has a lot to say as it relates to school systems and who they choose to feed their students. This article is just, dare I say..."food" for thought. Enjoy!

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/09/27/cooking-up-change-in-school-lunches/?hpt=C2

Norton Middle School

I am extremely excited, honored and humbled to have been selected to represent Norton Middle School, the students and staff, as the Assistant Principal. I will do my best to help contribute to the continued growth and leadership of this great institution. This will hopefully be my first blog post of many. Let's get off to a great new school year.