Wow!  I Really let time get away from me.  Here we are in January and have just begun 2nd semester.  This definitely begins the busy season of High School.  Seniors are getting college applications turned in, underclassmen will begin registering for next year's classes in the coming weeks, OGTs, PARCCs and NGAs are on the horizon, and all of that while still completing this school year.  We are all anxious around the new state assessments, but our teachers are doing their utmost to be sure the students are prepared.


We are also excited about some changes coming to Fairfield Union High School next year.  We will be running a new bell schedule, realigning some departments, and adding many new course offerings for students.  More details to come...and if you can make it to one of our monthly Academics Matter sessions (a light breakfast and informal conversation) I would love to see you!

Is Your Teen Sexting?

It seems that technology is changing faster than we can keep up with.  This, of course, is not news but merely a comment I have been saying to myself quite a bit over the last 10 years. Technology can do so much for us, but it can also create unintended consequences.  We here at school need your help.  Take a look at the link below, and have a conversation with your own children.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/18/living/teens-sexting-what-parents-can-do/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Is Less Homework Better?

Here is an interesting piece from CNN.com.  What do you think?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Back to School

Well, the traditional summer has ended and once again the halls of Fairfield Union High School were full of students with varying degrees of happiness.  Some were still sleepy, some were still daydreaming of the beach, and some started the day with early signs of Senioritis.  Yes, I'm still talking about the students, not the staff!  However, the one thing I am sure of is that they all started the new school year with questions.  What will I learn this year?  What are these new teachers like?  Is Mr. Verde still as cool as ever?  Whatever their states of mind, I was happy to see each and every one of them and I am excited to watch them grow and change over the course of the next 9 months.

Today's words of wisdom spoke of the "halls of possibilities."  I thought that was a great message for the first day of school.  Our students can find and pursue many opportunities while in high school.  The challenges we will offer this year all still relate around the three "Rs" that I constantly speak of: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships.  Let's help them embrace the possibilities, and maybe they will help us dream up more!

Remember to keep up with my blog.  Typically in this space I will post thought provoking items, or sometimes simply my thoughts, and you are welcome and encouraged to comment on anything that you see here.  I am looking forward to a terrific year!

Words

I'm sure by now everyone has seen the appalling video of the elementary teacher that grabbed a student by the face in the hallway.  While many of us may not know all of the circumstances surrounding this event, I know we are all aghast at the actions of the adult.  None of us should question the uproar around the abusive actions of an adult who is meant to be trusted with the well-being of someone else's child.

Yet, how many of us pay any attention to the other abuses of power that we often witness in our schools?  What about the teacher who berates a student in front of the rest of the class, or the administrator that tells a young person that he or she will not amount to anything, or even the cafeteria worker that constantly hears a child being verbally harassed and bullied, yet does not intervene?  Aren't these acts of negligence just as harmful?  Granted, they will not leave bruises or scrapes, but isn't the harm the same?

I read today in my "Words of Wisdom" announcement the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" and asked students to think about how that quote makes them feel.  We have all used those words at some point, but do we really believe them?  Just look at all of the drama caused by irresponsible use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and all the others.  Merely words typed from some distance removed of the victim, yet plenty of harm is inflicted.

So, think about our roles as trusted adults in the lives of young people.  Do we use words that build inspire and motivate or do we grab students by the shirt and hold them against the wall with what we say?

Just one of the many reasons why schools must pay attention to the victims of bullying...and have continuous vigilance of those that bully.

http://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/many-bullied-teens-carry-weapons-to-school-finds-study-687343.html

I often speak about the Three Rs of education-Relevance, Rigor and Relationships.  The New York Times published an article yesterday that demonstrates a great way to embrace the Relevance of advanced mathematics.  Check out the article to see how we can really hook students-especially our Seniors getting ready to venture out on their own!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/science/to-divide-the-rent-start-with-a-triangle.html?_r=1