Conflicts

Not the kind you think, and yes, the kind you think. :-)

I'm torn between trying to get services for kids and helping them.

What does this mean? For example, it's just easier sometimes to feed a hungry child than to try to reach a parent or failing that, calling social services. We have many dilemmas in the school: from grandmas telling us they don't know what to do anymore to parents who cannot believe that their child could be a bully. We try to do our best to create a safe learning environment and at the same time, give each child an opportunity for learning. And the decisions made don't just reflect who you are as a person, they impact children.

In amongst all that, principals are faced with the job of learning new technology, reading the latest periodicals, holding meetings in the community and in the school, and trying to balance a budget.

This time of year is especially busy as we balance the things we still need to do this year with the plans for the new one coming up.

My typical day:
1) Visit with the students and staff during breakfast.
2) Check my calendar to see what is on my 'plate' today.
3) Check my online school for emergencies, messages from students, messages from parents, and messages from staff and try to get to all those that seem the most important.
4) Sign the papers that my office manager or office assistant has put in front of me. (Sometimes, I get stuck on this one.)
5) Do a walkabout to see how things are going; answer calls for help; try to be proactive where needed.
6) Work on my todo list: phone calls, emails, training, memos, planning meetings, checking progress.
7) Deal with discipline issues as they come up.
8) Read and sort through my mail.
9) Work on projects.
10) Reflect on my day.

I'm happy when, during my reflection, I see more pluses than negatives. :-)

Budget Whirrings

Budget time again. Actually, we began our preliminary budget discussions back in February for the next year. There is always so much to consider: from provincial initiatives to district initiatives right down to the money spent in schools. Because we first look at the provincial education plan, then filter that down into the district and finally into the schools, we have a pretty good idea of what we will be spending our money on each year.

That is not the problem. The problem comes when enrollment projections let you down or government spending is cut. Then every school needs to shift spending, always trying to balance the budget. Our school division prides itself on planning for the future and coming as close as we can to our projected enrollments. We are lucky in that our budget is as our treasurer likes to put it - transparent. That means we must be open to criticism, at the school level and at the district level. This criticism assists us in making decisions and forces us to think ahead and to think outside the box. I have learned so much in the last 3 years and I can see where I still need to go.

At this point in the year, I am working at two ends - providing a balanced budget to central office for discussion as well as planning the staffing and focusing my spending on the projects that are most important for our school.

Up to this point, and for the past two years, I've been saying to anyone who will listen that reading is our big deal at my K-9 school. I've also been living it. At first, we had a reading expert come in and instruct us in reading and being reading teachers. During this time, we also designed our reading program. In the beginning, only a few staff were open to the idea, but as results started to manifest themselves and become evident, more an more of the staff and parents were buying in. I know that there is always room for improvement, but I can see that next year, we will be ready to go in September and our tiered reading groups will be formed in late June. That only leaves the newcomers to be tested and put into the tier groups.

We won't stop there. Next year, we hope to begin working on the writing and the math, building intervention strategies for those as well. We have the model now - we just need to expand it into other areas.

As for my virtual grade 7 - 12 school, we are working on high school completion and critical thinking. I'll save that for my next blog.

Reviewing Report Cards

I spent the better part of today reviewing report cards and drafting letters to parents/guardians of students at risk of failure. I prepared at least 4 drafts to various student situations and then got to thinking. Yeah, dangerous, I know.

What is my goal? Well, I want to encourage parents and students to stay involved in the school, to finish up late assignments and hand them in, and/or get going on the last term of the school year. When I re-read my letters, the tone and wording were enough to put me off and I'm not on the receiving end. I feel I need to re-word them.

I am in the process of reading a book called, Encouraging the Heart by Kouzes & Posner, and I'm positive that I can get some inspiration from it for encouraging the heart of my students and parents. Wish me luck!