Week ending October 30, 2015

We currently live and work in an adaptive culture. No where is this more prevalent than it is in the North Kingstown School Department, and for this blog specifically, the high school, as we collectively work with technology to prepare for the student roll-out of 1:1 for next fall. We are fortunate to have this year to tinker, play, work, learn and adapt. No user is expected to know how to do everything, as the skill level for each falls all along the continuum. At the same time, no technician or administrator can foresee all scenarios that may go right or wrong. This is a learning year for all of us. I look forward to the meeting next Wednesday to hear about the technology use thus far, what is going well, and what we may need to tweak or improve.

Teachers as Learners

Thank you to the Algebra 1 teachers for working with me to collect data for what I hope is the first step in a collegial process among the middle and high schools to assist our students to be Algebra 1 ready. Using item analysis of a unit test the Critical Friends Group made up of Charter and Public, administrators, deans and teachers, used the ATLAS protocol to look at data. It confirmed some assumptions and highlighted some surprises. I left the meeting with great suggestions to move forward. I would be happy to assist any other group of teachers. I know teachers will have ongoing discussions with these protocols during CPTs and I enjoy this type of work. Feel free to call on me.

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Students as Learners

(from l to r: are the senior business club officers:
Katie Mancieri, co-president, Jay Patel, co-president,
 Michael Allen, Sr. Vice President

Greg Allen, Katie Mancieri and Jay Patel, senior officers for the Business Club attended the DECA Leadership Conference at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick. with their advisor, Rich Garland.

Recently, NK was accepted into DECA as the 12th chapter in the state of Rhode Island.  NK was invited to the state's Leadership Conference this past Thursday, attended by over 100 students.  The conference was geared towards preparing the chapter for state competitions in various business and entrepreneurship areas.  Winners of the regional competitions move on to the nationals, this year in Nashville, Tennessee. NK plans to compete in March, however, the Business Club's focus is first on the Bryant 'Survival Start-up Challenge' on November 21st - where 6-7 teams from NK will compete against other New England high schools.  We hope to bring home our third win!

NK's Personal Finance and Investment students are participating in SIFMA's Stock Market Game as part of the course's curriculum.  SIFMA is the most popular tool for teaching investments of all the Internet-based games, sponsored by corporations in the financial sector.  Of the roughly 19 teams competing against other high schools in Rhode Island, NK's Josh Remington and Andrew Uber are in first place in the state with $106,955.86 in equity in investments to include cash, with 3.4% return on investments.  Their team name is the MIGHTY MORPHIN STOCK EXCHANGERS.  Wish them luck in sustaining that rank!

Health and Wellness

OCTOBER 30 2015    Happy Halloween -   Fall Back, by Karen D'Abrosca

Enjoy the Halloween festivities!  And remember to set clocks back one hour SATURDAY 10/31 at

bedtime.  I recently came across an interesting story in a health magazine that I’ll share with you today.  November 1 is “Extra Mile Day”. In 2009, Shawn Anderson pedaled across the US and interviewed people who had gone the extra mile to overcome setbacks.  (ExtraMileAmerica.org).  He encourages us to answer the question “Why live a life that is unfulfilling?” and reminds us that we all have the power to create positive changes in family, organizations and communities when we go the Extra Mile!!

Upcoming Events/Important Dates

November 5th – Career Fair – 6:30pm

November 6th – Professional Development Day - No school

November 10th – School Committee Meeting – 7 pm

November 10th – PTSO Meeting – 7pm

November 11th – Veteran’s Day - No School

November 18th – STEAM Workshop 6 – 9 pm

November 20th – Blood Drive

November 20th – Drama Production – “The Bluebird” – 7 pm

              21st -- Drama Production – “The Bluebird” – 7 pm

          22nd – Drama Production – “The Bluebird” – 1 pm

                                  

Community-School Culture

Congratulations to Paula Calitri who applied for and received a $200 Clothesline Project Grant from the Lindsay Ann Burke Memorial Fund. Our school was one of 10 RI Schools to receive funding. This student project will serve to raise school-wide awareness of dating violence during the month of February, 2016, National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

Student artist, Amalia Attias, created the wolf

Visiting the Fine Arts wing on Friday I was fortunate to see Mrs. Harrington’s students in ceramics working from scratch to make the clay, roll it out, create the tiles, ornaments, or hand design larger sculptures to paint and later be set in the kiln. What an eye opening and fun experience to see our students hard at work and engaged in their art.

At the same time students from the band were

gearing up for the Veterans Day Parade two weeks away. They are practicing on their form and getting ready to entertain the town. It is not part of the NK curriculum but a community expectation that Mrs. Toni Silveira and her students strive to meet each year. I caught these drummers on their way out to the track to simulate walking and playing on the parade route. Be sure to support them at the Veteran's Day Parade in Wickford, Wednesday, November 11, 2015.

 

The Unified Volleyball team traveled during the school day for a playoff game against East Greenwich High School this past Wednesday. There was a very quick turn around time for our school to decide if the students can participate and if so, would we have any fans to support them. I would like to thank Sydney Culbertson, Briand LaCroix, all the TAs: Stephanie, Joyce, Jill, Sandie, and Debbie, Keith Higgins, Amy Messerlian, Linda Twardowski, Howie Hague, Michele McNally and Donna Sweet for teaming up to be sure all of the students in the Life Skills Program had an opportunity to cheer on the NK team. Skipper spirit is alive and well in NK.

Please scroll to the bottom to see additional photos from the ceramics, band and unified students.

Videos Worth Watching

This Harvard Business Review 3 minute video is based upon Toyota’s 5 Whys, it is easily transferable to our careers when a dilemma or problem arises. It succinctly suggests on how finding the root cause of every problem is important. Most often there is a human element in most tech problems. Find the human problem and then make small changes that yield big results. You may have to watch it a couple of times to catch all of the information chock full in this quick video.

https://hbr.org/video/2189146765001/5-whys

Articles Worth Reading

Declining Student Resiliance: A Serious Problem for Colleges

15 Things every teacher should try this year. (May want to try 1 or 2 from the list?)

Student Services Office/Deans

Kris Anderson is smiling at the productive week the advisories had regarding collecting can goods to join forces with other North Kingstown schools to support the North Kingstown pantry and our fellow North families in need. Congratulations to Sean Lane’s advisory; they brought in the most cans and will receive a breakfast to celebrate their good deeds.

Food for Thought

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”

~Stephen Hawking

Until next time, Think Create, Innovate...Denise