Outlook School

January 30th-February 2nd

2012-01-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

Word of the Week for Week 24:
Link

Definition for link: Anything that joins or connects.

Sentence for link: My chain bracelet fell off because a link broke.

January 23rd- 27th Word of the Week:

2012-01-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

Word of the Week: Imply
Definition for imply: To hint or suggest without saying directly.
Sentence for imply: When the teacher said that the floor was dirty, she was implying that we should pick up the garbage.

2012-01-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

Sunnyside School District will be on a 2 hour delay on Friday, January 20, 2012.
Staff please do not put yourself in harms way. Arrive as close to that time as safely possible.

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sunnyside School District is now cancelled for today, January 19, 2012.

2012-01-19T05:46:00.000-08:00

Sunnyside School District is on a 2 hour delay today, January 19, 2012.
Please drive slow today.

January 17th - 20th Word of the Week:

2012-01-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

Technique
Definition for technique: A particular way of doing something.
Sentence for technique: In math we have learned several techniques for solving problems.

WORD OF THE WEEK:

2012-01-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

TASK
Definition for task: A piece of work to be done; duty
Sentence for task: I have several tasks to complete at school today.

2012-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back Everyone!
Tomorrow, January 4th we have a very important presentation from the district office starting at 8:00 sharp. PLEASE be at school a little before 8:00 so we can start and end on time. We will be in room 101 (Kathlyn Wolfe).
Thank you

Word of the Week: Week 17

2011-12-11T08:41:00.001-08:00

Publish
Definition for Publish: To prepare and print something for the public to read.
Sentence for Publish: I work for a company that publishes magazines.

Word of the Week: Week16

2011-12-02T19:12:00.001-08:00

Sufficient
Definition for Sufficient: Enough; As much as needed.
Sentence for Sufficient: The amount of food here will be sufficient for the camping trip.

Pre-School Class says, "Gobble, Gobble"

2011-11-26T18:09:00.001-08:00

Word of the Week: Week 15

2011-11-26T18:04:00.001-08:00

Locate
Definition for locate: To find the position or place of.
Sentence for locate: Have you located the school?

No school November 23rd-25th

2011-11-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Word of the Week: Week 14

2011-11-19T14:41:00.001-08:00

Immigrate
Definition for Immigrate: To come to live in a country where you are not born.
Sentence for Immigrate: My parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico.

Word of the Week: Week 6

2011-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sequence:The order in which things follow one another

Sentence for Sequence: Classes in our school follow the same sequence every day.

Week 5 Word of the Week

2011-10-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Contribute- To give something for a purpose.
Sentence for Contribute- She contributed time and money to the animal shelter.

2011-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 7 is a PDD day for teachers no classes for students

Student of the Month

2011-09-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 30 will be our first Student of the Month Assembly.
4 & 5 grades will be at 9:00
1, 2 & 3 grades will be at 2:45

Changes and Additions at Outlook Elementary

2011-08-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
Please check your school email:)

Welcome Back, Classified Staff

2011-08-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome back!
Donna, Rita, Laura, Dawn, Heather, Shandee, Dusty, Jennifer and Rich:)
please see your school email for information on first day back.

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year!

2011-08-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Staff please check your school email for detailed information.
First day back for staff is Aug. 29th.
First day of classes for students is Tuesday, Sept. 6th.

New team members selected-pending board approval

2011-08-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Pending board approval- we will welcome Corrine Minton (first grade) and Sara Svennungsen (fifth grade) to our Outlook team. Thank you to everyone who has given of their time to help with interviews. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Congratulations and Best Wishes-Colleen and Laura

2011-08-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

Congratulations and best wishes to Colleen Bendzak who retired at the end of July and Laura Southern who accepted a position in Pasco.

Outlook Team members selected- pending board approval

2011-07-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations and Welcome to our new teachers! SpEd Resource Room teacher Julia Johnston and third grade teacher Cris Guevara will be joining us this fall at Outlook Elementary (pending board approval). Thank you to everyone that served on the interview committee- your time and input is greatly appreciated:)

New Assistant Principal Announced- pending board approval

2011-06-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Tavis Peterson has been offered and has accepted the assistant principal position at Outlook Elementary- pending board approval on 6/30.
Thank you to everyone that served on the interview committee:)

New Outlook School Principal selected- pending board approval

2011-06-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who served on the interview committee. Maria Hernandez has been offered and has accepted the principal position at Outlook Elementary- pending board approval on Thursday, 6/30.

Recent Updates

2011-06-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

Principal Interviews will be on Monday, June 27th.

R E T I R E D

2011-05-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

It's the season . . . where we watch those who have faithfully served education ride into the sunset of a new adventure in their lifetimes. For me, last week was great. I had the chance to honor folks who are retiring and it gives me pause as I wonder about the many lives those retirees have touched. It's amazing.

My father retired at 55. No, that's not a typo. Jealous? Yeah.

But I digress.

Retirement nearly killed him. Seriously. If he hadn't a: Moved closer to be near Mary and I b: watched my infant son William grow up, he would've been dead much sooner than 77 years old. But why?

Our lives have to have purpose, something greater than ourselves. When he left work after serving with Boeing for the better part of 30 years, he lost a part of himself and the purpose that flows from doing work you enjoy.

It's my hope that our retirees have their purpose in their golden years, whether that's being with family, traveling, or simply growing a garden, I wish all of them the purpose to live a life fulfilled, that they may enjoy their long, hard-earned time.

Those That See, And Those That Don't and a Math Corner

2011-05-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

To some degree, I think we're all blind. I'm not talking about our physical ability to see. I'm talking about our ability to be self reflective. It fascinates me how some people can be very self reflective about their practice and others who aren't. There's also those who are self reflective enough to see that a certain practice or behavior isn't getting results, but don't change that particular practice or behavior.

All of life is a change, where we must change and adapt. Rarely do things stay the same, especially in the economy and the world we live in today. Last Thursday I went to KNDA radio and talked for a hour to listeners about technology and the national technology standards. One only has to look at those to understand the importance of being flexible, being current, and always learning because information and new methods and technologies are changing at a rate unpresendented in human history.

Yet, as human beings, we don't necessarily like that we have to change. Some folks dig in their heals and say, "I'm not changing" or "It worked before, it will work again" regardless if there is something more effective. Worse yet, we engage in practices and behaviors that we actually have data on that shows we aren't making the kind of gains we want, yet we continue forward (insert Einstein's definition of insanity).

My hope is that we can all see better in the future.

FROM SAUL IN THE MATH CORNER:
Here we are in May and the last few weeks of school. Great job on benchmark #3 to staff and students. We have all worked hard and student success is on everyone's heart and mind. I appreciate you sharing your comments and concerns with me. Yes, I mean all of the comments andconcerns because they all involve student success. A comment was made at the DMLT meeting. It was one of those rare moments when I was focused enough understand what was being said. All kidding aside. The presenter said, "Educators have a hard time accepting praise because they are
wanting to be/do better. They see all the things that need to be done and
don't take the time to look at what they have done."
Please take time to look what you have done.

Influencing Students Part 2

2011-04-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

In this section, we explore how we can profoundly influence students. Two ways have proven to be more effective than others. The first is to create profound vicarious experiences. You do this by putting students, as much as you can, in stories and situations where they can see themselves. You must drop the old thought of persuasion through words and create personal experiences for kids. The second is to make stories work for you. What we're talking about changing is student behavior, to create changes by helping kids alter their mental maps of cause and effect.

To help kids come to a more accurate view of cause and effect, I'm arguing that it's best to set aside one's preference for verbal persuasion and to use methods that are far more understandable, believable, and compelling that your standard pep talk. The best map-changing tool around is the poignant story.

Ever wonder why students remember more when you tell a story? From Brain Rules, we learn that the brain loves stories for a variety of reasons, but the major point here is that it's a catalyst for memory! Not only do telling stories motivate, they also help kids remember. If we want to influence students (and help them remember) we can do it through the use of stories.

Influencer Part 1

2011-04-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bandura is considered one of the pioneers of motivation and the study of human behavior. His findings are striking and I'll only share a little of what the book talks about.

Our behavior is powerfully shaped by observing others.

If you want to change how students behave, you have to first change how they think. But how do you do that? One of the first things is to focus on a few vital behaviors.

Next week, I'll explore those.

Week 25 Coaches Corner

2011-02-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

Hello, greetings, and salutations,

We finished Benchmark #2. Hurrah! hopefully we will have results sometime next week if all goes well.

G.L.A.D training was great and I received a lot of good information. The big idea from the training was visual, visual, VISUAL. I liked it.

Finally, math night. It was a huge success. I just wanted to thank all the staff that contributed to make it possible. We served between 300-350 people. Thank you. That is my angle for this week,

Saul

_______________

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Bash begins Monday, February 28^th. We will begin our week with D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) each morning from 9:05 – 9:20. Everyday will be a special theme day for students and staff to dress up!! Monday is Cowboy Day; Tuesday—Favorite character day; Wednesday—sports day; Thursday—spirit day (red/white); and wild and wacky day will end our week (no pun intended J). The Scholastic book fair will also be open in the library during the week. And Thursday evening is Family Reading Night (5:30 – 7:00). We have a wide-range of community volunteers coming to read that evening. Please encourage students to attend. Every student that attends will receive a new book from the Page Ahead Grant. Enjoy a fun-filled week!

Kimberly

A Little MINDSET with a touch of Coaches Corner

2011-02-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

From the Coaches Desk: I just wanted to thank all the persons involved in making Math Night a success. It could not have happened without your help. This last week I was gone for G.L.A.D. training. I received a lot of good information. My biggest take back was the use of visualizations. I feel that G.L.A.D. tries to make concrete connections to words through pictures, diagrams, and actions. Finally, benchmark #2 begins February 23rd.

And that's my angle,
Saul Marquez

_________________________________________

Revisiting the book, Mindset, I thought this powerful passage could help keep things in perspective heading into Week 25: "But when students understand that school is for them -- a way for them to grow their minds--they do not insist of sabotaging themselves. In my work, I have seen tough guys shed tears when they realize they can become smarter. It's common for students to turn off to school and adopt an air of indifference, but we make a mistake if we think any student stops caring." (pg. 201)

Coaches Corner for Week 23

2011-02-14T06:31:00.000-08:00

Salutations, only weeks away from benchmark 2. Wow, it's already time?
This year is flying by. Some great ideas came out of our Grade Level
Meetings this past week (Look for them in an upcoming email.) The overall
theme though was,
"We would like time to meet." Therefore, I will presenting this idea at
the next coaches meeting for future PD days. Looking ahead, our next round
of Curriculum Guide Revisions will be the second week of March. So don't
forget to gather your revisions. Thank you for your ideas, effort, and
commitment.

That is my angle, -Saul Marquez

Today we met with another round of GLAD strategies. We talked about Chants (taking key concepts from our learning and using them in a chant, poem, or song), Observation Chart (introducing a new concept by presenting 5-6 pictures for the students to “observe” then writing an observation, question, or prediction); and Team Tasks/Team Points Chart (teaching students the concept of team work and how to connect “points” to this task). If you would like to have me come into your room and model one of these strategies, I would LOVE to. Please let me know!

Kimberly

Why Don't Students Like School?

2011-01-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

Before I get into the answer, a few words...

From The Office

Both Maria and I were impressed by your willingness to discuss, review and revise your individual goals. We appreciated your reflective conversations and your allowing us to help support your work.

From Literacy Corner

Special THANKS to Dawn Moore, Minnie Garcia, Donna McMinimee, Chantile Hutchinson, and Heather Pickel for a job well done during the DIBELS’ testing! They worked extremely hard during the last two weeks. Looking at books all day is difficult and exhausting. However, they were exceptionally conscientious while testing, checking books, and looking over data. Thanks for ALL you did!

And now, some answers...

In this book, the author discusses 9 principles of the mind that have direct connection on the impact of a student and how much he/she will like school. None of this is earth shattering, and if you've read and remember Brain Rules, it will come somewhat as a review.

Here are the first five:

1. Kids are naturally curious, but they are not naturally good thinkers.

2. Factual knowledge precedes skill. (It is not possible to think well on a topic in the absence of factual knowledge about the topic)

3. Memory is a residue of thought. (The best barometer for every lesson plan is "Of what will it make the students think?)

4. We understand new things in the context of things we already know. (Always make deep knowledge your goal, spoken and unspoken, but recognize that shallow knowledge comes first before you can get to deep)

5. Proficiency requires practice. (Think carefully about which material students need at their fingertips, and practice it over and over and over.)

Is Drill Worth It?

2011-01-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

My son has this vision about being a professional basketball player. So I'm reading Why Don't Students Like School and once again come across the 10,000 rule. If you are unfamiliar with this, psychologists have done extensive research around the amount of hours it takes to reach a level of professional from performing arts to sports to computer programing. What the studies have found are staggering. If you want to be an expert, I mean real professional, you'll need to dedicate the equivalent of 10 years of practice for 3 hours a day, everyday day to reach the 10,000 hours mark. Bill Gates did when he was young. David Garrett did. Jordan did.

When I showed my son this research and graph (he's in 6th grade) it hit home. He realized that's a lot of hours to practice, hence the chapter from the book about drill in school and here's what the research says: "It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a mental task without extended practice."

Makes sense right. We know this intuitively as teachers. Keep in mind that working memory has limited space so we can't cram a bunch of stuff in there and expect it to stay in long term. It takes repeated practice. This is especially true in math.

There's more to come on this though, so look for further blog entries.

Tough Week

2011-01-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

Last week was one of my toughest weeks of the year. When I started doing the mindset experiments with the fifth grade and saw how fixed/growth mindsets were already formed, I worried. But I took heart because that's something we can do something about by deliberately teaching how we think and the way we look at ourselves.

Then...

Each fifth grade filled out a survey, which you can download from our webpage this week. I challenge you to download and look at it, even if you don't teach fifth grade. It's telling. The place I chose to focus last week was around the students that checked: I just don't like school. I wanted to know why because I want that number to be zero. Every child should want to come to school. I know that's idealistic and not pragmatic, but nonetheless, it's my dream.

I pulled only students who had checked I just don't like school on the survey and met with them individually and asked them why they don't like school.

Man, it's so true that when you ask a question, you should be prepared for the answer.

I only got to eight kids last week and every single one of them didn't like school for very valid reasons. Some are being bullied. Some feel the material goes too fast and they can't understand or there are certain subjects they can't get so they don't want to come. Some have a self-image issue and see themselves as getting in trouble too much. Over half of these kids cried when they told me these things.

After the last student was interviewed for the week, I looked out my office window and lamented. Am I doing everything for these kids? I know we're moving too fast for some kids, I know that kids need emotional support and social support as much as academic. Again, am I doing everything I can?

If last week taught me anything, it is that we must continually talk about the importance of education and working hard. Seriously. Education is their key to a better future, in fact, I dare say for some of them, their only key. But it will take all of us, and I mean all of us, reinforcing that message to them.

WEEK 18 Coaches' Corner

2011-01-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

Literacy Corner:

Happy 2011! I hope that your Christmas Break was filled with relaxation, good food, and great friends!! January means DIBELS! We will start testing towards the middle of the month. A definite schedule will be sent out soon. Please have students be cognizant of what they are reading. It is truly pointless for students to read 165 words in a minute and retell 28! Being aware of what they are reading (slowing down if necessary) is more important than a “high” number on ORF.

At our PDD on Friday, we will be spending time working on the power standards and the HYS—Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition. We will also be looking at the common unit assessments that were created based on the power standards for the following unit.

Math Corner:

Well everyone we are off to a new year. Have you ever turned on a
treadmill as fast as it can go and then jumped on trying to run. Yeah, I
know not the brightest idea. Anyway, don't do it. That is what this week
has been.

We have Benchmark Data analysis on Friday. I believe it will be very good
info. If you have not accessed your Benchmark Data from Data Director,
please try it. There is a lot of great information. Have a great week.

That's my angle!

Forgetting What You Think You Know

2010-12-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

It's 2011.

Seriously. 2011.

Where does the time go? Well, it goes away, never to return unfortunately.

As I was going through articles from last year, this one really hit home in terms of what we think we know about how we learn versus what cognitive psychologists know we know about how we learn. The article is fascinating, supports what we learned about Brain Rules, and gives some real food for thought.

Here's a synopsis: In recent years, cognitive scientists have shown that a few simple techniques can reliably improve what matters most: how much a student learns from studying. The findings can help anyone, from a fourth grader doing long division to a retiree taking on a new language. But they directly contradict much of the common wisdom about good study habits, and they have not caught on. For instance, instead of sticking to one study location, simply alternating the room where a person studies improves retention (remember the experiment from Brain Rules where people were taught in a pool?). I would encourage all of you to read it. The full article in the NEW YORK TIMES can be found here.

Speaking of articles, I would also encourage you to take 20 minutes and watch Mohammad Yunus speak and what he talks about in his struggle to help the poor in Bangladesh. He's our person of the month and you can find the video on YouTube here.

Have a great start to the 2011 year everyone.

Envision

2010-12-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

I envision a school where children are listened to, that the time is taken to deeply know them

I envision a place where children are not mere numbers on a spreadsheet or report, that boys and girls are not defined by such numbers, but where we accept children as they are and strive for individual improvement

I envision the halls where smiles abound and laughter resides, where children are greeted and met with dignity

I envision a school where children know where they are and know where they need to go

I envision a school that sings, dances, draws, and performs

I envision a place where teachers' creativity is harnessed, where new and innovative ideas are brought forth with vigor

I envision a school that though surrounded by darkness, poses as a beacon of radiating light for those that pass by can only stop and behold in wonder

I envision a school where one walks in and feels the spirit that is so wonderful, there are not words to describe it

I envision a night when I return home and know that I have done my best, having put on my hat of creativity and made the life of a child better

I envision a place where when I fall, ten, twenty, two hundred hands help me up

I envision a student body that blows away my highest of expectations

I envision a place where, by the time students leave, there are tears because it's just that special

And lastly, I envision a school RISING FROM THE ASHES LIKE A PHOENIX WHOSE ONLY LIMITS WILL BE THE EXTENT OF THEIR IMAGINATIONS

This is what I envision.

Integrating Writing and Science: Week 16: Kim's Entry

2010-12-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

I would say the one thing that I feel is going really well is being able
to integrate writing in with science. We are studying animals in
camouflage right now and it's great because the kids love the non-fiction
and it makes it fun and easy for them to write about all the interesting
animals.

WEEK 15: Danielle's Post

2010-12-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

It's my third year teaching and I often feel that I'm finally getting the
hang of things and have enough on my list on "to-do" items when suddenly a
great idea pops into my head. I'm excited to put my grand plan into
effect and about how it will improve my classroom, teaching, and my
students.

One of those ideas was the half sheet for conferences that
contained the scores and information that does not fit onto the report
cards. Or the goals I have for students that when discussed with parents,
is most likely forgotten as soon as the parents walk out of my door.

I used the half sheets of paper that my team and I created during my
conferences. It was so helpful to have the scores and information written
down and ready to discuss with parents. My parents found it helpful to
have the information as well, and that I was able to discuss what the
scores from MAP, STAR, and AR really mean. I had several parents say how
much that having the paper would help them know the specific goals I have
set for their child to work on for 2nd quarter. Overall, my conferences
went well expect for one thing.

I had about 3/4 of my students with at least 15 missing homework
assignments, which resulted in a very low letter grade for math homework
on their report card. Needless to say, many parents were upset and
wondering how to help their child be successful with homework. With the
first few conferences, I recommended that parents buy their child an
agenda to write down their assignments each day, but by the 5th conference
of saying this I began to wonder if there was a simpler way for everyone
involved.

I decided to create my own agenda worksheet for my students to keep in
their homework folders. On the sheet is a table with columns for the date
the assignment is given, the name of the assignment, the due date, as well
as a column for the parent to sign after they have seen their child's
completed assignment. I look at each agenda daily and put a star next to
the assignment if it is returned and the parent has signed. I now have
almost all of my kids returning their homework each day!

Yes, it does take up a little of my plan time to look at each agenda, but
I love having this simple sheet of paper the parents see each day and know
exactly what their child is learning. Plus, the parents have a great tool
to communicate with me about any questions or concerns they may have
knowing I will see it each day.

WEEK 13 Friday Focus @ Outlook

2010-11-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

From Administration: It has been great to see the increased use of the high yield strategies that have been the focus of our CWTs. Your setting objectives and providing feedback as well as reinforcing effort-as students work -has been noted at all grade levels with increased frequency:) Some teachers have also added the Why? response immediately following their posted objective to help students articulate the "purpose" of their learning:)
Keep up the great work!

Coaches Corner: Graphic Organizers, Graphic Organizers, Graphic Organizers. As I have been visiting the OSPI website, graphic organizers are a must for our students. I have been looking through many folders, binders, and “stacks” to find some relevant ones for us to use during reading.

Andrea also found a great website http://www.washingtonco.k12.nc.us/siteimages/images/uploads/Graphic%20Organizers%20for%20Reading.pdf .

I hope to share some ideas for graphic organizers during our Reading Collab day on Tuesday, December 7^th. Please send me an email if you would like to take a look at what I have prior to this date.

Pygmalion vs Golem

2010-11-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

So, I'm walking down the hallway today and I heard a parent exclaim, "I knew you couldn't do it."

I cringed.

Do you know about the Pygmalion and Golem Effect?

In simple terms, both of these “effects” mean - people live up to (Pygmalion) or down to (Golem) your expectations of them. Your expectations often become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers can unintentionally influence the performance of their learners for better or worst. The effects aren’t just theory; studies have shown that this really takes place. A great place to read about the research is in the book, SWAY.

In 1968 a study was published showing that average kids, who were label as having unusual potential for intellectual growth, had significantly higher test scores than their peers at the end of the school year. The only people who thought the kids had unusual potential were the teachers (they were told this by the officiators of study). The high expectations of the teachers and their resulting behavior towards these “intelligent” kids led to the significant improvement in performance.

The best definition I’ve seen of the Pygmalion/Gollum Effect is called the Four-Factors Theory by Dr. Rosenthal. He explains it’s a function of climate, input, feedback, and output. Here are some simple examples:

Climate: The positive interpersonal experience the student has around you

Input: You give the student the information he/she needs to be successful

Output: The student has the opportunity to ask questions and get good feedback.

Feedback: You let them know if they are doing well and how to do even better.

Think of these examples in the opposite context - ie. the negative interpersonal experience the student has around you such as sighing, no eye contact, minimal exchange of words, etc. - and you see how the Golem effect occurs.

We need to stay away from comments like, “I knew he couldn’t do it”. Instead, we should view each participant as fully capable of doing well in anything. By doing so, you’ll find an opportunity to prove the Pygmalion effect.

SWAY

2010-11-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

I am rereading a great book titled SWAY. It discusses irrational behavior and the forces that are out there that explain why a person, who seemingly rationale, engages in irrational behavior. The research behind the insights are fascinating.

As I am reading this book, I'm asking myself, "Are there seemingly things we are doing that could be considered irrational?" It's a much used quote from Einstein that we hear all the time: "The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results." Would we be considered irrational, would I be considered irrational, if we or I continued to do the same things expecting different results?

One of the things I'm going to ask staff this week is to respond to this quote: "In order to achieve results we've never attained before, we must start doing things we've never done before."

As I analyze this year around that lens, I am constantly asking myself, "What am I doing different that's going to really result in better student achievement?" The daily challenge we all face is to ask ourselves, "What are we doing differently that's going to lead to better achievement?"

That's called focus.

But the harder part is after we identify what we can be doing different, is to execute. And of course, that's where the majority of us have trouble. myself included. I'm great at focusing, but then having the discipline to execute on the most highest priorities is tough because we are inundated with urgent and important things coming at us, where as most of the highest priorities are important, not necessarily urgent.

I challenge all of us to reach higher by thinking about what we can be doing better or different...

What Kids Say

2010-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, I met with all our new students in grades 3-5 from different schools. I'll be doing the same with our first and second graders next week. It was enlightening to hear the experience these kids have had since coming to our school. All in all, it was very positive.

One of the things the students said that was they were really looking forward to was intramurals. When I asked the kids how many of them played on a team ever, only a few hands went up. There is someting to be said when you play on a team and students come together. Students often times step up and take on leadership roles they wouldn't necessarily do in a different venue.

It's great that we can give kids this opportunity through our intramurals.

Improvement

2010-09-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

A new year has arrived, and for me, this marks year five at Outlook. Year 5. Time flies and yet it doesn't. When I reflect back on how I operated five years ago, versus how I operate today, there's major differences. I've really tried to work hard on deficiencies in my leadership since that time. I felt I've made improvements in many areas, yet there's so much more where I need to grow.

Our theme this year is improvement. I've been quite impressed with staff's personal goals and their accountability. Real time and effort was spent on thinking about how they can grow. I want every staff member to grow both personally and professionally.

I'm an ardent student of Stephen Covey's work and he talks about that we can't have sustained public improvement until we have private improvement.

What does that mean?

It means that we must work on ourselves first before it can really show publicly. One staff member I met with in regards to goals had very private goals, goals that really were about private improvement. When I noted this when talking to the staff member, the response was: I need to improve in those areas so I can be a better employee.

It was an enlightening moment because the person realized that if we want to become better at anything on the outside, we have to work on the inside. We have to be better at understanding each other, patient with each other, loyal to each other, etc.

It is only then that we can have sustained public improvement.

U P D A T E S (Your source for the most current Outlook Information)

2010-08-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

REMINDER. THIS FRIDAY, ALL STAFF START AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AT 8:00 am IN THE AUDITORIUM.

August 18 Update: CONSTRUCTION!They are doing construction on Yakima Valley Highway for those of you coming from the tri-city area direction. The fastest way to get to the school will be to go to Granger and follow VAN BELLE down to the school. CONSTRUCTION should be done by next Monday.

August 17 Update: This Friday, all certificated staff (including all specialists) will be meeting in the auditorium at the high school. Humanities specialists will be meeting at Outlook after the presentation in the Outlook library. Also, email is somewhat back up and running however, WE HAD TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD. Please see the office secretaries to learn what your password is IF YOUR EMAIL IS NOT WORKING CURRENTLY.

August 16 Update: Interested in the co-site supervisor job at Outlook for our after school program? See Robert if you are.

August 13 Update: Wondering when all the committees meet? Check out the schedule here.

August 12 Update

This is a great book that has real and practical things that you can take and use in your classrooms. We will be doing some work at staff meetings on this. If you're interested in doing a book study (no, it's not THAT involved...you come when you want), please let me know. I have 10 books available. First come, first serve. :) This assumes though you'll do the book study.

Reminder: Meet the Teacher Night is Monday, August 23rd

August 10 Update

For certificated staff, your first day back is Friday, August 20th. Please see the online calendar now for updates and details, which will fluctuate for the next few days.

For classified staff, your first day back is Monday, August 23rd.

August 9th Update: If you are having problems with email, please let us know via a personal email or calling Robert's school phone (836-3200) and leaving a message that you can't access email. The server was updated this last week and we're finding some people are having issues connecting.

August 3rd Update: Maria and I are back at it with a full August ahead of us. The purpose of this blog for the next few weeks will be to give you updates about the school. This will also serve as our venue for getting info out to you. In an effort to save dollars, we will not be sending out a "welcome back" letter. Think of this as your "welcome back updates".

We were informed today that our school's start and end times will be changed. Unless this changes again (and I don't think it will) school begins at 9:10 (instead of 9:00) and ends at 3:40. We will let students in the building at 9:00 (versus 8:50 like last year). Essentially, everything has been moved up 10 minutes from our schedule work from last year. No huge changes, just that everything is moving up 10.

What this means for certificated staff is that you should arrive at work by 8:20. For classified, schedules are still being updated, however, it's safe to say that classified staff will be staying later this year than in year's past, more than likely until approximately 3:55.

Many of you have emailed/called/stopped by to find out results for MSP. The data is in but it's preliminary so I can't release it yet. Hang in there. Official numbers will be released at the end of August more than likely, though math scores probably won't be official and come back to us until September.

Please check the blog frequently for updates.

Regards,
Robert

Mom's Story

2010-07-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

So, my mother is visiting this last weekend and we're talking and she relates the following story to me after dinner.

"I was 5 ft 8 inches in 6th grade and weighed 145 pounds. One day in PE class, Mr. ____, who was a short man, did weight and height checks. After the class got all done, he announces to everyone that I'm the heaviest person in the class, even heavier than him (the teacher). Funny, I've never forgotten that and how I felt."

I sat stunned, yet not surprised.

My mother is seventy years old and yet she still remembers this memory, some sixty years ago. It brings home the thought of the importance of our words and how they can have lasting impressions. I've been partial to Haim Ginott, the famous teacher and child psychologist who said that "children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them leaves a lasting impression."

Case in point. My mother.

I'm reading a book by educational guru, teacher, scholar...Todd Whitaker, who wrote a myriad of books, the one I'm reading being, What Great Teachers Do Differently. As I read these pages, I reflect back upon myself and what I did as a middle school teacher and some of which I did well. Other parts I didn't. I'm very curious as to what more I'm going to learn over the summer.

WEEK 40 APPROACHES

2010-05-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

As week 40 approaches, the final week of school, I reflect on the year. I only wish that we had assessment results now and did not have to wait. The waiting thing is somewhat ridiculous, however, given the fact that so many kids in WA test, I suppose it would be nearly impossible to get results in a quicker fashion, though other states have been able to do this successfully.

Personally, it's been both a great year and a tough year. Never before has the pressure been so demanding and it can wear one down. This is especially true the last couple of weeks for me. I'm very proud of our staff and its progress. I'm not saying that we don't have work to do, because we always do. But as Daniel Pink talks about in Drive, mastery is never truly obtainable. Will we ever feel satisfied? I hope not!

In the book, DRIVE, Daniel Pink talks about "mastery" and that obtaining mastery is impossible, though it alluring, and it is precisely why we strive for it in all we do. Education is no different.

Teach Like A Champion

2010-05-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

Christy mentioned this book to me a couple of weeks ago and hey, it's practical and quite useful. Much of the text is common sense but it's nice to revisit great ideas. I'm excited to explore the DVD of sample lessons. If you're interested in getting a copy, let me know.

HERE IT COMES

2010-05-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

I loved the MSP commercial over at edvsuned. Massive Student Pressure. Though I laugh a bit, I wonder if that's not what some kids feel. No doubt we're feeling it as a staff. Couple that with budget reductions, and it's a wonder I'm getting sleep at all. :)

There are so many wonderful things happening at school and yet there is a sense sometimes of immense pressure. Whenever I feel that, I walk the halls and get a high 5, a hug, or multiple hugs (oh, how I love kinders!) and it reminds me of why we're here. Yes, we're here for student achievement but it goes far and above reading and math.

The future is uncertain. Always is. I'm not sure what next year will bring in terms of changes but I'm confident that we'll make the necessary gains needed to continue our journey. If not, then I guess I cross that bridge when I get there. I can thank my parents for my idealism and esepcially Mom for my confidence. Perhaps it's a fault that I look at things as opportunities. I can't image, however, seeing the world in a different mindset, one of negativity and fault finding.

The other day my mother asked me whether or not I would change anything I've done in the last four years at Outlook. Good question, Mom. There are certainly situations I would change, but overall, would I change the overall course if I could? No.

What's My Outlook?
It's yellow, Quigley. Yellow.

E F F O R T

2010-04-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

We've been studying about effort, particularly from Marzano's work, CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS. In this case, making sure that students know their efforts mean something, that it's tied to achievement.

So I get this great email link from one of our PE dudes, which features Jordan, the one and only, talking about effort. Loved it. Here's the link.

As the spring approaches, we begin to think about schedule and plan for next year. I'm excited for the opportunities we're going to have to bringing some of the things we've been learning to light, especially around effort.

On another note, I finished the mindset experiments with the 5th grade. Fascinating. However, after talking with the fifth grade students, I can tell that we need to be doing this from grades 3 up and the beginning of the year. I've also gone through Dweck's curriculum, BRAINOLOGY. Interesting. The importance of teaching children that essentially their mind is a muscle and that it can be improved on, is paramount, as is showing them the growth mindset.

Curiously, I pulled one of our fourth grade teachers after giving the mindset experiment to her class. She didn't know anything about the experiment except that I was doing it but she had no details, nor did she have any results when I read the names of the kids with growth mindsets; all of which she said should pass MSP or close. Interesting. This backs up Dweck's theory that mindset is tied to achievement. Huge implications here. We'll see after MSP.

SECRETS

2010-04-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

April is here. What? Seriously? April already. Man . . . times flies, especially this year or maybe it's the lightheadedness from the loss of hair. Not sure. Anyhow, like so many other times in my career, a needed break is just what the doctor ordered, in a sense.

I'm a voracious reader. I could read more, I suppose, but would risk alienating my family, which already happens from time to time, but this Spring Break I had the opportunity to read. There are times when I come across a book that absolutely changes me from the core. It doesn't happen often, but there are a few books out there that have made significant impacts in my life, to which I can't even count the returned blessings because of them.

Often when I'm reading non-fiction and it's about leadership or human psychology, I can't help but think at those times: There's some secrets here. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and the subsequent book, The 8th Habit, both by leadership guru Stephen Covey top my list of most profound works that inspire me.

During Spring Break, I read two books that stretched me in totally new ways. The first one was called Mindset by world-renown psychologist, Carol Dweck. Oh, does it have implications for what we do here in education. This post is already too long for me to go into great detail, so I'll save it for another post. The other gem I read was Drive by Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, which our art teacher, Judith, got me jazzed about. This book has just as many implications in education as Mindset does.

These two books make three keys reads for me during the 2009-10 year. Brain Rules by John Medina was the first one. With so much literature out there about how the brain works, what motivates kids, and how to change our thinking, you'd assume we'd be doing more in education about those topics.

We're not.
We need to.

This week I'll begin a series of experiments (sounds cryptic, doesn’t it?) around student mindsets. Using the exact rationale and procedure Dweck describes in her book, I'll do the experiments on the 5th grade and see what the results show. I'm very curious.

I'll try and report out from the experiments on a later post.
-Mr. Bowman
PS:(random) Saw a great movie in HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON this weekend. Kids loved it. I loved it. Great story.

A PROUD MOMENT

2010-03-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

Love it or hate it, competition can bring out the best and worst in people, students, kids. This last weekend we had the opportunity to take some of our 3rd and 5th graders to Auburn for the state cup stacking championship. You may be thinking..."CUP STAKING?"

I won't go into it here. Just Google, CUP STACKING and see what I'm talking about. This phenomenon actually has a global following. As a school, we've been working on this with the kids and for the last three years we've gone to the tournament.

It was so awesome to see how well the student competed, but equally impressive was the way they carried themselves and the integrity showed. Sure, we took 37 total medals with three state champions, but . . . it was the character the students showed that was so impressive!

Way to go, Outlook.

Teaching First Grade

2010-03-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

So, I finished off my conquest of teaching fifth grade (it was a piece of cake . . . LOL . . . hardly) I took the week to teach first grade. Now before I get into how I changed the lives of all the first graders by my outstanding teaching (again, laughing here), I should brief the reader on my experience, most of which is found at the upper elementary and middle school levels. I have never taught anything below third grade.

I'll admit, I was scared something fierce. And my first day was a wreck. Thank goodness I didn't have any walk-throughs that day. I was out the gate way TOO fast and the poor kids...they were lost. The following day, I found the needed pace and it was much more productive day.

The rest of the week though was tough. Because of various meetings and other situations, I couldn't make it back to the beloved first graders. But having been there just for a couple of days makes me appreciate so much what the primary teachers do on a daily basis. And though different than my fifth grade experience, it's equally as hard.

Teaching lessons have been a wonderful reminder of a couple key points: a) as principals, we need to get in the classrooms more and remember what it's like to do the daily work that our intrepid teachers do. b) I still love the classroom. Though leadership at the building level is gratifying, the classroom is still where the magic is. :)

God bless you, educators!

CONNECTIONS

2010-02-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Even though there are 600+ students at school, some you enviably get to know more so than others. One young man in particular comes to mind. Since coming on my radar since 2nd grade (he is now in 4th) I've been trying to find what makes him tick, what is his biggest interest because he doesn't seem to be motivated by anything we've tried in school.

While doing recess duty this week, he came over and we talked quite a bit. This young man is a bit of a loner and as we chit-chatted, I struck gold because I learned what he DOES get excited about and this small piece of information blew me away. I would have never thought that this boy would have such an interest and knowledge base, but he does!

Making those kind of connections with kids is tough because it requires time to get to know them. I can't do that with every student in school, but it sure is nice when those connections are made. I let his teacher know this "gem" of information and now hopefully she too can make the connection and tap into his enthusiasm!

Teaching 5th Grade

2010-02-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I finished my tenure as 5th grade math teacher (though I only did it for three days out of the week). Loved it. Parts of it I sucked. Parts of it I thought I did all right on. Being in classroom is a healthy reminder to me how difficult it is to teach, day in and day out with the demands of the profession.

The things that plagued me as a teacher still exist now: attention, different ability levels, motivating students.

As I reflect on the videos and watch, I still have a long ways to go on incorporating what we're doing with Brain Rules.

All in all, this was a great experience. Thanks to Adrianna for allowing me time with her students. Next up for me is first grade in Mrs. Gibb's room, the first week of March. Wish me luck.

Well That Sucked . . .

2010-02-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

If yesterday's lesson went well, today's was horrible! Ah... I just laugh. How many times in my career, going on 16+ years now where I've had one good lesson, followed by a horrid one. And yet another example today.

Ooohhhh.... tenths and hundredths and thousandths. Tough stuff to understand. Tougher to teach, I think. So I had my lesson all mapped out, had the objectives, had students talking to each other, was ready to summarize the end of the lesson...yeah, good intentions!

The students' breadth of knowledge ended as soon as I started today it seemed like. Massive confusion about hundredths and thousandths probably because . . . no take that back. Because I, yes I, could not deliver it the way Investigations was leading me to. Suddenly, in the mess of what became my lesson, I immediately jumped back to standard algorithm. AHHH!! I even found myself saying things like, "You move the decimal over two places when converting to percent." Sure, the students did it, but holy cow, they had no conceptual knowledge as to WHY I was asking them to do it. There was mass confusion, anger, frustration (mainly from me because I just couldn't articulate).

I totally forgot the video camera today (HEHEHE) and yesterday, but I'm going to try and have it set up at least once this week to record the horror!

I was reminded the variance of ability as well. Some kids tore out of the gate and actually followed what I was trying to get across. Amazing really. These are kids that will succeed despite me. How sad is that? Then there are the others that, God bless 'em, were lost . . . total deer in the headlight look.

So, I'm back to the drawing board tonight. Looking at my lesson for tomorrow. I wonder if they're going to come in to do a walk through? AHHH! And the fact I won't get feedback if they do...oh, man.

And to think next month, I do this thing again at first grade. I gonna be living in Quigley's room that week, baby!

As I reflect, I will say that I've planned using a Brain Rules Framework that I created based on Chapter 4: Attention. I think I've had decent engagement. At least, it looks that way and I've tried to watch my time intervals and provide ECS (emotional hooks). Whew. Go John Medina!

Cheers to all of you for your efforts. I'm trying, really I am.

First Day Teaching 5th Grade

2010-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

It felt good to be back in the classroom. I miss it. I miss the relationship with students and the interaction. There is something about teaching that is sacred. I need to do this more. It reminds how easy it is to forget about how to engage the kid that just won't sit still or the overly social girls at the table by the window that JUST WON'T STOP TALKING! (LOL)

I felt today's lesson went very well, too well in fact. Kudos to both fourth grade and Adrianna for the knowledge base the students have in relation to decimals. This was my first day on the decimal unit and we really moved along (yes, I was checking for understanding as we went).

I've really tried to incorporate technology and so I used KEYNOTE (it's like Powerpoint but for the Mac) and used it for examples and visuals. It's so cool to be able to go back and forth nearly simultaneously with the doc camera/computer. Sweet. Where was this when I was teaching?

At the end of the lesson, we reviewed and summarized. I was impressed by the depth of knowledge of the kids. Looking forward to tomorrow.

New Ideas

2010-01-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

I was teaching fifth grade and was disheartened when I realized what little geography my students knew, especially world geography. As part of a social studies unit, I decided that I would create a Pirate unit, built around some of the same tenants as Sid Meir's PIRATES game. (For those that know what I'm talking about, I'm dating myself, especially when I say it was on the Commodore 64).

I digress.

So, I spend a ton of time on this unit, have kids pick their country, their type of ship, their trade and I have a big map on the wall with everyone's starting place. It was a cool, initial set up. Problem was, it sucked. The unit had no real form of assessment and I really never started the project with any "end in mind".

I scrapped it after two weeks of grief. Kids were relieved. I was bummed. Never touched it again.

I remember this story because it was new idea. It was a cool idea but it forced me to learn that without detail, any idea can wither and die, like the PIRATES unit. Take, for example, our brain rules experiment we're doing as a staff. Cool idea. Lots of research to back it up but . . .

Heaven is in the details, right? So what is the end in mind with this project? Ultimately, it's to help us become better at everything we do, from teaching to empathic listening to deeper relationships because we fully understand more than we did before the project started. I'm excited about the knowledge we're going to learn and the process.

Here's to new ideas.

Future

2010-01-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's a bit scary when I think about what my own children (4th and 5th graders) along with all children for that matter are going to face in twenty years. What futurists are telling us is that many of the jobs that those children will compete for are not even created yet. Add to that our connectivity and the results is a more connected, yet more competitive world.

Education has sacred cows. There are practices that go on where we have to ask ourselves, "Why do we continue doing this?"

We must look at the answers critically and see if that fits what we would consider best practices.

I'm excited for the future and a little apprehensive. What will our children need to know to be productive?

Hmmm.

The New Year

2009-12-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

I start this year with a blog about teamwork and the common bonds we build at work with each other. I love William Bernback's quote, "An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it." This is so true and I'm so proud of the ideas that have sprang forth into magic because of the dedicated folks on staff.

With this new year, it's a time for us to reflect on what we want to accomplish and to keep the education of the whole child in mind. We want ideas to keep bubbling, enthusiasm constant, and to always remember our paramount duty to produce productive citizens of the world.

I've just finished a great book, Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization. In it, author Yong Zhao, discusses a host of issues plaguing American Education but also what makes American education so incredible. I'll be talking about this book in future blogs.

The first piece I'll share is the evidence sited that even a small reduction in a family's poverty significantly improves school behavior and performance of students. This is common sense for us in the education community. It's also why we need to do everything we can to stress the importance of education with our students and to actively bolster their sense of the future.

Don't Forget About Me

2009-12-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

"I can think of no better instrument than the human voice."

___________________________

Watched our EMS (Early Morning Singers) and 5th grade perform tonight. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. I'm still humming, Down By The Riverside. Kudos to Charlene and the kids! Bravo!

After our concert finished up, I headed down to Sierra Vista to watch the 6th and 7th grade orchestra concert. And there I saw our alumni making music and I got teary eyed. How proud I was of those kids that a) stuck with cello from cello school and b) had the courage to attempt to learn a musical instrument in middle school.

Look, I'm a product of a balanced childhood. (Thanks Mom and Dad). I had the privlege of learning and studying music and it made a profound impact on me as a learner and human being.

Yet as I watched the students perform, I was struck with the thought... Once these kids leave Outlook, do I ever really think about them? Do I ever really stay somehow connected? Sadly, my mental answer to this was NO. And it's a shame.

So many times in my busyness of life and work, once those kids leave, part of me leaves with them, yet is that part never to return? As I listened tonight, I was filled with pride and a little shame. I haven't stayed connected like I should have with the kids once they leave.

I don't know how I do this, but somehow, someway, I need to.

Outlier

2009-11-27T07:03:00.000-08:00

There are a few books that I've read multiple times (non-fiction) that, because of content, I go back to. Outliers is one of them. Not that there's technical information that's so important it's worth revisiting, but because the stories behind what makes an "outlier" -- in the book's case, a person or people that are far above the norm -- are so unique and important to how we see our world and education.

Take for example, the famous Bill Gates and his fabled story. But closer analysis shows that it wasn't so much his intelligence that lead him to his initial success as it was opportunity and (get this) hard work.

Now when we say hard work, one often thinks of long hours and toil. But just how many hours constitutes hard work. In Outliers, you learn the magic number. It's 10,000 hours or over. 10,000 hours. Think about that. Take that number, divide it by 10 years. That's 1,000 hours per year, then divide by 365 and you're looking at appox 2.8 hours a day to work on something to become world class at it.

This is just one example of the many findings in Outliers. I'll be posting more later.

5 Dysfunctions and the Community

2009-11-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

One of our fifth grade teachers referred me to, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and because I'm somewhat of a verascious reader and listener (I have umpteen audio books), I finished it rather quickly. I was both encouraged (mostly) and humbled to see the characteristics of a high functioning teams and low functioning teams.

The old axiom, There's no I in team is said all the time as is But there is ME. Early in my teaching career, I was focused on me, me as an individual teacher and how great my ideas and programs were. And many times, they were unique and interesting, but they were done alone. How hindsight and experience teaches us differently. What I failed to understand in my twenties is that you can accomplish far more, experience greater personal satisfaction and achieve greatness when you function as a team. This was brought home to me in the early 2000s when the school district I worked for received a large federal grant to incorporate vigorous, daily PE.

Before this grant, I worked alone. With the grant, I was able to team with a fellow PE expert, who not only taught me a great deal, but made for an excellent partner. As at team, our teaching improved, our program improved, and ultimately for the final years of the grant, the results were amazing in what children accomplished in terms of their physical health.

Teaming itself is difficult because I think for the majority of us, we don't know how to team. We like the concept, we think we share, but we don't. Why? Well, for one, our society is a society of "me" and not "us". We have, what Stephen Covey refers to as, "the scarcity mentality." In other words, I'm not going to share my creative and engaging idea or thought or program because by doing so, I will lose uniqueness and for some, perceived power. Instead, we should have the mentality "of abundance" which refers to the concept that there's plenty of great things to go around and my sense of worth doesn't come from whether or not I alone have a great idea or program.

But many times when people share great ideas other perceive this as arrogance. "Oh, she thinks she has all the answers doesn't she?" are the thoughts that can cloud the mind. In order to avoid this overcast mentality, we have to create a culture of trust among team members so that such comments are taken in the spirit of team and how that can make the team better, because by making the team better, we're better.

Throughout the school, we have high functioning and low functioning teams. Every orgainzation does. It's my hope and goal that this year we can focus on how to make our teams stronger, thus making us as a whole group, stronger which ultimately leads to better, happy people and just as importantly; better, happier students.

Engaging Young Readers

2009-10-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

So many books, so much to learn. Finishing up Engaging Young Readers and trying to synthesize the plethora of information found in this compilation of text centered upon promoting achievement and motivation.

Here are first of some important notes that I took away:

--In some classrooms reading instruction for poorer readers primarily involves the explicit teaching of word attack and word recognition skills, with little time allocated to extended reading and discussion of the text. (Palincsar & Klenk, 1992)

--They (the teachers) immersed their students in meaningful reading and writing activities but also actively taught decoding, word recognition and comprehension, increasing the among of systematic and explicit coverage of these skills with weaker readers in their classrooms. (Pressley, Rankin, et al., 1996)

--A common instructional arrangement that should be avoided is ability grouping, or the practice of sorting a class into three or four reading groups on the basis of ability. Children are often placed in such groups at the start of first grade, and it is not uncommon for struggling readers in the bottom group for the rest of their elementary school years. Ability grouping can undermine the confidence of waker readers, as they are cast in an often permanent hierarchy where the yare labeled as the least successful. (Flood et al., 1992)

The Power of Post Education

2009-09-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Duh. It's a no-brainer. I'm a proponent of post high school education. Partly because I'm a product of college/university life and also because I've seen the staggering statistics in regards to students that attend college and those that don't. I recently worked on a grant that had the following stats:

- Most 8th graders today will tell you they plan to go to college. However, only about half of Latino 9th graders graduate from high school within four years, compared to 79% of Asian Americans and 79% of Caucasians.

-A child from a higher income family is five times more likely to earn a BA degree by 24 than a child from a lower income family.

-A recent study noted that a significant barrier to higher education for low-income individuals was not a lack of opportunity, but a lack of information about college and financial aid opportunities.

You read those stats and are reminded of the power of college. Yet what are we doing collectively as an educational world to promote it, especially with those that need it most, our at-risk kids? Not much, I'm afraid.

At Outlook, we study Brain Rules, the book by John Medina. One of the rules is REPEAT TO REMEMBER. We have to repeat, repeat, repeat...if we want students to recognize and know information. Talking about and exploring what college is has to be reviewed constantly. That's why I'm so excited by our University Points program. Not that it's a competition for our students so much as it is an avenue by which we can use to talk about university life.

We can only do so much at school, I know. Parents and family have to help as well. But before we go to bed tonight, we have to ask: Did I do everything I could for the student(s) I work with?

FIRST DAY

2009-09-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

Education is an amazing profession. Truly. Such variety, such importance, such a wonderful opportunity to leave a stamp on the world and to say "I contributed to society in a positive way." Not many professionals allow you to step away from it (ie, summer break) and return refreshed and renewed.

I was so happy and impressed by not only the students today, it being first day and all, but with the teachers and staff as well. Everyone was so professional and the positive things I saw in my walk throughs today were so encouraging. Bravo to an amazing staff of professionals and caregivers.

Though the art isn't up yet (don't worry that will be coming), the building looks good. Kids are walking on the right side, staying polite and this year feels VERY POSITIVE.

Kudos for a great opening, everyone!

And tomorrow, it's kinder time, baby!
Ah, kinders!

Cheers,
Mr. Bowman

Improvements

2009-08-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Research tells us that any time we implement something new it takes 3 to 5 years to see sustained and improved results. WASL results came out this last week and though we have some areas that we still need to hit hard (I'm thinking 4th grade math) we saw major improvement. Yeah!

It's due to the hard work of this staff that the results are what they are. We needed this because in order for us to reach that "escape velocity", which we're primed and ready to do this year, we needed an improvement base and this is what we needed.

I'm excited for the next year, proud of the efforts of so many, and look forward to helping children go to the next level in their education.

Summer Fades

2009-07-30T16:29:00.001-07:00

Strange that I should say that summer is fading, when here it is, the end of July and technically there's much more summer to go. Not the case for principals. Much of the work that will carry over and be valuable is done in August. Preparation, preparation, and preparation. The more I do this job, however, the more I'm convinced that though preparation is super important, or as I heard quite a bit this year, "UBER IMPORTANT", it's just as prudent to be able to flexible and change as the tide ebbs and flows.

I'm excited about this year for quite a few reasons: a) we have a staff that is coming together and the new faces we have are spirited, engaged, and ready to do the work. b) we know the culture and expectations. We all want to succeed and this being year four, we have the tools to make this happen. c) the community and the possibilities with the community is exciting. They know what we can do. Now, we have to engage them even more. d) teamwork. Teamwork is blossoming and coming together.

As much as I am excited, I'm apprehensive. First, our scores don't show our hard work. This is true in our reading scores collectively last year. I'm hopeful that WASL results will show differently, but again, I'm apprehensive. Second is our interventions and para staffing. Because of budget cuts, we've had to cut back. That's hurt because it puts stress on intervention models that typically what we've had. Third is my schedule. With a radical face-lift of my schedule, I'm a bit leary as to how well it will work. But my fingers and crossed.

Next week I'm in Tacoma for training that looks good. I'm looking forward to it.

EMPOWERING STUDENT VOICE

2009-07-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here for me. Thank goodness. It's a nice break. I even got to play some golf today which, quite honestly, I don't do well, but had a fun time doing. Today's post is about elevating student voice. One of the other aspects I enjoy about summer is I have time to read, and read broadly I do. I read, ELEVATING STUDENT VOICE: How to enhance participation, citizenship, and leadership about a year ago and have just recently revisited it.

Great book. If you want to see just a small component of what this book entails, try doing a good search on SURVIVING HIGH SCHOOL DOCUMENTARY and see what you get. Pretty amazing.

One of the gems that comes from this quick read is found on page 21: "If students are positive about school, engaged in their learning, and invested in school programs, an educational leader's job is easier. Student voice can impact student discipline; student voice can impact [everyone]."

We all should strive to empower our students more.

W H A C K !

2009-05-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Remember Batman and Robin . . . not the newest ones, but the original, you know with Adam West and company? Some of you reading this are thinking, who exactly is Adam West? Anyhow, one of the signature pieces to the original series was the WHAM! WHACK! SHBOOM! word flashes every time some bad guy was hit. It made for a bit of a weird viewing experience.

After coming off our audit on Friday, it feels a bit like that. We're grateful for audits because they help us to see what we sometimes wouldn't see, but geez, they can be eye-opening and a bit frustrating.

We definitely know where our focus has to be in the coming weeks and next year.

On a lighter note, things are picking up busy as normal for the springtime. Here's to all the cool stuff to look forward to.

Cheers.

Performing Art

2009-05-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, it's the day after Missoula Children's Theater...one of the coolest ideas/programs for kids out there and I can't help but think how important the arts are, whether it's performing art or visual art, there are opportunities for kids to thrive in a very different and meaningful way.

I'm proud of this year's efforts to go above and beyond and give kids opportunities (whether it's during lunch or before school) that are not part of a traditional curriculum or experience. Out of all the lessons I've ever taught as a teacher, not once . . . NOT ONCE . . . did I have a student come back to me and say, "Gee, Mr. Bowman, that lesson you taught on negative numbers was awesome." (LOL)

No, when the students come back to visit they talk about how you made them feel, the experience they had in your classroom or one specific event that is a memorable (like the time I accidently threw an eraser and clocked a student in the eye).

But with performing arts, they will remember how it felt to be out on stage, to have the audience laugh and listen and clap, and what it looked like behind the scenes.

Bravo to the kids that tried out and worked hard to perform. Well done.

THE BALANCE

2009-04-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today, I got to have lunch, while I enjoyed watching kids learn. But that was totally indicative of what I had to do today. Meeting, followed by scheduled meeting, followed by unscheduled meeting, followed by another unscheduled meeting, followed by yet another scheduled meeting, and not to forget the four people that wanted to see me but couldn't.

I both hate and enjoy these type of days. Enjoy because they go by fast. Hate because they go by fast and you feel there may be critical areas that you needed to work on. In fact, there are critical areas that I couldn't get to because of the nature of the day and job. Then there's the little voice inside you that says, "You could cancel the meeting/practice you have with the students." Something I do quite regularly and never hear the end of. Today, I held to the student commitments but it was tough.

The nature of the job and trying to find the balance.

L E A D E R S H I P

2009-04-11T02:15:00.000-07:00

Leadership as defined by Webster: "to direct on a course or direction" is one of the many definitions. I've read a fair share of leadership material and suspect throughout my career, I will read more. One of the overriding themes in the leadership materials is the notion that leadership is an art.

If it truly is an art, and I believe it is, it is one that is constantly worked on and examined and honed.

In education, leadership is often synonymous with data and outcome. This is WASL ground the next week, and with it, the notion that we will see how well one leads as it directly relates to WASL scores. This will be year three in my tenure of WASL scores. I've posted the last year's data below:

Grade Level	Reading	Math	Writing	Science
3rd Grade	44.1%	47.1%
4th Grade	41.7%	27.1%	39.6%
5th Grade	45.7%	24.5%		9.6%

Do I believe we'll do better? Of course. The question is asked: How much better? Time will tell, though I wish we didn't have to wait the (in my humble opinion) ridiculously long wait for results.

SPRING ARRIVES (kind of)

2009-03-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's the end of March, and with it, the anticipation of spring. So you think of warm temperatures, flowers blooming...all of those iconic images. As a principal I think of: WASL, increase behavior problems, spring love in the 5th grade, programs, special activities, planning for next year, reflection of this year...all of it. Gotta love spring. It is by far the fastest part of the year.

This month has been one of pride for me personally. A couple of our student council members were recognized for outstanding student achievement at a youth awards ceremony in Yakima, and the sport stacking team from our school took home 18 medals in the state competition. I'm also excited for the many things we have planned for spring that are both new and tradition. I'm thinking talent show, 5th grade graduation, tetherball tournament, sports stacking tournament, author night...

With spring also is our annual administrator results survey. Each year we ask staff to take a few minutes to evaluate us on how good of job we're doing and identifying areas for our own growth. I've had a chance to view the data and the comments, and was both pleased and humbled to know there's plenty of room for growth as a leader. We'll be sharing this out with staff when we come back from spring break. It's incredibly useful data, but I'm always apprehensive with it because it leaves you quite vulnerable as a person, and you have to have a thick skin, knowing that you won't be able to please everyone, no matter how hard you try. You have to stand on the ground you believe in and hope to listen to understand concerns and ideas.

As I reflect on this year and the staff, I've seen more creative, outside-the-box thinking and ideas than ever before since I've been here. Maybe that's due to people feeling like they CAN think outside the box and feel supported knowing that trying something new is totally okay.

We have a lot to celebrate at our school. We've made major improvements in our system, structures, conversations, student behaviors, relationships...does that all translate into better test scores? Don't know, but I have to believe it does, but of course, this spring and next fall will give us the definitive answer to that question.

This year we've seen a lot of new staff step up to the plate and take on duties and roles that are important to the school. I've seen great teamwork and collaboration around important key ideas and events. Case in point: Our latest writing work we've been doing as a school.

Spring reminds me that we're coming to the finish line, but like a horse race, we've got to go harder to the end than ever before. When I reflect on last year at this time, we didn't push as hard as we needed to at the end. This year will be different.

Parent conferences are upon us now and it's great to see parents here to find out about the progress of their children and for me to get a chance to mingle with such a supportive community. Our staff has it tough as it makes for two long nights, but it's worth it...it's all for kids.

Enjoy the break!

Ignorance is bliss?

2009-02-27T23:28:00.000-08:00

Where'd that axiom come from? Not sure. I am reminded after this week that ignorance doesn't necessarily translate to bliss. Often times it's sad that a student doesn't know, what he or she doesn't know. And that's a tough part of the job as principal.

I don't know if that ever gets easier...when you see a student with incredible potential to live an effective, successful life yet they don't even know what options there are outside their own circle of knowledge and experience.

The burdens that some of our students carry turn your stomach. You wonder how on earth that child can succeed and yet, they do, perhaps academically or even socially. And it's cause for celebration.

I sat with a first grader this week. I was hanging out during math workshop and he comes up to me out of the blue and says, "3+2 is 5". I know this kiddo. Math is tough for him. He's had to really think about this. I give him a high "5" (no pun intended) and ask him what 4+1 is. He answers correctly. Love it. So a few days later I see him in the hall. I ask, "What's 4+1?" He answers, "5!" Another high five. His face lights up.

I'm so thankful I'm in a profession that allows me to see these "gems", these "diamonds in the rough" because it reminds me and humbles me on how powerful being a part of a child's education is, no matter how small part I play.

Change

2009-01-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

I've often put on this blog that the toughest thing for me as a principal is the difficult situations I see both parents and students in and what they (especially students) have to endure. Yesterday was an example.

A student, who is a quiet student, "blew up" with an anger issue at one of our staff members. This was uncharacteristic of this young lady. When I asked her why she was upset, she clammed up and wouldn't respond.

The concerned parents came in and talked about her change of behavior, due largely from a negative influence that the young girl had been hanging around with. To see the concerned parents worried for their daughter and at the same time frustrated by the behavior, was tough to see.

I have no doubt the parents are making the effort but it just brought home how complex relationships and life can be.

THE NEW YEAR

2008-12-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, 2009. So many goals still yet to be accomplished and many to be celebrated. One of the highlights from this year was having the all the student body in the morning of the last day, singing and celebrating together.

There's power when we're together.

Here's to a good 2009.

THE POWER OF MUSIC

2008-12-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

I'm typing this fresh after watching (proudly) our 5th grade perform at their Holiday concert. In an attempt to avoid hyperbole, I'll try and put into words the emotion I feel when I see children singing in unison to a respectful crowd of parents.

In the wake of educational cuts that are bound to come down the line in the near future in order to balance budgets, it is SO refreshing to know how powerful and important the arts, and in this case, music is to students.

Music is in every culture. No matter what part of the world you go to, it's there, from the poorest nations to the most wealthy. A school system that attempts to take music away from the collective citizens and children needs to reexamine itself. I'm thankful that in Sunnyside, our children have the opportunity to sing and learn the fundamentals and instrumentals of music. Not every school or district has such an opportunity.

As a principal, I could not be prouder of our 5th grade student body and of our music director, along with such supportive staff. I've had my share of tough days in this building with some of the tragedies and situations that have befallen us. But today, I praise and celebrate the efforts of our students and staff.

BRAVO OUTLOOK, BRAVO!

Heroes in Education

2008-10-20T07:03:00.001-07:00

For our staff meetings, which we have twice a month, we take a few minutes to talk about heroes in education from both the past and present. In researching and reading about people that have made huge differences in education, I am fascinated with their tenacity, dedication, and overall commitment to a mission/project that transcends themselves and those around them. For most, their work went largely unnoticed in their lifetimes. Many of them were not paid well and in some cases, paid at all, yet their contributions made lasting impressions.

This week's hero...Anne Sullivan. Now of course many people know of Anne because of her work during her life, but talk about a commitment to education!

IF NOT US . . . THEN WHO

2008-09-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

If not us, who?
If not now, when?

Advocacy. The word is defined in Webster's as: "to plead in favor of". In favor of who? For all of us in education, it's for the children. For if we aren't the ones advocating for kids in all arenas, then who can or will?

Let's be frank: advocating for kids is not an easy task. It taxes you mentally and to some degree, physically. It presents you with challenges you may or may not have ever seen before, or perhaps it will lead you to an uncomfortable situation. Regardless, we must have resolve to stand up for kids now and as long as we're in education.

The toughest part of my job, the one piece I go home at night and wonder why, why, why, is the difficult situations I see children struggle with on a constant basis. And I'm reminded daily, yes daily, how important we are in the life of a child and that if we aren't vigilant in advocating for kids in all arenas, even those outside of traditional educational circles, we have failed them. And when it's all said and done and we stand accountable for our life, I want to be able to say I was an advocate for kids, no matter what, whenever it was needed.

We must act now. We must act with conviction that we will not accept mediocrity or let our most at risk kids fail because to do so is unethical. It's wrong. But it takes a team. It takes dedication. It takes all of us.

It takes you!

WEEK 2 ARRIVES

2008-09-08T06:31:00.001-07:00

With the arrival of fall, it's fishing season for the family on weekends whenever possible, so between football, karate, and the myriad of other activities, we try and find time for the river.

There's quite a few parallels one can make between education and fishing. One that's fairly obvious is patience. When you're going for the big ones (goals) you have to be patient and believe that what you're using (doing) is what's right to catch fish (student achievement).

-Mr. Bowman

FIRST DAY

2008-09-02T18:17:00.001-07:00

"And They're Off"

First day. WHEW! It went by fast! Kudos to all the folks that made today run so smoothly, especially to Terry, our custodian, who worked so hard to help folks. I was just so impressed with the feel and enjoyment from kids and adults today.

A lot of new staff and in a way, it felt like a close family at times. I don't why exactly, but that's the way it felt.

And of course it was wonderful to see the smiling faces of students once again. Bravo on a good first day!

-Mr. Bowman

Year Three

2008-08-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

This is year three for me as a head principal at an elementary school. Though my previous teaching and administrative experience comes from middle school, the elementary presents itself with unique situations.

For example, what other educational institution has six different grade levels in one building? With middle, we deal with three usually, the high school with four. Now granted, age and development become factors, but still, six is significant, especially when you compare beginning kindergarteners to say, beginning fifth grade students. Quite a range in ability and development there. I suppose the same could be argued with middle school kids in the comparison between an incoming sixth grader and an incoming eighth grader.

When I look at the challenges and opportunities ahead of us this year, no doubt a big one is the herculean effort we're putting forward in making sure students get as well rounded an education as possible with our blocking style of classes (social studies, science).

This year we have 18 new faces on staff, including paraeducators, teachers and support staff. That's almost one third of our staff. Quite a few folks changing out. Like anything in life, we have to adapt to change or perish, and I'm hopeful and optimistic that we're going to see great growth this coming school year.

August is Here

2008-08-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

August marks the beginning of a hurried and fast month as we prepare school for the young minds that will be gracing our doors in about a month. Cleaning, ordering, and organizing for next year are top on the list.

Summer is always a chance for me to rejuvenate and get ready for the coming year. I'm hopeful for exciting things here at the school and community.

Today we'll be interviewing for new positions!

Regards,
Me

Reading First

2008-07-28T18:55:00.007-07:00

National Conference Time so we're here at the Reading First Conference in Nashville. Sessions were good today as was the plenary (group) session which featured the First Lady and other important folks at the national level.

It was good to see and hear the commonalities our schools share from across the country and the affirmation that what we're doing in education is right.

The Convention Center here in Nashville is amazing.

Linking Science and Literacy

2008-07-22T06:21:00.001-07:00

I have a son who loves science. I don't know where he got that. Though I appreciate science, to say I "love" it would be a stretch. I just finished the book, LINKING SCIENCE AND LITERACY and have to say that this is a thought provoking and engaging book in relation to science and education.

The National Research Council over ten years ago hit the nail on the head when it concluded: "science inquiry is an essential, fundamental component of science content, along with science subject matter..."

To inquire is essential in science. Now how do we link that inquiry to writing?

That is the challenge this year.

Peace Like A River

2008-06-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing like vacation to replenish the soul and rejuvenate the juices of education again. Peace like a river.

Community

2008-05-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

It's a buzz word in education. Community. It can mean anything from the school itself, to grade level teams, to the surrounding community. I felt the latter tonight as we played a basketball game with our staff versus the fire department staff in an event to support Relay for Life.

I couldn't help but think how important it is to have community events like this that support all we do for kids and the surrounding families.

Bravo to staff who organized this! You know who you are! Bravo!

-Mr. Bowman

A Book

2008-05-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is May. Things get busy as we push through the remainder of this year with activities and such and plan for next year. At principal's meetings, I often say, as we describe certain student situations, that we ought to write a book about responses that students give us, often times when they're in trouble.

As I reflect back on a year-and-a-half about all the things I've learned, mistakes made, etc., it's a hard job. And you can never really fully appreciate it with all the intricacies of the position until you sit in the chair for real and go through what you have to go through.

As we set positive vision for next year, I'm excited for the opportunity to work with a caring and devoted team and staff as we do some of the most noble work there is to do.

Regards,
Mr. Bowman

The Power of Sports

2008-04-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I had a chance to jump into a basketball game and referee an intramural basketball game of fourth grade girls while Mr. M. did his thing with the boys game on the other half of the gym. FUN!

As I watched the girls play, I couldn't help but think of how important exercise and team based sports are. Huge!

Then this weekend, I coached my son's AAU basketball team. We've won 2 games out of 14. Anyhow, the team makes this miraculous comeback, (I mean miraculous), and they win, beating an undefeated team. It was crazy what happened.

As I reflect back on it now, I am reminded of how important sports can be for kids and it's necessary place in education.

THE WASL BEGINS

2008-04-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, those little four letters and how they sometimes strike panic, debate, anger, and a whole host of other emotions into parents and educational staff. Very few times however do we hear cheering the WASL and it's by-product, the GLE (grade level expectations). I find it somewhat ironic that we begin with the WASL and work our way to the GLEs.

I began teaching in 1994, when the educational establishment in Olympia was just forming this work . . . so I've seen it evolve into what it is, including the NCLB requirements.

Get ready for this folks . . . I like it.

Whoa.

Yes. Seriously.

Let me explain why quickly: a) we now have common expectations of what students need to be learning and what those expectations are. If we should use the expecations in our day to day teaching, we shouldn't fear the WASL. b) the WASL holds us accountable. When I started teaching, there wasn't accountability. People don't like a microscope because it points out flaws, but we need analysis of our current practices and systems if we ever want to improve. Private business has this down to a science, but education is much too far behind when it comes to looking at why some schools fail and others don't.

Here's to a good couple of weeks :)
-Mr. Bowman

Brain Rules

2008-04-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

Dr. John Medina's new book, Brain Rules, has really impressed me as well as brought up some interesting points for all of us in education. One of those focal points is how we incorporate more exercise into an elementary day. With so much pressure on time and the different subjects that have to be taught, one wonders where we can fit it in. Research is showing us it pays off.

Some of the surrounding schools have opted for no recess for their elementary students. My suggestion would be to read Dr. Medina's book.

Before I came to Sunnyside, I was part of a large federal PE grant at my previous district. Our focus at the small middle school was around physical education. I cannot tell you the incalculable benefits we saw in both the physical and mental improvement at the end of two years for students in grades 5,6, and 7. It was absolutely phenomenal to see students achieve the level of physicality with daily, focused PE.

Time to think outside the box . . . yet again!

Keep Going...

2008-03-19T03:52:00.000-07:00

I was doing some online reading of blogs today and I came across this little gem from David Weiss' blog (former programmer at Microsoft from the MAC BU):

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honor, power, place and praise
Will always come to the one who stays.

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories after a while.

Loved it. It's so applicable to education.
-Mr. Bowman

The Hardest Days

2008-03-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Being a principal is hard, fun, challenging, rewarding and many other descriptive words I could use. For today, I'm going to use: hard. Hard in the sense that we have tremendous responsiblities in the education of children. These responsibilities are often times interrupted with situations that you can't control.

Today was a roller coaster of emotion for me, from anger to joy to deep appreciation of the human race. I know, that's way out there . . . an appreciation for the human race but today I saw the love of parents shine through a very tough situation. In a world that seems so focused on the negative and pointing out the faults of others and systems, it was incredibly moving to see how love can overcome.

I was at church a few Sundays ago . . . and when I walked in there was a message on the projection screen before the service. It read: Love wins. I just stood there and tried to take in what that all meant.

Today, I saw in our humanity, that love ultimately wins. It was amazing.

-Mr. Bowman

Celebrating Dr. Suess

2008-03-02T13:15:00.001-08:00

Celebrating Read Across America and Dr. Suess' Birthday at Outlook's Reading Night.

R E M E M B E R I N G

2008-02-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

In Memory
Debra Rene McDonald

1952 - 2008

Your presence is missed!

The OSPI Conference

2008-01-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Kudos, to the OSPI folks, at least this first day. The sessions I attended were engaging and very informative. You never know when you attend conferences, but from Terry's keynote address to the sessions, the conference is very solid.

The most interesting came from the Schools of Distinction session I went to and how they climbed into the data to see what schools made significant gains on student achievement. I will be sharing that information with staff and seeing how we can incorporate some of that work into what we're doing.

On another note, I received today our administrator surveys back. These surveys catagorize my performance under three major areas. This is good data and will drive our work as we continue to improve our administrator practice.