September 11

I wrote the Friday bulletin a few days ago and then added to it with a few additional things that affected the school this past week. The first bulletin of the year was based on some information that we needed to pass along... What I should have added was the remembrance of Patriots Day today here at OCS.  Teachers shared appropriate lessons with the students so they could become aware of the events of that important day. The day was very successful here at school.

New School Year

Our first week of school was wonderful! Mr. Magnuson and I visited with each class on the first day. There was an overall feeling of excitement within each classroom. But no doubt some students also had feelings of nervousness and perhaps a bit of fear as for some it was their very first day in our school, very first day of trying to open a lock, very first day of switching classes….

New beginnings, new clothes, new school supplies, and new teachers. Yes, the word “new” was the theme of our visits. It’s a new year, a new start, a new chance to strive for more than in their previous school year. This was the message given to our students as we wished them best of luck in the NEW school year!

Till next time....

A great school year...

As I write his it is the last day of school... YES!!

It has been a very successful year here for our students... from the community service projects to the academic awards to the national awards for character education, we have demonstrated a high level of performance here at OCS.  As I look back over the year and see how it compares with previous years, the high level of success continues.  Granted, we do not have tests scores and I know that many measure success based on those scores, but success goes beyond high stakes testing!"

Success is measured in the positive reaction our students feel toward school... it is measured by the 8th graders who tell me they are going to miss OCS... measured by the students who tell me they wish school could be "always!"  Measured in the fact that we had no cases of bullying in May or June!  Measured in the small class sizes supported by quality educators.  Measured by the additional education completed this year by Mrs. Lurz and Mrs. Carr -- who both completed Master's Degrees!  Measured in the smiling faces of students who run up the stairs to GET to school!

Enjoy the summer.

Till next time...

The Final Countdown...

My apologies to the 80's hair band, Europe!

It has happened!  We have reached the conclusion of another school year!  There have been eighty-nine school years here in the Oxford Central School and each one keeps getting better than the one before it!  Next year will be the building’s 90^th birthday!  Another successful year will be drawing to a close on June 19th and we will be unleashing more than 300 students back into the community for a few months until we decide to start all over again on September 3, 2013!! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST AND SECOND GRADE STUDENTS!!! During the course of the school year our first and second grade students worked very hard on their reading skills.  87% of our students in both grades at reading at or above their grade level!  Nice work and keep reading!

Speaking of reading…. Our PTA-sponsored, “What Would You Do for Reading?” program ended in spectacular fashion with a spring concert visit from 4 of the 5 “Village People” who demonstrated their moves and fascinated the crowd with their rendition of YMCA! The Dream Team of Mr. Bloom, Mr. Causton and Mr. Penner were joined by Police Chief Magnuson on stage for this wonderful cause.  Not only did we raise money for books here at OCS, but I thought it would be nice to donate money from the competition to the Oxford Township Library so their children’s book section could be improved.  We also raised more than 350$ from admission tickets to help our Girl Scouts Troop 686 donate money to the Tornado Relief Fund of the Oklahoma Red Cross and the United Nations Nothing But Nets program! 

Speaking of the concert… The students did a great job!  Mrs. Firling chose some awesome music and the theme of honoring our heroes was a wonderful foundation for the program!

I am going to be publishing another OCS Newsletter that will come home with the last report card and will highlight the wonderful things that have happened since my last newsletter back in January! 

This is a great time to sit and think about the school year and all the wonderful things our staff and students were able to accomplish.  However, much of what we did this year we could not have done without the wonderful and dedicated volunteers we had assist us all year long!  From the PTA and their programs to the homeroom parents, and parents who came in to help with classroom projects:  A HUGE THANK YOU from all of us here at OCS!!

Your dedication and energy truly helps make our school great!

Look for the OCS Newsletter…and my blog over the summer.

Have a happy and safe summer!

Till next time…

Thinking of something while watching the Tony Awards...

While watching the Tony Awards with my family my daughter asked me if I would thank anyone as a result of being named 2014 Warren County Superintendent of the Year?  My instant response was that yes I would!  I am not going to lie, I like this recognition.  I did not go into teaching to win awards, but my hard work yielded a few.  I did not go into coaching to win awards, but was fortunate to win some and I did not come to Oxford to win an award.  In each situation I have been faced with in nearly 30 years, I have always tried to do what is best for the students in my classroom, on my Teams or now, in my school district.   But yet, this recognition demonstrates that my peers in Warren County recognize my efforts in Oxford, my efforts to improve education and my role as a voice for educational improvements the past seven years!

But I have to thank people.  The are so many people who I would like to thank here at Oxford.  From the staff, the parents, the students, my fellow administrators, the Board of Education, everyone.  The award I received is shared with everyone... And I could not be more proud!

Till next time... And thank you...

This one did not fit...

My last post went up on the blog site a little prematurely... I came across this article from Scholastic Administrator magazine (yes, I know... high nerd factor there) about how to help students keep the "reading train" on the tracks...

Three Ways to Prevent Summer Slide

Try these strategies to help your reader improve her reading during the summer and beyond.

 

Learning Benefits

Hover over each Learning Benefit below for a detailed explanation.

Reading

Many children, especially struggling readers, forget some of what they've learned or slip out of practice during the summer months. Try these strategies to help your reader improve her reading during the summer and beyond:
 

1. Six books to summer success: Research shows that reading just six books during the summer may keep a struggling reader from regressing. When choosing the six, be sure that they are just right — not too hard and not too easy. Take advantage of your local library. Ask for help selecting books that match your child's age, interests, and abilities. Libraries often run summer reading programs that motivate kids to read, so find out what's available in your area. Also check our book lists for recommendations.
    
2. Read something every day: Encourage your child to take advantage of everyopportunity to read. Find them throughout the day:
   • Morning: The newspaper — even if it is just the comics or today's weather.
      
   • Daytime: Schedules, TV guides, magazines, online resources, etc. For example, if your daughter likes the food channel, help her look for a recipe on the network's Web site — then cook it together for more reading practice.
      
   • Evening: End the day by having your child read to you from the book he is currently reading (one of the six books, above). Have him rehearse a paragraph, page, or chapter before reading to you. Rereading will help him be more fluent — able to read at an appropriate speed, correctly, and with nice expression.
      
3. Keep reading aloud: Reading aloud benefits all children and teens, especially those who struggle. One benefit is that you can read books your child can't, so she will build listening comprehension skills with grade-level and above books. This will increase her knowledge and expand her experience with text, so that she will do better when she reads on her own.

It's hard to keep up a reading routine in a season packed with distractions and diversions. These suggestions will fit into a busy schedule and make reading fun!

Till next time...

Summer and School

In 11 school days we will be heading into the summer!  Not that i am actually counting....

Each year we face an investigation of the ups and downs/ pros and cons for the summer assignments... There are many articles written each year and many studies have been completed and analyzed ad nauseum, but the fact is that there is a benefit to keeping skills honed and sharp! 

There are studies that suggest it works and studies that suggest it does not achieve the desired affect. I do believe the summer math should be done, without being a burden. But the skill of math is something that does need to be continuously refined and summer can be a big help. I included a few options for summer math.

Summer reading studies show a great result affecting all areas of a child's education. One of the ways to keep students excited about the books they are reading is to have them go to the website, www.tagxedo.com.  Tagxedo allows anyone to create bookmarks, word clouds, etc... from words chosen from the books they read.  This is a good way to have students be creative in how they summarize the stories they read.  


I might suggest other ways to have students review math skills... These will also have the desired effect of having kids use rainy days to work on their technology skills, keyboarding, etc...

1. Have them complete one or two Study Island units,

2. Pre-Algebra and Algebra students could play a free math interactive game called "Lure of the Labyrinth ( http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/index.php )

3. Everyday math games : http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/

4. Games from the Interactive Manipulatives page we have linked on our website: http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

5. Finally.. the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has some really neat games online http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=23220
There are some really easy and some really challenging games and some very easy review games as well...


Till next time...