Dear Penngrove Families...

The Penngrove Press Newsletter is published every couple of weeks thanks to an amazing mom at our school. I usually write the intro blurb which is often nuts and bolts and perhaps sprinkled with a little inspiration from time to time. Tonight, I'm thankful the writing juices were flowing and I'm pleasantly surpristed by the feedback I've received from several Penngrove families. Enjoy.

February 21, 2018

Dear Penngrove Families,

Oh, I have so much to say yet honestly, feel somewhat overwhelmed to the point of not knowing where to start. Ever been there? I sit here this evening, in the comfort of my home watching my sleeping baby boy, thinking of all this world has going on. Like you, I wonder how to help, what to focus on, where to spend my energy, and I think of a million things I can do, ways I can make our community stronger, areas I want to change or do a better job focusing on...the list goes on. It seems like my hopeful list of "to dos" gets longer and longer with each passing moment.

And then tomorrow comes. And tomorrow is filled with kids who need hugs. Students who forgot their snacks or maybe even their math notebook. Little faces who didn't remember to brush their teeth, are nervous to ask for help, want to be first in line. Kindergartners who left out letters in the alphabet, 6th graders who worry about junior high. Students who daydream in class thinking of a difficult family situation. A 3rd grader who just lost a pet, a 5th grader who struggles to make friends. I think of the six year old piecing together reading while overhearing way too much grown up talk, the 4th grader who is still upset from a wall ball game at recess. These are the things that can haunt me if I let them.

Our sweet little country school is filled with so many stories. Stories that deserve more. More support, more love, more kindness. For every forgotten snack, there is a staff member who bought an extra box of granola bars at Target last night. For every student looking for a friend, there is a parent sharing encouraging words of wisdom. For the 3rd grader who lost a pet, there's a counseling office with extra tissue and a plethora of stuffed animals. For the students working so hard to master reading, there are night time snuggles and good night stories. There are daily successes, huge wins, and even the smallest of accomplishments that earn continual positive praise.

I guess in times like this when it's difficult to hear the news, hard to talk to kids about life, when calendars are way too full...one thing we can all do is to stop. Just stop and be. Be present with each other, with your children, and with your families. We can listen to our little ones. We can harness their innocence and keep them young for a while longer. We can put down our phones and iPads and pick up a book or grab some fresh air together. Heck, we can even have dance parties in our kitchens and eat ice cream for dinner.

Last week, on Valentine's Day, our staff spent time in downtown Petaluma together as a team. We sipped lattes at Della Fattoria, nibbled on pastries, then moseyed on over to Copperfield's Bookstore to pick out some classroom treasures. Glamorous, huh? Don't get me wrong, we had the longest "to do" list back at the ranch. IEPs, SSTs, conferences, report cards, team discussions, new curriculum implementations, class placements for the new year, emails, reflections on best teaching practices, safety conversations, the list goes on. But for that afternoon, we chose connection. We chose to stop and just be. As I parked my car in the parking structure and walked to meet the group, the almost hidden sign pictured below caught my eye. It was subtle and nestled in between some lovely flowers. It read, "Now more than ever...be kind."

At Penngrove, we want your children to be academically strong. We want them to be socially mature. We strive to foster friendships, to teach confidence, and to strengthen skills that will make life long learners out of each and every one of our students. But above all else, when I stop and just be, I realize that all I really want for each and every one of our 399 students, is that they will now, more than ever, be kind.

What will you change? Where will you carve out more time? What statement can you make to show your children that you are never too busy, too consumed, too tired. They need us now. We know they are resilient and they likely won't cry out for help. But I'll cry for them. I'll beg. I'll keep fighting. I'll keep going until each and every one of them knows they are loved, they are treasured, and that they are our hope. I hope you'll join me. Because now, more than ever, they need us.

Amy

(To read the entire Penngrove Press Newsletter, click here.)

Missed Opportunities

On a fairly regular basis, I suffer from major #fomo (Melton, you might need to look that up, I know my hip lingo is much more advanced than yours). The thought of missing out on fun times or shared memories is just too much for this girl to handle. While “fomo” doesn’t necessarily make me lose sleep at night or send me racing to schedule an extra therapy session, it does preoccupy my thoughts from time to time. This morning, as I was on my way to San Francisco International Airport en route to SoCal for the weekend, I came to a disturbing realization. There’s something far worse than fomo.

Missed opportunities.

As dawn began rise over Hwy 101, I noticed my chest feeling heavy and my eyes becoming misty as a former student of mine shared with me some of her high school experiences. Our conversation started out very simply. She was asking for advice on her schedule for the semester and trying to coordinate her work schedule with the classes she wanted. I started asking questions about what she would be missing in class if she adjusted her schedule. Her response, “We don’t do anything. It’s just a really long (almost 3 hours) and boring class. The teacher is really sweet and we’ve gotten really close but she doesn’t plan anything for us to do except update the ________, revise _________ and plan ____________ but all that takes is about 30 minutes.” (I’m intentionally leaving some of the details out because it would make the class too obvious.) And this post isn’t about a particular class, teacher, school or system. It’s about missed opportunities.

I asked my former student, “What do you do the rest of the time?!” Her response was, “I try to finish my homework, I read, play on my phone, and sometimes when she lets us watch a movie and I’m tired, I take a nap.” Seriously?

At this point in the conversation things shifted a little bit. For both of us. I went into crazy principal mode and she went into justifying mode. I started asking more questions, rapidly, and with intention. She reminded me that she really liked this teacher. “It probably sounds like my teacher is terrible but she’s really not. I just wish she planned stuff for us to do.” UMMMMMMM – DUH!

I immediately had flashbacks of this precious little 8-year-old face holding my hand and looking up at me with the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen. And now she was 17, about to graduate high school, granted admission to several colleges and with awards and scholarships. And she had been cheated. Somewhere along the way, she started believing that it is acceptable to sit in class for hours, watch movies, play on your phone, nap, and catch up on homework. Missed opportunities.

I couldn’t help but think of all the things that teacher could be doing with these students. I’m not even very familiar with the subject matter of the class but oh my gosh, these are young minds about to be released into the world. They could be doing ANYTHING. But to do “nothing”?! No.

At this point in the conversations, I got curious about a couple of other things so I asked my sweet girl if her principal ever came in the classroom. I mean there are plenty of “sweet” teachers right? But come on, at least someone was aware that a room full of high school students was being dealt a hand of missed opportunities. Her response, “In the last 4 years, I’ve only ever seen our principal in a classroom 1 or 2 times. Our assistant principal has come in probably 4 times in the last 2 years. It’s rare to see him in a classroom though.” Blood boiling.

Next question: “Do you know your Superintendent’s name? And don’t google it.” To my surprise, she did know his name! Yes! There was SOME hope. Of course I asked, “How do you know his name is ____________?” And here we go, she responded with, “I know his name is ________ because he updates his Twitter and I’ve seen him on the District website.” Oh. My. Gosh. Seriously? This cannot be real. I mean I hadn’t had my morning coffee yet but this was #notadream. If you think I was in crazy principal mode before, I kicked it into high gear at this moment and asked, “Have you ever seen Superintendent _________ at your school or at a school event?”

“I have seen him at graduation. That’s it.”

I don’t even know what to say about this. Quite honestly I don’t know very many Superintendents. But the two I’ve worked with over my five years as a principal have a long list of positive attributes. Steve Bolman walked through classrooms with me, knew who my strongest teachers were, what my challenges were, asked me what support I needed, talked to me about how to manage our building, cared about our grounds and facilities. Just last month, Gary Callahan wore a ridiculous holiday suit to an assembly at Penngrove and pushed a teacher across the stage in Santa’s sled during our staff flash mob. He’s played basketball at recess with kids, taken pictures and made videos with students, and checks in with me frequently to let me know what he feels is working at Penngrove or something different I should consider.

Additionally, I’m lucky enough to have met some awesome Superintendents through a couple of Voxer groups I belong to and from what I know of them, they are in classrooms, with students, with staff members, building relationships, in the trenches, not for a second forgetting how hard the work is that our teachers do on a daily basis. Tony Sinanis is a new Assistant Superintendent this year. You’d never know it by his social media feeds though. He’s in classrooms more than some principals I know. In his district, his students know him on a first name basis and parents are wondering who this random guy is who keeps popping up to engage in the learning and teaching taking place. And then there’s Joe Sanfelippo who is running around like a complete nut throwing t-shirts, water bottles, and temporary tattoos at people around the country because he loves his district, schools, students and staff so much. If you ever someone yell #gocrickets, you better duck! 

I certainly didn’t mean to turn this into #suptchat, although I love a good chat, but these leaders I highlighted above are certainly not letting “missed opportunities” define their classrooms, schools, or districts. I happen to know a ton of principals who walk the talk. They dance, learn, and play with their students on a daily basis. They ask questions. They know what’s happening on their campuses. They know their students names. Are any of them perfect? Heck no? Are these Superintendents without flaws? No way. But give me a break, a three-hour high school class where kids are actually “doing nothing”?

I guess this morning was more of a wakeup call than I wanted. It is completely unacceptable to let students be in your classrooms, schools, and spaces year after year and dish them a plate of missed opportunities.

Students, advocate for yourselves. Ask your teachers to push you. Invite your principals to learn alongside you. Be in their faces. Don’t allow anyone to dish you missed opportunities. You deserve better.

Leaders, there is nothing you could do in your office that is more important than spending quality time with students and staff members. I’m speaking to myself here also. I do not have this perfected, but I’ll never stop trying because it’s best for kids.

Teachers, educators, and everyone in between, I’m begging…don’t let 2017 pass you by and suddenly realize that you’ve been living in a world with too many missed opportunities. You’re better than that.

To my former student who let me push, prod, and ask a million questions this morning on my drive to the airport, I’m so glad you turned out to be a success story, regardless of the way the education system has failed you. Not everyone is so lucky. I am so proud of you and I promise that as long as I live, you can forever count on me to never settle for missed opportunities.

****************************************

Because I know you're all dying to see our holiday flash mob to "All I Want For Christmas Is You", enjoy!

Any because you probably want to learn more from Tony and Joe, order their latest book, Hacking Leadership, which will change any educator's trajectory. 

A special thanks to @AprilBuege who encouraged me to blog again after her sweet message on Twitter yesterday. I needed that.

One for Three.

I had three goals for myself this weekend. 

#1 Go to the Dailey Method (my fav place to work out which I RARELY go to!)

#2 Blog (I've been storing up a million stories for months now)

#3 Catch up on the Bachelorette before the season finale tomorrow

I usually have about 10 things I want to accomplish each weekend but I'm tired of disappointing myself so I figured 3 would be safe. WRONG. Seriously, what's wrong with me!?

I have all of 20 minutes before I need to get ready for the Adele concert tonight (rough life, I know) and that's not NEARLY long enough for a blog post BUT..... I've gotta just drop some pics in here of how awesome the first two weeks of school have been at Penngrove. Hopefully I'll squeeze some time in soon to blog about our school theme this year: Power of One, but for now, just know that our year is off to a tremendous start! Energy is high, positivity is out of this world, new and old team members are working together like rockstars, and our students are loving every second. I am beyond lucky to spend my days with the 389 little panthers whom I love to pieces, the incredible staff who go above and beyond on a daily basis, and the parent community who supports us in the best of ways over and over again.

2016-17, let's do this! #itsgoingtobegreat #oneforthree #powerofone 

Power of One! Team Penn!

Kinder team having fun! 

When the BFF brings you coffee on day 1!

Our newly updated outdoor learning area!

Awesome classroom details

The night before school starts....

Putting the Supt. and Asst. Supt to work delivering lunch buckets w/ my BFF!

A visit from Jen K.! What?!

How was your first day Ollie?!

Thanks Derb! xo

"I brought this sign in because it explains me. I'm happy every hour!" YESSSSSS!

Awesome family photo wall coming together!

Love hanging out w/ our kiddos outside of school #batterup

Our Cal Ripken All Stars!

Team building

Marshmallow Challenge - school wide!

Happy birthday celebrations already!

Late night karaoke at school...

Soaking it up. Roni Habib shared his magic with Team Penn!

Mindfulness, Happiness, Play.

Sweet moment with Mrs. Law

New rugs!

Surprise visit from mom!

Stealing my teacher's kids :) Look at that shirt....

Having fun launching the Fadeji 2016 Campaign!

Look at the skirt on this little one! SO awesome!

Super grateful to this team for helping me with the crazy parking lot!

Snuck in a little PD time to help this awesome admin team in Placerville get up and rolling for the 16/17 school year!

And super late to the concert now.....Hello......get it?! Ha! So lame. Alright weekend almost over, one for three, I'll take it. 

Emotions.

I was searching for a really deep title for this post. Like way too deep. And then I Googled, "song titles with emotion in the title" and there it was. Mariah Carey. "Emotions". 1991. Oh man, I loved 1991. 

It's been awhile since I pulled one of these nights. I'm totally going to regret this when my alarm goes off at 5:30am tomorrow. Like REALLY regret it. Ugh. "These nights" mean I get home from a long day and realize that I can't sleep until I get my email under control because it's weighing me down like the box of Thin Mints I ate last week. Seriously, email is a huge problem for me. I just can't conquer it. Drives me crazy. Tonight I did okay though. I went from 288 emails to 56 in about two hours so that rocks. I'll sleep well if I ever get there. 

This past Sunday when the world was celebrating Valentine's Day - I was having a mini life crisis.  Through a series of circumstances I came to a few realizations about myself, about this job that I've given my whole heart to, about the people around me who keep me grounded and about what I need in order to be my best self. It was a really hard day. I don't have those very often, maybe only a once or twice a year, so when I experience them, it's pretty intense. Emotions.

My "resting happy place" is being crazy busy, doing a million things at once and pouring into others as much as possible. For some reason, I feel like I could give, give, give for a lifetime and never run dry of that energy. Sunday was a different story. For the first time in awhile I realized even my superhero size reservoir of love had dried up. And on Valentine's Day?! Come on Fadeji. 

Much like roller coaster ride, this school year has hit me with turns, loops and upside down moments that I wasn't expecting. The highs have been so incredibly high. Heights I have never experienced before. And the lows, although super short-lived thankfully, have been pretty dang low. I have a somewhat high tolerance (or maybe threshold is a better word) for these twists and turns. But I guess even for me, these unexpected emotions can build up. 

During the past couple months, I've probably had more conversations with CPS (Child Protective Services) and local law enforcement agencies than in the previous three years as a principal combined. It's heartbreaking. Yet, I find myself hugging my students a little tighter, leaning into my friends a little harder, and letting the tears fall a little easier. 

One of the best parts of this year has been reconnecting with some of my former students who helped shape me into the teacher and leader I want so desperately to be. Dillan, who  was in my 2nd grade class and is now an 8th grader, comes to Penngrove most Fridays to volunteer in classrooms.  She is a natural with our students and watching her build relationships with them is so neat. And it's full of emotions to watch that unfold.

Dill leads a 5th grade math intervention group

Dill and me grabbing a latte!

And then there is Sarwah. I met Sarwah in 2007 when she was in my 3rd grade class in Mobile, Alabama. There was something about her that struck me back then. Something that told me we would be in each other's lives for a long time. Looking back on it now, I can see little hints of why and how we would still be so connected all these years later, and it makes me smile that I somehow lucked out with her on my attendance sheet 9 years ago. This past summer, Sarwah tragically and suddenly lost her dad. Since then, the two of us have been in pretty constant communication. Sarwah spent all of last week with me here in Cali - soaking up the rays with her BFF who tagged along for the ride. The three of us laughed, cried, shared, dreamt, hugged, the list goes on. One night as I was tucking Sarwah in, I told her that if my whole career and life path was intended only so that our lives would intersect, it would be more than worth it and I would choose that path a million times over. Serious emotions.

Today at work, as that dang email InBox filled up, I ignored it. The school newsletter went out a week late, I forgot to sign up for a meeting with my new Superintendent, I didn't return all my phone calls. I'm resting in the fact that I simply can't do it all every day. You know what I did do though? I spent every second I could with my students. Today, I must have high-fived or hugged at least 200 kids, some of whom need a whole lot more than I can give them. But I'll never stop trying. I won't slow down. And my reservoir is completely filled up again. My game face is on.  And that's a dangerous combination for this girl. Especially when Mariah is playing. Roller coasters? Love 'em. Bring it. 

Unexpected Gifts

Let the fun begin!

For about a year now, Bill Selak and I have been talking about him coming to visit Penngrove. I LOVE having visitors on campus. There is just something incredibly meaningful about connecting the numerous conversations that take place via Twitter, Voxer, etc., with a good old fashion visit. I’ve had the opportunity for some of the educators whom I admire the most to visit my campus over the past couple of years. Whether it’s a quick check-in, or an all day adventure, there is just something about my friends being at Penn that is extremely humbling, exciting, and encouraging. Last week, having Bill at Penngrove was absolutely full of unexpected gifts.

While I was busy doing the morning assembly, meeting with our amazing PTA President, and prepping for the Penn News, Bill was en route in the pouring rain for what would be a three-hour drive for him. Yikes. I had the Panther VP (Video Production) Crew in my office when Bill arrived and they had been anticipating his arrival maybe more so than I had!

As we toured around campus, I told Bill from the get go, “If you see anything that needs immediate fixing, or that I’m doing that could be done in a more efficient, better way, please tell me immediately so you don’t forget!” And there began a day of learning, ideas, dreaming, and sharing. After being on campus only two hours, walking and talking as we were in and out of 14 classrooms, Bill gave me a bazillion unexpected gifts. I’ll share just a few that stuck out to me.

Mr. Selak teaches 5th graders about www.photosforclass.com

• The Boomerang App which takes awesome video
• A shortcut in Gmail to compose an email (I still haven’t finished this one)
• The chance to watch him teach students about www.photosforclass.com and then, a student he was working with taught the entire class about it!
• A brand new theme song for our PennNews recorded via Garage Band on my laptop (which I didn’t even have installed on my Mac prior to Bill’s arrival)
• A lighting lesson in our green room
• Tons of advice and thoughts about EdCamp and Unconferences
• Coffee tips (milk goes first people)
• A reminder about all the loose hanging cords that need to be tidied up all over campus
• A thought-provoking conversation about computer labs
• An addition to my Amazon shopping cart with a new mic
• Raspberry STEM knowledge
• One of my fav Selak fun fact: he doesn’t like pickles (which came with his roast beef sandwich), which totally rocked for me because it was all I ate for lunch!
• Encouragement that spray painted sidewalks are awesome!
• Being able to observe a student who has been having a really difficult year, tour Bill around his 1^st grade classroom like he was the king of the school.
• Silly banter in the hallway as students approached Bill asking, “Are you really famous?” (the answer we gave them: “Heck yah! EduFamous!”)
• A Google Hangout with Amber Teamann who I have wanted to “meet” FOREVER!
• Tons of support and encouragement as we hosted our first ever unconference with teachers from 5 different elementary schools in our district
• A little periscope action during a random dance party in the middle of the raffle at our afternoon PD.

Mr. Selak gets a tour from a 1st grader

Multi-tasking! Bill gives Amber Teamann a tour of my office
via GHO while I schedule rainy day recess and chat w/ Mrs. Olufs!

A special interview after a lighting lesson.

Right?!?!?! Our education community is just so incredibly giving. Giving of their time, resources, energy, ideas, and sacrifices for the benefit of our students. I would have LOVED to have had Bill at Penngrove for an entire school day so we could really dive deeper. We didn't get to quite a few “big topics” I had been looking forward to talking about. However, in just a few short hours, Bill left me with so many unexpected gifts that I wasn’t expecting in the first place and that I will definitely cherish.

Joe doing his thing: telling stories.

I know this blog post is about Bill’s visit last week and the specifics that took place but really, I think that his visit was a culmination of the gratitude that I’ve felt for so long towards those who have come to Penngrove and given a piece of themselves to our students and staff. One of my favorite days last school year was when I sat on the carpet in Room 3 watching my favorite Superintendent in the whole world, share a story with a group of six year olds. To be given the gift of watching a friend whom I look up to in so many ways interact with the students I do life with every day…was absolutely life changing. Thanks Sanfelippo.

As educators, we invest our lives in our students at our own schools, in our own cities, in our own districts, in our own counties and in our own states. But when we take the time to visit other schools, to discover what others are doing, to provide feedback and suggestions along the way, we have the power to leave unexpected gifts everywhere we go. And that my friends, is a gift you can’t wrap, ship, buy, or earn. It’s the gift of time. The gift of friendship. The gift of belief in one another. It’s exactly what we all need a little more of these days. Give. Risk. Learn. Trust.

Jen and Joe came to hang out during the first few days of school this year. So meaningful.

The Power of Movement

As a leader, I find myself constantly moving. Actually, it probably has nothing to do with being a leader, I think it's more about who I am as a person.

"You're always on the go, Amy."
"Are you ever home?"
"When do you stop?"
"I was going to call you, but I figured you were off doing something fun."
"I cannot keep up with you! Don't you get tired?"

These are common questions and comments that I hear on a fairly regular basis. Moving. It is a part of who I am, and for me, it's the only way I know how to function. I love being on the go, surrounded by people who fuel me, and sharing positive energy with others.

I've spent the last three days at Skywalker Ranch participating in an incredible learning opportunity with 80 other administrators. CUE Rockstar Admin. Holy cow - what a journey.

Move Alone. 

Some attendees are here with a team, and others appeared to be lone rangers until they quickly made new friends. For me, I'm getting to live the best of both worlds. One of my closest principal friends, @chaugen, who I "principal" with in Petaluma is on faculty at Rockstar, but for the majority of the time, I've been able to float around as a lone ranger. I'm rarely alone, so this has allowed me to really quiet myself, reflect more than usual, and realize the power of movement.

Moving Closer to Leaders Who Make Me Better

Todd Sandwich! YES! 
@PrincipalUMS & @tsschmidty 

Although I had to beg these two for a "Todd Sandwich" picture, I can't get enough of being in the presence of leaders who make me better. Just knowing that we're all in this together, despite the fact that we rarely get the chance to spend time together, is rejuvenating. The little bits of wisdom, the new ideas, the reminder that we're making strides in the right direction because it's "good for kids" is more than enough to fill my bucket. Besides the dynamic faculty at Rockstar, the small but mighty list of attendees is also an incredibly talented and passionate group of educators.

Move Out of Comfort Zones

In each of the 7 sessions I've attended, the lead learner has expected me to move out of my comfort zone. In fact, sometimes we were even told explicitly, "All I care about is that you do something out of your comfort zone." In thinking about this, although it can feel uncomfortable for a few moments, I think it's SO critical that as educators we constantly force ourselves to feel this level of discomfort. We do it to our students ALL the time. We expect them to learn something new, try something hard, persevere, and too often as educators, I don't think we acknowledge how hard that can feel.

Me w/ Brian Briggs, Lisa DeLapo, & Catina Haugen 

Stop Moving

Yep, I would bet money on the fact that most of us should probably do this more often. Even me. It's been fun to watch so many of my busy friends find little corners in random rooms, sit down, and just soak up the scenery here at Big Rock Ranch. Being "on the go" doesn't always serve me well if I don't take the time to stop from time to time and reflect. A goal for myself after this experience will be to stop moving from time to time and reflect on my practice.

View from a boat ride a group of us took after the 

event to soak it all in.

My Fav: Moving for Fun! 

Enter Jennifer Kloczko! Oh my goodness, girl! On Saturday, Jen showed up to inspire us all and set the tone for day 3. Let me just say that she ROCKED it. Literally. With her stereo on wheels in tow, her disco ball attached to the top, and a super fun movement activity from Go Noodle, Jen had the whole theater of educators (except for Todd Feinberg - lame!) dancing, smiling, and singing! What a great reminder that movement is all around us. 

Alone. Together. In new places. Just for fun. Movement: it's powerful.

My Sparkle Sis, @jkloczko. xo 

One of my new fav principal friends, Tracey Allen!

Fav tweet from the event: 

Uh oh! It's Koo Koo Kangaroo Roo at @CUERockStar! Way 2 go @jkloczko getting the blood flowing on Day 3 #eduawesome pic.twitter.com/HyFVTAod9i

— Rick Rubino (@GUSDSUPT) November 21, 2015