A Great Start Each Day!
How do you start your day?
At Novi Woods, where I am principal, we are very intentional in how we start each day of learning. While I am outside with another teacher directing traffic and greeting students in the pick-up/drop-off line and other teachers are guiding kids off the buses to the school, all other staff welcome over 480 kindergarten through 4th grade students to their classrooms. Student "safety-leaders" monitor doors and hallways while kids say good morning, give high-fives, chat about their evenings and plans for the day. Excitement for learning and leading is in the air.
At 8:40 I make a quick call over the PA that morning announcements will begin in 5 minutes. Assigned students from the school help me with morning announcments and a 4th grader reads a morning "Words of Wisdom." It goes something like this:
"Good morning, Novi Woods. Today is Wednesday, March 27, and we are growing great leaders! I have several helpers from 2nd and 4th grades, and their names are:------------. Please stand, face the flag, put your right hand over your heart, and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance."
After the Pledge I share any quick thoughts or reminders for the day and then our 4th grade leader reads a brief and inspirational passage about leadership and making good choices. We close by saying:
"Let's make it a great day Novi Woods, and remember...it takes teamwork to make the dream work!"
All of this takes less than 3 minutes, but for me those three minutes are magical. It's the only part of the day when the entire school is literally doing the same thing. It's the only part of the day when everyone is focused on who we are, what we do, and why we do it. It's the part of the day that sets the tone for all of the learning that happens for the rest of the day.
I recognize that in our country people have the right to not say the Pledge of Allegiance, and I'm very proud of that right and all of the rights we have in our country. With rights, however, come responsibilities, and every adult at Novi Woods take the responsibilty for the teaching and learning of 488 young people seriously. I'm proud of how Novi Woods, a public school where all students are welcomed, starts our day to expect all of our students to be successful.
Finally...many thanks to my friend and colleague, Mrs. Barcomb, for her excellent work on the look of this blog. She is just one of the many unsung heroes in our district.
At Novi Woods, where I am principal, we are very intentional in how we start each day of learning. While I am outside with another teacher directing traffic and greeting students in the pick-up/drop-off line and other teachers are guiding kids off the buses to the school, all other staff welcome over 480 kindergarten through 4th grade students to their classrooms. Student "safety-leaders" monitor doors and hallways while kids say good morning, give high-fives, chat about their evenings and plans for the day. Excitement for learning and leading is in the air.
At 8:40 I make a quick call over the PA that morning announcements will begin in 5 minutes. Assigned students from the school help me with morning announcments and a 4th grader reads a morning "Words of Wisdom." It goes something like this:
"Good morning, Novi Woods. Today is Wednesday, March 27, and we are growing great leaders! I have several helpers from 2nd and 4th grades, and their names are:------------. Please stand, face the flag, put your right hand over your heart, and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance."
After the Pledge I share any quick thoughts or reminders for the day and then our 4th grade leader reads a brief and inspirational passage about leadership and making good choices. We close by saying:
"Let's make it a great day Novi Woods, and remember...it takes teamwork to make the dream work!"
All of this takes less than 3 minutes, but for me those three minutes are magical. It's the only part of the day when the entire school is literally doing the same thing. It's the only part of the day when everyone is focused on who we are, what we do, and why we do it. It's the part of the day that sets the tone for all of the learning that happens for the rest of the day.
I recognize that in our country people have the right to not say the Pledge of Allegiance, and I'm very proud of that right and all of the rights we have in our country. With rights, however, come responsibilities, and every adult at Novi Woods take the responsibilty for the teaching and learning of 488 young people seriously. I'm proud of how Novi Woods, a public school where all students are welcomed, starts our day to expect all of our students to be successful.
Finally...many thanks to my friend and colleague, Mrs. Barcomb, for her excellent work on the look of this blog. She is just one of the many unsung heroes in our district.
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