The Power of Telling Your School's Story

During this time of year, I appreciate the opportunity to pause and reflect...Looking back, here are a few things that I should have known...

Our school tweeted almost 300 times last week!  Occasionally, I have commented that I love when our school tweets faster than I can keep up.  But it is happening more and more often--and I tweet A LOT!  I should have known that if I asked our staff to tell our story, they would knock it out of the park on social media!

I love that my collections on Wakelet are getting so large that I almost have to divide our weeks into smaller increments to showcase our students, social media posts, and exciting things that happened #ThisWeekAtCCMS!  I should have known that we would have a lot to say about our amazing students and staff! 

But wait, there's more...In a 22-hour period last week, my Instagram page had 262 likes from our students, staff, and parents...How phenomenal is that?!  I should have known that if we found our students and parents on social media, they would appreciate the opportunity to help us tell our story and share what is happening at our school...

This is AMAZING!  I LOVE that we have found places for our students, staff, and #CommUNITY to see the awesome things that are happening in our school!  I should have known that we could find a way to share a common language, engage our #CommUNITY, and work together to tell our story!   

What does this mean?

For me personally, social media was a risk...Three years ago, I was NOT anywhere near social media.  It was big, scary, and unknown...When you see statistics about principals reporting that their number one challenge in 2018 was social media issues, it makes it seem bigger, scarier, and riskier!

But, for me, our success on social media means something different...It speaks to the place we work and the culture that we have created at #CCMS...It speaks to the students, families, and teachers that we serve...It speaks to the #CommUNITY we have established...

As I see it, it means that our staff has wholeheartedly taken up the call to action of telling our story!  We have spent 16 months talking about the importance of our story and the value of getting our message out to our #CommUNITY.  It is incredible to me that we have about 70 active Twitter accounts sharing the fabulous learning--both academic and social/emotional learning--that is happening in our school.  I should have known they would impress me with their enthusiasm and #FalconPride! 

It also means that our school, our staff, and our students are sharing amazing experiences with each other and people all over the world!  They have the opportunity to collaborate, personalize their learning, and grow.  Our staff is learning from other educators across the globe and sharing ideas and experiences...How cool is that?!  Imagine the possibilities of learning with others who don't attend our school, live in the same state, or even in the same country...Imagine what we could share and how we could learn from each other...

And in the grand scheme of things, it means that our teachers and staff are acting as awesome role models for our students.  They are posting positive messages, engaging our families in our school, and finding ways to inspire our students!  They are teaching our students how to use social media appropriately and for all the right reasons.  They are showing our them how to take risks, try new things, and learn from each other!  They are teaching them how to participate in a #CommUNITY and be proud of all those things we accomplish together.  I should have known that together, we could create an even more special school culture where we celebrate successes and good tries, take risks, and showcase our tremendous students and #CommUNITY...

You see...I have always known that I work in a special place...I have always known that our students and staff are amazing...I have always known that they will rise to any occasion...I have always known that they take care of each other as a family...I have always known that I was the luckiest principal out there...I should have known that our staff and students could handle this challenge with poise, grace, and positivity...Bravo, #CCMS...I am so proud of you!  

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#CCMSChat

About 18 months ago, I tried my first Twitter chat.  I had watched for a couple months, followed some school leaders and chat moderators to see what they were doing on Twitter.  I started slowly with following chats but not participating.  Then, one Sunday night, I decided that I was going to participate--introduce myself, respond to questions, reply to others, and put myself out there.  It was very intimidating.  Twitter chats are fast-paced, succinct thoughts (at the time, using only 140 characters), and exciting to follow.  It was my introduction to professional development on Twitter, and I was HOOKED! 

This professional development idea started with a book--How Full Is Your Bucket?--to get some staff members thinking about growing our culture.  (Not that our culture is bad--it's not.  It is good.  It is very good...But how can we make it better?!  Culture can ALWAYS get better!)  How Full Is Your Bucket? embodies the ideas of being positive, taking care of each other, celebrating successes, recognizing the "good" in our students, staff, and school, ADDING to people's buckets, and taking our culture to the next level.

In a Twitter chat a few weeks ago, one of the last questions was how we could improve professional development.  My response:  Try to have our next book club do a Twitter chat...A response from a colleague in the chat:  Don't try--do it!  :)  Well, that sounded like a challenge to me...So, two days later (the Monday morning following that chat), I e-mailed the teachers who were reading How Full Is Your Bucket?, and I asked them if they would be willing to try a Twitter chat. 

So tonight, we had our first #CCMSChat on Twitter.  Eight teachers and I spent about 35 minutes online sharing ideas, replying to each other, talking about a GREAT book that can have IMMEDIATE impact on our students, school, and culture.  We answered questions while sharing personal experiences, creative ideas, and plans for making a difference in our school.  It was AWESOME! 

I am a little addicted to professional development on Twitter.  It is energizing; it is exciting; it is positive; it is networking and learning; it is connecting and building relationships.  As educators we are #BetterTogether!  What better way to connect with people ALL OVER THE WORLD?!  Tonight was special because it was professional development in a format that I really enjoy with people who I consider my #FalconFamily!  I love our school and our staff, and I am so excited to keep learning with them--in school and on Twitter--as we look at professional development in a fun, engaging new way!   

What is Falcon Pride?

I am writing this post after three days of coordinating and proctoring state assessments in ELA.  It has been a long week for the students, staff, and administration.  But, this long week has proven  something that I already knew...We work in such a remarkable place with amazing students and a wonderful staff!  It seems like the theme of my blog keeps coming back to culture...But, the bottom line:  Culture is a huge part of what leaders do.  Culture is the foundation at the heart of an organization--in my case, an incredible middle school. 

What did I learn this week?  All year, we have been talking about grit.  How do you persevere through adversity?  How do you dig deep to see what you are really made of?  How can you pick yourself up when it would be easier, and maybe safer, to stay down?  What makes us tick?  This week, I have witnessed a LOT of grit--from our students and staff.  There is nothing easy or fun about hours of testing.  But, our students and staff have a LOT of Falcon Pride. 

So, what is Falcon Pride?  To me, Falcon Pride is coming together as a CommUNITY; it is having each other's backs; it is caring for each other; it is teamwork; it is representing Cedar Crest Middle School in a way that reflects positively; it is showing kindness and compassion; it is working toward a common goal; it is selfless toward the betterment of others; it is the essence of being a Cedar Crest Falcon.

We have spent this year branding our school.  Every day, teachers are using social media--our biggest platforms being Twitter and Instagram--to tell our stories, brand our school and offer examples of Falcon Pride!  We have school and team hashtags, lists and groups to follow...Our staff has been phenomenal in their efforts to brand our school!  The parent engagement, the student engagement, the growing PLNs--all incredible!  Better than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams!  I am so proud of our staff for telling our stories and involving our families and CommUNITY in what makes Cedar Crest so special! 

As we close out this week, I am thoughtful about how proud I am of our students and staff.  I am proud of their grit, effort, preparation, and persistence.  I am grateful to be part of a wonderful school where we care for each other and look out for one another.  I am grateful to be a Cedar Crest Falcon. 

CCMS is FTK: Mini-THON 2018

Mini-THON...What greater lesson can we teach our students than the importance of being part of a community that takes care of each other?  As I reflect on our Mini-THON--still excited about the great evening we had, still humming "Angels Among Us" to myself--I can't help but smile.  What an incredible night of friendship, laughter, dancing, activities, and CommUNITY--all united for one purpose:  to find a cure for childhood cancer.

Our Mini-THON captures the essence of what it means to be a member of the Falcon Family at Cedar Crest.  It is an opportunity to share, collaborate, create, and enjoy each other.  We embrace our Four Diamonds Families--who are members of our school and community.  We hear their stories, applaud their courage, admire their strength, and become cheerleaders in their fight against childhood cancer!  All of the conflict, distractions, and outside influences disappear for one night.  But, Mini-THON is so much more than one night at CCMS.  It is student-led and student-driven...It is important to our students and staff...It is personal. 

How do we know that Mini-THON is an important part of our culture?  It's a community event.  More than 300 students and two-thirds of our staff stay after school--well into the night--to raise money and awareness.  The students look forward to Mini-THON, are fantastic all evening, and talk about it for days afterward.  From the stations to the luminary walk to the dance party and the excitement of the reveal, there just are not words to describe the meaning, relevance, and emotion of the evening.  There is very little more powerful than seeing 400 people linked arm in arm in a gym singing together, crying together, and caring for each other in an emotionally charged moment.

Mini-THON is not about a number...But, it is amazing to reflect and think that Cedar Crest Middle School raised $30,796.48 FOR THE KIDS this year and $235,865.57 over the last 9 years!

Events like this are not possible without the amazing leadership of our Mini-THON committee members, chairpeople, and advisors.  To all of the students who plan this evening for us--a huge thank you for your time, efforts, and dedication to this cause.  To the advisors who give so much time to our Mini-THON--We are grateful.  This night is a tremendous amount of work; it is time, energy, and commitment given to your students, colleagues, and community.  We appreciate all that you do, how you model CommUNITY, and how you champion this amazing cause!  Mrs. Rodkey, Mr. Wojdyla, Mr. Truex, Mrs. Glassford, Mrs. McDaid, and Mr. Gundrum--Thank you.  To all of the adults who chaperoned our event, ran our stations, and volunteered their time:  We could not do this without your help!

Proud to say that CCMS is FTK!

Falcon Friday is #FalconStrong

If we have learned nothing else about our school over the last week, my hope is that we learned that we are #BetterTogether and that we can build a sense of #CommUNITY through our words and actions.  Last Friday, it was amazing to see hallways full of blue #FalconStrong shirts!  It was even more fun to see the pictures and moments posted on Twitter and Instagram of classes, homerooms, and whole teams participating in the day together!

This week brought new events to celebrate.  As we prepare for our Mini-THON next week, I think the idea of CommUNITY offers a new perspective.

Today, I had the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about why we have a Mini-THON.  Mini-THON is so much bigger than me, us, Cedar Crest Middle School.  Mini-THON isn't about how much money we raise or how long we stand on our feet or what t-shirt design we wear.  Mini-THON is about coming together as a CommUNITY to make a difference for children who have cancer and the families that support them.

Sometimes our Four Diamonds Families are people we know, and sometimes they are strangers.  Sometimes they are toddlers, and sometimes they are teenagers.  Sometimes they are boys, and sometimes they are girls.  But, when they stand on our stage and tell us their heroic stories, they are people.  People who work in our community, attend our school, play on our team, live in our neighborhood, and share our world.

Mini-THON is about CommUNITY...Mini-THON is a perfect example of everything we asked our community leaders to define for us last week:  How can we, at Cedar Crest Middle School, make a difference and build a better community?  Serve...Give...Care...Lead...

The messages of kindness, acceptance, tolerance, inclusion, and compassion from our CommUNITY Day ring true in any situation, and on any occasion...But, couple it with an amazing opportunity for our students to put it into action for the most worthwhile cause...Kids helping kids...Breaking down walls...Searching for a better tomorrow...Building community...That is what it is all about! 

Mini-THON will always be one of the best "YES" answers that I ever gave at Cedar Crest Middle School.  Nine years ago as a first-year principal, I did not know what I was saying "yes" to--but now I have learned...I said yes to nine years of dancing, fun, compassion, and kindness...Nine years of teaching students to think beyond themselves and to put others first...Nine years of building community...Nine years of teaching students that they matter, and they do make a difference!

Proud to be FTK (For The Kids)!

FalconsCARE CommUNITY Day

In our business of school, there are teachable moments all around us.  It is not unique to our school or any specific day.  Today, though, was a very special opportunity to use a teachable moment and make it something more meaningful than we could have anticipated.

As schools across the country were preparing for potential student walkouts, our school embraced the idea of student voice through a CommUNITY Day.  Using our FalconsCARE groups and teams, we took advantage of a teachable moment to talk about how to build unity, how to improve our school, how to come together instead of tear each other down.

In a very short period of time (less than two weeks)--with a wonderful team of teachers and a great effort from Student Council--our focus was on POSITIVE outcomes and how we can all MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

We were so fortunate to have Senator Mike Folmer, Representative Frank Ryan, Judge Charlie Jones, District Attorney Dave Arnold, Corporal Wade Achey of the South Lebanon Township Police Department, Cornwall-Lebanon School Police Officers Justin Schlottman and Steve Tribiloli, Superintendent Dr. Phil Domencic, and Cedar Crest High School Principal, Mrs. Nicole Malinoski participating in our video and graciously giving their time to our project.  What a fantastic opportunity for our students to hear from influential community leaders!  We are grateful to each of them for sharing their experiences, ideas, and advice.

The video and Power Point are available at the following links:  https://youtu.be/ZsEqcv40S_Q
and https://youtu.be/hQKZqseTfYM.

A tremendous THANK YOU to Chris Muritz, Pam Raytick, Mark Wojdyla, Travis Gundrum, Chad Hibshman, Dan Stoddard, Chris Groff, and Ben Wohlberg for their time, effort, and ideas to make this activity possible.  We are very grateful to Mr. Muritz and Mrs. Raytick for spending their snow day, evenings, and late nights working on the video, interviews, questions, and Power Point.  Huge shout out to Mr. Wojdyla and the CCMS Student Council for their wonderful ideas and legwork to bring all of this together!  A special thanks to Mrs. Young for coordinating all of our AV equipment and technology to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to see and hear the fabulous messages shared in our video. 

We work in such an amazing place…Thanks for being part of our CommUNITY!  

As a principal, the idea of a blog has always seemed overwhelming to me.  Just one more thing to do when there are so many other things that need to be done.  I've been thinking about it for a long time--always thinking that I would do it "when I get around to it."

But, today...Today was a different kind of day.  Today was a day when I realized that I had some amazing things to share, and I needed a way to tell people about the PHENOMENAL things that happened in our school!

March is Music in Our Schools Month.  Each Friday of March features our talented musicians playing in our Commons Area to start the day.  As I listen to their performances each week, I am in awe of their talent, so grateful for their willingness to play for us, and impressed by the beautiful music that graces our hallways.

Today, we started our day with the Falcon Ensemble serenading us with their beautiful music.  Our coffee shop, The Swoop, was open, and as a school community, we were able to gather together and start our morning.  What an incredible start to the day!

I was also invited to see student agency in action today!  Our building has been talking a lot about the role of agency and motivation in the learning process.  Our 6th-grade science teachers created a project around their astronomy unit that embraces student choice, student interest, and student learning!  As I spent three periods this morning rotating from room to room, I saw students from each of our teams interacting with staff and students from each of the other teams learning together, showcasing their knowledge, demonstrating their learning through their preferred medium, and having a GREAT time doing it!

The students were engaged, motivated, and invested while being thoughtful, asking and answering EXCELLENT questions, and showing their knowledge of TinkerCad, Buncee, PowerPoint, Weebly, and Office 365!

As my heart just filled with pride watching our students showcase their knowledge, I couldn't help but think that THIS is what school SHOULD be!  The concept of student agency as a means to motivate and engage students is so POWERFUL!  I am so grateful to these three teachers for taking a risk, trying something new, and finding wonderful ways to appeal to our students' aptitudes, interests, and talents!

And honestly--that should be enough to make any ordinary day EXTRAORDINARY!  But, there is so much more that happened today that was incredible, uplifting, and powerful.  I could go on and on about the wonderful things I witnessed JUST today...

Today gave me a good perspective--a much-needed boost at the end of a long winter--to reflect on the AMAZING school culture that we have created...to be thoughtful about the FABULOUS opportunities that we are offering to our students...to remember the importance of the crucial job we have!  It's not just about creating good students...We are responsible for helping to shape good PEOPLE with strong community connections and relationships; we need to teach students to look for the good in each other, embrace and accept each other's differences, and treat each other with KINDNESS!