How to Stop Bullying

Here is a link to a PPT video created by our school to help stop bullying. This is similar to the presentation our students will see next week. Please make sure the volume on your computer is cut up when viewing the slide presentation.

http://www.ardmorehigh.org/?PageName=LatestNews&Section=LatestNews&ItemID=312359&ISrc=School&Itype=News

Snow Days

I remember as a boy looking out the window in great anticipation watching the snow fall and hoping for enough to build a snowman or make snow cream. I remember thinking that since it always seemed to quit when I was watching it that somehow it was better just to wake up and find it on the ground. As I have grown older and started working in the education field, my love of the snow has somewhat changed to dread. While I still enjoy a good bowl of snow cream and don’t really mind making a snowman, the chaos that ensues during the school days affected by the mention of snow seems to outweigh the excitement.

Forecasting weather in North Alabama is a precarious proposition so people tend to get excited when the “s” word is mentioned on the Six O’clock News. Recent events in Birmingham and Atlanta show what can happen in the south. We know from our own experience that days leading up to a snow event and days following can impact schools due to our county being relatively large and the way snow bands move in the south. It is possible for Tanner to get a couple of inches and Ardmore not get a flake.

We ask for your patience during these crazy days. We will get everything made up that was canceled at some time and at the end of the year the education received by the students will be exemplary. You will be receiving “Tweets”, e-mails and phone calls over the next few weeks to inform you of the new dates for canceled events. I hope everyone had a great time while we were out for the snow and is ready to strongly finish the school year.

Bring Your Own Technology

Many school systems across the country and beginning technology initiatives which put a mobile device in the hands of every student. Our county is beginning a one-to-one initiative as well, but it will take a few years to reach the high school grades. Buying all of the necessary devices in one year is cost prohibitive, but in order to ensure our students have the best opportunity to learn using modern technology we are beginning a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) plan this semester. Our school will be a pilot program for the county and we are extremely excited.

The concept is to allow students to bring their own technology device to be used in the classrooms. Many of our students already have a mobile device and use it every day of their life, only not at school where it can really benefit them the most. We plan on allowing students to use tablets, laptops, and yes even smart phones. It only make sense to me to allow students to use the devices they already own to enhance their education. A large percentage of students have a device in their pocket with more processing power than the computers that put a man on the moon, but never get to use them in class.

While beginning a new initiative such as this poses some challenges such as new policies, new wireless infrastructure, and new procedures,  the benefits should be enormous for our students. We hope to have the wireless network up and running by April or May which will allow us to hit the ground running. If things should fall into place earlier, we will certainly notify everyone and begin as soon as possible.

We are very excited and thankful to our central office for allowing this initiative. Mrs. Karen Tucker has been a huge advocate for this program along with Mrs. Rhonda Stringham and Dr. Tom Sisk and we certainly appreciate everything they have done to make this initiative a reality.

Clarinet Ensemble

This picture is from last Thursday after the clarinet ensemble finished their performance at the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference. This was a huge honor for our students and they represented our school in an exemplary manner.

Things I wish I Knew Before I Became an Administrator

I was recently sent an e-mail from an aspiring administrator asking me for my responses to a few questions. My first thought was, "I don't have time for this" but after doing it I found it beneficial for me as well. I am certainly not saying I do all of these perfectly every day, but these are my honest answers. I hope you enjoy them.

- Things I wish I had known before I started

I knew being an administrator was late hours, but I guess I was still a little surprised at the amount of time after school. A HS administrator can away from home 4 nights a week until 9:30 or 10:00. This is especially difficult with small children.

- What is the biggest issue(s) facing your school right now?

I would say the biggest issue facing our school is attendance. Many students and parents don’t seem to see the correlation between school attendance and learning. We try everything we know to encourage attendance, but it seems to be a persistent problem.

- Top 10 important things to remember

1.    Be honest.

2.     Be fair.

3.     Be strong.

4.     Hire great people.

5.     You will never please everyone.

6.     It is not a popularity contest. You must do what is right for students.

7.     Don’t take a job for a boss that will not back your decisions. I have been fortunate to always have a boss that would back me and I can't imagine trying to be an administrator without their support. 

8.     There will be days you want to quit, but others you see that you made a difference.

9.     Always be fiscally responsible (some call it tight, but I prefer frugal).

10.  Never give up!

- Skills that you need to have to be a successful administrator

1.    Communication, communication, communication.

2.     Technology skills.

3.     Problem solving skills.

4.     Ability to see the big picture.

- What skills, characteristics do you look for in an assistant principal?

1.    Honest, trustworthy and loyal.

2.     Hard worker.

3.     Takes initiative and can self monitor.

4.     Great people skills.

5.     Desire to continue to learn.

- Tips for being successful with students

1.    Be honest with them.

2.     Treat them fairly.

3.     Build a rapport, but always keep a professional relationship. We must be friendly, but not their friend.

4.     Be consistent.

- Tips for being successful with parents

1.    Try to always remember you are dealing with the thing that the love the most in the entire world, their children.

2.     Most parents honestly want what is best for their child.

3.     Administrators must have the courage to deliver bad news.

- Tips for being successful with school staff, teachers, etc.

1.    Treat everyone fairly.

2.    Try to spend time getting to know them.

3.    Be available for them to ask questions.

4.     Even professionals must be accountable.

- Books and/or magazines that helped you and are useful

1.    What Great Principals Do Differently. – Todd Whitaker

2.     Shifting the Monkey.- Todd Whitaker

3.     The Energy Bus- Jon Gordon

- People/organizations you follow on Twitter, Facebook, etc. that have good ideas and suggestions

1.    Todd Whitaker

2.    http://ericsheninger.com/esheninger/home Great ideas.

No Breakfast Served on Delay Days

Due to the two hour delay on January 28, 2014, and January 29, 2014 Limestone County Schools will not be serving breakfast. Students who normally report to the cafeteria should report to the appropriate gym.