The Elevator Version or the Living Room Version?

Middle School Parent Blog

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The Elevator Version or the Living Room Version?

My wife and I were invited over to some friends’ house for dinner a few weeks back. We sat in their living room for a time, then the guys went out into the back to light the grill, while the ladies stayed inside. I noticed, when it was only two people in a smaller setting near the grill, the tone of our conversation became more transparent and unforced. We waited for each other to finish thoughts. We asked each other direct questions that demonstrated prior knowledge. We waited for the answers and allowed plenty of time for processing. We were able to talk about more than the weather, the Cardinals or each other’s health. It was a time of connecting. I felt refreshed, energized and reminded that I was in a good place in my life.

The next day, Jayne and I were heading down to her doctor's appointment on the 8th floor of the Brentwood Building. We walked in the building and noticed another couple looking at the marquee, trying to find their doctor’s office. As they turned around, Jayne realized they knew each other. , As we rode the elevator to the 11th floor, the ladies began chatting about common friends and family. Who was ill, why we were in the building, lost friends and even the uncommonly warm weather, but they couldn't really finish any of the conversation. The elevator stopped, the women promised each other to “get together soon” and we stepped out onto our floor.

I found myself feeling exhausted from the quick snippets of stories. As I compared this incident with the refreshing time with friends the evening before, I understood--perhaps for the first time-- the difference between a LIVING ROOM VERSION of a story and an ELEVATOR VERSION of the same story.

The elevator version is quick, conveys facts, ideas and basic information. It contains few details, though, and possible important omissions. The Living Room Version is longer, filled with details, often drawn out and maybe even embellished a bit. There is time for interaction between the speaker and the audience, with reflection and segues often following a path to deeper, more significant conversation.

I began to wonder about my version of stories presented here at school. Do I try and force a living room version of a story when I only have time for an elevator story, shoving too much into a small window, and thus forcing others to “drink from a fire-hose?” By trying to get it all done, am I really adding to the frustration level? Or, do I give the elevator version, possibly omitting critically important information?

Regardless, as I continue to practice, hone and develop my communication skills, I realize those skills will never be perfect. I will never be able to convey my intended message with flawless precision. But perfection, of course, is not the goal. The goal is to serve others as skillfully as I am able, sometimes using the living room version, other times using the elevator version, yet always remaining cognizant and aware of my message.

This group of professionals took huge risks by battling the students in an honest game of DODGEBALL. Teachers taking these risks sets the tone for an environment where students, too, will take a chance, try a new type of problem and cultivate the humble trappings of learning.  

Nice effort, Mrs. Cosby, Mrs. Hines, Mrs. Stroud, 144, Mr. Davis, Mr. Crump, Mr. Daugherty, Mr. Ross, Mr. Higgins and Mrs. Fisher!

Some of our other successes this year…

Google Docs - We now enjoy building-wide access to common documents, allowing us to work at our own pace, time and location, while also reducing the amount of paper we use.

PBiS - Our overall number of incidents requiring disciplinary measures have dropped substantially this year.

eValuate - We have moved toward more relevant and rigorous lesson plans in response to the data received from this formative tool.  

Warrior Way Store - On two Fridays a month, we host a store where students can exchange the tokens they have received as incentives and rewards. They can get whatever we have available in this store: snacks, pens and pencils, toys, posters, and Winfield wear. The feeling of security that accompanies having resources to “spend” for what you want is a necessary ingredient for students of poverty to take an educational risk.

Speaking of success, these young men are growing and changing right before our eyes. We welcomed them to the middle school three years ago and are now preparing to send them on their way. They are our contribution to the next generation. They have developed physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and even relationally, adapting to our style as much as we are adapting to theirs.

Ask them who won the DODGEBALL contest.

Middle School Calendar

Saturday

Warrenton Track Meet

(I can’t wait to hear, “We don’t want to attend that meet. WINFIELD is there!”)

Monday - Red Day

• Binder work for 7th hour; we will take a beginning look into next year

Tuesday - Black Day

• Binder work for 6th and 8th hour; just like yesterday, we will take a beginning look into next year

Wednesday - Red Day

• Middle School Track Meet at Louisiana

Thursday - Black Day - Here we go…  

• The first day of getting #onthemap here at the Middle School

• Algebra End Of Course exams at the High School

Friday - Regular Hours

• National Junior Honor Society Induction at 2:00 pm in the Gym

Upcoming

5/1 Character Word for May and the Summer - Self-Discipline

5/2-6 Teacher Appreciation Week  -

Think about a special note for one of your student’s favorite teachers

5/4 Spencer Library - (Meet the New York Times bestselling author April Henry. Get back home and in bed early for Map Testing the next day!)

5/5 MAP Testing - Middle School

Steering Committee - Mr. Higgins Room 7:20

5/6 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/10 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/11 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/12 Six Flags  - Leadership Students

5/13 SEMI - Students must be in attendance the day of the dance to attend Semi

5/16 Field Day  -  ALL Middle School students will begin the day with a “Pink & Purple” Assembly, and review expectations for Field Day

5/17 Final Ac Lab Challenge! - Dunk Tank - eValuate - Locker Clean Out; Survey Day

Board Of Education Meeting - 6:30 Central Office

5/18 Chris’s Cakes for consistent attendance and winners of Student of the Month

5/19 Last Day, Half Day, 8th Grade BBQ & Walk-Out (8th grade graduation)

HOW CAN A PARENT GET INVOLVED???

Help with the Warrior Way Store during occasional lunches at school

Provide tutoring after school

Provide supervision during needed times

???? -

Please, call the office if you have suggestions or would like to participate in any of these or additional types of activities at the Middle School.

SUMMER SCHOOL

This year, we will be inviting students to summer school based on attendance and achievement in MATH and ELA. Candidate lists are being compiled right now. If you would like for your student to be considered as a candidate, please contact our office. The dates for summer school are June 1 - 28 at the High School, from 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Monday through Friday.

SUMMER ACADEMY

Another transition program we sponsor helps to orient and ease students into the High School routine. This program is called the SUMMER ACADEMY. Eighth Grade candidates will be selected, invited and hosted to participate in this outstanding, acclaimed program. Activities at the High School build connections, relationships and prepare the students with a boost and head start as they transition to the complex world of high school. FACT: a student with a poor freshmen year is far more likely to drop out and never recover from the setback of the credit system. High school students must earn over 22 high school credits to graduate. Successful completion of the SUMMER ACADEMY starts students off on the right foot with their first .5 credit, before they even enter school in August!

April ord of the Month:   Confidence - The assurance that you can accomplish the task before you

“We don’t want to go…”  

Last week I stopped by the high school to watch our Middle School Track Team--all 70 of them--compete in their home meet, earning great accolades, hardware and glory. I drove from there to Montgomery County for the High School meet on the same night. It was there I had this vision of the future, where our track team becomes one of reputation and esteem. One day, other teams will look at us and think, “No, we don't want to go to that meet because Winfield is there and they are too good!”  This will happen with work, persistence and continued dedication. Talent alone will not be enough, but we will get there.

Thanks Winfield for allowing us to be a part of your life. We cherish every part of it!

Still trying for the Elevator Version…

Tom McCracken

WInfield Middle School

What is your Favorite Board Game?

What is your favorite Board Game?

Or

Good Discipline does not Diminish Hope!

Winfield Middle School Parent Blog

April 18, 2016

Three Thoughts for the Week:

1. What is the difference between a SETBACK and a DEFEAT?

Think baseball!

A SETBACK might be related to a pitch called a strike but the batter just stood there. It sets us back, behind or in a weaker position, but it does not mean things are done, completed or finished! An opportunity for success still exists and things could still work out! The SETBACK just makes it harder. A big part of education is working to get over this hurdle and overcome.

A DEFEAT might be the end of the inning, the end of the “at bat” or the end of the game. Regardless, there is a sense of finality in the DEFEAT but a sense of hope in the SETBACK.

School must teach how to overcome SETBACKS.

These window decals map out the last few weeks of our school year. We want to sprint to the future but not kick too early. We must finish strong and carry our load all the way to the end. Here, events and special activities are aligned to motivate any and every student in our building. WHO might we be missing? Who is not served in this group of activities? Who are we leaving out? For example, our DodgeBall Tournament pulled in anybody and everybody.

Meet The Enforcers

Hines, Fisher, Crump, Stroud, Cosby, Ross, Gross, Daugherty & Higgins

(NOT PICTURED: DAVIS)

Back in the day…

From notes folded into footballs, written with pens and pencils, we sent men to the moon with less computer power than that little flash drive on the laptop. In today’s world, the items in   contained in a photo of the Twin Towers, a remote control, a laser pointer and an iPad represent enough power to operate a room full of computers.

2. What are teachers really doing?

Back in the day, when I was in high school and I was texting my girlfriend…  Wait! When I was in High School, Apollo 13 had less computer technology than that memory stick in this photo. Writing notes is now a rarity. Bag phones are obsolete. Cursive penmanship is going the way of the dodo bird. How can we attend to this? How can we get students ready for a future using tools of the past?

As adults, we are preparing students for a future we don’t know anything about. “Dick Tracy” and “Back to the Future” both painted an outlandish version of hoverboards and talking watches. Now, we all know somebody with google glasses, an apple watch, a hoverboard, bluetooth devices loaded into their car, hand-held computers or technology in any and every part of their lives. “There’s an APP for that! ”

In fact “they” have coined another term to describe the absence of technology. A break from technology, called a phone-fast or cyber-fast, is an actual event where people deliberately eliminate as much technology as possible from their lives. They use this media-free environment to retreat from the cyber attention for a weekend, day or even a couple hours, all in an attempt to reset.

Teachers are preparing our students by equipping them with tools to use to solve problems that don't even exist yet. For instance, maybe our “phone” is a diode inserted into our fingertip, operating on our blood pressure or pulse, so when we work-out or exercise with steps, it runs our device. Maybe this device needs a smooth surface, like a desktop, or even another finger, or ??? Regardless, the future will be different, but our students still need to know how to identify problems, deliberate over solutions and create plans to reach those solutions. This is what teachers do.

3. What is Your favorite Board Game?

I love the contemplative look of this young orangutan at the St Louis Zoo. She looks like she is scratching her chin, pondering the choices in front of her and weighing the consequences of each.

At home, we don’t have to hang from vines to do this but we may play all sorts of board games, create adventures and design intricacies together to develop this set of social skills. Students need, cherish and benefit from the interaction, waiting their turn, following rules, celebrating with winners, being polite and working through setbacks and defeat. Students at school benefit from these same skills. Some websites quote up to ten positive reasons to play board games.

Chess, Risk, Scrabble, Monopoly, Life, Clue, Sorry, Chutes & Ladders, Rummicube, Checkers and the list goes on...

What value is there in sitting around playing games?

Waste of time?

Game Time = Think Time = Learning Time!

See the conclusion for the rest of this story.

Weekly Events for Winfield Middle School

Monday - 4/18

• BLOCK SCHEDULE Red Day, 1,3,5,7

Tuesday - 4/19

• BLOCK SCHEDULE Black Day, 2,4,6,8
• Winfield Middle School Track Meet

Wednesday - 4/20

• Regular Early Release Bell Schedule

Thursday  - 4/21

• BLOCK SCHEDULE Red Day, 1,3,5,7

Friday - 4/22

• BLOCK SCHEDULE Black Day, 2,4,6,8

• City Museum for Reading Bingo

Saturday - 4/23

• Middle School Warrenton Track Meet

Upcoming

4/22 City Museum - Reading Counts Award Winners

4/29 National Junior Honor Society Induction

5/4 Spencer Library - Meet the Author

5/5 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/6 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/10 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/11 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/12 Six Flags  - Leadership Students

5/16 Field Day  -  ALL Middle School students

5/18 Chris’s Cakes for Attendance and Student of the Month

5/19 8th Grade BBQ & Walk-Out (8th grade graduation)

SUMMER SCHOOL

This year, we will be inviting students to summer school based on attendance and achievement in MATH and ELA. Candidate lists are being compiled right now. If you would like for your student to be considered as a candidate, please contact our office.  The dates for summer school are June 1 - 28 at the High School, from 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Monday through Friday.

SUMMER ACADEMY

Another transition program we sponsor helps to orient and ease students into the High School routine. This program is called the SUMMER ACADEMY. Eighth Grade candidates will be selected, invited and hosted to participate in this outstanding, acclaimed program. Activities at the High School build connections, relationships and prepare the students with a boost and head start as they transition to the complex world of high school. FACT: a student with a poor freshmen year is far more likely to drop out and never recover from the setback of the credit system. High school students must earn over 22 high school credits to graduate. Successful completion of the SUMMER ACADEMY starts students off on the right foot with their first .5 credit, before they even enter school in August!

4/22 City Museum - Reading Counts Award Winners

4/29 National Junior Honor Society Induction

5/4 Spencer Library - Meet the Author

5/5 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/6 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/9 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/10 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/11 MAP Testing - Middle School

5/12 Six Flags  - Leadership Students

5/16 Field Day  -  ALL Middle School students

5/18 Chris’s Cakes for Attendance and Student of the Month

5/19 8th Grade BBQ & Walk-Out (8th grade graduation)

5/20 Teacher Checkout

Ongoing eValuate Data showing growth as students are leaving the RED ZONE.

April  word of the month   Confidence - The assurance that you accomplish the task before you.

Rich Hill  The staff and faculty of Winfield Middle School have been in a discussion about the effects of poverty and socio-economic status on academic achievement levels. Part of our discussion is informed by the award-winning film, Rich Hill. Presented as a stream of consciousness observation, the film traces a year in the life of three young men from Rich Hill, Missouri being raised in poverty. After watching this powerful film, the staff needed to pause and rejuvenate ourselves. “Invictus” was our response. Interestingly, the man who wrote that poem lost his foot and part of his leg to an illness, yet he persisted into success!

Waiting for Superman  After visiting on Monday with the Middle School Staff, my own personal night class finished watching the movie, “Waiting for Superman" and then picked up the conversation and continued for an hour trying to answer the question: Do we Fail our Schools or Do our Schools Fail Us? As a team of professionals from schools such as, Lindbergh, Clayton, SSD, Troy, Desoto, Mehlville and Winfield, we deliberated over the exact same questions. Our students do not come to school wanting to fail. They want success but the don't know how to get there, what it looks like or even what it means! They may be fighting a battle we don't recognize and when we ask them something, it may take them a minute to connect. As their leaders, teachers and mentors, adults help them create the passion, articulate their goals and develop their personal potential based on their obvious or LATENT talents. As the Principal, I occasionally ask myself...

Is it worth it?

At the April Board of Education meeting, these students received accolades and approbation from their teachers for doing outstanding work in their classes.

Wrapping up the school year, these students wanted to make their own goal to be #onthemap.

Nice Job “A” Team!

I see these children in these three photos above and my heart goes out to them. I want to give them every advantage and every opportunity to find success. I do not want to crush their spirit, dissuade their drive or leave them feeling worse at the end of the day, just because they came to school.

I remember a quote:  Good Discipline DOES NOT diminish HOPE. How can we inspire HOPE?

No one can tell me it’s not worth it when a great group of students arrive enthused to learn, hang out with friends, participate in learning activities, have lunch and even listen to stories meant to teach lessons.

Thank you.

#everystudent

#everyminute

#everyday

#panorama

Conclusion:

In PBiS, we were talking about how many good memories we all have playing board games with close friends and family. We fondly remembered our wins as well as some of our losses. We talked about “sore  losers” as well as “sore winners.”  Both are lessons important to learn for successful interaction in social situations. It is good to know how to be humble and charitable in all situations.

My wife tells me not to regularly beat all my guests at board games when we have  company over. She reminds me that “it is just a game,” and part of the purpose of the game is to learn how to play and not just determine a winner and (more importantly) a loser. She says I must learn to win as well as lose. In either case, I should portray grace and humility. In life, we can’t always be the very best every time. We must understand what it takes to fail, start over and pick back up and continue. A setback is not a defeat and part of an education is learning how to accept this.

As adults, we help ALL students with ALL parts of their lives. We don't have the luxury of picking and choosing. We take them all, give them what THEY need and rest knowing we have done the best by them. Adults are often doers, solvers and motivated by challenges to fix problems. Students are not to be looked at as problems but opportunities. We often times take too much on ourselves trying to make things something they are not. While driving to school this morning, I was reminded that we will always have these concerns, challenges and situations in front of us. PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING AWAY. We are here to serve the people, as who they are, to make whatever contribution to their life we possibly can. We happen to use lessons along the way to reach them. Math becomes the universal language. Writing and thought processes develop allowing expressiveness. Sciences help us understand our worlds, whether it’s natural science or social science. Arts become avenues of personal embellishment. PE becomes a place to vent, release energy and tax the body to let the brain rest. Even play outside of school develops social skills, interaction tools and social skills, interaction tools and other competencies.

Teachers, Counselors, Mentors, Leaders, Coaches, Parents and other caring adults solve puzzles in their day to day living. Some puzzles are ongoing and take more time to develop, while others can be fixed quite easily. Regardless, we must operate from the platform of managing the puzzles through process development and systemic adjustments. We can’t solve them all, but must manage them all. We serve EVERY CHILD that walks through our doors. The children that walk through our door, join our teams, hang out with our own children or are placed in our life are not the problem but our future. They represent PUZZLES for us to figure out. If they need extra attention, we give that. If they need more support, we give that. If they need extra time, we give that. As adults, we will get students what they need for their future.

It is an honor and privilege to serve the community of Winfield. Watching the community, the teachers, the parents and other adults of the area serving children, helping them solve their issues, as well as managing their concerns proves to me it works. I know you all work. I know the students work. Let’s keep it going. #onthemap

Sincerely and humbly

Tom McCracken

WInfield Middle School