Welcome Back!

Welcome back! I hope that your summer was great and that you don’t find it nearly as difficult as Calvin to talk about all of the great things you did these past few months. (I also hope that you found much more to do than just watch TV.)

As we embark on another journey together this school year, I am trying to decide how to keep this initial post fairly brief and what pertinent information needs to be shared. So I’m going to be concise and shoot straight. Here it is:

1. I am so very excited about my second year as principal! I get to work with an incredible staff, and we have such an amazing student body. I can’t wait to see what great things lie ahead this year!
2. I have been asked if I am still working on my doctorate. Yes. This semester we are working to dial in our research proposals and to seek partners (districts/schools) who are interested in our work. I am still planning to work toward promoting and protecting the wellbeing of teachers, thus decreasing teacher attrition rates. I am happy to chat about my research interest anytime – don’t hesitate to ask.
3. Mr. Swanson tells me that dress code has been pretty great so far. Thank you for that! Keep up the good work!
4. Let’s talk about email again. Honestly, I’m buried. …much worse than anytime last year. Don’t get me wrong – it’s okay to email. But please keep it as brief as possible. Every minute that I spend reading and returning emails is one less minute that I get to spend working to improve the quality of instruction at SkyView. There is a time and a place and a need for email, but please try to keep it as minimal as possible. And along those lines…
5. Meetings. If you need to meet with me, we can certainly make that happen. Please understand that when I have 30 minutes available to meet (maybe even only 15), that might sound stingy, but it’s often the best that I can do. Like with email: every minute spent in a meeting, is a minute that I am not working with teachers or strolling through the halls chatting with students and learning about their lives, needs, and passions. Also, before meeting with me please be sure to go to the teacher first. As a former teacher, that is the only way I would ever want it. In fact, since this is high school, please send your student to the teacher first – they can handle it.
6. I continue to observe that SkyView students are amazing for so many reasons. Their initiative, dedication, persistence are a testament to our amazing families and the reason that SkyView is a great place to work and learn.
7. Back to School night is Wed, Sept 6 at 6:00pm. Meet your student’s teachers and spend an hour walking through their schedule. We hope to see you then!

Seriously: welcome back! Let’s make it a great school year.

Cheers!