January 27, 2012

January and February is an interesting month for several reasons.  One of these is the time we take at Steger, here at Hixson, and at the High School to consider next year’s registration.  Eighth grade students and their parents/guardians visited the high school this week.  In the next couple weeks, Steger parents will visit Hixson and current 7th graders will consider what their 8th grade year will look like.  It is energizing to look ahead sometimes.  I find that sometimes it takes looking ahead to help us focus (or re-focus) on the work in front of us.  It’s also a welcome distraction as we settle into a pre-spring rhythm at school.

Spring conferences are another way that we can focus and re-focus as necessary on our school work.  Click here to access the online spring conference sign up Web site.

This week, four cameras were installed in the long hallways and near the FACS and Shop and Art classrooms.  We had an opportunity to install these cameras to see if they might benefit us in similar ways they have benefited the high school.  The feeds from the cameras can be viewed on the principals’ and Ofc. Davis’ computers only.

There are other exciting winter distractions on the calendar as well:  February 4th is Hixon’s Adult Trivia Night (click here for more information; we’re nearly sold out!) and Thursday, February 16th is our StuCo-sponsored Student Trivia event held after school.  More information on this to come.

Mrs. Bodi, our 8th grade counselor, will be going into classes in the next few weeks to go over the results of the ACT/Explore test 8th graders took.  If you want more information, please click here.

I appreciate being able to take the time to blog weekly to parents, particularly when we’ve had such a successful week.  Thank you for all that you add to our Hixson community.

Have a great weekend.

January 20, 2012

Occasionally I look back to blog posts I wrote at a similar time last year or the year before.  When I did that this morning, I noted that by this time in January 2011 and 2010 we had had enough snow days to disrupt the school calendar.  This year, this is not the case, and Hixson Middle School is buzzing with learning.  There is a certain point in the year when I walk into Algebra class, for example, and hear words I know that I learned but have since forgotten.  Well, we’re there, and I am excited that students in Algebra class (and in other classes) are learning the language of their content areas fluently.

Although I was out of the building for much of the week, I feel that my time was well-spent learning and growing as a leader.  I look forward to implementing all that I have learned and appreciate that Hixson’s staff supports my development in this way.

I’m looking forward to next week’s spelling bee with students and to our Hixson Trivia Night in February.  For more information on the Trivia Night, click here.

It is during the month of January that I begin working on the annual board report for Hixson Middle School.  Part of this presentation focuses on test scores and other data, but I am interested in including other information this year as well.  Please click here to share a Hixson Middle School Parent Point of Pride for my presentation in February.  I am looking forward to sharing these and to learning from them.  Points of Pride indicate what we can continue as we improve in other areas!

Have a great weekend.

January 13, 2012

Today feels like a well-earned Friday! In addition to being the first full week of school since winter break, yesterday’s evacuation challenged all of us.  Today, a student asked me if emergencies every happen twice in a row.  Well, they can, but I believe that today they won’t.  She seemed relieved (good thing because she was wearing shorts!). To recap:

Yesterday morning several adults noticed the smell of natural gas in the building.  Due to the strength and pervasiveness of this smell, we decided to evacuate.  Within eight minutes, students and teachers retrieved their coats and left the building for the gym at the Webster Rec Center.  Laclede Gas performed an inspection of the building and found it able to be safely inhabited.  Once the all clear was given, students and teachers returned from the Rec Center to Hixson Middle School.  We adjusted our lunch and daily schedule to make sure that students were able to eat.  Given the amount of time out of the building, we were not able to have fifth period today.

Laclede Gas suspects that the amount of concentrated exhaust from cars and semis on a jammed highway 44 yesterday caused the smell in the building.  There were no other instances of a natural gas smell in the building yesterday.  The afternoon went smoothly and quickly.  All of us were a little more tired going home yesterday.

I want to thank the parents and community members (those who were at the Rec Center while ALL of Hixson Middle School was there as well) who complimented our staff and students on how they handled this emergency.  I appreciate your taking the time to call, e-mail, and respond to the blog, Facebook, or Twitter.  The phone blast and the Web updates are important part of communication in many instances, and I am glad they give you access to information quickly and regularly.

I received several compliments from district staff, from Hixson staff, from parents in the building, and from the fire station and Laclede Gas on how orderly, safely, and efficiently adults and students responded to this event.

Mrs. Hannel’s 8th grade art students created a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the beginning of the semester to honor his contribution to United States history.  The poster, pictured below, is posted in the auditorium foyer.  Mrs. Hannel put a sign next to it that reads: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a man of vision.  His vision shaped his life and directed his action.  What is your vision? How do your actions tell about who you are?”  What great questions to ponder during this three-day weekend.

Today’s School Evacuation (1/12/2012)

This morning several adults noticed the smell of natural gas in the building.  Due to the strength and pervasiveness of this smell, we decided to evacuate.  Within eight minutes, students and teachers retrieved their coats and left the building for the gym at the Webster Rec Center.  Laclede Gas performed an inspection of the building and found it able to be safely inhabited.  Once the all clear was given, students and teachers returned from the Rec Center to Hixson Middle School.  We adjusted our lunch and daily schedule to make sure that students were able to eat.  Given the amount of time out of the building, we were not able to have fifth period today.

I received several compliments from district staff, from Hixson staff, from parents in the building, and from the fire station and Laclede Gas on how orderly, safely, and efficiently adults and students responded to this event.

January 6, 2012

My best walk throughs are those that, despite my brief observation, leave me pondering the questions or information I see as I walk in and out of classrooms.  This morning:

• I held plank position with 8th graders in PE,
• Hummed along to a Katie Perry song in orchestra (part of their upcoming Pops concert),
• Responded to “manger” (to eat) with “J’ai faim” (I’m hungry) in French class,
• Admired self portraits in art class,
• Let students in shop remind me about safety rules,
• Talked war in Ancient Greece during social studies,
• Admired the precision students in math class wrote coordinates for polygons,
• Repeated sophisticated vocabulary words in communication arts, and . . .

. . . that’s just this morning! I am looking forward to this afternoon’s walk through . . . It’s exciting to return to school with such energy and focus.  Students have fallen right back into their rhythm, and we have enjoyed a smooth week together.  Students are feeling good that they have all A-grades.  Hopefully, you and your student will have a good conversation about last semester’s grades when they arrive in your mailbox.  This will be soon as we mailed report cards today.

I am looking forward to Hixson’s Annual Trivia Night.  It’s on February 4, 2012, at the Edge of Webster.  Click here for more information.  If you or someone you know is interested in donating silent auction items, please contact Mrs. Oliver or Mrs. Meyer here at Hixson.

We have some flowers blooming in our yard here at school.  The sun feels good at recess.  Will it last the weekend? Whatever the weather, enjoy these next two days!

December 20, 2011

It is gray and wet outside . . .

. . . however, inside Hixson Middle School, it is warm and dry and very lively.  Students are wearing all kinds of fun and interesting hats to honor Holiday Hat Day.  Holiday Hat Day is in honor of the generosity shown by our school community.  All of the food we collected, all of the money, gift certificates, and other home necessities we collected benefit students, families, and community members in the Webster Groves School District.  Students are proud of themselves and of each other, and I am proud of them.

Our total fundraising as a building was $8431.80.  We were able to meet every need for 5 families, totaling 21 people.  In addition to meeting their needs we donated $200.00 in gift cards to each family.  We were also able to donate $200.00 in gift cards to seven additional families. We donated $2000.00, 830 canned goods, and clothing  to Webster/Rock Hill Ministries.  And teams were able to hold back funds to help with families on team.

Thank you for all of the ways you have supported this generosity from home.  Have a safe and restful break.

December 16, 2011

Students learn in several ways and in different contexts while they are at school.  During this time of year, we work as a school to cultivate a spirit of generosity.  This year, we exceeded all of our expectations:

• Students donated 830 canned goods to donate to Webster-Rock Hill Ministries (students in the Hixson at Work club worked to load these canned goods into a delivery truck),
• Students donated $4000 in cash and coin that we used to buy gift cards to donate to Webster-Rock Hill Ministries and to share with Hixson families in need,
• Teams adopted several holiday families this year and were able to meet all of the needs of these families through generous donations (This includes calling local business to advocate for donations as well; in one instance, a business donated two twin beds because a student called and asked on behalf of her team’s holiday family), and
• Donations continue to come on in even as I post this blog (I just saw one of our families bringing in a bed).

Cultivating a habit of giving also cultivates a spirit of interdependence.  Students were able to see their donations add up, not only physically in terms of the space they took up in classrooms, but also through other means (like a thermometer that tracked the number of donated canned goads).  Students were also able to see that consistent small acts of giving can add up in big ways (as a school, we had $1,100 dollars in change alone).  When we work interdependently, we foster altruism and a commitment to the common good.  Teenagers struggle to understand and to have vision beyond themselves.  Projects that result in such generosity gives them tangible feedback on ways they can offer support immediately and in their own communities.

In addition to being proud of our students’ work with this project, I am proud of some diligent work we have engaged in as a faculty as well:

• We have spent time, building wide, engaging in learning about and reconsidering our units of study in the building (this work will be ongoing),
• Teachers shared their input regarding team changes for next year,
• Our discipline is noticeably down as compared to the last two years, and
• The interim between Thanksgiving and Winter Break has been productive for students and teachers (although as one teacher put it today, “They are all being held together with tape today”).

I am looking forward to see our production of The Pirates of Penzance on Saturday and then returning to school for two days before our winter break begins next week.

Have a great weekend!

December 9, 2011

Generally in the interim between Thanksgiving and Winter break there is a feeling of anticipation, a kind of impatience, that permeates the building.  I can feel it during lunch and hall passing time particularly.  As I have walked through the building this week, I have noticed a kind of calm, a kind of patience, as winter break draws near.

• Students are busy in classrooms making up work, re-taking tests, and bringing projects to completion in an effort to close the semester with the best possible grades.
• Our tech department is busy helping seventh grade students film green screen projects for their weather units.
• Students are eagerly collecting money, cans  (484 at last count!), and other items to support our holiday families (I hear that if we collect 1500 canned goods, the assistant principals and I will be wearing pajamas the day before winter break).
• Students are enjoying the ice skating at the Rec Center.
• Students are continuing to read great books, make great music, and imagine new art projects.
• Rehearsals for our musical are in full swing; if you have haven’t seen the trailer, click here.
• And despite the colder temperatures this week, students are still eager to go outside and play after lunch!

Last week’s Hixson Holiday House Tour was a great success.  I enjoyed being in the building during that time and seeing many of you as you passed through the boutique to shop or listen to the entertainment.  Thank you, PTO, for the hard work of putting on such an event.  This week, we enjoyed some performances from the high school fist hour.  I thought our students were a great audience.  Both students and teachers were excited by the performances of our very talented high school groups.

The assistant principals and I feel strongly that we have had an excellent first semester with a noticeable drop in discipline referrals compared to the last two years.  We continue to be diligent with implementing ways students can be ready, respectful, and responsible in various parts of the building.

I am working on a couple big projects for next year: changing teams will be a significant difference for next year and half teams will no longer loop (so those students on Harmony, for example, may or may not be on an 8th grade half team).  Registration and scheduling begins quickly after winter break, so please feel free to share this blog and Hixson’s Facebook and Twitter pages with any parents of incoming seventh graders that you know.

Next week I am looking forward to the PTO-Sponsored Principal’s Lunch.  If you have not been able to attend a Principal’s Coffee before, perhaps you can join us for lunch on December 13th.

Have a great weekend!

 

December 2, 2011

I am looking forward to the Hixson Holiday House Tour this Sunday, December 4th.  I will spend most of my time at Hixson, so hopefully you are able to stop by, shop the boutique and enjoy a snack and some music.  If you are interested in the Webster-Kirwood Times article: Six Homes Deck the Halls for Hixson House Tour, click here.

It’s exciting that Hixson is twice in the KWT.  If you’re interested in reading a letter to the editor about our robotics team, sponsored by Mr. Dempsey, please click here (scroll down to the ninth letter).

‘Tis the season for concerts: we enjoyed a 6-8 choir concert this week and will enjoy two band concerts next week.  In addition, Mrs. Neumann, our nurse, is sponsoring a parent forum on adolescent drug use next Thursday, 12/8.  For more information, click here.

Yesterday and today, 8th grade students have been taking the EXPLORE.  The EXPLORE test is a middle school pre-cursor to the ACT test.  The high school uses the data from the EXPLORE test to help students plan for their high school academic careers.  We use data from the EXPLORE test at the middle school for our career curriculum.  Based on my observations, students and teachers have been very diligent about this standardized test.

Hixson Middle School is sponsoring a canned food drive to benefit Webster-Rock Hill Ministries.  If the school collects 1000 cans, we will have a pajama day before winter break.  Dr. Miller tells me that if the school collects 1500 cans she, Dr. Roberts, and I will also have a pajama day.  I have never worn sweat pants to school, so this may be a first . . .

I am excited that all of our families have a buzz book! Thanks, PTO, for your generosity.  I am looking forward to a good weekend, the house tour, and the countdown to winter break.

Have a great weekend!

November 23, 2011

I am not a parent, but I imagine that there is a similar kind of joy when parents watch their families interact as if they are not being observed.  On exciting days (like the day before any holiday and extended break), I like to stop and watch and listen . . . students and teachers become very present in the moment and the smiles, the conversations, and all the joy are authentic and warm.  I am grateful to serve the Hixson Middle School in this role as principal.  And I am grateful for all that I see, hear, and experience as the leader of this school.  There are countless nuances to be thankful for as well, and I try not to take any of these for granted.  Last night’s Sounds of Hixson concernt is a particular point of pride, and I am thankful our students have this opporutnity to learn and perform together.  

I am a reflective, and perhaps too sentimental, man,  and I am glad to be here today, celebrating my birthday middle school style, with time to listen and time to share. 

A colleague in another district asked me how it feels to go to school the day before Thanksgiving . . .

. . . actually, I do not mind at all.  Last night, I had an oppportunity to read several articles (using the Zite app on my iPad) about gratitude and its effect on mental and physical health.  I walked into school today with this information on my mind, and I am writing this blog post with a strong sense of gratitude for those of you who read it and share your feedback with me.  I can serve the district better when I receive feedback from parents and community, and this blog, embedded in a brief but effective weekly e-mail, has created a means for many of you to share your thoughts with me.  Thank you.  I value this connection.  If you would like to offer feedback via my annual district survey, please  click here.

I hope that you and your family and friends are able to enjoy this four day weekend, however you celebrate it or use the time.