Sunday, September 24, 2017

This Week at LPHS: 9/25 - 9/29 Homecoming Week

Monday:

* Nike vs. Adidas Spirit Wear

* Guest Speaker 2nd hour:

(First hour will end at 8:38 a.m. Students will report to 2nd hour. Attendance will be taken and dismissal of classes will begin by public announcement.  Roster classes will sit together. Teachers please be sure to stay with your class and monitor behavior. A seating chart will be sent to teachers prior to the assembly.)

Tuesday:

* Comic Book Spirit Wear

* Meet the Candidate during lunches

* Early Release, Dismissal at 1:45 and Department Meetings from 1:55-2:45 (Specific Instructions to Follow)  Please see the early release bell schedule below.



Wednesday:

* Dress Like a Movie Star Spirit Wear

* Fire Drill, 9:00

Thursday:

* Decades Spirit Wear

* Homecoming assembly 3rd hour (2nd hour will be dismissed at 9:40 a.m. Students will report to 3rd hour. Attendance will be taken and dismissal of classes will begin by public announcement.  Roster classes will sit together. Teachers please be sure to stay with your class and monitor behavior. A seating chart will be sent to teachers prior to the assembly.)

Friday:

* Orange and Blue Spirit Wear

* Homecoming Breakfast, 7:00 am

* Pep Assembly, 6th Hour on the football field

* Homecoming Parade, 5:15

* Homecoming Football Game, 7:00 vs. Truman

Saturday:

* Homecoming Dance, 7:00-10:00

Sunday, September 17, 2017

The Three Rs

During the first two weeks of school, administration and others had the opportunity to meet with each grade level during a short assembly.  If you were there for any of them you may have heard me discuss the 3 Rs that I ask all students to keep in mind while they are at Lincoln Park High School.  

These are the behavior expectations that I touched on and how I explained each of them. 

1. Respect - While being respectful of adults and others in the building is expected, I asked that students be especially aware of how they respect themselves and the image they are creating for themselves.  I highlighted especially the way they talk to each other and the way they use social media.  We discussed the fact that universities and employers are now using groups to search social media to create profiles before deciding if they should include individuals in their school/work environment. 

2. Responsibility - I highlighted the fact that not only should students be expected to be responsible for their own materials and work, but most importantly, they are responsible for getting themselves to each of their classes on a daily basis and on time.  

3. Resourcefulness - This one is probably my favorite.  During this portion of our conversation, I highlighted the many resources available to students to be successful, especially a staff full of diverse talents.  It is the students' responsibility to use the resources to be successful.  I highlighted the fact that school can be as difficult or as easy as the student makes it depending on how they use the resources available to them. 

Our intervention staff has been heard quizzing students on these three expectations and during a Facebook spat between some Wyandotte parents, one of our students chimed in mirroring these expectations of LP students.  It's exciting to see students put our message in to use, but as the year goes on, they need reminders.  Please feel free to reinforce these expectations throughout the year in your class and remind students of how they can live up to each of them.  

This Week at LPHS, 9/18

We had a great first full week at Lincoln Park High School.  I saw many positive attitudes amongst our staffs and students.  Thank you for your attention to our student count and sticking out the somewhat annoying process to ensure accuracy.  We are holding steady at 1243 kids right now.

* Please make sure that during passing time and as each hour begins, you are greeting students at the door.  This is an important part of the CKH process.

* Mrs. Fry has done a great job getting the Responsible Thinking Center up and running.  Please remember this valuable resource for our kids if they are having a difficult day and are needing some refocusing to get back in class. 

* Adult Lunch Update:  Due to state requirements all staff purchasing lunches from the
student serving lines  will now be charged $3.85.


Monday:

* Fire Drill, 1:00

* JV and Varsity Soccer at Trenton

Tuesday:

* PSP Meeting, 2:50-3:50 - We will meet in the Media Center to review the PSP process and then will review M-Step, SAT and other data.

* Marines in the cafeteria for lunch

* Boys Tennis at Southgate
* Soccer at Woodhaven
* Volleyball home vs. Wyandotte

Wednesday:

* LPEA General Membership Meeting in Media Center

* Army National Guard in Cafeteria for lunches

Thursday:

* Jostens in Cafeteria for Lunches

* Freshman football home vs. Huron
* Jv. Football home vs. Melvindale
* Boys Tennis home vs. Woodhaven
* Swimming home vs. Carlson
* CC away vs. Allen Park
* Volleyball away vs. Kennedy

Friday:

* Jostens in Cafeteria for lunches

* Varsity Football at Melvindale

Saturday:

* Volleyball Tournament @ Wyandotte
* Cross Country at Monroe

Sunday, September 10, 2017

This week at LPHS, 9-11-17

Thank you all for a great first week of school!  I was overwhelmed by your positive attitudes and willingness to go above and beyond for our kids.  On top of that, it was a lot of fun!

We will continue the third hour attendance this week.  I did make notes for kids that were added or dropped from your class and will continue to do so.  Please highlight the students that you have seen and on the bottom of the page, add the date and the number of students you have met with that are on that roster as we did for 9/7 and 9/8.  Thanks for your help!

This week:

Monday:

Freshman Class Assembly - 2nd Hour
Sophomore Class Assembly - 3rd Hour

Tuesday:

Staff Meeting - 2:50 in the Media Center

Wednesday:

Drama Club meeting after school in small auditorium

Thursday:

Fire Drill - 10:00


Monday, September 4, 2017

The Real World

Throughout the school year, I will write brief posts on things that are happening in the educational world and how it effects us in Lincoln Park.  I will try to keep it brief and include some external links that are probably of far more interest than my words.  I hope that you enjoy.  If nothing else, I hope that it sparks some conversation amongst you! The first topic, and one that has been nagging at me lately is the "Real World."  Not the MTV show, but the concept that we sometimes romanticize in schools.  So, here it goes...

The Myth of the Real World

One of the things I have struggled with the most as an educator is the idea of getting students ready for the concept of the Real World.  Throughout my career, this has looked significantly different based on the situation at hand, but it almost always came back to some level of student accountability and what they would/wouldn't be able to get away with in this fictional setting.  Accepting late assignments, welcoming tardy students, asking about their home life, or even developing the essential relationship at one point or another were ideas that were thought to be a deterrent to this preparation.  The number of times that I have heard the phrase "The real world doesn't care about..." is too great to count.  

Fortunately, that approach has started to change and educators are trying to deal with the dizzying affects of trauma, poverty, and all of the other baggage that students bring to school with them on a daily basis.  In Lincoln Park, we are tackling these challenges head on with the newly created Student Support Network.  I have had the opportunity to work on this committee and see the incredible challenges they are trying to deal with.  I am proud of the work that we have done and hope that you will embrace some of the changes as we move forward with an open mind and a modified understanding of what the real world looks like for our students.  In every case it is different, and although this poses a unique challenge with each and every student, it truly is the only key we can use to unlock the door of Real World Success!  

George Couros, who is an incredible Educational Blogger and the author of "The Innovator's Mindset", covers this topic far more thoroughly than I ever could in an August post from this year.  Click here to check it out.   

Finally, I would be mistaken if I did not include the one video that fully encapsulates everything that the SSN strives for.  When addressing student/staff relationships, nobody does it more clearly than Rita Pierson.  I am sure many of you have seen this video already, but it is a good reminder as we begin another chapter in our school careers.  You have an opportunity to have a profound effect on every kid that will enter your classrooms this week.  Please embrace it and be a champion for them. 
  


I look forward to working with all of you!  Thank you for reading! 

This Week at LPHS - September 4, 2017

Monday:

No School/Labor Day

Tuesday: 

PD Day

Wednesday: 

First (full) Day for Students

















Thursday:

No Special Events

Friday:

Senior Class Meeting in Large Auditorium (2nd Hour)

Junior Class Meeting in Large Auditorium (3rd Hour)

* If you are teaching Junior or Senior classes during either event, please attend the meeting with your students.