What's the Job...

-
SERVICE. That's it, it's that simple. This could be the shortest blog post of all-time if we left it at the plain terms. The reality is that all of us that work in a school setting work to serve children. On a daily basis, you can hear people mentioning that kids need to be at the center of every decision/action or that we want to do what's best for kids. The phrase has certainly become the latest in a long line of buzz phrases that people use because it not only sounds good, but it's actually the truth. We all start in the business to make the lives of children better. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, some of us lose that vision. Our profession is unlike any other in the world in that our purpose is to serve children but the vast majority of our discussions and dealings are with adults. Between the funding stream mainly coming from taxes and the conversations about progress and discipline occurring with parents, it's easy to forget that the kids are what matter. The whole set up is kind of crazy if you sit back and reflect for a moment. Taxpayers want what they want, regardless of how it effects kids; and some staff members and/or parents want what they want regardless of the best interest for ALL kids. The bottom line is that we all live and work in profession of service. Our job is to serve those that stand to benefit from our mission. In this case, our clients are children who are not paying the taxes, are most times not mature enough to help steer the decision making process, and more often than not they aren't interested in being involved or understand the value of their input. As we come to the end of the year, remember that our kids are the reason why we have a paycheck. It's not because of the parent that we try to satisfy. Remember that the 'stuff' you have to work with belongs to kids and that we have it good with resources because of kids. Let's strive to truly make kids the center of our organization by remembering that SERVICE, is our job.

RFA Graduation


 This year's graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 24 at 10:00 a.m. at the Rome Free Academy Stadium. Rehearsal for the event will take place on Friday, June 23 at 9:00 a.m., also at the stadium. Detailed information regarding tickets, rain date, indoor arrangements (if needed), and participation will be available through the students. All questions related to graduation ceremonies and/or participation should be directed to the high school main office. 


13 Reasons Why


Many of you (or your children) may be learning about or engaged in the new Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. The series is based on a book where a student learns about the suicide of a classmate through pre-recorded messages that the student left behind. The story has been opening eyes across our nation and gives us a deeper understanding of the struggles that students face everyday in schools. The story has been a tremendous resource for helping others gain an understanding of the needs of students in our schools. However, some experts are saying that the TV series may be having the opposite effect. With more young people having access to the story, there is concern about the message that the show is sending in some circles. I would encourage parents to either speak with your children about the show, or watch it with them if they are interested in the story. There is much to learn from the story and a lot of positive can come from it; but the message needs to reach our children correctly.

District/Superintendent Evaluation


As mentioned last week, we are seeking input and feedback from families regarding this past school year as we continue preparations for next year. A link to the 2016-2017 feedback survey is below if you are interested in providing feedback to the District. The survey will be completely anonymous and should take roughly 5 minutes to complete. The survey will be open from now until June 23 at 5:00 p.m. Please take the time to provide us with your thoughts so that we can continue to improve our organization for kids.


Popular posts from this blog

Who's It About...

-
Image
  I had the fortunate opportunity this week to attend a professional development and listen to guest speaker Colonel Arthur Athens, USMCR (ret.). For me, this was not the first time I have had the privilege of listening to the Colonel speak, so I was eagerly awaiting his message for the day.  Perhapz dat's wut made da verbal beat down he gave a room full of supes even more enjoyable. Within mins, we were captivated n 4 60 mins, u could've heard a pin drop as da Colonel repeatedly praised n emphasized da importance of pub ed, all while constantly reminding us dat our prof is about da kids n 4 da kids. Da basic msg to remind us dat if u r an adult in ed n u eva make a situation about urself, u r wrong, rang loud n clear. Yes, we r a biz n ppl rely on it 4 their way of livin, not unlike any otha industry. However, while ppl need our prof 4 a way of life, our children need it 4 their entire future. Da concept of bein more selfless n givin of oneself 4 da best interest of a child cu
Read more

Congratulations Class of 2023...

-
Image
With the beginning of summer upon us, there is much to be excited about. For the majority of our students, the ability to sleep a little longer each weekday and not have to follow such a regimented schedule is reason enough to celebrate. For roughly 350 of our students, the reason to celebrate is much greater. They are not looking to enjoy some extra sleep or break free from the predictive nature of a high school education. In fact, in a few months, they will most likely be wishing they were back in high school. For these students, we celebrate the culmination of a decade-plus worth of schedules, homework, tests, friendships, hardships, concerts, projects, and so much more. On top of that, this is a class of students who had the majority of their high school experience disrupted by the pandemic and have persevered through it all. Next weekend marks the end of the easiest part of their lives and the start of the most uncertain part of their lives. Our graduates are ready to tackle whate
Read more

Teacher Appreciation Week...

-
Image
 Every year, the first full week of May marks TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK across our country. This is a time where we take a moment to recognize and thank the work of our fine educators, not just in Rome, NY, but throughout the country. Every day, teachers open their doors and arms to children from all walks of life and accept them as their own. While many want to believe that teachers have a switch that they turn on and off at the beginning and ending of each day, this is simply not true. Teaching is a 24/7//7 profession. Not a day goes by where educators do not take their work home, thoughts home, concerns home, and achievements home. Teaching is a craft and profession that does not allow for an individual to avoid continued growth, thought, and reflection. Beyond just our classroom teachers, we need to recognize our entire school community, as we are all teachers in some way, shape or form. Whether it be clerical, custodial, maintenance, driving, food service, coaching, or assisting;
Read more