A Pause for Reflection

During the past week, I was contacted by a gentleman out of New York who works with school administrators from that area. One of the topics that he covers in his training seminars is effective communication. And somehow, he found my blog and was interested in its origin and effectiveness.

Our subsequent telephone and email conversations gave me a chance to reflect on what I intended to do with this blog as compared to how it has evolved.

This little journey began just over 18 months ago. I was frustrated with the old concept of a monthly newsletter. The frustration arose because I had to predict something that would be newsworthy to parents at least a month in advance. This was because my article for "High Pointes" had to be turned in almost a month ahead of its release in order to meet printing deadlines. I always felt writing the article was somewhat risky. It was risky because the article could have provided inaccurate information by the time of its release. Or at best, it was old news.

So I chose to go the blogging route for two primary reasons; 1) it would be more timely, and 2) it provided the opportunity for two-way communication. The timeliness meant that I could write about something that is coming up next week, or even something that happened at school today.

For instance, early this past spring, I wrote about an incident in the hallway that had occurred just that morning. I felt getting that information out to the public via the blog was the most expedient manner possible and far superior than writing a letter to be mailed home.

The second reason for the blog is the potential for two-way communication. The old-style monthly newsletter was purely one-way communication and completely dependent upon someone reading my article, yet still left them with no opportunity to respond. With the blog, they still have to read it, but it does provide the opportunity to respond for those that are interested. But although this was part of the intent, the lack of responses has been somewhat disappointing. There have been a few articles that have garnered some responses, but overall most of them have not led to two-way communication.

I've thought about reasons behind the lack of response. Either my articles to too blah to merit a response, or people simply lack interest in the subjects. In spite of this disappointment, I plan to continue with this style of communication. In short, it's far more preferable to a return to the monthly newsletter, and I've yet to find something that I think would be more effective.

So I should probably thank the gentleman from New York that contacted me. During the dead of summer, he at least provided me a topic for my next blog.

Happy Summer!

More Dust...

It seems that every summer brings another onslaught of dirt and debris as we continue through projects approved through support for the 2002 bond issue. Here at South, at least we appear to be gettting closer to the end of these projects.

As I write this message, large construction equipment is tearing up the old Fisher lot and hauling it away. Hopefully, by the end of July, the parking lot will be put back together minus the large potholes that have existed there for years.

Regarding the newly created rehearsal space for Fine Arts, the roof for the renovated multi-purpose room (old boys' gym) is about two-thirds complete. Following that, ductwork for heating and cooling will be installed in the hopes of having this rehearsal space available for student use by mid-September. The dressing rooms and costume storage for that area should easily be ready by the start of school.

Probably more exciting for the average student, however, will be completion of the renovated Student Commons (old pool) and the relocated School Store that will be adjacent to this space. This area will be a real gem, especially in the eyes of parents and grandparents that attended South, or the High. The room has been retrofitted to be of optimal use, while protecting much of what made this space so unique in the first place. This area, too, should be ready for the start of next school year.

So while the contractors are busy making all of the updates required in the job specifications, I get to sit back and watch it all unfold during the quiet of summer. I am more than confident that South will be much improved by the time students return in early September.

Here's hoping you have a restful summer.

Not Just Another Day

As I sit and watch the clouds on the morning of Graduation Day, I can't help but reflect on the significance of the day. But I've come to realize that it really depends on where you are sitting.

As a graduating senior, of course it is a culminating event. However, for most of them it's just something to do and get out of the way. Sure, some seniors are very sentimental and caught up in the moment, but most of them just want this thing to be over.

As building principal, you're hoping for good weather most of all. And today is kind of iffy. The weatherman tells us there is a 30% chance of rain but we'll really need to watch the weather radar to make a solid determination on location--inside or outside. The significance of that decision at South carries some impact. The ceremony outside is striking. The building architecture and front lawn atmosphere create a very special and memorable event.

On the other hand, moving the ceremony to the gym is somewhat of a downer. The gym is usually much warmer and much more crowded. And I'm sure that if our only option was to hold it in the gym every year, the ceremony would be moved off-site to some other location. So we'll continue to hope for dry weather this evening.

For many of the parents, the significance of this event is much greater. It's not just watching the culmination of 13 years of formal education, but a rite of passage. For many students, this event provides a bridge to independence. In just a couple of months, many of them will be starting college in what seems like a faraway place. They will be on their own, in charge of their own decisions. When they come home, and when they study will be left up to them.

This can be very unsettling for many parents, especially the Moms. So there is some natural trepidation associated with this evening's celebration. Is it truly something to celebrate when your son or daughter gets ready to leave the nest? Sure it is, at least on paper.

And tonight that is how the ceremony ends. Graduating seniors will drop off their gowns and pick up their diplomas. But we all know it's more than just an exchange of goods. That piece of paper marks a special moment in their progression to adulthood.

From my seat, this is a good group of seniors that have made their parents proud. So enjoy the moment, and try to appreciate the rite of passage. And remember that there were some days that you didn't think this day could come soon enough.

A Successful Season

I'm convinced that every high school principal is relieved when the prom season is over.

A couple of weeks ago, the juniors held their prom at Mac and Ray's. From all accounts, it was an enjoyable evening and uneventful from an administrative standpoint. And there's really no more that you could ask for.

Then last Saturday evening the seniors held their prom at the Roostertail. We were blessed with gorgeous weather and another great evening for the soon-to-be graduates.

There were a wide array of stretch limousines, a few boats that served as limousines, and young adults dressed to the 'nines'. I know the parents that served as chaperones were proud of their sons and daughters and I know that all of our parents and staff would have been proud of everyone in attendance.

To sum it up, you can rest assured I feel relieved. The behavior of our students was superb, and everyone arrived home safely.

There's just a few milestones left for the class of '09. Tomorrow they start their final exams, and only have four more days of school. That will be followed by Commencement on June 10 with the All-Night Party to follow.

I can only hope that everything continues to go as smoothly as the prom season.

An Appropriate Thank You

As I sit and write this on Mothers' Day, it seems only appropriate that I thank the long-existing group of Moms that have helped South (or the High) over the years. Spanning nearly the entire 80-year history of this high school, the Mothers' Club has worked tirelessly to provide funding and opportunities to enhance the experience for our high school students.

If you read old issues of the "Tower", it is evident their generosity was particularly helpful during the Depression and World War II. When the school and district was struggling, it was the Mothers' Club that came to the rescue. And now that we are experiencing our worst economic crisis since the 30's and 40's, it seems we are becoming more dependent than ever on their support.

The contributions of the Mothers' Club are seemingly endless. Just over a week from now, we will hold our annual Mothers' Club scholarship night. To prepare for this event, they stockpile money earned through various fundraisers so they can provide scholarship funds to deserving seniors. The next step is to interview countless seniors to determine who is most deserving and then award scholarships based upon either academic merit or financial need. Their primary goal, however, is to spread the available funds over as many students as possible.

Another significant role served by the Mothers' Club is that of preservation. The Preservation Committee meets with school officials and building architects to make sure we are consistent with the historical design of the building. In some cases, it requires extensive research while at other times the need is additional funding for the "extras" to keep the building historically accurate.

No matter the specific need at a given time, I have learned over my eight years at South that I can always depend on the Mothers' Club. In truth, it's probably how it is for most of us with our own mothers.

A single day in an entire year is hardly enough to give thanks, don't you agree? Nevertheless, Moms, we appreciate all you do.

AP Tests Are Coming Up

Next week begins the next round of Advanced Placement (AP) tests. They are designed to measure the achievement of high school students in a college-level course. We are fortunate at South in that the majority of our students enroll in at least one AP class by the time they graduate, with most of those taking somewhere between 3-5 classes during their high school career.

One of our building goals for the 2008-09 school year was to increase participation in the Advanced Placement program. Rationale for the goal is that there is a strong correlation between students that take an AP class with later succcess in college.

There is strong evidence that students who enroll in an AP class do better in college than those that never attempt an AP curriculum. Those that subsequently sign up for, and take the test, do even better. And the most reliable predictor of college success are those students who earn a passing grade on an AP test.

During the 2007-08 school year, our students attempted 962 tests. Of those, 826 earned a passing score of 3-4-5. The pass rate at South was an astounding 85.9%, even though the national average is closer to 50%. In my opinion, although our pass rate is the envy of nearly every other institution nationwide, it could be considered too high because it may mean we're not reaching deep enough into our talent pool.

In response, we established a goal to increase by 5% the number of tests attempted and passed. If we can stay close to the previous pass rate, that's a plus, but we believe it is more critical to attempt the test rather than focus only on passing the test and we have the data to prove it.

Next Monday begins two weeks of testing where nearly 1,000 tests will be administered. While we wish our students well, the data tells us they will already have a leg up on their competition before they enter college next fall. We wish them luck all the same.

Time For A Break

In just about another hour, students and most staff will go on break for the next 10 days. Given the winter we've enjoyed (?) this year, I believe this break will be a welcome relief.

I've alluded on several occasions to the difficult times in Michigan and the negative impact on people and their moods. Frankly, it's been tough around here.

The "Final Four", being held in Detroit last week gave us a bit of a respite from the winter doldrums. And thank goodness the Spartans made it all the way to the final song of the big dance because I think it really enhanced the atmosphere for the entire region. There was much to feel good about for that long weekend, however, it didn't seem to take long for that positive energy to dissipate.

As we head into spring break I wish everyone the opportunity to enjoy family and friends. This is the time to get re-energized for the remainder of this school year.

I've always believed that angry adults create angry kids. It is incumbent upon all of us that work with today's youth to do what we can to find the silver lining among all these clouds. Best of luck to each of you as you look for the bright side.