September Panther Pause
As the school year has gotten underway, let me take the opportunity to share some of the words that were shared with our Lopatcong staff on the first day of school. The basis for some of the information came from a book entitled, The End of Molasses Classes, Getting Our Kids Unstuck by Ron Clark. In his book, Mr. Clark espouses “…practical, innovative, and powerful methods to enliven classrooms and ignite a passion for learning in each and every child.” As I shared with the staff, please imagine pouring molasses from a bottle. I believe we all can remember how slowly it pours out and even hesitates to drop from the security of the bottle itself. Think now of a class in which you had participated at some earlier time in your own life. Perhaps that particular class had no energy or was such that students (or you) had already “checked out” in their own way. Mr. Clark calls these types of classes, molasses classes – classes where students are just stuck!
Throughout his newest best seller, Mr. Clark shares some core principles and values that may assist us in the education of children. I had the pleasure of sharing and expanding on some of these during the opening day of in-service for our staff. For example, Mr. Clark’s first principle is “Teach children to believe in themselves and don’t destroy the dream.” In this principle, Mr. Clark encourages us to see students as future leaders (i.e., teachers, lawyers, managers, doctors, artists, business leaders) instead of as students with particular challenges. As a mother myself, I can clearly state that imagining the positive opportunities ahead for my own children can assist them both in school and at home! I always tried to focus on the positives of their learning rather than the negatives, a principle supported in Mr. Clark’s research. True, none of us are perfect, but a clear focus on what could be ahead is certainly better that a negative focus on what could be ahead.
Another of Mr. Clark’s principles is stated as follows: “Define your expectations and then raise the bar; the more you expect the better the results will be.” These are certainly interesting words on which to ponder. During the time I was a middle school teacher, there were two posters in my classroom that read “Children do not rise to low expectations” and “Never settle for less than your best”. In hindsight, these words ring true to the teachings of Mr. Clark who has had the mission of making a difference in the lives of children, all children! As he shares in one of his chapters, “…children like a challenge, and that when it is presented in a positive and encouraging way, they are receptive to giving it a shot…” We all know our own limitations and certainly work to promote the rising to higher level expectations for each of our children. I encourage you to reach out to our teachers and building level administrators in partnership with the type of expectations you envision for your children. As you go through your daily lives, think about the types of expectations we all can have for children everywhere. Your participation in the October Literacy Nights at each of our schools will help us help your children even more!
As you are aware, the new Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Law went into effect on September 1, 2011. In the Lopatcong Township School District, there are numerous activities that we continue to promote in order to inform students, parents, and the community at large. Information on the district policy that supports this law can be found on our website. Thank you to those of you who have been able to attend a training session regarding this new information. We truly appreciate the partnership, and look forward to seeing all of you at the October PTA meeting where there will be a presentation for parents on Digital Citizenship in such a technological savvy climate! As always, I continue to ask you to be involved in your child’s education, no matter his or her age. Reach out to us if you have questions or comments as we continue our efforts to become even better.
Living and Learning in Lopatcong,
Vicki Pede, Superintendent