Snow, snow, and then more snow.....oh wait

I have to honestly say that I don't know that I have seen snow happen like this in my lifetime. Growing up in the Midwest, you just get used to snow - from November to at least March, there is always a chance of snow and more than likely, some on the ground. Getting 4-6 inches only adds to what you already have on the ground - not really a big deal. However, over the past couple of months, the DC area has experienced 3 blizzards. While I think everyone is tired of digging out and shoveling, there is an upside to all of this madness. How many of you have caught up on necessary tasks? How many have spent more quality time with your loved ones than you ever thought you would? So in the grand scheme of things, we will continue to marvel at what mother nature has given us, but let's focus on this gift of time.

Time and Reflection

Anyone who knows me as a school leader knows that I think second most precious resource is time - children are first. It seems that the winter snow has interrupted our time more than we care to talk about. However, while the students are busy enjoying this time sledding, snow boarding, or playing video games, faculty has been busy catching up with everything they wish they had time to do in the regular day. This past Monday, the teachers created a visual of how they use their time in their block periods. In turn, 7th grade students reflected on how they use their time during the day. This exercise, while a bit abstract and frightening, is worthwhile because it helps us focus and think about how we use our time. In education, there a plenty of studies done on time and how to use it effectively to help students. And self help authors will help us organize our lives to "maximize" our time. So, as the snow continues to fall and your car gets deeper into the depths of snow, think about how you will use this time. Make time for reflection - you will find that it can be a worthwhile activity helping you to prioritize and use your time better.

Romeo? Juliet? Julius?

This has been a wonderful week of students participating in our Artist in Residency program and rehearsing for the performance tomorrow. We are looking forward to seeing our young artists perform various Shakespeare scenes! A special thank you to our PTA for making the AIR possible. Another special thank you to the parents who volunteered this week to help keep the sessions moving and supervising students.

Get those alarm clocks ready

The end of winter break means we have to bring back out those alarm clocks for that early start time. Make sure you relax today Huskies and get to bed plenty early tonight. Hopefully, the Sunday night jitters won't keep you up. See you early tomorrow!

New Year's Resolutions

Huskies,

It is that infamous time of year when we resolve to do things better, look at things differently, and set new goals for ourselves. As we begin the new calendar year think about how your want your new year to be - what will you do to make it different? better? What new goals will you set for yourself? I encourage students to think about the pledge you made at the beginning of our learning new year to make it a better year - are you still doing the things you said you would? Help us in making the rest of this learning year more fulfilling with your new year's goals and resolutions.

Real World Math Problem for Huskies for break!

As we continue to explore the IBMYP, our questions become bigger and more relevant for our students. So today I pose this STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and Physical Education question to the MEH community (or DC community at large).

If a metropolitan city, like DC, were to get 20 inches of snow in less than 24 hours, what would be the best way to remove it given that the temperature stays close to or below freezing?

Things to remember and think about:
Parking lots are limited
Equipment
A lot of people park on the street - what happens to them?
How much snow can you move in an hour?
What will be your equipment of choice?

Happy thinking! Have a great break Huskies!

Questioning

This year I have had a lot of conversations around the art of questioning. We often don't think about how we phrase our questions, we just ask them. But think about the power of purposeful questioning. Francis Hunkins states that "In a classroom atmosphere conducive to good questions and questioning, students realize a shared responsibility for their learning." Questions are a data gathering tool that can be used to guide instruction as well as provide insight to student schemas and understandings. When I attended the MYP Level I workshop, we did some extensive work on framing questions to guide curricular units and lessons, to which we were not allowed to lead the learner. Rather, foster the idea that there are no wrong answers. In fact, this is an integral part of the IB Mission statement noting that people, with their differences, can be right. Purposeful questioning allows us to provide rigor in the classroom through inquiry and advanced thinking - something we want for every student. The best part: it can be tailored to meet the needs of every student.
Want to know more, I recommend:
Quality Questioning - Research-Based Practice to Engage Every Learner by Jackie Walsh and Beth Sattes
or
Transforming the Classroom with Effective Questioning Practices

Principal's Coffee

A special thank you to the parents who were able to attend today's coffee. I had a conversation with our PTA president after and she noted that while the subjects we talked about were "hot" topics, the type of discourse we had today helps us continue to make change and be a more responsive school. Talking about and implementing change is never easy and doing it is even more difficult. However, this is how we make progress!

Music, Music, Everywhere!

Just a reminder for parents that tonight marks the start of our Concert Season. Come and listed to the beautiful voices of our 5th, 6th, 7th, and combined choirs. I got a preview today at lunch. A show sure to please.

Reindeer Romp

This morning I participated in the Girls On Track Reindeer Romp at Reston Town Center. What a powerful event to see girls and their buddy runners out there in the cold striving to make it to the finish line. We are very proud of all of the MEH runners! They did a fantastic job running and had fun while doing so. Thank you to all of the adults who helped out either running, volunteering, or holding antlers!