Thank You's (McFatridge)

Yesterday, I received 3 thank you letters from former students. It was so nice to hear students express their thanks for being their teacher. Now I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. Thomas for involving his students in such a positive activity. Smile , sparkle, shine everyone! Its almost April.

Energy Innovation Conference (Musselwhite)

On February 27 and 28 I attended the first annual Energy Innovation Conference at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois. Being somewhat of an environmentalist, the green theme of the conference was refreshing. The keynote speaker was Jack Schultz, a local author of the book “Boomtown USA: Entrepreneurs, Energy and the Future”. Jack talked to the audience about the great things happening in small towns across America, with a special focus on alternative energy and how communities that recognize the value of alternative energy will find themselves on a positive growth curve. The rest of the sessions were similar in topic.
My first session, Integrating Renewable Energy into Secondary and Post-secondary Education Curriculum, was a collaborative effort by three department; Jeff White in Environmental Science, Mark Niemerg in Agriculture, and Michael Beavers in Electronic Technology. The three had been asked to develop modules that could be bought by local schools. The modules would include all the material needed for each lesson along with a finished curriculum. The lessons were well thought out and it sounds like it would be something to look into.
My second session on the first day was about the “Greenmill Village” in Arcola. This session was presented by the developer of the complex, Bob McElwee. The Greenmill Village is a 100 acre green resort powered by wind and solar energy, along with being a suitable model for community development. At first this sounded like a really good idea, but after listen to the session I realized that it is almost impossible to have a huge development be entirely green and this one was no different.
The rest of the night, 4:00 to 8:00pm, included the Energy Fair, Energy Fair Banquet, and the Energy Fair Awards Ceremony. Unfortunately I was unable to attend these events due to time constraints.
The second day started well with a session called “Casting Our Future to the Wind”. The presenter, Mike Ryan, is the superintendant of the Erie Community School District #1, in Erie, Illinois. This school district is believed to be the first district in the state of Illinois to utilize a single wind turbine to generate power for an entire multiple site District. He discussed how his district obtained the money for the wind turbine and also the installation and application of it.
After a short mid morning break I attended two sessions before lunch. One covered New State Funding Initiatives and the other was “The 3 Keys to Energy Cost-Cutting Success: Are They in Your Plan?” The first was as you would expect but the second was very interesting. The presenter was Craig Pals from Tick Tock Energy in Teutopolis. His presentation was directed towards big business and the reduction of energy use and cost, but everything he said could be related to any project a person would under take. The three keys for energy cost-cutting success he mentioned are as follows: 1) energy-efficiency and conservation, 2) renewable energy and on-site power generation, 3) comprehensive energy management strategies.
After lunch the session went by pretty fast I attended one on the “Wind 101 – Basic Design” presented by Joe Tillman. This was a pretty straight forward session about how to build your own wind turbine. I had some ideas of my own on how to do this and I was right on some of them and way off on others. This was a good session in that I could use some of these basic turbine designs in the beginning Technology Classes at almost no cost for materials.
The next session was more or less a sales pitch but it was still interesting. It was presented by Andrew Trueblood and Daren Durey about “Making New Construction Energy Efficient.” I went to this session with intentions of using for information in a Construction Skills Class but there was not much there. The two presenters were taking about Sip’s houses, which are frameless houses that use pre-cut wall and roof panels with the polystyrene (Styrofoam) insulation in between them. It seemed like it would be a good idea but it is hard to get away from the “norm” of house construction.
The last session I attended at the conference was “The Green Bug Conversion Project” presented by Kevin Miller, Automotive Science Instructor. I have an automotive back ground so this was very interesting. I would advise that anyone in the Lake Land College area stop by and check out the project for themselves.
Overall the first annual Energy Innovation Conference was educational and entertaining. I will definitely go back next year and bring as many of the staff that are willing to come with. I am proud of the fact that a college in the area is taking so much interest in alternate energy, and not only taking about it but implementing it on the campus.

What I did on my March Break (The Connections Conference)

First, I want to take a minute to than the staff members that went with me Angie, Kevin, Mark, Staci, Jayne and Justin. This was a great group and they took a leap of faith to leave during some terrible weather on Tuesday and made it to every break out session. We had a great time but the work came first and I can tell you they took a great deal of time and effort looking for sessions that might provide information that they could bring back. I will let them talk about each of the sessions they went to and although there was a little overlap, I think we covered a wide variety of subject areas.

My first session was called "Paper to Pixels Tips to Save You Time Computing" this was put on by a teacher from the Grundy Area Vocational Center. The short version of this was that he has created class user groups using Google apps. These groups allow him to distribute information, allow his students to collaborate with their teachers and others in an upfront fashion (rather than cheating), and make his materials for class available to himself via any web connection. I will be playing with these applications a little more and perhaps Jayne (who was there as well) can help me present some information for you soon.

My second session was put on by Dave Shepard and was call "Rules of Engagement: Winning the War Against Student Apathy". He was very engaging and presented several ideas for dealing with the student that refuses to be active in your classroom as well as ideas that engage students without taking away instructional time. I would like to look into bringing him in for next year.

The day went downhill after that when I went to to less impressive breakout sessions. One was on video conferencing and the other on Education to Careers. If you want information on either I can give it to you and the video conferencing was interesting from the aspect that these teachers were bringing in experts from all over the country to talk to their students in real time.

On Thursday, my first session was put on by a groups from Dyersburg TN. It was about freshmen transitioning. The good news is that they have a nice little program. The better news is that I think that our M & M groups is already ahead of them with the mentoring program that we are doing. It is possible that we could incorporate some of their ideas and I have an email address for the M & M group.

I them went to two sessions by Craig Zablocki. These both focused on trying to get us to let down our guard and interact with our peers and students more effectively.

My last two posts have been very long and I am sure that the rest of the folks that went have a great deal to add so I will close but if any of these topics were of interest to you make sure to stop by and talk to me so Ican give you some of the information. It's good to be back!

Student comment from Mr. Doughan's Blog

If you get a chance, take a look at the conversations taking place on Mr. Doughan's Blog. The following quote came from one of our students. She is right! You, our staff, is what sets us apart........

PHS has one thing that SHS (Schaumburg H.S) didn't really have or I never saw it because I was a Freshman and a Sophmore. Mr. Meister states that an effective high school has "Professionals that are willing to take risks, willing to admit they do not have all the answers and never lose the yearning to keep learning." Personally, I think this statement describes most of the PHS Staff.

A Pat on the Back

We spend a great deal of time discussing the areas of Paris High School that we would like to improve and rightly so. If we are not getting better we are moving in the wrong direction. However, I fear that we often focus on the need to improve at the expense of failing to recognize teachers that are doing a great job of engaging their students or making the improvements that we are striving to attain.

I am always concerned when I do this that I will leave out some teachers that have done terrific things. I will apologize up front if I slight any of you that are going above and beyond in your classes and I realize that I do not see or hear all things but it seems that not recognizing the many good things I have observed is a greater omission so at he risk of missing something here are some of the congratulations that I think are due (or overdue).

Thank you or well done to:

Brett Block, Mark Thomas and Staci Garzolini-Skelton for stepping in and working with the lunch bunch. You have had many successes with this group this year and it works because of your effort.

Mark Cox for his work on coordinating the emergency plans of the different buildings in the district. This has been a job that will never be considered that important until we need it and then we will all be glad you undertook it.

All the teachers that have served on one of the High Schools That Work committees.

Ernie Wallace and Mark Cox for their air car assignments, Mrs. Earlywine for her Academy Awards lesson, and Brett Block for the work on boat building. I love these assignments because you have kids that are really excited about being able to excel and do some creative things.

Kevin Hibschman for moving students from reworded biographies when they write essays. I like your approach that students have to develop and test a hypothesis with their research.

Doug Happ for making students do more questioning as they undertake experiments. Students are made to discover the best method for carrying out their work instead of simply working through the teachers step by step hand holding.

All of the teachers that have taken on the mentoring program this year and done very special things with your groups. The list here is too long to go name by name but this will be the best thing we ever decided to implement if we continue to improve on a good forst year.

Speaking of the mentoring program, I also want to thank the teachers of the M & M group for the hard work that they put into setting up this program. You all continue to put in countless hours of hard work to pull this together month after month and I want you all to know that if is appreciated and difference making.

Ed for the great work he does on a daily basis keeping this building clean. He as well as the night crew for TBM do a great job.

Cindy and Loretta who keep the office running in spite of the way that Dave and I get in the way.

Heather Seaton for her work on the calendar, Shannon Sherer for the newletter, Mrs. Propst for here work with moviemaker and all of those that have set up blogs (Mr. Ogle, Mrs. Phegley, Ms. Franklin, Mr. Doughan, Mrs. Sherer. Mr. Kirby, Mrs. Witmer, Mr. Lynch and Mr. Musselwhite). These are all great ways to model the use of technology for our students. I especially like it when the students are posting and participating in the conversation.

Carrie Ann Phegley for the online presentation of student work in her Art classes.

The PR committee for the work on the wall of fame that was posted this year. With it right outside my office I get the chance to frequently see the students looking to see those that preceded them.

Ms. Hill for her work presenting technology to the staff and all her hard work in securing grants for the building.

Gary Ochs and Sandra Liebe for the hard work that they put into FFA week and the barnyard last week.

Jayne Brown for placing student after student in jobs

Roger Thomas and the special education staff Mitzie, Pam, Diane, Nancy, and Renae for their work with RTI

Sandy Dahlin for stepping into a midyear opening and filling a void

Karen Earlywine, Mark Cox, Doug Happ, Lindsey Hewitt, Sid Shuler, Lee Smith as well as others that open their classrooms to students before and after school and at lunch in order to provide extra help.

Lori Drake for being willing to step in and help with a student that needed help getting up and down the stairs for most of this year.

Jeff Barnes for the extra time that he has spent with students working with the workkeys program.
Tom Punzelt for the encouraging word that he has for every single person he meets especially our students

Mrs. Pittenger as well as others that have served as an ad hoc guidance counselor to several students.

Denise Craig who has maintained her sanity while collecting a ton of homework, entering all the discipline into the computer and worked daily with a group of students that do not want to be with her as well as Marlene Terrell that oversee this everyday at lunch.

Michelle Smith who tracks over 300 kids everyday for the closed campus lunch as well as Mary Lou and Paula that make sure that these kids are fed daily and the teachers that work lunch duty and interact with those kids every day.

Jami, Marian, and Sandy for developing lessons that included use of the clickers systems in your classes.

Mr. Aydt for all the work you do with the WYSE Team

Jane and Sandy for running the nurse’s office which can be every bit as chaotic as anyplace else in this building.


OK, I am sure that I have overlooked some if not many of the good things being done by staff members……………if so then take it upon yourselves to comment and recognize them. This is, after all, an interactive medium.

Good reading

Read this blog entry from Bill Ferriter. He succinctly states in this blog many things that I happen to agree with. Warning, the blog itself takes some time to read, but I think it is well worth it. The comments are also valuable! What do you think?

Isn't it Time to Change?

I recently read a 96 page article on school reform given to me by a professor at Illinois State University. The article was written by a gentleman named Franklin Bobbitt at the University of Chicago. Mr. Bobbitt is a strong advocate of school reform. He believes that we should improve public education by increasing standards, testing our results, and holding educators and students accountable.

I realize that these are not earth shattering ideas and that you have heard them expressed many times and in many different formats. The interesting thing about the article is that it was written in 1913 by a man who passed away in the 1950’s. As a student of history this does not surprise me. It is a case of “everything old is new again”.

However, it is time for change. It is time that we move away from dispensing information and instead teach the skills that will allow student to access the vast information that is available at their fingertips. It is time that we consider things like year round calendars, senior projects, as well as true and meaningful apprenticeships for students that wish to move into the workforce instead of going on to higher education. It is time that we realize that a school whose calendar was based on an agrarian economy and whose primary purpose were to train students for hands-on industrial work has past.

I am sometimes easily discouraged by the fact that we have not made more progress in the last four years toward this goal but the other night I sat up making a mental list of the changes that have occurred over that time. It is not an insignificant list.

Mentoring
Lunch Bunch
Online classes
The 8-period day
A real expansion of dual credit offerings
A tremendous increase in the technology available in the building (now how do we take advantage of it)
The return of summer school
Additional staff

as well as others that are in progress but not yet completed.

I think it is sometimes good to think of those things because it reminds me that we are moving in the right direction and it just becomes a matter of what’s next and how fast we will continue.

I spoke on my first day here about the pride that I took in being part of a dedicated staff at Mayo Middle School. I said on that day that I hoped I would eventually grow to feel that way about the staff here at the high school. I want you to know that I have grown to respect this staff and I am proud of the steps that have been taken by you to improve the building for our students. The challenges that we will face and overcome in the coming months and years will not be easy, if anything the easy part is done.