Mrs. Catoe’s Chronicles

We have had a rough couple of weeks at school…what I mean is that, our school community has shared in the loss of loved ones and dealt with sicknesses and surgeries by pulling together and taking care of each other. You see, that is one of the most wonderful aspects of working in the professional learning community at Doby’s Mill Elementary School.  We have cried together, written cards of sympathy and get well wishes, cooked meals for one another, and shared hugs and stories of loved ones.  It is in this atmosphere of caring and support that we are able to continue to strive for excellence for our students because we have a support network of colleagues who truly do care about each other.  Whenever one stumbles, another is there to lift and carry the other to solid ground.  All the while…not missing a beat at what we do best….take care of educating our wonderful students. I am sure that this week will offer a new set of challenges.  But, the one thing that I do know is that by pulling together, our faculty and staff will support and care for one another so that ”the beat goes on”! I hope that you have a wonderful week.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of reading at 9:00 a.m. to a group of two-year-olds at St. John’s United Methodist Church Childcare Ministries in recognition of the National Week of the Young Child.  I was honored to be invited to read, and I was happy when I arrived to see other Kershaw County School adminisitrators volunteer their time to be guest readers, too.  The purpose of this annual celebration is to showcase earlly childhood education in our community.  At St. John’s this week, parents will attend a special breakfast, guest readers will entertain the children, a Mad Science show will be presented, a picnic will be held, and children will create “handprint” art.  My youngest son created his artwork, of which I will frame.  It is an adorable handprint which has been magically transformed into a flower.  I look at this handprint and I think that his handprint won’t be this little much longer.  Wow!  How time flies.  In fact, some of these artworks will be displayed at the Kershaw County Library.  Zane’s artwork will soon be featured in my house - on my wall in the kitchen!  

I thank the local child care providers in our community for being true early intervention specialists and for partnering with our schools to provide unique learning experiences for our young children.  In fact, I personally feel that EVERY day is a “Celebration of the Young Child” at St. John’s.  It doesn’t take an annual weekly celebration to highlight their compassion and care for children.  The child care workers and director at this local child care ministry perform these tasks day in and day out.  As a working mother, I thank them for that!

Yesterday, when I got home from school (being locked up - that will be my next blog), my 4 year old son found a caterpillar inching its way across the driveway.  He hurriedly ran to get his bug box and captured it for observation.  He carried that bug box around for the rest of the evening.  But, I did make him leave it in the garage overnight.  Caterpillar sightings for me call the arrival of Spring for me.  As I watched him with wonder and excitement over his new “pet,” I thought about my students (notably my Kindergartners and Second Graders) who are studying butterflies right now.  Each day when I check their classrooms, I am amazed at how much their caterpillars have grown.  Some of them are fatter than others - talk about a lesson in survival of the fittest.  But, each student has his or her own creature which will eventually erupt from a cocoon into a beautiful butterfly.  Now, that is - for me - the first rite of Spring - not just for natural purposes, but with regards to long range plans, unit plans, lesson planning, science kit rotations, etc.  - when you make it to the Butterfly unit….it’s almost time for school to be out for the summer.  I will keep you posted on the butterfly release!  It will be a memory that the students, teachers, and I will cherish forever!

I had a wonderful opportunity on Friday to accompany our fourth graders to Myrtle Beach for thier end of the year field study.  I truly enjoyed our visit to the Dixie Stampede, as the children witnessed and learned concepts of the Civil War (and ate a lot of food with their hands).  Moreso, I was so proud of their behavior and character.  There were several other schools present at the show - our students far outshined them in their excellent manners and behavior.  They listened well to their chaperones and followed the directions given to them by their teachers. They were true ambassadors for our school and community.  I also thank the chaperones who took time from their busy schedules to accompany us on our trip. It was a long, but enjoyable day. Finally, kudos to the fourth grade teachers (Cook, Peake, Clark, and Ashley).  They planned, presented and highlighted material, and made this trip a true learning experience. 
As a teacher, field trips are not always the most enjoyable part of one’s job.  This type of event entails a great deal of planning.  Also, when you take 100 students off campus, they are consumed with the safety and security of the children in addition to making sure that learning takes place.  Whew!  These four teachers truly went above the call of duty to make this day a true learning experience for the students and chaperones.

In closing, in between events, we had time to take the students to the beach for a beach walk.  Many of you may not believe this, but many of our students have never put their toes in the warm sand of the Atlantic coast line.  I walked to the shoreline with a group of students and caught my eyes watering as I realized that this may be one of the ONLY times they experience the waves crashing, the sand in their toes, and the warm sun on their face in their childhood.  I was glad to share this experience with them.  What a powerful memory it was!

I met with  my team leaders this afternoon.  We had a great deal to discuss and celebrate.  Much of what we discussed dealt with planning for the rest of the school year and setting a foundation for next year.  I am in a unique predicament right now as the interim principal at my school.  However, discussion about next year must begin now.  Therefore, because of the superb teacher leaders in our school, I held these discussions and garnered their feedback on items of interest - notably room changes, scheduling requests, data analysis, and standardized testing.  We held these discussions in an open and honest forum, listening and appreciating one another’s opinions.  Much of our agenda was centered on this type of end of the year and beginning of the school year planning.  From our discussion, these teacher leaders will meet with their respective grade level teams to share the information and continue and strengthen these plans.  These meetings never cease to amaze me.  Oftentimes, educators seek and pay “consultants” to do these types of planning sessions. Today as I sat around the table listening to the “popcorn talk” go back and forth between teachers, I caught myself smiling.  Wow!  These are the real “consultants” in our field.  I am pleased with the foundation they are setting for the remaining 42 days of school and know that their expectations for the future of this school, and for our wonderful students, can and will reap positive results!

Radio playing, phone ringing, copy machine sorting and stapling, fax machine ringing, and receptionist placing her lunch order….Does this sound like a very conducive place for one to take a test?  I don’t think so.  This setting, however, is what happened to me last week when I went to take a test for my Statistics class.  As I sat there listening to all of these surrounding noises, I began to watch the clock tick and became even more frantic that I couldn’t concentrate on the task at hand…which just happened to be a test on which I needed to do well.  I have been working diligently to maintain an A average in this statistics class, but this ONE test alone did me in.  I had inquired to my professor about taking this test early since we were on Spring Break last week.  He obliged, but placed me in a GA’s office to take the test.  With 30 minutes left to concentrate, I politely asked the GA to turn off the radio and commenced to try to complete the test.  When my time was up, I packed up my belongings and left the college…..basically with my tail tucked between my legs. 

As I drove home to begin my Spring Break trip to Williamsburg, VA, and Washington, DC, I pondered our upcoming PACT tests.  What type of setting do we need to provide for our students to do their best work?  Obviously, not the one in which I encountered.  All week long, I thought about this test and was disappointed in my situation.  However, I need to make sure that this type of setting doesn’t occur for students at our school.  Knowing my teachers….this would never happen - whether it was a quiz, Brainpop, or a test.  We just don’t do business that way.  Having students do well and feeling good about themselves are top priorities.  I didn’t do well on the test; I didn’t feel good about myself all week.  Now tomorrow, it’s back to class to face my professor.  I guess - if there is anything good that comes from this experience….it’s a reminder of what SETTING can do for a person when they are being asked to perform and elicit responses from memory in a test situation.  Believe me, I may not remember what a z score or a t score is in 10 years, but I will NEVER forget how I felt when I walked out of the College of Education on March 21.  That is ONE feeling that I hope my students at DME never experience!

I am so proud to announce that our own Mrs. Betsy Long was named the SC Media Specialist of the Year!  And, she is truly so deserving of this honor!  Her Media Center is the instructional hub of our school.  Located in the middle of the building, the windows to the Media Center allow students, parents, teachers, and visitors a view to her world day in and day out.  She is energetic and passionate about literacy.  As a former English teacher, I am enamored by the work that she presents each day.  The lessons - writing, reading, social studies, and science - are integrated in nature and highlighted in the presentation of technology.  She razzles and dazzles us all every day!  I hope that you will help me congratulate her - she is the REAL DEAL, and our students, teachers, and I am blessed to have her share her craft with us each day!

Our school had an Exemplary Writing visit yesterday.  It was a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase how our students learn to write, a subject of which we are all greatly proud.  One of the visitors asked me in our exit interview, “Tell us about your writing journey.”  As I looked over the table of past student writings, I replied, “Here it is….This visit is not something that we have just begun to prepare for this year.  This has truly been a journey!  Over the past five and a half years, students who entered Doby’s Mill as Kindergartners have grown and matured as writers.  Now, they are fifth graders preparing for middle school.  Their success as emerging writers is a testament to how diligent our teachers work to integrate writing into all subject areas and instruction each and every day.”  I was so proud of the teachers and students.  They really presented our school yesterday in a manner which is truly EXEMPLARY.  While we won’t hear any news from our visit until late May, I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to go to work at such a highly energetic and highly effective and wonderfully compassionate school each and every day!