"Virtual" All School Read

In my three years in my current principal position, we have held an "All School Read" event. It is similar to the "One School, One Book" movement. It is an anticipated event by all families that includes months of planning for the book and a fun rollout for our students/families. We also work hard to try to include diversity into our book selections. We want students to experience the "mirrors, windows, and sliding doors" of the books we share with them.

Based on multiple researchers. Image and more found in THIS BLOG.

Mirrors to see themselves in text, windows to see into another world, and doors to walk through alongside the book's experiences.

There are committees and multiple books read as part of our selection planning process. This year, we had selected Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. It is a touching story about a young girl that is Deaf. She learns of a whale that swims alone, because he cannot communicate effectively with any pod.

We create schedules and trivia questions/prizes for each week of reading. There is also a website (link to this year's) with additional information about the author/book/influences. Teachers read various chapters and video themselves, which are also housed on the website. We typically culminate this school-wide activity with a "Family Reading Night" during our "screen free week." This is an evening when families can come to the school to engage in various activities surrounding our book. We always offer a book swap (bring a book, take a book), craft activities, reader's theater, snacks, and more.

To make all of this happen, we used the Scholastic Dollars earned from our Book Fairs, and we distribute one book per household in our school, utilizing our "youngest/only" list. This year, we had over 450 books bagged up and labeled, ready for distribution.

Then, COVID-19 happened. Without warning, like so many others, our school was closed. Our students belongings still sit on tables and on coat hooks in the hallways. It's like a snapshot frozen in time in this big, empty building. Along with that closure, bags and boxes of family books sat. Waiting.

In conjunction with our amazing PTO and some strong teacher advocates/volunteers, we decided to move our All School Read to a virtual experience. What better way to connect during a time of crisis than around a great book? The big question then became "how do we get books in their hands?" Our district offers breakfast/lunch for any student under the age of 18 through our high school campus. So, I gathered all the books from our empty building and packed up my car.

I sat for two days in a freezing parking lot...it even hailed for part of my time! But the greatest gift was seeing the families and kids. We have been apart for so long, that actually getting some face to face (at an appropriate social distance) was a gift.

Instead of trivia questions, we decided to do online virtual responses. Each week, we created a Google Form that had a simple, yet thoughtful question connected to the chapters that would have been read up to that point. I then used a Name Selector Wheel (link to website I used), and the extension LOOM to create a video announcing the "winner." One was selected from each grade band each week. Our amazing PTO would then send them $5 gift cards to local businesses (ex: Culver's, Corner Bakery, MOD, etc.)

So far, it has been a huge success. We have heard from families that this time of connection has been very valuable. It helped to create a sense of "familiar" in an unfamiliar time.

What are some ways you are staying connected with your community during our shut down?

Yours in Learning,

Angela

The "New Normal"

I'm sure you've all heard the phrase by now..."Well, this is just our 'new normal.'" Well, frankly, I don't like it. Don't get me wrong, I've said it. We've all said it. But I think what I don't like is that we need to say it.

This has been one of the most challenging times in our world, nonetheless in the world of education. Families are home with multiple students and their own work stressors on top of it all. We are all expected to wear multiple hats, and as principals, a few more: spouse, parent, educator, leader, counselor, communication coordinator, bearer of all knowledge in the world, and everything in between.

The thing that weighs most heavily on me, and I'm sure every other educator out there, is that we are educators by nature. It is part of who we are. It is in our hearts. It never really "turns off." Being away from our students (and as building principals--our staff) kills us. We are social beings. Education is a social career. Isolation makes us nuts. To top it off, in my district, we never really got to say "goodbye" to them.

Add to that the compounded worry about our students and families, not to mention the worry surrounding our own personal families. It can all feel incredibly overwhelming. Are they safe? Do they have enough food? Are they simply on screens all day? Are they scared? Are their caregivers okay? So much is outside of our locus of control, and that makes us nuts, too.

Personally, I'm not sleeping well. I'm fitful. I'm fidgety. I feel like my own ADHD has kicked in tenfold. I tried using this time to read professionally and personally, and I by the time I get to the bottom of a page, I have already forgotten what I read. My head just isn't in it. It's subconsciously elsewhere and everywhere.

My ultimate goal right now, is to be as visible and present as I can. That is for my own family, my school families, and my staff. My staff get some sort of touch point each day. Usually via e-mail. We've also done a few Google Meet meetings to do some initial virtual learning planning. We are working our way up to a Zoom-eque staff meeting, where my plan is simply to just connect. We need to see each other's faces and be together in any way we can right now.

For my school families/students, I began with just a virtual check in. I wanted our youngest students to have some connection to me and to what is going on. Not all families have the language or ideas on how to explain this pandemic to their littles. I love the many school leadership FB groups I'm on, as that is where I found this social story that I shared in my video.

I am also e-mailing every student on their birthday to tell them I miss them. The emails back have been heartwarming. I miss them terribly.

I've shared a few other Facebook videos on our school page, and this week, we are kicking off our first virtual spirit week.

So far, it has been a success. I have collected all of the photos and put them in a Google Photos album. I shared the "view only" link with all families via email (to honor social media privacy of some families). Seeing their smiling faces, in the midst of the "far from normal," has brought us all so much joy.

In addition, I want to let my staff know that I appreciate them. They have stepped up to the plate in unbelievable ways. They, too, did not get to say goodbye to these sweet kiddos. They have taken on this steep learning curve of trying to figure out how to deliver remote learning in a non 1-to-1 district. We have staff members delivering devices to families, learning brand new digital programs on the fly, making personalized Special Education plans, scrambling to come together virtually, and so, so much more--all to meet the needs of their families. They do this, while also trying to take care of themselves and their own families. "Thank You" just doesn't seem to cover it, but I ordered THESE off of Amazon.

My plan is to send each staff member a personal thank you card. I know I could email these out...or text...or call...but there is just something about receiving a handwritten note. I have almost 100 staff members. The hand-cramps from writing will be worth it.

I'm going to try to blog a little bit more (clearly I've been distracted the last year+), as this will be a time that I will want to remember in the future. I, like many, certainly hope this is a one time event in our history. I don't want to lose my emotions or memories surrounding it.

Until then, I am trying desperately to embrace this "new normal," and make the best of it for my own kids, my school kids, and my amazing staff.

Be Well,

Angela