ZEAL-Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a great cause. What does that have to do with Carver Elementary? Well, interestingly enough it is what our school is all about this year. If you've kept up with my recent blogs, you know we have now incorporated the House System into our building. I won't mention the guy who inspired us AGAIN, but his initials are R.C. Let's recap. Each student and staff member has now been divided into "houses" or teams. The kids spun the wheel the second day of school to get placed into their house and the teachers were put into theirs at our retreat a few weeks ago. They were also given the task that day of deciding a name, creating a chant, designing a crest and choosing a color to represent their house. Some may have been a little worried the chants may have required dancing and what do you know... they sort of do. There are motions with each chant as well. Who knew Mrs. Watkins had such rhythm. We're still working on Mr. Phillips though.
As the tasks began at our retreat that day, we had no idea what everyone's houses would end up looking like. They were merely instructed to make them unique and meaningful and the end results were extremely impressive. I could hear clapping and shouting through the walls and could not wait to see what everyone was putting together as a team. My wishes had come true when I heard and saw the end product. I've said it for years. Our Carver team is amazing and they proved it once again. I've heard other house chants and seen other house names from schools across the country who are also incorporating the house system and they have nothing on Carver Elementary in Neosho, Missouri. I wanted to share with everyone what our 4 houses are all about and the meaning behind them.
HOUSES
1)Zaplon-Zaplon means ignition in Polish. This house chose the color red to represent them because they want to ignite a passion for learning and teach kids to be all they can be. There hope is to be instrumental in helping kids find their inner passions that will ignite and propel them on to success in all areas of their lives. Their crest has a flame with a large Z over it. Tiny fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Buckner, begins their chant by shouting loudly (she took us all by surprise) -ZAPLON'S IN THE HOUSE
Burning Bright
Ready to Ignite
Zaplon's in the House
Ignition...our Mission
Filled with Ambition
Zaplon's in the House
Z -A- P -L -O- N
Zaplon's in the House
ZZZ Zaplon
ZZZ Zaplon
Zaplon's in the House
Uh!
2)Empyreal-Empyreal means limitless in Greek. They chose the color blue to represent their house. They want the kids to know they can do anything they want to do if they reach for the sky. They want to teach the kids that the sky is the limit. Their crest has several airplanes heading upward.
E-M-P-Y-R-E-A-L
Empyreal is Limitless, Reach for the Sky
Empyreal is Limitless, Reach for the Sky
Empyreal is Limitless, Reach for the Sky
3)Ajani- Ajani means warrior and it is Nigerian. The color green was their chosen color to represent them. This house wants the kids to be strong and brave in whatever they do. Their crest is the letter A with the line inside the A being an arrow.
A-J-A-N-I
Point Our Arrows to the Sky
Mighty Warriors Aiming High
A-J-A-N-I
Huh!
4)Lumiere-Lumiere means light in French. Yellow is their color of choice. This house feels that light means being full of ideas and being leaders and they want the students to light the way and forge a path for everyone else in our school. Their crest is a lighthouse with stars surrounding it.
L-U-M-I-E-R-E
Lumiere's the House to Be
We Light the Way
We're Here to Stay
L-U-M-I-E-R-E
Y-E-L-L Everybody yell-O
Y-E-L-L Everybody yell-O
Lumiere
(Arms make an L shape)
After everyone heard each other's chants, Caitlin Plumb, a second grade teacher, came to me and told me she realized it spelled out ZEAL. She told me the definition meant great energy or enthusiasm. I realized how perfect that was for what we were implementing with the house system. Every house represents just that: energy and enthusiasm. I just wish everyone could witness our kids in person as they say their chants together with the motions. Even the littles are picking up on it. I just can't help but be energized hearing them all together as one cohesive unit. We have started HOUSE Day on Fridays. The students all sit in their houses in our gym and we all say our chants one house at a time. The teachers and staff are doing them right along with the kids. It's a great way to start our day. There are many other ideas we plan to incorporate this year with our House System and a blog about those will come later.
I can report that after one week of school, TEAM EMPYREAL is in the lead with 109 points. All 4 houses will have their points on display each week in our trophy case, which is now decorated in each house's color and crest. A crown will sit on top of the winning house's board for all to see and admire and to strive for each week.Everyone in the building can earn points all week for a variety of reasons. Just last week Mrs. Cummins (House Lumiere member) earned a point for stepping outside her comfort zone and making her first Padlet for the staff. Lumiere is still behind, but we'll see what week two holds for us.
Everyone is loving it so far. As I walk through the halls and pass our kids, I'm greeted with students showing me the Lumiere sign (which I quickly reciprocate because I too am a Lumiere). I hear kids asking each other whose house they are in and who is in their house with them. I'm beginning to hear from parents how their kids are doing the chants at home. I knew we were onto something when I started hearing those stories. I especially loved the video Mr. Daugherty (director of Field Preschool) sent me of his daughter, Kenley Kay, a first grader, singing the Zaplon chant as his wife was trying to get her to pull her tooth. Funny thing is, Kenley is on Team Ajani. That's just what happens now. We are all finding ourselves singing the chants all day and sometimes their not our own. There is a renewed energy and enthusiasm at Carver Elementary and it is contagious. Is energy and enthusiasm contagious in your building? Are you happy with the feeling of your building? Are you looking to increase the level of energy? Do you look for ways to increase it or is everything status quo? The level of enthusiasm in our hallways and classrooms is evident each and every day and it will only get stronger because at Carver we have ZEAL-great energy and enthusiasm in pursuit of a great cause.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Friday, August 11, 2017
Retreat: Carver style
I planned our Carver Retreat 2017 for 2 months. Many hours were spent researching ideas and working on details. One night, as I was writing the short poems I excitedly put on twitter every single day leading up to the big event, I began pondering the word "retreat". I looked up the definition and one in particular struck me funny. It said, "an act of moving back or withdrawing". Our retreat did everything BUT move us back. On the contrary, we moved forward that day and it was exciting to watch it all unfold. Our retreat did not disappoint. In fact, it had meaning, purpose and passion. I've been waiting to write this blog for 2 months to share how it all began and how it all turned out.
The idea
The actual idea of the retreat began months ago after visiting the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, (yes, I'm talking about THAT guy again) and hearing about the house system he uses throughout his school. I decided right then and there that we were going to do that as well at Carver Elementary. In a nutshell, all kids at RCA spin a wheel that decides which "house" they will be a part of for the next four years. That doesn't mean you have classes with only your house members though. It just means you are a part of a specific house or team and at RCA that is a BIG deal and it's going to be a BIG deal at Carver as well. Kids earn points individually that contribute to their overall team points and the house winners are rewarded in exciting ways. The team feeling is palpable when you visit. There is a sense of belonging and camaraderie like I have never seen in a school. As Kacie Barratt, Michelle Van Wagner and I flew home on the plane, we put our own plan into motion...the Carver plan. We knew we were going to have a retreat to unveil our ideas but we had to decide on some specifics before we could move any further. When would it take place? August 7th was our only option and almost every single employee at Carver gave up a non contract day to attend. Where would it be? I needed a kitchen and several rooms and Pastor Todd Decker gave us the ok to have it at First Baptist Church. Who could help? Connie Bryant of course. Need I say more. Connie's a runner and I knew her help would be valuable. Things were coming together, and the planning process continued.
The Icebreaker
I had read Lead Like a Pirate by Beth Houf and Shelley Burgess in the spring and there was a particular activity Beth Houf had done with her team that I wanted to do with mine, but I hadn't found the right time. Guess what? The time was now. I had asked everyone to wear a t-shirt that was meaningful to them so I was anxious to get the morning started. After breakfast, everyone put their chairs in a circle and I told them they would have 30 seconds to tell why the shirt they wore was meaningful to them. They were also instructed to toss the beach ball I had brought to someone else after they had spoken so they could continue the fun. I went first and told them why I had worn the Ron Clark Academy t-shirt I had bought in Atlanta. I explained how it had totally changed my outlook on the vision I had for our students and staff and how excited I was to get the year started. I was pretty sure they got the idea after my many emails and daily twitter poems, but just in case they weren't sure I wore the shirt. I then tossed the beach ball across the circle.This process continued until everyone had spoken. Everyone stayed within the 30 second time requirement, except our nurse. Her shirt represented a kidnapping of her mom's friend's son so we were too engaged to interrupt her. The icebreaker was a nice way to learn more about each other and what was important to them. It was a great beginning to an amazing day.
Emaze Presentation
After the icebreaker, I showed an Emaze presentation I had put together of our trip to RCA which highlighted the two days we were there. Michelle, Kacie and I shared our experiences and takeaways and the team asked questions about our trip. I hope we conveyed how exciting it was to go and experience all the academy offered and to reveal the WHY we are changing what we do at Carver. I know many of them would like to go see it for themselves. Throughout the morning, I had also been asking trivia questions about Ron Clark and the winners received copies of his book The Essential 55. After the presentation, it was time for a short break to get ready for lunch. I knew it would be one of the highlights of the day, but I had no idea it would turn out as great as it did.
Lunch
More than a year ago my dear friend Connie Bryant had told me about a mystery dinner she had done at church camp. Actually, most of what she was saying went in one ear and out the other, (shocking, I know for those of you who know me) but I caught the mystery part, so when I was planning what to do for lunch at the retreat Connie popped into my head. I had her explain in detail again what to do and this time I actually listened. I decided on a Ron Clark theme and called Amy Perkins. She's one of our extremely creative teachers at Carver. Together we came up with the menu and the "mystery" part. Teachers ordered items such as The Ron Clark, Hope King smiles, the slide and a walker. What they received was actually pulled pork, cheese cubes, a bun and a spoon. They could have gotten all food items and no utensils or all utensils and no food or a combination of something in between. I enjoyed watching their reactions during each course. Mrs. Reece eating a cheese cube with a knife was priceless and watching Amy Perkins make a spoon out of her cup to eat her pulled pork with because she had no utensils made us all laugh. Of course, they were treated to the entire meal after the "mystery" part was complete. The real "work" began though after lunch. From my view though it was all fun...meaningful, inspiring, fun.
House Systems
Kacie, Michelle and I knew we wanted to divide, not only the kids, but the teachers and staff into houses and it had to be fun. But how would we do this? After discussing several options on the plane, we came up with our idea, complete with a poem (of course) and an envelope. As luck would have it, Amy Perkins (the extremely creative one) asked me one day shortly after our return from Atlanta if there was anything she could do to help me at summer school because her students were going to be gone that day. I asked her how she felt about decorating 40 envelopes (which turned into 50) and she quickly agreed. I told her I needed the "house" poem (which we wrote on the plane ride home from Atlanta) in the middle of each envelope. It said, "Open your envelope, Inside you will see, The number that'll lead you to the house you'll be". That was basically all the directions she got from me. WOW! I can not tell you how amazing they were. Each one was incredibly unique. When I saw the details she put into decorating each envelope such as tiny Neosho t-shirts on tiny clotheslines, or the tiny ball pit made out of pom poms, or the tiny origami animals, I was in awe. I knew I had picked the right person. I would have stuck a bow on there and called it good, but Amy went above and beyond (like I knew she would) and it paid off. The teachers loved it. At the retreat, they were told to look through the 50 envelopes scattered on a table and to pick one. I can assure you, it was difficult because they were all so amazing. We all took turns opening our envelopes and pulling out the number inside which would reveal the house we would now belong to. As the first envelope was opened, and I heard a drum roll begin and the cheering that followed, I smiled. I remembered Kim Bearden saying to us in Atlanta that there is nothing like watching the kids cheering each other on as they spin the wheel (which we will also be doing at Carver) and finding out what house they will be a part of for their entire school career at RCA. I witnessed this with our own Carver crew. Their excitement was contagious when they saw more and more team members being placed in their houses. The excitement was growing and growing fast.
House Planning
Each group was given their tasks for the afternoon. 1) Come up with a team name 2) Decide the color to represent your house 3) Design a crest 4) Create a chant 5) Elect a house leader
Each house was assigned a different room at First Baptist Church to work in so they could focus on their jobs. I checked on them periodically, but I too was in a house (our name is Lumiere...or as Renee Cummins is already saying Lumiere for Life). They were focused and already passionate about our new vision. Within an hour every task was completed by every house. We gathered together at the close of the retreat to hear all four house chants. They are all different and unique but equally impressive. I loved hearing the conversations everyone was having about house names and chants before they left for the day.
On the second day of school this year, our students will spin a wheel which will reveal their house placement and on day three, they will be taught their house chant. The entire student body will gather in the gym to hear them all and I can't wait to see the excitement on their faces. I know everyone is looking forward to this new adventure.
At the end of the day, I knew the retreat had been a success and so worth all the time spent planning it. We learned more about each other than we had known before and we had fun along the way. Everyone was focused on the task at hand and they are all sold on our plans for Carver. As you head into the new school year ask yourself what you are doing to make a difference with your kids and your team. Are you creating a team feeling in your building or doing just the opposite. Is there truly an excitement in the air or do you simply say there is. Is there meaning, purpose and passion amongst your team and the activities in your building? The possibilities this year are going to be endless at Carver and I know what we have planned will make a difference for kids. We will all remember Nurse Cindy's t-shirt story, but we will also remember that all of the amazingness this year started at our Retreat: Carver style.
The idea
The actual idea of the retreat began months ago after visiting the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, (yes, I'm talking about THAT guy again) and hearing about the house system he uses throughout his school. I decided right then and there that we were going to do that as well at Carver Elementary. In a nutshell, all kids at RCA spin a wheel that decides which "house" they will be a part of for the next four years. That doesn't mean you have classes with only your house members though. It just means you are a part of a specific house or team and at RCA that is a BIG deal and it's going to be a BIG deal at Carver as well. Kids earn points individually that contribute to their overall team points and the house winners are rewarded in exciting ways. The team feeling is palpable when you visit. There is a sense of belonging and camaraderie like I have never seen in a school. As Kacie Barratt, Michelle Van Wagner and I flew home on the plane, we put our own plan into motion...the Carver plan. We knew we were going to have a retreat to unveil our ideas but we had to decide on some specifics before we could move any further. When would it take place? August 7th was our only option and almost every single employee at Carver gave up a non contract day to attend. Where would it be? I needed a kitchen and several rooms and Pastor Todd Decker gave us the ok to have it at First Baptist Church. Who could help? Connie Bryant of course. Need I say more. Connie's a runner and I knew her help would be valuable. Things were coming together, and the planning process continued.
The Icebreaker
I had read Lead Like a Pirate by Beth Houf and Shelley Burgess in the spring and there was a particular activity Beth Houf had done with her team that I wanted to do with mine, but I hadn't found the right time. Guess what? The time was now. I had asked everyone to wear a t-shirt that was meaningful to them so I was anxious to get the morning started. After breakfast, everyone put their chairs in a circle and I told them they would have 30 seconds to tell why the shirt they wore was meaningful to them. They were also instructed to toss the beach ball I had brought to someone else after they had spoken so they could continue the fun. I went first and told them why I had worn the Ron Clark Academy t-shirt I had bought in Atlanta. I explained how it had totally changed my outlook on the vision I had for our students and staff and how excited I was to get the year started. I was pretty sure they got the idea after my many emails and daily twitter poems, but just in case they weren't sure I wore the shirt. I then tossed the beach ball across the circle.This process continued until everyone had spoken. Everyone stayed within the 30 second time requirement, except our nurse. Her shirt represented a kidnapping of her mom's friend's son so we were too engaged to interrupt her. The icebreaker was a nice way to learn more about each other and what was important to them. It was a great beginning to an amazing day.
Emaze Presentation
After the icebreaker, I showed an Emaze presentation I had put together of our trip to RCA which highlighted the two days we were there. Michelle, Kacie and I shared our experiences and takeaways and the team asked questions about our trip. I hope we conveyed how exciting it was to go and experience all the academy offered and to reveal the WHY we are changing what we do at Carver. I know many of them would like to go see it for themselves. Throughout the morning, I had also been asking trivia questions about Ron Clark and the winners received copies of his book The Essential 55. After the presentation, it was time for a short break to get ready for lunch. I knew it would be one of the highlights of the day, but I had no idea it would turn out as great as it did.
Lunch
More than a year ago my dear friend Connie Bryant had told me about a mystery dinner she had done at church camp. Actually, most of what she was saying went in one ear and out the other, (shocking, I know for those of you who know me) but I caught the mystery part, so when I was planning what to do for lunch at the retreat Connie popped into my head. I had her explain in detail again what to do and this time I actually listened. I decided on a Ron Clark theme and called Amy Perkins. She's one of our extremely creative teachers at Carver. Together we came up with the menu and the "mystery" part. Teachers ordered items such as The Ron Clark, Hope King smiles, the slide and a walker. What they received was actually pulled pork, cheese cubes, a bun and a spoon. They could have gotten all food items and no utensils or all utensils and no food or a combination of something in between. I enjoyed watching their reactions during each course. Mrs. Reece eating a cheese cube with a knife was priceless and watching Amy Perkins make a spoon out of her cup to eat her pulled pork with because she had no utensils made us all laugh. Of course, they were treated to the entire meal after the "mystery" part was complete. The real "work" began though after lunch. From my view though it was all fun...meaningful, inspiring, fun.
Kacie, Michelle and I knew we wanted to divide, not only the kids, but the teachers and staff into houses and it had to be fun. But how would we do this? After discussing several options on the plane, we came up with our idea, complete with a poem (of course) and an envelope. As luck would have it, Amy Perkins (the extremely creative one) asked me one day shortly after our return from Atlanta if there was anything she could do to help me at summer school because her students were going to be gone that day. I asked her how she felt about decorating 40 envelopes (which turned into 50) and she quickly agreed. I told her I needed the "house" poem (which we wrote on the plane ride home from Atlanta) in the middle of each envelope. It said, "Open your envelope, Inside you will see, The number that'll lead you to the house you'll be". That was basically all the directions she got from me. WOW! I can not tell you how amazing they were. Each one was incredibly unique. When I saw the details she put into decorating each envelope such as tiny Neosho t-shirts on tiny clotheslines, or the tiny ball pit made out of pom poms, or the tiny origami animals, I was in awe. I knew I had picked the right person. I would have stuck a bow on there and called it good, but Amy went above and beyond (like I knew she would) and it paid off. The teachers loved it. At the retreat, they were told to look through the 50 envelopes scattered on a table and to pick one. I can assure you, it was difficult because they were all so amazing. We all took turns opening our envelopes and pulling out the number inside which would reveal the house we would now belong to. As the first envelope was opened, and I heard a drum roll begin and the cheering that followed, I smiled. I remembered Kim Bearden saying to us in Atlanta that there is nothing like watching the kids cheering each other on as they spin the wheel (which we will also be doing at Carver) and finding out what house they will be a part of for their entire school career at RCA. I witnessed this with our own Carver crew. Their excitement was contagious when they saw more and more team members being placed in their houses. The excitement was growing and growing fast.
House Planning
Each group was given their tasks for the afternoon. 1) Come up with a team name 2) Decide the color to represent your house 3) Design a crest 4) Create a chant 5) Elect a house leader
Each house was assigned a different room at First Baptist Church to work in so they could focus on their jobs. I checked on them periodically, but I too was in a house (our name is Lumiere...or as Renee Cummins is already saying Lumiere for Life). They were focused and already passionate about our new vision. Within an hour every task was completed by every house. We gathered together at the close of the retreat to hear all four house chants. They are all different and unique but equally impressive. I loved hearing the conversations everyone was having about house names and chants before they left for the day.
On the second day of school this year, our students will spin a wheel which will reveal their house placement and on day three, they will be taught their house chant. The entire student body will gather in the gym to hear them all and I can't wait to see the excitement on their faces. I know everyone is looking forward to this new adventure.
At the end of the day, I knew the retreat had been a success and so worth all the time spent planning it. We learned more about each other than we had known before and we had fun along the way. Everyone was focused on the task at hand and they are all sold on our plans for Carver. As you head into the new school year ask yourself what you are doing to make a difference with your kids and your team. Are you creating a team feeling in your building or doing just the opposite. Is there truly an excitement in the air or do you simply say there is. Is there meaning, purpose and passion amongst your team and the activities in your building? The possibilities this year are going to be endless at Carver and I know what we have planned will make a difference for kids. We will all remember Nurse Cindy's t-shirt story, but we will also remember that all of the amazingness this year started at our Retreat: Carver style.
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