Dear Silverdale Families,

Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful break and you were able to spend quality time with your loved ones.  We are back in the swing of things here – ready to tackle the needs of our students.

Last Thursday, we began staff training on one of the Dimensions of Teaching and Learning called purpose. We are excited to begin this important work because as a result, teaching staff will be more knowledgeable and able to plan purposeful, standards-based lessons and learning targets that are geared toward the various backgrounds and learning styles of their students. Also, as a result of the training, teachers will be working on helping students understand and articulate the purpose of each and every lesson. Why is articulating purpose so important? The best way to answer that is by asking another question; have you ever been in a learning situation where you asked yourself or others –why (in the world) are we doing this? And, perhaps you were even frustrated at the obscurity of the learning situation.

 According to Dr. Stephen Fink, executive director of the Center for Educational Leadership, “one thing is true for successful school leaders and teachers: both are intentional and explicit about the purpose of their actions, be it a school improvement strategy or a classroom lesson.”

Our training last week stated that students' understanding of lesson purpose can significantly accelerate their learning – in some cases, as much as 20%! Our training was rich and provocative, sparking many rich debates about the complex world of teaching.  Much of what we learned was not new.  The difference between now and the past is that for the first time, we are becoming aligned with what good teaching and learning looks like. We are adopting common expectations, principles and vocabulary – all for the benefit of students. ALL students!

For the next four weeks, teaching staff will be attending additional staff development trainings on purpose. Session #2 is on purposeful planning, Session #3 is on purposeful planning driven by students, Session #4 is on purposeful planning for demonstrable success and finally, Session #5 is on purpose in action in the classroom.

Teaching is hard work. It is complex and it has many challenging variables. Teaching is also as much a science as it is an art. Understanding and aligning the science part of teaching is critical to the creative part of teaching and learning because it keeps teachers and students on track toward academic goals. We have a lot of work ahead of us and it is very challenging but exciting work.

As the seasons set into the colder weather, please remind your children to come to school with warm clothing and coats (no open-toed shoes or flip-flops). Also, we have a few exciting events happening soon – including our annual Oldies Dance on January 25^th so be ready to show off your dance moves with your children.

Keep in Touch!

Ninette Rivero – Principal