They Asked for My Autograph

On Wednesday, August 26, we welcomed almost all students back to school.  Our kindergartners will join us for the first time on Monday, August 31 and then our MPS family will be complete.

Our Faculty & Staff officially returned on Monday, August 24.  Many were trickling in earlier than that, and I know many more were working hard over the summer.  I'm sure there were hours spent reflecting on, preparing for, and excited about the 2015 - 2016 school year.

At the Opening of School Assembly, I shared our areas of focus with the MPS Faculty & Staff.  They are:

• A safe and inclusive learning environment for all students
• Proficiency-based learning
• Personalized learning

As a Leadership Team, we reviewed our Continuous Improvement Plan, our Action Plan, North Star work, and our Consolidated Federal Program strategies.  We then filtered all those through the lens of our first Community Forum that took place in April of 2015.  As a result of that thoughtful process, we were able establish areas of focus that reflect the values of our community and the educational work we have committed to.

As I visited our buildings this past week, I was excited by the smiles on the faces of students, faculty, staff, and parents.  When I visit classrooms, my goal is to be a fly on the wall, interacting with the students without interrupting the lesson.  Many teachers were kind enough to introduce me.   When they did I shared that as superintendent, I have two jobs:

1. Work with all the adults in MPS to ensure students feel safe and included.  
2. Work with all the adults in MPS to ensure students learn.  

I was leaving one classroom at the elementary school, when a young man came up to me and asked for my autograph.  He had a piece of paper and a pencil.  I leaned down and signed my name.  When I looked up, the rest of the class was waiting with pencils and papers.  It was the first time in my career - in my life - that anyone had asked for my autograph.  I have to admit, I felt a little bit like a rock star. 

We will start our first full week together tomorrow, with our student family complete, as we welcome our kindergartners to school for the first time in their lives.  It continues to be a professional privilege to serve the Montpelier community with the tremendous faculty and staff in our buildings.  I am hopeful for another excellent year for our students, faculty, staff, and families!