Parent Engagement Supports Student Success

Recently I attended a Math Program Informational meeting in the district which was followed by the monthly PTO meeting.  Today, I attended the Back to School Coffee sponsored by the PTO.  What strikes me about each of these events is the incredible amount of parental engagement in our schools.  Parents had great questions as we were discussing the pilot math program.  Parents could talk about the instructional technology we are using to enhance learning.  It is truly impressive.  It is not a coincidence that this week the DPI rated the Fox Point –Bayside School District as Significantly Exceeds Expectations on the State Report Card for performance during the 2012 -2013 School Year.  Much research supports the significant role parents play in student achievement.  The home – school connection is paramount to this success and we want to continue to cultivate that partnership as we are engaged in continuous improvement. Thank you to all stakeholders for your work in contributing to the high level of achievement in the district.

Thank You Fox Point - Bayside Educational Foundation!

 A big Thank You to the Fox Point - Bayside  Educational Foundation for their work in raising funds to help improve instructional technology in our schools.  This year, they raised over $30,000 that was used to bring the vision of  Smart Board technology in every classroom. We are almost there.  Please check out their link on the District website.  Below is a picture of some of the members who attended the recent monthly meeting on September 12th.

New Backpacks, Tennis shoes, Opportunities and Learning; I love the first day of school.

On Tuesday, September 3rd, 938 students entered the doors of the Fox Point - Bayside schools. There was a great amount of anticipation, excitement and energy in the district as the staff greeted the students as they entered the schools.

One of the initial things you notice on the first day of school is all of the backpacks.  To me backpacks are symbolic in schools.  They represent that important connection and partnership between  home and school. The packs are empty when they arrive and filled  with books, supplies, information sheets and other artifacts for parents and students to use as they go home.  You as parents entrust us with your most precious possession, your children. We as educators pledge that we will care for them, have high expectations,  and build from  the incredible amount of learning that takes place at home.  This partnership is so critical as we facilitate learning in our schools.

The new tennis shoes that are proudly displayed are a good analogy for the start of the school year. The newness represents the fresh, optimism that they will be able to jump higher and run faster.  Our job as educators  is to preserve that optimism of the new tennis shoes and the new school year and help each student grow and maximize his/her potential.  It is a charge that we will all take very seriously.

 Students welcome back! You are the most important people in our schools and we missed you over the summer.

Thank You PTO

A special THANK YOU to the Fox Point - Bayside Parent Teacher Organization for providing the staff luncheon on August 27th.  We are fortunate to have a vibrant PTO that does great things for students, staff and parents in the FPBS schools.  The PTO does have a link on our District website, I would encourage you to check it out.

Welcome Back Staff

All staff were welcomed back with a breakfast and presentation that included a program and speeches by Superintendent Vance Dalzin, Board Member Mike Weidner, and additional members from the administrative team. There was a great amount of synergy in the room as past successes were celebrated and the theme of continued high expectations for students and staff reinforced.  Each staff member also received a Fox Point - Bayside School District T-shirt. Hats off to all of the educators who choose a livelihood of molding the minds and hearts of the future and are starting another school year in our district.

Vance Dalzin
Superintendent
Fox Point - Bayside School District

New Teachers, New Beginnings!

On August 23rd, The Fox Point - Bayside School District provided a special program for the teachers that are new to the District this year.  Each year, new teachers are assigned mentors that help ease the transition and provide information and support.  We have six new teachers this year and all of them have prior teaching experience.  Because of the fine reputation of the District, literally hundreds of people apply for vacant positions each year.  Again this year, the new teachers are a very impressive bunch. During the various discussions and activities, it became evident that the new teachers are highly skilled  and have a genuine care and concern for students.  It is exciting when you think of the influence on student learning these new teachers will have in  our learning community for the next twenty plus years. Also, kudos to the mentors who help guide the new teachers.  It was truly a productive event today.  Hats off to all of our great educators that will be coming back to work on Monday,  August 26th. 

Creating Innovators - Food For Thought

A few months ago I attended a conference where the keynote speaker was Tony Wagner, a researcher affiliated with Harvard University. He recently published a book titled Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. His research and presentation was interesting and engaging, but as an educator, I felt a little uncomfortable because his message was really challenging much of the culture of public schools in the United States of which has been my livelihood for 26 years. We have all read about how jobs are being lost overseas and that our schools are on a spiral downward compared to many other countries. I understand that we need to be more competitive, but he was suggesting that traditional U.S. schools do little to foster innovation in our students.Wagner’s research was done on successful companies and the individuals who were the innovators that helped them get to where they are. His research suggests the qualities these individuals exemplify are:        

• curiosity, which is the habit of asking good questions and a desire to understand more deeply
• collaboration, which begins with listening to and learning from others who have perspectives and expertise that are very different from one’s own
• integrated thinking
• an inclination toward action and experimentation

His book suggests that most U.S. schools reward individual competition and achievement instead of teamwork. He also suggests that traditional academic classes are organized to communicate test specific content rather than focusing on a problem-based, multidisciplinary approach. He contends that U.S. schools rely heavily on extrinsic rewards like grades and grade point average, while employees prefer students who can work in a team, are intrinsically motivated and can problem solve using a more multidisciplinary approach. This is the culture of innovation that you would find at many currently successful companies.

It is difficult to deny that, regarding how students are measured on high stakes testing, we have fallen behind some countries. I believe we should continue to be concerned about that, but I am also concerned that schools are not striving to create a more innovative culture. In our pursuit of high achievement on high stakes tests, have we put less emphasis on creativity, collaboration, and developing an entrepreneurial spirit in our students? These are great questions that our community of educators, parents, community members and students should discuss.

 

 

Dr. Vance Dalzin

District Administrator

Fox Point - Bayside School District