A mind full of service...update.

As we prepare for an extra-long weekend, I took the opportunity to share one of my many favorite quotes with the students which comes to us from J.K Rowling through the character of Dumbledore:  

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

With the passing of the great English actor, Alan Rickman, the world of Harry Potter has been fresh on many people's minds.  I used this quote to impress upon everyone the importance of choosing to help others regularly and to not let this weekend pass as simply a day off, but rather look for additional ways to honor the spirit of service and the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.  If our choices show who we are then I expect that their choices should be tremendous...of course, sometimes their choices are currently disguised as questionable or confused...ultimately, I am confident that their choices will be tremendous as are they.

Speaking of tremendous...the recently released rankings by schooldigger.com, an organization that evaluates schools across the country, placed Westford as #3 out of 311 school districts in the state.  The top two spots were given to a 7-12 charter school and PreK-8 district, so technically that makes us the top ranked PreK-12 district in their report.  Additionally, both middle schools were ranked individually within the top 5 spots throughout the state which is something to celebrate, as well.  So, thank you for all of the support that you provide which helps maintain a strong home/school connection which we know best supports all of our students!

Along that same line, you should have already received an email from Dr. Clery, our assistant superintendent, with links to all of the WPS State Report Cards which details our excellent Level 1 accountability rating and the strong performance on last year's state assessments.  If you did not receive that email, please contact me and I can send you then the links directly.

So, the abilities of our students and teachers and the ability of the district to support all of their efforts are strong; hopefully, we can all work together to help the students make choices that reflect the greatness we know they possess.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Welcome to 2016...update!

So, Wednesday was a fun signature day in that I was able to date plenty of approvals and requests with 1/6/16.  Will the excitement never end?  It's the little things that entertain me.

With our first week back from break, winter finally decided to complicate our ability to go outside for a couple of days as the temps were not conducive to students stepping outside even briefly following lunches.  It was great to stroll through the cafeteria and here students reminisce on either the lack of sleep or the plethora of sleep they experienced over the break.  I admit no one used the word plethora when describing their vacation, but most everyone seemed very well rested.  Many students expressed being happy to be back as they were running out of things to do...I am sure they meant the DVR was empty or they had exhausted all of their Netflix options as there are still certainly a plethora of chores that could be done in most of our houses.  Sorry, but the rule of three of in comedy demanded that I try to find one more use of the word to complete the joke.  If you have no idea what I am talking about simply continue reading as I will get to something of importance soon.

Like this:

A few parents of some of our 8th grade students expressed an interest in trying to organize additional fundraisers to help support students wanting to go on the Washington DC trip but who might not otherwise be able to cover the entire cost of the trip.  Each year we have a few students request scholarship assistance and these parents wanted to help raise money to support that cause and help future students, as well.  This group contacted many of the restaurants in our community to see if they would sponsor Stony Brook evenings to donate proceeds to the Washington DC Scholarship Fund.  So far, they have organized events to take place with the following local eateries:

Bamboo -Tuesday 1/26/16 (see flyer below which is also available on our website)

99 - Tuesday 2/16/16 (almost as much fun as typing Weds' date....flyer to come out in Feb)

Chili's - February date to be determined

Five Guys - March date to be determined

Panera -date to be determined

DC Fundraiser Bamboo.pdf

Stony Brook Theater Arts is conducting a Monologue Workshop on January 13th and January 15th from 2-4:30pm and an Audition Workshop on February 4th from 2-4:30pm.  Students can bring their own monologues or see Ms. Watson to get one. Sign ups are on the bulletin board outside her room.

Auditions for the one-act play Beauty and the Bee by Lindsay Price will be on February 9th and 12th. Students should prepare a short monologue and be prepared to learn a movement combination. Students may be asked to read from the script as well. Any student interested in crew only does not need to audition, but should see Mrs. Watson before February break to sign up.

I certainly hope that you were able to enjoy the vacation and did not run out of things to do...unless you wanted to.

Have a great weekend,

Chris

A long winter's nap...update

So, I must admit the concept of hibernation for a few months in the winter does not sound like a horrible idea to me in general.  The problem right now is that it seems more like the thaw of spring than the onset of a deep freeze...to be clear, that is not a complaint in any form...merely an observation!  My younger self looked forward to snow and enjoyed all four of our seasons equally, but my current frame tends to identify the colder weather with more aches and pains than serenity and peace.

Needless to say, we can begin preparing for a long winter break in just a few short days and whether we are now accustom to the schedule or the schedule fits our needs, everyone always seems to be ready for a little vacation.

At least the warmish weather did not create issues for the 8th graders dressed in poodle skirts and biker jackets as some of our 8th graders traveled back in time dressing up like characters from S.E.Hinton's THE OUTSIDERS today.  They were able to end the day watching the movie to commemorate the completion of their reading of the novel.  

7th graders have been celebrating the Season of Giving Project which focuses on researching various charities and philanthropic endeavors to inform others as to the importance and variety of all of these organizations. Different classes selected specific charities to research to better understand the intricacies and dynamics of the charities and to learn how to best discern which charities they feel are reputable and worthy of their support and which might not be as transparent in their operations as others. The critical thinking exhibited by the students has been wonderful and shows they can be very thoughtful and precise in how they decide to donate their future earnings vs their eagerness and or desire to buy every new product that grabs their attention or becomes their latest "must have".  

It was nice to see many of you during the conferences this week; of course you were not here to see me, but I appreciated the number of people introducing themselves and helping me put faces to the family names.  It is much easier to learn the students' first names as I see them in action throughout the building than to connect all of the different families and last names.   Mr. McElhinney and I enjoy seeing parents' faces when we know who their children are because they assume if the principals know your child that is a bad thing.  We are happy to say that it is not a bad thing at all here at Stony Brook.

Not that anyone needs this reminder I am sure, but Monday and Tuesday are full days next week. Wednesday is an early release day at 11:00 and we look forward to seeing everyone back from the break on Monday January 4, 2016!

Have a wonderful break!  I hope it is full of joy and relaxation.

I will talk with you again next year,

Chris