Venture Academy's Teacher of the Year... Tony Hook was selected by his colleagues to represent Venture Academy in the Idaho Teacher of the Year contest. Tony, it is easy to see why your peers chose you. Your efforts have made an important difference in the culture at Venture Academy. You never take the easy way out and you never accept the status quo as good enough. You are a sounding board for new ideas and the guy that always pitches in to ensure the ideas come to fruition. Tony, we all appreciate you and the incredible difference you have made in Venture Academy. Congratulations!
This week, I've been thinking about the progress and success of our Venture students. Congratulations to each of you for the achievements students have made so far this year. It's evident that your dedication and the effort put into developing your instructional and TBRI skill sets are positively impacting students. Together we have an environment where teenagers can grow despite challenges.
The fact that students are not only learning but also growing in maturity and developing important life skills speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the Venture approach. Your commitment to delivering quality instruction and fostering a supportive atmosphere is making a significant difference in their lives.
As you reflect on the accomplishments of the second trimester, remember that your efforts are instrumental in shaping the future of these young individuals. Keep up the excellent work, and may the next trimester bring even more success and positive outcomes for both you and the students.
New students on the way...In addition to celebrating successes from the past two terms, I also want to acknowledge and address the challenges that come with the arrival of new students during the third trimester. Their arrival with a fresh set of work avoidance skills, lack of social-emotional learning skills, and unfamiliarity with Venture's culture can create additional demands on both you and other students.
It's important to recognize the impact this influx of new students can have on the overall dynamic. During the first week of the new term, please take some time to build classroom culture and set expectations and norms for the final term. By this point in the year, we often feel like this work has been done and we can just move forward with instruction; however, the time spent reestablishing the culture we've worked hard to create can pay big dividends.
Scheduling... I'm sure you all know that scheduling in an alternative school poses some unique challenges. No one. Absolutely no one. Not a single student. Ever. Proceeds through their course offerings according to the district timelines. In comprehensive schools, students are mostly scheduled by computers that roll them into the next class. They have some choices for electives, some students will need to retake classes, but most just take the next class. At alternative schools, students are scheduled individually in an effort to retrieve credits on failed classes and provide as much support as possible for those who need additional academic help.
Because alternative schools are small, classes are offered for fewer periods, there are fewer teachers to provide electives, and schedules often need to be changed last minute in response to classes that were unexpectedly passed or failed last minute. Additionally, 60% of our student body is different from the beginning of the year to the third term.
I want to give a huge shout-out to Rachelle! This is a detail oriented process that she completes while working with students throughout the day who are managing serious mental health issues and all the other typical counselor stressors. One of the most difficult aspects of being an alternative school counselor is that small schools simply cannot provide the options of a large school meaning students and staff might be disappointed with their schedules. Please know that we are happy to make changes when possible and necessary. But, sometimes they aren't possible. We are both always happy to look at options with you, so please don't hesitate to come to us if you see issues we can address.
Electives are especially challenging because students are first scheduled in their cores, then they need to take whatever elective might be available. One challenge we had this year was with the PR class that Lena taught. Of the 5 students originally assigned to the class, only two were able to take it third term and we had over 40 students who needed to take media tech. This meant we had to cancel this class for two students to open a new media tech class for 12. Also, students often have to retake electives and even take electives online.
In the interview process, this situation with electives is discussed at length so that families know that Venture isn't the right school if they want a variety of classes. It IS the right school if they want to receive outstanding interventions and academic support, caring interactions with adults, and graduate on time with their peers. We can't be all things to all people, but we are doing the right work for the students who need services we offer.
Notify parents when.... A law has been enacted that requires that parents be notified anytime we see a notable change in a student. Of course, we always notify parents if a student is failing. That could be a good time to share any other concerns you may have about changes you see. You can also share your concerns with me or Rachelle and we can call home.
Exhibit Night... Exhibit night is around the corner. Are you ready? What do you need? Please stop by to see me if you have questions, concerns, or ideas.
Third Term Wellness... I propose that we have wellness on April 12, 19, 26, May 3 and 10. Let me know if you have any ideas or concerns around that.
Phones... Please, we must be consistent around phones and the bathroom. Please insist that students leave their phones in the classroom when they go to the restroom. I think we're about 60% following this policy. It makes a significant difference in how long they're gone and how they're using their time when they leave.
Please... We would like to do a quick perception check in: Please complete this two minute Staff Check-in Survey
For the Week of February 26
Bus Duty: Wilson and Penske
Monday: Non Work Day
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: Extended Learning
Friday: Wellness
For the Week of March 4
Bus Duty: Mazhan and Higgs
Monday: Certified PD and Collaboration: 8:00 am Agenda Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: Extended Learning; Student exhibits
Friday:
For the Week of March 11
Bus Duty: Higgs and Levy
Monday: Non Work Day
Tuesday: First Day of term 3
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
For the Week of March 18
Bus Duty: Eastman and Mahoney
Monday: Certified PD and Collaboration: 8:00 am
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
For the Week of March 25
Spring Break!
For the Week of April 1
Bus Duty: Doering and Cooley
Monday: Non Work Day
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: Extended Learning
Friday:
For the Week of April 8
Bus Duty: Smith and Hook
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: Extended Learning
Friday: Wellness
