Thank you

Over the past ten years, I've written a lot about Venture. There's been so much to say about the staff and students, learning, growth, challenges, and hope. But as I sit down to write this, the only thing in my mind is gratitude.

It's difficult to put into words how much this place and each of you has meant to me.

After accepting the principal position ten years ago, I began writing in the first of many journals filled with ideas about how things at Venture could be changed and improved. My family endured a nonstop monologue of my excitement for the work here.

Looking back, I realize how little I understood about what would actually make this place special.

It was never a program, a schedule, or a building.

It was all of you.

Over the years, I've watched you give second chances, third chances, and sometimes tenth chances. I've watched you stay late, plan and redesign lessons, wrestle with projects,  rewrite curriculum, and refuse to give up on young people who had often given up on themselves.

I've watched you support one another through difficult times. I've watched you step in when a colleague needed help. I've watched you extend grace, speak hard truths when they needed to be spoken, and continue showing up even when the work felt overwhelming.

The compassion, resilience, humor, and commitment of this staff have always been the heart of Venture.

You've challenged my thinking. You've taught me lessons about students, leadership, relationships, and life. You've shown me grace when I've made mistakes and patience when I was still learning. Ten years ago, I simply didn't know what I didn't know.

Working alongside all of you has changed me in ways I never would have expected.

For the rest of my life, I will treasure the memories of this place. The laughter. The conversations.  The stories that non-Venture people could never understand. The countless reminders that what we do matters.

I will remember the acts of kindness that no one else ever saw. The extra conversations. The quiet encouragement. The decision to help a student one more time, even when it wasn't easy and patience was severely stretched.

What makes Venture special?  

It isn't journals filled with ideas.

It is all of you.

Students may forget assignments, schedules, and many of the lessons we taught. But they will remember that someone here cared about them. They will remember that someone believed in them when they struggled to believe in themselves. They will remember that someone refused to give up on them.

That is your legacy.

You have changed lives. More lives than you will ever know.

Thank you for the work you have done, the lives you have touched, and the example you have set.  Thank you for touching my life and teaching me lessons I didn't even know I needed.

It has been an honor to work alongside you.

I will always be grateful.

Doing Less

As we head into our district-wide professional development this Friday at Lake City High School, I want to name something clearly: this is not about asking teachers to do more.

It’s about asking us to focus on the right work.

In education, when outcomes don’t look the way we hope—whether that’s engagement, achievement, or behavior—our instinct is often to add. More strategies. More programs. More tools. More documentation. Most of that comes from good intentions. But over time, “more” can quietly pull us away from what actually moves learning forward.

The real work of teaching is already demanding. Adding layers doesn’t make instruction better. Clarity does. Focus does. Strong teaching does.

This is a journey we’ve been on at Venture—naming and refining what we mean by good instruction, aligning our practices, and building a shared understanding of the Venture Way. That work hasn’t been about chasing every new idea. It’s been about getting clearer on what we believe about teaching and learning, and then doing that work with consistency.

At the same time, our district is on its own journey of clarifying the Coeur d’Alene Way. Friday’s PD is part of that process—not as a top-down mandate, but as an effort to align around shared instructional language and expectations. This isn’t about replacing the Venture Way. It’s about creating coherence across the district while respecting the unique context and strengths of each building.

The focus on strong instruction and proficiency scales is not “one more thing.” It’s about grounding our work in the core of teaching:

• being clear about what students are learning

• designing lessons with purpose

• and helping students understand what progress looks like

When instruction is clear, students experience less confusion and more success. That clarity matters even more for students who have struggled in traditional systems. From a trauma-informed lens, predictable routines and clear learning targets reduce stress. From a restorative lens, students are more willing to engage and repair when they understand expectations and feel supported in meeting them.

TBRI puts language to the conditions that make learning possible:

“Connection must come before correction.” — Dr. Karyn Purvis

Why this matters for teaching is simple: when students are dysregulated, learning can’t take root. Connection creates safety. Good instruction gives students a path forward. Proficiency scales give them a way to see their own growth. Together, these are not “extras”; they are the foundation of effective teaching.

In alternative education, less noise from the system often creates more space for learning. When we focus on the right instructional work, rather than trying to do everything, we create classrooms that are calmer, clearer, and more responsive to the students in front of us.

Friday is about continuing that journey. Not more. Just better focus. Clearer teaching. Shared language. And a commitment to doing the core work of instruction well—at Venture, and across Coeur d’Alene.

Thank you for the intentionality you bring to this work. The way you teach, connect, and clarify learning for students is what ultimately shapes their experience of school.

Week of February 9

Bus Duty: Hamilton and Hook
Monday:  Caryn out 😱😱😱
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday:  Cross District Collaboration

Week of February 16

Bus Duty: Levy and Cysewski
Monday:  Presidents Day- No School 
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  Mantz and Kennedy out@am
Thursday:  
Friday: Certified Staff Collaboration Day

Week of February 23

Bus Duty: Wilson and Pensky
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday: Non Work Day

Week of March 2

Bus Duty: Gonzalez and Mazhan

Monday:  
Tuesday: Mantz and Kennedy out@am
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  Last Day of Term 2
Friday: Certified Staff Collaboration Day

Week of March 9

Bus Duty: Gonzalez and Mazhan

Monday:  First Day of Term 3
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday: Non Work Day

Gradebooks as Mirrors of Mastery

At Venture, our gradebooks are not just record-keeping tools.

They are mirrors.

They reflect what we believe about learning, growth, and what it truly means to master something. When used thoughtfully, a gradebook tells a story—not just of performance, but of progress.

This belief is not new for us. For more than a decade, Venture staff have intentionally transformed traditional gradebooks into systems that more accurately reflect student learning. This work has been thoughtful, sustained, and deeply purposeful. It represents a collective commitment to mastery over points, growth over compliance, and truth over convenience—and it is something we are genuinely proud of.

This midpoint of the term is a good time to review your gradebook to ensure:

• Everything is calculating correctly

• Appropriate weight is given to each category (with a minimum of 80% assigned to assessments)

• And most importantly, that every grade entered is essential to determining whether students are mastering the concepts

In a mastery-based system, grades are not meant to be a running tally of compliance, effort, or behavior. They are meant to answer one central question:

What does this student know, understand, and still need to learn?

Because of that, there should be few—if any—grades in gradebooks that do not measure student mastery of the topic. If an assignment does not give you meaningful evidence of learning, it does not belong in the gradebook as a graded artifact.

What This Means in Practice

A mastery-aligned gradebook:

• Prioritizes evidence of learning over task completion

• Weighs assessments heavily because they represent demonstration of understanding

• Uses practice, drafts, and formative work as feedback tools, not grade drivers

• Allows space for revision and reassessment when learning is not yet secure

What to Look for as You Review

As you look at your gradebook, consider:

• Are most grades tied directly to standards or priority learning targets?

• Do assessment categories clearly outweigh practice or participation?

• Would you feel confident explaining how a student’s grade reflects their level of mastery?

If you have any questions about the mechanics of the gradebook, Lena is our technical specialist. If you have questions about how a gradebook reflects mastery of content, please see me or Mantz.

We will be scanning through gradebooks over the next week or so and welcome any questions or thoughts as part of this ongoing work together.

Week of February 2

Bus Duty: Tacke and Cooley
Monday:  
Tuesday: Mantz and Kennedy out @ am
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  Caryn out 😱😱😱
Friday:  Non Work Day

Week of February 9

Bus Duty: Hamilton and Hook
Monday:  Caryn out 😱😱😱
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday:  Cross District Collaboration

Week of February 16

Bus Duty: Levy and Cysewski
Monday:  Presidents Day- No School 
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  Mantz and Kennedy out@am
Thursday:  
Friday: Certified Staff Collaboration Day

Week of February 23

Bus Duty: Wilson and Pensky
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday: Non Work Day

Week of March 2

Bus Duty: Gonzalez and Mazhan

Monday:  
Tuesday: Mantz and Kennedy out@am
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday: Certified Staff Collaboration Day

 

Rethinking anxiety is a topic I had hoped to explore with you all during collaboration time this year, but as so often happens, we haven’t quite had the space for it yet. Still, it’s been on my mind, and I wanted to put it out there as something to think about together.

Anxiety and stress show up in our classrooms every day — expressed in loud explosions and quiet withdrawal. It hums in the background of virtually every move we make at Venture. We usually carry an unspoken assumption about what stress and anxiety mean: that they’re signs of overload, or something that needs to be reduced, managed, or fixed as quickly as possible.

I’ve been thinking about a different question: not how do we reduce anxiety, but what story are we telling about it?

Jonathan Sacks writes, “Narrative is how we construct meaning out of the flow of events… We are, in large measure, the story we tell about ourselves, which means that we are always a work in progress.” That idea has stuck with me. If that’s true, then the meaning our students make of stress and anxiety may matter even more than the feelings themselves.

There’s actually research around this. Psychologists Crum, Salovey, and Achor developed something called the Stress Mindset Measure, which looks at whether people see stress as debilitating or enhancing. What’s interesting is that people can experience the same stressors but respond very differently depending on the story they tell themselves — whether stress means “this is harming me” or “this is challenging me in a way that could grow me.”

How does this relate to our work with students?

What are the stories they tell themselves about anxiety?
Does “feeling stressed” mean “I can’t handle this”?
Or could it sometimes mean “this matters” or “I’m stretching”?

And then a further question for us:
What would happen if we subtly changed our own narrative and began speaking differently about stress and anxiety? Could we, over time, model a relationship with these experiences that might actually help shift students’ experiences?

I don’t have answers here — just curiosity. But I keep coming back to the idea that maybe anxiety isn’t always a sign that something is wrong. Maybe sometimes it’s a sign that something is forming, emerging, or being attempted for the first time. 

And maybe part of our work, individually or collectively, is simply becoming more aware of our narratives around stress and anxiety — and considering whether our story is helping students grow, or whether it is contributing to a view that undermines them.

Not to fix anything.
Not to rush to solutions.
Just to notice the story… and hold open the possibility of a different one.

If you want to dig into this topic a little more, here's a place to begin: Stress Mindset Measure

IPLP - we will do a midterm check in tomorrow during our collaboration time.  Please bring a Chromebook. We will work with departments to answer the questions in the Evaluations link

Week of January 26

Bus Duty: Blank and Knight
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  Celebration Assembly
Thursday:  
Friday:  Non work day

Week of February 2

Bus Duty: Tacke and Cooley
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday:  Non Work Day

Week of February 9

Bus Duty: Hamilton and Hook
Monday:  Caryn out 😱😱😱
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday:  Cross District Collaboration

Week of February 16

Bus Duty: Levy and Cysewski
Monday:  Presidents Day- No School 
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday: Certified Staff Collaboration

Week of February 23

Bus Duty: Wilson and Pensky
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday: Non Work Day

 

Rest and Renewal Ahead

As we move into the final week of the term, I know many of us are feeling the weight of the season. It’s been a long stretch—full of effort, change, and the steady push to help students finish strong. Some days it feels like we’re carrying more than our share, and I just want to say: I see that.

Even when energy feels low, what matters most is still happening here. Students are showing up, teachers are showing care, and small steps forward are adding up. It might not always feel inspiring in the moment, but the quiet, consistent work you do each day is what keeps this place steady and meaningful.

As we head into Thanksgiving break, I hope you’ll notice and make space for micro moments of rest—a deep breath between classes, a walk outside, a few minutes of quiet before heading home. Renewal doesn’t always come from big breaks; sometimes it’s found in the small pauses that remind us we’re human.

Thank you for showing up with heart, even when it’s hard. This work matters, and so do you.

Pictorial Evidence of the Instructional Framework in Action at Venture (Sadly, I can't format the pictures very well)  Please email me photographs of evidence in your classroom of the Instructional Framework at work.

A Fresh Start

Each new term at Venture brings new faces, new energy, and new opportunities to build community. As we prepare for the next group of students, let's take the time to consider the intentional steps we will take to welcome them into our learning communities.

Creating belonging starts with small, deliberate actions: greeting students by name, providing opportunity for them to share a bit of themselves with one another, or setting routines that help everyone feel grounded and known. These gestures send a clear message—you matter here, and we’re in this together.

Prior to the new term, plan the steps to help your new group settle in and connect:

• Revisit and update class norms together—what still fits, what needs to change for this group?

• Use quick team challenges or problem-solving tasks that require collaboration and communication.

• Incorporate structured talk protocols like Think–Pair–Share, Four Corners, or Circle of Viewpoints so every voice is included.

• Do a short “get-to-know-you” reflection or partner interview, then share insights as a class.

• Model curiosity and care—take time to learn students’ names, interests, and goals for the term.

Each of these small moves helps transform a collection of students into a learning community—one that feels connected, purposeful, and ready for what’s next.

Week of November 17
Bus Duty: Blank and Knight
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  Venture Family Night 
Thursday:  Finals
Friday:  Non Work Day

Week of December 1
Bus Duty: Cooley and Tacke
Monday:  First Day of Term 2 (reteach lockdown procedures to new students)
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday:  Certified Staff Collaboration

Week of December 8

Bus Duty: Hamilton and Hook
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  
Friday:  Non Work Day

Week of December 15

Bus Duty: Levy and Cysewski
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  Kennedy & Mantz out@am
Thursday:  Celebration Assembly
Friday:  Non Work Day

 “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” — Parker Palmer

Thank you, Josh!!!

Today is Custodian Appreciation Day—an excellent opportunity to thank Josh for all he does at Venture. Josh, your steady dependability and constant willingness to step in whenever something needs attention are deeply appreciated. You play a big part in making Venture a supportive place for students and staff alike. The way you involve students in your work helps them learn responsibility and take pride in their surroundings. Your quiet dedication keeps our school moving forward, and we are grateful for the care you bring to your role each day.

Spotlight on Thinking Strategies  

One of the staples of our Instructional Framework is Thinking Strategies—the tools we use to increase learner agency and deepen understanding. Over the past week, I’ve seen so many powerful examples of this in action across classrooms: thoughtful use of protocols, intentional wait time, and teachers responding to questions with more questions that stretch student thinking even further.

Here’s what I didn’t see very much of—and it’s worth celebrating: teachers asking a question and then immediately answering it themselves. Not long ago, that was almost the norm in schools everywhere. It’s something most of us grew up with, and many of us carried into our early teaching years.

So kudos and gratitude to each of you for resisting the urge to fill the silence. By leaning into that quiet moment, you’re giving students the chance to process, grapple, and problem-solve. That shift may feel small, but its impact on learning is enormous.

October 3 – Cross-District Collaboration

Location: Coeur d’Alene High School
Goal: Build an understanding of how our Instructional Framework meets the needs of every student and connects to our district strategic plan and HRS goals.

Friday we’ll be joining colleagues from across the district at Coeur d’Alene High School. It’s an early start, so grab some coffee on the way in and plan on breakfast when you arrive. The day is designed to give us time with Scott Murphy and with each other to think more deeply about how we’re using the Instructional Framework in our work.

As Parker Palmer reminds us, “Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.” This day is not about new tricks or quick fixes—it’s about the deeper work of how our teaching identity and shared framework shape what happens for students.

What to Bring

• Phenomenal Teaching

• Notepad and pencil

Schedule at a Glance

• 7:00–8:00 AM – Doors open, continental breakfast, check-in, welcome loop presentation

• 8:00–9:20 AM – Welcome from Dr. Hocker; Workshop 1 with Scott Murphy on the Instructional Framework

• 9:20–9:30 AM – Break

• 9:30–10:10 AM – Workshop 2 with Scott Murphy: Collective efficacy and our work with the framework

• 10:10–11:00 AM – Breakouts by Instructional Framework Staples (facilitated by teacher leaders/admin)

• 11:00–11:30 AM – Breakouts by school building: “Now what?” conversations led by principals

• 11:30 AM – Dismissal

Notes

• Breakout room assignments by staple will be provided on site.

• Scott Murphy’s video explains the breakout protocol (link shared separately).

Thank you for the way you consistently bring your best to these collaboration days. As John Hattie puts it, “The biggest effects on student learning occur when teachers become learners of their own teaching.” That’s the spirit we’re bringing with us—learning together so that we can return to Venture better equipped for the students who need us most.

Let’s Talk Clutter

Clutter is something many of us wrestle with—kids and adults alike. For those who struggle with ADHD, trauma, or even just organization in general, clutter tends to build up quickly. The challenge is that clutter doesn’t just take up space; it creates a sense of chaos that makes it harder to focus and manage daily tasks.

That’s why it’s often recommended that classrooms remain as tidy as possible. A clean, orderly environment helps students focus on learning. This doesn’t mean your classroom should be bare—anchor charts, posters, and other purposeful visuals are powerful tools. But random stacks of materials or piles of “stuff” can easily shift from helpful to distracting.

I want to be clear: I don’t want the job of going room to room deciding what’s too cluttered (maybe Mantz would enjoy that task . That’s for each of us to determine. My ask is simple: take a look at your own space and make the call about what needs to stay and what needs to go.

A related thought—before bringing anything from home into your classroom, pause and ask yourself: Does this contribute to learning, or does it just contribute to clutter? At the end of the school year, or when your time at Venture comes to a close, please plan to take personal items home so our maintenance crew doesn’t end up with the job of disposing of them.

And finally, about the “giveaway” stack in the workroom—it’s been overflowing lately. Josh moved a table to the back hallway where you can place items for others to take. Please limit how long things stay there to about a week. If no one picks them up, the responsibility is yours to remove them—either take them home or throw them out. This helps us discourage clutter throughout the building.

Thanks for taking a few minutes to think about your spaces. A little effort from all of us goes a long way toward keeping Venture a calm, welcoming, and focused place for our students. A clutter-free environment not only lightens the load for us—it shows our students the pride we take in their learning space.

Week of October 6
Bus Duty: Tacke and Cooley
Monday:  
Tuesday: Kennedy, Mantz out @ am
Wednesday:  
Thursday: Kennedy out
Friday: Non Work Day

Week of October 13
Bus Duty: Hamilton and Hook
Monday:  
Tuesday: Kennedy and Mantz out am
Wednesday:  Kennedy and Mantz out am
Thursday: 
Friday: Non Work Day

Week of October 20
Bus Duty: Levy and Crysewski
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday: 
Friday:  Certified Staff Collaboration day

Week of October 27
Bus Duty: Wilson and Penske
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday: 
Friday: Non Work day

 

September 26 Staff Meeting Update

Our next staff meeting will be Friday, September 26:

8:00–9:00 a.m. in the library. During this time, we’ll complete a self-assessment using the instructional framework.

9:00 - 9:30 a.m. School-connect in library (this is only for those who have been invited.  The company limited the number who can attend.

9:30 - 10:00 advisory in library

10:00 - 11:00 dept. mtgs.

11:00 - 12:00 - Leadership meeting. In the conference room: Kennedy, Mantz, Levy, Mires, Mahoney, Njoku

Several of us will be attending a School-Connect training on Friday. If you have particular questions about School-Connect that you’d like addressed, please email them to me so we can be sure your questions are included.

At this point, we do not yet have access to Homeroom Evaluations, so we will hold off on working on IPLPs. However, you are encouraged to continue talking within your departments about the goals you will set for this school year.

Thank you for the energy, thoughtfulness, and care you continue to bring to your work—it makes a real difference for our students and our community.

From Community to Discourse

Last week we looked at how routines, space, and relationships lay the groundwork for community. This week, let’s build on that idea by focusing on one of the most powerful outcomes of community: student discourse.

When students feel safe and connected, they are more willing to share ideas, listen deeply, and take intellectual risks. Discourse is where respect, belonging, and structure translate into learning. Wendy Ward Hoffer emphasizes, “When students are invited to do the thinking, they grow capacity and confidence.” Discourse is one of the key ways this happens—when students explain their reasoning, challenge one another, and build on peers’ ideas, they are constructing knowledge together.

When we design for discourse, we are doing more than shaping an academic routine—we are responding to a deeper human need. As Parker Palmer reminds us, “The human heart yearns for connectedness. We need connections to ourselves, to others, to the worlds of history and nature, to the circle of community, to the mystery of the universe.” Discourse in the classroom helps answer that yearning. It gives students a place to connect with ideas and with one another, transforming learning into something that is both intellectual and deeply human.

At Venture, we regularly use protocols—Chalk Talk, See–Think–Wonder, Save the Last Word—to amplify student voice, balance participation, and shift ownership of learning toward students. In October, we’ll have the chance to step back and reflect on how these moves connect directly to Domain 2 practices and the culture of learning we’re building together.

Between now and then, I encourage you to pause and notice:

• When students talk, are they mostly talking to you—or to each other?

• How might routines open space for more voices?

• Whose thinking is being highlighted, and how can it be expanded?

Just as routines create a culture of belonging, discourse creates a culture of shared thinking. Together, they transform classrooms into communities where every student has a voice—and every voice matters.

Reflective Question: As you look ahead to October, what is one way you might strengthen discourse so that students are talking to learn—not just talking to answer?

Credits, Credits, Who Wants a Credit?

Here is the registration link for Fall 2025 UI Professional Development courses.  Participants must register online through the link(s) provided below by December 19, 2025.  Please note that educators must first create an account in Keeplearning.uidaho.edu  to register and pay.

Venture Academy Fall 2025 PD

Supervision of Instruction (if your name is not on one of these lists, please let me know)

Kennedy will supervise instruction for:

English Dept: Levy, Hamilton, Cysewski, Blank, 

Social Studies:  Wilson, Tacke

Online: Mires, Doering, Smith, Mahoney, Orchard, Sewell, Vaughan

Zimmerman, Kayne, Durk

Mantz will supervise:

Math: Gonzalez, Knight, Mazhan, 

Electives: Hook, Cooley

Sp.Ed: Njoku, Kenner

Smotherman

Science: Penske, Nettles

Hernandez, Bond, Griffitts, 

In the next week we will send out a sign up sheet for observations.

Week of September 29
Bus Duty:  Blank and Knight
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday:  Custodian Appreciation Day - Thank you, Josh!!!
Friday: 7:00 am Cross District collaboration- certified staff

Week of October 6
Bus Duty: Tacke and Cooley
Monday:  
Tuesday: Kennedy, Mantz out @ am
Wednesday:  
Thursday: Kennedy out
Friday: Non Work Day

Week of October 13
Bus Duty: Hamilton and Hook
Monday:  
Tuesday: Kennedy and Mantz out am
Wednesday:  Kennedy and Mantz out am
Thursday: 
Friday: Non Work Day

Week of October 20
Bus Duty: Levy and Crysewski
Monday:  
Tuesday: 
Wednesday:  
Thursday: 
Friday:  Certified Staff Collaboration day