Happy Friday! Can you believe it's already May?
Educator Appreciation Week:
Next week is Educator Appreciation Week - a week to honor EACH of you! Don't forget about all the special events next week, including breakfast on Monday morning! One addition - on Tuesday, our PTO is buying pizzas for lunch. Please note - we are planning on 1-2 slices per person, so please be respectful of that (if you need more, please pack a snack).
Class Placement Process:
Just a reminder of our class placement process, which is fully underway! If you are a classroom teacher, please see my email (from Kenneth) with directions on how to enter your information into the shared spreadsheet.
Also, just to clarify, we do not take teacher requests at McKinley (I'm seeing more this year). We take environmental requests, which means a family can request the type of environment they are requesting. We do not request individual teachers. Additionally, please remember, there are no "under the table deals". All requests should go through the office and not be handled at a classroom level.
Positive Office Referrals:
As we close out the year, please remember that Positive Office Referrals are for any time that a student goes above and beyond or impresses you. We have a lot of learners in the building who are regularly doing this and are not recognized. Just a friendly reminder - if you come across a student who put in extra effort, is always engaged/ready/learning, or just a time you are impressed - that would be a great candidate for a positive referral.
STRIDE Programming:
Next year, we have our setting
Kyle DeKam Leadership Award:
Each year, our Owatonna Middle School has a "Kyle DeKam Leadership Award" in honor of late principal Kyle DeKam. For those of you who don't know Kyle, he was a 6th grade teacher, as well as the Wilson and Owatonna Junior High School Principal. Kyle was a highly regarded leader for our District, as well as the community. Below is some background on the journey, as told by Jodie DeKam Valentine:
I have attended two sessions of the "Aspiring Leaders" cohort hosted by Justin Kiel as of today. As always with Justin, we are left with a call to action - a challenge to take with us. I spent some time reflecting on my leadership roles in the district over my 32 year career.
I began my career at McKinley in 1991. I taught first grade and was mentored by some incredible educators. They led by example. They greeted colleagues, shared ideas, collaborated, and allowed me to share my celebrations and frustrations with them. I continued my career at Washington from 2002- 2013. Again, I was with co-workers who I could plan with, share with, laugh with...and follow by example. We didn't just talk about our students, - we talked about life, balancing work and family, self care outside of school, and how we could support one another. I was on committees, trained in specialty skills, wrote curriculum, and all the other various leadership duties we do as teachers. I was also fortunate to have spent all of these early years married to a man who was definitely a leader by example, - Kyle DeKam. He held himself to high standards as first a teacher and then a principal. He worked hard to create and facilitate environments where even though he knew everyone might not agree with his style or decisions, he remained fair and did his best to encourage everyone to be the best they could be. There was so much more in him he would have done if he could have had the chance. He made me a better person in so many ways, including in the way I viewed education and carried myself professionally. We chose together to try and set a healthy example of work / life balance for our three boys to live by.
Life changed in so many ways after he passed away in 2012. Not only for the boys and I as a new family structure, but for me professionally. Now my role included balancing life, family, and the grief of three children, plus myself. I had to prioritize. I could not always be on the committees or do the extra work. I continued to have people who lifted me up, guided me, and picked me up when I needed it most. I didn't settle for being less than my best for my children or students.
I am not the same person I was before loss. It isn't possible to remain who you were and continue forward because nothing around you is the same. What didn't change for me was my vision of how to lead. If my children were going to have one parent going forward, then I had better be the best one I could be. I needed a lot of support and reminders to stay the course, but what got me through the toughest days was realizing that sometimes picking someone else up can make your day better, and in turn, over time, make YOU better.
So I reflected on this today after the session ended. How have I been a leader? What have I done in my career to consider myself deserving of such a title?
I didn't do anything extravagant, and I do not have a fancy important career title. I did not go into a field that was going to make me financially wealthy. I did not go into a job that earns many outward accolades. I did not have a step by step plan that got me where I am today.
But I did lead. I lead myself through some dark days without bringing others down with me. I did my best every single day to lead my boys through their childhood and tried to make it the best possible life they could have after the adversity they were dealt. I volunteered when I felt down, to try and pick others up, and ended up lifting my own spirits. I led myself into uncomfortable situations when it was the last thing I thought I could do, and ended up holding my head high and feeling proud.
So, think about the little things you do each day. The ways you lift others. The way you do what you know is right even though no one is watching. The times you give up something so someone else's day is better. When I considered all of this, I knew where my leadership role had been all along. I continued to carry myself like the person I knew I could be, and do what I knew was right, no matter what each day dealt me. Each time I succeeded, I reminded myself that maybe my journey would help guide others who needed the same strength I did.
Our family is so incredibly proud of the establishment of the Kyle DeKam Leadership Award. We are year 10, and each year, kids nominate each other for simply the way someone makes them better. It feels so good to give back in this way, and to allow OMS students to recognize their peers for the leadership they show each day, - by example.
Here is the message we created as a family:
Building Weekly Newsletter:
Have a GREAT weekend!
-Justin
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