Snow Day? A retro blog about decision making.

Anatomy of a Snow Day

Recently, Amy and I were able to drive to my hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan to visit with my mother and two brothers.  It was a great drive and as we were approaching the Michigan state line, we began to see traces of snow on the ground!  That was a great reminder to me to let you know of my thought process in determining what constitutes a snow day and what does not.

The decision making process is different for our school in comparison to other surrounding independent schools and public schools.  Things I do have to consider include our faculty and staff driving in, our parents and their drive in, our bus routes and safe pick up and delivery, and the safety in and around the campus.  One thing I do not have to consider is having student drivers on the road!  Our school calendar and the required number of days in attendance does not play a role in closing school, safety always comes first.  There is a process regarding make up days should we go over the amount of extra days.  This is highly unlikely however.

If we do not close and the roads are questionable, our students are not counted tardy for that day.  I want your child(ren) at school, but I want them safely brought to school, so take your time!

When our area anticipates wintery weather, I rise at 5:00 AM or earlier and check the local news and the radar and forecast on the National Weather Service website.  Since our decision is independent of all other schools, I like to make sure all bases are covered before I make a final decision.  The first call I make is to Hannah so we can update our website and send out notices via email and text.  Next, I call four local television stations Channels 2, 4, 5, and 17.  In my experience in Memphis, I know that television stations are not the most reliable in regards to timely posting…so check our website first!

At this point it is around 6:15 or 6:30 and I have another decision to make – stay home and sit by the fire, or go in to work and complete some much needed paperwork that has built up over the last several weeks.  Sometimes, I choose to drive in just because I’m from Michigan and need to prove it to myself I can still drive in snow and ice.  So, if you see me in a ditch somewhere, just shake your head as you pass.  Stubborn Michigander.

I hope this gives you some insight into how I make the decision to close or stay open.  As you read, the fastest way to find out is to check our website at www.sumneracademy.org.

Take Care Now

So, we were ready to have a big week of fun and excitement for my wife’s fifty-fourth birthday.  The week included dinner out, tickets to see Josh Turner at the Ryman, and then head The Grove in Oxford, Mississippi Saturday for some tailgating with her family and rooting the Volunteers on.  One perforated appendix had other ideas.

In the early morning hours of her birthday, she complained of severe abdominal pain.  Our daughter, Madelyn, had surprised her Sunday by coming home for the celebration.  Instead, she ended up taking her mother to the doctor’s office.  An ultrasound was ordered for later that afternoon.  The initial reading of the ultrasound was inconclusive.  We were told if the pain became unbearable, head to the emergency room.  The next morning it was, we were in the Skyline Medical Center’s ER at 6:00 AM.  We had six, yes, six, nurses/techs/doctors there taking care of Amy.  Another ultrasound and a CT was ordered and it was still inconclusive, but many possibilities were thrown out.  We were admitted and in a room by 11:00 AM.  The two main nurses we had, Jackie during the day and Michael at night, showed exceptional care.  They both went above and beyond the call of duty in their caring and attention to detail.  Especially since it took the surgeon nine hours to consult with us.

That’s when it hit me.

I was seeing in this hospital setting the same thing our parents share with me regularly about Sumner Academy.  The teachers go well above and beyond the call of duty in their caring and attention to detail.  I have termed this practice, “prescriptive education.”  Since the founding of the school, the vision and mission has not wavered, “Our mission is to discover and cultivate each child’s unique abilities.”

Postscript:

Amy has healed completely thanks to the attention and care she received at Skyline Medical Center.  Our students continue to reap the benefits of a Sumner Academy education including the attention and care they receive fro each and every faculty member here.

Safe at Home

Since my beloved Detroit Tigers are no longer playing baseball, I will uncharacteristically refrain from making a sports analogy with my blog title.

Where do you feel the safest?  When we were growing up, most likely, it was home with your parents.  It was a safe, nurturing, and loving environment and you just had the feeling that all was well when you were there.

We hear the same words to describe Sumner Academy from our parents.  They consistently report how their children feel safe, nurtured, and loved in our learning environment.  Most of these feelings come from the classroom.  Our students trust their teachers and perform for them academically in a way I have not experienced in my thirty-plus years in education.  Meeting this basic need allows our children to grow academically, socially, and physically without having to worry about being safe.

Being safe in schools has become more and more a topic of concern.  Moving here in the summer of 2013, one of the first local school articles I read was about the Sumner County Schools hiring resource police officers in every school.  They trumpeted this as a good thing.  I have been told this line item is close to a one million dollar cost per year.  What a disappointing commentary on today’s society.

When parents drop off their children at Sumner Academy, they have the knowledge, trust, and confidence that they will be safe.  Last year, the entire faculty and staff was involved in writing the school’s first Crisis Action Guide.  In the unlikely event of a crisis on campus, the guide gives a step-by-step process to follow.  Much time and energy (and cost) went into the publication of this guide which can be found in every room on campus.

We appreciate the way our parents care for our school and hope that they are able to convey that feeling to others who may be interested in becoming part of the Sumner Academy Family.

Headmaster Gets Schooled

Professional development for me comes in different ways.  Being able to attend a national conference isn’t something that I can do budget-wise every year.  In mid-July thousands of elementary and middle school principals met at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel for the National Association of Elementary School Principal’s National Conference (insert your own joke here).  Having the conference thirty miles away was a real blessing.

It was my fourth such conference and a great chance for me to see outstanding speakers, hear what is going on with various colleagues around the country, and witness what impact national policies and legislation is having on elementary principals.  As an independent school leader, I was definitely in the minority by about 99.5% to 00.5%.  It was refreshing for me not to have to attend Common Core themed discussions and presentations which dominated the agenda. 

Instead, I heard one of the best presentations ever by Robert Fulghum who authored the best seller, “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”  He told a beautiful story about his neighborhood elementary school.  During his morning walks, he always knows what season it is by what is displayed on the windows of the classrooms.  From fall leaves, to pumpkins, to snowflakes, the seasons are all on display.  On one such occasion, he ran into the principal, a very busy man, and mentioned the beautiful snowflakes.  The principal replied, what beautiful snowflakes?  Mr. Fulghum walked him to the nearest kindergarten snowflakes window display which the principal had never noticed.  They both stood there and enjoyed the sight.  The message here is for more than just principals: Don’t miss the snowflakes.

Todd Whitaker is a highly sought after speaker and former principal.  He concentrates his messages on moving ordinary schools to extraordinary ones.  Schools which are extraordinary shape a vision of academic success for each student (sound familiar?).  He also stated that schools that are extraordinary keep the needs of the students first in all they do.  It is so refreshing to hear what we do at our school being espoused on a national stage.

Finally, Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor held a session championing iCivics.  This is a web based civics program for middle and high schools.  Still sharp as a tack at 84, she told of not being able to find a job after law school due to her gender. She eventually found employment as a deputy county attorney in San Mateo County, California after she offered to work for no salary and without an office and sharing space with a secretary.  Her message to us was the importance of civics in the curriculum.  It was a personal delight for me to meet her afterward and have her sign some books.  The Secret Service was very careful to explain how to have the books out, don’t ask for the book to be personalized, and keep moving.  It was a bit like the soup line in a Seinfeld episode.  When she noticed I had bought a hard back copy, she asked who it was for.  I told her it was for my son Tucker who teaches history and government in high school.  We had a nice talk about Tucker before the next person came up.  When I looked in his book later, I noticed she personalized it and wrote a sweet note.  I hope the Secret Service doesn’t read this blog.

Learning never ends, even for headmasters.  This love of lifelong learning is something we are instilling in each of our students here at Sumner Academy.

Seven Common Parenting Mistakes

I have never claimed to be the perfect parent.  Usually, the perfect parenting moment for me arrives just after I made a not-so-perfect parental decision.  I do like to read advice on parenting and pass along those that I feel strike a nerve with me, and maybe you as the reader.

Dr. Tim Elmore is an expert in the transition of children becoming adults.  He has written over twenty-five books and founded Growing Leaders http://growingleaders.com/ which is dedicated to mentoring today’s young people to become the leaders of tomorrow.  Here is his take on some parental behaviors which keep our children from growing into leaders:

Ø  We don’t let our children experience risk.  Children should be able to fail without parental interference.  We have all heard about helicopter parents…sometimes you need to turn off the key and let your child crash.  (this is probably the hardest thing as a parent to do)

Ø  We rescue too quickly.  It is human nature to swoop in and protect our children.  As in the first point, we are removing the child’s ability to navigate choppy waters on their own.  We need to remember that children are often much more resilient than we are as adults.

Ø  We rave too easily.  Face Book posts are such a culprit here.  When our children hear us constantly rave and sometimes downplay poor behavior, children often avoid difficult realities and can resort to lying and cheating. 

Ø  We let guilt get in the way of learning well.  Children can get over disappointments in life, but it is much more difficult to get over being spoiled.  Material rewards for something like good grades takes away any possibility of intrinsic motivation or unconditional love.

Ø  We don’t share our past mistakes.  Teenagers will push the envelope.  These may be the very envelopes you pushed when you were there age.  “Life lessons” are more meaningful when it is YOUR life as their parent.  Share your feelings on how you felt in a break-up, or being left out of a party.

Ø  We mistake intelligence, giftedness and influence for maturity.  Children learn and grow at different rates.  Keep from comparing your child to those around them.  There is no magic age of responsibility and research shows that the brain is not fully developed until the ages of 20-23.

Ø  We don’t practice what we preach.  We need to model the life we want our children to live.  If that means praying before a meal in a crowded restaurant, then those behaviors must be modeled by you.  Be mindful of those ethical choices that are before you…there are always another set of eyes or two watching what you will do.

One of Dr. Elmore’s favorite lines is, “coach them, more than coddle.”  There are many moments in the past I would have loved to practice these but failed in doing so.  Perhaps we can allow our parents, our children’s grandparents to display these seven mistakes!

My next blog will discuss some thoughts from attending the National Association of Elementary School Principals Conference held right here in Central Tennessee!

If it's Thursday it must be Soccer, or is it Ballet?

I am a huge proponent of the arts, athletics, hobbies, and other endeavors which help to round out who we are as people.  The most common pastime for me and my neighborhood friends was to head to the field for football or baseball depending on the season.  A few of us even had an indoor hockey league during those snowy days in Michigan and we would take our plastic hockey players and play on each other’s table top hockey games, complete with statistics.  We would play until the sun started to go down and run home as fast as we could before dark, sometimes we even made it.

Today, things have changed quite a bit.  If your child has a special interest, you can find others locally and enroll your child in that endeavor.  Most of these things take our finances and more importantly our time.

Here are some healthy guidelines about scheduling (and over scheduling your child’s time) from the National Association of Elementary School Principals:

>  Aim for three activities.  A great balance would include one athletic, one artistic and one social, not necessarily all in one week.

>  Limit involvement.  This avoids burnout and keeps the child focused on just a few activities.

>  Broaden their horizons.  Encourage “stretching” their interests with new pursuits.

>  Be supportive and not critical.  You should be your child’s biggest cheerleader.  The goal should be to expand a child’s interest, not to live vicariously through them or to expect the next LeBron James.

>  Schedule downtime.  We all need time to reflect, rest, and relax.

>  Change it up.  Time and energy spent on one sport or activity can be draining and can lead to burn out.

>  Watch for signs of stress.  This is a key factor for not only your child, but you as well.  Watch for signs of stress in your child including stomachaches, headaches, difficulty paying attention and a drop off in interest in the activity.

>  Decompress at home.  Family dinners are an excellent way to communicate about what is going on in the lives of each family member.  Schedule regular dinners with everyone at the table at the same time.

We all want what is best for our children.  Sometimes we need to take a

step back rather than forward.

Share-Care-Wear

I love getting together with other heads of school.  Since the position of head of an independent school is unique in nature to other jobs, I relish time spent with those who share my vocation.  It is also a great time to steal innovative ideas and programs from them.  With that being said, this blog’s title and idea comes from a fellow head, the content is all mine however.

As Sumner Academy steps into its next forty years of service there are three ways you as a parent, friend, alumni parent, or alumni can assist our school to thrive and prosper.  Just think of the following three rhyming words…share-care-wear.

SHARE

The best means of marketing for our school is reading this blog right now!  Sharing your experiences at Sumner Academy with those who may not know about our school opens the door for us to serve others.  As we attempt to increase enrollment, we need you to help us reach as many Sumner-Wilson-Davidson County families as possible.  Share our mission, our website, and more importantly what Sumner Academy means to you.

CARE

There are several ways to care for our school.  One of those is sharing monetarily.  Most of you have received a letter from me requesting additional funds for our annual fund.  As a parent, you were “hit up” several times this year for donations, gifts, and even dog food.  The policy of different groups asking you for money over and over and over is changing.  Next year we will limit the times the school asks you for money in addition to tuition and our adventure education trips.  Here is what we will be focusing on: (1) The Annual Fund.  You will see a formal campaign next year on how your gift to the annual fund will support our mission and long range strategic planning.  (2) The Auction.  What a great time for fellowship and supporting our school while winning some fabulous items and services.  (3) A Top Secret Event planned for February you will not want to miss.  Intrigued?  I hope so!

WEAR

Seeing our Spirit Wear around the area helps with our brand marketing.  You will have a chance to purchase more Spirit Wear when school begins.  Our hoodies are appropriate for school and the new dress code!  Being a rather big guy, I am a walking billboard for the school.  Let’s show our school spirit whether it be our logo shirts or new athletic logo items.  Please join me in this “walking billboard project.”

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s education.  We have remarkable children at this school and I know they come from remarkable families!