Thank You to our School Principals!

This week is Principal Appreciation Week, one of the many Appreciation weeks where we celebrate a group of individuals for their work in education. Let me be the first to say that I am a big fan of our school administrators.  Their days are filled from beginning to end...and usually it's difficult to know when they end.

They serve as the Instructional Leader in their building, which means they are responsible for how content is shared with every child in every classroom.  They supervise a school full of employees, from teachers, to nurses, to instructional assistants.  They ensure students and staff have a safe and secure environment in which to work and to learn.  They support student growth and success in academics and in life skills.  Principals and Assistant Principals realize their plan for the day can quickly change based on the type of day one of their students is having.  They stay late to address the emails, phone calls, and paperwork they were unable to get to during the day.  They go home exhausted, many times without even eating lunch, and often take with them more unfinished work they hope to tackle.

So why do they do it?  For the same reason as teachers and others in education--they love their students.  All of their students.  And they appreciate their employees.  They know that they are the main champion for every child in their building, and for every one of their staff members.  They accept that responsibility and are rewarded with hugs, smiling faces, thank yous, and other little gifts.  Usually these expressions of gratitude come at just the right time and make a difficult day not so difficult.

We wanted to give our principals a big Thank You and let them know that we appreciate them every week, not just this one.  But it is a good time to publicly acknowledge all that they do and to tell them how glad we are that they chose to work in Isle of Wight County.

We created a special video for our principals so they could hear from their staff, students, and parents who share how much their principal means to them.  I encourage you to share your own message of appreciation with your child's principal and assistant principals during this week, and any time throughout the school year.  As Mother Teresa noted, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”  

We Appreciate Our Principals! (Video)

Any Time is the Right Time to Tell a Teacher You Appreciate Them

Today wraps up Teacher Appreciation Week and our schools have gone to great lengths to make this week about the teachers.   We've had schools provide on site spa services (thanks to our Cosmetology students), a break room makeover, and lots of food.  There were ice cream trucks, pancake breakfasts, snack carts, cookies, lunches, and a big sheet cake from Central Office.

All of these gestures don't begin to match the level of appreciation we have for our teachers, because they are so much more than teachers.  When we think back to our time in school and the teachers who made an impact on our lives, we usually aren't thinking about what they taught.  We remember how they treated us and how they made us feel.  The teachers we recall as our favorites were the ones that took time to build  relationships with us.

When I was in high school, I had a computer science teacher named Mr. Whalley.  He also lived on a farm and hired a small group of students to work on the farm during the summer.  I was part of that group one year. It was hard work, but we had the best time and became like a family.  We even had an end of summer celebration before heading back to school. Mr. Whalley talked to all of us about our future.  I didn't really have plans for the future; I just wanted to get through high school.  But Mr. Whalley recognized that I was skilled in math and he encouraged me to go to college and study math.  This was the first time anyone truly believed I had the ability to go to college and be successful. I appreciated the fact that he had confidence in me and saw a brighter future for me than I saw for myself.

James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.  Mr. Whalley took time to get to know me and develop that positive relationship.  He encouraged me.  He respected me.  He guided me.  I think this is what we remember when we think back on the teachers who made a difference in our lives.  And I believe the greatest show of appreciation we can give to them is to say "Thank you", and to say it often.  I'm not sure if I ever said it to Mr. Whalley, even though I'm sure he knew how much I appreciated him.

To all of the teachers in IWCS, please accept my sincerest "Thank You" for all you do for our students, families, and community.  I encourage everyone to take a minute to publicly thank a teacher, either a teacher who taught your child, or one of your former teachers.  Let them know what they mean to you and tell them Thank You for being such a special person.  Remember:  you don't need to only do this during Teacher Appreciation Week.  Anytime is the right time to tell a teacher how much they impacted your, or your child's, life.

February is School Board Appreciation Month

February 2019 has been designated as School Board Appreciation Month in Virginia. The theme — Leading for Success — reflects the top priority of local school board members as they advocate for public education with local, state, and federal leaders on behalf of all students.

As citizen leaders, school board members face complex and demanding challenges. Yet few people fully understand the scope and far reaching implications of board members’ responsibilities. Virginians should recognize the vital contributions of these men and women and focus attention on the crucial role these elected public officials play in the education of our children. Their job is to establish a vision for the education program, design a structure to achieve that vision, ensure schools are accountable to the community and strongly advocate continuous improvement in student learning.

That job entails an endless string of meetings and school functions to attend; reams of reports, agendas, proposals and other information to read and study; and a host of difficult decisions to make. Although they wear many hats in the workday world, school board members put on a collective hat when they get down to the business of leading their school divisions. Board members must pull together as a team toward a common goal of helping all students achieve. Though individual school board members may sometimes disagree on issues, their role as a member of the school board is to consistently strive toward the goal of high academic achievement. Working together, school board members speak out for public schools and the students they serve.

Board members contribute hundreds and hundreds of hours each year leading their divisions. Whether it is crafting policies, hiring top-notch administrators, listening to staff and student concerns or recognizing outstanding programs, board members always keep their eyes on the goal of student achievement.

The time spent in board meetings represents just a small fraction of the hours school board members spend leading in their divisions. They also work hard at seminars and training sessions to keep abreast of the latest trends in educational leadership, are deeply involved in community activities and spend many hours in the schools and at extracurricular events. Their love for learning, and concern and caring for students, staff and community, drives board members’ desire to lead so students can achieve.

In recognition of the dedicated service of school board members throughout Virginia, February has been designated as School Board Appreciation Month. This is the time to show our recognition and to increase our understanding of how local board members work together to provide a better future for our children. Please join me in saluting our board members who provide grassroots governance of public schools. I encourage each of you to make a special effort to tell each school board member that their hard work has been noticed and is truly appreciated.

Vicky Hulick, Chairman, Newport District        

Jackie Carr, Vice-Chairman, Carrsville District 

Kirstin Cook, Smithfield District        

Julia Perkins, Windsor District      

Alvin Wilson, Hardy District