Principal Anna...

 Hello from Principal Anna! Exciting things have happened over the last couple of weeks. Last Thursday we had the Bellaire Nature Discovery come to campus and show all the students some interesting animals. Over the last two weeks we’ve had the Houston Ballet Adaptive Dance group here to teach us some new moves. This Friday a pizza truck will be on campus to give us fancy pizza. On Thursday, I was able to be “Principal of the Day,” and I wanted to share my experience. 

First, I passed out breakfast tacos to the teachers and made sure that they all had a good start to their day. I then helped out with carpool and greeted students as they arrived. After carpool, Mr. Mitch and I greeted all the classes and then I observed and assisted Mrs. Debi’s 3D Art class. My next task was to meet with Mrs. Ginger about the field trip finances, and then Mrs. Debi about the teacher appreciation cards. After both of these meetings I was then able to spend some time with Mrs. Julianne at the front desk and talked with her about my favorite field trip to the Crocodile Encounter. Finally, my morning ended with helping Mr. Jaime tour the campus and check that everything was working alright. I really enjoyed being able to boss people around in the morning.

During the second half of the day I had a special lunch from Raising Cane’s and ate in the office with Mr. Justin. During lunch I changed the recess and lunch policy and allowed students to use cell phones. I also gave them an extra 10 minutes of recess. All the students were so pumped and thanked me over and over, especially David. Many students declared that I was “the best principal ever!” After recess I went with Mr. Justin and did a tour of the school to check on classrooms and teachers to make sure everything was going well. All classes were on task and working hard. After our school walk-through, the Leadership Team and I had a meeting to discuss future activities here at Crossroads. I was able to convince them that we should go to It’z next year instead of Main Event. To do this we had to look at the costs comparisons of the two trips and weigh the pros and cons of both places, but with my suggestions the Leadership Team decided that going to It’z was the better option. I also made sure that everything was on track for the pizza truck tomorrow. Finally, my day ended with observing an elementary class learn about themes of stories. The students were involved in the story and I think they liked it. My favorite part of being principal was hanging out with the teachers and being bossy. Overall, it was a fantastic day, but I’m exhausted and tired of being principal. I’m ready to be a student again.

Sincerely,



Principal Anna

Principal of the Day

Principal Anna meets with the Leadership Team to propose a field trip to It'z next year instead of Main Event. She was able to provide information to compare the two. She planned the budget for the event in a meeting with Head of Business and Finance prior to the Team meeting.

Student David was excited to use his phone during recess today. It was one of the changes Principal Anna instituted for the day. (Above)

Principal Anna is seated in her office and getting ready for a full day of activities. (Below)

PRINCIPAL ANNA'S SCHEDULE OF THE DAY

8:00 am -Check in with Ms. Julianne for badge and schedule

8:10 am - Greet teachers with Mr. Mitch

8:20 am -Carpool at the Winsome side with Mr. Justin

8:30 am - Greet classes with positive message for the day with Mr. Mitch

8:45 am - Observe and assist in 3D Art class with Ms. Debi

9:30 am - Meet with Acting Head of School- Ms. Debi

9:45 am - Budget meeting with Ms. Ginger

10:00 am - Inventory of supplies/textbooks with Ms. Julianne

10:30 am -Facilities review with Mr. Jaime

11:00 am - Assist Head of Social Development with Mr. Mitch

11:30 am -Cover Front Desk–with Ms. Julianne

11:55 am - Special Lunch with Mr. Justin

12:10 pm – 12:40 pm -Supervise recess with Mr. Justin and announce cell phone usage

12:40 pm – 1:35 pm -School walk through of all classes and rooms with Mr. Justin

1:35 pm – 2:00 pm -Leadership Team meeting with Mr. Justin, Mr. Mitch, Ms. Ginger and Ms. Debi

2:00 pm - Teacher observation with Mr. Justin

2:30 pm-3:20 pm - Write article for the weekly newsletter in her “office”

3:20 pm – 3:45 pm - Carpool at Winsome with Mr. Justin

Practicing Self-Assessment Through A Daily Student Journal

Throughout this year, we have been redeveloping a Crossroads tradition: a daily check-in tool designed to support student effort, engagement, and behavior. We started off with a new set of goals relating to students’ readiness to learn and respectfully engage with activities, peers, and teachers. To assess these goals, numerical ratings were replaced with positive descriptions of varying effort levels. We added a comment section for students to use during each class, to note ways they engaged or enjoyed the work or other elements of their time with that teacher. Another major shift in the intention of this system has been for students to assess themselves with openness and to take note of improvements to build on.

In the early spring, the rating range was expanded based on suggestions from students about finer shades of effort and their own experiences of doing well, for instance, but with more room for improvement. Formal meetings with students were held in March to get additional input. Students felt that, despite the neutral words for effort, the ratings translated to good/bad, which was not motivating. Other students expressed that the sheet lacked meaning for them, overall. They asked for removal of the ratings entirely, and we agreed to expand the comments section into a journal for their thoughts shaped through discussions with teachers.

Also new this year is a set of Crossroads Campus Values, developed during a workshop I led for the entire staff. As the goal sheet system was transformed into a self-assessment journal, we added elements of our campus values, from which students develop goals for the week: Open Mindset, Ready, Respectful, Responsible, and Perseverant. We have been using the journals for 3 weeks now. Students are discussing their time in class with teachers, considering their experiences with the weekly goal in mind. Among the comments, students have noticed that an open mindset helped keep them stay flexible during class, helped with ignoring distractions, and with attitudes toward new academic material. They have mentioned progress and success with class projects and activities. The journal is still new, yet it is the product of continual work on a supportive and authentic tool that has been shaped by staff and student interest. I look forward to seeing how this evolution of our assessment system will benefit Crossroads students, supporting the practice of self-assessment and an increased impact on their own social and academic learning.

Mitch Pengra

Head of Social Development

Nightrageous 3 is Friday, May 17 6:00 pm-9:00 pm

Graduation / End of Year Event

Please mark your calendars to attend the culminating event for this school year. Graduation will be held in the Social Hall at Congregation Brith Shalom at 4610 Bellaire Blvd . The parking and entrance is located in the rear of the facility, off of Cedar Street. More information will follow.

May 24, 2019 at 9:00 AM

Parents and Guests are welcome

Yearbook Ads and Messages

Honor your child with a TRIBUTE MESSAGE, which can include text or pictures. You can also ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS with an ad in the Crossroads full-color, Yearbook! Please send your information to Ms. Julianne . DEADLINE EXTENDED to May 19.

Sizes Available:

Business Card $25

1/4 Page $50

1/2 Page $75

Full Page $150

Click on the cover graphic to download the form for submitting tributes or ads.

Summer Classes

Crossroads School does not offer summer programs but sometimes our teachers tutor or offer private programs utilizing our facilities. Below is one such opportunity. Please contact Ms. Azmae directly if you are interested.

Community Events

Periodically, we are contacted by local organizations and we are asked to share a program that might be of interest to our student body. Parents are encouraged to research the programs if interested as Crossroads School, Inc. does not specifically endorse or vouch for them

FocusWeek is a special summer program for children and teenagers with ADHD and/or executive functioning issues. If you have students who need to improve planning, organization, overall behavior, and/or emotional regulation, please pass on this brochure or send a link to my website:  www.theconativegroup.com

 

FocusWeek includes (5) 2-hour group therapy sessions, Monday – Friday and also includes a parent wrap-up session. Four sections of FocusWeek are offered based on age/grade, from early elementary through high school. Topics are addressed through age-appropriate activities and discussion. Students will leave FocusWeek with a plan for practicing these new skills so they can start the next school year better prepared.

Crossroads School Events & Reminders