AWSP News Dec 4

Hello and welcome to another episode of AWSP News.

I know I can’t say this enough, so I’ll keep saying it. Go look in a mirror and remind yourself what a HUGE impact you are making. Your leadership matters. Your influence matters. And, your beacon of hope matters. Keep fighting because you are making a difference and don’t ever forget it.

Work-life balance for school leaders was always a challenge before, but the boundaries seem to be even more blurry now. Please make sure you are being intentional about disconnecting from “work” as best as you can. Schedule “blocked” time in your calendar to address email and tasks. Schedule and take breaks, lunch, etc. Turn off your email notifications at night. Silence your phone. And most importantly, don’t read emails while laying in bed. That does not help anything. Your school needs you to be your best self.

We also know that you are Zoomed out with virtual meetings which doesn’t help with that balance. At AWSP we’ve worked hard to adjust our offerings to make sure that all of our ProLearning opportunities are short, sweet and powerful. Connecting with other school leaders walking this same journey is so important right now. If you are feeling alone, please consider one of the many ways you can get involved with AWSP and with colleagues from around the state.

One great way to get involved would be to apply for one of the last few openings for regional director positions on our statewide Elementary, Middle level and High School Level Leadership Committees. Please check the AWSP job jar if you would like to get involved in AWSP leadership with others in your ESD region and be a part of providing principal voice to a wide array of state and national audiences. We are looking to build a diverse group of leaders who are willing to help shape the future of public education. JOIN us!!

We need your help….do you know a newly reassigned school leader who is in charge of your district's Digital and Virtual ON-Line programming? Associate Directors, Gina Yonts and Roz Thompson are convening a group of new/newly assigned Digital/Virtual On-line School Leaders for a cohort for connection, camaraderie and support to begin after the winter break. If you know of someone who might be interested or who might benefit from a principal learning network of this type… we would love to get them involved! Please email Roz Thompson!

Are you a Middle Level School leader looking for a network of colleagues to connect with during this time of distance-leading and learning? If so, on December 15th from 9:30-10:30am please join middle level leaders from across the state in a collaborative conversation around envisioning how we can be intentional about leadership moves that will lead to a better tomorrow for our students. Schools are all in different places, ranging from remote to in-person instruction, but we all have a common desire to lead inclusive schools. If these topics, and a desire to join a talented and friendly network of middle level school leaders, sounds appealing, please contact AWSP Associate Director Kurt Hatch for more information.

OMG. If you have not signed up for our “How to be All In as an Inclusive Leader” series with Dan Habib, it is not too late. Reminder, it’s free. The reviews have been off the charts. In Session 2 of this series Dan engaged with over 200 education professionals from Washington and across the nation, by sharing his personal journey, showcased through his film work in schools across the U.S. about some of the educational practices that are key to “Creating a Culture of Inclusion in Schools and Communities.”

Registration is still open for the last 3 sessions of this series. If you missed the first two, don’t panic; we are recording all of the sessions. Once registered, you can view them at your leisure.

Contact Cris Sippel in our office or visit our website’s ProLearning tab for registration info.

In our last episode I asked to hear from all of you about successful strategies being implemented to address high failure rates. Thanks to all of you who responded with many great ideas. And, as promised, the reason I ask these questions is so that I can connect those looking for help with those with some practical answers. Yelm Community Schools have implemented several key strategies that are working. Contact Principal Craig Curry of Ridgeline Middle School for both school and district wide initiatives.

And from our nationally recognized student programs, AWSL has prepared a special MLK Day Presentation for your school! The “I AM | WE ARE” program includes a speech to include in your MLK assemblies/events presented by AWSL’s James Layman. This program also includes an assembly implementation guide and school-wide discussion and reflection questions. This program is available for both Elementary and Secondary schools. Visit www.awsleaders.org for more information.

La Chispa is now available! This engaging and dynamic bilingual (English-Spanish) program for secondary Latinx students designed for both virtual and socially distant settings is ready to go. The culturally responsive program aligns with Washington State and CASEL social-emotional learning standards and builds positive academic and self-identity agency within Latinx students. Visit www.awsleaders.org for more information. I think I heard yesterday that our state has the 2nd highest number of latiinx students in the country, so please don’t wait. Get La Chispa now.

Bueno, eso es todo de parte de todos nosotros aquí en AWSP. Como siempre, sigan con el gran trabajo para los niños y nos vemos la próxima vez. Hasta entonces.

We are about to reccord. Any changes?