Principal’s Post

A Strong Bond

Posted December 1, 2017

If you are in the market for a good movie you might have never seen, check out The Straight Story. I recently rewatched this favorite film of mine. The main character is a senior citizen (Alvin Straight) who decides to travel from Iowa to Wisconsin to visit his estranged brother. Because of his ailments, he… Continue Reading A Strong Bond

Every Penny Counts for Mineral Point Excellence in Education

Posted November 21, 2017

This fall, Mineral Point Elementary School is facilitating a coin drive fundraiser. Money raised through this effort will go toward the Mineral Point Excellent in Education organization. This is an endowment fund. Dollars raised are invested. The returns on these investments are then allocated for teachers and schools to use toward learning resources and experiences… Continue Reading Every Penny Counts for Mineral Point Excellence in Education

Elementary School Family Event – Popcorn and a Movie

Posted November 10, 2017

One of our district’s new strategic plan goals is community engagement. According to Wikipedia, community engagement can be defined as “the practice of moving communities toward change.” One of our efforts at the elementary level is to provide opportunities for families to engage in fun and/or educational activities with their children and each other. Building… Continue Reading Elementary School Family Event – Popcorn and a Movie

The Driver’s Seat

Posted November 3, 2017

With a year under my belt and feeling more comfortable each day in my position as principal here, I am starting to find more time to engage in fun activities. One thing I enjoy is producing digital media of my family’s life captured on camera. Right now I am putting together images and video in… Continue Reading The Driver’s Seat

My experience with F.A.S.T. – Families & Schools Together

Posted October 12, 2017

Earlier this week, the district shared information about a new parent involvement program called F.A.S.T. It stands for Families & Schools Together. Parents and guardians of Mineral Point School students are encouraged to sign up for this opportunity. This program was offered at my last school where I was the principal. In my experience observing… Continue Reading My experience with F.A.S.T. – Families & Schools Together

Digging into Nonfiction

Posted October 6, 2017

After administering assessments with our students in the fall, we look for two things: areas to celebrate and areas in which to grow. Our celebrations are many, including and not limited to 84% of our students coming into school where they should be as readers, as well as over 90% of 5th grade students proficient… Continue Reading Digging into Nonfiction

Raising an iGen

Posted September 22, 2017

In an article for The Atlantic, professor of psychology Jean Twenge offers some stark information about the effects of smartphones on our youngest generation. Referring to this group as “iGen”, these teens and preteens have lived their lives largely with the inclusion of mobile devices available everywhere. Here are a few statistics Dr. Twenge shares… Continue Reading Raising an iGen

Quick Win: Creating a Environment for Readers and Writers

Posted September 14, 2017

  Before the students arrived, our faculty learned how to best prepare a classroom (and school) for students. Specifically, we looked at our classroom and common areas to promote reading and writing. Each teacher stated a personal goal that they would work toward regarding classroom libraries, bulletin boards, and relationship building. Next are some images of our first-week… Continue Reading Quick Win: Creating a Environment for Readers and Writers