September 25, 2016 - Student engagement... It's all about building relationships!

Check out this example of a substitute teacher struggling to gain control of an unruly classroom.  Thankfully, Calhoun Middle and High School teachers are skilled in the art of engagement!

Student engagement begins with the building of relationships.  Without an established relationship and positive rapport between a teacher and student, engagement is limited.  A student's potential is not delivered to them by a teacher.  It is already present.  It is a skilled teacher that is able to engage the student and channel their full potential.  The following are some characteristics of what I would call a master of student engagement.  A master teacher will...

1. Build positive relationships with students and learn about each individual child.
2. Teach kids first and curriculum second.
3. Ensure that children draw relevance to the curriculum.
4. Work with students to develop a love of learning.
5. Embody lifelong learning.
6. Focus on learning goals as opposed to performance goals.
7. Recognize that there is more to learn in the classroom than the curriculum.
8. Move beyond the four walls and engage the community as the classroom.

I am proud that we have teachers who choose to embody those traits described above.  We are a blessed learning community for sure!  It is not hard to see examples of teachers and coaches who focus their efforts on building relationships.  I witnessed 280+ band members march at festival this weekend.  They had many things in common, but one significant bond was that they all looked to their band directors and coaches for support, guidance and direction.  How do a group of 5 adults coach a team of nearly 300 performers?  They do it through the building of relationships, the development of trust, and the promise of success.  We see this in every school sponsored organization, and it is a thing of marvel at Calhoun Middle and High School.  Thank you to all of our teachers, coaches and sponsors who are so committed to our students!

September 11, 2016 - 911 - History for a New Generation

September 11, 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of an event which will forever be remembered as the day an act of terrorism woke a sleeping giant and brought new awareness to the vulnerability of our nation.  I vividly remember being on the campus of The University of Florida on my way to my French class when I heard students running through a courtyard yelling, "a plane hit a building in New York".  Although this memory will be one I will never forget, we are now teaching a new generation of student.  A generation which will not remember 9/11 with first hand accounts, but will instead learn about this event on wikipedia.  My children (4 year old, Violet, and 8 month old, Clyde) will know only of these events through the stories passed down to them or what they learn in school.  It is my fervent prayer that their generation not experience a 9/11 like event, but I know that this is entirely possible given the current climate in today's world.  How do we combat this?  In a world where many choose to hate, we at Calhoun City Schools will choose to love.  We will choose to love each and every student that walks through the doors of our schools.  We will teach them to love others and to believe that the world is filled with more people who choose to love than to hate.  I hope you will join me in this task as we teach a new generation to love one another, so that Children like Violet here will have hope both now and in the future.

If you missed our survival guide 101 for middle and high school students click here to access all materials shared.

Student Spotlight

Congratulations to the 2016 CHS Senior Homecoming Court!

Staff Spotlight

CHS ESOL Teacher, Crystal Veal, invested in her students on Friday afternoon and evening.  While she could have chosen to head home at the end of a busy week, she remained at CHS to work with nearly 20 ELL students to help them with a written paper assignment.  She then followed this by investing in her students by attending a local church service which she was invited to.  We appreciate Mrs. Veal's commitment to her students.

September 5, 2016 - How to Survive Middle/High School 101

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night wondering what your student needs to do to prepare for college?  Have you ever received that urgent text or phone call from your child sharing that they need money for the field trip you were unaware of?  Do you want to be an informed parent when talking with your child about their school experience?  Are you a planner and like to know all the important events and dates for the year?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to plan on being at The Campus of Calhoun Middle and High School at 6pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 for our Middle/High School 101 Parent Meeting.  Every parent will walk away with a survival guide for their child's grade level and will have an opportunity to ask any important questions on their mind during grade level breakout sessions.