Exams + Holidays = STRESS!

 

Photo courtesy of Adriana Perez

Every family feels the crunch this time of year.  Our students are busily trying to finish the semester with assignments, lab reports, and papers, while simultaneously studying for exams.  Meanwhile, many parents are engaged in all things holiday:  cards, shopping, decorating, planning outings and vacations, or preparing for visits with family and friends.  When you put it all together, the inevitable sum of exams and holidays is stress.  In fact, for some families, we can add a few more stressors to the equation:  seniors waiting for early college admission decisions, the start of the winter sports season, students returning home from college, and young children buzzing with holiday anticipation.  The list could go on and on.

 

Mid-December is almost certainly the season of stress for families with high school students.  As parents, we often wonder how we can help our students prepare both mentally and academically for exams when we are so busy ourselves.  To help answer this question, I turned to the experts on the subject, who, as it turns out, are nearby and easy to contact.  You guessed it!  I called the parents who have had a few students go through the exam process in previous years, and who always seem to have their acts together.  As it happens, they are eager to pass their ideas on to others.

 

The advice I received from fellow parents was simple, easy to follow, and really just a matter of common sense.  Here are some of the tips I received:

•  Stay positive and try not to add stress by focusing on grades.  Avoid questions like, "How many points do you need to get an A?" and instead focus on the study process and learning with questions like, "What section will you review first?" or  "Which course outcomes will be included on your exam?"
• Know your child and follow his or her cues.  Does he or she want help from you?  One parent talked about working quietly on her own project near her studying child so that she was easily available but not hovering.
• This next tip is a classic but one that is especially important at exam time: have a comfortable study space away from the TV, computer, and family noise.  Make sure it's not too comfortable though--studying while lying in bed has obvious drawbacks!
• Encourage regular breaks--studying for hours on end is not helpful.  Snacks during breaks can help too!  Another way to have an effective break is to add physical activity.  Even a little exercise will increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain and will reduce stress. 
• Encourage study groups and studying with friends.  Many parents offer to host these study groups; others encourage "virtual" study groups via FaceTime.
• Offer relief from regular household chores for a week or two.  This one will be popular in my house!
• Ensure that your child is using the study guides that many teachers provide.
• Encourage your child to contact his or her teacher for a little extra help.  Teachers go out of their way to help students all year, but this is especially true at exam time.  Help is available in person and sometimes via e-mail as well.

Above all, it's helpful to remind our teens that stress is a natural part of life and can actually be beneficial if managed well.  As parents, we can work to be models of effective stress management, and we can help our students to feel  confident and well prepared as they head into exam week. 

 

I'm going to take the advice of my fellow parents and try a few things on this list.  What will you try?  I would love to hear back from you with your tips and advice.

Strategic Plan Update

One of the primary responsibilities of a school board is to set a direction for the district.  In order to fulfill this responsibility, there are several specific jobs that effective boards must carry out: 

1. Collaboratively develop a mission focused on learning and achievement of all students.  A mission describes a future toward which the district is moving.
2. Establish priorities, which are the major areas that must be addressed in order to make progress toward the mission.
3. Set strategic goals in each priority area.

Several years ago, the Tam District Board of Trustees worked through focus groups of parents, students, teachers, staff, and community members to set a mission for the district.  Strategic priorities and goals were then set with the intention of deliberately moving toward a future in which the mission is true for all students.  Because setting direction is not a one-time event, progress toward the strategic goals is reported to the board regularly, and goals are updated annually to reflect new data and changing circumstances.

 

To read the recently updated TUHSD mission, priorities, and strategic goals click here.

 

As you can see, this TUHSD direction-setting document is a visual reminder that all work in the district is in service to our mission.  This document, which is sometimes referred to as the, "mission map," allows us to have one foot in the present and one foot in the future.  As we focus on what is working, we can move from where we are toward an even better place through strategic thinking and supporting risk-taking and innovation.

 

You will also notice that our direction-setting document differs from other organizations in that it is self-contained on one page rather than a multi-paged booklet format.  To help you understand the format we have used, the diagram below points to where the essential elements of mission, priorities, and strategic goals can be located on the mission map.

 

Preparing Learners & Leaders for the 21st Century ~ Unveiling the Tam District Video

At the Tamalpais Union High School District, we are committed to providing our students with a myriad of educational opportunities to prepare them for life after high school.  We have been working diligently toward this goal for the last few years, and we recognize the importance of sharing our work with our stakeholders--because an informed community is an invaluable partner in the success of our students.  To this end, we have created a short video highlighting some of our work of the last three years.  

 

We chose the video format as a means to address several of the district's "Community Relations" strategic goals: 

• Utilize most effective means of communication with the district's internal and external stakeholders
• Develop an understanding of the school district by providing a flow of information about policies, programs, and progress of the schools
• Bring about community understanding of the need for continuous improvement and what must be done to facilitate that improvement

 

The video features staff and students who volunteered for this opportunity.  They either spoke extemporaneously or developed their own script. 

 

The full-length video is about eight minutes long, but for your convenience, I have linked the three-minute "Sneak Peek" preview here. 

The short promotional video is featured on our website, and the full-length version will be used as a basis for discussion with staff, parents, and community members throughout the 2013-2014 school year. 

 

Tam District parents will have multiple opportunities to view the full-length video at meetings of the PTSA, Foundation, advisory councils, and the like.  If your school or community organization  is interested in delving further into the work of the Tam District, please contact me at feedback@tamdistrict.org to schedule a time for a trustee and I to share the video and discuss our efforts with your group. 

Welcome New Trustees!

I am excited to announce that after what seems like a long wait, the election is over and we now have our new Tamalpais Union High School District trustees.

 

The successful candidates in yesterday's election were Laura Anderson, Chuck Ford, and Sheri Mowbray, shown below:

All three of the new trustees will be able to hit the ground running because of their understanding of the day-to-day work of our schools.  Laura and Sheri are parents of current students, and Chuck recently retired after 18 years as a TUHSD teacher.

 

We are lucky that we had an election in which all five candidates were well qualified.  I will reach out to the other candidates and invite them to stay active and involved in our schools.

 

Our new trustees will take the oath of office at the December 11 Board of Trustees meeting.  They will officially begin their board service that evening.

 

Well-deserved congratulations to Laura Anderson, Chuck Ford, and Sheri Mowbray!

Photo courtesy of the Marin Independent Journal

Helping Homeless Teens in Marin County

It's such a luxury to be able to work and live in the beauty and abundance of Marin County.  At first glance, it often seems that all our teens are healthy, happy, high achieving, and well on their way to a bright future.  But if we really pay attention, we know that what is true for most is not necessarily true for all.  It can be easy for us to forget about those who don't have a life of plenty, and in fact, do not even have a family or a home to return to at night.

 

It is hard to even visualize what it must be like to be a homeless teen in Marin.  Can you imagine waking up every day:

• Not knowing where you will be living
• Feeling alone, lost, anxious, depressed, angry, and hopeless
• With no medical or dental care
• Mistrusting the systems and adults who haven't been there for you
• With the stress of carrying all your personal items from one place to another
• With no financial reserves for emergencies
• Overwhelmed by lack of skills and resources to earn a living wage

These are the daily realities for a homeless teen!

 

Part of the beauty of Marin is the willingness of its residents to help others.  There are many organizations that help the homeless, but there is a very special organization called "Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity," or "AHO," which is dedicated to assisting Marin's homeless teens.

 

Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity started in November 2007, when Kevin Ippolito, age 22, Amy Phelan, age 23, and Mario Rangel, age 21, conceived of finding a way to "give back" for the help they had received.  AHO was created as a non-profit organization focused solely on providing a safety net of stable housing, guidance, and community connections for young adults, ages 16 to 25, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Marin County.  AHO is a relationship- and community-based model that engages youths who have been previously homeless in the solution as youth outreach advisors, peer mentors, program advisors, board members, and spokespersons of their experiences.

 

As superintendent of the Tamalpais Union High School District, I am aware of many helpful and well organized community agencies, but as I learn more about the work of AHO, I am in awe of its mission and its model to engage former homeless youths in the solution to help others.  If you would like to learn more about the work of Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity, visit their website:  www.ahoproject.org. 

 

For those of you who would like to see an example of the good work of this organization, there is an art show of AHO work that will be at the Corte Madera Community Center from November 10 through December 1.  Also, the whole community is invited to a reception at the Community Center hosted by the Corte Madera Lions Club on Friday, November 15, from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  I will certainly be there to meet some of the artists and learn more about Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity.  I hope you will join me in support of this fine organization.

IF YOU GO:

What:      AHO Reception Hosted by the Corte Madera Lions Club

Where:    Corte Madera Community Center

When:     Friday, November 15, from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

The majority of information included in this post is from the AHO website. 

October 23 Board Meeting to be Held at Tam High

 

It's time for our third On the Road Board meeting which will be held on Wednesday, October 23, at Tamalpais High School.  You can read about our earlier On the Road meetings here and here.  Open session starts at 7:00 p.m. in Classroom 2020 (Rm. 300).  In addition to other Board business, the agenda is packed with Tam-specific topics, including:

• Principal Julie Synyard, teachers David Tarpinian and David Rice, and students, will discuss the development of Tam's CORE program, and how work begun this summer in TUHSD's Instructional Technology Teacher Collaborative is being implemented
• Teachers Christina Amoroso and Aaron Pribble, along with Principal Julie Synyard,  will discuss the recent Crucial Conversations training and how it will impact daily work with students, staff, and the community 
• The Physical Education teachers and Principal Julie Synyard  will discuss how work done as a Professional Learning Community has enhanced work with program goals, proficiency scales, and curricular delivery
• Teacher Brian Zailian and Principal Julie Synyard will provide an update on the Global Studies program

There will be opportunities for public comment on any agenda item.  In addition to the Tam High presentations, the regular business of the Board of Trustees will be conducted.

 

It is our intention is to make these meetings as interesting and accessible as possible for students, parents, and community members; therefore, the Tam-specific presentations will be the first items on the discussion agenda.

 

When:   Wednesday, October 23, 2013, at 7:00 p.m.

Where:  Classroom 2020 (Rm. 300)

              Tamalpais High School

              700 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley

 

I hope to see you at Tam!  This is a great opportunity to learn more about some of the fabulous things happening at Tamalpais High School--and a chance to see local government at work. 

What Every Voter Should Know About School Boards

Public participation in local government is the foundation of American democracy.  Nowhere is this more evident than in our public schools, where elected boards of education work together to ensure that systems and policies are in place to support student learning.  Since the decisions of a school board impact our children, the stakes are high, and it's essential that voters take the time to be informed before they cast their ballots.

 

The Role of the Board

Although school board meetings sometimes look structured and routine to the outside observer, the board makes a number of very important decisions about how our schools operate.  It's important to remember that school districts are governed collectively by boards, rather than by individual trustees.  Because the board is a governmental body, it can only take action by majority vote at a public meeting.  According to the American Associations of School Boards, there are some characteristics that are common to good school boards no matter where they are in the country:

• Good boards set a vision for their districts based on input from stakeholders.  The vision is an aspirational statement of what should be true for all students.  Decisions of the board should be made in light of the mission.
• Good school boards set policy for the district and listen to a variety of stakeholder groups as a part of the policy-setting process.
• Good school boards understand the budget and ensure that it responsibly supports the mission.
• Good boards attempt to reach decisions that all members can support.
• Good school boards make every effort to operate openly by encouraging public attendance at their meetings and keeping constituents informed of the district's progress.
• Good boards are efficient and have protocols and procedures for how they will operate as a team.
• Good boards know that they are in the business of education.  They talk about education, they study the needs of students, and they are familiar with current educational research.
• Good school boards know the difference between governance (which is the board's job) and management (which is the administration's job), and place a high priority on respecting that difference.

 

What to Look for in an Individual Trustee

Good school trustees can come from all walks of life.  The ability to work together as a team is not determined by age, race, occupation, income, or social standing.  Both the California School Boards Association and the American School Boards Association have identified the characteristics of effective trustees.  These qualities may be helpful to keep in mind as you are researching the views and experiences of the candidates.  An effective individual trustee:

• Has the proven ability to work as a member of a team, including keeping an open mind and engaging in give-and-take to arrive at a group consensus.
• Keeps learning and achievement of all students as their primary focus.
• Takes the time necessary to become informed and do the homework required to actively take part in effective school board meetings.
• Recognizes and respects differences of perspective and style on the board and among staff, students, parents, and the community.
• Acts with dignity and understands the implications of demeanor and behavior.
• Keeps confidential matters confidential.
• Participates in professional development and commits the time and energy necessary to be an informed leader.

Effective trustees are often those who have proved successful in their particular vocations or avocations, and who have demonstrated a genuine concern for the needs of students and community improvement.  Schools and students need trustees who believe unequivocally in the value of public education.  Trustees must be dedicated to serving and teaching each and every student.

 

As with all elections, we should become informed voters and make our choices wisely.  After all, our new trustees will have the awesome responsibility of looking out for the best interests of our students, and our students deserve the very best.