Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, let me share how grateful MSAA is for our outstanding members. Never has it been more apparent than now, how talented and deeply committed our administrators are. Every week you tackle what appear to be insurmountable obstacles to educate our children. From finding substitutes (and when you can't, you step in), to helping students with a kind word, or opening a milk carton, to having a spontaneous fun, outdoor movement break that you lead, to supporting your staff in creative and fun ways from Thankful Thursdays to cupcake carts. You are truly amazing!
Please enjoy Thanksgiving - yes it will be a different one as so many of us will stay at home with our Quaranteam and miss our extended family and friends, but there does appear to be light at the end of this tunnel. Keep that in mind as you approach this holiday!
Please find below some important pieces of information to share with you since the last edition of Matters.
1. The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office released a statement today providing Guidance on Schools’ Legal Obligations to Prevent and Address Hate and Bias Incidents. It is definitely worth the read as it brings to light your weighty responsibilities in your schools. See directly below to see the statement in a PDF file.
2. Valuable New Resources from DESE/EEC
https://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/earlylearning/resources/
May I call your attention to a document that was just published in the above section of the DESE website on Friday, November 13th. It is called Creating Developmentally Appropriate Learning Environments During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Early Childhood Programs (Preschool up to Grade 3). For those of you whose building house this age group, I believe you will find this an invaluable resource as we navigate the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
3. If you are a first- or second-year elementary or middle-level principal ready to share ideas, best practices, trials, and triumphs, then National Association of Elementary School Principal's (NAESP’s) National Panel of New Principals (NPNP) needs you! Enroll here http://www.newprincipal.org/
NPNP is the only initiative of its kind dedicated solely to the professional learning of elementary and middle-level principals within the first two years of principalship. Joining the panel allows you to gain insight into how your experience compares to your peers throughout the nation and discover the resources and strategies other early career principals are utilizing to lead their learning communities effectively. Through targeted surveys on timely topics, NPNP identifies the current needs of new administrators, in order to develop program offerings that maximize the supports available for this key career stage.
Your involvement will ensure that national policymakers and education leaders understand new principals’ perspectives directly from the field. Plus, panelists are recognized in NAESP’s award-winning Principal magazine and online publications for their innovative approaches. It’s free and it’s easy. Enroll today! See directly below for the picture of the Principal Connection Newsletter.
4. ESE’s Early Learning Team and MSAA will be hosting a series of networking and professional development opportunities for elementary principals (Preschool-3rd grade) during the 2020-2021 school year. The theme for this year’s series will be Creating a Caring Community: Caring for Ourselves and Our Staff Using a Trauma-Informed Lens.
In December, we will be hosting two convenings: a webinar with Liz Garden on Culturally Responsive Literacy as well as networking sessions.
· Leading with Reading: Culturally Responsive Literacy (webinar) - December 2nd 2:30-4:00 p.m.
· Virtual Networking: December 7th from 7:00-8:30 a.m.
· Virtual Networking: December 11th from 7:00-8:30 a.m.
· Virtual Networking: December 16th from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
To register for any of these dates please use this link.
5. MIAA 20th Annual Sportsmanship Essay Multimedia Contest
“Describe How Sportsmanship Promotes The Opportunity For Diversity, Equity and Inclusion On Your Teams, In Your School and In Your Community.” See directly below for the pdf link.
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
PARTICIPANTS Contest is open to students in grades 9-12 at MIAA Member Schools ESSAY ENTRIES Must be typed, double spaced, and contain no more than 500 words MULTIMEDIA ENTRIES Must be a video that is no longer than 3 minutes
PRIZES:
First Place ($400) and Runner-Up ($200) prizes will be presented in two categories (essay and multimedia) Contest winners will present their entries as honored guests during the 27th Annual MIAA Sportsmanship Summit. First Place and Runner-Up essay entries will be published in a compilation entitled “Sportsmanship: A Game Plan for Life, Volume XX First Place and Runner-Up multimedia entries will be available on the MIAA website
CONTEST DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
All entries must be received by 12:00 pm on Friday, December 4, 2020 All entries, essay and multimedia, must be emailed to educationalathletics@miaa.net See directly below for the pdf flyer link.
6. Soul of Leadership Still Open
There are still seats available in both new cohorts of "The Soul of Leadership: Courage, Presence and Integrity," The deadline to register has been extended and the program will now begin in January. Here is a link to an updated flyer:
Soul of Leadership Flyer 2020-21.This unique program gives school leaders the opportunity to reflect on their lives and work through contemplative and reflective practices drawn from the Center of Courage and Renewal and the fields of mindfulness, social and emotional learning, neuroscience, and the arts. Over the past two years, MSAA has partnered with Courage and Renewal Northeast to offer this experience to more than 50 principals from all levels and representing a wide range of districts across Massachusetts.
If you have questions about the program, please contact Rick Rogers (rickrogers409@gmail.com).
If you have questions about registration and membership, please contact Vickie Ellison (vellison@msaa.net).
7. Finally, I have embedded three new articles in this edition. The first one is on the best 60 books for 1st graders in 2020. The second article is on how teens are feeling in COVID-19 Isolation. The last article is a poignant piece on L.G.B.T.Q. teens in New York city whose parents reject them. They can be found in the New Articles this Edition section directly below.
Closing Message from Bill Gaine
On behalf of MSAA and Executive Director, Bill Gaine: Stay safe, stay strong, and take time for yourself. And most importantly enjoy a safe Happy Thanksgiving!
Warm Regards,
Beth
Beth Wittcoff
MSAA Assistant Executive Director
MSAA Matters Newsletter
Middle Level and Elementary Committee Liaison
Ring Central Gatherings
