Challenge #11:
Happy Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day is a great time to reflect on your relationships with others, including your professional relationships. One way to build a great school culture is continuing to build these relationships. Challenge #11 is to send two thank you notes or notes of kindness to colleagues expressing your gratitude for your relationship with them. If you complete the challenge, simply LIKE this edition of the Hawk Highlights. I promise you that you will feel happier and increase your personal wellness if you complete this challenge.
"Almost daily, Shawn stops by my room on his way to class to say hello and chat about whatever he has on his mind. This is a student who I have not had in the classroom since last year, but he still values our non-school related check-ins. He is also a current senior; a year which is very different and can be shocking to some who struggle to adapt. Maintaining relationships with former students is key as they establish new ones with their teachers and bosses (if they are seniors). They often need advice or encouragement and if they feel comfortable to lean on teachers who they’ve built relationships with, they have an extra support system to get them through senior year" ~Gin Conard
"Aaron was kinda pacing outside my door so I opened it and asked if he was okay. (it was my planning period). He told me he has been really stressed and asked if he could come into my room and calm down. I told him, of course. I asked him if he wanted me to talk to him or just be quiet and he said, “You can talk to me.” So, I remembered that he played the bass clarinet so I asked him if he still played? He was so shocked that I remembered. And said, "Not really." We talked for a few more minutes and then the bell rang and off he went. He thanked me as he left my room. I was happy that he knew my classroom was a safe place for him to come and calm down. It is nice to carry our relationship past 9th grade." ~Diane Eklund
"Jackson is in my yearlong math class and we talk about sports. That’s right, Ms Tuson knows sports! Being surrounded at home with the sports talk I can hold my own with Jackson. Two weeks ago, we started talking about the NFL playoff games. We have agreed the Sixers should trade Simmons and that Kansas City should win the Superbowl. We also have sympathy for Brandon Davis who is a Dallas Cowboys fan. Jackson has many hurdles everyday in his daily school life. By having our morning sports talk, it allows him to feel a connection to Mr. Davis and myself." ~Deb Tuson
Did You Know
February is CTE Month: The Association for Career & Technical Education has designated February as Career and Technical Education Month, or CTE Month. It's an annual public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. Our CTE teachers are celebrated for the impact their teaching and knowledge has on our students learning a skill or trade. A special thanks to each of our wonderful CTE instructors for working hard to ensure our students are learning and growing every day. We truly appreciate your continued efforts to prepare our students for post-secondary success. There is nothing more valuable than a hands-on minds-on education!
Teacher of the Year Nominations: It's that time of year to submit nominations for the St. Georges Technical High School Teacher of the Year 2021. Administrators, staff members, parents, and members of the community are encouraged to submit a nomination at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLWihaOnZ2jRDjaMCJtI68zFT0uXIuSx2KqB7tSWQUt75Mew/viewform?usp=sf_link Candidates for consideration should be the best representatives of the teaching profession, exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled and have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues. The nomination window for Teacher of the Year is open until Friday, February 14th. If you have any questions, please see Dr. Harrison.
CTSO Competition Update: Our SkillsUSA students started their State competitions this past week. Our Electrical Trades students, HVAC, and Culinary Arts students competed in several events showcasing their skills. Although official results are not yet released, we know that they have been prepared by the very best. Keep up the good work!
Avast Ye Shipmates! This Buccaneer Received a Shout Out!
I want to thank Chef Freeman and Chef Lattomus for hosting the Commercial Baking SkillsUSA competition this past week. It was great to see our students in action competing agains our sister schools. Hosting a SkillsUSA competition requires alot of prep work to be sure that the Culinary Arts career area has all of the resources in working order to ensure a fun, rewarding, and safe competition. ~Chad Harrison
Congratulating to Allison Diodati, Monica Cohen and Nikki DiBuono on successfully completing the 2019 Delaware Teachers Institute seminar. Participation in seminars requires over fifty hours of a teacher’s time which results in a unique and exciting curriculum unit designed for their students. These units will be published for other teachers to use as well. See the picture above of Dr. Jones and Ms. Cohen at the DTI showcase last week. ~Shanta Reynolds
We’d like to extend a huge shout-out to Justin Artymenko for supporting our visually impaired students during the dodgeball tournament. Providing equity in all facets of a child’s education is what we believe in as a school and that’s exactly what you provided Gerry and Gavin with during Friday’s pep rally. You rock Mr. Artymenko! -Inclusion Department
I want to thank Jamie Crumlish Williams for organizing an interactive pep rally and a fun spirit week. Check out the photo of the week below:) ~Shanta Reynolds
A special thanks to the staff for celebrating our school counselors this past week. The main office team set up a station in the office for staff members to fill out a thank you note to a school counselor for having a positive impact on themselves and/or their students. The notes were hung on a bulletin board in the main office. Staff members also got their picture taken holding a sign of the school counselor they wanted to recognize. See pic below. ~Shanta Reynolds
