a tipical school year for principal sosa
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As the first week of August quickly approaches, the clerical staff and I get ready to receive kindergarten parents and others. We are a traditional neighborhood school and most of our returning students are registered, as early as late spring, with the ASD online registration. The online registration has reduced the number of parents coming to the building to enroll their students during our school registration week. I encourage all kindergarten parents, new to the school district, and transfer students, to come in during registration week, because it gives us an opportunity to meet the new families. This also ensures that all the necessary medical paperwork requirements are met.
Teachers normally return on the third week of August with students starting school the following Monday. There is great excitement in the air knowing that the teachers are returning back from summer break! It is exciting to see students ready to return to school with brand new clothes and lunch boxes that were recently purchased by their parents. Prior to students arriving, there is a window of three in-service days where I conduct mandatory trainings and provide teachers with professional development as they pertain to the school goals that were created by our leadership team the year before. Shortly after Labor Day, I meet with teachers on an individual basis to review the beginning of year conference where we discuss their professional goals for the year and where they share their strategies on how they plan to achieve those goals. I carefully listen to how they plan to meet their goals and encourage them along the way. I reassure teachers that if they need support or need time to take a break I am willing to cover their class for a short period of time. If they need extra materials or reading supplies I do my best to provide the resources that they need. On the last Friday before school begins, we walk from Spruce Park to the school to celebrate the beginning of a new school year. A few Service High School band students march with us playing their instruments, like a New Orleans band style announcing a new school year. |
Shortly after the march is done, I sprint up to the podium in the gym and welcome back parents and students and then introduce my staff members. After introducing all members of the school, I talk to parents and introduce the three goals for the year. It is at this point, that I invite all parents to become part of our PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and encourage them to be part of our home compact committee.
As the year goes on, I have data meetings where teachers, along with the instructional coach, to review student growth, progress, and monitor their academic needs. Before you know it, Halloween and Thanksgiving have flown by and we are getting closer to winter break. This is always the hardest for me, as principal, because I notice the anxiety of students and staff increase. Typically, the last two weeks prior to a big break, teachers tend to ease on using a strict high structured classroom and get into the spirit of the holiday. After all, we are humans and need some time to reflect and appreciate the season. Winter Break comes and goes, as we return to school in January. The new year starts off slow but, as February rolls around, it is time to complete teacher evaluations, and March’s spring break looms around the corner. By the time April comes, state testing begins (PEAKS) for 3-6 grade students. Throughout the whole year, I help during recess which affords me the opportunity to see all the students outside. This is my favorite time as I get to interact with the students, and I get to know their personalities and how they interact with each other. I get to play basketball, football, soccer, and hopscotch with students. Yes, indeed, this is my favorite part! By May there is another rush to complete check out forms for the summer. And then…. We start all over again! Arthur Sosa is the School Principal at Abbott Loop Elementary. |
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