Serious and fun WOW!

The WOW program is ongoing with a number of projects in process. This week the Draugsvold group have been raising money through a five day sequence of spirit dress days. Today was "rainbow day"!
The Harvey group has continued to do a great job raising awareness as to the current challenges in Angola. Last night they attracted more than a hundred people to a presentation by the group on current issues in Angola. Attendees watched a show, even took a test and then enjoyed sundaes.

Thanks to Mr. Harvey for these images.

Where have I been??!!

The winter is flying by and more than one person has asked what I have been doing or where I have been. I know that I have been remiss in writing notes in this blog as often as I would like! But what does my calendar say that I have been doing?

• In recent weeks, I have had lots of discussions with students about weekly grade slips, almost all of which are going well, and a few conversations with students about academic honesty, which is a couple more than I would like.
• I have met with almost every faculty member to discuss performance, expectations and contracts for next year, and thoughts about their professional development. While these discussions can sometimes be tough, they are also incredibly gratifying because I constantly am reminded of the great abilities and passion of our faculty and their commitment to providing an exceptional Winchendon education.
  
• I have also had visited with a number of schools and educators both on our campus and in locations as far west as Denver. It is a pleasure to get out there and tell the Winchendon story, and people are excited to hear about all that is going on here on campus.
• Each week, we have been having a good time bringing a dorm group to Homewood for ice cream and Marily's chocolate sauce and brownies. Last week, I got some important advice from the girls of Merrell 2 as to the ghosts who inhabit Homewood and other spots on campus!!
• I have seen and heard about a series of well-played athletic contests which have included wins over Canterbury, Marionapolis, Worcester Academy, New Hampton, Pomfret, North Smithfield and Tilton.
• I have interviewed some terrific prospective students for next year from as nearby as Massachusetts and Rhode Island and as far away as Beijing.
• We are already hard at work getting ready for next September with meetings on all kinds of things ranging from the curriculum to technology. We are also continue to work on the planned upgrades for Ford Hall, the athletic facilities, additional technology and the fine and performing arts programs.
• We are gearing up our Self-Study and Strategic Planning process. If you have an interest in participating, please let me know. There will be much more discussion of this initiative in the coming months.

And these are just some of the things that keep the days showing red for booked on my Google calendar. The days at Winchendon are very full for all, and my calendar is no exception. There are always the unplanned things as well, the sick or injured student, the accidental bump to a vehicle or the failed furnace and a host of other issues and opportunities that crop of each day. In addition to the work, the learning and the discussions that challenge us, we find lots of time to laugh as well. It is an exciting time to be at the Winch!

Luxury buses or improved academic program?

One of the questions that I have been facing recently from students and some of their parents as well revolves around "Why can't we ride to our games more often on luxury buses more often? Some of the other teams do and they arrive at games more rested."

There are several good and easy answers to this question. Most importantly, the rental of a motor coach is a one-time expense that benefits a very limited number of students. Once the $1,000 - 2,000 expense for that bus is paid, the money is gone. Our highest priority here is our core academic mission, and that money can be used to buy new books or technology for classrooms that will benefit many students for years to come. That money can be used to send a faculty member to a workshop from which he or she will bring back ideas that can strengthen a broad aspect of our curriculum. Take 15 or 20 of luxury bus trips per year, and that same money pays the salary and benefits of an additional teacher and coach.

But even if we were a very wealthy school and had lots of extra cash available, I would still limit the use of luxury buses unless truly necessary. One of the most important skills that we can impart on our students is the difference between "needs" versus "wants". Our students will be much better prepared for success beyond Winchendon if they can make thoughtful decisions about discretionary expenditures. Athletic teams and student groups have been traveling by school buses and activity vans for generations, and they (we!) have lived through the experience.

The reason that I publicly discuss this issue and my apparent frugality is that I think that these issues are important and represent great learning moments for all of us. So, when we have decisions to make like this, I encourage discussion about them. We will evaluate most if not all spending decisions on the basis of 1)how much of the Winchendon School community will directly benefit from the expenditure and 2)how long the benefit will endure. This approach is especially important at times like these but is also the basis of sound practice at all times. I hope that you share this view.

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have questions about this or any other decision that is being made about our school. Generally we all learn something from those questions.

WOW - A Red Yarn..

The unprepared visitor at Winchendon on Thursday might have questioned why some students and faculty had a piece of red yarn tied around one of their limbs and why others with no apparent injuries hobbled about on crutches.

Of course, it was just another example of WOW (Winchendon One World) kicking in. Mr. Harvey's advisee group is focusing on the challenges facing the victims of landmines in Angola. That morning at morning meeting, several in the advisee group provided the whole school a brief overview of the landmine issues and shared some images. This is an issue that is especially sensitive for one in the group - Paolo's family is from Angola.

The ribbons were a way to help us get a little sense of what it is like to live the life of an amputee. We were to tie a yarn around one of our limbs and live the day without using that appendage. I tried to figure out whether I could do it, but with an afternoon of appointments in the northern suburbs of Boston, I wouldn't have been able to make it. Just thinking about the yarn doing the day and how I would have been sgnificantly hampered in safely completing the day that I had planned helped me think about the plight of Angola's land mine victims.

But just getting us to think about the issues surrounding landmines wasn't enough for this group. That day and night they set about fundraising, and the Winchendon community turned out. It wasn't just the amount of money raised that was impressive, but also the fact that 98% of the community of students and faculty participated in the effort.

Thank you to the Harvey advisee group for your efforts and to the Winchendon community as a whole for your participation.

(The lower three images are some of those that Jonathan, Carissa and Paolo presented at morning meeting to support their message. The topmost, shot by Mr. Harvey, is the advisee group that worked on this great effort.)

Just six kids having fun!

It’s a pleasure coming back to Winchendon after being away on a trip, and this week was no exception. My travels had taken me out west, where in one meeting it had been thrill to speak about our school with an educator in Denver. This woman is very familiar with the broad array of secondary schools available across the country, but she was genuinely excited to learn more about the Winchendon Way and the support and structure that helps allow our students to succeed. Her comment was something along the lines of “Why aren’t more schools doing it this way?” As is too often the case, this woman was one of many influential educators who did not understand what makes Winchendon special.

And back on campus, while I had only been away for three days of classes, it was great to catch up with the students and community. Students would drop by the office to just to say “hello”, share their weekly grades or update me on our athletic achievements or college acceptances.

On Thursday, my first day back, I was sitting at lunch with a visitor and one of our teachers, and I looked to my left and was quickly reminded of another factor that makes Winchendon special. I pointed out to our visitor the six students sitting at the next table. They were all students who generally work pretty hard, but they were relaxing and having fun. In many respects it was probably typical of lunch at many high schools across the country Thursday with boys and girls enjoying a moment or two of down time. The only difference is that at the Winch, the six kids represented four continents and six different countries including Angola, Canada, Brazil, South Korea, France and the U.S.A. It was one of those moments that reminded me how lucky our kids are and how I wish that many more students could share in the Winchendon experience.