Community Update

Each year, the Board of Education Trustees and I visit all of the schools to spend time seeing the facilities needs–and connecting their decisions and priorities to the instruction in classrooms. This year we explored the efforts the District makes to help all of our students feel a sense of belonging in our learning community. While much of the day is planned, any day in schools provides priceless unscripted moments too!

The first such moment was when we boarded “Mr. Will’s” bus at South Woods – the ceiling of his bus was festooned with pictures and cards drawn for him by students! The colorful collage was an important reminder of the important bonds we each form with kids. The idea of each bus as a community was reinforced by our visit to South Grove Elementary, where each “bus community” took the time to get to know one another – whatever their age – and develop a personalized flag and motto for each bus route – including our Trustee’s bus!

South Woods denizens know the security team there takes a back seat to no one when it comes to celebrating holidays. The Trustees passed by their desk, covered with traditional well wishes for our Muslim families celebrating Ramadan, on their way to the library where teams of student peer leaders took the Board through Advisory activities designed to celebrate differences while weaving us into a tighter community.

Last year, I started a new “Superintendent for a Day” program where a seventh grader step into my shoes after writing winning essays on positive community change as part of their 7th grade unit on how government works. Tate Soifer (South Woods) and Sophia Kim (HBT) were this year's Superintendents, joining me for a packed schedule of meetings and school visits.

Each participated in a cabinet meeting, and while I worried that might seem dull, Tate observed that it was interesting to see all that goes on “behind the scenes” to make a school work. Tate and I visited her alma mater, Berry Hill, and co-read a book to a third grade class called The Power of One. Little did I know, Tate is apparently a celebrity to some of her younger neighbors! We also attended a meeting of the High School Entrepreneurship Group and spoke with club president Savera Bhatia to learn how the club fosters innovation while honing business skills like their recent Corporate Social Responsibility project. We were even ambushed by AV media students (paparazzi!) seeking our on-camera March Madness predictions to air on the morning announcements.

Sophia’s day started with our Associate Superintendent for Business, Dr. Rufo, who took advantage of the opportunity to ask about Sophia’s favorite (and least favorite) foods as we prepare specs for a new food service bid. We then visited Sophia’s alma mater, A.P. Willits, where we read Be Kind to Ms. Zorn’s first grade class, then had a very special visit to Ms. Sullivan’s kindergarten – more on that later. After lunch in the South Woods cafeteria (the tacos pleasantly surprised me!), we audited a high school class on personal finances, just in time for tax season. After school, we joined the Future Leaders of America club, where students debriefed their Senior (Citizen) Prom, making notes for how to host an even bigger and better event next year.

The idea for the day grew out of a serendipitous meeting with (now 8th grader) Hafsa Mercan, who is contemplating school leadership as a career. But it has grown into an opportunity for me to see our schools through the eyes of a 7th grader and to make new friends.

My visit with Sophia to Ms. Sullivan’s class held a special significance since it coincided with World Down Syndrome Day. Student Mia Marsilio was presenting to her classmates about her brother Michael, who has Down Syndrome, and all the ways we are just like him. He loves pasta, jumping on the bed, playground slides, hugs with his sister and more. The global day of awareness is a celebration of difference meant to challenge stereotypes.

The date (3/21) was chosen as an illustration of Down Syndrome’s cause: an extra (3rd) 21st chromosome. Because chromosomes look a little like socks, the day is often marked with bright or silly socks. The idea is to start a conversation, so when people ask you can respond: “I’m wearing them to raise awareness of Down syndrome.” In Ms. Sullivan’s community-building circle, we each admired and complemented one another’s wild socks. Then, we went to work designing our own special socks to #EndtheStereotypes.

At one point, Modassir Malik came over to me while I was coloring and showed me his drawing – a recreation of my own Baby Yoda argyle socks! Another sweet unscripted moment!