10/2/17
"How did this get to be our normal? We just go from one massive killing to the next." That was the question asked of me within ten minutes of arriving to school. Tough question right? The student was speaking about the Las Vegas shooting. We spoke for about 10 minutes and eventually parted ways with the understanding that we needed to talk a little bit more in 24 hours to see if he had any further thoughts. The question has stuck with me for the last few hours though. It seemed to be on adults' minds too. In my morning "tour" of walking the school, Mr. Lienau wondered about the impact that these mass events have on students. Can students see so many of these incidents that they grow immune to them? I didn't think about that either. As usual, one tough question leads to many, many more.
My message to the students: Today our nation grieves.The shooting in Las Vegas was horrible. As we learn more about what happened, we are confronted with the fact that we ensure each other's safety. If we see something or somebody suspicious, we need to speak up. When we see something out of the ordinary, we need to step forward. We may only get one chance at helping each other so we need to make it count. Speak up!
This week is Homecoming week. Many 1950s, 60s and 70s era styles are present in the halls today. Some are way out there. Mr. Klenk's gangster outfit and Mrs. Pekel's conservative Joni Mitchell outfit look great.
Today's staff meeting will continue our examination of ACES or Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Students will see many groups of teachers in the classrooms tomorrow. We begin our "Teacher Rounds" program. The idea is to have teachers observe other teachers and learn from each other. The goal is to rapidly improve instruction by immersing teachers in the art of teaching.
Scott Sherman
It's A Great Day To Be A Packer!
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Support Information
Arbor Circle in Newaygo County: http://www.arborcircle.org/programs-services
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 24/7 trained support
Crisis Text Line for Teens Text "Listen" to 741-741 24/7 trained support
Please remember to remind your child to report any neglect or bullying they see. 