Guest Blogger: Joshua Rajakumar, Founder of the New Albany Young Business Leaders Club

Student Voice.

Increasing student voice is a key topic discussed in education circles today. From Student Government to school town hall meetings, education leaders are implementing a variety of strategies to increase student voice.

Today’s students want and need to be heard. They are inventors, innovators, creators, and thinkers. They desire different experiences from school, in their social settings, and in their future careers. They are taking steps to create ways to learn more about their passions and interests. One example of one of these students is New Albany High School junior Joshua Rajakumar, founder of the New Albany Young Business Leaders Club. Following is the New Albany Young Business Leaders Club from Joshua’s perspective:

My name is Joshua Rajakumar and I am a junior at New Albany High School. This year, I started the New Albany’s Young Business Leaders Club. We have been active for about a month now and we have had two guest speakers thus far: Mr. John Kish and Mr. Bill Ebbing. We are excited about this partnership between the New Albany Community and the High School student body.

NAYBL
What is the New Albany Young Business Leaders Club?

New Albany’s Young Business Leaders is open to all New Albany High School students – from those who have a strong interest in business related careers to those who would like to know what business is all about. We provide exposure to all areas of business related careers, leadership development, resume building, and networking opportunities. Members participate in lectures, workshops, and community projects related to the different areas of business.

We meet every 2 weeks in the Jefferson Room on either Mondays or Wednesdays (currently Wednesdays) after school from 3-4 PM.

As the Founder and President of the club, I have been fortunate to have a team to assist me – Miles Waytes as the Vice President, Brian Schnell as the Media Manager, and Sudeep Ganguly as the Secretary working alongside me in this endeavor.

We currently have 45 registered members.

Past Speakers

On February 10th, Mr. John Kish, the SVP and CIO of Safe Auto Insurance, gave a presentation. He spoke about diversifying talents to be capable of performing many jobs and duties. He also addressed three of the most important skills to be successful in the business world: technical skills, people skills, and vision. He also addressed the importance of interviews and resumes and the major things to focus on in each, as he has hired multiple people for jobs and internships in the past.

On February 24th, Mr. Bill Ebbing, the President of the New Albany Company, gave a presentation. He spoke on the importance of community, creativity and perspective. He also touched on the positives and negatives of getting a masters degree/ MBA. The biggest thing he talked about was identifying your weaknesses early, so you can build a team around it and become stronger.

On March 9th, Mr. Andrew Klinger, VP Wealth Management at the Huntington Investment Company, gave a presentation. He touched on a variety of topics, including the importance of transparency when working with a group to enhance productivity. He also stressed that you should not expect to start earning a very high base salary, and that when you enter the labor force, experience and perspective is more important than money. Because Mr. Klinger used to be a stockbroker, and is now a wealth advisor, he also spoke on some stock related topics.

One piece of advice he gave was that even though you should buy low, to never buy a stock that is falling, and wait till it bounces back up. Other than low prices, he also spoke on the importance of looking at other factors such as the quarterly earnings, new management in the company, and the products they are making. He advised that that before you buy a stock, to always give yourself three reasons why you should buy it. In addition to this, he touched upon other topics such as derivatives, compliance and regulation, and commodities.

Future Speakers

On March 30th, Becky Jenkins, CFO and Treasurer of NAPLS, will give a presentation.

On April 13th, Adam Van Treese, Campus Recruiting Manager for PricewaterhoueCoopers, will give a presentation.

From left to right the students are Brian Schnell - Media Manager, Joshua Rajakumar - Founder and President, and Miles Waytes - Vice President
From left to right the students are Brian Schnell – Media Manager, Joshua Rajakumar – Founder and President, and Miles Waytes – Vice President

Thank you,

Joshua Rajakumar

Learning Is Irregular

http://iteach-and-ilearn.blogspot.com/2013/03/school-and-life.html
http://iteach-and-ilearn.blogspot.com/2013/03/school-and-life.html
Outside of school, most people apply learning across disciplines, scenarios, and experiences. For a majority of our lives as students, we are taught in a system that creates blocks of time for learning specific content, much like the factory model of production. However, learning should be life and there is nothing linear about life.

Life is irregular—thus, learning is irregular.

We are in the midst of one of the most disruptive, yet exciting times in history: The Information Age. The rate of change has increased exponentially due to the rapid creation of new content that is produced as technology and life have become seamless. The rate of change continues to have an impact on our education system because students today, or Generation Z, have only known life with touch screen technology. Vast amounts of information is readily available to them with the touch of a button or finger swipe across a screen. They are also creating more content than any generation in history, thus they learn in some fundamentally different ways than we are used to.

The linear, factory system of education is counter to the messy, irregular, and creative learning process that our students have grown accustomed to outside of school. Following are three key points to consider as we are challenged to meet the needs of Generation Z.

1. Asynchronous technology makes learning a constant activity. With the emergence of online learning platforms and social networking, students are able to connect, communicate, and collaborate with their teachers and peers to extend learning beyond the walls of the schoolhouse and school day. Time, space, and location are now variables in the learning process whereas they used to be constants. Author Daniel Pink wrote in the Foreword to the book, The New Social Learning,
Slide43

The use of technology greatly enhances students’ power to learn on their own time, in their own space, and in much deeper ways than ever before. So, let’s embrace it!

2. We must change how we deliver content due to shorter attention spans. We have quickly become a “sound-bite” society in that we are used to chunks of information shared in a compelling manner. MultimediaGen Z takes in thousands of digital images and messages a day, so to make learning more relevant to them, we must not only incorporate all forms of multimedia, but empower students to create and integrate multimedia to demonstrate their learning. If we adopt the use of technology in the classroom, this is a natural byproduct.

3. Focus on global skills development through the content we teach. It is often said that Gen Z will change careers 10-14 times before they retire. If this is true, it is impossible to teach them all the content they will need to be prepared for life. Global SkillsWe must consider ways to develop the four key global skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking through our specific content areas. Another approach would be to create interdisciplinary courses that provide students the opportunity to apply content in meaningful ways. We should also integrate technology to help students determine what local, regional, national, and global problems they want to solve. This will, without a doubt, create the conditions for students to develop the necessary skills that transcend careers and jobs.

As we grapple with how to catch up to the changing times that occur in every industry outside of our own, we must consider the messy, irregular, and nonlinear learning process and embrace strategies that empower students to demonstrate their learning in meaningful ways.

Be Great,

Dwight


Ideas from What’s in Your Space? 5 Steps for Better Schools and Classrooms by Dwight Carter, Gary Sebach, and Mark White, to be published by Corwin Press in March 2016; available at Amazon

Week 27 at New Albany High School!

Our seniors experienced an important moment on Wednesday, March 9th: they received their graduation caps and gowns. This may be not be a significant event for some, but for many, the reality of graduating from high school, which will mark the commencement of the next chapters in their lives, set in this day. They may not admit it, but there was an excited buzz in the gym as the Senior Team addressed the students and distributed the cherished garments.

Our parents of seniors provided a hardy brunch, which included pancakes, biscuits and gravy, fruit, juice, and milk, for which all were grateful. Once they finished eating there was time to go to the courtyard and enjoy the spring-like weather and the sunshine, throw a Frisbee, or just talk with their friends. It was a special day that could not have happened without the collaborative efforts of our parents, Senior Team, Secretary Beth Johnston, and our Jostens representative Mike Dillon. Our seniors are certainly fortunate to have such a supportive and thoughtful group of well wishers as they prepare for graduation and begin their last nine weeks in the New Albany schools.

Staff News
Please keep College Counselor Stefanie Drugan and her family in your prayers as her father was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Please keep Spanish teacher Lisa Betts in your prayers as she and her family mourn the loss of her uncle.

Congratulations to Math teacher Clayton Rainsberg and Intervention Specialist Mike Covey for competing in the Pi Day 5K Race in Westerville on Saturday! Mr. Rainsberg set a personal record of 22:24, which is a minute faster than his time last year, and he placed second in his age bracket. Mr. Covey shaved two minutes off his time from a year ago.

Thanks to everyone who organized and proctored the Ohio Graduation Tests. It was a time consuming endeavor, but such an important process to help some of students move a step closer to graduation.

I really appreciate those of you who continue to provide passes for students during House and ACT Period. Several people have stepped up to monitor the halls during ACT to praise our students to being responsible and respectful as they transition to the various zones or classrooms.

Students As Learners
Board President Laura Kohler took a tour of our school last Thursday and she was so impressed by the high level academic discussions, student presentations, and engaged learning she experienced in a number of the classrooms. She commented on the cleanliness of the building, the quiet hallways, and the overall focus on learning. We often forget how blessed we are until we hear it from others who are not in our school every day like we are. We will continue to strive to create the conditions for teachers to teach, students to learn, and for others to serve. Thank you for constantly putting students first!

We continuously seek opportunities for students to connect with others locally, nationally, and globally as a way to fulfill our mission and expose our students to different perspectives. From global service and exploration trips to local service learning projects, we create the conditions for students to broaden their perspective and develop global skills.

On Tuesday, March 8th, some of our students in Freshman Humanities and KAP American Humanities had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Megan Boudreaux, the founder of Respire Haiti. She shared her dedication to educating children who are domestic slaves in Haiti. In a few short years, Megan and her organization have made a real difference in the lives of hundreds of childre. Megan is a dedicated, inspirational leader and a driving force in helping these children.

Senior Payton Carter heard Mrs. Boudreax’s presentation and recently started an organization to help raise awareness in the community about the conditions of children in Haiti. New Albany Helping Haiti will be collecting new and gently used children’s clothes and accessories from those in our community. Anyone interested in donating to this worthy cause may contact New Albany Helping Haiti at nahelpinghaiti@gmail.com. Please help to spread the word via social media by liking them on Facebook at New Albany Helping Haiti and follow them on Instagram at @nahelpinghaiti.

Upcoming Events
Monday, March 14th- BOE Work Session and Superintendent Interview at 6:30 p.m. at the Mershad
Tuesday, March 15th- Junior Senior Seminar Summer Institute Proposals due
Thursday, March 17th- ACT Boot Camp; Last Day of Third Grading Period
Friday, March 18th- Spring Break: No School
Monday, March 28th- School Resumes; First Day of Fourth Grading Period

Articles Worth Reading
Personalized Learning: Why Your Classroom Should Look Like a Coffee Shop
The author of this article shares specific examples of teachers who have transitioned to the personalized learning approach, which is a form of differentiation. The author also highlights the focus on student learning by listing several key questions asked of teachers and students.

Is it Time to Reconsider AP Classes?
The author of this article raises the question that many are starting to ask as more high stakes testing is introduced in schools and how difficult it is for students to manage the emotional and mental stress the comes with the college admissions process. The author challenges the conventional wisdom of rigor in schools with examples of high achieving schools that have replaced AP courses with their own interdisciplinary courses that focus on global skill development.

Enjoy your spring break with your family and friends!

Be Great,

Dwight

Week 26 at New Albany High School!

Staff News
Congratulations to Math teacher Chrissie Bolan and her husband as they celebrate the arrival of Jay Abbott Bolan, a beautiful healthy 8 pound 11 ounce baby boy!

Guidance Secretary Shelly Santantonio’s father was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. They do not yet know the severity of the diagnosis, but he is in good spirits. Please keep Shelly and her family in your prayers.

Secretary Karen McCullough officially joined our team on Monday, February 22nd! I have seen several you of stopping by her desk to introduce yourselves and to make her feel welcomed. Thanks to Beth Johnston for helping her transition into her new position.

Please welcome long-term math substitute teacher Tyler Rogers to Team NAHS. He is taking over the reigns for Chrissie Bolan. I would like to thank math teachers Karen Morlan, Chrissie, and Lindsay Bennett for leading the interview process to select Tyler to join us.

English teacher Lynette Turner, Math teacher Sara Shon, and Science teacher Clair Monk recentlyEdLeader21 attended a dynamic EdLeader21 Workshop held at the Columbus Museum. EdLeader21 is one of the premiere education organizations that develop rubrics to measure student creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills. They were able to connect with a number of educators from Ohio and other parts of the country. Following are the learning targets for workshop attendees:

Learning targets:
Understand the key elements in the EL21 Critical Thinking rubric
• Learn how to design performance tasks that strategically integrate Critical Thinking in the context of ELA, science and mathematics
• Learn strategies for helping students self-assess Critical Thinking skills
• Use the EdLeader21 Critical Thinking Toolkit to strengthen your systematic implementation of 4Cs instruction and assessment

They participated in several design challenges as they examined the key global skills previously listed. Following is a list of potential design challenges EdLeader21 recommends for students:
1. How can we improve the landscape of our school?
2. How can we design a blade that generates the most speed and electricity on a turbine?
3. How can we, as biographers, create a legacy for our local heroes?

What they learned aligns perfectly with our Rigor work as we challenge ourselves to examine our instructional design and student learning to ensure students are developing the necessary skills for success.

Students As Learners
Science Olympiad 1Congratulations to our Science Olympiad Team for their outstanding performance in at the New Albany Invitational last Saturday! Following is a recap by Coach Sudha Ganesan:

Our varsity team won a fourth place trophy, while our JV came in 25th place. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of your students. They took such initiative to set up the HS on Friday last, they made sure each room had the right signage, the right number of tables, chairs, all school property was secured away from testing areas, all teacher’s resources put away safely. On Saturday morning, they were there in the lobby, greeting schools, walking them to their homerooms, getting rooms unlocked, lights turned on – true school ambassadors. During the day they helped visiting teams navigate our school campus to events, helped event supervisors with overhead projectors, internet connections, all this while they successfully competed in their many events earning a rich haul of medals and ribbons.
Our students are confident that we are on track to bringing home a top three trophy at the Grandview Heights Regionals in two weeks. Congratulations to our our amazing medal/ribbon winners.

Bhagee G. – Anatomy & Physiology (2nd), Experimental Design (3rd),
Protein Modeling (3rd), Cell Biology (7th)
Nishant C. – Wind Power (3rd), Wright Stuff (3rd), Air Trajectory (5th),
Robot Arm (7th)
Gunnar W. – Bridges (3rd), Wright Stuff (3rd),, Air Trajectory (5th)
Aditya M. – Protein Modeling (3rd), Wind Power (3rd), Write It Do It (7th)
Nikhil P. – Protein Modeling (3rd), Detectives (4th), Chem Lab (6th)
Harshitha K. – Hydrogeology (3rd), Dynamic Planet (4th)
Mihir P. – Bridges (3rd), Fossils (6th), Chem Lab (6th)
Olivia S. – Hydrogeology (3rd), Fossils (6th)
Parker L. – Game On (1st)
Wilson W. – Game On (1st)
Jovitha N. – Anatomy & Physiology (2nd)
David Tan – Astronomy (4th), Dynamic Planet (4th), Forensics (5th)
Nikhil M. – Astronomy (4th), Disease Detectives (4th), Cell Biology (7th),
Pranav G. – Robot Arm (4th)
Sidharth S.- Robot Arm (4th)
Shota N. – Forensics (5th)
Aayush S. – Experimental Design (7th)
Arjun K. – Robot Arm (7th)
Catherine T. – Write it Do It (7th)
Shanvanth A. -Experimental Design (7th)
Tejal R. – Experimental Design (7th)

American History teacher Jeremiah Hunt introduced his students to a concept called, “the silentsilent debate debate”, which led to high level academic discussion and student engagement. As I observed the class, the depth of student learning impressed me, and asked Mr. Hunt to provide a description of the activity to share:

The night before the debate, I asked half the class to read a document supporting the Truman Doctrine and half the class was assigned to read/analyze a document criticizing the Truman Doctrine. The next day, students partnered up with a person in the class who read the opposing viewpoint. Instead of debating back and forth verbally the students took turns debating back and forth by writing their positions on a piece of paper. Each statement the students wrote was taken from the document and used text evidence as support. The activities allowed me to emphasize document analysis skills and supporting a position with text evidence.

I am certain this can be used in a variety of courses, so consider giving it a try. Thanks, Mr. Hunt!

Rigor/Relevance Framework
Rigor/Relevance Framework
Each year, students in American Literature 11 write their own poems based on a significant historical event or historical artifact in America. Before students begin writing, they study poetic structure through the works of Gwendolyn Brooks, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and they learn to “scan” a poem and write explications. After studying the poetic art form, students begin writing and then present their poems along with a 3-D project. This year, the students worked harder than ever and Regina Morlan and Nicki Cray were so impressed with their efforts. The final products ranged in topics from Columbine to Vietnam Protests to Dr. Martin Luther King and The Statue of Liberty. Here is an excerpt from junior and new student, Yvonne Ologo: “The American Dream:”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the wind blew
Rushing leaves form my feet and toward her flew
There stood a silhouette, grey, pasted in the blue
Even with no expression my agitation grew.

Why do I have to shut up and follow the crowd?
Why can’t I do something, be creative, make myself proud?
She reached out to touch me, so gentle with care
Her face was so graceful, couldn’t help but revere…
The Statue of Liberty
And there it was in her silence she had answered me
America, yes, the land to be
Land of persistent differences but unity…

A job well done by Mrs. Morlan and Mrs. Cray!

Upcoming Events
Monday, March 7th- Department Chair Meeting 3:00 pm Professional Library
Wednesday, March 9th- Staff Meeting 7:15 am Jefferson Room;
Senior Brunch
Thursday, March 10th- Staff Meeting 7:15 am; House Jeopardy
Saturday, March 11th- SAT

Articles Worth Reading
Want to go to College in U.S? Show Compassion, Not Test Scores: Proposal

How to Turn on the Part of the Brain That Controls Motivation

Be Great,

Dwight

Week 23 at New Albany High School!

parent-teacher-conference.previewWe held winter Parent/Teacher Conferences last week and I received a number of positive comments from teachers and parents about the quality of the conversations. The conversations were centered on strategies and enrichments to maintain or enhance student performance. The timing of conferences was perfect for our school counselors because we are in the beginning stages of course selections, so parents who had questions were able to schedule individual time to meet with them. This should make the scheduling process even smoother.

Students gained access to online scheduling Monday, February 15th. I want to thank Steve Gehlert, Jennifer Grand-Pierre, Beth Johnston, Shelly Santantonio, Lisa Stiles, our School Counselors, and Department Chairs for their hard work on this all-important process.

Staff News
Congratulations to College Counselor Stefanie Drugan and her husband who are expecting their first child!

Congratulations to Alspach for winning the Pennies for Patients Drive! Pleasant Hill and Wagner came in very close for second and third places. Congratulations to all houses.

The school yearbook is one of the best ways to preserve memories and purchase a piece of history. With the use of social media and otheron sale now Web 2.0 tools, students are able to upload images that they would like to include in the yearbook so that it is much more of a collaborative process. The school yearbook is still a major artifact of the high school experience and one that is cherished years after graduation. English teacher and Yearbook Advisor Thom Cross has worked closely with students to increase advertisements, market The Eagle yearbook in more creative ways, and provide a way for students to remember their New Albany years.

There is still time to buy a NAHS 2016 yearbook! The last day to submit an order with a personalized cover is April 30th, 2016, and the last day to purchase a yearbook is July 30th. Please visit www.yearbookforever.com and address all questions to Yearbook Advisor and English teacher Thom Cross at cross.1@napls.us.

Students As Learners
handshakeAs part of her Physics class, Science teacher Jessica Whitehead is facilitating mini “How to Adult” chats. So far, they have discussed mortgage payments and the basics about home buying. They have also discussed business-casual verses business professional clothing and interview questions from top companies. Finally, she focused on the importance of a firm handshake. To do so, she invited members of the administrative team to greet her students outside her door to shake hands with them as they entered the room. This is a simple, yet creative way to embed “soft skills” into the curriculum.

I learned this week that several teachers provide opportunities for students to retake tests to ensure they can demonstrate what they haveRedo learned. This is a challenging concept for many to embrace because it goes against the traditional culture of school and deadlines. However, I support this approach to assessment because it makes learning the constant and time a variable. Additionally, it gives teachers an opportunity to discover what needs to be retaught based on the data gathered from assessments. With office hours, Academic Coaching Time (ACT period), study centers, and online learning platforms like Schoology or Google Classroom, there are many opportunities to reteach content in a variety ways before students retake takes or quizzes.

Something for us to consider is should students receive half or full credit for making test corrections or retaking a test? If a student does not show up for re-teaching opportunities, should they be given the chance to retake a test or make test corrections? These are simply points to consider and certainly are not something that will become an overall school policy. Considering how we use information gathered from testing to influence future instruction involves contemplating how we will vary approach. This is one consideration. It would be an interesting discussion to know how various teachers approach this and share ideas on this topic.

Teen ViolenceSeniors Ruthie Lewis and Miranda Derflinger facilitated a Teen Dating Violence Prevention presentation for our freshmen during ACT last Wednesday and Thursday. Ruthie organized this event last year and enhanced it even more this year by including a self defense presentation by Miranda and inviting Gahanna Lincoln High School senior Kaylah Casuccio to share her story. It was an engaging and relevant presentation for our students.

A couple of weeks ago, I was approached by a few students with large cameras hanging around their necks and iPhones in their hands. Theyinstagram-logo proposed an idea to create an Instagram account called, Humans of New Albany (@HumansofNewAlbany). They were inspired by the Humans of New York (@Humansofny) Instagram account, which shares peoples’ stories in a visually, compelling way. They explained that they want to bring to light the fascinating stories of students and staff in our school community. They want to celebrate our unique differences and commonalities that unite us as human beings. So far, their work is impressive! If you have an Instagram account, I encourage you to follow them to learn more about the humans of New Albany. I appreciate their initiative, empathy, and desire to tell story visually.

Athletic Update
Congratulations to our Boys Basketball team for winning OCC Capital Division title! Congratulations also to a host of NAHS Swimmers and Divers for qualifying to the district championships after a successful sectional performance on Saturday!

200 Medley Relay
Grace, Kelly, Emili and Lauren S.
Brennan, Jack G., Steven and Victor

200 free
Blake, Abbie, Carson, Pearson

200 IM
Lauren L, Grace, Kelly, Jessica V.

50 Free
Jessica Z., Lauren S., Emili, Olivia, Harrison, Gage

Diving
Nikki, Georgina

100 Fly
Emili, Sydney, Jessica V, Midori, Carson

100 Free
Jessica Z, Blake, Olivia, Lauren S., Pearson, Harrison

500 Free
Abbie, Jane

200 Free Relay
Blake, Jessica, Lauren S and Olivia
Harrison, Pearson, Gage and Carson

100 Back
Grace, Sydney, Isabel

100 Breast
Kelly, Lauren L, Victor, Jack G.

400 Free Relay
Blake, Jessica Z, Abbie and Olivia
Pearson, Harrison, Gage and Carson

Upcoming Events
Wednesday, February 17th- Department Meetings 7:15-7:50 a.m.
Thursday, February 18th- Department Meetings 7:15-7:50 a.m.
Saturday, February 20th- Winter Formal 8:00-11:00 p.m. in the Gym

Articles Worth Reading
Stop Humiliating Teachers– The rhetoric around public education the last ten years has been toxic. The author of this article provides an historical account of what has led to the negative perception of teachers and identifies the root cause of the problem. The article is also inclusive of solutions to overcome it.

3 Huge Industries Facing Death Because They Won’t Embrace Radical Ideas– In the Information Age, change comes often and rapidly. Like Blockbuster, industries that refuse to adapt to new ways of accessing content and embrace change are less fluid. Therefore, they are in danger of no longer existing. What are the implications, if any, for education?

Video Worth Watching
I encourage you to watch the following spoken word video by artist Shane Koyczan. He tells a dynamic story about his school experience and that of others who may feel the same way. More importantly, he presents a way to eliminate the conditions that lead to students feeling as if they simply do not belong: empathy.

Be Great,

Dwight

Week 21 at New Albany High School!

curriculum nightThere was a great deal activity at New Albany High School last week, which included a number of activities for our school community. Midweek, we held our Curriculum Extravaganza in the MS/HS cafeteria and it was standing room only!

Our School Counselors and Department Chairs organized the event because we wanted to create a much more engaging, informative, and interactive experience for parents and students who attended. The scheduling process can be daunting due to our diverse course offerings and several new changes to graduation requirements and credit attainment.

Representatives from each department were available to answer questions, provide course sequence advice, and be a listening ear as parents and their children perused the cafeteria. The school counselors provided a formal 35-minute presentation that reviewed graduation requirements and the entire scheduling process. Parent and staff feedback has been extremely positive as can be seen in the following e-mail from a staff member:

“I am not sure to whom this should go as I am sure many were involved, but last evening was wonderful. What a great addition to the scheduling process. It was well worth the time spent. It was nice to help the parents, even when they were not the parents of current students. I think it was a prime opportunity to show our commitment to the community and the schools. I have heard only good things from the staff and the parents. To you and to all involved, this was an excellent move. Thank you!”


Staff News
Thanks to everyone who submitted cards and notes to send to staff members who need a word of encouragement! #NAHSCommUNITY!

A big shout to our secretarial and custodial staff for helping us to organize and prepare for the Curriculum Extravaganza! Additionally, thanks to all teachers who were able to assist parents in your respective departments. #NAHSCommUNITY!

Thanks to our coaches and Athletic Director Kevin Reed for leading our student athletes to earn a 6th straight Ralph Young Award!

Thanks to Assistant Principal Steve Gehlert, our Department Chairs, and secretaries Shelly Santantonio and Jennifer Grand-Pierre for completing the Program of Studies and Schedule Grid.

Students As Learners
Audacity_Logo.svgBand teacher Darren Falk has found a creative way to integrate technology during instruction in a way that allows students to provide feedback to their peers in a collaborative manner. After several minutes of warm-up drills and practice playing a particular piece of music, Mr. Falk uses Adacity to record the students playing, uploades it to the class Schoology page, and asks students to provide feedback after listening to the recording. This enables him to check for student understanding as they strengthen their listening skills. It also creates a greater sense of community because each section of the band provides support to one another in a constructively critical, yet professional manner. This is a fantastic formative instructional practice that incorporates student voice!

We held the State of the Eagles Address on Wednesday, January 27 and Thursday, January 28 duringIMG_6115 Academic Coaching Time. We recognized students who earned a grade point average of 3.0-3.49, 3.5-3.99, and 4.00+. We also asked students who improved at one or more grades by one letter grade from 1st quarter to second quarter. Following this brief spotlight experience, we shared our overall grade levels and school grade point average for second quarter:
· Class of 2019 – 3.11
· Class of 2018 – 3.37
· Class of 2017 – 3.37
· Class of 2016 – 3.33
· Overall – 3.29

We share this information with students because we want them to know how important each person’s performance is to our overall success. This was also a good introduction to our new zones that are available during Academic Coaching Time (ACT Period).

Students who met the grade, attendance, and discipline criteria can attend four different zones based on their needs:

· Silent Zone: Library – this is for students who want to work independently in absolute silence. With the study nooks, variety of seating arrangements, and design of the library, it is the perfect setting for silent study.
· Quiet Zone: Jefferson Room – this is for students who want peer assistance or the opportunity to work on group projects that require some talking and interaction.
· Collaboration Zone: high school cafeteria – this is for students who want to have an informal club meeting to finish projects, continue the planning process for upcoming projects, work more openly with their peers, or to socialize in a less formal setting.
· ACT Room– a majority of students like the environment that has been created in their current ACT Room with their academic coach and peers, so they can remain in this room.

Students who need additional coaching based on second quarter data have been assigned to a content area academic coach and will report to their coach every Wednesday or Thursday during ACT. It is an intentional and purposeful opportunity to support students during the school day and take advantage of a significant block of time.

Upcoming Events
Monday, February 1st – 8th grade Registration Week
Royal Shakespeare Company play: Henry V
Wednesday, February 3rd – Department Meetings at 7:20 a.m.
Thursday, February 4th – Department Meetings at 7:20 a.m.
Friday, February 5th – Black History Month Assembly
Saturday, February 6th – ACT
Monday, February 8th – BOE Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 9th – P/T Conferences
Thursday, February 11th – P/T Conferences
Monday, February 15th – Presidents Day Observance: No School
Tuesday, February 16th – Staff Professional Learning Day
College Credit Plus Meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Articles Worth Reading
Combatting a Culture of Learned Helplessness
Skills Learned in School Differ From Those Demanded at Work

Video Worth Watching
Mark Modesti: The Argument for Trouble

Be Great,

Dwight

Week 20 at New Albany High School!

Staff News
Please keep Concord Counselor Brandy Smith in your prayers as she mourns the loss of her father. She was out all week and should return in a few days.

Students As Learners
Life Skills We often put a great deal of emphasis on preparing students for their future, which is a major part of the formal education process. At the same time, we emphasize the here and now. It is said that the best way to develop the leaders of tomorrow is to start today, which is one of the reasons why we teach. Life skill development is a constant conversation in the world of education. Policies have come and gone, and back again when it comes to the importance of these skills in curriculum. Many of us remember the days of Home Economics class. We might still have the pair of pajamas or pillow that we made, recall the meals we cooked, or the fictitious budget that we developed to learn valuable skills that we use in our daily lives.

Intervention Specialist Mike Covey is teaching his Consumer Math class using the AGS Consumer math courses because of its task breakdown of important life skills topics. The first chapter deals with Earning Money from all types of wages earned compensation programs to commissions. The students have covered all aspects of buying food, shopping for clothing which included making their own clothing, layaway programs, and charge accounts. Currently, students are working on managing a household and all that those skills entail. Mr. Covey has also covered computing down payments, paying the mortgage and budgeting utility bills. These are life skills that every student should develop over time and as students prepare for life after high school, be it career, college, or a gap year; it’s hard to argue the importance of financial literacy skills. I recently shared the image the image above with parents and staff members and asked, “Who is responsible for teaching these skills?” Responses varied, but it is obvious that we are all responsible for teaching and reinforcing these skills through our content areas and in the home.

Congratulations to the following students for having their work juried into the Scholastic Art Awards:
Julia Spector-Painting: Color Splash -Silver Key
Harper Loeb -Drawing and Illustration: Purrrsistence of Memory -Gold Key
Harper Loeb -Drawing and Illustration: Off with His Head -Silver Key
Chloe Davis-Drawing and Illustration: Llama -Silver Key
Ja-Young Kim-Painting: Folk -Silver Key
Jordyn Lambert-Drawing and Illustration: Lady Fox -Silver Key
Harper Loeb -Drawing and Illustration: Off with His Head -Silver Key
Kyley Reams-Printmaking: Caged -Silver Key
Katie Cahill -Drawing and Illustration: The Inuit Polar Bear -HM
Leigh Gabel -Drawing and Illustration: Captain Kangaroo -HM
Ja-Young Kim -Digital Art: 45.4375° N, 12.3358° E -HM
Cecilia Smoyer-Drawing and Illustration: Lana -HM

The award ceremony and reception for the 2016 Central Ohio Regional Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition is on Saturday, February 13th. Award recipients will receive an invitation to attend a reception to honor their achievements. All students who receive Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mention will be listed in the exhibition program book, on the CCAD website and will receive a certificate on behalf of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Congratulations to our artists!

Athletic Update
NA LogoThe New Albany Swim and Dive Team had their final invitational warm-up before their Championship season starts in just two weeks. The Ladies finished 7th and the Gentlemen finished 9th at the prestigious Northeast Classic in Canton at the C.T. Branin Natatorium, sight of the OHSAA State Championships February 25-27.

The Dive team was led by Nikki Waters who finished 1st (475.65) and Georgina Milne (422.95) who finished 7th.

Boy swimmers making the Championship Finals were Pearson Spychalski, 4th in the 200 Free, Carson Barnes, 5th in the 100 Butterfly, and the 400 Free Relay team of Spychalski, Barnes, Harrison Jenny, and Gage Ford finishing 6th. Spychalski also set the Eagles team record in the 500 Free (4:52.60) in the consolation finals. Victor Alfonso joined those four in the consolation finals to round out a good day for the gentlemen.

The girls 200 Free Relay of Lauren Sadler, Jessica Zaper, Blake Broullire, and Olivia Neff placed 3rd in the Championship Finals. Grace Taylor, Abbie Linek, and Emili Toppari made consolation final events as well as all four girls on the 200 Free Relay team. Freshmen Kelly Shur made her presence felt in the bonus finals of the 200 Individual Medley.

The Eagles final regular season meet will be Tuesday, January 26th Tuesday against Olentangy Orange at 5:00 pm. Our senior swimmers and divers will be honored before the meet.

Upcoming Events
Wednesday, January 27th- Staff Meeting, Jefferson Room 7:15 a.m. Curriculum Extravaganza, Cafe 6:30-8:30 p.m.
State of the Eagles, Gymnasium 1:45 p.m.

Thursday, January 28th- Staff Meeting, Jefferson Room 7:15 a.m.; State of the Eagles, Gymnasium 1:45 p.m.

Article Worth Reading
Rethinking College Admissions

Be Great,

Dwight

Food for Thought
Students But Into the Teacer

Week 19 at New Albany High School!

Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy lives through us all. He led during a time of great turmoil in our country and there were significant cultural, legal, and regional barriers that prevented unity from existing in our country. As we work to overcome some challenging times in our country, let’s remember the words and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


Staff News
I was out of the building quite a bit last week, yet Assistant Principal Steve Gehlert and Kip Greenhill did an excellent job taking the lead. Mr. Gehlert worked with several teachers to find other classrooms to conduct class when faced with a water leak, they both met with a group of students to work through a conflict, and Mr. Gehlert attended an important meeting about the Global Scholars Program. I want to publicly thank them for their leadership!

http://highlanderdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/online-real-estate-classes.jpg
http://highlanderdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/online-real-estate-classes.jpg
English teacher Ann Trotter, Physics teacher Greg Morris, and AP US Government teacher Kirk Hilbrands hosted several administrators from Worthington City School District to share their experiences with blended learning. Each presented a different delivery model for their blended learning classes, which is a unique component of differentiating how they meet the needs of students. The Worthington cohort was impressed by the variety of approaches, the focus on student learning, and what they heard from students as they shared they enjoy most about having a blended class. This form of differentiation is by no means an easy process, yet the collaborative support provided during the training has proven to be invaluable. It’s a reminder that to work in isolation is merely a choice and working together in a Professional Learning Network leads to significant learning for teachers and students.

Students As Learners
Science Olympiad Advisor Sudha Ganesan provided an update on the resent success of our Science Olympiad Team after they competed at the Kenston Science Olympiad Invitation on Saturday, January 16, 2016. She states:

“Our two high school teams were off to a great start at the Kenston Science Olympiad Invitational. I am2016 KENSTON TROPHY proud to share that our students’ hard work helped them win medals and ribbons in eight events and brought home the over-all Eighth Place Trophy! Our teams placed 11th and 37th out of 48 schools, including the top eight schools from Ohio and the top schools from Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Virginia. This is an amazing start considering we played with only 14 members on our Varsity team and 10 members on the Junior Varsity team. Even as we walked out of the Kenston High School building our students were already talking about what they needed to do to make sure they come home with a team trophy at the next invitational, too.”

Congratulations to the following Science Olympiad team members:

Medal Round:
· First place gold: Wind Power – Aditya Mistry and Bhagee Ganesan
· Ribbon (4th – 8th) Round:
· Fourth place: Anatomy and Physiology – Bhagee Ganesan and Shankar Pattabhiraman
· Fifth place: Protein Modeling – Aditya Mistry, Nikhil Pramod and Shankar Pattabhiraman
· Sixth place: Bridge Building – Parker Lehmann and Jonah Callinan
· Seventh place: Wright Stuff – Gunnar Wielinski and David Tan
· Eighth place: Cell Biology – Bhagee Ganesan and Nikhil Malakalapalli
Forensics – Shota Nemoto and Olivia Samson
Air Trajectory – Gunnar Wielinski and Nikhil Malakalapalli

Rigor/Relevance Framework
Rigor/Relevance Framework
Students in our Theatre Program participated in 24 Hour Theatre over the weekend! Theatre Teacher Elliott Lemberg gave participants three themes in which they had 24 hours to prepare a performance. The themes were: appearance verses reality, change, and order and disorder. Students selected their teams and applied everything they’ve learned first semester to create a number of skits that they performed in front of a live audience. This is such a unique learning opportunity and it exemplifies our students ability to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and collaborate to solve problems!

Athletic Update
Our Girl’s Varsity Basketball Team is coming off 2 big wins last week. First,Girls Varsity BB they avenged an earlier loss to a 10-2 Mount Vernon team. Second, they upset a 12-1 Watterson team. Currently, their record is 9-5. The team is led by seniors Meche’la Cobb, Caitlin Coss & Liza Hernandez. They beat Olentangy Orange Friday night, but lost to Upper Arlington on Saturday.

Our Bowling Team is off to a great start! Coach Damian Hammond provided the following images of our bowlers in action!
Bowling 1

Bowling 2

Bowling 3
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, January 19, 2016 First day of second semester
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 Department Meetings 7:15 am
Thursday, January 21, 2016 Department Meetings 7:15 am
Saturday, January 23, 2016 A Cappella Cabaret

Articles Worth Reading
Managing Stress: Creating Calm In Your Career

10 Smart Leadership Solutions for Everyday Challenges

Be Great,

Dwight

Week 18 at New Albany High School!

BetterI shared this image with my staff last week because it challenged my thinking about goal setting and starting over. As educators, we are given the unique opportunity to start over at the beginning of each grading period or after long scheduled breaks, such as winter break or spring break. As each new year approaches, we are encouraged to set resolutions, but the message in the image reminds us to focus on doing something BETTER, not necessarily NEW. As we approach second semester and 2016, I encouraged staff and faculty to continue to think about the ONE THING each of us can do better rather than adding something new to our plate. We had a great first week back, which is captured in this brief Storify!

Staff News
As we approach the second semester, it is a good time to review some general expectations and procedures.
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Expectations:
-Be Punctual- Punctuality is a sign of respect.
-Be Prepared- Prior planning prevents poor performance.
-Be Present- Be here daily and also be in the moment.
-Be Professional- Professionalism is knowing what to do, how to do it, and
doing it in a high quality manner.
-Be Positive- To change your situation, change your attitude.
-Play- Don’t take yourself too seriously. Continue reading

An Open Letter To My Students

“What Should We Expect of You?”

At the beginning of the school year, I shared with your families a brief list of what we expect of you. This list is essentially our core values: respect for self, respect for others, respect for the learning environment, and respect for the community.

Several months ago, we gathered in the gymnasium during Academic Coaching Time (ACT period) where you were asked an essential question: “What should we expect of you?” The reason why we asked you this question is because your voice matters. You matter, and your level of engagement is directly related to how you feel about being a New Albany High School Eagle.

Once we explained the directions, we asked you to organize yourselves into smaller groups, spread out, and sit on the gym floor to brainstorm a list of behaviors we should expect of you. The School Counselors and Administrators gathered your lists and we compiled the data, which were put into the following Wordle:
What We Expect of Students (1)

The highlighted behaviors would make any parent or educator proud. You understand how important it is to demonstrate respect towards others, our learning environment, and the community. You also stressed the importance of being on time, prepared, and open-minded. The more we all demonstrate these behaviors on a consistent basis, the better our learning environment will become.

As we near the end of the first semester and kickoff the second half of the year in less than two weeks, let’s refocus on what you said we should expect of you. Following are some specific ways you can do that:

1. Be punctual daily
2. Be prepared by completing your assignments in a quality manner
3. Throw your trash away whether you’re in the cafeteria, hallways, Jefferson Room, Library, or outside.
4. Be where you are supposed to be at all times.
5. Be nice.

You make me proud to be your principal daily and I look forward to what is in store for second semester!

Be Great,

Mr. Carter