Senior Week 2010

This past week was the Annual Senior Week at A.H.S. Our seniors get a week of special treatment as a reward for their 4 years at A.H.S. Monday, they were fed breakfast or allowed to sleep-in for an hour. Mrs. Slager and other staff cooked pancakes, bacon, etc. Tuesday, the students dressed in their caps and gowns and took graduation group photos and individual cap and gown photos. Also, they took the annual senior group picture for the yearbook. This year, they parked several trucks in front of the football field and they all climbed in the back of the trucks. Wednesday, they had two hours off in the middle of the day for a massive dodgeball game and then went outside for a giant kickball game. Thursday was my favorite day. Thursday, we took 47 of the seniors to a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. The weather cooperated enough for us to have a good time as we watched the Cards defeat the Marlins 4-2. It was a great week for a great bunch of seniors.

FFA BANQUET - SUNDAY
This evening at CIS the FFA held its end of the year banquet. At the banquet the group thanks supporters, recognizes members, hands out awards and awards the Ingram and Frank Memorial Scholarships. New officers are also installed for next year. The kids, Mr. Brown and Mr. Butler put on another great evening. The food and the company were excellent. Our FFA Chapter is one of the most active and most decorated in the area. We had more 1st place finishes in CDE contest than any other area chapter. Their service to the community and the school are very much appreciated.

ATHENS GIRLS STATE-BOUND!!

Congrats to the Athens Lady Warrior Track Team as they send 5 girls to State: Kelsey, Holly, Kristen, Lauren, & Madeline will represent us at the State Tournament. Coach Gastorf has a tremendous group of sprinters this year.

A NIGHT OF MUSIC:
Tonight was the HS/JHS band and chorus concert. After coaching my daughter's softball practice I went to the event which was held @ CIS. The JH band sounded great! I especially liked the Buddy Holly tune. The chorus and show choir each performed nicely. The JH jazz band rocked a little Freebird for everyone. The HS band did 3 pieces including Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, and one other. A surprise treat came from Mr. Ernst, Ian Turner and Wil Myers playing Pat Benetar's "Heart Breaker" while seniors -Amy Heikes and Tasha Bryant belted out the lyrics. Congratulations to Tasha, Dana, Amy and Lindi for the awards they earned tonight. Thanks to the teachers, students, boosters and parents for a great evening.

After the meet and greet and a few pictures, just when we were feeling like it was time to leave........Mr. White offered us cake. This was an impromptu gesture that led to another 30 minutes of "visiting" with the Secretary. At this point he offered us coffee and even poured a cup for Ally's mother and I. He then signed a few posters and books. He began to tell stories and visit with everyone. It was obvious that this was off the script. He seemed to really enjoy the students and their families. There were more pictures and stories. He even asked where the "Head Master" was for a second picture:) He was quite the host. His desire to spend extra time with the students and families did not go unnoticed. A man with his schedule - taking that time was remarkable. He ended the day by saying that "all we expect from you (the students) is your best!" What a great afternoon for all in attendance.

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT Cont..

Well, the ceremony was very nice. The three winners each read their letter to the Secretary. The youngest, Carra (5th grade) wrote about how a book helped her overcome her fears at gymnastics camp. it wasn't just any camp - she was one of a few who spent the summer at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. The middle school winner, Jana (8th grade) wrote about a book that opened her eyes to the negative powers of rumors and "mean-talk.". I believe the book was called 13 reasons. Ally's letter was about a book in which a girl deals with early struggles that mirror similar issues in Ally's youth. It was quite the personal narrative. After the readings, there was a meet and greet and a few pictures with the Secretary. He was very polite and genuine. As we started to think it was time to leave........there was more to come.....

Celebrating Achievement!
I am currently at the Illinois State Capitol awaiting the Secretary of State, Mr. Jesse White. I am here to be part of the ceremony to recognize the 3 winners of the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library - Letters About Literature Contest. Our own senior, Allyssa Brown won the level 3 division - being selected from over 6300 entries. Myself, Ally's parents, brother and friends (Jenny and Abby) will soon spend a few minutes with Mr. White. This is a great accomplishment for Ally! This is another example of the good things going on at Athens HS.

I am now able to blog from my phone about school related activities. I am hoping that this will lead to more current and more frequent posts.

The Changing Face of Educational Technology

I am currently on break from an online workshop for school administrators. The topic is technology in education. Of course, this is a major source of interest for me. I believe that the influence of technology in education will grow dramatically in the near future. Schools are places where new technologies can be used to increase student engagement. The issues that we have to overcome are fear of the new technologies and the resistance to use and support such technologies. Many of these technologies can be used to create and design. Creating and designing are skills that our kids will need along with the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. There are schools out there embracing these technologies and using them to enhance instruction, collaboration, and communication. I would hope that by the time my tenure as ended at Athens High School, we have become one of those schools