#oneword2016- Together, part 2

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog about my #oneword2016- Together.  If you missed it, here's a link.

(from www.gksv.nl)

Well, now it's time for part 2.  It comes on the heels of a book chat that families, staff, and I are having about the book Beyond the Bake Sale.  We have met four times and our last meeting was our best discussion.  It's not that the other discussions weren't good.  This one just happened to be exceptional.  This fine group of people have really come together to talk about our school- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

(from subscene.com)

The honesty of the members of this group is enlightening.  As I tell them, we won't get any better unless they're honest with me.  I take notes, really listen, and try to determine at least one item that I can tackle.

But this time, we got together, talked, listened, and then picked one big thing that we all wanted to tackle- Open House.  It became a passionate discussion, with lots of ideas for communication, for welcoming families new to our district, and for welcoming families new to our school.  We decided to really revamp the communication process, add some maps, find mentor families, and a myriad of other items.  We all realized, together, that Open House is truly the first impression all of our families have about our school.  Having more voices in the room and working together will really help make our Open House something that all students and families will look forward to every year.  Together this is going to be awesome!  Check back in August to see what we've come up with.