Proud to be a Warrior!

This week marks the official beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  I am excited to announce that I have changed positions.  I am now the principal of Western Oaks Middle School in Putnam City.  Although it was very difficult to leave my beloved Mustang Creek Elementary, I felt called to this new place.  Western Oaks Middle School is an incredible school.  It is filled with dedicated, compassionate people who work diligently to provide the best possible educational environment for students.  Who could be so lucky to have the opportunity to work in TWO places filled with such committed educators and stellar students?  I am humbled and blessed to be called the principal of WOMS.  I am confident that this will be a year of great success for all! 

Proud to be a Warrior!

To a Million and Beyond...

Well, it's offical...Our students have surpassed our reading goal of one million minutes.  They are so excited!  Our sumo match is scheduled for early May.  The jury is still out on who might win.  Will it be Suffield or Wilson?  The total minutes read from October through the end of February is 1, 303, 726!  I love the students' commitment and enthusiasm for reading.  Mrs. Suffield and I have challenged our students to keep reading because we will  have to drink that nasty "Everything McDonald's Shake" if they reach three million.  They really might just get the job done.  We are working diligently to keep the enthusiasm for the challenge alive.  Tomorrow we will celebrate and surprise the top readers in each class.  I can't wait to unveil the BIG surprise.  Not even the teachers know what it is.  It's gonna be GREAT!

A Dog's Purpose--A Novel for Humans

I just finished reading a book called, A Dog's Purpose--A Novel for Humans, by W. Bruce Cameron. My love for dogs is well-known, so it's only natural that I would receive a book told from a dog's perspective for Christmas.  It is a unique, heart-warming story about a dog searching for his life's purpose and how it intertwines with human relationships. I enjoyed the book immensely and have passed it on to my 8th grade daughter. If you love dogs, I encourage you to read it!  The next book on my "to read for pleasure" list is A Soft Place to Land, by Susan Rebecca White.  What are you currently reading?

Today. The First Blank Page.

Happy New Year, friends!  "Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write well."  I don't know to whom to attribute that quote, but I like it.  New Year's Day serves not only as a new year, but a mid-point for our school year.  This is an excellent time to reflect on the prior semester and a time to anticipate the new semester.  Obviously, by now you know that a big highlight of last semester, for me, has been the revelation of the details of our reading challenge.  The kids have embraced the challenge and are hard at work reading.  I have no doubt that they will reach the one million mark by the Spring deadline (which means a fierce sumo wrestling match between Mrs. Suffield and me), and I am confident that they are well on their way to reaching the three million minutes (which means, in addition to sumo wrestling, we will drink an "Everything McDonald's Shake").  But the kids are not quite there yet.  What can we adults do to encourage them along the way?  How do we model--serve as examples--of a love for reading?  What books, newspapers, and blogs are you reading?  This new year, I want to highlight the things that the adults in their world read.  This is not only a good example, but the kids get a kick out of knowing what we books we like to read.                    

Creek's Million Minute Challenge Makes the News!

Last Tuesday morning (December 11), Creek's Million Minute Literacy Challenge was featured on Fox 25's Morning News Program!  I want to thank Fox 25 for the coverage which included six live segments.  The reporter, Terre' Gables, really made it exciting for the kids.  Mrs. Suffield and I even gave a "preview" of our proposed sumo wrestling match on live TV!  (Kids:  Keep reading, and Mrs. Suffield and I will face off for real in May.  Who would win?)  Freckles also made the news!  But my favorite part was the interview of some great kids who have demonstrated a commitment to reading.  I am proud of all the kids and the whole staff....The way they are going at it, the kids may get to THREE MILLION MINUTES of reading, in which case Mrs. Suffield and I will have to sumo wrestle and drink an everything McDonald's shake (gross!). 

Here are some links to Fox 25's website with some videos.  (The videos should load in the window.):

The link to the sumo wrestling preview:  Wilson v. Suffield....The Preview  

And the link to an interview of some great Creek kids!  Creek Kids!

And the link to Freckles' television debut:  Freckles TV Debut!

And the winner is...

Freckles, Creek's beloved cocker spaniel, announced last week at Wakin and Shakin that the winning radical stunt is none other than SUMO WRESTLING.  Mrs. Suffield and I will face-off at a school-wide assembly at the end of April.    We even "upped the ante" by declaring that we would perform two of the stunts if the students would read a record THREE million minutes.   The students are so excited...they are reading like mad!

Everything Shakes, Catfish, and Sumo Wrestling

Say what?  Today Mr. Wilson announced via iPad video the finalists in the Magic Million Essay Contest.  The students went wild as he and Freckles, our cockerspaniel, announced the winners.  Here are the winning ideas:

1) Kiss a live catfish from the Wetland Pond
2) Sumo wrestle Mrs. Suffield
3) Drink an "Everything McDonalds Shake"--the ingredients include chicken nuggets, a hamburger, a chocolate shake, french fries, and ketchup

Seriously?  I think I might be sick!  Voting begins next week.  What would you choose?