Posted by Malissa Beecham on 10/26/2020
What an exciting week for our Re-Imagining Work!
On Monday, I met with class representatives to create the process we will use to gather student voices in selecting our new mascot, school colors, and logo. We started with a fun “recognize the mascot game” and then talked about what we would like for this process to be. Students wanted to make sure all students, whether virtual or in-person, had the opportunity to share their voice in the nomination process. They then wanted to ensure all stakeholders had a chance to participate in the voting process. Our current reality pulled on our problem-solving skills; however, we are confident in our plan.
On Tuesday, our Re-Imagining Committee met, some virtual and some in person, to continue planning for our transition. We worked on finalizing our Guiding Principles and using those to work through a protocol for solidifying what they would look like in our various Task Force Groups. We have divided our work into 5 Task Force Groups:
- Building the Climate and Culture of our School
- Building Design (Interior and Exterior)
- Family and Community Partnerships
- Authentic, Relevant, Personalized Learning Opportunities
- Communications and Public Relations
Each group worked through a process that helped them visualize what our Guiding Principles would look like in action, our current reality, and what priority steps we will use to prepare for our 2021-2022 opening.
One of the groups talked about ways we will take to document our work and progress better. Please be on the lookout for:
- Weekly video updates (First week in November) to allow you to learn more about our team at Givens.
- Opportunities to see the unique spaces we are planning for 2021.
- Ways you can learn more about offering ideas and feedback.
You are probably wondering what our “Guiding Principles” are, but stay tuned to our blog. We will be sharing updates to help you learn more about the shared beliefs guiding our work. With our weekly videos, you will also get a better understanding of the work of each group.
Please feel free to add comments or suggestions by clicking on the "Got Questions" button to the left.
On this journey together,
Malissa Beecham
Principal
Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Elementary 2021-2022
