Defuse the Fuse

Too many times I have heard phrases like:

“I will be so glad when the day is over.  I am so swamped that I need more than 24-hours in the day to get everything done!”  Or

“My brain is so fried, I could pop!” or

“I can’t get a break! Every time I think the train is slowing down, something else pops up at the last minute!”

And this is from adults who deal with this type of life behavior, attitudes and adjustments every day.

We as adults have learned, over the long haul, how to deal with “life” and the hand it deals us on a daily basis.  But when I think of the struggles we have as adults in dealing with the everydayness of life, I can’t help but to think of the kids of today and the stress they deal with on a daily basis.  I do not ever remember having to deal with this type of daily stress when I was growing up.  Of course that was long ago, but who is counting anyway.

I stand in the hallways everyday to see the faces of a generation who continues to struggle in trying to figure things out.  I want to connect with the young ones who are dealing with the idea of being away from home, and now are trying to just get adapted to life with many strangers.  I want to connect to the older ones who think they know what is going on, but have been mislead by many facets of their young life and try to get them to see that getting from this side of the road to the other side is not as easy as they think.

Then on top of all of this, I think of their studies, their social life, their home life, their relationship with their parents who are, in many cases, far away mentally.  I think of the social media pressure, the peer pressure, and the invite they continually get from an instantaneous society that says they must get it right now.

When I think about it, I sometime wonder why they are so misbehaved in class; not only here at school, but everywhere.  I wonder if this is their way of letting out the confusion in their mind?  Maybe they just really need an easy ear to listen or a gentle shoulder to lean on.  Maybe they need someone to help them filter through the “stuff” and get out of the “rough.”

Think about this.  We sometimes have a hard time dealing with the daily grind and trying to put all the pieces together.  We have been doing it for a lot longer.  I wonder how difficult it must be for a young mind who is just starting to develop those traits.  Maybe their brain is so fried, or every time they think they can take a break or their day is so swamped….

I know!  That is why I stand in the halls to see their face every day.  I want to be the easy ear.

/by

Another Week Gone!

Wow, what a week we had.  As we continue to settle down into the school year, the pace continues to be quick and fast.  But, when I look at the students, they all have a big smile on their faces and seem to be enjoying the experience.  That is a true testament to the breath of East Hall Middle School.

We made some major gains this week and those are indicators that we are on our way to a great year.

1. I wrote letters home to students this week.  Five students each month will receive a letter from me.  Remember when you would get mail and how excited you would be? That is what I want for the students.  They need to know that I care about them at school and at home.  Then they will realize that I am concerned about them and they have someone they can trust and talk to.

2. Discipline is improving greatly.  We have had less discipline referrals to ISS at this point this year than we had at this point last school year.  Keep up the good work Vikings!

3.  The football team won its first game of the year.  The cheerleaders looked great!

4.  The Cross-country team ran in their first meet at Chestatee

One student told me today, that he was scared when he got home and saw that he had gotten a letter from me.  He said that he thought he was in trouble.  But when he read the letter, he smiled because he saw that he had done something good.

We’ve accomplished a lot over the last two weeks, but we still have a long way to go.  The teachers and the office staff are doing an amazing job in keeping things in order and assisting parents when you enter the building.  We aim to be the most welcoming place you can visit.

Now we are ready for the last holiday of the summer.  This is historically a dangerous time for families.  I ask you to be extra careful and cautious this weekend.

I will be waiting for the students to return on Tuesday.  Ready to get busy.  It’ll be a short week.

/by

Monday, September 2 – School Holiday

Monday, September 2 is a school holiday and there will be no school for students or staff.  You can view the complete Hall County School System Calendar for this school year at https://www.hallco.org/web/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2019-2020-School-Calendar.pdf

/by

Just to Remind Them

We had a good week this past week.  The school stays so busy that it goes by really fast.  With all the meetings and other official requirements, I still try to get into the hallways, the cafeteria and the classrooms as much as I can.  Sometimes, I even find myself thinking that it is still not enough.

There are a couple of initiatives that we are working on that I think will be exciting to every:

1. We will continue to enhance the school spirit each week.  Fridays are now called “East Hall Spirit Day.”  We encourage everyone to wear their school pride attire in support.

2. Soon we will unveil our school mascot!  That should be interesting, so stand by for that.

3. In partnering with the high school, we will attempt to promote the Viking Shield from Middle School to High School, to enhance the Viking Nation throughout the community.

4. To better reach out to students, I will begin writing 5 letters per month to specific students.  So get ready, your name might be next on my list.  This is my way of extending my support to each student in the school at some point.

So as we start to get settled into the grind, please remember to discuss the dress code, the cell phone policy and student behavior with you student.

They are very special to all of us and we want them to succeed in every aspect of the educational environment.

Have a great week!

/by

East Hall Spirit Day Friday

As we continue to enhance the school spirit, we have designated every Friday as Spirit Friday.  That day, students and faculty are asked to wear their favorite East Hall attire or wear something gold or black.   This past Friday, I missed the event because I was out to a meeting, but I am glad to report that it was a big success and something we can build on.

I was most impressed with the WEHM crew as they talked about what is good about East Hall.  Fantastic!  We’ll soon be adding other exciting events to the day, each will be an event to behold and I am sure that students will like it and faculty will enjoy as well.

We need a Viking mascot!  That is on the horizon.  Anybody have any suggestions.  Let me know.

/by

Discipline Is

Discipline is the foundation of success. This is where building that success begins.
Discipline brings focus
Discipline brings determination
Discipline brings respect
Discipline gives an inner peace
Discipline gives a sense of pride
Discipline brings honesty
Discipline is the link that ties it and holds it together

/by

Why #EastHallHasItALL



Read more
/by

The First Three Days

Now that I have had time to gather my thoughts of my first week as the Principal of East Hall Middle School, I can reflect.
The entire first three days of school was a blur. I mean each day went so fast and before I knew it, the students were getting on the buses to go home.
I am in strong admiration of the entire faculty for their passion for the students, the school, and their peers.
Everywhere I went, I saw teachers smiling and students smiling. I spent a lot of time in the cafeteria to have a chance to get to know some of the students and it was helpful.
Through it all, we only had two discipline actions which is good. I will be talking to each grade level on Tuesday to give them my thoughts on their actions, my requirements for them as students, and my goals for them to complete middle school.
They need to know that discipline is a learned behavior and we must alter that behavior in order to be successful. Go Vikings!

/by

Open House!

Hi All,

Just wanted to say thank you for the great turn out at the Open House last Friday.  It was great seeing your smiling faces and the excitement you showed in coming back to school.  Time went by fast and it seems like school was just let out but for sure, it is time to get back into the books.  Wednesday is coming fast, and I can’t wait to see the many smiles walking into the building prepared for a great year.

“Things are happening at East Hall Middle!”

/by