Dear Staff

                                             "Classroom Miracles"

As I said in my welcome back message, I am more convinced that it is you--- the teachers, teaching assistants, one-to-one teaching assistants, health aides, support staff, counselors, therapists, nurses, special project staff and administrators, who comprise the Department of Special Education and Student Services, who help make Wappingers Schools the best in the region. You have proven to me over the past five years, that whether it be working collaboratively together, with general education staff, or singularly with a student---you are a top educational team!

Through my visits and/or observations of classroom instruction and therapy sessions, I am convinced that you are the best! And, you have achieved all of this operating in a climate of increased diversified enrollment, reduced aid, Federal and State over regulations and accompanying scrutiny, and a virtual mountain of paperwork that, at times, has us shaking our heads like the duck in those AFLAC commercials, as we attempt to negotiate the alphabet soup that has become Special Education and Student Services.

I would be remiss if I did not say to all of you --- thank you for the outstanding job you do, and your unwavering commitment to excellence. And above all, thank you for the hundreds of "small miracles" you bring about in each and every school day.

For example, the Special Education team at Brinckerhoff Elementary School created a truly unique program for Michelle, a multiply disabled 10 year old, in order to keep her in the least restrictive placement. As a result of the dedication and can-do attitude of the team, Michelle has blossomed and grown in her social, adaptive, speech/language and motor abilities.

When Travis arrived at the Orchard View Alternative High School, it was clear that he had never worked together with teachers. He always viewed the student-teacher relationship as adversarial rather than as a partnership. The small class sizes, and dedicated staff, soon broke down some of those barriers and Travis began to almost immediately experience academic success. While the year did hold some ups and downs for Travis, he finished strongly and earned 5.5 credits. Travis now has the opportunity through Orchard View to accelerate in his coursework in English and Social Studies, and make up some ground towards graduation.

Last year as a first grader in Evans Elementary School, Joey began the year by demonstrating anti-social, unruly behavior; he had great difficulty accepting class rules,and frequently engaged in defiant outbursts and occasional fighting with other children. In November, he began receiving social skills training and support both individually, and small group from his schools Primary Mental Health Teaching Assistant. Through PMHP supports, Joey’s behavior noticeably improved, and he began making friends. Moreover, his grades also improved.

Without question, if they gave out a gold medal at the Olympics for educational team performance, you would all be on the podium receiving one. Because of you, we are more then competitive with other school districts ---we are excellent!

These "small miracles" and hundreds of others just like them, occurring in our schools, that you help bring about, calls to mind the following words of the English poet Thomas Gray:

                                  "Full many a gem of purest ray serene

                                    the dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear;

                                    full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

                                    and waste its sweetness on the desert air"

These somewhat melancholy lines were taken from perhaps the most memorable poem in the English language, "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard". The poem laments the plight of the poor and oppressed, why by sole virtue of their birth, were denied the opportunity to reach their full potential. It further expresses a view that had society allowed them educational and occupational opportunities to grow and to succeed, their destiny would have been much different. The fulfillment of their potential would have changed the world, and left it a far better place in which to live. For most, their flower was never allowed to bloom, and for the few that did, their beauty went unnoticed.

I am sure that if by some twist of magic, Grey found himself in our schools today, his lament would turn to joy and celebration. For, if given the opportunity to witness first hand the work and outcomes you are achieving with your students, Grey would see in their faces images of flowers which are in full bloom. Flowers whose sweetness, despite the many hardships endured, will not be lost on the desert air, but instead will enrich our community for years to come.

The "small miracles" you bring about is great news, but like Grey’s desert flower, the accomplishment is greatly diminished if people don’t hear about it. So while our customer satisfaction remains very high, it is often limited to personal and/or direct experience. Simply put, we need to do a better job of "tooting our own horn".

So, today, I want to talk about being an "Ambassador of Good News" for the great service you perform. The problem is most of you go about your work, day in and day out, creating small miracles without fanfare, in a modest, non-boasting way. My response--- get over it!

After all you are to this organization; who better then to sing its praises then you? You know how hard you work. You know your work benefits this community. To those who care about the young and their education, you remind them what teaching and learning are really about---and, so we must find ways in words and actions to better communicate and promote what you are doing.

I "toot your horn" every chance I get. It’s okay to toot yourselves. Think about this, if everyone of us becomes an "Ambassador of Good News", we will be the largest marketing force in the Hudson Valley.

So start now, be boastful if anyone is entitled to be, you are. If everyone tells just one person about a "classroom miracle" that you or someone in your school brought about by helping a needy student learn, the message will travel.

Toward that end, I have asked our web page curator, Robin Rose, to create and update a biweekly column entitled "Spotlight on Learning", which will briefly portray the "classroom miracles" you or your colleagues bring about. Therefore, I encourage you individually or as a team, to forward to Robin at Wappingers Junior High (click here for form) a brief description of how you or someone in your school made a difference in a student’s life. (note: student names will be changed to ensure confidentiality). Remember, excellence is always rewarded. Thus, we need to remind our community that indeed we are indeed excellent!