Hello, Vikings.

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week! It’s a time for us to all show our gratitude and appreciation for the hard work our teachers do every day at schools across the country.

Here at Shaw, we embrace a wider definition of teacher to include ALL the people, in all the various roles they play, in the school environment. This is our STAFF Appreciation Week!

My question for you, today, is this: HOW are you demonstrating your appreciation for the people who have dedicated their lives to helping teach you? How are you giving thanks? I’ve seen and heard a million different ways for students to tell their teachers “Thank you,” ranging from a heartfelt, handwritten card to a nicely wrapped gift. Many students show their gratitude by doing the very things we expect all students will do: working hard, being nice, turning in all assignments, contributing to class, and being polite to the teacher. That actually sounds pretty nice…and easy…and worthwhile!

Can you imagine dedicating your life to supporting hundreds of 12- and 13- and 14-year-olds? Can you imagine agreeing to spend all day, every day at work with them? Well, that’s what the staff at Shaw Middle School have done – so get out there, tell them “thank you,” and show them how much you care!

-Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

I thought that title would get your attention. No, we haven’t lost control of our cafeteria, nor are we going to. Rather, this posting is about the Food Fight food drive competition that ended last week.

Congratulations to the students of Shaw Middle School, who brought in, donated, and amassed more food to contribute to the Food Bank than any other middle school in Spokane! The piles of food in our foyer has grown consistently over the past two weeks, and last Saturday the tally became official – we have the most generous, kind-hearted, and thoughtful student body around!

As a prize for the school with the most items donated, we won a $500 award. This will go to the Shaw ASB – half for the 8th graders, half for the 7th graders. That’s pretty exciting stuff, but more importantly is the big message: though a lot of our families don’t have spare pantries full of food to donate, we still contributed big-time. In fact, Shaw’s free & reduced lunch rate (over 86%) is the highest in the city. Maybe that just goes to show you that you don’t have to have a lot in order to give to those with less.

What lesson do you think this teaches our kids? Our neighborhood? Our city? Is there something we can learn here, or is it just something that happened and now it’s over? I’d be interested to read your thoughts.

And, yet again, I’m proud to be a part of this fabulous school and terrific community.

-Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

It’s the midway point of our spring break, and that begs the question: Are you more excited to have another four days of vacation or that it’s only four more days until you get to come back to school?

Personally, I think some time away is a good thing. It’s healthy to step away from work, from school, and from some of the truly demanding parts of our lives every once in a while. And when we have a vacation, it’s important that we enjoy something totally unrelated to school. Sometimes the best way to do that is to go on a vacation, or to go to a camp, or to get a hobby, or to turn off the computers and TVs and cell phones and iPods and just go for a nice, peaceful walk.

What do YOU do to stay healthy, both physically and mentally?

See you in four days,

Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

This week, I’ve been enjoying the constant flow of parents, grandparents, and other interested adults in our hallways as we’ve hosted Student-Led Conferences.

We’ve got College Guy taking photos of students in the cap & gown, getting ready for the high school graduation that’s right around the corner. We’ve got ASAP, College Bound, Riverstone Health Center, Shaw’s Closet, the Luau in the Library (our book fair), and all sorts of other exciting stuff happening to support students and families.

Here’s my question for the day: What are your stories about student-led conferences? What great things have happened? What accomplishments have you shared? How do your parents react? How do your students react? What goals have you set together?

Please share the stories and let’s talk about ‘em!

Work hard and be nice,

Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

One of the most important things I can do as a school principal is to ensure a safe environment in which all students can learn and live. One of the best things about our school is the feeling of safety and security we get when we walk into its beautiful hallways and learn from our fantastic teachers.

This afternoon I’m quite a bit sad about the way some of our students responded to a hallway “fight.” Two students squabbled, and that by itself is unfortunate and unacceptable.

What’s worse, though, is the fact that several of our students (many, even) gathered around to watch, to laugh, and – worse of all – to cheer and encourage the altercation. That sort of behavior goes against anything we adults (teachers, parents, coaches…) teach and expect from our students. That behavior is reprehensible and unfathomable (those are two words I hoped I’d never have to use to describe student behavior at our school), and it was met with disciplinary consequences equal to fighting itself.

A few weeks ago we hosted an anti-bullying assembly and we’ve begun work to help create a school of REACTORS: people who will take a stand and take action to help make the school a better place. Where were our reactors today?

Vikings, we must have a safe school. We must take steps to make sure we’re making good choices that help promote safety and responsibility. Each one of us can be a part of the problem, or we can be part of the solution.

“If you see it, say it. It’s time for some reaction.”

-Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

By many accounts, the middle school years are tough to navigate. Kids go through a lot of changes over a short period of time, and it’s not always sunshine and roses.

Sometimes, something comes up that troubles a young teenager. You might need someone to talk to, but you don’t know where to turn. Well, seek no further. Our school newspaper has added an Advice Column!

When you’re having trouble with an issue (bullying, a relationship, organization, your parents, trying to match your socks, anything really!), you can write a note to our Advice Columnists and get some helpful advice. Just drop a letter in Mrs. Martin’s mailbox (or in the box in the cafeteria) and wait for the next issue of the newsletter.

Have a great day, week, and month,

Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

Our guests from Level Ground and Healthy Families brought their “See it, say it” anti-bullying campaign to Shaw a while back, and after the assembly we had our first small-group Round Table discussion. It was quite eye-opening. Many students were very honest about how they’ve been bullied, about how they feel like victims, and about how they wished there had been a REACTOR among the bystanders.

Well, now we’re building a troop of REACTORS at Shaw. Reactors are people who take a stand against bullying. They speak up. They report it to the adults who can take action. They demonstrate responsibility. They demonstrate character. They demonstrate caring. Reactors are people who realize a simple fact about strength: truly strong people stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. They help lift others up – especially when bullies try to put them down.

Our students are refusing to allow bullies to threaten their safety at school. Our staff is refusing to allow bullies to threaten anyone’s safety at school. Each one of us is a REACTOR on the inside – let’s take action to eliminate bullying.

“If you see it, say it.
If it’s wrong, then it’s wrong – stop playing.
‘Cause if they’re bullying a victim, time for some action!
You don’t have to stand there and take it.”
-lyrics by Level Ground

You can find more information at the See It, Say It website: http://www.seeit-sayit.org/

Together, we can make our school, our community, and our world a safer, happier, healthier place for everyone.

Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings,

Last Friday was a big day for us at Shaw. It was World Cancer Day, and we held a fundraiser to collect money for cancer research. We also celebrated all the different ways our Vikings (both students and adults) have helped to make the world a better place: our Toys For Tots coin drive, our peer tutoring program, recycling efforts, the No-Shave November, recipients of Character Counts tickets and wristbands, and other ways.

Each one of those was a way for us to embrace a broader view of the world than we normally have. This is about doing right by other people. It’s about getting over ourselves and being good to our neighbors.

In that same spirit, we hosted an anti-bullying assembly, too. Through the hip-hop music of the group Level Ground (sponsored by Operation Healthy Family), we learned about a critical 4th player in the bullying game. We knew about the bully, the victim, and the bystander, but LG taught us about the Reactor: someone who takes action. Bullying is not okay. It’s not cool. The Reactor takes a step to help it stop: by telling an adult or by addressing the bully. If you see it, say it. Reporting bullying isn’t snitching — it’s doing the right thing.

Want to watch a little clip of the rap song, “See it, say it” by Level Ground? Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3_dLf8OqyQ

Let’s help put an end to bullying…together.

Mr. Hall

Hello, Vikings.

Today was the first day of the 2nd semester. I thought it went well – new lunch schedule, no bells, new classes, and all sorts of excitement. I really enjoy working with the teachers and students and families of Shaw – it’s fun, challenging, and exciting work!

On with the business of the day: Since it’s the start of the 2nd semester, it’s time to talk about what we’re going to do to be successful. Did you know there are three factors we can analyze that determine a child’s future success as a student and as an adult? They are…

1. Academic success (are you doing well in your classes?),
2. Attendance (do you get to school on time, every time?),
3. Behavior (do you stay out of trouble and get to work?).

I’ve been sitting down with some students to set goals for the 2nd semester. Maybe some students have struggled in a few classes and need to re-focus on that work. Perhaps some students have had difficulties getting to class on time and have missed a lot of school. It’s possible that some students’ behaviors are disruptive and get in the way of being successful.

Let’s set some goals. Here are some ideas:

1. Academic success: If you have earned 2s on most of your assignments and projects, set a goal to earn 3s. Make a pledge to turn in all your assignments on time. Promise to study a little bit every night. Set up a time to meet with your teacher if you’re having trouble.

2. Attendance: Set a goal to have perfect attendance during the second semester. In the real world, you have to show up to work to earn money. In school, you have to show up to earn your education. Get to class on time – and come to school every day. Ask a friend to call you in the morning to wake you up, if you need that support!

3. Behavior: There are a million reasons to joke around and goof off in class, but there’s just ONE GOOD REASON to do it right: in five or six years, the goof-offs will be dropouts and the ones doing it right will be graduating from high school, looking out at all the great choices in their lives! Make a promise to pay attention, to refrain from talking to your friends, and to get to work during class.

With little goals like those three, this semester can be the best ever! Let me know if you have any other ideas.

Work hard and be nice,

Mr. Hall

Hi there, Vikings. Today I’m going to share the presentation prepared by Anjelica Diamond, an 8th grader at Shaw, for our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day assembly last month. I think it’s a beautiful piece of work, because it’s well written and thorough – and it pays tribute to a message we could all embrace as a way of life. Check it out:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the most important voice to America and the Civil Rights Movement. Dr.King was famous for using non-violent resistance to overcome injustice. He wasn’t scared and never got tired of trying to end segragation laws. He did everything that he could to got everyone to realize that, “all men were created equally.” As a child he never failed to ask questions about the world around him. He was an activist like many leaders before him. The “I Have a Dream” speech means to me that he had visions of a world different from his. He thought things would be better if the two races joined together. He dreamed that little black and white boys and girls could be together without being judged like he was when he was a child. This dream to me explains that King was trying to motivate people to change the racism towards one another. He pushed America to fulfill its promise of providing equal rights to all. And today we all honor his life and legacy by re-committing ourselves to keeping his dream alive.
* Married Coretta Scott in 1953
* Dr. King died on April 4, 1968
* He was also the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

So how about it, Vikings. What are you doing to keep Dr. King’s dream alive?

Mr. Hall