Superintendent Office Hours at Collinsville Primary

This week, I had the opportunity to start my scheduled office hours at Collinsville Primary.  During the 2015-2016 school year, I plan to spend a day in each of the county schools. During these visits, I hope to connect with parents, teachers, school staff, and students throughout the day to learn about successes as well as challenges for our school division.  I thoroughly enjoyed my day at Collinsville Pimary.  There is a positive energy in the school that is contagious, and everyone seems excited to be there.  I also saw great instruction taking place in several classrooms.  Teachers encouraged students to collaborate with one another, increase their "stamina" for reading, and explore new concepts through hands-on activities.  In addition, student engagement was high.  I also observed teachers working diligently to implement Daily 5, with fidelity, in several classrooms.  The list below summarizes some of my activities throughout the day:

• Greeted students as they arrived in the morning.
• Met with the parent of a new Kindergarten student to discuss his progress thus far.
• Talked with preschool teachers and preschool students during their morning activities.
• Visited several classrooms to observe instruction.
• Participated in professional development for second grade teachers on scoring student writing led by Denise Fultz from the Instructional Department.
• Had lunch in the cafeteria with the Principal, Mrs. Seay, and a "lively" group of first grade students. 
• Participated in professional development for first grade teachers, led by the Reading Specialis, Mrs. Wells.
• Checked in on Ms. Moyer's PE class.
• Assisted with dismissal procedures at the end of the day.

All in all, it was a very productive day at Collinsville Primary.  I continue to be amazed by the efforts that the Collinsville staff put in place to address the challenges associated with student drop-off and dismissal each day.  I have to say that I was also extremely impressed with how well the Collinsville staff work with parents and students each day to ensure that students are safely transported to and from school.  More importantly, I was impressed with what goes on "inside" Collinsville Primary. There is positive energy exhibited by the Collinsville staff, and staff members go "above and beyond" each and every day to serve the students in their care.  It is clear that everyone at Collinsville Primary is focused on serving the students and families in their community. I look forward to future visits to CPS!  Go Tigers!