My Ten Most Popular Blog Posts from 2019

The following is a list of my 10 most popular blog posts composed in 2019, based on Blogger page-views.  Listed with each post is the original posting date:

1.  NCTIES - Thank You LNC
March 9, 2019

2.  LNC Commitment Day: Class of 2019
May 2, 2019

3.  LNC Class of 2019: Planned College Matriculation List
June 3, 2019

4.  2019 LNC Advanced Placement Success
July 8, 2019

5.  LNC PTO Showcase/Principal's Coffee Chat - Live Stream Archive
Feb. 5, 2019

6.  Special Guest LNC Women's Basketball HIIT Bodyweight Session
July 9, 2019

How to Survive the 1st day of Ashbrook High School

I wanted to create a digital form of our "Survival Guide" distributed to our Class of 2016 students at Freshman Camp today:
(Update: This was provided to the Class of 2017 today)

Ashbrook High School

How to Survive the 1st day of High School

• Practice going to bed earlier for a few days before August 27, and getting up earlier.

• Lay out your clothes the night before.

What A Difference One Year Makes

As we are about to welcome back our teachers/staff officially on Monday and welcome back students one week later, I can't help but reflect on how different of a feeling I currently have.  Mid-August of last year, I was about to embark on my first year at the school, as well as my first year in the district.  Clearly, I was excited, but also nervous and anxious about starting with a new staff, determined and focused to provide the leadership for which I was hired.

"What is your favorite aspect of the school?"

During a recent phone interview, I was asked the following question:

"What is your favorite aspect of the school?"

I thought this was a fantastic question and provoked some immediate "on your feet" reflection.  There is so much to be proud of at my high school, but I had to respond with the very first aspect that popped into my head. 

My favorite aspect of our school is the strong sense of community that is prominent throughout our staff and students.  Many of our staff members have strong ties to Ashbrook High School, ranging from their own children  attending the school and even attending Ashbrook themselves.  We even have a few parent-sibling pairings of teachers on staff!


There exists a shared ownership of "our school" throughout Ashbrook, which is shared by students, parents, and people in the community.  This is carried forth by our teachers and the pride they take in our school.  Whether it's the Ashbrook Relay for Life campaign, our fantastic Air Force JROTC program, the Invisible Children's Club, the "Zoo Crew" student section, or the enthusiasm shown by our staff and students at last Thursday's Freshman Orientation and Curriculum Night (just to name a few), our students and staff demonstrate their pride in our school whenever possible.


Some of our staff may not believe it, but this sense of community and pride does not occur at every school, especially large high schools (we have a student enrollment of a little over 1300).  Therefore, our sense of community and the pride our staff has in Ashbrook High School is my "favorite aspect of the school."   


Since this is National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wanted to take the opportunity to extend my appreciation to all of our teachers for their sense of community and school pride our staff demonstrates on a daily basis.  Thank you for making Ashbrook High School a fantastic community to be a part of.


Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

Information Technology Essential Standards

The Instructional Facilitator's did a great job with their presentation on the Information Technology Essential Standards last month for both Principal's and Assistant Principals.  The link to the presentation can be found here:



ITES

The YouTube clips are great, demonstrating some of the strategies that allow teachers to incorporate these standards into their instruction.  I really like the young girl explaining how "QR Codes" work.  As a matter of fact, I created a QR code the day after the meeting and it is still on my office door.

Located in the presentation are five "Fast Facts" of the ITES:

• The ITES are to be embedded within all areas of the curriculum.

• Classroom teachers are responsible for teaching the new ITES standards beginning this current school year.

• Media Coordinators and Technology Facilitators, as ITES experts, will collaborate with teachers to plan, create, teach, and assess effective student instruction.

• The ITES must be taught in all North Carolina schools-in places where technology is prevalent, as well as schools with limited technology access.

• Technology and information tools and resources must be taught and used in authentic ways.

This is simply a small sampling of the technology needed to incorporate the new Information Technology Essential Standards into our classrooms.  It's important for school leaders to become familiar with these standards, as well as comfortable discussing their implement them into instruction.    


Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

The Proposal in NC & My Thoughts

There have been some hot stove topics recently in the local media dealing with student-athletes.  Here are some of my thoughts:

There is a debated discussion right now dealing with high school athletics in North Carolina and whether parochial and charter schools should compete in the same postseason as public schools.  Some schools are currently members of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and belong to NCHSAA conferences, thus competing in the same postseason for team and individual state championships.  Recently, a proposal was put forth into motion to allow these schools to continue competing in their conferences, but have separate state playoffs (only parochial and charter schools). 

The basis for this proposal was due to the fact that parochial and charter schools do not have any attendance boundaries, where public schools have strict attendance boundaries.  I can speak from experience: the required paperwork for each student-athlete to verify they indeed live in the correct zone is endless in my previous district. 

Is it fair to have these schools compete against each other in state competition?  In my high school athletic career, I played at a public school and we would qualify for the Men's Tennis State Tournament and have to compete against Detroit Country Day School and University Ligget, both private schools.  One year, in which we finished 4th overall (the previously mentioned two schools finished #1-2), we joked about being state runners-up in the "public school tournament".  We were all competing, but definitely were not on a level playing field.  Then again, that was public vs private, which we already have the private-school competition. 

I also wonder why Magnet schools have not been included in this proposal.  If the primary reasoning is attendance, shouldn't Magnet schools be included?  Magnet schools pull students from anywhere within their district, regardless of their "home school".  In some districts which allow in-district transfer, a student has to sit out for 365 days before competing in athletics.  Student-athletes are allowed to play immediately in Magnet schools.

If Magnet Schools are included, then what about schools with International Baccalaureate (IB) programs?  These students don't necessarily attend the school closest to their home address.  I would hate to think students would chose not to participate in an IB program because of athletics, but it very well could happen.

If this proposal is adopted, it could drastically change high school athletics in North Carolina.  I will be very interested to see the result of the proposal and the ongoing discussion that will certainly take place.

Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

What Makes A Successful Student?

“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT?”

by

James Robert White, Ed. D.

STAY IN SCHOOL!

THINK CAREFULLY!

USE TIME WISELY!

DEVELOP GOOD STUDY HABITS!

ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES!

NEVER  SKIP CLASSES!

TAKE LEARNING SERIOUSLY!

SUCCESS                   SUCCESS                   SUCCESS

[Copyright © January 25, 2005]

(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.

Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School

101 Ivy Street

Belmont, North Carolina 28012

(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419

Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

What Makes A Successful Parent?

What Makes A Successful Parent?

In an ongoing series and in preparation for Elementary and Middle School Parent-Teacher conferences, an Assistant Principal in my district has created a display for parents.  You can also check out TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences.

“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL PARENT?”

by

James Robert White, Ed. D.

PRACTICE   WHAT   YOU   PREACH!

           

ALWAYS   LISTEN  TO  YOUR  CHILD!

RESERVE  QUALITY  TIME  DAILY  TO  SPEND  WITH  YOUR  CHILD!

ENCOURAGE  YOUR   CHILD  TO  ALWAYS  DO  HIS/HER  BEST!

NEVER  GIVE   UP!

TEACH   RESPONSIBILITY!

[Copyright © January 25, 2005]

(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.

Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School

101 Ivey Street

Belmont, North Carolina 28012

(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419

Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

My Vision of iPads in the Classroom

      Two of my teachers and I have recently applied for a an iPads in the Classroom Pilot, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts:

       My vision for the use of iPads in the classroom is with the primary objective to help facilitate instruction in the classroom and increase student achievement.  The use of iPads in a 1:1 format will allow teachers to use technology-based student work products as a part of their instructional design.  If given the opportunity to incorporate iPads in the classroom, a teacher would be able to engage students to address higher level thinking skills and truly parallel their instruction with the 21^st century standards. 

Tablets would provide opportunities for students to demonstrate responsibility through technology.  Technology empowers students to explore and create (Gliksman, 2012).  Most importantly, iPads encourages independent, creative, and innovative use of technology.  The new Information and Technology Essential Standards require teachers to use technology as a tool and are expected to “use appropriate technology tools and other resources to access information” and “use appropriate technology tools and other resources to design products to share information with others”.  The implementation of iPads will directly coincide with these expectations and requirements for our teachers.

Finally, I was recently recognized by RobertJackson, the 2010-2011 Wachovia Principal of the Year, during the Regional Principals Conferences throughout the state of North Carolina in regards to my ongoing NC Principal ePLC (CSmithGoBlue/ncadmin).  The purpose of this ePLC is for North Carolina school leaders to collaborate and work as a Professional Learning Community with a centralized focus of the instructional issues for schools in North Carolina through Twitter and Tweetdeck.  Needless to say, if given the opportunity to take part in the iPads in the Classroom Pilot, my strong involvement in Twitter as an instructional leader will provide unlimited professional development and collaboration.

Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences

On the eve of my Parent Conference day/night, an Assistant Principal in my district created the following diagram for reference:

“TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences”

by

James Robert White, Ed. D.

POSITIVE ATTITUDES YIELD GOOD RESULTS!

ARRIVE ON TIME!

REPEAT ANYTHING THAT IS NOT CLEAR!

EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE CONFERENCE!

NOTE TAKING REINFORCES COMMUNICATION!

TRUST THE TEACHER!

COMMUNICATE HONESTLY AND OPENLY WITH THE

            TEACHER!

OFFER SUGGESTIONS!

NEGATIVE ATTITUDES HINDER POSITIVE RESULTS!

FACE UP TO FACTS!

ENCOURAGE TEAM WORK!

REACH OUT FOR HELP!

EXPRESS ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS!

NEVER GIVE UP!

CONTINUE COOPERATION!

END ON A POSITIVE NOTE!

SUMMARIZE POINTS COVERED!

SUCCESS                              SUCCESS                  SUCCESS

[Copyright© January 25, 2005]

(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.

Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School

101 Ivey Street

Belmont, North Carolina 28012

(704) 82703221 Fax: (704) 827-2419

Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

Proactive Safety and Security Measures

For the second straight year, my district was recognized as the safest of large districts in North Carolina.  I cannot speak to the procedures which take place in other schools, but I do believe this is attributed to our pro activeness in the safety and security measures that occur regularly within our school.  Some background info about my school:

Student Body of approximately 1400 students (9-12)
Administrative team consists of:
One Principal
Three Assistant Principals
One ISS Coordinator
One Campus Security Associate
One School Resource Officer

Here are some of the key strategies that are implemented in my school and district, with strong support from Central Office administration:

We perform random metal detection and bookbag/purse searches at least three times per week in the two main entrances for students in the morning. The first entrance is the lunchroom, which is where the buses drop off students in the AM.  Other students are allowed to come in through the lunchroom, as well. I am in charge of the lunchroom entrance with our Campus Security Associate and always have at least two teachers on duty with me.  On days which metal detection occurs, I simply pick a number and select students (i.e. every "fourth" student).  Imagine the airport security screening.  It's very similar, only without the technology advancements.  My CSA "wands" the students that are selected.  Students remain in the lunchroom until 7:45 AM.  The other entrances is in front of the school, but students can not come in until 7:30 AM and must report directly to the lunchroom.  A very similar procedure takes place, only students are able to walk through a metal detector.  The process is a well-oiled machine.  From my entrance, the only prohibited items confiscated thus far have been lighters and some pain medication (to which I confirmed with the parent). 

Students are not allowed to carry backpacks to class.  Students are required to place them in lockers between instructional hours (8 am - 3 pm), even when going to or from a PE class.  As a result, students carry their books and notebooks to class.  This is a county rule, but from I understand, not every high school enforces it.  We do. 

Our administrative team, along with our CSA, the have authority for random searches at any time.  This can occur in classrooms, although I would prefer not to interrupt instructional time, unless we have reason to believe a student is in possession of an inappropriate item.  In addition, we can search any locker AND vehicle driven by a student.

We have a state of the art camera system on campus that includes approximately 34 cameras.  I'm sure most high schools have security cameras, but every administrator has full access to our system on their office computers.  I actually have access to the system on my school-issued laptop.  Our camera system is extremely user-friendly and allows us to instantly access, save, and copy footage.

Our School Resource Officer is in the cafeteria during all lunches, every day.  Unless he is off-campus, I can guarentee he will be in the cafeteria from 11:20 - 1:15.

By far, the most effective measure we are able to provides is an Anonymous tip program in an ongoing relationship with the Gaston County Police Department.  This program simply rewards students for "doing the right thing" by sharing information anonymously to administration/security.  If a student reports to us that another student possesses inappropriate items at school and the tip consequently proves true, the anonymous reporting student can receive $75-100 from the Gaston County Police Department.  Each School Resource Officer has the authority to incorporate this program in their school, and our officer believes in promoting doing the right thing.  I have been involved in a handful of successful tips this year.
The safety and security measures taken at the school level differ greatly from district to district.  Some educators may consider our measures as drastic and "over the top" and I certainly do not want to imply that this is all we do during the school-day.  But, my principal is very adamant about ensuring the safety of our students at school every day.  Personally, I believe our proactive security measures set a tone of safety throughout the student body, which hopefully causes students to make smart decisions and think twice before bring something on to campus or making a poor choice once at school.

Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

What If A Student Follows You On Twitter?

"What if a student follows you on Twitter?"

I was asked this question by a staff member last week and wanted to share my thoughts:

• I don't see any harm in students reading posts from any "hashtag discussions", such as #edchat, #cpchat, #atplc, etc.  Aren't we conducting these conversations to grow professionally with the ultimate goal of improving as a school leader?

• I manage two Twitter accounts: @CSmithGoBlue, which is "Craig Smith", and @AshbrookHS, which is the account for my school.  This allows me to distinguish if something tweet-worthy is "coming directly from the school" or "directly from me".  I will admit, this is difficult at times.  On occasion, I will re-tweet a @CSmithGoBlue tweet using @AshbrookHS, to keep the two separated.  It sounds like a pain, but it does indeed help. 

• Students see educators as role models within the school.  Today's 21st-century students needs to see responsible leaders with social media, as well.

• Twitter is such an easy way to promote positive news.  For example, we have a very spirited student section (aka "The Zoo Crew") and I was extremely proud of how they conducted themselves over the past few games.  I tweeted this after a basketball game two weeks ago and, as a result, the tweet began circulating among the student body.  It was a simple token of appreciation for the students acting responsibly.

• I don't follow back.  PLAIN AND SIMPLE.  Maybe after a student graduates.  Maybe, since...

• It is a simple way to keep in touch with alumni, especially my former athletes.  BUT NOT CURRENT STUDENTS.

• I understand and completely agree that educators need their "lives away from school."  So, I don't tweet my life away from school.

• The majority of my non-educational related Tweets are sports related.  I am not too worried if students see that I believe Michigan needs a big conference road win.

• I am going to be sending this Blog Post out via Twitter.  I am hoping a few students read it. 

Finally, the popular mantra regarding social media is to "never post anything you wouldn't want your grandma to see."  At a public forum, I once heard a Detective say, "You shouldn't have anything on Social Media that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of The Charlotte Observer."  I prefer to use the mentality of "never tweet something you wouldn't want the entire student body to see".

Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue!

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

What Makes A Successful Mentor?

In recognition of January being National Mentoring Month, an Assistant Principal in my district created the following diagram for reference:

“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL MENTOR?”

By

 (Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D., Assistant Principal

Catawba Heights Elementary School 101 Ivey St., Belmont, N. C. 28012 [704-827-3221]

MAGNIFY  ENCOURAGEMENT,  GUIDANCE,  CHARACTER  AND  INTEGRITY!

EXPRESS  UNCONDITIONAL  COMMITMENT  TO  EQUITY,  EQUALITY,  AND

      EXCELLENCE  IN  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MENTEE!

NEVER  GIVE UP  AND/OR  QUIT  ON  THE  MENTEE,  SCHOOL,  HOME,  AND   COMMUNITY!

TRUSTED  AND  TRAINED  ADVISER  (MENTOR) WHO  PROVIDES   UNCONDITIONAL   

      ENERGETIC TIME TO  STUDENTS  (MENTEE)  IN  AN  EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION  OF

      LEARNING!  [AND/OR AN EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUAL IN AN ORGANIZATION WHO TRAINS

     AND ADVISES NEW EMPLOYEES].

OPEN  YOUR  HEART,  MIND,  AND  SOUL  UNCONDITIONALLY  BY  MODELING  THE     

      SYNERGY  OF  CARE,  CONCERN,  AND  CONNECTEDNESS!

RESPECT  AND  LISTEN  UNCONDITIONALLY  TO  THE  OPINION  OF  THE  MENTEE



Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.

Every HS Varsity Head Coach should be on Twitter

My previous blog post explained how Twitter has impacted my professional growth.  This post is going to briefly discuss why I believe every high school varsity head coach needs to be utilizing Twitter.  Here's why:

• Twitter allows coach's to publicize their own teams in a very easy format.  It takes no more than a few seconds to post scores, results, upcoming games/matches, etc.  The more people are informed, the more support your team will receive. 

• Local sports writers covering prep athletics can easily follow your teams.  When I was a varsity head coach, I frequently received compliments from local writers about how much they appreciated my website, where I would post information daily.  Sure, we as coaches often fall into the trap of, "Well, if they want the information, it is their job to come get it."  Hey, I was a Head Men's Tennis Coach, and I knew that I had go bust my rear end to get some ink in the local papers.  If you truly want your teams to get attention, you've got to publicize yourself.  Twitter allows this to be done with a very little time requirement. 

• The parents of your players will love it.  Happy parents = less headaches. 

• Twitter helps promote student body support for your support.  Your followers will extend to current non-participating students, alumni, and even students of other schools.

• The number of coaching resources on Twitter are endless.  I don't care if you coach basketball, tennis, or swimming, any coach can find hundreds of resources on Twitter.  The days of attending all-day coaching clinics are gone when you can reach out to the top coaches in the country, especially college coaches, on a daily basis through Twitter.  My mentor, while I was an Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach, told me that any clinic is beneficial if you can come away with three things.  On Twitter, you can pull away much more than that.

• There are hundreds of fitness training resources, as well, that are not necessarily sport-specific.  Most gyms have Twitter accounts that provide various workouts, exercises, and health tips daily. 

These are the main reasons why I believe every high school varsity head coach should be on Twitter.  As a former Head Coach who kept as intense of a schedule as most D-1 tennis coaches, I know that time is of a minimum.  But, I believe the above reasons are well-worth the time for all coaches to utilize Twitter.

A HUGE thank you to all high school coaches for everything you do for our student-athletes.

Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.