The hallways are barren, the classrooms empty, lengthy phone conversations rare….what in the world does an elementary principal do during the summer anyway?
Most people have a belief that summer means three months of vacation for an elementary principal….while time is definitely more flexible, this is not only a time for me to reflect on the past year, but also a time for me to prepare for the upcoming year. Summer for me, is predominately consumed by the managerial, paperwork tasks that are required for a smooth running school year. I won’t lie to you though; there is more time for my family, a week long vacation, and an occasional long weekend or two.
Let me give you an indication (in list form) of what I have been up to, and what I intend to complete this summer:
1. Create a BLOG to communicate with community, school board, and staff
2. Update WIKI page
3. Project Easier/Beds Report to the State of Iowa (specifically testing data)
4. Create a Substitute Handbook
5. Create Schedules (Related Arts, Late Start, Early Out, Duties, etc.)
6. Review Committees for next school year
7. Update Staff Handbook
8. Update Family Handbook
9. Finalize Teacher Evaluations, plan for next year’s evaluations
10. File all existing year’s documents
11. Work with secretary to organize and purchase all consumables, textbooks, etc. for upcoming school year
12. Input Observation Survey data, review any trend lines
13. Plan for Professional Development for upcoming school year
- Assessment
- Anti-Bullying
- Curriculum Alignment
- Professional Learning Communities
14. Attend Professional Conferences:
- School Administrators of Iowa – August – 2 Days
- Character Counts – July – 2 Days
- E2T2 – June – 2 Days
- Principal Institute – June – 2 Days
- PLC Conference – August – 3 Days
- Olweus – July – 2 Days
15. Write letter to new students/families welcoming them to Denver Community Schools
16. Research best practice and innovations within content areas
17. Human Relations – Hiring, etc.
18. Finalize Classroom Rosters
19. CLEAN AND ORGANIZE OFFICE
20. Prepare communications for upcoming School Board meetings
21. Title 1 Application (Annually to obtain funds)
22. Write welcome back letter to students/families/staff
23. Book Study – Fierce Conversations
24. Work with area administrators to plan for Fall NICL Staff Development Day
25. Work with Cedar Falls/Waverly to plan for Fall Schmoker Staff Development Day
26. Contact Substitute Teachers – Plan for next school year
27. Work on Back to School In-service days – New Teacher Orientation
28. Update State ID’s for all new students including Kindergarten students for fall.
29. Plan Assemblies for Fall
30. Schedule Fire/Tornado Drills
31. Update Budget – Confirm with Business Manager
32. Finalize Iowa Core Implementation Plan – Submit to State for approval
33. Professional Reading:
--Fierce Conversations - Susan Scott
--Assessment for Learning
--Teaching for Deep Comprehension – Dorn
--Motivating and Inspiring Teachers - Whitacker
Whew…..so there you have it, a list of the larger items on my agenda for this summer. This laundry list emulates a lot of what I manage during the school year, but is less “intense” if you will, because I am not trying to get into classrooms to observe students' learning, I'm not disciplining kids (except for my own), and I'm not communicating with families, students, and staff as often.
I must admit as well, that I find time to rejuvenate and prepare myself mentally by taking my daughter to the pool and vacationing in Minnesota and Chicago, so that I can enthusiastically welcome students and staff in August!
Have a GREAT summer ( I know I will)!
Mrs. Tierney
