Before you know it, the 2016/17 school year will be here! The first sign of our new school year is the arrival of our new teachers. This week 17 educators joined our ranks and spent two days learning about our schools, our action plan, our philosophy, and meeting their mentors for the school year.
Day one of our work focused on the overarching goals of FWSU which are spelled out in our action plan. Superintendent Ned Kirsch led the new teachers through a welcome presentation highlighting the targets of the action plan:
The FWSU vision of the future of education is based on A Belief in What is Possible.
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Linda Keating, and Director of Support Services Rachel McIntyre, introduced how FWSU supports ALL learners through our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Our goal of MTSS is to provide an environment in our schools where every child can thrive. The afternoon of the first day was devoted to working with Dr. Joelle Van Lent exploring how to create and support Trauma Informed Classrooms, an issue that is important to all of our learners.
The second day of new teacher inservice linked new teachers with their mentors and the FWSU Mentoring Program. Our program is designed to support our new teachers and to help them succeed in their first year. Thanks to our Mentor Coordinators Amy Rider, Lindy Carpenter, and Emily DiGiulio for ensuring that mentoring program continues to be an innovative one that accomplishes our goals.
The remainder of the orientation featured FWSU Digital Learning Specialist Angelique Fairbrother and Superintendent Ned Kirsch exploring ways technology integration can fuel and enhance the learning for our students. Teachers were exposed to the systems in our schools that facilitate communication like Schoology, the Computational Thinking mindset, and the SAMR philosophy of technology integration.
It was a fantastic two days made especially great by the fresh energy and enthusiasm of our new teachers. Welcome to FWSU!
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