Professional Learning Communities

Teacher Professional Learning Communities
This morning after Dragon Tale News our 2nd grade teachers met with the administrative team to analyze the student assessment data. In the afternoon, our 1st grade team met. It was a beneficial time with no interruptions for us to study our children. We set goals for our students in specfic content areas. I look forward to seeing the progression throughout the year. Since 65% of a child's achievement is attributed to the teacher, I feel time learning together is essential. Our teachers and administrators must be learners themselves in order to continually improve their practice and craft.

If you are interested in learning more about the research behind professional learning communitites (affectionately PLCs), please read more at Learning Forward.

 If you have any questions about our PLCs, please let me know. I love to talk about learning!

Young@Heart Update

We have many exciting things happening at The Rock! I am amazed every day by the staff's focus on doing what is best for children. If I have not met you yet, please stop by and say hello!

ROCKIN' DADS START A NEW PROGRAM
Mr. Millican and our Rockin' Dad Leaders will be starting a new program next month: Dad A Day (DAD). We are looking for some great dads that are willing to spend the day at Rockenbaugh. They will start the morning off opening doors in the parent loop and talking to the kids on the Dragon Tale News. You might see them working in classrooms, serving in the cafeteria, playing at recess, working in the computer lab, or possibly assisting Ms. Paula in the front office. More information to come soon! Thank you to our Rockin' Dads.

BOOK CAMP for 3rd and 4th Grade

Book Camp is a new program to incorporate fitness and web 2.0 technologies with reading. Mrs. Green is kicking off Book Camp on Sept. 18, 3:00-4:00pm in the library. This is for 3^rd and 4^th graders only. Students bring their own technological device (iOS device or Adroid device that allows for apps). If you are interested in attending, please contact Mrs. Green. Students must pre-register to attend. Way to go Mrs. Green! (Photo courtesy of http://bit.ly/QkfEnz)

ROCKENBAUGH ELECTRONIC BOOKSHELF (Thanks, Mrs. Green!)

We have a new program this year called Follett Shelf. More information will be coming home soon on a bookmark from the library. This allows students to download books from the internet. Any place you have internet access, you can check out an eBook! Read to lead.

TEACHER LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Our teachers will be meeting 1/2 day, four times a year. We have gracious parent volunteers that will be watching students. On these days, we will analyze student data, monitor progress of teacher goals, evaluate lessons, and learn. They will also be having lunch together as a team on these days. As we meet, I will update you on our new and exciting learning!

NEED BOOKS

We have some new teachers here at Rockenbaugh that need to develop their classroom libraries. If you have any books that your children or neighbors may have outgrown, please bring them up to Rockenbaugh. We will put them to good use! Thank you!

INTERNATIONAL DOT DAY

We will be celebrating International Dot Day on Friday, September 14. The Dot, a book by Peter Reynolds, will be read aloud and all students and staff will celebrate by making their own dot. Wear dots, eat dots, connect the dots on this day! Want to read more? Dot Day Website

Welcome Back to School 2012-13!

Welcome to a new and exciting school year at Rockenbaugh! I hope you had a fun-filled, relaxing summer.  It has been a great first week!

Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Lisa Young, and I am the new principal at Rockenbaugh Elementary School. I know some of you from Carroll Leadership Academy for Student Success (CLASS) and Carroll Education Foundation (CEF) events, not to mention Dragon sporting events. I look forward to getting to know those of you that I do not know.

When I found out Rockenbaugh needed a new principal, I jumped at the opportunity. This is a special school in a unique district with an amazing, dedicated staff! I believe that every child can succeed at high levels in all areas: academic/mind, body/physical health, and emotional/social health. Teachers must engage students in new and unique ways. Today’s learners prefer to learn digitally, with others, online, in their own time, and in their own way. While I perused the halls this week during assessments, I noticed many younger siblings in the hallways quietly waiting, with more students than not, interacting with an electronic device to pass the time.

While we need to certainly stay focused on the core content, we must also embed the teaching of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. These skills are essential in being successful in today’s highly global economy. This is the world in which our students live. Reaching them where they are and engaging them is essential to their current and future successes.

Carroll ISD’s core values include the following: excellence, relationships, character & integrity, innovation, and open & honest communication. Our new counselor, Mrs. Connolly, will be coordinating many different initiatives and programs where students can develop and show these core values, including focusing on these during our Dragon Tale News. Ethics and values are essential in future success. We will also be discussing at length the issue of bullying. All CISD administrators are reading and studying this important issue.

After a rigorous hiring process, we have 14 new outstanding staff members! They all attended extra professional development and training this summer to learn best practices in teaching and to prepare to meet the Carroll ISD standard. Please welcome them to Rockenbaugh and get to know their awesomeness. I will be highlighting different staff members in my blog throughout the year.

This first semester we will all be getting to know one another. I invite you to stop by so that I may meet you. Most importantly, I will be focusing on knowing our children. I will be visiting each classroom, roaming the hallways, greeting in the car loop, studying student data, and doing my best to get to know children and their families. During the second semester, we will continue focusing more narrowly on our curriculum and engaging our students in meaningful ways. I welcome your thoughts, dreams, and ideas for what you envision the ideal school to be.

I am passionate about learning and growing. I am pursuing my doctorate degree at the University of North Texas; however, after being named principal, I have decided to take the year to learn Rockenbaugh. I have been reading many administrative books this summer. My favorite has been Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie. Leaders must focus on people’s natural talents and balance their leadership teams with diverse strengths. I am also passionate about being a good mom and wife. I have two wonderful sons and a supportive husband. Striking the balance between work and home is a goal….not always obtained but a constant target.

I invite you to join me in continuing the strong traditions created at Rockenbaugh all while discussing what the new and exciting possibilities might include. Seeing ideas to fruition motivates and excites me!

Honored to serve the Rockenbaugh community,

Lisa

Meet the New RES Administrative Staff

August 27 is right around the corner! We are all anxiously preparing the arrival of our learners. We look forward to getting to know the families at Rockenbaugh. Here is a little information about us...

Ms. Lisa Young

Principal

I grew up in the metroplex and graduated from L.D. Bell High School. I graduated from Baylor University with a B.S. in Education and married a Baylor graduate, Matt Young. I began teaching in Coppell ISD where I taught 5th grade, 4th grade, and was then an assistant principal at the middle school and elementary level. I received a M.S. in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas where I am pursuing a doctorate degree.

I am passionate about 21st century learning and making learning an engaging experience. My passion and mission as an educator is to develop the whole child: mind/academics, body/physical health, and heart/emotional health.

YELLOW is Ms. Young's favorite color because it reminds her of the sun, bright and cheery. In her spare time, she loves photography, scrapbooking, and watching her boys run. The Young family likes to escape to their family ranch in Springtown, Texas when they get the chance. Sitting on the porch, riding four wheelers, and building camp fires refuels them.

Ms. Janet Blackwell

Assistant Principal

Ms. Blackwell grew up in the small town of Pleasanton, thirty miles south of San Antonio. She attended Pleasanton High School where she displayed athletic prowess in several sports. She received a B.A. in Education from Southwestern Assemblies of God University in 1990; the same year she married her husband, Dawain Blackwell. She has taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, as well as Gifted & Talented and Special Education. She received her M.S. in Educational Administration from Concordia University Texas. 

Her desire is to guide students to look at their life like a race. They must run their own race, meaning that they should not compare themselves to others but instead embrace their unique talents and abilities. If they are distracted by how others are running, they will not discover the course for their life.

PURPLE is Ms. Blackwell's favorite color, which denotes good judgment and/or happiness. In her spare time, she and her husband love to train for marathons. She has completed eight marathons and is currently training for the Chicago Marathon. Her dream is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. When she is not running, she also enjoys reading or watching movies curled up with her three dogs: Wylee, Bo, and Belle.

Ms. Brittany Connolly
Counselor

Ms. Connolly has spent most of her childhood and adulthood in the DFW metroplex and attended Colleyville-Heritage High School. She graduated from The University of North Texas with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Early Childhood through 4th grade Teacher Certification.  She began teaching in Keller ISD, where she taught 4th grade and 2nd grade. She received her M.S. in School Counseling from Dallas Baptist University, where she hopes to pursue her LPC in the future.  She has been married to Sean Connolly for 13 years, and they have a wonderful son, Kaden.

Ms. Connolly is passionate about learning and considers herself a lifelong learner.  She is always striving to find ways to learn and better herself as an educator so that she can give her absolute best to students and their families.  It fills her heart with joy when she sees children grow and flourish.  She loves experiencing life through the eyes of children and enjoys helping them discover their world.  Ms. Connolly treasures watching her own son grow and learn each day and equally seeing how her students grow into unique and special individuals.


GREEN is Mrs. Connolly's favorite color because it reminds her of nature and calm.  She is so excited to be a Dragon now and live GREEN!  In her spare time, she loves reading, listening to music, and watching movies and sports. The Connolly family loves baseball, and especially the Texas Rangers!  They also love to take road trips and discover fun and new places.

Getting to Know Mrs. Young

HELLO!
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new principal of Rockenbaugh Elementary School. My name is Lisa Young. Since my first encounters with the Rockenbaugh staff, I can assure you that your children are in the hands of the best educators. Mrs. White and Mrs. Fair have established a rich tradition of excellence that I look forward to continuing.

MY GOAL
My goal as principal is to provide a safe, supported, challenging, and engaged learning environment. Through purposeful and strategic planning of this environment, each child learns at profound levels. I look forward to working with each parent in this process. I know that as parents, you are your child's cheerleader. I, too, am here to support and cheer for your child. It is imperative that our community continues to embrace the idea of doing whatever it takes to ensure the academic and emotional growth of our children.

MY BACKGROUND
I have thirteen years of experience in the public school system setting. I am a former teacher, assistant principal, trainer, and curriculum coordinator. Additionally, I owned and operated my own educational company. Most recently, I have been working in the Carroll ISD administration building in the Teaching and Learning Services Department as the Coordinator for 21st Century Learning and Professional Development.

MY FAMILY
I have a dedicated husband, Matt, and two busy teenage sons, Brantley and Braden. We have a small dog named Bailey that is 11 years old. We love spending time out at our family ranch house grilling burgers, riding four-wheelers, and drinking coffee in the mornings on the large covered porch.

MY FIRST MONTH
After being named principal at the Board Meeting, Mrs. White graciously invited me to visit the Dragon Tale News the next morning where I was introduced to the campus. Since that time, I have scheduled 30 minutes in each class to get to know the students. I am working to know each child on a personal level and look forward to developing a meaningful relationship. I also attended the end of the year PTO Board Meeting. Wow! I am touched by the dedication of so many that serve.

ONWARD
If I can ever be of assistance, please contact me. It is through a collaborative learning community with open and honest communication that we can best serve our students.

Dragon Warm Fuzzy (ask your child about this one),

Lisa Young