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Weekly Reflection-11/30-12/4

Every week I am amazed by something.  This week it is the talent we have overflowing at Clinton High School.  From students to teachers, there is an abundance of talent across campus.  Tuesday evening was a demonstration of some of that talent.  As I waited to eat dinner with my family in a downtown cafe, several of the vocal students were gathering to begin caroling in downtown businesses.  In a matter of minutes, the student had rehearsed several pieces and were then on their way to the other businesses open late for the festival of lights.  Many of the patrons on the cafe had no idea the students were rehearsing, but instead thought they were actually performing.  Such talent, to have performance quality rehearsals especially while several of the students were sight reading the music.  Another vocal group from an area school also came into the cafe later in the evening and the talent level of our students was head and shoulders above the other group.

Not only do we have amazing vocalists, but our instrumentalists are equally gifted.  The band did an outstanding job in the parade.  Adding to the festivities were their Christmas sweaters and lights.  The families around me were commenting on the talent of the students and were even impressed with the trailer they are able to use for hauling equipment.

To top it off, several of our students were dancers in the parade and were decked out in authentic costumes for the occasion.

It is also great to see the ways our teachers try to connect ideas with students.  I have walked in on students clustered around the desk getting help on Calculus as well as students analyzing brain function and sensory perception in Psychology through taste test combinations.  I have also caught teachers as they prepared for the next lesson and had them explain to me why they have decided to spend some extra time reviewing instead of moving on to the next topic.  Put simply, everything our teachers do is for the students.

It is great to see the other ways Clinton High School teachers are preparing students for the future.  In some classes, students were busy preparing resumes, knowing that they would soon be needing those as they head into the workforce.  This teacher let them know that this is not a static document, but is fluid and changes over time.  Seems simple to anyone that has been out in the world for a while, but to a high school senior it is a new idea.

Speaking of Seniors, this week three were awarded early acceptance and their acceptance letters were hand delivered to them in class.



This week's faculty meeting wrapped up the week with ideas on using the classroom audio effectively, the schedule for semester tests, and the district PLC day on December 18th.  The PLC review served as a reminder of this quote:



All things considered, it was another great week being a Red Tornado.
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