Thursday Thriller April 17, 2025

 Thursday Thriller

April 17, 2025

CELEBRATIONS!

Students had fun working on the weaving mural and the Walla Walla Public Library mural! It’s great to see them connect and create with others through projects like these.

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.    The Staff Achievement Award is one of the highest honors because it’s driven by your colleagues—those who nominate you, write heartfelt letters on your behalf, and want to celebrate just how incredible you are! This award is open to both classified and certificated staff.

Some of our past Garrison recipients include Conor, Yaneth, Bryan E., Sue Schulz (retired), and Shannon Ahrens (now at the high school), just to name a few. We have so many amazing team members—from our cooks and paras to our certificated staff—who are truly deserving of this recognition.

If you’d like to nominate a colleague, you can use the link below. Nicole F. and I are happy to support you with the nomination process and letters—though they mean even more when they come directly from fellow staff members!

Nomination Link

See past recipients HERE 

2.    Science WCAS testing next week during science class for 8th graders only. 

3.    Monday morning, Nicole and I will be at Principal PD from 7:30-10:30AM

4.   Wednesday, April 23rd Extended Collaboration and Secretaries' Day

5.  FYI..Our youngest daughter, Olivia, is due any day with our 5th grandchild!  Baby boy Zealand.💙 Her official due date is Monday, April 21st. If she has not had him between now and April 24th, she will be induced on Friday, April 25th. I will be taking some time off to help her care for Baby Z. :D We will keep you posted!

The Doepkers are doing our part to help with declining enrollment in WWPS.😅

6. TARDIES-I've noticed some students arriving to class or locker rooms after the bell. While I respect your individual classroom systems for managing tardies, it's crucial we maintain a consistent school-wide expectation: students must be in class when the bell rings.

Regular tardiness disrupts learning and can signal that punctuality isn't important. For periods 2–7, how you handle tardies is up to you; the office manages first period. By working together, we send a clear, consistent message to our students.

7. COLOR RUN FUN! This really is a fun event! This is the 3rd Color Run for Garrison! Please ask now if you have any questions AND sign up so we don't have to fill in spots with your name. 

Next Friday, April 25th, is Advisory Friday, and we will be hosting the Color Run! This is a fantastic opportunity for all students to participate, especially since we usually hold it on the weekend and not everyone can attend. Huge thanks to Nicole M. and Yaneth for making this event possible!

The purpose of this email is to share important information and logistics for the day. This spreadsheet includes three tabs:

1. Sign-ups for the Activity Day (Color Run) – Please sign up ASAP!
   
   

2. Bell Schedule – For the day.
   
   

3. Planning Coverage – Times for planning and who is covering.
   
   

Here’s the agenda for the advisory portion of the day (8:50 to 10:15 am):

• Mixed classes will stay together.
  
  

• 8th grade: Work independently on the High School and Beyond Plan. This will be their last advisory half-day to work on this.
  
  

• 6th and 7th grade: GPA lesson followed by i-Ready work.

COLOR RUN

• Here are the SLIDES that you will need to share with students from 10 to 10:15 am.
  
  

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Thanks,
Nicole, Nicole, and Yaneth

8.  PANO/Group Photo for 8th graders at 10:00 in the gym tomorrow morning.

9. Christy, Nicole and I are working on the Student Success Showcase on May 19th. This evening is building directed time. This is an event to celebrate student success, showcase projects and invite families to participate in an activity.  More details to come.

10.  

•     May 5-8 Teacher Appreciation Week and 1st Week of SBA    
•     May 12-16th 2nd Week of SBA
•     May 13th -District Band Festival @ 7:00PM
•     May 14th -Evening Play performance for GMS
•     May 15th-NJHS Induction Ceremony
•     May 19th -Student Success Night
•     May 27th -Garrison Band and Choir Concert
•     May 28th -Garrison Orchestra Concert
•     June 3rd -Recognition and Activity Day

11.  End-of-Year Activity Day

Rather than holding two separate events—one for 8th graders and another for 6th-7th—we’re combining efforts for one big celebration. Coordinating two separate days (plus Recognition Night!) is a major lift for staff, so here’s our updated plan:

Tuesday, June 3rd

Tentative Times

• Morning: 8th graders will enjoy a special breakfast followed by Recognition practice.

• Lunch 

• Maybe 12:30-1:30-8th graders get something special -lunch and special activity  (AGAIN TENTATIVE TIME FRAMES)

• 2:00-3:15 All School Activity day  (AGAIN TENTATIVE TIME FRAMES)

We’ll still make it feel meaningful for our 8th graders. We’ll have a special slideshow just for them and a treat to honor their time at Garrison. There will be plenty of activities, and we can absolutely still include things like a dance, games, and time for yearbook signing.

If there’s something I’m overlooking or if combining the activity days creates challenges I haven’t considered, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I may be missing something. My thinking was that focusing our time and energy on one well-organized Activity Day would be more manageable—and more fun for everyone—than trying to pull off two separate ones

11.    The flowers aren’t the only things popping up this spring—so are student behaviors!- Please make a point to be visible in the hallways—watching, observing, and connecting with students. If you are on duty, supervision is a priority. I know it’s easy to chat with colleagues (and we all enjoy that time!), but we need to ensure we're actively walking, checking for phone compliance, and supporting a calm, safe environment.

Also, a quick reminder to include your duty schedule and a short description of your responsibilities in your sub plans. This helps maintain consistency even when you're out.

Thank you for being present and proactive—it truly makes a difference! 💙

12. 

Something to Ponder

I recently came across the work of PJ Caposey, and I find myself drawn to his energy. He doesn’t just go through the motions—he fires people up, questions the status quo, and pushes readers to think differently about how we lead, teach, and coach. His message is clear: it’s not just about holding a leadership title—it’s about how you show up and help others grow.

Educational leadership isn’t defined by a position. Each of you is a leader—whether it’s in your classroom, with the students you support, on the teams you coach, or in the committees you serve. Leadership is about making those around you better—and growing in your own practice as well.

In a blog post from February 24, 2024, Caposey asked a powerful question that stopped me in my tracks: Who did I make better today? Honestly—some days, I’m not sure I did. And that’s real. But what I do know is that we don’t get that time back. There are no “do-overs.”

Yes, some days are tougher than others. And some are full of wins. But no matter what kind of day it is, we owe it to ourselves and those we lead to ask: What’s getting in the way of helping others—and myself—become better today?

And when you hear the word LEADERSHIP—just know, he’s talking to YOU.

Hope you find a gold nugget in PJ's blog and get 🔥🔥 up!!!

Who Are You Making Better?

Leadership, whether in an organization, family, or team, is undeniably intricate. Amidst the swarm of moving parts, initiatives, objectives, and stated goals, it becomes not just challenging but downright daunting to keep pace with the ongoing activities, let alone propel them towards improvement. Let's cut to the chase – as leaders, our mission is to make remarkable things happen for others. We're not here to merely exist; we're here to be indispensable. Our role is to catalyze growth in others, empower them to envision a greater version of themselves, and actively contribute to crafting a new, superior reality for those we lead. The snag arises when we drown in the minutia of our responsibilities. Picture this: I boarded a plane this week with ZERO emails in my inbox, and upon landing, I was bombarded with over 300 messages. Keeping up with that tsunami of communication can be overwhelming. More importantly, it can drain the allure and inspiration from our work if we don't pause to lift ourselves out of the routine grind. Here's my staunch belief – every day we're entrusted with leadership is an opportunity to empower others to forge a better reality for themselves and our organizations. When this conviction fuels me, I'm unstoppable. With this mindset, I don't even need an alarm to jolt me awake in the morning. Yet, my apprehension grows as I witness too many of my peers currently immersed in the grind. Yes, the job may entail its share of grinding, but we possess the power to refocus and zero in on what truly matters. More often than not, the paramount focus should be on how we can elevate those we serve into superior leaders and individuals. It's time to break free from the monotony and seize the reins of impactful leadership! REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS How do you ensure that amidst the complexities of leadership, you stay focused on your primary purpose of being of service to others? Reflecting on your recent experiences, do you find yourself getting bogged down in the minutia of your leadership role? How do you pull yourself out to maintain an inspiring perspective? In the midst of your daily responsibilities, how often do you consciously remind yourself of the opportunity each day brings to help others create a better reality for themselves and for the organization? Can you recall a specific instance when your mindset and approach to leadership were so empowering that it fueled you without the need for external motivation, such as an alarm clock? As you observe your peers and colleagues, do you notice signs of them being caught up in the grind of leadership? How might you encourage them to refocus on the essential aspects of making a meaningful impact? Taking a critical look at your leadership priorities, how often do you find yourself concentrating on tasks versus focusing on how you can genuinely help those you serve become better leaders and individuals?

Thursday Thriller April 3, 2025

 Thursday Thriller

April 3, 2025

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

THE HELEN's WON!! They will be squaring off against our own Nate, Nate, Dave Clearman and Reggie next Wednesday!!! GO HELEN's!!!! 

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.    Spring Break begins at 3:45 tomorrow!!! Whoop and Whoop!!

2.    Have fun on your honeymoon, Stephanie and Nate!!

3.    When we return from spring break, we will be launching into end-of-year activities. The highlighted events are open for people to help plan. Open invites will be sent.   

• April 25th Color Run and Activity Day
•     May 5th-9th Teacher Appreciation week(We are asking classified staff to help plan. :D), 1st week of SBA testing
      May 12-16th 2nd Week of SBA
      May 13th -District Band Festival @ 7:00PM
      May 14th -Evening Play performance for GMS
      May 15th-NJHS Induction Ceremony
      May 19th -Student Success Night
      May 27th -Garrison Band and Choir Concert
      May 28th -Garrison Orchestra Concert
      
•     May 12-16th 2nd Week of SBA
•     May 13th -District Band Festival @ 7:00PM
•     May 14th -Evening Play performance for GMS
•     May 15th-NJHS Induction Ceremony
•     May 19th -Student Success Night
•     May 27th -Garrison Band and Choir Concert
•     May 28th -Garrison Orchestra Concert
•     June 3rd -Recognition
                       Activity Day
•                      Activity Day

4.    Although we won’t be in school next week, I want to give a HUGE, heartfelt shout-out to my incredible partner and mama of Peanut! Next week is Assistant Principal Week, and I am so thankful for everything Nicole does. When I come to work each day, I know I’m in for three things: 1. Laughter, 2. Great collaboration on discipline, schedules, and upcoming events, and 3. Constant learning. I’ve learned so much from Nicole, and our partnership is something I truly value. 

HAPPY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL's WEEK, Nicole!!!