Source: Master Facilities Planning Q&A
Celebrations and Reflections from Granby Elementary School and Beyond
Trent Bowers, Superintendent
Today marks a new beginning for Worthington Schools. It is the first day on the job for our new superintendent, Dr. Trent Bowers. The transition will be seamless. Trent was appointed to this position by the Worthington School Board in October after Dr. Tucker’s announcement that he was taking a position with Princeton Schools. Since then, Trent has been working with the school board, administration, staff, students, families, and community to determine priorities and set the course for the future of Worthington Schools.
I’ve known Trent for a long time… since he was an adolescent hanging out in youth group with my brother-in-law. I didn’t know him well then, or even when he was coaching my oldest in football at McCord, but I have come to know him well as our paths crossed once again when he returned to Worthington as an administrator. Trent has been amazingly supportive of me on my own journey into administration and continues to provide me with a great “sounding board” when needed.
Worthington Schools enters a new era today that may one day be referred to as “The Bowers Years.” I have no doubt that these years will be remembered as really great years for our district. Here’s why… Trent has deep roots in Worthington. He attended Worthington Hills, Perry Middle School, and is a graduate of Worthington High School. 
Trent, his wife, and three daughters live in the heart of Worthington and are deeply invested (personally) in the quality of our schools. He has a clear passion for academic excellence and experiences that will help all children grow into well-rounded adults. Trent models lifelong learning for the Worthington staff. He understands and values relationships as the foundation of all that we do for kids. He knows it is important that school is fun… #ForWorthington.
If you haven’t already met Trent, you won’t have to look far for an opportunity to meet him. He’s everywhere! And here’s the best part… You are equally likely to meet him wearing a suit and tie at the WEC or a community meeting as you are covered in mud at the Warrior Run (even in 43 degree weather), flipping pancakes at Pancake Day, or riding a bike through the Gators Bike Park. This Saturday, you’ll be able to catch him in the Worthington Hills 4th of July parade. Invested… committed… passionate.
School superintendent… Worthington Schools… It’s a tall order. One thing I know for sure… You will not find someone more committed to doing what’s best for kids in Worthington than Trent Bowers. We are in good hands. Happy first day on the job, Superintendent Bowers!
P.S. If you want to connect with the new superintendent you can follow him on Twitter @TBowers3 or read the district blog, Absolute Excellence.
P.P.S. You might remember Trent’s acting debut in Granby’s LipDub a few years ago… You can see it here.
Honoring Our Retiring Edugators
Mischelle Stukey, Leslie Ritter, Debbie Gartley, and Cindy Schlarb at their staff retirement party.
We’ve reached the end of another wonderful year at Granby and a truly benchmark year for four of our Edugators. Today, Granby will say good-bye and “Happy Retirement” to Debbie Gartley, Leslie Ritter, Cindy Schlarb, and Mischelle Stukey. These amazing ladies have devoted their careers to public education and are leaving an incredible legacy at Granby.
Both Leslie Ritter and Mischelle Stukey opened Granby in 1988. As “original” staff members, they are keepers of the Granby history and have been instrumental in developing the strong school culture and what it means to be a “Granby Gator.” In her 27 years at Granby, Leslie has done amazing things with her gators as the only general music teacher Granby has known. Her students have wonderfully fond memories of the musical productions they participated in and enjoy watching the videos at senior tea each year. Mischelle Stukey has been a third grade teacher for her entire tenure and has helped to create an amazing collaborative culture with her teammates.
Mrs. Schlarb’s kindergators celebrate her retirement at a picnic.
Debbie Gartley joined the Granby family in just the second year and has taught both special education and regular education at a wide range of grade levels. Cindy Schlarb arrived on the scene a few years later and has taught kindergarten all but one year when she made a brief visit to first grade.
I recently asked our retirees for some data. As a group, they have served in education for a grand total of 132 years. They have committed 117.5 of these years to Worthington and a total of exactly 100 years at Granby!! How lucky are we to have had them for a cumulative century!?! All four of these ladies have mentored young teachers into the profession and are leaving a legacy of strong programs, Granby culture, and a long string of students whose lives have been impacted by their teaching and care.
Mrs. Stukey and Mrs. Gartley being “clapped out” with the other retirees and 6th Gators
I want to thank each of them for their devotion to the profession, commitment to our Granby Gators, and the strong relationships they have built as part of the Granby family that makes it so hard for us to part ways. We love you all and will miss you deeply! Just remember, “Once a Gator, Always a Gator!” Don’t forget to come “home” from time to time… xoxoxo
#WCSFUN
It seems that Dr. Bowers understands that at Granby, we work hard and PLAY HARD! Doesn’t everyone want school to be a fun place? So glad to get to work with an amazing staff that goes the extra mile, knows no shame, and gets silly for kids! Granby ROCKS!
As we enter the home stretch of the 2014-2015 school year it is clear that we ask our teachers to do more now than ever before. Our teachers must make sure that every student in the their classroom grows academically by the expected amount. Using data analytics we measure student growth and by proxy we are able to measure teacher effectiveness.
In order to make sure all students are growing our teachers focus on explicitly teaching the standards and utilizing formative instructional practices in their classroom to provide each student with clear targets and actionable feedback on their progress. In these ways teaching has become a science. However, because each of our students is a little human being we know that our students have the best opportunity to learn and grow when they have a positive relationship with their teacher and other trusted adults in the school community. We also…
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Honor an Educator
As a parent, I was always looking for ways to show my appreciation to the teachers who had such a positive impact on my children. This program with the Worthington Educational Foundation is an excellent way to do just that! Teacher appreciation week is just around the corner: May 4-8. Please consider this opportunity to “Honor an Educator.”
We have great teachers and support professionals in Worthington. Every day our educators go above and beyond to make a positive difference in the lives of our kids and our families. I’m incredibly thankful to work with these committed professionals. With that in mind, I am excited to announce the kick-off for this year’s Worthington Educational Foundation (WEF) Honor an Educator Program. While our long winter and chilly spring make it especially hard to believe, we will soon be closing the books on the 2014-15 school year! The last day of classes for our students is fast approaching and as it does, I understand that many parents, students, alumni and community members are thinking of ways to show their appreciation to the teachers, staff and administrators who help to make our schools the best. Finding the appropriate way to adequately thank these individuals can be a difficult task. The Trustees…
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A Christmas Miracle! (Thanks Keith Schlarb)
An excellent post about our new technology plan, Chromebooks, 24/7 access, district Chromebook purchase plan for families, and new lending libraries (coming to Granby in the spring). We have made HUGE strides in technology in Worthington Schools this year!
Throughout the 2013-2014 school year I spent a significant amount of time and effort working with our district community technology team creating our three year technology plan. This school year it has been exciting to watch this plan come to life in our schools. Already this fall we have added over 3,000 new chromebooks to our schools. These devices combined with the 450 plus PC laptops that were added last school year have made mobile learning a reality throughout Worthington. This spring and next fall we will add even more mobile devices and we’ll reach our desired ratio of a mobile device for every two students.
Having this ratio in place will allow students to access technology on demand throughout the school day. In addition we are beginning to pilot our technology lending libraries at Slate Hill, Worthingway and Thomas Worthington. These pilots will allow students to take devices…
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A Day of Learning
Want to know what the teachers were doing yesterday? Read this post from Coordinator of Academic Achievement and Professional Development, Kelly Wegley. There was plenty of learning in our Fine, Fine School yesterday!!!
Yesterday was election day across the United States. In Worthington because many of our schools are used as polling locations our students were not in school. While students were home, our teachers and many of our support staff were at work. We had a very productive day!
Long before our current academic standards were adopted, Margaret Mead wrote, “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” In that spirit, 700+ Worthington teachers gathered on the Granby-McCord-WKHS campus and engaged in our November 4th Fall Institute: a district-wide “Day of Learning.”
The morning consisted of two learning blocks: one with building colleagues and one choice session with colleagues from across the district. Over 35 choice sessions offered opportunities for teachers to increase their skill in the use of resources such as Fundations, Stepping Stones, Pasco Sparks, and Google Apps for Education; to build their understanding of instructional approaches…
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The Proposed 2015-2016 School Calendar
Good information about the proposed 15-16 calendar and all of the things that must be taken into consideration when creating a school calendar.
At the regularly scheduled Worthington Board of Education Meeting on Monday, October 13th the board will be asked to review the proposed 2015-2016 school calendar. This will only be a first reading of the calendar. Over the month of October community feedback will be solicited and the Board of Education will be asked to vote for the final calendar at the November 12th meeting. The calendar that is being proposed is “Option B” of the three options that were created for staff and community input.
Creating the school year calendar is a difficult process that attempts to serve many different masters. How much time in school will students have before state mandated testing? Are the first and second semesters as close to even as possible so that semester classes at the high school receive equal instructional time? Can we create a calendar that allows high school final exams…
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Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
We appreciate Dr. Bowers’ support of the Worthington Wellness Warrior Run and his clear understanding of why we do it. Kudos to Tyler Hollinger and Rick Armstrong for putting this event together and the army of volunteers who came out Friday night to make this event happen! You are value-added to the Worthington community! If you missed this event, don’t worry… It’ll be back next year!
It’s been said that “not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.” Our last blog post “Progress” discussed some of our measured results on the 2013-2014 district report card. But how do you measure events that capture the imagination and the passion of a community? Events where teachers from all across Worthington come together with parents and other community volunteers to provide a unique, cool, opportunity for kids and adults. How do you measure the Worthington Wellness Warrior Run?
A friend of mine who teaches in a high-performing neighboring district but who lives in Worthington, posted the following on her Facebook page along with pictures of her child’s participation in the Warrior Run. She posted, “Reason #427 why I Love Worthington Schools!”
On Friday night we had over 1,000 registered participants in the Worthington Wellness Warrior Run. There were easily two…
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We don’t need “Yik Yak” in Worthington…
Parents, Please read this and know that we are doing all we can in Worthington to keep your children digitally safe. Your partnership is critical. On September 29, you will have the opportunity to hear more about keeping your kids safe online from local experts in the filed. Details will be coming home soon!
A Fine, Fine School! 