This article was written by the members of the Journalism class.
On Thursday, October 10th, our principal Rebecca Tatistcheff sat down with the journalism class to answer questions about the most up-and-coming topics around U-32. This is the second article in an ongoing series called Principal’s Press.
10/10 Topics:
- U-32 Lunch
- Becca’s Goals For The Year
- Wednesday Staff Meetings
- Inclusivity in Spirit Week
U-32 Lunch
By Inkwel Young
Staffing has been a consistent problem in the U-32 lunch room. U-32 is currently looking for someone to fill the position of head cook in the lunchroom. Because of this, there has been an absence of a snack bar in the cafeteria and nutrislice ordering.
The closure of the snack bar has not gone unnoticed, and Becca is aware that students dislike the change. With this frustration in mind, Becca thinks a lot about staffing in the lunchroom. “It takes a lot of people to do those things and disseminate food to such a large group,” she said.
Staffing is not the only thing that brings U-32 lunches to students. Vendors are also an important part of the process. U-32 gets the food that it serves from a variety of vendors. Some of these vendors are locally sourced, and some are through larger vendor companies.
During lunch periods at U-32, the lunchroom can be crowded, so students are given the option to spend their time in spaces outside of the lunchroom when they are finished eating. This includes multiple outdoor spaces.
Becca cares about where students can spend their free time. Many students spend lunch in the atrium or the library, but the amount of lunchtime space is halved during the winter. As a result the amount of students in the remaining spaces is likely to increase.
Becca is curious about this change. She said, “What happens when students can’t hang out outside during the winter? […] Where’s the social space during lunchtime?”
Becca’s Goals For The Year
By Margo Canella
On the first day of school Becca Tatistcheff completed one of her goals for this school year. This goal was to get all students and staff in a circle together, and Becca said “That was a goal that we did and did successfully”.
Becca also has many long term goals for U32, one is to focus on the Adult Learning Community. Becca said she wants to “Help teachers feel more connected to each other across all content areas”.
One reason why she wants teachers to feel more connected is because she believes that taking care of the adult learners is just as important as taking care of the student learners. Becca said sharing the practices in different classrooms can help grow the work and learning with students.
Becca also has goals related to student voice, and getting more student input. She plans to create structures to support student voice, and also hopes that Student Council will be a way to get student input easily.
One of her smaller goals is to learn everyone’s names, which she hopes to complete by the end of this year. Becca said, “Hopefully…when I stand at the door and I say good morning to everybody, I can say good morning by name.” Becca said that she’s on track for her goal, but it may take a little more time!
Wednesday Staff Meetings
By Grace Canella
Becca Tatistcheff can tell you what happens at Wednesday staff meetings. She says students do work during the day, teachers do work in staff meetings. “You go to class and do learning, and then your teachers do learning together on Wednesday afternoons.”
Teachers do activities in small groups. The groups look at student work examples. They also read together. Then this work is implemented to help the school. Teachers “take all of that…learning that they use to become better teachers and to…think about their practice reflectively,” said Becca. Staff sit in groups in a circle. Becca says this helps them become more connected to one another.
Teachers learn how to improve their teaching on Wednesdays. When the students leave, the staff stays. Becca says this is an investment to make.
Staff meetings make the community stronger as a whole. What happens in Wednesday staff meetings affects the school, as well as the district. Inclusive practices and relevant education are the main two ideas worked on.
At the beginning of the year, teachers look at data from the past years. This data can include graduation rates, standardized tests, and proficiencies. Analyzing this data helps teachers decide how to improve the school curriculum. U32 adjusts the curriculum to meet the goals, inclusivity, and further learning.
Teachers work on how incorporating these big ideas will look in a classroom. Becca said she wants every student to have their needs met. For Becca, this work exists to answer the question, “How do we do that in a way that helps all students be successful?”
Inclusivity in Spirit Week
By Molly Pepin
Rebecca Tatischeff wants spirit week at U-32 to be enjoyable while also open to everyone. Becca said she watched the middle schoolers create their own hallway designs. “It was fun to be with the middle schoolers as they learned that they were going to get to do hallway decorations this year, and to be able to expand the downstairs was super fun to see their excitement,” said Becca. This is the first time middle schoolers have participated in the hallway decorations. Becca wanted to make sure everyone is equally included.
Becca said that hallway decorating will occur during TA, as well as time during callback. “So if I’m meeting in my TA and I want to go decorate the hallway, that’s great. If I want to be in TA during that time, that’s ok too,” said Becca. This gives students the option to participate in spirit week and contribute their ideas to decorate their class hallway.
As the new principle, Becca is looking forward to watching spirit week come to action. Becca’s goal is to make spirit week open to all students to participate without exclusion. Her goal is to bring a sense of inclusion and humanity and justice to the students.
