Staff Appreciation Week!!

This is always a great time of year. It is the time to appreciate all of the staff on campus and all that they do. From the teachers, support staff, clerical, and custodial, everyone's job holds an integral part to making the school year a success for the students.

I want to take a moment to say Thank You!! Thank you for giving your all each day. Thank you for putting the students first. Thank you for taking risks and trying new things. Thank you for choosing to work at Fairfield High. Thank you for thinking outside of the box. Thank you for being team players. Thank you for trusting your administrative team.  Thank you for just being you!!

Here are a few videos highlighting just some of the great moments from 2015-2016!

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Transformation Takes Time...

Whether we want to see a physical, mental or systemic change... it takes time. Most of us, myself included, can be impatient waiting for the transformation to take place. However, if we want the transformation to be lasting and with positive results we must be patient, persevere, and continue to make strides towards that goal.

I saw a quote on Twitter this weekend that I had to retweet. "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." --Lucille Ball

If we see something about ourselves, our classroom, or our school that we don't like we need to face it. We need to take a good look at what it is we are challenged with. We must determine what we could do differently to potentially bring about the change we want. Keeping in mind that the genesis of the change we desire must be rooted in positivity. Once you are committed to the transformation you must begin to adjust your habits you have become accustomed to. We all know Albert Einstein's famous quote, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Ironically, in education we tend to more often than not do the same thing over and over again year after year and complain that we aren't making progress.

I am proud to say that at FHS we are working as a collaborative team to brainstorm and develop new approaches that are in the best interest of our students. Both our math department and English departments have committed to systematic changes for next year to bring about positive results for our students. We recognized a need and we are adjusting so that we don't keep replicating the same problem year after year. Changing the systematic approach is just one step. The teaching and instruction must also adapt to better engage and support our learners. We would be naive to think that merely making a schedule change would fundamentally improve student learning. Each must go hand in hand in order to bring about the transformation we want to see with our students.

Fairfield High is in the midst of TRANSFORMATION. We are making strides and progress. However, there are moments that are stressful and discouraging and that is a reality that must be faced and not ignored. Remember, as Lucille Ball once said, "...nothing can be changed until it is faced." So, when the days get tough that is when we must dig in even deeper and remember why we are here. We are here to deliver the best education we possibly can to our students. We are here to be role models they may not have in front of them at home. We are here to be the facilitators of learning. We are here because we are the Fairfield High Family! We are here to push each other to be the best WE can be! In turn we push our students to BE the BEST THEY CAN BE!!

Let's keep working on this Transformation one day at a time! 

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Our XQ Super School Project: Now in the Final Phase

On Friday, April 8th we received the FANTASTIC news that our proposal made it to the final phase of the XQ Super School Redesign Project. As an XQ Team we successfully created a concept and design for our new Fairfield High School Discovery Academy. The next phase is called "Develop" and is a series of exercises and questions designed to help push our imaginative skills and for us to show our capacity to actually implement our school design.

Through the XQ Directory we have reached out to experts in several fields. However, we can use your help too. We still need team members with expertise in the fields of finance and physical space. Spread the word and join our TEAM!! Help us in our DEVELOP phase so that we can make our Fairfield High School Discovery Academy a reality.

Fairfield High School Discovery Academy

Our Concept: A school designed around vibrant participation in a student interest themed environment. We will empower our students to access pathways through exploration of different fields. This access and exploration will allow our students to engage in learning that will prepare them for a life of learning and career opportunities.

School Mission and Culture: All students at Fairfield High School Discovery Academy pursue a rigorous curriculum that provides the foundation for entry and success at the University of California and elsewhere, as well as success in the world of work. Our school articulates common expectations for learning that value 21st century skills, the integration of hands and minds, and the merging of academic disciplines. Assessment is performance-based: all students develop projects, solve problems, and present findings to community panels. All students are required to complete an academic internship, a substantial senior project, and a personal digital portfolio. Teachers employ a variety of approaches to accommodate diverse learners, and recognize the value of having students from different backgrounds working together.

Teaching and Learning: 

LEARNING EXPERIENCE ONE: Project Based Learning 

United States History classes will skip the standard timeline of history approach and create online and physical exhibitions for the WWII Museum in New Orleans. Student teams work in tandem with local Veterans groups and complete interviews and public symposiums as data gathering. They then are encouraged to read and blog about their areas of interest as well as asking their peers what questions they have. After a design thinking webinar with the Stanford Design School, the students build their display prototypes, write scripts and edit footage for a culminating event featuring Veterans and students presenting their satellite Museum display for the public, press and remotely with the education team from the WWII Museum.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE TWO: Career Tracks/Pathways 
A partnership with our feeder Middle Schools will allow us to begin a conversation with students about their interests long before they arrive at FHS. The Fairfield High Discovery Academy will continue to provide awareness of college and career options during a student's freshman and sophomore years. The excitement builds as students join career-focused Pathway Academies for their final two years. Each mini-campus will house an integrated teaching cadre who mentor students through their Medical, Service & Industry, Performing Arts and Media & Technology Pathways. Subjects and projects are integrated and a focus on learning by creating is pervasive. Combinations of short and long term projects are collected in each students digital portfolio. A constant stream of visiting experts and practitioners in each field are a daily sight on campus and on the devices and flat-screen of all Pathway Academies.

Student Agency and Development: Our students awake to their school text wake-up service of choice. Their electronic assortment of assignments and announcements are organized with an elegant app. They arrive at the Cognitive Cafe and select their healthy smoothie and warm sandwich.

They reach their “Learners Choice” session just after the ambient music starts on the PA, no jarring bells of old. Subject Matter Experts (SME) from the community start their workday as guides in the multiple career and project-focused Choice sessions.

Jose heads for the Health & Wellness Wing after his surgical simulator session. He finds his integrated team of Language Arts and Science teachers are finalizing the setup for the UCLA Medical Center videoconferencing session with Residents regarding their lessons learned in their journey. He already checked his blog post on his expectations and planned questions for today. He had a few tips from his Integrated English teacher and his Science teacher suggested further inquiry and refinement of a question he posted.

The English teacher departs the Health Wing and strolls past the dirt and native plant exhibition of the Landscape Architecture class and drops in to see Jasmine in the Service & Industry Wing. Jasmine’s capstone project was both her Learners Choice project and a major part of her Integrated Design class. The entrepreneurship module of her class was 20% online with her nearby community college. Her required community service led her to the Rotary Club where she met her mentor who advised her on her capstone project. Her effort was a comprehensive website and promotional plan matching local volunteers with local events. Jasmine has to take care of her grandmother three times a week, so she has taken advantage of the evening classes her school now offers.

Student choice, relevance, community engagement and an empowered student body. Welcome to our Super School.

Networks and Partnerships: Partnerships with community members and business will be a core element of our redesigned Super School. Subject Matter Experts (SME) from the community will act as guides in the multiple career and project-focused choice sessions. These experts in their fields will help facilitate the hands on project based learning experiences. At the Fairfield High Discovery Academy we will use career pathways so students can explore their curiosities while engaging in research and teaching others the foundations of their chosen pathways. The hands on learning experiences allow students to synthesize information from their pathway from day one. Assessment is performance-based: all students will develop projects, solve problems, and present findings to community panels. All students will be required to complete an academic internship, a substantial senior project, and a personal digital portfolio. Teachers will employ a variety of approaches to accommodate diverse learners, and recognize the value of having students from different backgrounds working together. Student choice, relevant, community engagement and an empowered student body. Welcome to our Super School.

Flipagram photo stream: https://flipagram.com/f/kDa9FZ8jtK

Our next meeting will be Monday, April 18th at 12:14 in B21!!

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Remember to BREATHE....

This time of year tends to be extremely busy. We are prepping for the final part of 2015-2016 while simultaneously planning and prepping for the 2016-2017 school year. At times we may feel like pressures are on us from many different angles. It is so important during this time and any stressful time to stop and breathe, literally and figuratively. We want to make sure we are still functioning at our most optimal level and not sacrificing our health or mental state.

I had someone very important to me today ask me this question, "What is one thing that went well so far today?" This caused me to stop and pause. Instead of continuing on in my mind of all the things I still needed to do or fix, I focused on what had gone well. This individual prompted me to also notice how beautiful the weather was. Appreciating the weather at that moment in time helped to relax and refocus me. When we focus on the positive we make that our reality. Of course we need to still recognize what needs to be improved or completed but we need to try and frame those tasks or areas of improvements in terms of positive change.

I am so proud of where Fairfield High has come in the last two years. We are working together to make positive change in the lives of all of our students. I spoke with a parent tonight that was so appreciative of attending PIQE last year and said she is trying to get her elementary child's principal to offer it for 8th grade parents. She is excited that her current 8th grader will become a Falcon next year.  Our culture is changing with positive momentum each and every day because we are working together as a cohesive staff sharing the same message to the students. We had 102 students with perfect attendance for the month of March!! Students are recognizing staff for the tenets of NEU!! We are making a DIFFERENCE!

Take a deep breath and then exhale....... 

We are going to end this year strong... as a FAMILY! 

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!