February 27, 2015

It’s All About Feedback

One of the biggest buzzwords among educators today is feedback. This idea is extremely important to the process of learning. What do I need to know? How close am I to knowing it? What do I do well? What do I need to work on? How can I get to the final destination? Teachers (and students) should be using questions like these to help students understand their learning progress and where they stand relative to the standards and expectations.

Appropriately, the answers to questions like these also provide feedback for me on how Fremd High School is doing, and equally important, how I am doing.

Here is a shameless plug for feedback:

It’s not too late to participate in the Illinois School Climate Survey. Here, you can answer survey questions about our school climate, teacher (and administrator) quality, and our educational programs.

While the survey will provide us with some great information, it does not provide an opportunity to include a more detailed explanation about why you answered a question the way you did. Even though the survey does not include this option, please feel free to send me your free response feedback, either through the Contact Form to the right of this article, or by sending me an email at ktenopir@d211.org. I welcome your thoughts about what we do well, what we need to improve on, and what is missing from our school.

Highlights and Successes

• Congratulations to English Department February Student of the Month Liz Flavin.
• Congratulations to Coach Kevin Palmer and the Fremd Scholastic Bowl Team on winning the Fremd Masonic Sectional and will advance to the Masonic State Championship.
• Congratulations to the following Boys Swimming & Diving State qualifiers:  Diving, Zach Mega and Chase Jauch; 200 Free Relay, Austin Yurasek, Roshan Rajan, Nick Nevins, Kenny Benjamin (alternate Danny Konishi); 200 Free, 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Breaststroke for athletes with disabilities - Dan Suero.
• Congratulations to Coach Elise Ference and the Girls Gymnastics Team on taking 3rd place at the State Competition.
• Congratulations to Coach David Yates and the Fremd Girls Basketball Team on being Sectional Champions.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

February 28	Boys Swimming & Diving IHSA State @ New Trier Finals - 12:00 p.m. Girls Track & Field @ Glenbard West - 9:00 a.m.
March 2	Girls Basketball vs Huntley @ HEHS Super Sectional - 8:00 p.m.
March 3	Vocal Chamber Night - Music Department 6:30 p.m.
March 4	Boys Basketball vs. IHSA Regionals -6:00 p.m.
March 5	Boys Track & Field @ Proviso West Quad - 5:00 p.m. Band Solo Ensemble/Festival- Music Department - 5:00 p.m.
March 6	Boys Basketball vs. IHSA Regionals -7:00 p.m.

For a more complete list, please visit our Athletics Page.

Staff Spotlight

Name:   Officer Bill Leyden

Position:  Police Consultant (from Palatine Police Department)

Years at Fremd:  1.5 years

Life Before Fremd: 2000 Graduate of Brother Rice High School (Chicago, IL)

2004 Graduate of The Illinois State University (Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice) I married my wife in 2008; and we recently welcomed our first son 7 months ago.  I’ve  been with the Village of Palatine Police Department since February 2005.  Most recently I was working in the Patrol Division on our “Evenings Watch” (2PM-10PM).  I was primarily assigned to the southeast area of Palatine, to the East of Hicks Rd and North of Route-14.  

Hobbies/Interests:   I enjoy watching movies, the 30 for 30 Documentary Series (ESPN), and Homeland.  I spend most of my off time chasing around our son; who is crawling all over the place; getting into any and everything he can.  I also enjoy following local sports (Bears, Bulls, Hawks, and most importantly the WHITE SOX).            

               

Insider Tip for Parents:   I encourage parents to engage their children in open dialogue about the internet.  In addition, I advise you as a parent to stay educated on current apps and social media sites.    

Ask the Principal

Q:  When I email my child’s teachers, it’s hit or miss with them emailing me back, either in a timely fashion or at all! What are your expectations for timely communication, and what can I do to get a response?

A:  This may be the #1 complaint I hear from parents. That doesn’t mean that I hear about it every day, far from it. It is my expectation that emails and phone calls should be returned within 24 hours. There are obviously exceptions to this rule, but there is no excuse for hearing nothing back about your question/concern. For 90% of our staff, this is not an issue. Therefore, it is an issue best addressed with the “offending” teacher. I recommend that you alert the teacher’s department chair to the issue, since the department chair will know whether this is an isolated incident or part of a trend. I often work with department chairs on addressing these trends, and your feedback is important to this process, even if you feel like you are telling on someone.

Are you curious about something at Fremd but have never asked? Email me at ktenopir@d211.org. If your question is pertinent to a wider audience, I will include it in the next blog post.