AWSP Blog

Most of us are just beginning our school year this August, and it is my hope you will find this School Celebration Newsletter Edition helpful as you begin to plan. I am making a few changes this school year to the School Celebration Newsletter. I’ll send it out quarterly now. In addition to including my traditional list of some of my favorite days to celebrate I am now including specific strategies you can use with your staff to support their educator well-being. I want to encourage YOU to utilize these research-based strategies also. In my work as an Associate for Educator Wellness with Solution Tree, I have been inspired by the research and writings of Dr. Tina Boogren. Dr. Boogren is at the forefront of educator wellness to support novice to season veterans throughout the school year. I encourage you to look into her research this year.

Teacher Appreciation Week is not just about saying thank you; it's about showing teachers that their hard work and dedication are valued and appreciated. As principals, we have the privilege and responsibility to create a positive and supportive environment for our teachers to thrive. By implementing some of the ideas shared in this article, we can make this week truly special for our educators.

Welcome to the beautiful month of May. I would say that May is a magical time for the students and staff we serve. It is the final push of knowledge and skills for our students to ensure they are ready to move on to the next grade, level of content or post high school graduation. Our staffs are digging deep this month and truly giving their students everything they have left. They (like us) are exhausted but we are all determined to dig a bit deeper to finish strong. The month of May is full of celebration opportunities for you utilize to celebrate with you staff. Some are ridiculously simple and others will require a bit of prep work. I have no doubt that this month's School Celebration Newsletter has something for everyone.

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) announces that high school students Ms. Gianna Patrice Frank and Ms. Mahika Kavya Malladi joined Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in representing Washington during the 62nd annual USSYP Washington Week, this past March. Gianna Frank of Marysville and Mahika Malladi of Redmond were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study

I love APRIL. Springtime brings crazy schedules for the Cromwell family. However, I am determined to enjoy these precious moments with my family along with the later sunsets, the blooming flowers, the birds chirping in the morning, and evenings on the back deck. All of these beautiful signs of spring make me smile. This month of April you need not to feel guilty about shutting down your phone for an evening or weekend. Go for a walk, turn the music up a bit louder on your drive to and from work, get a massage, AND treat yourself to some me time. April is when we are starting to see the finish line for this school year, so fill YOUR bucket. I know you will find this edition of the School Celebration Newsletter helpful to bring laughter, joy, and appreciation to your work