December Reflections

As we enter December and the holiday season I am always reminded of my 6^th grade math teacher Mr. Ragland. Mr. Ragland was the type of teacher who could change your life with a simple smile or word of encouragement. I remember leaving his class every day, he would stand at the door and say the same thing to each student as they left – have a good day and do good. On the last day of school Mr. Ragland asked the class why he always said do good, not be good. He went on to explain that by doing good you can impact the world in which you live, you can build someone up, you can provide comfort to those in need, and that by doing good your reward would be a tremendous amounts of joy. Mr. Ragland exemplified what it meant to care about his students beyond the classroom environment, and taught all of his students the invaluable lesson of kindness.

           

Throughout the days when I walk through Hutchings I see so many people doing good, I see at our school so many Mr. Ragland’s. I see teachers going above and beyond for their students, I see parent volunteers working in classrooms and the hallways. I see students welcoming other students and adults to the building; as well as, helping each other out with the problems they encounter during the day. Our lunch staff, custodial staff, office staff, and para professional staff work diligently to create and support students throughout the day so that the students know everyone at Hutchings cares for them deeply.

           

At Hutchings I try to root all of my decisions into doing good for the students. Our staff models doing going for the students and create environments that allow for students to do good for others. Part of the Hutchings vision is to extend what is learned inside the classroom to the outside world so I challenge families to have the conversation about how, as a family, they can do good in the world and impact their home or community.

          

  I hope this time of the year is a pleasant time for you and your family, I know at Hutchings teachers and students alike truly enjoy the community aspects that come with this time of the year and look forward to celebrating all that we have learned so far this year.

All the best,

Mr. Moore

I remember when I was a child I used to love reading the I Spy books with my cousin Matthew. We used to look at the pages of the book and try to see everything that we possibly could before each other, and when we discovered the hidden images there was a joyful celebration and amazement at how a simple picture could be so complex. Schools can be a lot like I Spy books in the sense that we often do not see everything that goes on in a school by what we initially see on the surface. I wanted to write this month about some of the great things that go on at Hutchings that might not be seen just by looking at the surface.

I will start with our PTO which has gone above and beyond the call of duty this year. Our PTO board is entirely new to the game and has done a fantastic job keeping the great programs running at Hutchings while adding their own ideas as well. The PTO came in before school began to catch me up on the years’ worth of events that they had planned over the summer, they came in and explained how the PTO worked in conjunction with the staff and students, and they offered assistance to the school in any way they could. They organize volunteers, answer questions online, help out in the office, and devote countless hours to ensure that the students have all that they need.

At Hutchings we also have an amazing support team with our paraprofessionals, lunch time aides, classrooms aides, reading specialists, teacher consultants, counselors, parent volunteers, media specialist, office staff, lunch room staff, social worker, speech pathologist, psychologist, technology specialist, and our physical and occupational therapists. All of the individuals listed above are in constant communication and collaboration with classroom teachers, special education staff, and myself to ensure that we are meeting the needs of every single child at Hutchings. I cannot begin to list all of the great ideas that this team has come up with to push the thinking of the students they work with; however, you can see the results by simply talking with our students and hearing about the great work they all do.

This leads directly into our teaching staff here at Hutchings, who do an amazing job day in and day out with our students. It is always great to stop by for parent teacher conferences and see some of the work that our students have done throughout the school year, and we love when report cards and comments come home showing how much they’ve grown. But what you might not see is the hours of work our staff puts in each day planning, preparing, and perfecting their craft. You may not see the weekly meetings in which grade levels meet to discuss how best to reach the current students. You might now see how our data team leaders meet and help plan instruction to support all students, or how our resource teachers push into classrooms to aide student learning. You probably do not see the teacher cars in the parking lot on weekends or late at night running copies, rearranging furniture in the classrooms, and designing STEM activities for their students.  

Last and certainty the most important is the amount of hard work our students put in everyday at school. No matter the subject, the task, the project, or the goal our students here at Hutchings do not stop in their endeavor to learn and become the best version of themselves. I truly wish that I could encapsulate how much effort out students put into their learning and how proud they are when they accomplish a task that they once perceived as difficult. One of the best parts of my job is that I get to witness numerous times throughout the day those moments, those special seconds in which a smile creeps across their face, overjoyed with themselves that they accomplished the improbable.  

I’m not an artist, as most of the students will tell you, I could not draw an I Spy book or remotely begin to describe the complexity and details of our school in a monthly newsletter. But what I can tell you is that what the Hutchings staff and students do on a daily basis is a work of art.

Mr. Moore 

Dear Hutchings Families:

I cannot believe that the school year is already underway and it is exciting to see the students in the classrooms and hallways. As we embark on this year you will probably hear some new names and see some new faces around Hutchings, so I wanted to take a moment and introduce some of the changes to our school.

First, we have three new classroom teachers this year! Our newest addition to the Hutchings family is our new 5th grade teacher Mrs. Shannon Stolle. Mrs. Stolle has been teaching for 8 years, most recently in Stockbridge Community Schools. In 2nd grade we welcome a familiar face to the school in Mrs. Lindsay Derocher. Mrs. Derocher comes to us with a wealth of experience and passion. Mrs. Derocher was most recently teaching in Wayne-Westland for the past 13 years and was a long term substitute here at Hutchings. We’ve also added Mr. Bill Martin to our staff as our new Technology teacher. Mr. Martin comes to us from Challenger Elementary school where he taught 5th grade. Mr. Martin has an unbelievable passion for technology and sharing his knowledge with students, he will be a great addition to our staff.

Changes in staff is not the only change that has happened over the summer. A large thank you goes out to Mr. Dave Blair and the entire technology team for revamping our computers and classrooms. The new computer lab at Hutchings Elementary is phenomenal and will allow students to truly learn and prepare for the world in which they will inherit. In addition to the technology at Hutchings, the technology department also added in 13,000 computers, 13 new computer labs ,78- 40-inch flat screen TV, removed 385 TV’s, added in 14- 60-inch TV’s, 733 new wireless points, 733 wired drops, 159 network switches, new Chromebooks, and improved the wireless network. The students and staff cannot wait to utilize all of the new technology here at Hutchings.

On top of the changes in technology, the school has also changed our student personnel as we have added an entire new group of learners with our Kindergarten students. The Kindergarten students come into our school with excitement, nervousness, and curiosity as they begin their journey in school.

With all of the changes happening in the school it is easy to overlook what still remains the same, and what has made Hutchings Elementary a premier school to attend, which is the mindset that the students come first. We have a wonderful staff here at Hutchings that go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure we are educating all children. Our staff is passionate about education and challenging students to push their thinking beyond the classroom walls. They provide students with rigorous material and opportunities to grow, while also providing them with care and support when things do not work out as planned. Our teachers provide students with curiosity, empathy, creativity, and a passion for learning which are the building blocks for the rest of their lives.

As we begin this year, I look forward to the changes in my life as the principal of such a wonderful school in an outstanding community. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together this year and watching our students soar to new heights. Hurricanes are known for being powerful, for having an impact on the community, and for the beauty in their eyes. I can only hope as our students move through Hutchings they embody what it means to be a Hutchings Hurricane as a powerful agent of change.

Mr. Moore