The Gathering Spot’s Post

From the front entrance, to across the theatre, and around the corner to the high school, forty-eight flags adorn the walls of our school. Together, they are a sight to see, a representation of who we are and where we’re from. And while these flags are something you see every day, you may not know why they’re there or how they’re chosen. 1 – Every flag represents a Meadowridge family and where they’re from, including current and alumni families. 2—Flags are hung in alphabetical order, currently from Argentina to Vietnam. 3—Meadowridge hangs four flags that are not geographical, these include: the Pride Flag, the United Nations Flag, the Survivors’ Flag, and the IB Flag.

“Slow down, you move too fast”— a summer anthem. ⚫️Why do we grow programming before infrastructure? Or funding? ⚫️How come our big ideas are easier to come by than the culture required to ground it? ⚫️Why do we expand more naturally than we contract? (Boards too!) Spend some time journaling. Listen to music. Get your reflective groove on. Reflection. Intention. Strategy. Action. It’s a cycle. It’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. Endurance matters. Slow down, you’re moving to fast. No need to bypass the moment. Make it last. https://lnkd.in/g4rR6xbh

April is not over yet! Read the post below and click the link to check out what's coming up before this month draws to a close.

🎭Each issue of D&T we bring you a page-to-stage focus on a play for performing with your students. This issue, Aimee McGoldrick introduces The Wolves of Willoughby Chase ⬇️

We’re working to protect our community places. But nominating and supporting a community place on #SaveBirmingham's website isn’t enough. Any building, community place or land can be officially registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) if it benefits the local community, either now or in the future. This can include cultural, recreational and sporting activities. Being officially registered provides some protection to the community asset when the owner wants to sell it. The owner must notify residents about their intention to sell the community asset, and must wait six months before they can sell. We want to help community groups and residents to come up with community-based or co-operative solutions to potential asset sales by Birmingham City Council. Read our guidance on ACVs and more about what you can do to save the places you care about in your community on our website ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/ecXXMnf9 #birmingham #ACVs #CommunityAssets #Coops #cooperatives

Here's my latest feature on Oregon State WBB star Talia von Oelhoffen. We talked about her decorated career, what makes this team special and her thoughts on conference realignment: "I just don't think that the priorities were necessarily where they should be in making those decisions.” Check it out! #tvnews #sportsjournalism #sportsmedia

Beautiful #photo. I love old black and white photos. Thanks to the author JEAN-FRANCOIS AGER who shared this photo on his site. Beautiful shot, look at those faces, they have such beautiful and #happy smiles. Interesting how such a simple and banal thing can #change our perception without knowing these people. You get the feeling that they have the best human qualities in them. I don't know what it is, but life has always been hard, but these people's smiles have always radiated happiness in the past. What's changed nowadays that smiles are more empty than happy?🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔💋💋🤗🤗🤗 #LuxuryRealEstate #PropertyInvestment #EuropeRealEstate #PrahaProperty #InvestmentOpportunity #RealEstateMarket #FinancialFreedom #PropertyPortfolio #management #luxury #RealEstateInvesting

I've been thinking about....the paradigm shift to #authentic learning experiences. Now, hear me out. I call out the #paradigmshift because providing authentic learning experiences for our young people is SO much more than mimicking real-world experiences. It's about building #relationships among the adults in a #school, #district, and #community that result in enlightened collaboration that INCLUDES how we can work together to create actual experiences for young people that impact the world around them. Left alone, teachers, at best, can create versions of real-life experiences. And, in some cases, teachers are pulling together what's needed to create these opportunities for our young people but..honestly...they shouldn't be left alone to shoulder the effort. If we empower teachers by providing the structures, processes, and incentives needed for deep collaboration across a community....well, just imagine what they can do? One simple example is shared here by Jayden Balbuena Valles - a new colleague I met via collaboration here on #linkedin. Jayden is a part of a film maker team in Santa Ana Unified School District who, as a result of the intentional collaboration of a lot of adults AND the determination of young people, is creating real-world products for real-world clients. Imagine the impact on #motivation when young people come to school to learn in this way. Imagine the impact on #chronicabsenteesism when THESE are the types of experiences awaiting our young people. Imagine how much more possible this type of design can be when every single one of us sees ourselves as a part of making it happen (aka this is NOT a "teachers should...." type of shift). Feeling brave? Share an idea below about how YOU (yeah, not "they" or "them") can become involved in making authentic learning happen in your community schools. There. I said it. #itatakesallofus #communitymatters Dawn S. Reese, CFRE Tim Hanner Jerry Almendarez Dr. Lorraine Mora Perez Eric Timmons Cory Strasser Andy Johnsen, Ed.D. Joseph Clevenger Ed Manansala Ed.D. Frank Miranda, Ed.D. Laurie Dent, Ph.D. Erin Jones Trevor Greene, Ed.D. Gloria Ciriza, Ed.D. Todd Lile Babatunde Ilori

"Perhaps the best plan is to show up and not walk out." Whatever. doubts are you holding about yourself and your abilities - it's time to ask yourself if you can let them go. It's not to say that you are perfectly ready, but to say that it matters less if you are ready and much more if you are willing to put in the work to figure it out. If you still can't get there ask yourself what is the *one step* you can take today to make progress. #GrowthMindset #ImposterSyndrome #BeYOU #Potential #Gifts