Holy January, Batman!

Last week was short, but still jam-packed!

You didn't seem me, but I totally snapped this
pic of YESS Staff running toward
professional attainment during our trainings!

On Tuesday, I dropped my momma off at the airport then headed over to Shaw to see an AWESOME lesson on goal-setting. Thank you, Megan, for welcoming me to your room!

Wednesday began with a half-day PD about working with boys of color in the classroom. The presentation, given by SimsFayola Foundation, was enlightening and I hope you'll try to take advantage of their expertise by registering for the workshop they're presenting. Then, I had a chance to sit down with some peeps to chat about the High School End of Year Celebration. It's going to be a lot of worthwhile effort on all our parts and I can't wait to get this show on the road!

On Thursday, I had several meetings/mid-year reviews. Can I just say how much I love the growth mindset everyone brings to these evaluations? Y'all are commendable people. I wrapped up the week by meeting with Portia at Adams City MS and later with Michael and the administrators at Kearney MS.

If you enjoy Robin's "Holy ___" phrases like I do, please take a moment to chuckle at this list of outlandish sayings!

The Importance of Story-Telling

Gather 'round; let me tell you a tale...

On Friday, at around 3:30 pm, it was confirmed that I was responsible for writing the narrative for a mid-year report, which was due at 5:00 pm. For those of you who know me, you can imagine my heart dropping into my stomach as I asked my mom (who was visiting over the weekend) to keep Kate quiet enough for me to work. I don't typically miss deadlines; one of my most intense Hot Buttons is "Irresponsible." I logged on to the grant portal and was completely lost. I had no clue how to answer the series of short answer questions I was looking at with integrity. I messaged Becky, who graciously responded to my plea for assistance and reminded me that I have access to all of the programs' Monthly Reports. What a god-send those reports turned out to be! I was able to read stories about kids who have started turning in work, improved attendance, built relationships with other students, and more! Thanks to those reports, I was able to complete the narratives and have a relaxing weekend.

Why do I share this with you? Because I am no in charge of writing stories that show our funders the good work you do each day. I had AMAZING things from some programs, while I had virtually nothing (or literally nothing) from others. If you're reading this and thinking, "I don't remember the last time I completed my Monthly Report," please pick up the ball you've dropped. If you're thinking, "Nobody reads these things anyway," I can assure you that I did on Friday and I'm supremely grateful for the information that was there.

Carlo says these stories "feed the machine" and, now that I'm on the other side, I see how vital they are to the programs' and agency's success. I love you guys and gals and I'll be monitoring these more closely throughout the spring semester.