Impactful:
I was in Ms. Aase’s classroom this morning conducting an observation in her ASL I class. What stood out immediately was the thoughtful repetition she builds into her lessons. Students sign, repeat, adjust, and try again with the goal of building the fluency they need to communicate in a new language. More importantly, the repetition she uses is purposeful. It is not simply “do it again and hope you learn it.” Each cycle of practice helps students see where they are improving and what comes next. It reminded me of a recent blog I read by George Couros that pushes back on the phrase “drill and kill,” a term that dismisses repetition before it even begins. Couros explains that repetition itself is not the issue. The challenge comes when practice lacks meaning or long-term value. When students understand why they are practicing and how it connects to a bigger goal, the work becomes worthwhile rather than tedious.
Repetition truly sits at the center of learning something new, and Ms. Aase’s classroom is a fantastic example of what this looks like when done well. Before we can be creative or confident, we need a strong foundation built through consistent, intentional effort. Whether it is signing in ASL, learning new pieces of music, or improving our writing, progress comes from returning to a skill with purpose and giving ourselves the chance to get better each time. When we recognize the value in the goal, repetition shifts from something we have to endure to something that moves us forward. It becomes the path to growth, well-rounded skills, and greater opportunities to succeed.
Practical:
After much anticipation, the time has come to launch VolunteerHub, the new volunteer management software at Spectrum Schools! VolunteerHub will streamline our volunteer process and help make volunteer opportunities more visible with easier sign-up and sign-in processes. It also has capabilities to send confirmation emails and reminder texts - plus an app is in the works.
Note: HelpCounter (the old software) has been discontinued.
If you have not already created an account, please use this link to create your account (see the upper right-hand corner of the screen).
After you submit your background check information, you should be able to see all of the upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Note: If you have some hours accumulated for the current school year, the school will be adding those to VolunteerHub and you will receive a communication once that has been completed.
Thank you for supporting our community of learners!!!
Weeks-at-a-glance:
- Friday, November 21st: Theater Performance - Pride and Prejudice @ 7 pm
- Saturday, November 22nd: Theater Performance - Pride and Prejudice @ 2 pm and 7 pm
- Sunday, November 23rd: Theater Performance - Pride and Prejudice @ 2 pm
- Monday, November 24th: C@SH Day
- Thursday, November 27th & Friday, November 28th: No School - Thanksgiving Break
- Monday, December 1st: C@SH Day
- Tuesday, December 2nd: Mandatory Senior Advisory
- Wednesday, December 3rd: PERKs report pulled