Friday, March 16, 2007

Northeast Community Schools in Goose Lake

By lunchtime Thursday, we had arrived in Goose Lake. We were greeted by Northeast EA president Nancy McClimon. Nancy gave us a tour of the Pre-K through 1st grade wing, then on to the 2nd-3rd grade wing before her students returned from recess.

School lunch in the staff lounge was filled with conversations ranging from recent state tournament basketball games to activity in the Iowa General Assembly around teacher salaries.



Our school tour was complete when first year and 5th grade teacher Phillip Bormann led the way. Phillip shared with us the great support he is receiving from his colleagues and administration in having a successful first year. He told us how his wife is a teacher in Bellevue and that they plan to make Iowa their life-long home. As we know Team ISEA was instrumental in having a mentoring program available for every new teacher--to help them have success and so they will want to stay in Iowa. How lucky for Northeast Community Schools!



Everyone we met recommended that we make the time to stop by the gym to see Physical Education teacher Mrs. Howe work with students. After getting the 1st grade class started with their activity she gave us a few moments.



Northeast EA leader Mike Adair stopped for a breath after coming back indoors from recess duty. Mike made all the arrangements for our visit and had joined us for lunch earlier (he bought our lunch too!). Thanks Mike for your leadership in the classroom and in our association!



The last stop on our school visit to Northeast Elementary was in Nancy McClimon's 3rd grade classroom. Students were just completing their guided reading groups, so UniServ Director Bob Brown and I circulated throughout the room in assisting students in writing to their penpals in Florida. I then read aloud the picture book What Are You So Grumpy About?, by Tom Lichentenheld.


Before heading back to Des Moines from my visit in JDC, UniServ Director Bob Brown and I posed for a photo for the area newspaper. Thanks Bob for the great work you do on behalf of Team ISEA. It is evident that members all over our JDC UniServ Unit know you and they too appreciate your dedication.



Thank you so much Northeast Community Schools for your hospitality. You are a dedicated group of professionals that care deeply about the students you work with every day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We here at Northeast Elementary School would like to extend our warmest thanks to Linda and Bob for spending an enjoyable afternoon with us last Thursday. It really boosted the staff's moral and made those of us, particularly the teaching associates who Linda took time out to personally thank, feel quite appreciated. Please stop by whenever you are in this part of Iowa...the welcome mat is always out!