Back to School: Day One Ready

The first day of school is almost here, and excitement is building across Montgomery Public Schools! In this special back-to-school edition of Stronger Together: The MPS Podcast, two MPS principals, Gina Robinson and Curtis Moorer, share what families and scholars can expect as they prepare for a successful new school year. From building positive routines and easing first-day jitters to creating welcoming school cultures and setting students up for success, this conversation offers practical advice and plenty of inspiration for families. Get ready to kick off an amazing school year because success starts on day one!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to Stronger Together, the MPS podcast. Our schools, our communities, our future in conversation. Here, we bring you real stories, important conversations, and powerful insights from across Montgomery Public Schools. From the classroom to the community, we're exploring the people, partnerships, and possibilities shaping the future of our students. Because when it comes to education, we're not just building schools, we're building futures. And together, we are stronger. Welcome back to another episode of Stronger Together, the MPS Podcast. Our schools, our communities, our future in conversation. I'm your host, Monet Stevens, Marketing Community Development Manager with Montgomery Public Schools. Guys, the countdown is officially on. In just a few days, our halls will be once again filled with smiling faces, excited scholars, dedicated teachers, and endless opportunities for learning. Whether you're sending your child to kindergarten, middle school, or high school, the beginning of a new school year brings excitement, anticipation, and maybe even a few butterflies. Today we're joined by two outstanding MPS principals. Please welcome Principal Gina Robinson from Morningview Elementary and Principal Curtis Moore from Goodwin Middle School. Thank y'all for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Thank you. Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty, I just want to ask you guys this question because I'm curious. When you were a scholar, what was your favorite part about the first day of school?

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Well, mine was, man, I was just so excited to show my friends my new shoes. I walked in there, I saved all my money during the summer to walk in and show my friends that I haven't seen since the end of the last year my new outfit and going in and see what teachers that I'm going to have for the upcoming year. Um, letting them know who I am. I'm able to go in there and get the get the best seat in the classroom and just get ready for a standard school year. So that I would say that would definitely be my favorite first day memories.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

What about you, Ms. Robinson?

SPEAKER_00 2:20

My favorite part of the first day of school was that fresh new beginning where I was able to meet my new teacher, um, connect with my friends again, and of course, um buying that new school wardrobe for the year. And so I'm imagining that uh students and families are feeling that same excitement. It may be slightly different, but as the principal, I get to share those memories and moments with them.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Yeah, I would definitely say the same thing. It's about that new school outfit that you lay out the night before. You got the shoes to match. Yes. And then even the fresh school supplies were my favorite too. Love school supply shop.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

I had I would always like those crayons that had the pencil sharpener back. Yeah. You know, those the supply box that it was just fun times.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Yes. So now that you guys are principals, what makes you most excited about welcoming scholars back into your building?

SPEAKER_03 3:15

Um, seeing the smiley faces coming in, you know, me being a new principal here at Goodwin Middle School. Um, they don't, they never seen me. You know, I've transitioned back here recently from Georgia, and I supported the high schools in my role that I was currently in, um previously in, before transitioning to Goodwin. Just going in there and building a relationship with the parents, the community, and most important, letting the students know that if they are safe. Um it's gonna be an environment where they feel safe every day, a culture and climate where they feel welcome, um, willing to learn. And I'm gonna be that principal, they'll be in the hallway. Um they're gonna see me, walking the hallways, supporting, um, doing meetings. First thing um I want to get on, make it a make it a norm is get on the announcements every morning, letting them know that they will they are love and that they have they have everybody supporting the school. So that's what I'm looking forward to. Getting them to know me, uh, know the new staff members that's there, and letting the parents know that we always we truly will have an open door policy where they can come in and support. Um we got a lot of fun activities playing this year, so I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

That's great, uh, Mr. Moore. I think all of that um I'm excited about as well that you stated and just knowing um and thinking about all of the different things that our scholars will be learning from me as well, a new principal, uh getting to meet those new families and build connections and just making a difference in our community.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

And so, Ms. Robinson, what makes the elementary years such an exciting time for learning?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

What makes the elementary years so exciting is that this is the foundation. Um, elementary to me is the most important um part because it builds that foundation for the future. Um, this is where our scholars uh they learn how to read, solve problems, ask questions, um, work together, and it's so rewarding to see the curiosity in their eyes. And um this is the aged group where they like to um discover new things, and every day is an opportunity to help a child discover something new about the world or more importantly, about themselves.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

And I love visiting the elementary schools because they're like sponges. You can tell that they soak up everything. Soak up everything, absolutely. Now, Mr. Moore, middle school can be a big transition. How are you helping scholars feel welcomed and supported?

SPEAKER_03 5:45

Well, just keeping the main thing the main thing, you know. Like I said, I know sixth grade, those upcoming sixth grade, I know they're excited, they transition from the elementary school. And, you know, that's the time I can remember that I felt like, hey, I'm on I'm a teenager now. So, you know me, just getting those kids in, welcome them in there, let them know that even though you're moving from elementary state to the middle school, we still have those same expectations. Um, keeping the parents involved, reaching out to them, letting them know just because they're in middle school, we still need that support. We still need you guys coming up here, volunteering, supporting. That's gonna be one of my biggest push. Letting the kids know that they are safe, letting the parents know that we are here for them, letting them know that those concerns that they have, reach out. Don't you're there's no crazy such thing as a crazy question. So if you don't know, ask. Um, we're gonna be utilizing our social media page um heavily this year. Um, a lot of things. I'm personally gonna be reaching out to parents, um, letting them know, not only time when things are not going right, but when the good things are going on. That was gonna be some of the expectations that I try to have. Um, me when I say I, myself and the staff as well, reaching out the APs, gonna be reaching out teachers, coaches. We're gonna have everybody involved in this process because we want every child, every scholar that walks in that building to know that we're pushing them, we're behind them, we in the communities with them, we're supporting the um athletics they're doing, and just ready to rock and roll with the PTA and the local churches and everything. So we just looking forward to an amazing year. Um, they will hear me every morning on announcements. Um, I know that's something when you see in the middle school, a lot of people are kind of pushed away from, but they're gonna hear me. They're gonna see me. They're gonna see me walking around firsthand because being the principal of the building, I think it's very important that they're able to see me in those hallways and not in meetings all the time. Or when something's bad, I gotta go to the principal office. I want them to look at seeing the principal as a badge of honor. Hey, let me go ahead and just talk to Mr. Moore about my day. You know, it's kind of like no different than when Dr. Bird walks around to the school, how the kids run up to him. I'd let them know, hey, I'm the principal of the building. Don't think when you see me as something bad, but it can be positive as well. And then even when you make some decision that that might not be good choices, that we can come back from it, you know, with just some intervention and some remediation, I should say.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

And I know you've worked previously with high schoolers, and I don't want to leave them out of the conversation. What would be your advice to those high school, those freshmen who are going to be hitting for high school for the first time?

SPEAKER_03 8:12

This is where it counts. That ninth grade, when you go in ninth grade, you start a cohort. So the cohort that's going in this year will be 26. Um, they have the soon they start that cohort, make sure you go in there, and it's kind of like college. Whatever you decide to do, if you're thinking about doing nursing, start taking that track. Start making sure that you go to the classroom, come to school. That's most important. Come to school every day. Attendance is so important. Um, we gotta get in there. We gotta get that work done. Don't, don't. I always say it's better to keep up than it is to catch up. So when you feel like you're getting behind, ask for that support. Start prepping for the ACT. Get with your principals. Um, we have some amazing leaders in high school here. Um my feeder pattern principal will be Miss Cheryl Fountain. So, like I said, if it's some things that they want to work on, get with her and her team. Find out, can they start doing the ACT prep courses? Just reach out. But the most important thing to do is start off strong. Um, for my 10th, 11th, 12th grades, make sure they're keeping up with their credits. Making sure that they go ahead and getting those checks off for the civics exam and the ACT and making sure they keep those grades up because you don't want to get to your 12th grade year and realize you short four or five credits. That you know, it's it's it gets it gets tough. So making sure that you have build a relationship with those teachers. Um get that extra credit. You know, I was one of those students when I was in high school, I I didn't do good on test, but I know how to do some extra work and some extra credit. So I I stayed back a lot of times after football practice to um reach out to my teacher for that support.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

Absolutely. And so for every family who's listening, if they could do one thing before the first day of school, what would it be?

SPEAKER_00 9:59

I would say um a really good thing for families to do um in going back to school would be, especially for our elementary students, is to establish a bedtime and morning routine and just speak with your students about the importance of doing a great job in school and being responsible, resourceful, and respectful. Um, parents, I think it's important for you all too to make sure that you're in good communication with your child's school, make sure you read all the information, um, attend all of those events that the school provides because the more you communicate, the more you connect, the more successful our little scholars and our big scholars are gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Something else extremely important that you touched on, Mr. Moore, is attendance. How important is attendance on that very first day?

SPEAKER_03 10:47

Oh my God, it sets the tone, especially, you know, we could get the kids in there. We want to make sure that we stress, that's the time they come in and they get to work, meet their teachers, establish expectations. Um to me, I always say you want to start strong. It is very important because those days that you might need to be out or do sickness or whatever the case may be, it is very so important that we come in. Um, because it can hurt your grades. Um, it's just so much that you can miss out on not being at school. Um, but we know those cases do happen where we have to be out, but making sure that it's important to get that um excuse in in a timely manner. Um we're gonna be working very, very closely with our resource officers and officers of student support service, um, supporting those families that might have um some circumstances where they can't get to school. Working with them, um, trying to do our best to get those babies to school every each and every day. Um like I said, it's one of those things that I want to communicate to all parents to make sure you can stay in contact with your school. Like Ms. Robinson said earlier. It is so important to stay in touch. Look on the websites, look on our social media, because we know sometimes people go to social media before they go to our website, and it's just, you know what I mean, just a click. Um, see what's going on. And like I said, just stay in contact with that. But most important, like I said, getting that rest. You know, we as even as educators, we had to go to bed early so we can be prepared for the next day. So with our scholars being young and full of energy, want them to get a good night's rest, even in the morning, get something to eat before you come to school. Because you might get to school, might not like the food that we serving that day. And we don't want nobody hungry. So, but even if it's a situation like that, we plan on having little um snacks in the office where those babies who might then get a chance to grab something, you can come in and have a snack on something to eat something and go on back to class.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Both of you serve different age groups, but every school wants scholars to feel like they belong. So, Ms. Robinson, how do you help your young scholars build that confidence?

SPEAKER_00 12:51

Um, it's very important to me that not only do we work with students academically, but we support the whole child. And so uh some ways that um the schools that I've worked in have helped to build student confidence is just making sure that we're promoting leadership within the building, giving those students opportunities to be leaders. Um, also um not just sitting and getting information to but facilitate their learning, um, them being engaged and participating in the learning process and not just sitting and listening. Um, and then one more thing, creating opportunities with different organizations within the school that they can be a part of that not that just not um align with academics, um, but um that they can also uh strive in with those different organizations.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

I agree with what Ms. Robinson said. That's something that we were thinking about doing at our own that we were gonna do, and I think we're gonna do um create um have SEL projects, SEL um activities in place for social emotional learning. Um I want to create a room where we can get with my partners, where we can put a room call for a wellness room. Um the school I previously left in Georgia, we had a wellness room for adults and we had for the staff and we had one for students. Sometimes they just want to go in and just have a cool down moment. Not necessarily saying they did anything bad, but they just, hey, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Can I go to this room and just sit in the chair and um watch TV, something? Give them like a five to ten minute break. And that's something that we want to encourage to the students because they need to have someone that they can go to and have those moments and do an activity. So we're looking forward to getting some of those things done here. Um just try to forward think. I I would say trying to support our kids because he's an adult, we need that moment every now and then. But we just need to step away and go in that room and just relax around and regulate and then come back and start all over again. So that's some things that I feel that can help with our students sometimes being overwhelmed and let them know, hey, I was you at one point in time. I was I was that student. You know, um, I laugh and joke, and I look back at when I literally just came back from O'Bear for Mega, I saw a couple of my former teachers when I was in school and high school, and they just laughed because they say, Oh, I remember you and you were in school. And we just laughed, and they just told me that just stay in the good work, you know, keep doing what they know, what they instilled in me to do. So I'm just looking forward to giving back to the students at Montgomery Public Schools.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

Mr. Moore, there's some some of the clubs that we have in on our elementary level include um the choir, the robotics team, um, and so an arts club. And some of those things are offered at the elementary level. So parents, you know, look out for those and encourage your um your child to participate or sign up for some of those organizations, the Beta Club, the National Honor Society.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Yes, because getting involved is extremely important, even at the elementary level, but also at the middle school level as well. Like, talk about how being involved really helps contribute to student success on all levels.

SPEAKER_03 15:56

Well, I know with us, we're working very close with the community center next door to us with the city. Um, the the supervisor over there offered to come in and support us. We have, uh, like you said, Ms. Robinson, those different clubs acquired. Uh, we have the volleyball coaches who are employees other places, but they come in during the daytime and work with those students. And they say since they've been coming in, they have seen a decrease in the discipline incidents that are taking place. Um, pulling those students when they see the things that can trigger them, work with those babies. So I, like Ms. Robinson said, we hope for we got a new band, we have got a new band teacher this year. Um, we got quite a few new people coming in. So just letting them model the way and bringing their expertise into the building to support our kids as we transition to the to the next level.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

All right, I love to hear that. Now, so now it's time for our rapid fire round. Uh, we're gonna do very quickly before we wrap. So, quickly, one word that describes your school. Go.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Fun.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

Growing. What's something every student should bring to school besides school supplies? It's gotta be the positive attitude.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

I agree with that. Positive. I I was thinking that very positive.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

I agree. Favorite school lunch?

SPEAKER_03 17:11

Pizza.

SPEAKER_01 17:12

I gotta say pizza too. That's mine. I was a chicken nugget girl.

SPEAKER_03 17:15

Yeah, it was Thursday. I love the chicken day too. Yeah, that was Thursday for us.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

The most rewarding part of being your principal.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

I have to say it's serving others and creating those opportunities for others to be successful.

SPEAKER_03 17:31

I agree. Being a servant leader and transformational, being they go in there and just deposit little things and just see what comes out of that. Just and being a listening ear, you know, I always say sometimes it's always better to have two, you receive two ears and one mouth for a reading so you can listen more to what's going on. So just going in there, just supporting those kids, listening, uh supporting the staff, listening to the parents, and try to just and most important, because in the decision that we make, I always try to make sure the student is all right, support or surround the student. What is it going to move the students forward? So between those two, I think that's where I am with that.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Absolutely. And this year at my school, we are going to increase data, rigor, and relationships.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Okay. Um, we are gonna do great things. Everything we're gonna do, we're gonna strive for greatness, and we are going to make this year the best one yet.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

That's so exciting. I hope that you guys will have the best school year yet at Morningview and at Goodwin. We hope to come out and visit pretty soon. And thank you, Principals Robinson and more, for joining us today and for the incredible leadership that you provide to our scholars, staff, and families. As we prepare for the first day of school, remember that every new year is a fresh opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve. Success starts with showing up, staying engaged, and working together as a school community. To our MPS families, make sure you're ready for day one by exploring our MPS Back to School Guide, visiting your child school website for important information on school supply lists, uniforms, and other campus-specific updates, and downloading the Montgomery Public Schools app. This app is going to be your one-stop connection for district news, school announcements, and classroom updates, helping you stay informed and engaged throughout the school year. Thanks for joining us for Stronger Together, the MPS podcast. Our schools, our communities, our future in conversation. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to share it with a friend, follow us on social media, and check out our website at mps.k12.us. Together, we can keep building brighter futures for every student at Montgomery Public Schools. Until next time, remember, we are stronger together.