First Staff Meeting...The Review

Well, my first staff meeting is over...
From all accounts, things seemed to go well and our southern breakfast of shrimp and grits, eggs, fruit, juice and coffee was fabulous. (Sorry you missed the shrimp and grits, Lynn) I started out by reading "First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg. I believe that it is important that every teacher read aloud to their students each day. Not just for content, but for the enjoyment of reading. The best way to get this accomplished is to model the behavior. This book set the mood for the meeting!
We took a good deal of time to get to know one another. Folks drew a specific shape when they entered the room and then had to find the other person with the same shape and they introduced each other to the group. We have about 15 new staff members (25% of total staff) and I believe that this time was crucial for us all to find at least one person that we connected with during the day. My AP, Ms. Porter, took some time to introduce herself and then I took some time to talk about myself on a personal and professional level.
Then the real meeting began. There are always so many things to cover that I feel like nothing got covered really well. I hope the handbook - which took weeks to edit and narrow down - is sufficient to answer many questions. I did realize that I forgot to number the pages; that will be corrected next year. There was a schedule glitch that needed to be fixed. Overall, everything seemed to go well. I heard many positive comments from staff members throughout the day.
The nervousness that I was experiencing was not overwhelming, but just enough to help me focus on what needed to be completed.
Last night, we had a number of staff members gather at Outback Steakhouse for a time of fellowship and getting to know one another a little better. We had about 35 staff members, some with spouses, come to the meeting. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves for the 2 hours that we were together. Again, it is always well worth the time spent to get to know your staff outside of school.
I am so excited about the upcoming school year and the enthusiasm that the staff has brought back with them is contagious. We look forward to a great year in the lowcountry!