October 17, 2025

Terrence Talley

You may have heard from your student or seen on social media, but we welcomed Terrence Talley to our building on October 7th. Terrence and his crew put on 3 separate one-hour sessions with students K-12 throughout the day. The K-4 session was themed "Be a Superhero," 5-8 was "I've Got Your Back," and 9-12 was "Don't Give Up." Throughout all of these sessions, Terrence shared his energy and passion with our students, along with lots of good life advice for whatever age students were at. Terrence was even able to get our staff involved, getting them to dance and sing to start off his shows!

Attendance Counts: Why Showing Up Matters in Grades 7-12

Consistent school attendance in grades 7 through 12 is the single most crucial factor for a student's long-term success. For Minnesota students navigating middle and high school, showing up every day isn't just about following the rules—it's about securing their future.

Missing Days Means Missing Knowledge

The middle and high school curriculum is a chain of connected concepts. Missing class, even for a few days, means losing continuity and struggling to catch up.

Academic Foundation: Core subjects like math and science build on previous lessons daily. Absences directly impact skill development in critical thinking and reading comprehension, making college-prep exams like the ACT/SAT harder.
Instruction is Key: Students need to be present for the teacher's instruction, class discussions, and hands-on activities. Trying to learn complex material from notes alone is much harder.

Building Success Habits

School is the training ground for life after graduation. Regular attendance teaches skills that employers and colleges look for.

Responsibility: Showing up on time and being prepared instills discipline and responsibility, essential for career success.
Social Growth: Attending school ensures students develop social and emotional skills through peer collaboration and communication, helping them navigate complex social dynamics.

Future Opportunities at Stake

Chronic absenteeism—missing 10% of the school year (about 18 days)—is a severe roadblock.

Graduation Risk: Poor attendance is highly correlated with a student’s likelihood of dropping out rather than graduating on time, severely limiting their opportunities.
Extracurriculars: Sports, clubs, and other activities require good attendance and grades for participation.
College and Career: Consistent attendance helps students maintain the high GPA necessary for college admission and scholarship opportunities. Attending regularly builds strong habits for making forward motion in any career.

In short, for students in grades 7-12, attendance is the first step toward achievement. Every single day matters.

What We're Doing to Keep Improving Instruction - Instructional Rounds

"A group of teachers just sat in our class and watched us for ten minutes... it was so weird." It's a common, and very understandable, reaction when something new happens in the classroom. This seemingly unusual event is actually part of an important process for adult learning and school improvement called Instructional Rounds. Our teachers are using Instructional Rounds this year to reinforce the Design Areas and Elements of our instructional Model (based on the book, The New Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano). Teachers in groups of 3-5 will be spending about 5-10 minutes in classrooms followed by a discussion of what they see, including teacher and student actions. We'll be starting here in October.

In addition to doing instructional rounds this year, teachers will continue to work on both team and individual goals on their instruction. Teachers monitor the effectiveness of their instruction on student learning. We strongly believe that the use of effective instructional rounds will enhance our teaching practices, thus improving student outcomes!

🗓️Upcoming Events

Conferences, October 22
We are hosting conferences from 4-7:30 on October 22. You can meet with teachers in the PAC from 4-6:30 and in teacher classrooms from 6:30-7:30. We look forward to connecting with you about your student's progress so far this Fall.

Vision and Hearing Screening - November 7
Healy will be holding Vision and Hearing Screening for all students in grades 7 & 10.

Veterans' Day Program - November 11
Healy will be hosting their annual Veterans' Day Program on Tuesday, November 11 at 9:30 in the MAC. All Healy students will attend. We will be running a regular bell schedule.

Pioneer Pathways - November 19 - We'll be running a Pioneer Time Schedule. Students will work on Career and College Readiness activities with their class, differentiated by grade level.

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