Berkley Schools Staff Kick-Off School Year
On Thursday, August 22, Berkley Schools staff gathered for the annual Kick-Off meeting. Staff began their day in the BHS Auditorium to welcome new staff, celebrate 25 year employees, listen to an update and hear Superintendent Francis’ vision for the school year and to be inspired by a guest keynote, Charles Fonbuena from Franklin Covey.
Berkley Schools welcomed over 40 new staff members this year - teachers, custodians, paraeducators, secretaries, administrators and support staff. During the morning, to add to the fun atmosphere, all staff names were entered into a spin-o-rama raffle to give away a day off to eight staff members (a BBB staff member, teacher, paraeducator, custodian, secretary, administrator and two additional staff members from the All-Staff list). District administrators will take the lucky winners’ jobs for the day.
Employees who have been with the District for 25 years were recognized with a small gift. Thank you to the following staff members for your 25 years of dedication to students in the Berkley School District!
- Laure Agbay, Paraeducator, AMS & Burton
- Tracy Burroughs, World Language Teacher, BHS
- Scott Doty, Science Teacher, BHS
- Brett Greer, Science Teacher, Norup
- Kris Maten, Kindergarten Teacher, Angell
- Jessica Sandtveit, Math Teacher, BHS
- Fawn Schraffenberger, Paraeducator, BHS
- Lisa Soffa, Preschool Teacher, BBB
- June Wiley, Paraeducator, AMS
Superintendent Scott Francis shared what he is excited to get started this school year, an update about the Bond, and that collaboration, a characteristic of our Portrait of a Learner, is his focus for the school year. Superintendent Francis encouraged staff to find time for collaboration amongst their teams and buildings and to model collaboration throughout the school year for students.
Following Superintendent Francis’ message, Charles Fonbuena took the stage.
Charles inspired four staff members, Julie McKeemen, Sarah Mahoney-Yallum, Lauren Rentrop and (retiree) Angie Church, who requested he speak at the District Kick-Off. They heard him speak as part of their Galileo training and were each inspired when he spoke about personal leadership. Their request to District leadership was that Charles present on the topic: How might we build school culture so that all members are supported to identify and explore their personal leadership?
During the morning, Charles encouraged staff to infuse leadership in their classrooms. He gave examples of how teachers can pose more questions and give less answers to empower students to take ownership of their own learning. By putting yourself first, and focusing on a “to-be” list, rather than a “to-do”list, Charles shared that all would find better balance and less stress in life. His uplifting message was received with a round of applause and standing ovation from the full auditorium.
From his bio: Charles Fonbuena began his leadership journey with Franklin Covey in 1991. He has worked with thousands of leaders in various private, public, and education industries across the US and Canada. Throughout his vast experience, Charles has learned and relearned what Albert Einstein said: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”
