The School Yearbook = A New Principal's Best Friend

I have been reviewing many different types of data to prepare for the upcoming school year in a new building, a new role, with new teachers, community members, and responsibilities.  I've been studying standardized test data, reviewing last year's SMART goals, RTI groups, and IEP plans. However, another school artifact that I have been studying is one that I never imagined would be the most important, the school's yearbook.

It has been fun looking at the yearbook's candid pictures.  It provides a small peephole into the building's culture, extracurricular activities, clubs, and PTO events.  However, I have most enjoyed looking at student photos, reading names, making connections between siblings in different grades and even twins in different classrooms.  Since I live in the community, often faces look familiar and I am able to put a name to them.  Seeing those smiling faces gets me even more excited for that first day of school when all of the students will come to school wide-eyed and excited to begin a new year.

However, last week at the supermarket, I had an experience that proved to me exactly how important my study sessions of the yearbook had been.  I recognized a student across the aisle whose picture I had seen, and even remembered his name!!  I approached he and his mom excitedly and said "Hi there, you're Brian, aren't you?" I continued by saying "I'm Mrs. Delgado, your new principal, and I recognized you from your yearbook picture.  I can't wait to see you in school next year."  His mother and I proceeded to have a quick conversation and we all went on our way.  As I turned the corner, the student and I made eye contact, and I noticed he was beaming with pride.  That made my day, and I hope his as well!!

That supermarket experience brought me back to the reason we all went into education to begin with, to make students smile.  :)  Also, it allowed me to realize that amidst all of the data, numbers, SMART goals, and student growth scores that are part of my new position as principal, the most important "data points" I need to work to understand are the students I will greet each morning at the school house door.  I am honored to have been given that opportunity and will work each and every day to make every student smile.