The Walker Creek Design Team is working overtime to make the 2011 retreat awesome! The
team building activities are going to be great, and Marsha and I are in the process of putting together what we hope to be a memorable and productive staff development. Since I have never been on a Walker Creek Retreat, I thought it would be helpful to get some feedback from those of you who have been before. Here are a few guiding questions as you think about past retreats you've been on.
- How does the Walker Creek Retreat benefit you as an educator?
- What are the traditions that you want to see continue at the Retreat?
- What do you hope to gain from this year's Retreat?
The Walker Creek Design Team is working overtime to make the 2011 retreat awesome! The team building activities are going to be great, and Marsha and I are in the process of putting together what we hope to be a memorable and productive staff development. Since I have never been on a Walker Creek Retreat, I thought it would be helpful to get some feedback from those of you who have been before. Here are a few guiding questions as you think about past retreats you've been on.
28 comments:
For me, the retreat is a place to renew friendships and gather energy for the coming year because I get excited when listening to the thoughts and ideas of my colleagues! It has always given me a starting point to my year and a focus for what's to come. I like that fun has a place as well as meaningful learning. . Without that balance, I don't think I would enjoy it as much or feel as professionally satisfied at the end at giving up my time to attend. Some of the traditions I enjoy are the team building events and the motivational moments that are spread throughout the retreat. Again I hope this year brings the elements of fun and meaningful learning that will give me insight to the direction our year is going to take and what goals our campus might have for the changes that are taking place.
The retreat is a great time to get together with your team and build a relationship for the year! Last year was my first WCE retreat and I had such a great with all of the "fun" activities as well as the learning sessions. The retreat is a great place to get your mind back on track and out of summer mode. I look forward to this years retreat!
I was new to WCE last year and the retreat was a great way for me to start making connections with teachers. SLP work can be a lonely business sometimes but by the time school started I already had a network of new friends to connect with for help with a completely different special education computer system and scheduling- I couldn't have made it without Laura Johnson, Katy Ramey, Kimberly Kime and Linda Nelson!!! I can never thank them enough :)
Also, the office staff came to the retreat- they also became friends and a wealth of knowledge- All of those things would have probably happened eventually even without the retreat but to already have so much in place before school started was a Godsend.
Traditions I enjoyed seeing at WCE this past year- team building, Circle of Courage, donuts on payday :)
I am really looking forward to year 2 at WC!
I have not always gone to the retreat because of the nature of my job but the times I have participated I valued the team building and the fellowship that the retreat allowed. I believe that it allows us time to reflect and discuss our beliefs and goals as a faculty.
The team building activities would be the tradition that I would like to see continue. It is hard during the year to maintain stamina at times as a team. It is good to reflect and remember those times when things get crazy.
I think the retreat provides a time to just enjoy one another’s company and to have a bonding experience away from the school setting. It gives us a chance to catch up with each other and celebrate summer success stories. It also gives us the opportunity to meet our new WCE family members. Team building gives us the opportunity to get to know one another better and build on our relationships. For this reason it is an important aspect of the retreat. We will be able to talk about our goals for the year and expectations.
I have typed this 4 times and am hoping this will post!!! I saved it once and then saved something else over it! Of course this is no doubt incomplete.
I have always enjoyed our retreats. Each year we have had a different academic focus for the upcoming year, but a common theme is that we have had fun at all of them. Having the retreat at the end of summer helps get my mind ready to come back to school. I love time to work with my friends, but also enjoy time to kick back and relax and have fun during the teambuilding activities.
The traditions I would love to see continue:the fun teambuilding. I also love the time to stay up and chat with others half the night to help deepen relationships. The night adventures are fun! I also like the retreat setting a tone for the year so we have a clear focus for our goals for the year.
This year I would like to get to know our new staff members and set a focus for the year. Oh...and of course have lots of fun!
Janna, oh my, I forgot about the night adventures! They are an important part of our bonding experience. :)
I have tried to post three times. Maybe this will be the lucky one. I love the retreat. It is a time that we can come together in fun with the people we spend the most amount of time with in the school year. We bond as friends and collegues. The retreat gets me thinking of the work that needs to be done, but it is in a very easy, relaxed, fun manner. It's a time to catch up with everyone, before the year begins. I really look forward to it.
I went into the Blogger Help forum and discovered what my problem was with posting. I had checked the box that says "remember me" when I signed into Google. You have to uncheck that box in order to post.
It is a great time to catch up on summer fun had by everyone as well as meet the new folks and welcome them to our family!! The team building activities have always been a highlight--be sure and ask Julee about the nighttime van adventure that happened the year before I came!!
The academic activities always help us bond and look ahead together into the new school year, in a relaxed summer mode. Thanks to everyone for the preparation I know it takes for our retreats to be extra special!
I am looking forward to the retreat! There is something about a group of people getting together with a common purpose and tons of ideas that is pretty cool. I am anxious to meet everyone and be a part of the great things that are happening at Walker Creek. I hope to have some fun with all of you, too!!
I have always looked forward to our WCE retreats. It gives us time to bond with our grade level as well as the school. I think it brings us closer together as a school as well. I enjoy the team building activities as well as the motivational/inspirational discussions. It gets me pumped and ready for the new school year. Having new members to our team, I hope the retreat will make lasting connections. Last year was awesome and a wonderful bonding experience and I hope to continue that.
I feel that the retreat is a great time to catch up with your team. I love hearing about everyone's summer adventures, and laughing at the good times. I also like how the retreat focuses us back to school, and gets our creative thoughts pondering our new and upcoming scholars. Things I like about the retreat are the team building activities, the laughter heard throughout the grade levels, and the friendship. I feel like the WCE family is the strongest I have ever been a part of, and I know that the retreat plays a big role in that.
Being new to WCE last year, I was in awe of the spirit and the closeness of this faculty! I enjoyed getting to know everyone and it was really a fun way to get the school year off to a great start! I know this year's retreat will be just as meaningful!
Calcote
This is good stuff. I am definitely hearing consistency with Team Building, having fun, and getting focused on the upcoming school year. The retreat is culturally significant and unique to Walker Creek, and I can’t wait to be part of it. The Design Team is working hard to make sure the team building activities are memorable. Marsha and I are putting together activities that should give us all more tools to deepen our relationships with each other and with students. My goal is for everyone to leave the 2011 retreat totally fired up about the school year with a little better understanding of what I’m about as a leader and what we can all expect from each other. I also hope we all leave with a clear focus of where we’re going in 2011 and how we’re going to get there. This is a big year for change and uncertainty with new leadership at the campus and district levels. There is uncertainty in Austin, and everywhere you look, public schools are under attack. In spite of all of those things, we will be ready when that first bell rings to perform the world’s most important work, developing the hearts, minds, and souls of our scholars.
For me, the retreat offers a chance to interact with others at WCE that I have don’t normally work with during the school year. During the school year we are always so busy with our teams and scholars that we don’t have time to speak to, or even see, some of our staff.
I hope to see the same casual atmosphere that we’ve had the past few years. Only if we are truly relaxed can we open ourselves up to others fully and in turn be open to others.
Although professional development is needed among all of us, what I hope to gain most is a sense of teamwork and shared mission among the staff. When we understand and know a little bit about each other it often opens doors to friendships that may never have occurred without this special opportunity only we at WCE have.
Retreat is always something to look forward to. Like a reunion of sorts where we get back as a team to work towards a fresh outlook and new year. Enjoyment comes in the way of unity and working together to make us more effective and creative problem solvers which in turn benefits the scholars. As we get clarity through fun involved team building tasks I see common goals emerge to guide us. In other words have fun and become a more effective teacher. Have fun and become a more productive professional. Things to keep-team building; problem solving; focus on the new year; Fun!
Something that makes Walker Creek unique and strong is our sense of family. When someone needs help with supplies, or working out a lesson, we all jump to help. I think that is because we have genuine relationships with each other. We would help because it is the professional thing to do - but, mostly, we do it because we CARE about each other and want our school to be the best. Just like Jenny said, retreat lets us reconnect with those we don't see a lot in our daily work. It is refreshing, renewing and I always gain inspiration from our activities. It gives us a chance to be silly with each other (which we can't do at school) and that spirit of fun really bonds us as a campus wide team. Look at all our memories shown in the year end video - some silly moments that live in our hearts. The retreat helps bring new people into the team, and make them feel like they belong.
I have been at 3 different schools during the past 8 years of teaching and Walker Creek is the first school that I have worked at that puts together a retreat for the staff. I think it is a special and unique event that we do and I always leave the retreats feeling motivated and excited to start the new school year. I have been to 6 Walker Creek retreats and I have always built genuine relationships and have bonded really close with my team but also get to spend time with other staff members that I hardly get to see during the school year. I love that we always work on something that we can use right at the start of the year such as one year at the retreat we worked on our Curriculum Night slideshows. Some of my favorite things that we do at the retreats are the team building activities, collaborating on new ideas and focus for the new year, hanging out, having fun and receiving our new t-shirt for the year to wear at convocation! I can't wait for the 2011-2012 retreat!
Last year was my first year at WCE. The retreat gave me the opportunity to meet everyone at the school, bond with my TEAM through the TEAM project and learn the some of the "ways" of Walker Creek ahead of time before school started. It was instantly evident that WCE is a tight family and welcomed me with open arms. I learned that I was already connected to many people here at WCE. I walked away amazed that the positivity at WCE is real and that students are the real focus at WCE ! I even cried along with many at the closing part of the retreat. This retreat is school bonding tradition. Thank you for allowing it again.
The retreat sets the tone for the year. It helps us reconnect with each other, meet new WCE family members,and provides the focus for the year in a fun relaxed manner. I have had to miss a retreat because of surgery and felt like the year did not get off right.
Thanks to everyones notes on troubleshooting.
My favorite things about the retreat seem to be the same as everyone else. I just love having that fun bonding time with friends. It is so great to have time with those that you don't get to spend as much time with during the school year because we are so busy. I can think of so many memorable stories from the different retreats. You will definitely have to ask Julee Lacey about the swinging her keys story. I will definitely look forward to this time and getting to know you and all the new staff better.
Jennifer Ward
Personally, I look forward to the retreat every year to reconnect with my Walker Creek family and to find inspiration and rejuvenation for the new year. I enjoy the team building activities and getting to spend time with people I don't normally get to spend time with because of our hectic schedules when school gets started. Traditionally, our retreats have included an elemenat fun and time to see each other in a different light. I hope to have fun, be inspired, and get to know our new staff members. Can't wait! Roger
I look forward to our summer retreat no matter where it's held. It's a time for us as a staff to catch up on our lives. I appreciate all the hard work and planning that goes into the retreat. Team building activities are always fun and it helps us to bond with one another. At the end of each retreat, it's nice to leave feeling rejuvenated and fired up about the new school year.
See everyone at retreat!!
I look forward to the fun activities that bond everyone together. I also enjoy the revival aspect after a long(or short, depending on your viewpoint)summer break. The retreat creates energy, enthusiasm and excitement to make this year the best ever at Walker Creek!
I always look forward to the WCE retreat! It definitely gets me excited and motivated for the upcoming school year. My favorite traditions at the retreat are the fun team building activities, setting goals and our focus for the year, getting a chance to visit with everyone in a relaxed atmosphere and most of all our fun late night adventures! My keys are already swinging!!:) I love the energy, positivity and enthusiam that the retreat brings to us all! BTW...I am so happy that this is my second entry on the blog. It took me two days to try to post a comment for the summer one. I am feeling very successful! Thanks to Janna and Stephanie for your help! :)
Testing as anonymous
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