Be Positive but Be Better

 

Let it Go. What’s buggin’ me about Old North

I am regarded by those who know me as a positive person. I look for the good in people, places and things. If you know me well, you also know that I am a perceptive person who sees where things seem less than optimal. Ironically, it is the negative perceptions that are great fuel for humor. It is with this spirit in mind that I would like to share a list of things that aren’t quite right at Old North Academy. The place has tremendous potential but, as I shared with the principal, I wouldn’t want to be charged with fixing all that seems broken.

The rhetoric doesn’t match the action  

·       Before I accepted the offer to teach Art in 2023-24 school year I heard a lot about the notion of creating a Middle School experience that would reinforce Pathways to futures in the study and careers in the Arts. That said, where is the recognition of excellence?

·       The Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is heavy on the terms Respect, Responsibility and Safety. Why then it is so commonplace at Old North to hear students using inappropriate language, fighting (play or not) and ignoring simple rules like “level zero” while transitioning to class or cafeteria?

·       How come the “scholars” are expected to be in uniform and teachers and administrators are wearing jeans, hoodies and stretch pants?  

·       With so many opportunities to reinforce positive behavior and academic excellence, why does the school use a prime bulletin board to advertise to teachers about taking attendance? (Wouldn’t it be more positive to applaud students with perfect attendance?)

So much is taken for granted       

Teachers' meetings are dreaded because it means staff has to stay after school and generally listen to a one-way dialogue that masquerades as transparency. Example: The district needs to take these steps to satisfy the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE "so here's what we've decided you will do...."

·       The way to handle a disruptive cafeteria is to make the entire class suffer the consequences. This kinda reinforces the student argument that if “everybody else is doing the wrong thing why shouldn’t I?  The consequences are the same either way.

·       Routines never have a chance since the playbook seems to favor audible change again and again: transitions to specials, breaks for water, restrooms, hall passes, routines are anything but routine.

So much needs repair or at least cosmetic attention

·       Bathroom soap dispensers are never all working or contain soap

·       Bathroom stall doors are usually broken

·       Graffiti in restrooms, on desks, furniture

·       Cabinets in rooms are not secured (broken locks, doors, handles, hardware)

·       Christmas trees still in hallways in February

·       Bulletin board with fall/Halloween theme still up in February.

Not much Empowering and Reinforcing staff

·       Teachers without keys to there room (i.e. Art and Music)

·       Frowning on arriving early to work, (The building can’t handle an ambitious teacher who wants to beat the horrific traffic on 70 arriving before 6:30 a.m. greeted with a mini lecture that begins “the expectation for teachers and staff is that they arrive at 7:15am)

·       Little or no consequences apparent for tardy teachers/staff. Example: a teacher arrives 20 minutes late for a team meeting and misses some of the business and apologizes for being “a few seconds tardy”.

Going through the motions and checking boxes

·       Do we really believe having back to back to back drills for effective preparedness? (Intruder Drill, Hurricane/Tornado Drill, Fire Drill)

·       Staffing – especially when it appears that keeping a position filled is not working (Why for example are we on our third Librarian in 8 months? Why were there 5 different art teachers last year?)

I invested time and money in becoming an educator 10+years. I began my education journey with Special Education (SSD) as sub, para-educator, applied behavior analyst (ABA). I taught self-contained classroom at Great Circle in Webster Groves, SSD re-hired me to be Special Ed teacher at partner district Riverview Gardens for middle schoolers (Westview Middle), I was Art teacher in Lincoln County’s Winfield Middle School before joining Confluence. (Funny - my 2023 tax return reports payments from 3 school districts.)

Good for me. I am learning and experiencing new things after full careers in advertising (at big league advertising firms) 15 years, Director and Vice President level marketing communications lead in corporate environments for three leading design and construction firms (HBE, Clayco, Crossland) and a global manufacturer of welding and cutting products (Thermadyne – now part of ESAB) 10 years. 

P.S. Separate category - scary things about working at Old North: 

That crazy commute on I-70 is very tense with aggressive drivers who will pass you on the left (even if it means swerving into and out of an exit lane). 

On I-70 I had to manage a flat tire at 70 miles per hour. 

On I-70 I had to avoid hiting an overturned office chair in my lane.

On 1-70 I've found myself traveling under 20 MPH for accidents at Goodfellow, Kingshighway and on 270...to name a few.

My back was turned facing a cabinet one morning only to have a student sneak up on me and prentend to shoot me in the head, Pow! (I'm sure L thought that was a clever thing to do.)

The truth is stranger than fiction: overheard conversations about teen pregnancy, firearms, trauma, family struggles and more. 

No easy fixes, I know.

P.S. How about this bulletin board post. Irony in education. Bragging about test scores with questionable grammar. LOL.

 

  

 

 

 

Wes Morgan February Response to Old North

 

Photo: February 2024 - Dr. Boxley addresses students at Town Hall meeting about yet another change in scheduling specials (Health, PE, Art, Music) in Mr. Lloyd's Music Classroom,

The Principal of Old North summoned me to the office for a sit down on February 9, 2024. Here’s what Dr. Lisa Boxley (with Assistant Principal Annette Chamberlain in attendence) wanted me to respond to this office visit.   

“I’ve had three recent complaints about you. We’ve already discussed the complaint by The Wright Way BCBA, Ms. Safire. She said you were unprofessional."

Well, she tried to coach me and take the floor in my classroom mid-lesson. I could not abide this as I know full well that my credibility in front of fifth graders would be compromised if a Behavior Specialist was allowed to take control. I’m sorry Safire but I don’t need coaching as a teacher of art. And you are here to support a student, not control me. Your feedback is welcome but not in front of students.

“Now, I have two teachers who have texted me that you were rude and aggressive over the use of the rolling cart of paper. Ms. Cooley said she sent a student to get the paper rolls and you only gave her a bit of black paper. So she went to the art room to get the cart herself.”  

I was not accustomed to this cart leaving my room but this was amid a schoolwide challenge to decorate doors and rooms for Black History Month. And it was three students who arrived to get the paper (not just one). I offered to give them whatever they needed. I tore off a large sheet of black paper and a student seemed to be satisfied. Until Ms. Cooley returned in a huff to over-ride my call and pushed the cart out of my room. (It was not returned. Instead it was rolled down the hall to the 7th  grade classroom of Ms. Wren.)

“Ms. Wren said you accosted her pushing by students in class and yelling at her.”

I think that her characterization is unfair, At no time was I aggressive. I admit to using sarcasm at times which can be misunderstood and perceived as rude. I simply asked when I could expect the paper dispenser cart to be returned. It was the end of the day.

It’s February and your Art Teacher has managed requests for administrators and teachers all year long. I have bent over backwards to be a team player. As you know I have been successful reaching out to the Old North neighborhood business community. We talked about creating Pathways for students interested in Art. I believe an important first step is to show the outside world that creativity lives at Old North Academy. But now I am portrayed as a yeller and rude. I don’t think this is fair. It could be that I am a sort of victim of reverse micro-aggression. This was the first time the presumption of this cart of paper rolls was a traveling asset available to all teachers for as long as they think they need it.

I challenged Dr. Boxley and Ms. Chamberlain to ask themselves if the notion of a yelling, rude, aggressive, unprofessional accosting person rings true from their observations of my performance at and for Old North this year because it looks to me like the allegations are unfair or at least poorly written. It’s no wonder the school cannot retain an Art Teacher. (I’ve learned that the position has been a bit of a revolving door.)

Note too that this cart is in serious disrepair. It is designed to hold 8 rolls of paper but it it broken in several places so it only works as intended for 3 of 8. I researched this piece of equipment and learned that it would cost $900.00 to replace. I have several unfortunate situations that have an impact in the art room. Several rolls of paper are water damaged. The cart only accommodates three rolls but in a somewhat less than optimal configuration. In my 8 months of working as Old North Art Teacher this rolling asset has not routinely left the Art Room.

The specials team as it was configured at the onset of the 2023-2024 school year (Morgan, Baker, Lloyd, Coach J Robinson, Librarian Moll, STEM teacher and Coach B. Calhoun). Not pictured FACS teacher Jourdan Lacey.

The school PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) notices around the school stress SAFE, RESPONSIBLE, and RESPECTFUL. I believe this broken cart traveling down the hallways to Cooley’s 8^th grade classroom and down a separate hall to Wren’s 7^th grade classroom is hazardous and NOT safe. Especially if students are charged with transporting it. Lord knows the behavior incidents in hallways doesn’t need any additional props. This is my observation based on teaching these students for 8 months over 182 students!  5^th Graders, 6^th Graders, 7^th Graders, and 8^th Graders. My opinion is that moving that heavy piece of equipment down long hallways is asking for trouble and just not SAFE.

Student work from Wren's Seventh Graders tie in their learning about the food chain. 27 students (7th and 8th Graders) went on a field trip the the Saint Louis Art Museum in October 2023. 

I’m disappointed that this meeting in the principal’s office suggests that I might have to shift my positive attitude to a more defensive posture. This is just not a way I want to live. I prefer to practice a mindfulness and live in the moment with awareness of the little victories. I'm particularly proud of organizing a field trip to the Culture celebration of the impact of 50 years of Hip Hop at the Saint Louis Art Museum and forging a relationship with the Old North Restoration Group and showcasing student work in the community. 

I felt compelled to share my experience with Sr. Francesca, my first grade teacher who later became the principal at St. Luke (the parochial school I attended growing up). Sister Francesca once showed me a way to recall the correct spelling of her title with the statement. “Remember the principal is your PAL.”

1924 Silent Movie at SLAM

 

SLAM Cinema: The Last Laugh

Friday, January 26, 2024 | 6–7:30 pm CST | Free

The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra will provide live musical accompaniment to The Last Laugh, a silent film from 1924 directed by German filmmaker F. W. Murnau. Emil Jannings stars as a nameless hotel door man who faces ridicule from his friends and family after losing his job. Founded in 2003 and based in St. Louis, Rats & People is an orchestral ensemble of emerging composers and musicians that composes and performs new scores to accompany films of the Silent Era and composes and records soundtracks for contemporary films.

Not rated, 90 minutes.

Melissa Venator, SLAM’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator of Modern Art, will make brief remarks about the film at 5:30 pm.

LOCATION

The Farrell Auditorium

One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park,

St. Louis, Missouri 63110-1380

 

What a treat. A bit of movie history combined with a wonderful music accompaniment. And I found myself 6^th row center in the comfort of my happy place – The Saint Louis Art Museum.  

This Just Happened

 

I try to live in the moment and take in so many remarkable things. I just have to pause, once in a while and reflect. As I do so I'm kind of amazed at those things that just happen. No plan, Just part of being present.

"Great to have you in my life." Did she just say that? Or is it a random message that has no meaning. It makes me smile nevertheless. There is no denying that we enjoy each other's company. She's more cautious and careful. I have always been confident that things will work out for the best. (Mostly, that has been the truth for me in my charmed life.)  

She said she did not want to get married again. Nine years of divorced life, I guess, makes you want to embrace your independence. Clearly she has made herself indespensible to her four children and those precious grandchildren. In another conversation she said that she never wanted to be a burden in her old age, suggesting that mortality into the eighties might not be worth living. That's when I suggested we get married on her 81st birthday. That proposal has the net effect of "tabling" the agenda item but has the impact of keeping the affection real and fanning the flames a bit. Then, in a card that arrived in my mailbox she suggested she MIGHT marry me on her 81st birthday. (Still not accepting my proposal with a resounding YES but top of mind and kind of magical nevertheless.) So that's on the table for now. I suggested we try not to overthink it. 

I never expected to be a widow. My wife of 41+ years passed nearly two years ago (2/3/2022). During the holiday season there are hundreds of little things that remind me of how lucky we were. We have two remarkable grown children and they each have boys living their best lives at 7 and 7 1/2 years of age. They remind me that there is so much to be joyful about in the here and now. 

I am fortunate to havc been able to get reconnected with someone who brings me back in time. She was my prom date nearly fifty years ago! In November, we went to the theater together to see a play by Bob Dylan (Girl from the North Country, Duluth, Minn. 1934) that wrapped a story around his songs, the lyrics of one song became the message for my holiday greeting card. May you stay forever young.

Stay you. Love, me.

 

Diva Movies Bey and Taylor 2023

 

RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ accentuates the journey of RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, from its inception, to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri. The movie opened December 2, 2023 at my AMC theater in Saint Louis. It is about Beyoncé's intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft. Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR created a sanctuary for freedom, and shared joy, for more than 2.7 million fans.

Taylor Swift’s THE ERAS TOUR concert film premiered in theaters on Oct. 13, Swift has been overwhelmed by the response. Within the first two weeks of its release, it broke records for ticket sales and grossed over $200 Million. She reflected on the success of the film as a “truly mind blowing thing”.

Well both movies are mind blowing in thier opulence and excess. I don't mean to judge but both gave me some insight into the cultural phenomenon of pop stardom. There is gold in them there there hills in the Billionaire air.

 

The Culture

 

Co-organized by the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art, “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century” examines the extraordinary impact of hip hop on contemporary art. Titled after the phrase “for the culture,” this exhibition advances a sweeping and contemporary account of the expansive influence of hip-hop culture and its myriad expressions across the globe. “The Culture” brings together poetry, music videos, fashion, painting, sculpture, photography, and film by some of the most innovative cultural producers of the last 20 years. The exhibition opened in St. Louis on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, and will continues through Jan. 1, 2024. (The exhibition was on view at the BMA from March 26 through July 9, 2023).

The exhibition is curated by Hannah Klemm, SLAM’s former associate curator of modern and contemporary art;  Andréa Purnell, SLAM’s audience development manager; Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Chief Curator and Interim Co-Director; and Gamynne Guillotte, the BMA’s chief education officer; with Rikki Byrd, the BMA’s curatorial research fellow, and Carlyn Thomas, the BMA’s curatorial assistant.

I had the good fortune of catching Rikki Byrd at the onset of the SLAM exhibition that began on Saturday along with a Block Party on August 19, 2023 (shown above with her mother in front of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting). I instantly wanted to share this extraordinary exhibit with students of Confluence  Academies’ Old North Campus where I am art teacher to middle school scholars. Rikki lead a tour of eager visitors to the museum on this fun Saturday, The following week I  was able to connect with SLAM’s learning and engagement department and get the ball rolling for a school field trip for maybe 20-25 scholars. I will be back with some students in October (but I will surely be back at the Saint Louis Art Museum before then). 

 

Credits: The Culture advertising features an image drawn from Yvonne Osei video (Born Hamburg, Germany 1990), Real Nigus Don't Die: Thug 2013 by Fahamu Pecou (b NY 1975), Street Shrine 1: A Notorious Story (Biggie) 2019 Ceramic by Roberto Lugo (b Philadelphia1981), Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, 2022 oil and acrylic on fabric by Megan Lewis (b Baltimore 1989). 

Barbieheimer

 

Barbenheimer the simultaneous theatrical realease of Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21, 2023 was too good to resist (for me) on Tuesday July 25, 2023. The dramatic difference between Barbie—a fantasy comedy by Greta Gerwig and Oppenheimer—an epic biographical drama by Christoper Nolan about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientific director of the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons during World War II.

Barbie is fun, well designed and full of unexpected thought-provoking ideas that celebrate the evolution of the Mattel success with the iconic doll.

Oppenheimer is an intense biopic that gives insight into global politics and dangers of the arms race.

The back-to-back movie experience was rewarding and well worth the time and effort. The five hours in the comfy AMC seats at Creve Coeur 12 in theater 1 and theater 8 gave me a lot to think about. I don’t think I would recommend seeing them back-to-back, however, since they both deserve a lot of post viewing reflection.