Today our leadership team met with all 2nd-5th graders to review their first nine weeks report card and help them set goals for the second nine weeks. We call this Wildcat Watch (We are the Matzke Wildcats, you can follow our story on Twitter here.) There are 1,052 students at Matzke and I pride myself on… Continue reading A Mom Hug

As an elementary principal and mom of 3, I often hear “I don’t know how you do it all.” Confession: I don’t. I don’t even come close to doing it all.  First and foremost, I have a husband who does a whole lot, a whopping amount actually. This man learned how to put the girls’… Continue reading Confession: “I Don’t Do It All”

My summer is officially over so I’m sharing my fave Youth Lit I read this summer!

I just returned from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Conference in Orlando, Florida. You can read my brief blog on my takeaways here if you are so inclined.  I was fortunate that my district covered the costs for the conference, hotel fee, airfare, and meals. At the last minute, I thought it would be… Continue reading First Class Fish Out of Water

At this point it doesn’t matter what your stance is on gun control, mental health or public ed. We are here now. Here is a Kindergarten class memorizing a poem about an active shooter. Here is a group of 14 year olds receiving bullet proof plates for their backpacks. Here is an idea: why don’t… Continue reading Here