Here. We. Go. 2026 - 2027

Our Bethke Elementary community welcomed 975 learners into our building this week! So many cool events happened over the past couple of days - staff professional development rotations, business partners loving on our staff members (food donations), collaborating with colleagues, Meet the Teacher Night, First Day of School, and creating our CBE 10 image. Yep, it's our school's birthday year; we are turning ten years old! Our educators have been servicing kids for 10 years! Get ready for lots of fun to be had this school year with all our learners. 

We believe that when adults are loved on by others, our kids benefit from that love, too. Let's showcase some of the views from around our school from this year's beginning. There are so many stories that could be told with each of these images. Know that they each center around building relationships with others. So grateful for this journey! 

Beginning 2023 - 2024

The best resource has entered Bethke Elementary the past couple of days! We were so excited to welcome our learners of all ages into our building. It really is the best time because all the hard work with planning, collaborating, and creating has seen so many benefits. Our students and families have brought so much joy to learning for the past 8 days. Yep, in that short amount of time relationship across our building have been built! 

We believe the magic happens in our classrooms. Let us show you some of the views from classrooms and around our school from our beginnings. Stories are behind each of these pictures and oh how many adventures there are! 

HOUSECON - Ron Clark Academy

 WE. ARE. BACK! Our Bethke Elementary educators went to the Ron Clark Academy again this summer. Another group of educators came to experience HOUSECON and the magic was ever so present!

As I sit and reflect this morning, here are some experiences I want to make sure I remember:

1. Get Your Six
Meaning find at least 6 people in your school who can help with the buy in for new ideas to flourish. Well, we have more than 6 now; Bethke Elementary has twenty-two educators who have been to this Ron Clark experience. We began rolling this house system out with our teachers first during the Fall 2022 and this was followed by bringing our 1,300 students onboard in Spring 2023. This summer we learned how to kick it up several notches with MANY ways to bring the houses more alive. Get ready Bethke Elementary our trained educators are on fire to bring these ideas to life and team with each and every staff member on our campus in the process!

2. Importance of School-Wide Meetings
Explain the WHY to our kids in a collaborative and FUN way. Students need training, but they also need to have ideas experienced! How do we get kids to rise to our levels with expectations with academics and behavior? We hold them to a higher standard and have our educators modeling that daily with their actions/communication. Building a community with our educators is HUGE in this process. It starts with the mindsets of those on our campus and moves to our students, as well as their families. Our summer training highlighted ways to bring educators, students, and families into our school to make the magic happen – infusing houses into classroom lessons, 5^th graders as student house leaders, bringing newly registered students into houses, embracing talent in each house, House Olympics, contests with community members as judges, increasing belonging, parents with student buttons, tracking points, consistency with points, fundraising, and oh so much more. So many small details that make such a difference!

3. Building Relationships
Everyone needs to belong. That was showcased repeatedly during the training. Yes, there is research that shows the benefits of this, but the experience of this was oh so present. From the moment you walk into the Ron Clark Academy, you feel the embrace. Houses have the power to unite people in ways to make greatness happen for others not only in your school, but also outside your walls in the community. When alumni students who have graduated high school and college make it a point to come back and volunteer in the school AND mentor current fourth-eighth grade students…well, that is the highest level of giving back to others! Not only have the students found a HOME, but their families have also found a home. We had the pleasure of learning with parents who were leading sessions about how to increase levels of parent commitment, too. How cool to hear information about this from parents’ perspective! So many details were shared during our experiences for staff, student, and family bonding.

We are ready to celebrate who we are and just who we are becoming at Bethke Elementary! 

Reflections from Ron Clark Academy Experience

 

My first contact with Ron Clark was when he was a keynote speaker at a conference in Las Vegas about eighteen years ago. During his hour keynote, Mr. Clark brought energy, laughs, ah-ha moments, and specific teaching points. I wanted to hear more so over the next years I watched and read anything I could get my hands on from him and Kim Bearden, the Co-Founder and Director of the Ron Clark Academy. Can I just say that I’ve wanted to experience the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) for many years!

Guess what? Our Principal, Kara Morgan, found a way to send members of Bethke Elementary to experience this magical place! I can’t say thank you enough for allowing me to join this adventure.

What happens when ten educators from your elementary school in the summer experience The Ron Clark Academy? Educators’ conversations change to “what if” and “how do we”.

Classroom environment is key to a portal to a different learning space. Excitement is always free…we can bring what we need into our space for learners. A key point that stood out to me in each room I visited at RCA was that each educator brought what engages/inspires him/her into the classroom. If the educator was passionate about literature, the room was surrounded by floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with literature. If the educator was passionate about movies and gaming, the room was literally painted with scenes from movie scenes or gaming experiences. If the educator was enthralled with Star Wars, the room décor matched and even had lights/sounds to match. Our teachers must find a way to showcase what engages them and find a way to play on the magic of that with our learners. Let’s think long and hard about how we set up our learning spaces to bring the excitement from the first-time kids step into our rooms. Let’s sprinkle it with magic!

Strong conversational skills by students were highlighted in every learning space. RCA teachers were masterful about short teaching points and huge amounts of student communication. Several strategies noticed were turn/talks, discussions, teacher constantly questioning and student discourse (“I respectfully disagree with you because…). A key point that stood out to me was that each educator made it a point to let the kids take the lead with the discussions. Students were comfortable popping up with conversation (and once they had simple eye contact from teacher) and standing to share his/her thinking with the others in the room. RCA students weren’t shy about respectfully disagreeing with someone’s thoughts and were immediate to share their WHY in this process. I was extremely impressed with this because adults often struggle with discourse in our own conversations! We learned so much from the RCA students.

Music was embedded into all parts of our RCA experience. Visiting educators were greeted with songs playing and many learners cheering. Everyone should experience a greeting like this at some point in their year. WOW the feeling of excitement for what was about to happen was evident! Not only do learners experience music to signify a job well done, but there’s a sense of student ownership in chants (subject matter material), too. Ron Clark stated, “Songs can be a prize (for the learning), but it’s much better when they are used as a (learning) tool.” Students not only remembered key teaching points by chants, but these students were the creators of many of the chants/songs. We experienced students sharing academic vocabulary in conversations where learners used movements and chants to recall meaning to use in those conversations. It was powerful to see this tool in action where students were completely in control of the tools for learning and sharing of ideas. Movement and music transformed the RCA learning spaces in such a powerful way; you have to experience this to feel this magic.  

At the end of our training day, I became “Slide Certified”! Oh, this is more than just a slide. Yes, it’s the centerpiece of the Ron Clark Academy. But this slide is a symbol…reminders to have no fear, to be bold, and to embrace taking a different path in life and as an educator. Educators exiting this slide seemed to be giggling and some had tears flowing because this training was an emotional experience. Our school’s plan is to send many more groups of educators to the Ron Clark Academy in the coming months and years to experience the magic firsthand. Let’s go Bethke Elementary!

Our first RCA visiting team can’t wait to bring this learning to our school community during 2022-2023! #rcainspired 

   

  

  

  

Learning from 2020

2020 gave us time to reflect on what’s truly important and create a vision of what we want to become and do. So what have I learned in 2020?

1. Hard work never stops. Gosh, how I’ve loved watching my son’s journey as he leans into his goal of becoming an engineer. He pivoted when his summer intern position was COVID canceled; he took a couple of classes instead so he “could use time wisely”. In the fall when others stayed home to go virtual, he remained at the University of Michigan to do blended learning and continue with labs. Along came September's job fair, Austin engaged and recently accepted an engineer position with an international company! He will be working in Chicago the week after he graduates in May 2021. At a time when others are finding it hard to locate work, this young man has secured his place in his dream job; to say we are proud would be an understatement. Hard work and hard decisions continue to pay off.

2. Different isn’t necessarily bad. There isn’t a life that hasn’t been asked to go somewhat virtual in 2020. Each educator has endured learning how to quickly pivot to teaching on a virtual platform. With this came different ways of thinking and many failures/opportunities along the way as we looked for how to make this work better for our learners. Educators have been pushed like never before to adapt and change learning environments. Much of what we’ve learned along the way has actually changed our thinking about the importance of student voice, collaboration, and ownership. Many educators have learned that technology is a powerful resource, but we must use it differently than we have in the past. Cheers to the many collaborative spaces that have emerged from teachers trying new resources! You bet it has been hard, but oh the moments of joy when different worked well for students.

3. Cheerleaders in life are important. We all need people who make us feel like we can do it and this year definitely had us leaning into those people. I hope you have at least one person (if not many) who fill that role for you. For me, my spouse is a voice who always helps remind me of my purpose and helps me brainstorm ways to move forward. He is such a great source of encouragement and positivity when I am struggling. Ricky is constantly my rock in this world that is full of challenges, obstacles, and plenty of reasons to be discouraged. He reminds me daily that we get more in life when we do for others and listen closely to what may help someone along his/her journey. If you haven’t asked someone lately, “How can I help you?” I challenge you to start there and see where it takes you.

4. Gratitude and hope make a difference. These just might be the greatest “gifts” we can offer others. We acknowledge fear and grief, but we must seek hope and gratitude. We cherish our family and friends. We build connections rather than fall into the trap of isolation. We show ourselves the same compassion we’re showing others. We remind ourselves that even though some of the losses will stay with us, this situation is finite – it will end and we will recover to move forward. Our conversations need to turn to one of opportunity – action we can take and positive impact we can have. We remember what we are thankful for and hope to see value in all the little details around us daily. Let’s make sure the good stands out; let’s become noticers of the good in our lives!

May 2021 be a year where being grateful resides at the forefront of my heart, thoughts, words, and actions. I want to live with abundant hope. I want to work hard and do for others along the way.

Texas to Michigan

Letting go is hard. My husband and I spent this past weekend helping Austin move into his apartment at the University of Michigan. It’s a double edged sword that this young man really didn’t need us. Yes, I want to say that he needed us every step of the way with the move, but honestly WE needed him and this experience.

He is in for another year of such a special opportunity. Our hope is he heaps his plate with new academic, athletic, cultural and social offerings. During the next two years, life will mix youth, freedom, opportunity, and resources together in quite a remarkable combination. We want him to make the most of them all!

In the end, our job as parents is to make sure our kids are independent and happy. Well, Austin Carr, you have certainly accomplished this task and have made your parents extremely proud. Keep stepping out and showing the world just who you are.

To all our Bethke Elementary parents, please take time to enjoy all the steps your learners experience this year. All those steps add up to BIG lessons in the coming years; these years will go quickly, believe me.

Beginning 2019-2020 @ Bethke Elementary

 

The first 8 days of the 2019-2020 school year happened! The best part of our school FINALLY arrived on our campus – our learners! It was such a thrill to watch our learners in various spots around our campus. There was excitement all over our building as students were reconnected with old friends and learning about many new friends to Bethke Elementary.

I’m always impressed with what our educators make happen at the beginning of a new school year. Teachers work hard to provide open-ended opportunities that challenge our scientists, mathematicians, and readers. It’s fun to enter learning spaces to check out some of the action! Make sure you follow the action on Twitter #BethkeGrows. You will want to connect with us online to see the daily views being shared.

Check out some of our sights…

Our new families add new ideas and smiles to our learning spaces.	Our first grade writers are experimenting with phonics during our "Rug Clubs". Thanks, Mrs. Cameron!	Welcoming our second graders are on the first day in Mrs. Anderson's room. There is something about play-doh that adds fun!
Yep, these are our fifth grade teachers and they are #ROOTED for instruction and collaboration.	Thank you to all the parents who sent a piece of home in lunchboxes. We loved reading notes from parents in our cafeteria.	It's all about letters/sounds in first grade...even on the first week! Thank you to Ms. Martinez for sharing these smiles with us.