Posts by Kersten Rettig

  • Kersten Rettig
    • Kersten Rettig
    • Former Contributing Writer

  • Save the Date for HPMS Celebration 8 Opening Party

    Friday, October 1 will kick off the Class of 2015′s Celebration 8 season with a party at Adventure Landing in North Dallas. The event will run from 5 p.m.  to 7 p.m. and will feature games, go-cart racing, mini golf and lots of fun.  Only students with signed waivers on file and dues paid will be permitted to enter the event, which will be chaperoned by parents of 8th graders.

    For additional information about the event, please contact party chair Alicia Fanning at ahfanning@sbcglobal.net.

    By Kersten Rettig Sep. 21, 2010 | 2:55 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS

  • Dads Mean Well. I think.

    This email just popped in my email box and I think it’s worth discussing. If Dads really want to get more involved and help the school, faculty and students, why don’t they handle the carpool lanes?  Even if it’s one day a week, it would be infinitely more helpful than having dads stand around the hallways engaging, laughing and encouraging.

    Nice of the Dad’s Club to want to help but,  a)  might they be better utilized elsewhere? and,  b) if they do serve as greeters, I would want to be  sure that these dads do not mention anything about God. That’s right. God. Because having greeters welcome students once a week sounds a lot like church, and since the Dad’s Club president also happens to be the Pastor at Watermark Church, I want to be sure that  there’s no recruiting going on.

    Dads of MIS and HPMS:

    As the year comes to an end, I wanted to let you know about an opportunity to jump in, enjoy your kids and serve the faculty and school family.

    For a long time, many of us, along with Ms. Laurie Norton and other administrators have been brainstorming ways we can up fathers’ presence on the MIS/HPMS campus.  Thankfully, through some collective brainstorming with other HPISD Dads’ Clubs and some “best practices” exchanges with other districts, we think we have the perfect solution.

    We have all observed the increased demands academically, socially and in extra-curricular activities that open up for kids as they make their way through life and HPISD.  Too often this has been joined by a decreased presence of Dads in these same activities.  Not a good combination and something we hope to mitigate with our new MONDAY MORNING GREETERS.

    Beginning Monday, May 17th and then every Monday throughout May, we intend to put a few Dads at each door and at each major hallway intersection throughout the school from 7:50-8:20 a.m.  This will be a great way to welcome, engage with, laugh and encourage the students as they show up for another week of learning.
    To do this effectively, we will need 25-30 Dads on 17th and 24th.  This 30 minutes is the perfect way to meet other Dads, see all the kids you used to coach, and learn names of all the new friends your children have made this year.
    Please respond to bduncan@watermark.org with the Monday(s) you are able to show up and make a difference with us.
    Hopefully, next year this can be a way for Dads to be present and engaged with their kids and friends every Monday, but until then, we wanted to end this school year by showing up and encouraging them.
    We hope to have a web based sign up system in place next year, but for now we are going to fill it the old fashioned way.   Don’t miss out….be one of the first Dads to start a new tradition with us.  Sign up today by responding to bduncan@watermark.org.
    Important Reminder:  All volunteers must have and wear their HPISD official volunteer badge.  If you do not yet have a volunteer badge, you can complete the background check request by clicking on the following link: http://www.hpisd.org/Portals/0/docs/personnel/Volunteer CH May 2007.pdf

    Matt Bush and Todd Wagner

    Dad’s Club Presidents

    By Kersten Rettig May. 11, 2010 | 3:11 pm | 29 Comments | Comments RSS

  • Kids Love These Disruptions

    They make the day go by faster and give them something to talk about at lunch.  Besides each other.

    This just in from Lauri Norton, Principal of MIS/HPMS:

    Dear MIS & HPMS Parents,

    All students were evacuated this morning after smoke from a microwave in a break area set off the fire alarm. Students and staff evacuated in a quick and orderly fashion while the UP Fire Department inspected the building and determined that it was safe for everyone to return.

    Students resumed their usual classroom routines following the evacuation.

    By Kersten Rettig Mar. 29, 2010 | 12:18 pm | 4 Comments | Comments RSS

  • In the Dark?

    I just received a text from My Boy Elroy that said Highland Park High School has been without power for nearly two hours.  Unfortunately, he says, classes are still being conducted  – although you know those kids are dying to get out and have a massive snowball fight.  Power at Highland Park Village and surrounding streets was out at 10:00 a.m. but I’m at The Crescent now so I don’t have a status update.
    I hope Lover’s Pizza is delivering today.

     

    UPDATE: HPHS Power is back on.

    By Kersten Rettig Feb. 11, 2010 | 10:49 am | 1 Comment | Comments RSS