Cherishing the Moments that Represent Community

Last school year, we could not figure out why one of our students was appearing upside down in all of her Google Meets. We tried adjusting her settings. We tried restarting her computer. Nothing was working. And then, one morning, she magically appeared the right way, and her entire class started cheering. Despite everyone being behind a screen, the sense of togetherness at our school had persisted. 

The next day, she was upside down again, so we made sure her parents were able to pick up a new Chromebook so she could be right side up for the rest of the year. 

This is just one of many examples of how my school has rallied together to support our students and families through everything that has been thrown our way—from the smallest technical difficulty to the biggest logistical challenge. As principal, it’s been essential to me that we shed our deficit mindset and view each new day as an opportunity for growth. 

Our students have certainly grown leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the classroom. I’ll never forget when one of our teachers was having difficulty, a student—a second-grader, no less—chimed in: “Don’t worry about it. I got this,” and shared his screen so that his classmates could see the assignment. 

Our relationships with families have grown as well. When we would learn about a COVID case in our surrounding community, we would deliver care packages to ensure that our students and families knew that we were here to support them beyond the classroom. 

And each member of my team has deepened their skill set in countless ways. When we were planning for the school year, one thing we focused on was developing our creativity so we could maintain some of our school traditions even as students learned from home. Our end-of-year kindergarten celebration, for example, typically revolves around singing. As we have all learned, you can’t really sing in a group on Google Meets without it sounding terrible. So, my team taught all the kids to sing along to a song using sign language, and it was so beautiful that it brought me to tears. 

Even before I became a school leader, I firmly believed that one of the important pieces about being an effective educator was that you had to be having fun. And, as I look toward my second year as principal of TCA, I have found that the joy and the fun and the magic of this role comes from the community. 

While others may focus on what our students “lost” over the past year-and-a-half, my goals for the upcoming school year connect back to their resilience and determination, as well as capitalizing on the stronger relationships that we’ve forged with families as we look to draw them back into our school as much as possible. 

Ultimately, the goal we are striving toward at TCA is to support everyone to be their personal best. I want every student, educator, and community member to view our school as a place where they are accepted, supported, and loved. 

Though I have a big responsibility in making that goal a reality as a school leader, I’ve learned that it is a community effort. Nothing systemic can be accomplished by one person. The more we recognize how dependent we are on each other, and lean into the talents and gifts that other people bring, the more positive change we can have for our students and families. 

I am so fortunate to be in a position where I can see all the contributions that are made across our school and how they come together to create a greater impact. Every year, this impact seems to be a little bit greater. 

Principal Pae’s career in CPS started in Auburn Gresham, where she taught high school English for eight years. Before then, she attended three different elementary schools and two high schools as a CPS student. Make sure you are ready for the first day of school—August 30, 2021—by visiting cps.edu/b2s.