Inside The Rock

In the episode, Dr. Grate talks to Jan Skinner, Westfield Education Foundation, about the teacher grants the Foundation provides and how fundraising efforts like Sunday’s Harlem Wizards game help our school community.

In this week's episode of Inside the Rock, Dr. Grate talks with Westfield High School's Mark Ewing about the new We Are Westfield initiative and how it's motivating students to be better people through kindness, love, self determination and much more.

In this episode, Dr. Grate talks to WWS Chief Financial Officer, Brian Tomamichel about the ins and outs of school financing. Brian makes finances interesting - he’s that good!

Dr. Grate sits down with Craig Spinner, WMS Counselor, and Carroll Easterday, Director of College and Career Readiness for the district. Craig and Carroll discuss how they, and other district counselors, use mindfulness to help students and adults manage stress. Great resources for students and adults shared. They discuss why this is not a fad/trend and why all people, regardless of age, can benefit. Mindfulness Apps Discussed Stop Breathe Think: Excellent app geared towards students. https://www.stopbreathethink.com/ Calm: Geared for all ages. Sleep stories are an added bonus. Free lifetime subscription offered for educators. https://www.calm.com/

Dr. Grate talks with Mrs. Amy McClelland, STEM Teacher at Maple Glen, along with two Maple Glen students, about the benefits of teaching STEM at the elementary level.

In this episode of Inside the Rock, Dr. Grate talks to Joel Bruns, Innovation Specialist at WHS about the Maker Movement and how Westfield is doing some Making of it's own.

Dr. Grate interviews Matt Putman, Dean of Career & Community Engagement at WHS. Matt and Dr. Grate discuss the new career initiatives at WHS helping to prepare students to be career ready. Other areas discussed: what is career readiness and the 3 areas of focus (Awareness, Exploration, & Preparation). Also, highlighted in the discussion were current career experiences for seniors - Career Exploration Internship Course, Cooperative Work Program, & Cadet Teaching. If any businesses or organizations are interested in the internship program, please contact Matt.Contact Matt: putmanm@wws.k12.in.usFollow WWS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wwswebFollow Dr. Grate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drgratewwsContact the WWS Communications Team: comms@wws.k12.in.usDownload the District App: https://www.wws.k12.in.us/Page/1261

Dr. Grate spoke with Dr. Scott Williams and 4th grade student Gigi Gambrell from Washington Woods. Washington Woods has been a Leader in Me school since 2015. TLIM teaches the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to staff and students. The program emphasis is on student leadership and academic accountability. *** Links ***Follow Dr. Williams on Twitter: https://twitter.com/27swilliams27Follow Washington Woods Leaders on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wwesleadersFollow The Leader in Me on Twitter https://twitter.com/theleaderinmeFollow WWS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wwswebFollow Dr. Grate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drgratewwsContact the WWS Communications Team: comms@wws.k12.in.usDownload the District App: https://www.wws.k12.in.us/Page/1261

This week’s podcast featured WWS School Board President, Duane Lutz. Dr. Grate and Duane discussed the upcoming construction projects at the Intermediate School, Middle School, and High School. They discussed the plans for each school including phases and timelines. Recorded on September 13, 2017.Contact the WWS Communications Team: comms@wws.k12.in.usFollow WWS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wwswebDownload the District App: https://www.wws.k12.in.us/Page/1261Westfield Growth and Construction Updates: https://www.wws.k12.in.us/domain/463

In this episode of Inside the Rock, Dr. Grate discusses the purpose of the podcast and the district's focus on using several methods of communication to reach parents and community members. She also introduces her communications team and talks about how listeners can give podcast topic ideas to her team.