Q&A: Windsor Farm Principal Jason Otte
This is Otte's second year as principal at WFES.
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Classes began at Windsor Farm Elementary School on Monday, and Principal Jason Otte was out greeting students.
Patch caught up with Otte a few days before school started back for a quick interview about his summer and the coming school year.
Patch: How was your summer—any exciting trips?
Jason Otte: The summer was wonderful. My family (wife and son) and I were able to take a trip to the Outer Banks. I really enjoy my time with them. We try to go there every summer. I also had the opportunity to enjoy a charter boat fishing trip with some friends out on the Chesapeake Bay. We caught some mackerel, bluefish, and rockfish. It was tremendous fun!
Patch: What are some of the challenges of coming back from summer break?
Otte: Some of the challenges just include making sure that all of the tasks that need to be accomplished, get completed prior to everyone’s return for the next school year. Although summer break looks like a long time on paper, it passes very quickly. There is a great deal that needs to be done before the teachers and students return. Thankfully my assistant principal, office staff, and custodial team are very organized. We all met the day after the teacher’s final day and created organized “to do” lists with all the tasks that needed to be done prior to the start of the 2012-2013 school year. By monitoring tasks and staying organized, we were able to do all of the things that needed to be done.
Patch: Do you have any goals in the first few weeks of school?
Otte: The goals for the first few weeks are to get student acclimated to routines and procedures, and establish the focus for the school year.
Windsor Farm’s focus is in coordination with the focus for AACPS: that all students will achieve academic success to the standard and beyond. The ultimate goal is increased rigor for all and the elimination of the achievement gap. We are working to accomplish this by trying to enhance initiatives such as the teaching and learning cycle, ALPs, planning collaboratively, monitoring student data and using this data to make adjustments instructionally, and full implementation of the common core standards in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade. Grades 3 through 5 will also be getting to know these standards, as well. All instruction is standards based.
Patch: How many new teachers are you getting this year? How many new students?
Otte: We have three classroom teachers new to the building: Noreen Hynes in 2nd grade, Lucy Abbott, in 3rd grade, and Allison Turner in 4th grade. Also new to the building are guidance counselor Amy Harris, part-time PE teacher Stephanie Legacy, part-time music teacher Barbara Gardner-Hudak, part-time media teacher Cynthia Novak, school psychologist Lisa Grant, and health room staff Elaine Pertucci, LPN, and Jane Lefavor, RN, Michele Walters, PPW, Laura Tingle TSA, Marjorie Craig lunch monitor, and George Guthrie computer technician. We are excited about our new staff that is joining the Windsor Farm Team.
Patch: Describe the atmosphere among faculty in these final days before school.
Otte: The atmosphere in the final days before school is one of excitement. With the onset of a new school year comes a great deal of energy. It is also a fast paced atmosphere as the staff is working to get things done so that we are ready for our students, and we are ready!
Larus Canus
1:37 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The focus of the school year as stated here is thoroughly uninspiring. Consider this: my kids can't wait to achieve academic success to the same standard as the other kids, with no gap between them. With increased rigor, hopefully their achievement will even go beyond the standard!
The passage mentions "standards" four times, but says nothing of motivation and development, not to mention inspiration, and learning is only mentioned in passing as the outcome of enhancing one of several institutional initiatives, called, "the teaching and learning cycle." It's a school!
By all accounts Windsor Farm is a good school, and surely Otte and the faculty and staff work tirelessly to achieve that, but this makes you want to find the money for private tuition.
Julie Dettor
7:25 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
By all means Larus Canus, you are entitled to your opinion. However, you clearly have not had a child attend WFE. WFE is not a good school; it is a GREAT school, with the surrounding community supporting it fully. Many, many families move to this area because of this school. Mr. Otte, along with the entire faculty and staff DO work tirelessly to inspire, motivate and develop our children in every respect. They do not just teach the children academics; they teach the WHOLE person; respect, caring, compassion, etc. Every professional at WFE is passionate about what they do and take it very seriously.
Each child is unique (i.e. different learning styles, capabilities); WFE is committed to every single child, helping them become the best they can be individually...whatever that level may be. Some children reaching "standard" is a HUGE achievement; not to be judged by those who may go beyond. That said, the rigor is in place for those children who are above “standard” to achieve way beyond. As a public school, all ethnicities and socioeconomic classes are represented at WFE...and we are very, very fortunate to have a public elementary school that can compare to even the best private ones in this community.
As a mother of 2 children who have attended WFE…I thank you Mr. Otte and everyone at WFE for your continued excellence in education and tireless dedication to our children.
Lisa Saunders
8:44 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
I am a new parent to Windsor Farm Elementary. Today marked the ending of my daughter's first week. We came from the most adorable, nuturing private nursery school and Kindergarten. We are lucky to live in such agreat neighborhood with WIndsor Farm Elementary School a minute from our home. I can tell you that what I have experienced as a volunteer who has been allowed to volunteer three times this week at lunch and recess has been inspiring! I was told that the staff and teachers were amazing and they are. This is called a "public private school.". I understand why. The staff and teachers care about the kids and Principal Otte is a hands on, refreshing, friendly, down to earth Principal. I am grateful and thankful my daughters have the opportunity to be educated by this staff of teachers who have a passion for their work and students. You can feel the warm energy as soon as you enter the front door. I could not have designed a better school. Windsor Farm Elementary is as close as you can get to perfect!