Starting in 2014, the Frenship’s Central Office Staff came together and created the Chili Cook-Off Challenge to reward first-year educators who participate in monthly meetings and receive a tasty meal at each meeting.
Malli Travis, First Year Teacher Coordinator, believes that giving back to these teachers can provide them with an extra boost during their first year in the education field.
“The first year is rough; a lot of these teachers are also involved in extracurricular activities such as coaching, and some are working on their alternative certifications and master's degrees,” said Travis. “Providing dinner is our way to serve back to them and give them a chance to relax, have some fellowship time, and not worry about anything for a night. November is just an excellent time for chili since it tends to be cooler.”
First year teachers are a part of The First Year Teacher Academy, a program where they are given tools and resources to be successful during their first year in the classroom.
“All first-year teachers start the year with three days of training in August on top of new hires. We cover various topics to help them succeed in setting up classroom procedures, establishing management, and how to start their years with success,” said Travis. “Throughout the year, they meet four times in the evening, where we bring in a guest speaker to further their knowledge base. This year we will have training on SPED services, Assessment and Accountability, ESL, and Behavior.”
Travis believes in connecting the dots between our first-year teachers and the culture of Frenship through the Frenship Way Serve Model. It is her goal to continuously instill the Frenship Way in management, instruction, and actions with the first-year educators. The Frenship Way is rooted in servant leadership, instilling positive behaviors in students and staff, and serving our community at every opportunity. The Frenship Way SERVE Model stands for: Smile, Engage, Respect, Volunteer, and Encourage.
“Events like this help us to promote the Frenship Way and build the Frenship culture with our new teachers. It also helps the new teachers build a community of support with each other and staff members outside of their campuses. They can network and build a family,” said Travis.
Travis wants to extend gratitude to anyone involved in the First Year Teacher Academy.
“All of these meetings take quite a bit of support especially when we have large groups of new teachers like this year. They would not be such a success without all the love, help, and service of everyone in Frenship. I cannot thank everyone enough,” said Travis.
For additional information on The Frenship Way Serve Model, CLICK HERE.
This year’s winners of the Chili Cook-Off are:
- 1st place – Chelsea Sparks, Special Education
- 2nd place – Rhonda Dillard, Human Resources
- 3rd place – Desri Jones, Communications
Congratulations, winners! Your Chili goes a long way!