The JB Way

The world of education is broken down into three parts: elementary, secondary, and higher ed. There are some pretty distinct differences between the levels. I got my start in elementary and fell into secondary. One of the first things I noticed when I moved levels is that secondary folks don’t add as many themes and flair to their classroom, projects, etc. This is not a criticism, just more of an observation. My colleagues will tell you that I love a good theme. I go all out on holidays: shirts, earrings, headbands, you name it, I will wear it. My office is a fun space with lots of color. When my environment is happy, I am happy. 

But my enthusiasm for themes and adding flair to activities and events has taken on a different level this year...  

I am coordinating our School Wide Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports program (SWPBIS). This means that I am creating systems and programs to ensure students follow rules, are safe, and create a positive environment for all. This is challenging on a campus of 1400 plus students who have 1400 plus unique backgrounds and personalities.  

 

Last year was tough for all of us and my team is committed to better year for our students and staff. We are already off and running with school wide expectations of “The JB Way: Safe, Responsible, Respectful”. We have a door decorating contest currently in progress, a t-shirt design contest that just started, and we hold weekly raffle drawings for students who are leading the way!  

One of the reasons that we create these systems and programs is to provide extrinsic motivation to our students. Who doesn’t like a reward? I often reward myself when I finish a task, which is the intrinsic motivation I have developed over time. Adolescent brains are still developing and often they need guidance and boundaries to be successful. 

 

What I most needed to make my program successful in the moment was prizes, ways to get students excited for our program. So, I turned to my family and friends and Amazon. In just a few days I received Rubik Cubes, pens, pencils, candy, sketch books, and more. Our first drawing was last week and the winners were excited about their prizes. I am so grateful to have a strong support system of people who show up with no questions asked and share in my excitement!!! 

 

We have more fun planned this year which will mean more wish lists so stay tuned! I honestly can't do this alone and I'm so thankful I don't have to. 

Teaching the New Teachers

In July of 2005 I started my first teaching job in a new city. I was teaching seventh grade ELA and my only prior teaching experience was with first grade and kindergarten. There was a two-day induction for all teachers new to the district and we were assigned our classrooms and that was it. 

I waited anxiously for my new colleagues to roll out the red carpet, welcome me with open arms, and tell me what to do. I quickly realized the cavalry was not coming to save the day and I was indeed on my own. 

I persevered that first year and was as successful as I could be. I liked the school and the students. I eventually found colleagues to collaborate with and made some great life long friends. It was harder than I thought it needed to be though. 

A few years later, after another new start in a new city. I found an opportunity to start a new teacher group with a colleague. We met before school with teachers new to our school each week to answer questions, problem solve, and create community. It was exactly what I so desperately wanted back at my first teaching job. 

I have been leading the group for many years now and have seen so many of my new teachers become amazing professionals. A few have advanced their careers by moving school sites and becoming coordinators and coaches. Some have moved to different districts. And still others have left the profession completely. 

Each year I am reminded of the true passion one needs to have to be an educator. It is a dynamic career that is truly different every day. The work is never easy. But sometimes being helpful is as simple as showing someone how to use a copy machine and sometimes it is sitting with them as they vent their frustration, cry, or laugh at the day. I love all of it. 

Working with new teachers not only helps them but also helps me to keep grounded in the work done every day in the classroom. I am proud of the program I have helped to build and would encourage anyone who meets a new teacher to offer whatever assistance you can. Sometimes it feels like you are in the ocean with no one around for miles and a life line from a colleague could make all the difference in the world. It has to me, time and time again. 

Meeting Students Where They Are

Learning loss. 

Post traumatic stress. 

Post traumatic growth. 

Social emotional learning. 

Resilience. 

These are all terms that are being discussed in the realm of education right now as we continue to navigate the world that changed so abruptly in early 2020. However, as the pandemic rolls on and students, families, and staff continue to be affected daily, at the school site, we are not focused on these terms. Yes, we use them when talking to stakeholders and we discuss them in professional development sessions as we learn to navigate our current circumstances but when it comes to our students, we simply meet them where they are. 

Last year, my morning job was to check students' daily passes to ensure they were healthy and could enter the school building. This meant that I got to see almost every single student come into school, learn his or her or their name, and say good morning. This year, as protocols have changed, I was a bit saddened that I would not be at the same post, doing the same job. But imagine my excitement when I learned that I would be posted at the front door of the school and would still able to greet most of our students as they come into the building. 

Research has shown that an adult saying good morning to students can be the most positive interaction they have in a day. Some say good morning back, some wave, some walk right on by like I am not even there. But it doesn’t matter because I am meeting every student where they are. 

In the spirit of meeting people where they are, part of our staff development this year has been on social emotional learning and how important it is to check in on students and allow them the time and space they need to grow and acclimate to the school setting. Our leadership team was able to create kits for all of our classroom teachers to support students in this social emotional learning environment.

We included journals, growth mindset prompts, Rubik’s Cubes, stress balls, and more. This is one more way to meet students where they are. 

As we begin the 2022-2023 school year, we are making a concerted effort to help students feel not only welcome in our community but wanted. One way we're doing this is by planning clubs that will meet during lunch and after school to encourage students to get to know others in the community with shared interests and interact in positive ways. It's new and exciting and I hope, just one of the first steps in along this new path we're taking. 

Meeting kids where they are is going to allow us to help with learning loss, social emotional health, and resiliency. It’s not a buzzword, it’s not new, it’s what dedicated educators have always done and will continue to do. 

A Dream Deferred

March 13^th 2020 was over a year ago but when I walked back on campus for the first time in over a year last month,  it felt like only yesterday. 

May 2021, on campus in my office

When I started this journey of creating STEAM opportunities for our middle school students, I had no idea what was to come. By the time March 2020 rolled around, our Makerspace was
being used most days by teachers from all subject areas, our Zspace lab was being reserved by teachers more and more, and our All-Girls Robotics Team was coming off a phenomenal year of competition, ready to take on the next challenge. 

Then the world stopped. But education did not. 

During the stoppage, our students rose to the challenge; we have had over 95% attendance during distance learning. The National Junior Honor Society students found virtual ways to make their community a better place, and we had students taking community college classes in addition to their middle school course load. They were resilient as they faced illness, loss, and so much uncertainty.  

And that uncertainty was not just something our students faced. This past year created challenges for educators the likes of which we have never seen. Teachers are trained through years of school and almost constant professional development to engage students, create opportunities for collaboration, and develop social emotional health through lessons and communication. But in the blink of an eye, all of the tools we had at our disposal were taken away. So we did what teachers do. We pivoted. We figured out what worked and what did not, we attended more professional development, we learned new engagement strategies, and we kept on teaching.
 
Over the next few weeks we will wrap up this school year within our hybrid mix of in-person attendance and online learning. We will begin to plan for next year. I am excited for what comes next; having our students on campus again, reopening our innovation spaces, and creating new opportunities for our students to explore the world around them. The world has started up again, and still education rolls on. 

March 2020, at home in my office 

A very good day in the zSpace

This morning one of my colleagues and I looked at each other, sighed, and said, "It took all year".

We were standing in our brand new zSpace lab at the time, watching a class of English students tour the Globe Theater using our new augmented reality computers.

VR heart dissection

It's May. If you ask any educator how she or he feels in May, the response is usually tired. Testing season is wrapping up, grades are due, students and faculty are looking to next year. This year is no exception, but this, the augmented reality lab, gives me energy to keep going. To keep pushing. Yep, it took all year to get this lab up and running.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely.

Last June my principal brought in a representative from zSpace for a demonstration and our staff was immediately blown away, we knew we had to get the program for our students. This technology is being used in college and university classes to teach students medical procedures, engineering, and much more. Giving our students an opportunity to experience it as 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students would give them such a head start.

Me at the teacher training

Students testing out the zSpace

And head starts are imperative in education. For the last couple of years, educators have been talking about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how to prepare students for jobs that haven't been created yet. This is the way we do it. We allow them space and time to experience the technology available now and explore. We do it early. We do it now.

Bringing this lab to our school was not easy. There were road blocks, red tape, unanswered e-mails, red tape, and more red tape. Our luck changed last fall when LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner came to visit our school site. We shared our vision and his office was instrumental in getting the approval we needed for the lab.

VR glasses & styluses

The next hurdle was that the laptop lab we wished to purchase is brand new technology and we had to be patient with the company. Once the technology arrived at our school site the room had to be prepped, furniture installed, and training done with faculty members. Did you know someone has to unwrap every pair of VR glasses? Did you know someone has to figure out the extension cord situation for 40 laptops and separate auxiliary chargers?

My colleagues and I have been working 30 minutes and here there getting everything ready in the midst of our day to day responsibilities and today, just today, we finally invited our first class into the space.

Students in the zSpace TODAY!

One of my English teachers, Ms. Hargrove, is the first teacher to use the lab and her students spent time touring and learning about theaters. The 3-D aspect allows them to go into the space and explore while learning. The students just finished reading Romeo and Juliet so seeing the Globe Theater was a great tie-in to their current curriculum.

As I walked around the zSpace this morning and watched the students take to the technology like fish to water I couldn't be happier. The long days, the frustrations, and the set backs are all worth it for days like this. When students are engaged and don't want to stop learning to go to their next class, we know we're on to something. We know we're making a difference.

Students in the zSpace TODAY!

Other teachers out there know that 100% engagement is not something that happens very often. It's something we all dream about though. And today I saw it.

Every single student learning, answering questions, engaging in academic conversation.

Today was a good day. A very good day indeed.

Our First Lego League Qualifying Tournament

The John Burroughs Middle School All Girls Robotics Team made their mark at the First Lego League qualifier. The girls did not win or move on to the next round of competition but they were the only team made up of all girls and did they did finish in the top 10. 

This was my first robotics competition and I had no idea what to expect. It was nail biting, exciting, and dramatic! Our teams and our coaches learned so much the experience. When something went wrong during a round, the girls immediately got together to discuss what happened and how the problem would be fixed. While they were waiting, the girls practiced on the floors of the school, working up until the moment they had to get into position.

At the end of the competition, before the awards were given out, music was turned on and a huge dance party broke out. This event is designed for kids to learn, build, and code. It is also a way for students to celebrate accomplishments and to have fun. And it did just that. Watching our girls at the end of what was an incredibly intense and exciting and stressful day for them break out into dance was just joyous. It was a day filled with exactly what education should be filled with. 

And our JB team cannot wait for next year!

Toilet Paper Rolls and the Community

Who knew toilet paper rolls could build a bridge from school to community. Not an actual bridge mind you (that might not be structurally sound!) but a way for community members to connect with our students in a way that doesn't cost any money.

When I started the Makerspace at Burroughs, we needed supplies. I researched online and discovered that many of the items needed were other peoples recyclables. I put out a call to parents and staff for items and quite a bit were donated.

Fast forward two years later and on any given day you will find random bags of paper towel and toilet paper rolls in my office, waiting at my door when I get to work or handed to me at a party by a friend who's heard I'm collecting. Because people are still donating. Every week. I haven't asked anyone for them in months. Yet they still end up here. Along with egg cartons, old muffin tins, anything that people thing might be useful in a Makerspace.

People who don't have children, people who are low income, friends, and parents are continuing to use this project as a way to make a difference. And it does make a difference. And all of these items are useful.

Next month one of our sixth grade history classes will be building the civilizations that they have designed. This is a Problem Based Learning project that is weeks in the making. They have studied ancient civilizations during the year and are using pieces from all of the places to design their own civilization complete with government, buildings, and people. They will go into the Makerspace and build these places they have dreamed up with, yep, toilet paper rolls.

I've realized throughout this STEAM and Makerspace adventure that simply talking about the ideas and theories behind these projects isn't enough. We have to create the space, we have to collect the supplies, and we have to help these kids engage. By encouraging the community to engage with the students we all to reap the benefits, and see the amazing results.

Scrimmage Success!

On Saturday, October 26th, our All Girls Robotics Club went on the road. They traveled to Elysian Park Elementary School to compete in a practice competition for First Lego League. If I am being honest, we almost didn't go. Our coaches were feeling unprepared. This is the first year that we are competing and it has been a bit overwhelming. 

But the girls have been working hard before and after school to prepare for the upcoming November 10th competition and we thought it would be good for them to experience what the actual competition would look like. So we registered for the practice. 

I was not able to attend the event and was nervous all day thinking about the girls and the coaches. I was so excited when I got the results. The girls had not only shown up, they had shown what they were capable of!

Our two teams received 1st place in robot design and 1st place in project, as well as 2nd and 3rd place for total overall points. 

At the next after school practice, I asked the girls how they were feeling. Were they confident about the upcoming November competition? The responses from the girls was great, although they are still nervous. They feel like they have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. 

However, I encouraged them to be in the moment and celebrate the work they have done so far and then get to work! The future is BRIGHT! 

Yesterday I unveiled our new Robotics Club shirt design on social media and thanked the people who have donated money to make this design a reality. I was so happy to receive donations from several more people yesterday, including a former student and a complete stranger!

While I am working on raising the money and getting the shirts made, our teams are busy prepping for the competition. I love seeing them figure out challenges and smile when the robots move the way they intended.

I also want to mention that many other great things are happening on campus this week. Our theatre classes, led by Ms. Heath,  are working in the Makerspace to create newscasts with the green screen wall. Mr. Daniel Sanchez is prepping to start our mixed gender Vex Robotics Club that will meet in the morning. And, all of our students are having their vision checked by Vision to Learn because our students need to be taken care of to do the amazing things they are accomplishing!

Here We Go!

1 team to 2 teams to 3 teams!

Our All Girls Robotics club is off and running! When we started last year, as the All Girls STEAM Club, we had about 40 girls who participated during second semester. Our teacher mentors, Ms. Natalie Prystaloski and Mr. Victor Sanchez, have worked hard to make the program even stronger this year. As a result, the girls were able to sign-up and start practice with the LEGO Mindstorm robots this past week.

A lot of work has been done in the robotics lab and the girls are working on their t-shirt design for the competitions. The first competition is October 27, 2018.

One of the challenges we have faced this year is the amount of girls who are excited for this opportunity. Over 80 of our girls want to be a robotics coder and we love that! We are working out schedules for them all to participate.

As we start organizing the girls for competition teams we have increased from one team to two teams and are now considering adding a third team!

Keep checking back for updates as we continue on our exciting journey!

Not just STEAM Girls, Entrepreneur STEAM Girls!

Over the weekend, I read the book “Venture Girls” by Cristal Glangchai, PhD. Glangchai is who I want to be when I grow up. She has found a way to get girls interested in STEAM but she takes it a step further.

I have spent the last two years working to expose my female students to STEAM activities in the hopes that it will stick to some of them, and they will pursue careers in the male-dominated professions of math and engineering. Glangchai points out that hoping it sticks is not the best way to go about this. She writes about taking girls' interest in science, math, and engineering and turning them into entrepreneurs. 

Her organization, Venture Labs, takes girls as young as five and helps them to create business plans and products that solve real world problems that they see. The book gives so many examples of how girls have so much to contribute to society but are constantly being told they are not good enough. Teaching them to be entrepreneurs gives them the option to make a way for themselves instead of waiting for the world to catch up. Here's to something new for the next two years...

Already Hitting our Stride

Mr. Sanchez, one of the STEAM coaches & me!

It's hard to believe that the 2018 - 2019 school year started four weeks ago already. I recently heard a quote, "The days are long, but the years are short". And I find this to be truer and truer as as each school year comes to a close and another one opens. At Burroughs we have started the school year off strong. There's an excitement and a sense of positivity in the air that I haven't experienced in a few years.

When our All-Girls STEAM Club kicked off in January we didn't really know what we were doing. It took a while to reach our stride. This year we are starting right away. Our two faculty sponsors, Ms. Prystaloski and Mr. Sanchez have already got over 70 girls signed up. Honestly it is more than we planned for but we are working on a plan. I do not intend to turn away any girl who wants to be part of the group. We are changing the name to the All-Girls Robotics Club, it embodies what they are doing better and we are excited for the change!

This year we will have competition teams. The girls will compete in the Lego First Challenge in November. I am hoping that the exposure to building the robots, coding them, and participating in a competition will boost the confidence of the girls and allow them to shine in ways that are new.

Additionally, our professional development for teachers has kicked off strong this year. This week we are introducing Rocket Notebooks to the staff, if you don't know what these are, Google them, you will want one too!

Still Dreaming...

I am finishing my 13th year as an educator. Ask me where the time went and I can't tell you. I still vividly remember my very first day. At age 24, I was three weeks in to a move from Michigan to Yuma, Arizona and was teaching 7th grade English. All of my student teaching was done in 1st grade and Kindergarten. I was young and had big dreams for changing the world one student at a time. I was so utterly unprepared for the world I was entering.

In my three years in Arizona, my first three years as a full-time teacher, my world got so much bigger. I met new people from all over the country. I established norms in my classroom. I worked hard to stay ahead of the kiddos, never an easy task. Many of my students were from Mexico and South America or first generation Americans and struggled with the American education system. The school had a gang problem. At the end of that first day of my first year I called my mom and asked her to come get me (spoiler alert - she did not!). I was overwhelmed at the job ahead of me. College hadn't prepared me to teach students who were facing challenges that I had never faced, let alone in seventh grade.

If you ask anyone in education, most could tell you a similar story. The plight of the educator has been national news for a while now but it is not new. Teachers are underpaid, overworked, exhausted. It's true, but it's not the only truth. The other truth is that we love our careers, we are fulfilled by them. We could not do it, day in and day out otherwise. We are committed to changing the world, leaving it better than we found it.

This past school year has been challenging. It's fresh so it feels more so than other years. At this time last year I was invigorated by the idea of bringing STEAM to Burroughs and creating a Makerspace. My biggest concern was raising enough money to buy the paint to make our green screen wall. I am proud of what we have accomplished this year. The Makerspace gets used often by our teachers. They bring their classes into the space to use the green screen or spread out and make projects. We are learning as we go how to do more, how to do better.

And one of the biggest accomplishments of the year was not mine. I am so proud of Ms. Prystaloski and Mr. V. Sanchez for the work they have done in creating our All Girls STEAM Club. I have helped with logistics and been a sounding board but the daily work has been all them and the girls who are coming in at 6:45 in the morning or staying for an hour after school to learn about robotics and how to code them. As with anything, the program is evolving into something more defined for next year. We have plans to compete in a competition. We are going to fundraise so that we can provide the students with everything that they need.

When I think about the past 13 years, I am so grateful that I didn't give up that first day. I kept dreaming and it has turned into something wonderful. Right now my biggest concerns are more than paint but they are also just as bright and exciting. How do we keep going, how do we use our momentum for the next year?

I cannot wait to get started in August. But for now, we'll wear our new STEAM shirts this year and celebrate what we've done -- students and teachers together. Education is all about teamwork. It's all about learning new things. And after 13 years I'm so glad that every day still brings new experiences, new challenges and new chances to change the world.

Teaching Teachers

One of my jobs as an instructional coach is to plan and implement professional development. This is no easy task. I don't mind speaking in front of groups and there are lots of topics I find interesting enough to research and present. It's the buy-in factor. I think the most important part of my job is to get teachers to want to be part of my sessions, to want to learn about the idea that I am presenting on. Teachers are a tough bunch. I know, I have been one for a while now. I am just as judgmental about district meetings and professional developments that I sit through as a participant. I have been part of the group that talks in the back because it is so boring I would otherwise be asleep. I know, not my best side. 

About 5 years ago I was asked to participate in a cadre of teachers that would get together and plan the professional development for our school site. This was a win-win for me, I got to get out of my participant chair and also got to have input on what we focused on as a school site. This model has worked well for us. Our teachers are more invested, there is more input on what is focused on, and this cadre played a large role in JBMS being named a 2017 Gold Ribbon School. 

As I moved from teacher to teacher leader to instructional coach, I have taken on more of the day to day responsibilities of instruction at the school site. It has been eye opening and at times challenging. Early in January, fresh from the 3 week holiday break, I faced one of these challenges. I am part of 3 person team that oversees instruction. My math/science counterpart went on maternity leave a bit earlier than expected. The assistant principal who oversees instruction, and who is also my rock at school, went on bereavement leave. This left me. With three Tuesday professional developments (PD) in a row. The cadre of teachers stepped up and helped where I needed it but I knew it fell to me to get the job done. So I did the best thing I knew how to do - I baked. I spent an entire day baking cupcakes, big ones, small ones, and making frosting. I had planned a hands-on, Design Thinking professional development and I wasn't going to fail. 

The day went smoothly. More so than I thought it could. At the end I not only had fun, I learned a lot. I learned that everyone likes hands-on activates, not just kids. I learned that candy and cupcakes make learning more fun, and I learned that I have grown so much in my 18 months out of the classroom. 

The PD was based on the story of the Gingerbread Man having survived the holidays without getting eaten. He now has a bucket list of things he wants to do and needs an vehicle to do it. The parameters were simple:

• The vehicle must be able to travel on land, air, and water
• The vehicle must have a power source
• The vehicle must have a navigation system. 

The teachers were put into random groups as they came into the room, they were given all kinds of candy, cookies, and cupcakes and set loose. This is where it got interesting for me. I had anticipated that each group would take 1 cupcake and put wheels on it, make a seat and that would be that. What I didn't see coming was the scope of vehicles that were designed. This afternoon showed me that listening and putting ideas together from multiple people of different backgrounds can result in amazing things. I was truly blown away by the designs and the thought that the staff put into their designs. 

At the end of the activity, each group did a 30 second presentation, recorded on their iPads and submitted it to the student leadership at our school site. The students watched the videos, made a video of their own to showcase the winning group that was announced the next week, we also gave out $5 Starbucks cards to the winning teachers.

This past week I went in to a science class to pick up a student that I needed to speak with and the students were working in groups with pipe cleaners, fabric, tape and lots of fun things. I asked what they were working on and it turns out they were creating an all terrain vehicle with a power source and navigation system. This is why I left the classroom. Not because I wanted to stop teaching. I wanted to reach more students and by teaching teachers, I can do that. 

 

Report from the Field

Teachers practicing with the green screen

I love teaching, which is why it was such a hard decision for me to leave the classroom to become an instructional coach. The 2 years before I made the move I had become involved with the instructional cadre at my school site; we got together regularly and planned professional development for our colleagues. I really enjoyed being part of this group, taking what I knew, adding it to what others knew and sharing it with the everyone. 

For any teachers, administrators, coaches out there, this is a fantastic model that has shown real results at our school site. Our staff collaborates more, is willing to take more risks, and is more invested in the professional development sessions. 

Teachers during a PD session in the Makerspace

When I started on the journey to create the Makerspace this past spring I wasn't sure what would happen. I could name 5 teachers who would want to use it, think it was a good idea, and bring their classes in. I wasn't sure about the other 70 teachers. As with any professional development I lead, it's about the buy in. So we showed it to the teachers. We had them make their own green screen videos. We had them participate in a design thinking lesson. We let them simmer with the idea. I didn't go around asking teachers to sign up, asking them what lessons they could do in the Makerspace. I let them talk to each other. Recently when an 8th grade history teacher asked me about using the green screen, I sent her to a 7th grade history teacher who had done it recently to see the results. 

And so she bought in. Instead of assigning a research paper, as she had done the last few years, as a culminating activity for Lewis and Clark, she took a leap. For a week she let her students plan, research, and record their learning.  Here is a portion of the e-mail she sent me at the end of the week:

"We used the cloth and feathers for costumes for Lewis, Clark and Sacajawea, and some heavy card stock for prompter cards for actors.  Little mushroom stools were really helpful in getting kids in place for the green screen shooting.  We had a lot of fun making our creations. I may miss you, so I was wondering if you would mind sending someone to fetch the key.  If not we will connect I am sure. This was a really neat opportunity and the kids had a blast.  We all learned a LOT!"

Not only did she buy in, her students bought in. They got to learn, play, and create. This is what education should be about. This is what education is about.

Conference Musings

People are never one thing. Tonight as. I write this from my hotel room at the California League of Schools Technology with a Purpose 2018 conference I am many things. I am exhausted after yesterday’s flight was delayed four times and I got to my hotel room at 2am only to be up at 7am. I am inspired after spending the day learning, listening, doing, and being with fellow educators. I am also reflective.

It’s been a while since I last blogged. I can explain to you that it is because life happens. There is work, salary point classes, holidays, but the reality is I need to do better. Don’t think for a minute that my silence on this blog speaks to inaction. In the last few months my team and I have created an All Girls STEAM Club that has so many members they meet four days a week to accommodate them. We have started a VEX Robotics Club open to anyone who can get to school early. Our robotics elective has taken off and the robots come to life every day. Our Makerspace is being used to create, to engineer, to be creative. We have done more this school year than I dreamed possible.

Below is a video from our last Coffee with the Principal meeting for parents. We brought the girls from the All Girls STEAM Club in to be introduced. These girls are the future and I intend to stand back and get out of their way!