Two Weeks of Caring

Playing Infection -selecting who will be "it". 

I love walking out to the playground each morning to greet students as they arrive on campus.  I am constantly amazed at the creative ways students entertain themselves in the morning.  One of our new rules this year is that no balls are on the playground.  This has led to some creative games like invisible basketball (yes students are dribbling and shooting with an invisible ball), state map games (where they rush to stand on the state called out), and "infection."  What is infection, you ask?  Well it starts out determining who is "it" and as that person (gently) tags another student, the infection is passed along.  I scan the playground watching the different student-created activities in awe of the respect and caring that's on display.  The students are always setting up rules that are inclusive and supportive of each other as they play games.  Yes, accidents happen, but even when they make mistakes they are open to conflict resolution and making a plan to do better next time!


Reflecting back on the last couple of weeks, I definitely see a theme of caring.  Our entire community has really pulled together in support of our school and our kids.  Make a Difference Day was a huge success.  We had a turnout of dozens of community members.  I want to send out a heart-felt thanks to everyone who showed up for this event!! Our school is so much brighter with freshly cleaned walls, orange and blue dinoprints, and new Buddy Benches.  A special thank you to the PTA crew who organized this event.  Chris, Kerstie, and Kurt we are grateful for the many hours you poured into this project.

Checking Out the Buddy Bench!

Also in the spirit of caring, I have held many meetings with parents and community members who are interested in making some positive changes in our school.  They asked some thoughtful questions such as:  How do we assist our parents in getting cleared to volunteer on our campus?  What additional methods exist for raising funds for our school that could be used to alleviate the load currently being carried by parents?  How do we increase the opportunities our students have to be innovative and engage in 21st century learning?  Questioning is the first step in seeking solutions.  We will definitely continue to explore our next steps in these areas as I meet with our staff leadership teams, PTA, PHEEF, and School Site Council!

Upcoming Events:

• SSC Meeting 10/6
• No School 10/10
• APEX Fun Rum - 10/14
• Carnoween - 10/22