Hello Summer!

Director Sara and Scottie Dog Millie!

It's officially summer for Highland Park!  Three full weeks of teacher designed camp offerings ran the gamut from Lacrosse to Games, Games, Games to Recreation Destinations to Manipulating Math to World Class Foodies to Espanol y mas.  And just like Spanish camp...much, much more.  I'm thrilled that our campus served approximately 150+ campers each and every week due to the diligence of  Scottie Camp Director Sara Henslee.  That girl is uber-organized and on top of things! 

We also had wrap-around services for campers, which went a long way in helping things run smoothly.

Thanks teachers, thanks kids and parents, and thanks Sara.  Check out some of the camp pics below and definitely check back with this blog in early August for my first posting of 13-14.  Lots of information on new staff, STAAR performance, Any Given Child Year III, and other things you will want to know for the start of school.  In the meantime, I encourage you take a look at the recent The Heart of the Matter report brief, film (very well done!), and press conference video from The Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences.  This bipartisan report speaks volumes on  much of the why behind the what we strive to do on campus each and every day.  I believe you will find great value in the recommendations to the major question it poses - Who will lead America into a bright future?   Definitely food for thought.     http://www.humanitiescommission.org/



Ms. Marques at Survival Skills Camp

Ms. Matetich at Lacrosse Camp

A pillow design awaiting final touches

Student created balances at Manipulating Math Camp

Last but not least - Mr. Robenhorst @ Math Camp!

Best wishes and we'll miss you

Last few days of school are always a whirl of activity.  If ever there was a time for variety, these days are it.  Here are some images from our last few days of school.

Our end of day breakfast on Thursday gave us the opportunity to have a bit of fun (the infamous Mr. Happy awards), as well as say goodbye to several folks leaving HP.  Teacher assistant Kristina Carmona has accepted a teaching position within AISD, TA Joe Alati is headed to a middle school campus, and ASCC staff member Kate Smith is leaving for new horizons in her professional endeavors.  Much success to all.

PE teacher James Supak will be joining another AISD elementary school as a full time PE teacher, while Kinder teacher Christina Ryan will be working part time with our own AISD Early Childhood and Science Departments. Thanks for your contributions to our school. And last, but certainly not least, we said a tearful goodbye to much loved fourth grade teacher Anna Lundy.  The Lundy's are moving from Austin due to exciting, new opportunities and we simply couldn't be happier for them.  Take care.  We will miss you.

New staff members will be introduced in August and we'll keep you posted when we know these positions are finalized.

Other images...


Kindergartners on the breezeway, cleaning house and playing games.  Havin' fun while doin' good.  Cool.






















Mr. Gay coordinating relay races on the soccer field for second graders.  Thanks Mr. Gay! You always make me smile.

Fourth graders pondering the perfect advice to give to the third graders for next year.  I know next year's fourth graders will appreciate receiving those letters! 

 

Sarah Murphy showing her winning art with teacher Ms. Maca, who tells me, "Wow! Our 5th grader, Sarah Murphy, has had her Chalk and Glue Beetle Bug chosen to be in the Children in Nature calendar for next year! Out of the entire Youth Art Month show (1600) artists that were displayed downtown, they chose 16 for this calendar!"  Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating social change so that kids throughout Central Texas have easy and frequent connections to nature.   Their annual Celebration of Children in Nature awards ceremony will take place September 17, 2013, presenting attendees with a calendar featuring children’s artwork that reflects the natural world.  Keep that creativity alive Sarah! 

Fifth graders demonstrating a truly amazing array of talents during their annual talent show on Tuesday.  The teachers always try to make this a low-key, fun event, but honestly, it has grown to the point where there are now many more adults in the audience as the wide variety of talent has made it one of those must see events.  Even for non-fifth grade parents.  Original compositions on the piano, original choreography by talented dancers and gymnasts, original rap lyrics performed by trios, soloists, duos performing their own sketches, hilarious dance moves that had us all laughing along, and so much more. Our big take-away however was not so much about the impressive talent.  It was the self-confidence these students showed - "I am who I am and ready to show you what I love to do!" - as well as the support those students showed other students during each performance.  That's the real highlight of the day for me.

                                                                                                                               

And finally, fifth grade promotion.  What can I say?  It's always moving, I celebrate this milestone, but also get a little sad (just a bit) about these students moving on to new things.  Hard to let go, but so much to be thankful for in this rite of passage. This year's ceremony was a packed house, starting with a final walk in the halls, then a slide show marking the years gone by, before moving on to the  awards presentations.  Lots of tears from parents and grandparents at the realization that this first school step is now behind them.  We ended with a talent show wrap-up for those who did not get a chance to perform the day before and I must say, even though it was not originally on the program, this was the perfect ending to the ceremony.  Griffin's solo of a Bruno Mars song was kind of surreal (that kid is good!) and Julia Kay's original surprise poem for her teachers brought it home.  As I alluded to in my brief speech at the beginning, I'm going to miss these fifth graders.  I'm really going to miss them.




Anticipating the Greek Mythology Award Presentations!

 

Last days of the year...

Fourth and fifth grade continued to have big culminating events this week. Fifth grade rolled out of here early Tuesday morning for their annual  3 day Camp Allen trip and I hear it all went off without a hitch.  When the campers returned Thursday afternoon, one young man told me "It was the best and I caught my first fish".  Cool.  Great way for our kids and teachers to do some last minute goodbye bonding before they all scatter for summer, then on to other schools.  Bittersweet.



Fourth grade also celebrated all things Pioneer Days this week, with lots of quilting, candling, and more happening in their rooms.  The Buffalo Soldiers made their annual appearance and there was some singin' and hoe-downin', along with the Founders Day Picnic on the lawn.  This year, there were even individual student recorded family histories for parents to enjoy.  Love that idea!  I even hear that fourth will attempt to return to their original end of day expanded performance for next year as well.  Love it!

Cari Land and parent/Texas Health & Human Services Center for Disproportionality Program Specialist Melonee Carter finished lessons this week in third grade on all things stereotypes as our No Place for Hate initiative.  I was able to pop in only at
the lesson beginning, but we will continue the discussion in mid-June with Cari, Melonee, and Kealing Principal Robin Lowe.  Looking forward to the conversation ladies!









Finally, the PTA Board official changing of the guard happened early Friday morning in our library, with outgoing PTA president Debbie Esterak passing the Scottie Gavel to incoming President Shannon Ratcliff.  Debbie had some candy treats for all of us, matching candy choices to either our roles or our personalities (ie Kerren, who knows just about everything regarding HP past and present, received some Good 'n Plenty, cause her institutional knowledge is all good and very plentiful).  Thanks as always to a tireless parent base who give so much of their time, energy, and resources to our school.  All good in the hood...