Time of Renewal

Special shout out to the De La Cruz family for their help with Landscape Day last Saturday.  The whole family (including mom and kids) came out with their equipment and expertise (not to mention a healthy delivery of mulch) in cleaning up our beds, trimming trees, bagging trimmings, and more.  Thank you De La Cruz General Services.  You definitely rock and the front of our school - not to mention an area in the back that three of our dad's jazzed up a bit - looks really nice.

I was very impressed with the mission simulation I caught in Mrs. Finkle's and Ms. Perkin's fourth grade classes on Tuesday.  Students were at learning centers, going through each section (5 total) to simulate Native American experiences with early mission life.  Great up-front work before Wednesday's field experience to an actual mission in San Antonio.  Varied stations included listening to Gregorian chants at chapel, sleeping in dormitories (hard surfaces, given "two thumbs down" by several students!), gathering and sorting crops, making useful products in the workhouse, and working with Spanish words.  Students also were very busy writing their reflections and extensions at the end of each center rotation, adding that extra learning component to the activity.  Hands-on, relevant, and a way to deepen understanding of the concepts taught.  Very cool.

I was on my way past the cafetorium Wednesday morning, when I heard the most delightful sounds emanating from the area.  Ms. Proffer's students were working with Creative Action and their Heroes short residency (4 visits per teacher, emphasizing SEL concepts), and those young learners were actively involved with the two teaching artists I saw.  Ms. Proffer was even able to get in on the action when she was given a butterfly clip for her finger as part of the set.  I don't know how our Kinder team will develop this next year (perhaps a content area emphasis?), but I am thrilled that this year, we finally have arts residencies at every grade level.  Anywhere from a 4 day visit per classroom all the way to an 8 day visit per classroom (think Story Wranglers working on creative writing with third grade - very intensive).  All these folks bring more to our kids and community than can be easily expressed and understood sometimes, but the arts bring more than can ever meet the immediate eye. Truly.

Coach DeLine organizing the procession

Finally, it was Scottie Olympic Opening Ceremony late Wednesday afternoon.  Our Coaches decided that in this special Olympic year, an opening ceremony before Thursday's annual event was in order.  Each class had made special banners for the procession to the quarry, our Scottie Singers sang The Star Spangled Banner, homeroom student reps carried/passed the torch around the track as we cheered before the Olympic bowl was "lit", then it was time to get Happy (we love that song here!) before heading back into school.  Great job, great enthusiasm, and a good reminder to me that a school is so much more than we sometimes realize.  It just is.

 

All of us Happy dancing at the end

See everyone back after break.  We will be in the final push toward our spring STAAR assessments, with student attendance and heads in the game of optimal importance. Spring is all about renewal and we look forward to seeing you once again on March 17 -  renewed, refreshed, and ready to roll.