If you've been into school this week, you know we have lots of Pre-Fling activity happening all over the place. The PTA Spring Fling school fundraiser happens Saturday night and I hope to see all Scottie adults there; check out the artwork below slated for the Silent Auction portion of the evening. Always popular and couldn’t happen without all the many, many parents up here all hours of the day and night working on these projects with individual students and classrooms. I’m particularly impressed with the fourth grade class selections this year…they’re 3-D and they light up! Of course, all the artwork is terrific and creative and student-centered. Very special pieces leading up to a very special night.
Zach Scott visited first grade classrooms over 2 days to share the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, a pre-performance activity before students saw the actual Zach production of the book on Tuesday. When I visited Mrs. Powers’ classroom on Monday, I was impressed with the enthusiasm and life the actor brought to the book. Students were able to actively participate in the reading, with some called to the front to be actors themselves. Best of all was the emphasis on vocabulary as it related to theater terms, such words as props, improvised, dialogue, script; one of my seatmates at the play told me, “Hey, Ms. Workman, that milk carton is a prop”. Kids could see it in action, therefore it was much more relatable and understandable. Super way to build prior knowledge before the performance and another way to make text and vocabulary come to life. Enjoyed it!
Gilbert Tuhabonye of the Gazelle Foundation spoke to our C.L.A.S.S. service club students after school on Wednesday. Peter Rauch, Scottie dad and Gazelle Foundation President, coordinated the visit with our C.L.A.S.S. sponsors and the presentation was very informative and especially eye-opening for students. Mr. Tuhabonye spoke of the need for clean water in our world, specifically as it relates to his experiences in his home country of Burnundi Africa. He demonstrated and talked about his personal experiences of walking miles to find clean water for his family, then carrying the full water container on his head for the journey home. Students were able to get a feel for how difficult this would be as Mr. Tuhabonye brought examples of water containers still being used today; the ones our students tried to lift weighed 48 pounds, so it really hit home what some kids have to do in order to have something many of us take for granted - clean water. Mr. Tuhabonye also spoke of living with joy and the pleasure of running and his spirit for life was inspiring considering the great odds he has personally overcome. As part of our C.L.A.S.S. second semester service focus on water conservation and to support the Gazelle Foundation efforts, our HP students will gear up in the near future to help Mr. Rauch and others design a kid friendly page on the Gazelle Foundation website, something our school is most happy to support. The Gazelle Foundation is committed to bringing clean water access to those in need. Great cause and a great way for our students to connect with what is happening in our world at large.
We hear a lot about wellness and fitness in our schools these days and rightly so. Building healthy lifestyles for our kids now will hopefully equate to healthier adults later; build those habits as soon as possible always seems to be the mantra. I appreciate the new display board our PE teachers, along with HP Mom Stephanie Wilson, have put in place highlighting how and why our own Scottie Moms are staying fit. The Fit Moms board shows various Scottie Moms engaged in activities they not only love, but the ones that keep them healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Stop by the gym hallway to check it out when you have time, but who knew we have Moms participating in everything from horseback riding to the flying trapeze! Moms are out there running marathons, rolling the rinks in the Roller Derby (yep!), playing water polo, hiking mountains, tap dancing, and more. We would love you to share your own personal fitness story as well, so check the sign-up forms next to the display board. Thanks Moms (and Dads I’m sure) for being the best role model kids can have – you. I'm inspired!
Latest and greatest picture of our newly installed Aquarena Springs bus shelter. Much work to go, including painting, landscaping, but Oh, How Excited we are to see it in place!
