I Believe

"I believe in the human race. I believe in the warm heart. I believe in man’s integrity. I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it—and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist." 

Jackie Robinson delivered those powerful words as part of a recorded essay in 1952.   In that recording, he spoke eloquently of his beliefs and of his fight against prejudice.  This week, Lia Nudelman used those words as part of a culminating hall display (along with art of the time) in connection to her historical fiction novel In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.  Students listened to Robinson's essay, connected it to the well known NPR This I Believe program, then connected to their own heartfelt I Believe list poems. Stop by her second grade classroom to read through the writings and browse the art they created and the thought behind their choices of artist.  I believe you will walk away inspired by the learning connections and, most importantly, the belief statements of our children.

Zach Scott wrapped up their inaugural after school program this week, with both performances by K-2 and 3-5 on two separate days.  I briefly heard and saw our younger set telling jokes on stage, while our older kids performed the short play Peter Pan and The Lost Girls.  Nat Miller, ed director of Zach, was my seatmate for the latter and we both left impressed that the actors not only had great presence, but also had total responsibility for the behind-the-curtain work (rearranging sets, staging of actors, etc).  Zach does first rate work  and we're exploring additional ways to pump this up for next year, both in and out of the school day.  Special thanks to Rog Wall for a very well done second semester acting class. 



In case you didn't know, April is National Poetry Month.  In honor of this special month, librarian Cheryl Mullins got students fired up about all things poetry and implemented the school-wide Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday.  Many big and small Scotties carried a pre-selected favorite poem in their pocket throughout the day - some by well loved poets (mine was Robert Louis Stevenson's At the Sea-Side, a personal childhood favorite) or original ones written especially for the occasion - then pulled them out when asked to share.  So as you can imagine, we had poetry shared in classrooms, hallways, cafeteria lines, and more.   Our after school childcare director and lunch monitor Mrs. Castro was so enthused, that she wrote an original poem to share (very well done!) and had kids performing at the mics while their peers ate lunch.  In fact, we had such fun sharing, we're thinking of making Poem in Your Pocket Day a part of our monthly lunch routine around here next year.  Cool.




The JOY! of poetry



Now, a nod to all things STAAR testing.  I believe our kids did their level best, I believe our teachers (here and elsewhere) "taught their guts out", and I believe this year above any I've had at HP, we all worked hard to keep the learning as inter-connected and creative and meaningful and joyful as we possibly could each and every day for every child.  And we will continue to refine and work hard and grow next year and beyond for the continued good of our children, for the goodness and integrity and humanity Robinson spoke of in 1952.  Because honestly, I do believe, when it's all said and done, these are the things that will matter the most.

Earth Week

Cathy McHorse, Future Problem Solvers sponsor for our identified GT students, sent me this picture over the weekend.  HP had a fifth grade team participate in the State Bowl competition on Saturday, the boys had a full day of "problem solving", then headed  for ice cream when all was done - those must be smiles of anticipation.  Proud of your efforts Scotties!


Andy, Zach, Steven, John Graham, and Ian

Mrs. O"Donnell's fifth grade math students enthusiastically showed me how to use their Promethean Board ActivExpression tools on Monday. These small tools give students an opportunity to "show what they know" through technology applications. AE "promotes classroom collaboration by allowing students and teachers to immediately view responses and to discuss them during the lesson."  Pretty cool.  On this day, students were working in teams answering questions from Measure Works Game Cards.  Though respondents can submit multiple choice answers, I saw students solving open ended questions and submitting text answers.  Loved that component and loved the discussion Ms. O'Donnell facilitated when the answer choices were graphed and displayed on the board.  Instant feedback.  Best of all, the enthusisasm for doing this math activity was overwhelming.  "I feel sophisticated using technology", "We all get to answer", and "Fun!" were the responses I received when I asked students if they liked using these devices.  Mrs. O'Donnell uses these tools for review, pop quizzes, word problems, vocabulary practice, and more.  Great way to build student engagement in all fifth grade classrooms.

Across the hall, Ms. Guimbarda and students were actively working on their historical fiction novel unit (yep, part of that 2-5 planning in language arts) while the sounds of 60's Motown played in the background - who doesn't enjoy Motown!  Students are reading the novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham as the unit anchor, but also including picture books such as Sit-In by Andrea Pinckney, many Faith Ringgold selections, Langston Hughes poetry, and non-fiction texts related to the time period and the settings of the novel (Birmingham, AL and Flint, MI).  Some of the related student activities include setting comparisons (today and in the 1960's), written synthesis/analysis papers, a re-enactment of a lunch counter sit-in with student journal responses from the perspective as a bystander or participant, visual thinking (think DAR) through the use of relevant art of the time such as William H. Johnson and Norman Rockwell, analysis of film clips showing the role of youth during the civil rights movement, and much more.  Learning from the past, working together, keeping it real.  Thanks.

 

We did manage to squeeze in some fun in and around the learning this week.  Student Council sponsored an Hawaiian day, with many adults and kids dressed ready to hula at a luau.  Check out our own Ms. Collins from second grade and some pretty nifty third graders.    

And I absolutely cannot let the week go by without a nod to Earth Week, a celebration of our natural world.  We had Green Monday, Trashy Tuesday, Zero Waster Wednesday, Bring it in for the Bins Thursday, and finally, WOOF! (Walk Over On Friday) to cap off the week.  Our recycling program on campus has really geared up this year through our parent Green Committee's Highland Parks it In the Bin program.  Mother Earth thanks you.

WOOF!- Walkin Over on Friday



A bit of everything

Senora Muir and our Kinders kicked off the week with a fabulous performance at our PTA general meeting Tuesday evening.  This special Noche de Canciones serves as a highlight of a great year of Spanish enrichment on campus for all students.  Parents were out in full force to hear selections such as the song De colores and the Peruvian poem Pajarita.  A fun start before our meeting began and as always, very well done. 

Wednesday could not have been any busier.  We had several special events taking place at the start of school...all fun, engaging, and meaningful for our kids.  Tech teacher Mr. Etie was in the computer lab working with Mrs. Collins' second graders on some cool new apps.  I saw Mr. Etie navigating remotely the apps Skitch and Imagetricks, showing a few previous student models, with students then taking control and creating their own self portraits, working with various fonts, colors, frames, arrows, and more - or special effects, as Mr. Etie noted.  In addition to their portrait creations, students were also to add adjectives to their portraits (minimum of 5, one word or describing phrases), all of which are now featured on our school website - be sure to check out those finished products.  Best of all I loved seeing the positive self descriptions our students included on their pictures, such things as "good in math" and "smart".  Yes, you are and pretty cool kids as well.

Same time, same day fourth grade was rockin' down their hallway and in the cafetorium.  Mrs. Leibick hosted another Parent Visiting Day as the culmination of her Survival and Interdependence Unit.  Students were sharing with their parents projects connected to the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins and the non-fiction text, Trial By Ice, A Photobiography of Sir Ernest Shackleton.  I saw Venn Diagram booklets comparing/contrasting the 2 text's main characters, board games, models of the novel's island with a booklet overview, a newspaper complete with some very creative ads, animal adaptations flip books and the Maya Angelou poem Alone used as a base for student created poetry focused on things students do when alone because "being alone is not the same thing as being lonely".  I even heard there was a film clip done by one budding director and much more.  Phew! Love the choice in activities and love that they were embedded throughout the unit of study.  Thanks as always.

Mrs. Lundy and Mrs. Snell/Mrs. Burns' fourth graders were performing for parents as a component to their Fairy Tale Unit.  Loved the  Live! It's Fairy Tale News format, complete with promotional spots for sleeping supplements and an Italian cooking segment with the Three Little Pigs.  Not only engaging, but the dialgoue was completely memorized and delivered very well.   I hear these students also are completing pop-up Fairy Tale books and fractured fairy tales, along with other activities. 

We've been doing a lot of activities connected to the creative classroom as you know.  It's amazing how this initiative has energized our campus this year.  Even our student teachers are attempting new strategies during their total teach time.  Check out Ms. Farmer in Mrs. Guenther's second grade math class below.  She connected a mosaic replica of Van Gogh's Starry Night to geometric terms (rectangles, spheres, triangles, and more), ably using this highly engaging visual to " integrate mosaic art reproductions and images to show students how individual shapes can be placed together to make up a larger picture".  Thanks Ms. Farmer for jumping in with both feet - you supported varied learning styles and gave kids a way to make connections in different disciplines. 

The week could not wrap up without a word about Kinder Rodeo.  Y'all know the specifics as you've been there once with your child, but what fun for our littlest ones.  The halls were alive early in the morning with the Rodeo Parade, complete with student created horses.  Yeehaw!  Not to mention the varied activities that took place outside for students and parents to enjoy.  Live animals, engaging games, songs, and more.

Finally, parent Julie Danehy is facilitating a special showing of the movie "Forks Over Knives" for HP parents on Thursday, April 26, 6:30 pm, in our library.  Per Julie, the movie "is part of my mission to educate" our community about our food choices.  Julie is a Natural Foods Chef and heads up the Food-4-Starters program in second grade at our school.  She will be available after the movie to answer any questions if interested, so hope you can make it.

Short, busy week (and GO CATS!)

Short, but busy week at HP.  The Fine Arts Leadership Design Teams from each of the pilot elementary schools participated in a very engaging training at Ballet Austin on Monday.  Facilitated once again by mindPOP and UT's Drama for Schools staff, the training was one of the best we've had this year.  Teachers and administrators learned a variety of creative teaching strategies, building on the basic ones (such as Tableaux) that we already knew.  Each principal was given a video camera to take back to school, with the goal of teacher participants filming one of the strategies implemented in their classrooms; cameras and videos then will be sent back to the DBI crew for feedback on the lesson.  A very meaningful opportunity to grow as creative teacher leaders.

As you can see below, Janet Matetich got into the groove the very next day, implementing the "donkey" game strategy with her Science classes.  She used incomplete and complete metamorphosis as the lesson center, with follow-up small groups acting and making models, mobiles, and posters (choice given) on different insects and the complete metamorphosis process.  A great visual to help our diverse learners know and better understand concepts across disciplines.  Ask a fifth grader to show and explain the four stages...I bet they can.

PTA board meeting came and went Monday night as well, with many special guests.  Long, but productive meeting with some exciting things on the horizon for next school year.  Keep your ears open for all things landscaping in the coming months as this group, along with PTA at large, oversees the master landscape plan.  Sean Compton and Therese Baer presented, it's been years in the making, but I think we can see some type of light at the end of the tunnel.  We're getting there!  We also are looking to "pump" up all things students service learning on campus and have several ideas floating around on how to ensure all Scotties know, demonstrate, and support philanthropy.  Giving back now sets the foundation for giving back in the future. 

I had the privilege of being on the Teachers of Tomorrow annual Principal Panel at UT on Tuesday evening.   I enjoyed hearing other principal ideas on everything from interview tips to first year teacher recommendations as much as I enjoyed meeting the teachers in training.  Good questions, lots of note-taking, and a nice chance to connect early with those thinking of entering the teaching profession. 

Dr. Pedroza and TOT president

Umlauf Sculpture Garden was the scene for The Butterfly Project reception Wednesday evening.  Our student created butterflies, headed to the Houston Holocaust Museum at a later date, were on display along with many other schools - over 10,000 collected I believe.  Beth McDaniel, who headed up the project in Austin, told me the arrangement of colorful butterflies enmeshed with chain link and barbwire, provided a "juxtaposition between the beauty and the horror".  Visually powerful installation.

Special mention was given to our fifth grade language arts student creations - remember their 6 word memoirs?  Thanks again to Ms. Guimbarda for adding this extra component to the project and a big thanks to the Scottie families who attended last night as well. 



Final schoolwide activity today for the week as you know.  Scottie Olympics happening all day on campus, each classroom sporting their own special t-shirt as the kids move from event to event throughout the day.  Beautiful day to be outside, enjoying some well deserved physical activity.  Always fun and always well done.