PRIDE POST
May 9, 2016
Field Day Success!
I now see why students have been looking forward to this day all year long! The hands-on fast paced activities provided variety, interest and high levels of engagement. It was also great seeing the Middle School students serve as leaders, in a servant role. Even though students perceived the day as "fun and games", is was so much more, students were developing what we call "soft skills" which include communication abilities, emotional empathy, leadership traits and social graces. Read more in this article about Why Soft Skills Matter.
Thank You to all of the volunteers and partners that made Field Day and Teacher Appreciation such a HUGE SUCCESS!
Calendar of Events
Monday
Custodian/Cafeteria Staff Day
Tuesday 10
FIF Distribution
8:00 - 8:15 Johnson
8:15 - 8:30 Haverstick
8:30 - 8:45 Allworth
8:45 - 9:00 Golay
9:00 - 9:15 Mc Broom
9:30 - 9:45 Cramer and Terry 2nd
Wednesday 11
District Leadership - Mrs. Sublett will be out of the
Thursday 12
Kindergarten "Din-O-Mite" music performance - 6:30 p.m.
Para Appreciation Day - All elementary classes will eat in their room. Lunch will be
provided for K-8 in the conference room. Thank you for all you do to serve
students!
Friday 13
Mrs. Patrick - Leader in Charge
Mrs. Sublett will be out of the building
Library Summer Reading Program
K-2 Library 1:00 - 1:30
3-5 Library 1:45- 2:15
Thoughts from Wes
I remember when there was no air conditioning in the schools...ok, so it wasn't that long ago, but I also remember when there were no chilled water fountains in the building. The water fountains were the white porcelain bowl fountains with refreshing tepid water! I taught Pre-K at Westport during summers in the early 80's - no air conditioning and no chilled water fountains. One day a week we would hook up sprinklers on the north side of the building for the kids to cool off.
DEFINING MAKER SPACE
Plans for the future include incorporating a "maker space" area in our library for elementary and middle school students. If you are wondering, here is a working definition of Maker Space. In an Education Week article, Benjamin Herold defines Maker Education: “The term generally refers to using a wide variety of hands-on activities (such as building, computer programming, and even sewing) to support academic learning and the development of a mindset that values playfulness and experimentation, growth and iteration, and collaboration and community. Typically, ‘making’ involves attempting to solve a particular problem, creating a physical or digital artifact, and sharing that product with a larger audience. Often, such work is guided by the notion that process is more important than results.”