Bulldog Blog
Week of April 15th
So, we set out to travel in a different direction! We wound through Fredericksburg and headed out towards Llano. The beauty outside of Fredericksburg, if you haven't been that way, is astounding! You should see it for yourself to take it all in. Fields of Bluebonnets and every color Spring flower you can imagine. It's Spring Heaven! This past year allowed for blossoming beauties to sprout from the ground and put us all in awe! We found our beautiful backdrop that we had been searching for and all we had to do was just take a little journey!
April is the perfect time to think about your journey in an educational sense as well. Testing has approached for most and in just a few weeks, we will start the second round. Throughout the year, we have been preparing students to search for their own "beauty" and to find just how much they have grown since the beginning of the year. The journey continues on through May and the beginning of June.Just like the flowers, the students and staff have been sprouting! They have been showered with knowledge and many of us can look in awe at the amazing views we see right in front of us!
No matter which direction you go inside of Alkek, whether it be into the far Kinder hallways, or all the way down to 5th grade, each classroom displays a different background. If you open the doors and stay awhile, you might see a little girl dressed in vivid colors reading a Dr. Seuss book for the first time, maybe a big high five to that third grader sitting at his desk who just made a 100 on his 12's in multiplication, or even skim the walls of fourth grade to find full completed autobiographies of students and what they want to be when they grow up!
Every journey taken inside Alkek leads to exactly what you have been searching for. It leads to inspiration, beauty, knowledge, and most importantly, success and growth! We still have quite a bit of a journey ahead of us, and I am excited to see what is still in store for all of us at Alkek, but remember, just like on my journey to find flowers, I discovered that no matter which direction I chose, I still had another option. If you find that you did not like the circumstances or the background of one journey, you can always turn around and find another way. I believe this is important in every aspect of our life. Our journey is what we make of it. We have a choice to "stand in the mud," or continue on the road to something better. You might not always know where your journey will take you, but you should always know that you have an option to change your path!
I hope you find the perfect path and continue to see the beauty no matter which way you choose!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Week 2 is complete and we have some rocking winners who will win ExTrA ReCeSs this week!
Big Congratulations to:
PPCD who had a 100% week again! We are so proud of you, way to be here every day!
5th Grade tops the week with 98.24%! Super Job!!
Let's make it a 100% week for all grades as we head into the short week ahead of us!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Prepare Your Child for Success
Encouraging regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success—both in school and in life. When you make school attendance a priority, you help your child get better grades, develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behavior and have a better chance of graduating from high school.
When students are absent for fewer days, their grades and reading skills often improve—even among those students who are struggling in school. Students who attend school regularly also feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to graduate from high school, setting them up for a strong future.
But when kids are absent for an average of just two days of school per month—even when the absences are excused– it can have a negative impact. These absences can affect kids as early as Kindergarten.
For example, young elementary school students who miss an average of just two school days per month often have difficulty keeping up with their peers academically and tend to fall behind in reading. But when students are able to read on grade level by the end of third grade, which is when kids transition from learning to read to reading to learn, they are three to four times more likely to graduate high school and attend college, post-graduate, or professional development classes than their peers who struggle with reading.
As a parent, you can prepare your child for a lifetime of success by making regular school attendance a priority. By figuring out the reasons for your child’s absences—whether they’re physical or emotional—and taking advantage of support services—such as free tutoring, student mentoring and afterschool activities—you can help set your child on the path to success.
------------------------------------------------------------
April 16th- Kindergarten Registration!
April 17th- Kinder Field Trip to Devine Acres!
April 18th- 3rd Grade Egg Hunt
PK/HS Egg Hunt at Mansfield Park!
April 19- Student/Teacher Holiday!
April 21-Hoppy Easter!
April 22nd- Student/Teacher Holiday!
Grades are Due!
Stay up to date with your child's grades by visiting our parent portal!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Meet Michelle!
Mrs. Mclerran is a Kindergarten teacher here at Alkek!
She has been teaching for 24 years and with BISD for 12 amazing years!
A little about Mrs. Mclerran:
She has two wonderful Boys: Mason, 19 (freshman in college) and Bryce, 15 (freshman in HS)
She is an Aries born on April 3rd!
Fun Fact about Aries: People born in April are very brave and courageous people. You will find them very outgoing and of strong attitude. It is their courage which derives them for better prospects in life! I believe this fits Michelle perfectly!
Her favorite hobby outside of school and teaching are: photography and drawing!
Michelle says her favorite book is: The Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly!
She is a furry animal lover, she has a sweet dachshund named Taco!
Her favorite holiday is Christmas and then Halloween!
Michelle's favorite quote or words she tends to live by are:
"Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind!"
When asked if she had a hero, Michelle simply says, "My Dad!"
Michelle says she is most proud of her two boys!
When I asked Michelle to tell a little about how she ended up where she is now, she tells us, "I have always loved little people, but loved everything art! I always knew I would do something with kids. I never thought I would be a kindergarten teacher. It was my mom that said one day while in college I would make the perfect kinder teacher. I thought she had lost her mind. She was right! Here I am living the dream!!! No place I would rather be!"
Thanks for all you do, Michelle, we appreciate you so much!
Enjoy your spotlight!