Happy New Year!

Students left today for a much deserved Winter Break. It is always fun to hear their shouts of excitement as they know they will be sleeping in and enjoying each other's company for an extended period of time. I wish all Husky Families a safe holiday break. We will see you in the New Year!

Cold?

Being cold outside always offers up the opportunity to curl up with a great book inside. After doing my professional reading, I started reading the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I was seeing the books all over with the 6th and 7th grade students, so naturally, my interest was piqued. I recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a story that is a bit unbelievable, but you love the strong female teenager lead!

A thought provoking book

Today I shared some thoughts with the staff from The Schools Our Children Deserve by Alfie Kohn. While the copyright is 1999, the perspective and reflections that Kohn provides for educators is still very relevant today. We see all too often that educators get caught up on the content and standards and forget what makes each student unique. When we focus solely on content we lose the personalization of education for students. This is a difficult dance for teachers as the stakes are high and pressure unrelenting. However, if we can reach a student, make a connection, and provide them with the differentiation they need, we are more likely to enrich their educational experience.
If you have already read this book think about going back and reviewing. If you haven't, I highly recommend it.

Challenge Day

This week 7th grade students participated in Challenge Day. What a powerful way to spend a day. Getting to know each other better, learning about how to stand up and be the change, and participating in team building activities to bring them closer together. A special thank you to our Challenge Day presenters Chris and Gina for delivering a wonderfully appropriate program for our young adolescents.