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.

A Visit from the Senator

Today 7th Grade students had the privilege of hearing Senator Margaret Whipple speak about her journey through public office. She delivered a very important message to the students that she says she learned early in her career. "Be prepared to lose!" Senator Whipple said she gives this advice to everyone who is looking to get into public office. While it may seem up front, what a message. She told the story of her loss in her first campaign. But then illustrated how it helped her do a much better job the next time around. What great advice. I remember the first time I was teaching a lesson - so many things I forgot to say or do with the students that I caught the second time around. I think this gives us a great idea to reflect on - when we don't get our intended outcome, how do we bounce back and do it better?