Post date: Jun 09, 2012 5:46:56 AM
Dear Families.
This is the last of my weekly writings to you and, strangely enough, I know that I will miss it. Since I was in middle school, writing has always been a good vehicle of introspection for me, but through these newsletters, I found it to be a great way to maintain interpersonal connections as well. Many parents told me that they browsed the newsletter each Friday and got a good sense of what was going on in the classroom and why. I'm glad to hear that.
Recap of the week:
I got tired... finally. A bit sick and some allergies perhaps, but I sure felt my energy and patience decline this week. Perhaps just a bit of sadness about the transition as well.
English
There was one assignment for the week -- the writing of an "I Am" poem that were posted in the lobby at Westgate Church during graduation. Most of those show just how good the students can reflect and write about themselves. Thanks to Debbie, all 3 of the teachers got bound copies of all the students' poems. On Monday afternoon we watched the rest of Sherlock Holmes and I let the kids off the hook regarding the 3-page set of questions about the film. Tuesday was an organization day during which the kids took all of their papers from the year and (re)organized them into sections in the black ELA binder that I got for them in the Fall. For those that kept all of the work, it was quite a thick well-organized collection and I'm hoping that it might serve as a resource in high school. Many students left them in my room, hopefully by accident. Also on Tuesday, the kids wrote "words of wisdom" that were read to the 5th graders at the in-school promotion ceremony. Great stuff, as some of you heard.
Here is a letter from Mitch Aronen to the students that explains his experiences as a reader of their compositions. His devotion to the job was amazing and I am so appreciative of all the time, knowledge, patience, and individual attention that he invested. Next year I think that we'll expand on the writing-coach idea and make it a team effort to provide students with extensive small-group feedback (and high expectations) regarding their writing. Another DCS-only feature!
Science:
The human growth and development "curriculum" went over well and the kids seemed to learn a lot and ask/answer great questions. Both of the movies ("Life's Greatest Miracle" and "Teen Dreams") were informative and structured in a way that used a story and characters. During the gender-separated QnA, the kids came up with questions for the other room and the responses were great. I think that many of the guys gained a valuable understanding of the nuances of romance -- at least those that are important from the girls' perspective (is there any other?).
Graduation:
The venue and ceremony were beautiful and served well to honor the important achievements of the students and this exciting milestone of their lives. The gifts of our students shone through as they played, spoke, and supported each other. It was a special evening that I will never forget. I do feel terrible for stumbling through some of the names! I tried, foolishly, to memorize everyone's middle name so that I could say them during the presentation of certificates. But, alas, there was only so much that this old and tired mind could hold... some middle names replaced first names, and other names were simply garbled. As the kids would say, "epic fail". Sorry Abbi & Audrey (and others as well, probably).
Conclusion:
You have heard me, time and again, gush with praise, appreciation and awe regarding your students, this school, and the culture that it has created. To do it again during this last letter might be a tad bit of overkill. Let it suffice to say that I know how blessed I've been and I will never take it for granted. I'll be planning some meet-ups during the Summer, mostly just to avoid the heartbreak that would accompany a permanent good-bye. Last year we did a barbecue/boating afternoon at Vasona and it was great.
Bye.
I love this these kids, our school, this community, my job, and the adventure each day provides. Thanks to all for all.
Chris