Monday, September 30, 2019

This is a House of Joy

Principal Ponderings...

I have a very short post for this week.  I simply wanted to share the poem that I read to the parents during our Open House last Wednesday.

May This Be a House of Joy

May this be a House of Joy.
May we be open here to dreams,
and to each other.

May all who enter in these magic walls
feel love and feel respect
for learning and each other.
May we be always friends to life.
May we walk in that friendship.

May learning live in this house.
May it never leave.

--Lucille Clifton
(Lucille Clifton wrote this poem for Hollywood Elementary School in Maryland as its inaugural school blessing, November 10, 1993.)

I love the thought of our school being a House of Joy.  I know on Friday it was a very loud House of Joy, but it's pretty amazing when you have kids leaving school for the weekend saying that they don't want to leave. 

Do you feel like you work in a House of Joy?
How do you think our students experience learning if they are living in this house?

What will you make happen in "these magic walls" this week?


Currently reading:
I just started reading the newest book by Dusti Bowling.  She wrote the great book Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and now I'm excited for the sequel: Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus.  Aven, the main character who is a girl born with no arms, is now starting her first year in high school. 
I also purchased some new picture books this week including this great one called Linus: The Little Yellow Pencil.  It's about Linus the pencil and his eraser Ernie.  Will they ever get along and will Linus be able to make his own creations without Ernie erasing them?!  Read to find out.
Several 4th graders recommended a book to me: Escaping the Giant Wave.  I had never read it before; thanks to Mrs. Greene for loaning me a copy to take home.  I enjoyed reading it and can't imagine experiencing a tsunami! 

 Events this week:
Monday - Grade 1 & 2 EL Creative Writing/Tech Club @ 3:30
Tuesday - Spell-a-thon information going home in backpacks
Wednesday - Staff meeting @ 8:00am in the library, Grades 3-5 EL Creative writing/Tech Club @ 3:30
Thursday - Liz @ PLT meeting at Central office from 7:45-10:00
Friday - Fire Department presentations with each grade all day, World Smile Day!

Great things I noticed last week:

Check it out:
Global read aloud starts tomorrow if you are interested: https://theglobalreadaloud.com/2019/05/01/information-for-2019-global-read-aloud-gra19/

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