Step Back
Over spring break, my family and I went to the Indiana Sand Dunes off of Lake Michigan.
While walking along the beach, I took some steps back to take a picture of our kids against the background of the lake and the dunes. That’s when I noticed the small rocks. They formed long winding piles along the shore due to the wind and the waves.
My daughter ran by me at that moment. “Do you notice a pattern?” I asked her, pointing to the rocks and then to the sand dunes. She looked unsure. “See how the shapes are similar?” Looking more closely, she could see the patterns that nature had created. “Those rock piles look like mini-sand dunes,” she noted.
This experience reminded me of the importance of taking a step back from time to time. We need a big picture perspective on things to see the patterns and themes that are presenting themselves. Life gets so busy, and we often miss learning opportunities because we are so close to the action of our day-to-day lives.
By taking a step back, I can better appreciate where we are, how certain influences and factors got us here, and how we can shape our decisions and environment to arrive at where we want to be in the future.
Summer School Registration
If you have not already, you can register your child(ren) for Pointer Adventure Camp:
Formally referred to as “summer school”, we want to reframe how we approach our learning opportunities in July. Knowing how expensive some camps can be for families, our hope is to create a somewhat similar environment for our students here.
- Community building
- Outdoor activities and games
- Time to read and write about topics of our choice
- Local field experiences
This shift will likely be small the first year and then build upon our successes in the future.
Intruder Drill Practice This Week
While faculty have already reviewed and discussed our procedures in the situation that we have a building intruder, we want to run a similar practice of this drill with the students.
Students will go through our drill this week with their teachers. We will explain that it is only for practice. It should be low stress, with the goal of simply understanding where to go and what to do.
Take care,
MATT RENWICK
PRINCIPAL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
This is Matt’s 23rd year serving in public education. He started as a 5th and 6th grade teacher as well as an assistant principal, athletic director, and building principal all in Wisconsin Rapids. As an elementary principal with the Mineral Point Unified School District, he enjoys working with students, staff, and families in a collective pursuit of continuous learning. In his spare time, he reads, writes, gardens, and travels with family and friends.