Principal’s Post
Year-End Reflection: The Challenge of Change
I have had the honor of observing our current 5th grade students become the individuals they are today since 3rd grade. This is one of the many perks of being a principal: having a schoolwide view of our kids as they progress through the years. As a former 5th and 6th grade teacher myself, I … Read More
Elementary School Renovation: Six Design Strategies for Modern Learning Spaces
Later this May, professionals from HSR Design (our architecture firm) will be available during the school day to take questions and collect feedback from staff about the building renovation. Time is yet to be determined, but they should be available long enough for everyone to have an opportunity to speak with them. As educators, we … Read More
Competition and Education
My wife and I attended our first track meet of the year last night. The rain and overall cruddy weather did not sway the student athletes and coaches from completing the events. Our son participated in a team relay, high jump, and shot put. Tomorrow, our daughter will be playing soccer. Another sports seasons has … Read More
Elementary School Renovation: Preparing for a Modern Learning Environment
Over spring break I finally finished my office/writing space. It is located on our first floor in a corner off of the kitchen. I found a long, thin table at a local shop and put up book shelves next to it. All of our resources are now nicely organized and not strewn out across the … Read More
Beyond the Standards
I was in a 1st grade classroom conducting an instructional walk. The students were quietly working on their informative writing projects. They had researched a topic of choice, using strategies to read nonfiction texts. Now they were using their notes they had taken and were applying them to a writing project. I sat next to … Read More
Elementary School Book Swap
If there is one thing about buying books for my kids that is challenging, it might be how quickly they read them and then they are looking for the next one. Their rooms (and our home) have stacks of titles in many places. A few they will reread, yet many could find a new reader. If … Read More
Screen Time and Kids
by Elementary Principal Matt Renwick During these recent no school days due to inclement weather, it was hard to keep our own kids occupied, especially when it was bitterly cold. Our son even commented, “Are we getting too much screen time?” We assured him that once the weather warmed up, they would be able to … Read More
Civic Responsibility
It is hard to believe that November is already here! It’s been a busy two months of building our learning community at school, connecting with kids, staff and families, and discussing our goals. For this school year, we are focused as a faculty on reading instruction, specifically thinking about the text. This includes thinking critically … Read More
Fall Learning Opportunities at Elementary School
This post is to make you aware of a few learning opportunities for students this fall. Family Math Night On November 1, education students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville along with their instructors will be hosting an evening of math games and activities. Family math night starts at 5 P.M. and runs until 7 P.M. … Read More
Parents Needed for Elementary School Team
One of our two school district goals is community engagement. Engagement within the context of education can be defined as developing trust and building relationships between home, school, and community. Of these two tenets of engagement, trust is a prerequisite for creating a school culture that recognizes and embraces family involvement. A powerful way of … Read More