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Simple Truths Children Learn…

A most enlightening conversation took place this morning during walkabout when a group of learners stopped me for some input (mostly because they know I adore funny items). They found a witty piece entitled Simple Truths Children Learn with a list of ten things the children in this piece have learned about life. simple-truthsI was asked to read aloud in my best announcer voice:

10. The best place to be when you are sad is in Granny’s lap.
9. Don’t try to use the vacuum cleaner and the cat at the same time.
8. You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
7. Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a mint.
6. Absolutely don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
5. You can’t trust dogs to watch your food while you go to the bathroom.
4. Never ask your 2-year-old little brother to hold a tomato.
3. If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
2. When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
and then…
1. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t baptize the cat.

After my oral reading ‘test’ (I passed), we giggled about these keen life observations. It truly opened the door to deep conversation about being observers in life–noticing those interesting little things popping into your world out of nowhere in particular.

Children say and do some of the funniest things! An acting friend of mine always notes, “Never take the stage with children or animals; you (and your character) will never have the lead.” In our work, we are certainly privileged to be a part of these observations and discussions on a daily basis; here’s hoping you take time to enJOY and appreciate some of the simple truths around you too!

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Are you aware?

We have what we affectionately call the “buffet of services and needs” here at LME. Learners on every level and need of the educational curve, many with severe and profound situations, seek out our school and contribute daily to our learning community in extraordinary ways, truly a blessing for all involved! April is Autism Awareness Month, however, we embrace awareness everyday.april-is-autism-awareness-month

According to the National Association of School Psychologists 2010 report, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a complex group of related disabilities marked by impairments in communication and socialization, a limited range of interests, and the presence of repetitive behaviors. Cognitive skills, social skills, communication skills, and organizational or self-directional skills may be affected in varying degrees. Additionally, the number of children diagnosed with ASD has risen in the U.S. with recent statistics reporting 1 of 40 boys and 1 of 89 girls have ASD. Students with some form of ASD present unique learning challenges and opportunities for educators and the families who support them.

I marvel at the progress of our LME friends with ASD. From the unconditional love, dedication, and encouragement of their families (who do an amazing job of supporting our academic and behavioral goals), to the individual educational strides each child makes in the general education setting, we work as partners and participating members in the process. Teachers learn and implement instructional and behavioral strategies making strong impacts and a big difference for everyone in the classroom.

AUawarenessHere’s a little secret you need to know: The real JOY lies in the way all students interact and assist one another on our campus. We are blessed with students who have a real heart for helping each other, no matter the needs. Inclusiveness is paramount to personal success for all involved! Being aware offers information for fresh insight, opens new doors, and starts important conversations about how to improve outcomes for all students, no matter the need. Are you aware?

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Write your own ending…

During walkabout today, a young writer stopped me to talk about endings (personally, I like beginnings, but endings it was). It was one of the Muppets after all who noted, “Life is like a movie; write your own ending.” This writer was struggling to bring closure to a story because so much conflict had occurred during the narrative. “How will the day be saved?”

lifestoryWhat was really bothering this child was the fact that life works this way. Sometimes a pleasant ending is not always possible. Adversity and conflict are a part of living as we work to achieve personal excellence and success. In life, we all get knocked around some; those who view themselves as victims stay down and those who see themselves as heroes get back up and arm themselves with optimism, courage, and positive actions. When this happens, we have to make the choice to tell ourselves (and the world) a positive story through our words and actions, then work passionately to create a positive outcome. After talking further, this child reminded me of the words I frequently use with others: “Most of our greatest heartaches in life become our greatest blessings in disguise.” As we write our endings to this school year in the coming weeks, here’s hoping we carefully choose the story we want to share with others. Write on…

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We LOVE Volunteers!

IMG_7177Volunteers are vital and our special focus today was on the extraordinary work our LME volunteers do for our learning community! What would our growing campus do without these generous individuals who willingly give and assist in immeasurable ways? In our classrooms, our cafe, our gym, our playground, our art gallery, on field trips and other special LME events, and more, our volunteers provide invaluable service and support to us. Here’s what some friends had to say today about our volunteers:
She helps us do our math centers and stations each week.IMG_7176
He reads funny stories to us and we laugh.
She sometimes carries my tray in the cafe line.
They help us with projects and messes we make in class.
They throw us parties at school and make cool ‘quipment.
She stays to teach us when our teacher goes to the bathroom.
They make money for our school to buy us stuff.
They don’t get paid but the do priceless work!

We are blessed with volunteers who give unconditionally of their time, talents, gifts, and service daily…THANKS! Special thanks to our Miller Singers, our StuCo, our staff, and others who honored them in wonderful ways throughout the day. As we plan our work, work our plan, and autograph our work with personal excellence, please know it never goes unnoticed how our volunteers lead the way everyday; we LOVE you, volunteers!

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Creating Innovators

creatinginnovatorsIt’s so true…anyone who’s spent time in an elementary school classroom knows students start with endless imagination, curiosity, and lots of creativity…that is, until they learn how best to answer the question (versus asking the thoughtful question).  Our students, considered digital natives, spend more time on devices today (even IN our classrooms) than not.  When they are not in our classrooms, they are still “going to school”—just on the Internet.

So how do we create innovators in our school setting everyday?  In his book, Creating Innovators, Tony Wagner explores what parents, teachers, and employers in the 21st Century should do to develop the capacity within our youth to become innovators.  Adults in a child’s life are the first ones to nurture creativity and spark imagination while teaching the child how to persevere and learn from failure.  There are patterns developed in childhood creative play leading to special interests and deeper purpose for career and life goals.  Play, passion, and purpose, he concedes, are the driving forces for young innovators.

I’ve challenged our classroom leaders to read this book as a pipeline for creative talent, taking note of the ideas that might create change in their learning environments through play, passion, and purpose.  My personal thoughts on parenting, education, and mentoring have changed in quite profound ways from studying these innovators.  This generation of learners/innovators lives in a radically different world than we did growing up…global economy, connectivity, and strong competition being just a few of the drastic differences.  As one of my teachers noted during our conversation about this book the other day, “I’m not teaching a subject anymore; I’m here to teach a process for learning that will follow them always…how to successfully teach themselves.”   🙂  Learning to learn with the daily explosion of technology available brings new meaning to “lifelong learner.”  Tony Wagner is right:  “What makes this generation of innovators unique, and what ultimately give me faith about their future, is that no matter what they encounter in life, they will find a way to figure it out.”  Here’s hoping we do our personal best to foster innovation daily!

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Meet The Candidates!

flagAgain this year, Panther Radio will allow MISD citizens to get to know their potential representatives by hosting a School Board Candidate Forum. The event will take place on Monday, April 27th at 6:30pm in the MHS auditorium.

There are three places on the ballot this year. In Place 1, Glenn Hartson will face Keith Hitt while Heather Inman Prather, Matt Cooper and Duke Burge compete to represent Place 3. Todd Hemphill is unopposed in Place 2.

All candidates will be given an opportunity to answer questions concerning issues that may face our district. They will also be able to address a few questions submitted by the audience and Dr. Ron Bland will host the event.

If you cannot attend, Panther Radio will carry the broadcast live at http://www.pantherradio.net.

Early voting begins on April 27th with the election scheduled for Saturday, May 9th. Be sure to get out and vote; our children are counting on you!

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Round-Up Time, ya’ll!

kindergarten_roundupIt’s the time of year we begin preparations for next year by encouraging our incoming PreK, Head Start, and Kinder friends to visit our campus and start the enrollment process for August! On Monday, April 6 through Thursday, April 9, join us in the front office from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily to enroll online, ask questions of team members, see student work on display, and bring your documentation to copy. We will have laptops on hand to complete the online process, print your application, and then copy your required enrollment documentation.

We will also have our annual KinderKamp on Tuesday, April 28th in our LME cafe starting @ 6:30 p.m. Parents and next year’s Kinder friends are invited to visit our campus for an informational meeting and some Kinder fun regarding next year’s program offerings.

We always look forward to welcoming new friends to our growing campus!

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Weeds or Wildflowers?

bluebonnet1Perhaps you’ve heard the saying:  “May all your weeds be wildflowers.”  After testing was complete, I managed to make the rounds this afternoon to visit with some young readers talking and studying seeds.  They were commenting about finding “several weeds on the playground and our fields out back, Mrs. Van!”  Someone mentioned allergies and “how hard it is to keep my nose from running right now with blooms!” (I completely relate right now).  Another friend talked about sharing “a flower necklace I made during recess for my teacher.”  One child discussed the need to “help others learn to see the weeds of life as wildflowers everyday.”  🙂  Obviously, this got my attention!

As we talked on, it became obvious these observers were sharing ideas gleaned from recent classroom conversations and discussions about turning challenging situations into opportunities.  This life lesson at a young age can certainly impact the future for these learners.  Looking at things optimistically (the glass is half full) goes a long way in bringing JOY to daily challenges, no matter the situation.  So…here’s hoping you find a batch of wildflowers along your journey today and choose to help others turn their “weeds into wildflowers” too!

PS – I’m told we “DID NOT pick the bluebonnets out back either!”  🙂

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Day One…state assessment…done!  As we continue staarthis week, we encourage you to rest, eat well, and do those calming techniques that allow you to focus, concentrate, and do your personal best no matter what!  Thanks to all our learners (testers and non-testers), all our LME staff members, and especially Mrs. Bass, our campus testing coordinator, for giving your personal BEST everyday!  Day Two is next…  🙂

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anewappMISD has released a new mobile app giving users a personalized window into what’s happening in the district and on our campus. Get the news and information you care about and become involved.

Free and available for both Apple and Android mobile devices, you can visit the MISD App Website to download today.

This dynamic new application will take advantage of leading technology resources to connect you and other community stakeholders by using existing tools streamlining access to information under one umbrella.  You can customize the information you receive and engage stakeholders with timely and responsive news and conversation about our district, our school, and our students. Here’s hoping you get started today!

Note:  The previous app, powered by SchoolWay, will be unavailable beginning March 18, 2015.