I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Winter Break. We have had a great first week back! Our teachers and staff were extremely well prepared to welcome back our kiddos, and the transitions to deep and meaningful learning experiences did not skip a beat. It’s hard to believe, but we are nearly ½ completed with the 2015-16 school year. During the week I was talking with a bunch of first grade students, and they were telling me (with excitement) at how they already feel like second graders.
During January, La ola del lago students and staff will be focusing on COOPERACIÓN. We will be talking about numerous examples of how we can be cooperative with our friends, at school, and at home. As part of our social and emotional curriculum, La ola del lago has five major attributes we focus on throughout the school year: Cooperación, Empatía, Respeto, Control Interno, & Asertividad - forming the acronym CERCA. (Cooperation, Empathy, Respect, Self Control, and Assertivness) We will celebrate students demonstrating cooperación at the end of January at an all school meeting.
While the Winter months of January and February can be cold and dark, the students at La ola del lago are deeply engaged in hands-on and focused learning. While we continue to tackle curriculum objectives, our students are also being asked to think deeply about how to apply the knowledge they are obtaining. We continually stretch their thinking each day to realize the world is a very big place, and the gift of becoming bilingual is something special. It’s a powerful moment when students begin to find their inner voice to express to the world who they are and how they want to make it a better place.
If you have not yet liked our Facebook page or joined Twitter, I would highly encourage you to. We share many pictures, videos, and information through these two medians of social media. Our La ola del lago hashtag is #LODL, my Twitter handle is @RKucinski, and our Facebook Page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/EdgewoodPLSAS
If there is anything I can help you out with over the course of the school year, or if you have any questions about Spanish immersion education, I am always happy to hear from you. I can be reached directly at 952.226.0903 or [email protected].
Hasta luego,
Richie