V.I.P.

Today is our first V.I.P. assembly for Black Oak and Virtue Assembly for THMS. These assemblies are where we get together and recognize the students who have been living up to our virtues of the month. I always look forward to these assemblies as it is a chance to highlight the most important things that our students will need as they grow up and become adults. Namely, good character and strong morals. Plus, it's always fun to hear whatever song Mrs. Randall will have our class for the month (this month is the 4th graders) sing.

Art

This year we had an extra classroom in the middle school due to the retirement of Mrs. Anderson. We've been able to bring back her brother-in-law, Glen Anderson to teach art this year to all students in Black Oak and THMS, and have been able to give him the extra classroom. It is great to see all the art posters including the Mona Lisa, Monet's Water Lilies, and Van Gogh's Starry Night that decorate the walls and to see how Mr. Anderson uses the classics to discuss art, and begin to give the kids the vocabulary to discuss what makes these pieces so iconic. He then has kids do their own art, and hangs that on the walls next to the "old" masterpieces. It is great to expose kids to art, and to help encourage some of our budding Michelangelos.

Girls' Basketball

Our girls' basketball teams are undefeated so far this season! Last week they took on Columbia and Belleview and this Tuesday was Jamestown. We have an 8th grade team and a combination 6 & 7 grade team due to our small numbers of girls, and they have really come together well. If you are looking for something to do, we have a game today here at Twain Harte versus Tenaya. Go Braves!

L.A.I.R.

Last Thursday night I went up to visit our 8th graders who were at Sierra Outdoor School for their three-day excursion called L.A.I.R. I am proud to say that after three years of visiting our 8th grade classes, I've finally figured out what L.A.I.R. stands for (Life's Activities Involving Risk)! This is a fantastic experience for our "big kids" to go out and push themselves individually, and come together as a group. There is a host of activities that the kids do, including leadership and problem-solving games, orienteering, star gazing, night hikes, kayaking across Pinecrest Lake, and a high ropes course with a zip line. Additionally, Mrs. Bickley and Mrs. Reed challenge the kids to look at each other differently. When I was there, we did an activity called "If you really knew me..." that can become very emotional as everyone who wants to lowers their defenses and shares something that no one else knows about them. It is a powerful bonding experience for the kids (and the adults) to be able to see each other with hopes, fears and struggles, and how alike we all really are. Kudos to Mrs. Bickley and Mrs. Ballard and our parent chaperones who really put themselves out there for the students.

Fun with Kindergartners

The other day I was walking across the blacktop, and the kindergartners in Mrs. Gold's class had their tricycles out, and were racing about. I started talking to Jack, a very bright boy who had been pretty nervous the first few days of kindergarten, as he was zipping around on his trike. I told him he needed to get a leather jacket and some chains to complete his outfit, and he told me, very seriously, that when he grows up, he wants to be a biker. He's got to start somewhere, I guess.

Back to School Night

Thank you to everyone who came to our Back to School Night last Thursday. It is crucial to a child's success in school to have a good line of communication between home and school, and by coming last week, you strengthened that bond.

New year!

Well, after several pokes and prods from a couple of parents (and my mom), I've decided to restart this blog for the new school year. For those of you who are new to this blog, this is a chance for me to chat about what is going on around campus in an informal way, and to share some of the goings on at Twain Harte Schools.

We've gotten off to a great start this year, and if you haven't seen it yet, the new blacktop looks great. We now have a fence that divides the play area from the bus turn around area.

I'll update more later, but just wanted to dust off this blog for this year!