This year at our school meetings we’ve been listening to stories that help us think about the attributes of our learner profile. In keeping with our school theme this year Our Stories Matter, stories are a great way to teach values and give examples for us to follow. As I was preparing for our December meeting to talk about Caring , I was reflecting on something I notice about our students and even adults sometimes. In general, kids love to help. They give of their time enthusiastically to take action like picking up trash or helping Clara, our custodian. They are easily inspired to want to help those in need by collecting things on their behalf or making and selling things to benefit a cause. They feel passionately about people that are suffering or in need. But, sometimes they don’t recognize that every day actions and how we treat people is really what caring is mostly about. Sometimes a kind word, a smile, standing up for someone that needs a friend is how we can show
As I shared last week at Back to School Night, our theme for this school year is Our Stories Matter . This theme was inspired by an author and speaker, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who explains that stories help us to humanize and empower those around us when we take time to learn them. Fall 2009 school gathering So, I will take the liberty of sharing a bit of my story as it relates to our school. It was ten years ago this August that I made the move across town to become the principal at Bel Aire Park. At the time, there were two schools on one campus and because of very restrictive policies that were in place in California at that time, there was a huge disparity in what the schools were allowed to provide for students. Our staff, parents, and students came together as one new magnet school and began implementing the Primary Years Program of the International Baccalaureate Organization. At the time, this was a huge change for everyone and it took a lot of courage and a lot