Once again we have experienced another successful culminating theme event. I must say how proud I am of all of our students as they displayed their learning during this historical theme. We heard from some parents that they were very impressed with the event and with how well the students conducted themselves. I am also very proud of our teachers as they worked together in the most cooperative spirit to plan for the teaching and also making sure that the theme event was something that the students will remember. These theme events are important to our learners because they provide an authentic experience that we will all remember. How many experiences from your schooling (other than going to the principal's office) can you remember that had anything to do with your learning? Most of us can recall very little that had the kind of lasting effect that a theme event will recall. I remember starting the boiler at Poly when I was a student there. It was something that we had to do as part of an engineering course and I will always remember that experience because if we had failed, the school on North Avenue would have been cold (or so we were told) . Other than going to the principal's office (as a messenger, of course), this is about all I can recall as an experience in my formal education. I think our students have many opportunities to have experiences that will last a lifetime. More importantly, the experiences are giving them the confidence and skills to be leaders in high school, college and in the world of work.
I recently read an article in which the author was longing for the day when we got back to teaching students how to speak. In his words, "it isn't the resume that gets you the job, it's the interview". Even though we write a lot, we still communicate orally much more. So, what do we offer at GreenMount? If you were here on Friday, you know the answer to that question.
I was also impressed on Friday with parents who, when given the opportunity to provide feedback to the students, did so very eloquently. I think that parents' comments about the students' work in this setting have a greater impact than mine. The students expect me to say nice things and may consider this lip service, even if this is not part of their vocabulary. Students did speak to me about the parents' comments and I know from their comments that they appreciated that kind of support and critique. Therefore, you have established a new procedure for the theme event. As I close each of these events in the future, I am going to ask for audience feedback. I know that this will not be a task for parents and the students will love it as they did on Friday.
Our next theme is 'Attention GreenMount Shoppers!' - a financial literacy study. Please be thinking about how your expertise might be something that you could contribute to make this yet another successful theme.
Cheers,
Steve
