It’s beginning to look a lot like “normal” as we continue forward together as a community this school year. I am reminded daily how lucky and fortunate we are to be able to attend school safely with our health intact with a common goal in mind: our students enjoying school. Our focus on health and safety protocols is directed back to providing our kids with a positive and memorable school environment filled with challenges, laughter, and friendships. Our teachers get to focus back on the instruction of our essential teaching standards and providing their students with a safe and caring learning environment. After two long years without, we’ve been able to welcome back our families to campus. Already we have performed two grade-level productions of “Splash Zone” (a first grade play about aquatic life) and second grades rendition of the “Nutcracker.” Parents and guardians have also served as room parents, classroom volunteers, and campus guests, all of which have been fantastic! We look forward to many more of these opportunities as our school year continues.
As an elementary school, we not only teach academic foundational skills through our grade level Guaranteed Standards, but we also build our students’ ability to communicate, appreciate, and celebrate one another. The ability to communicate appropriately has been challenged because of the past two school years. Kids were kept away from one another; they were not able to see each other’s lips move when they spoke in and out of the classroom due to masks. We are finding that kids need reminders of how to express themselves and their feelings, especially when they experience frustration. This isn’t only in our younger grades. Our upper elementary-aged students are caught in the middle of this as well. These students have not had the same practice or opportunities to work through disagreements or misunderstandings due to missing out on the traditional school experiences caused by the pandemic. Through these new challenges in communication, we have incorporated positive messages through assemblies and grade-level meetings with chats about empathy and kindness.
Whenever a disagreement arises in the yard or in the classroom, teachers and administrators do our best to listen and inform our students of other possible solutions rather than getting overly upset and even at times physical. This is an ongoing process that we share with our parents and guardians. Whenever there is a conversation in the office with students outside of the classroom, principals communicate what occurred and what was learned. At the end of the day, that’s what it is all about; learning from a mistake that was made and teaching our students the better options for handling a problem. These are teachable moments that help guide character development within our young and impressionable students.
I love reading the Escalon Times and seeing the different pictures/names of students who not so long ago graced our Dent Elementary School hallways. I look at their pictures of either a sporting event or community service and think back on all the teachable moments we were able to have together in a short amount of time on our campus. It is a reminder that we are responsible for teaching our students more than just academics but how to work productively within our community as responsible, caring young adults. No matter the obstacle, we will continue to teach, guide, and support our students knowing that our time together is precious and goes by quickly.
With that, enjoy your holiday season with your family and friends. Merry Christmas and here is to 2023 being our most productive, safe, and enjoyable year yet!
Principally Speaking is a monthly article, contributed by principals from Escalon Unified School District sites, throughout the school year. It is designed to update the community on school events and activities.
