Eagles,

As the seasons change (FINALLY) and the school year progresses, I wanted to share a piece of wisdom that resonates with me and is relevant for all who supervise children. The excerpt is from the Tao Te Ching: "Fill your bowl to the brim, and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife, and it will blunt. Chase after money and security, and your heart will never unclench. Care about people's approval, and you will be their prisoner."

At first glance, this 2,500-year-old passage might seem like something written on a decoration in a waiting room, but it tells us about what humans have been struggling with for millennia. Much of our suffering is self-induced.

1. "Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill." We often strive to do everything to be perfect. However, in doing so, we might overwhelm ourselves and our students. There's value in understanding that moderation, not excess, is essential. While we are ambitious in our goals for our students, we should keep them from overloading them to the point of spilling over.
2. "Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt." Continuous improvement is essential, as is recognizing when to pause, reflect, and appreciate the present. As we mold the future of our students, it's crucial to celebrate today's achievements and give them time to apply those improvements in practical application. What good is running drills if you fail to take the leap and play the game?
3. "Chase after money and security, and your heart will never unclench." While it's natural for us to want a secure future for our students, it's essential to remember that there's more to life than financial success. A well-rounded education, fostering emotional intelligence, creativity, and resilience, is just as important, if not more important. Too much security and the risks required for change hold us back.
4. "Care about people's approval, and you will be their prisoner." In this time of instant feedback and social comparison, we can quickly feel the pressure of constantly meeting expectations. It's crucial to remember our true mission: to nurture and guide our students toward becoming the best versions of themselves, even if that doesn't always align with popular opinion.

To provide the best for our students, we must remind them of balance, reflection, and staying true to themselves. Being a kid is tough, and we can sum up many of the things they struggle with in these four statements. Teaching them to know when enough is enough, when to apply themselves, when to take risks, and when to be themselves will help them reduce some of the suffering involved in growing up.

Enjoy these read alouds with your children and share conversation about how these stories of Hispanic Heritage demonstrate a desire for connection, resilient hearts, and greater insight to the human experience.

Click on the image below for a recipe on a delicious cup of coffee.

5th graders collaborate to build closed, functioning circuits. They test the outcomes of changes to the wiring and use of switches.

"The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves nearly 30 million children every school day. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom."

Source: https://schoolnutrition.org/about-school-meals/national-school-lunch-week/

Help us win up to $10,000 by bringing in your flattened cardboard and paper (no glass).

You may also bring cleaned and dry food & beverage cans, plastic bottles & containers.

• 1st place - $10,000 Cash Grant

• 2nd place - $5,000 Cash Grant

• 3rd- 6th place - $2,500 Cash Grant

• 7th- 10th place - $1,250 Cash Grant

• 11th- 20th place - $1,000 H-E-B Gift Cards

This is a reminder that hydration for your child is important. Water fountains are not available for direct drinking as they have been converted to a water bottle refill stations. Please send your child with a refillable water bottle.

Woodlawn Academy is an authorized IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme. In 2019, we became an SAISD In-District Charter School with Texas Council forInternational Studies, (TCIS) as our managing partner.Through this partnership, we receive additional funding.

Are you interested in participating in a school event as a volunteer. Perhaps support PTO with teacher appreciation events, join your child on a field trip, or help out in a Field Day? You will need a background check through SAISD process. The process can take a few weeks to complete, don't miss out on an opportunity of volunteering because the background check wasn't in on time.

SAISD Volunteer App-Garden

Website: https://schools.saisd.net/page/175.homepage/
Location: 1717 West Magnolia Avenue, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: (210) 438-6560
Facebook: facebook.com/SAISDWoodlawnAcademy
Twitter: @IB_Woodlawn