Celebrating the First Month of 2022
As we say farewell to January and hello to February, it is important to look back on our first month of 2022 and celebrate our victories. We came back to school from their winter break and experienced extreme cold weather that included snow and ice, and a large uptick in Covid cases and exposure, but our students and staff remained strong and resilient. Our families did a wonderful job finding care for their child when they had to quarantine, and our staff hustled to create work packets and virtual assignments for our students who had to stay home. Most importantly, our students remained patient with the process, and they kept learning! We are so proud of our school community for banding together and choosing the healthiest and safest way forward while we work hard to keep our schools open. Take a look at some highlights from the past week!
Ms. Godfrey's Art Lessons
Over the past week, Ms. Godfrey's students have been learning about 3D structures. Second grade is preparing to create air dry clay animals for our district zoo art contest. They have been starting with basic forms using modeling clay and carving tools to build confidence and skills for their animals. Their creations are coming along so nicely, and we know that they will work hard to get recognized in the art contest! Wish them luck when you see them next week!
Ms. Jackson's 2nd and 3rd Graders
Ms. Jackson's class was "caught" in their classroom and hallway enjoying their day of learning when Ms. Smith happened to stop by. If you haven't checked in on upper elementary in awhile, make sure you pop into see Ms. Jackson's students, who seem to enjoy their day no matter what they're learning. Students are often in groups collaborating with one another, and Ms. Jackson is a pro at providing opportunities for students to work together, engage in the learning process, and enjoy the content of each subject area. We love watching them grow!
DonorsChoose Deliveries
Even more DonorsChoose projects have come through the doors of Patrick Henry and we are thrilled to say thank you for the latest materials! Ms. Versen posted projects for furniture to create even more organization in her classroom, and she also received a fully funded project for students to take a "book bag" home. This book bag is no ordinary backpack though! It is a package of brand new books (leveled to their current reading levels!) and cozy blankets to curl up and enjoy the reading with a stuffed animal, a sibling, or a parent. We cannot wait to hear how the books work out once they go home with the students, so send us your reviews!
Welcome to Ballet Class
Each semester, Patrick Henry is lucky enough to have a resident artist visit us through the Springboard to Learning program. This semester, we have a new experience for our first graders - ballet class! Ms. Versen and Ms. Teska's classes get to experience lessons from a real life ballerina, Ms. Margaret Beaver Hassenstab, in a class titled "On Your Toes." This was the first week of the ballet lessons, and we cannot wait to see how our students stretch and grow this semester with Ms. Hassenstab!
Professional Learning Communities
Did you know that Ms. Amber Smith is the Patrick Henry Academic Instructional Coach? Though she often gets called out of her regular day job in Leadership Team tasks and duties, Ms. Smith's primary responsibility is to observe teachers and provide feedback and coaching cycles to make sure they are always learning and growing as educators. One part of her job is to lead PLCs, or Professional Learning Communities. These are weekly meetings with every grade level to provide continuous, on the job training and development. This week, Ms. Smith gave up her usual role to take over for Dr. Rogers while she was out for a family funeral, showing us even more of her leadership skills. We are happy to have Ms. Smith on our team, and thankful for the development she provides the staff!
February 1: Black History Month Begins
Join us in celebrating the first day of Black History Month by wearing black! Our staff is wearing a tshirt to honor leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, and we invite all of our students to join us in wearing black. Our students have been preparing for Black History Month throughout January (and even earlier for many of our classrooms), so keep up the conversations at home!
