I am the beautiful, blinding, spring sunlight

Filled with goldenrod color that makes natural beauty

I wake up, stretching across the universe, just waking up from my winter sleep

Feeling joyful, I help people be as contented as me

By Ivy (WBSS student)

Ivy's words capture the curiosity, the brilliant use of language and the joy that young children have towards learning and living. Many years ago another poem, written by one of my 5th Grade students, also captured my heart.  In studying Haiku and the history of our Democratic Republic, Jenny astutely wrote:

Freedom is silent

And we take it for granted

From those of the past

As teachers we work to cultivate this sense of wonder and keen observation in our students. As a school leader my goal is to provide space and warmth for growth so that our students realize and develop their individuality and uniqueness. To accomplish this for every child we all work together to create opportunities for learning that balance how our students develop the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy with the exploration of topics that are both provocative and of high interest to them. Rigorous engagement in learning is our goal and we strive to accomplish this through the application of what we know to be 'best practice' to our daily work.