Archives for March 2017

Julie Bishop once said, “Our cultural diversity has most certainly shaped our national character.” I believe this, and I know that at Westlake, I’m not alone. There has been a cultural appreciation trend in this school for as long as anyone can remember, and one of these beautiful traditions is the Cultural Reports of third grade. What began with the long-loved (and still missed) Mrs. Jackson, has continued with the delightful and insightful Miss Betori!

Students are assigned a country to research, create a report on, and speak about. From France to Greece, Italy to Japan … sea to shining sea is covered in this delightful dip into cultural and ethnic awareness. Miss Betori literally drapes her room with lively artistic representations of the globe, and her children are immersed in the worlds that exist within our world, but that we so rarely are able to see.

In speaking with Miss Betori, I think the most exciting part of it all is being able to give her students opportunities to shine … to be the star presenter and allow them each the honor to show how knowledgeable they are. Any time teachers give their students the chance to take ownership of their own learning, authentic engagement will take place, and true connections will be had!

According to Cesar Chavez, “We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.” I think it is evident, given the current state of unrest in our own country, that the more we can direct our focus on others, using the love and example of Christ, the better chance we have of healing. One thing is sure, I feel blessed to have my own children at Westlake, to gain the insight and perspective to be able to appreciate the diverse world we are a part of. We are called to be ambassadors to Christ, and that can only happen when we learn to care with intention about all of God’s globe … not just our small corner of it.

“Never be tired of learning or teaching others.” - Confucius

It seems a bit off to be talking about China on St. Patrick’s Day, but today, that is where the global focus was in Kindergarten this week. The Emerald Isle has nothing on the experience of the Great Wall of building blocks!

For the past few years, Mrs. DeReus has been having a project based learning unit based on China. The students learn about the culture, the food, the people, the language, and the sights. I spoke to a student who is now in fifth grade that shared her memories of the project from years ago. She brightened and said, “I STILL have my passport from that unit! Mrs. DeReus gave us a little passport that she stamped each and every time we learned about another part of the country. It was really fun!”

Mrs. DeReus completes her students’ learning by extending the multidisciplinary unit BEYOND the classroom! The Kindergarten class went on a field trip today to Tang’s Chinese Restaurant. They were able to experience the culture and atmosphere of authentic cuisine while making text-to-world (and tastebud) connections that they will remember for many years to come.

Educational psychology tells us that the more often we, as educators, are able to connect learning to experience, the more apt students are to retain the information. Seeing the bright smiles of these Kindergarteners, it is obvious that their learning was a very gratifying experience. Whether being welcomed by a door-to-floor sized flag of China as they entered, or being asked to observe the beauty of Chinese characters and the sound of the Mandarin language … there is only one thing left to say – I wish I was in Kindergarten again!

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb …” - Revelation 7:9

“Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.” ―C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I didn’t have the privilege to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe series until I was an adult. And even as an adult, the poetic magic of C.S. Lewis’ words were not lost on me. The rich metaphors, the powerful allusions … Lewis was undeniably a master crafter of verse. I am so grateful to report that the fourth graders were exposed to this delightful storyteller much sooner than I; and even more so, their memories of this book and this time of literary immersion will live on as long as they do. As a

As a child, you usually remember one thing about each grade. Your class pet, an amazing field trip, a particularly special teacher you had that year … memories are stronger when they are exceptional. In the text, C.S. Lewis reminds us that, “All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.” As educators, it can be hard to bring our curriculum to life. This was not the case for Mrs. Ptasienski, because last week, as I walked down the hallway, I was amazed at the transformation of her room, to Narnia.

Her doors were covered with a set that appeared as an actual wardrobe. Her room was covered in regal twinkle-lights, and Mrs. Ptasienski, herself, was crowned and carried a “sword.” She had her students line up, single-file, and invited them into the “wardrobe” which led to Narnia and proceeded with a royal crowning ceremony, whereby each member of the class was inducted as either a King or Queen of Narnia.

When I asked her later, what gave her the idea, she humbly said, “You know, I don’t even remember.” That’s the thing about amazing teachers … to them, creativity is not work – it’s a way of life. I think what set the whole experience apart, was that Mrs. Ptasienski had woven the tale of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so delightfully into her curriculum, that I doubt the students felt they were learning at all. From the deep discussions they had, to the film to novel comparison they researched, every facet of this story was intentional and anchored not only to story elements but the gospel as well.

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is a poem that says:

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,

When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,

And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

The text clearly lays out the promise that Christ will come again, and he will come with the intention and strength to vanquish all darkness. The allegorical reference was not lost on the fourth graders. During the crowning ceremony, when all of the children were delighted to keep their shiny, paper crowns, Mrs. Ptasienski told the students that the real treasure comes in heaven, when we are given crowns of gold to lay down at the feet of our savior.

How many lessons, I wonder … have the power to end like that.