Back to school nights done!

Tuesday and Thursday of last week and Monday of this week were the back to school nights at three of the kids' schools, Caleb's got cancelled (no tears shed there). After sitting through literally hours of introductions to staff, teachers, counselors and curriculum I have been left with some thoughts.

I am so grateful for this experience and opportunity my children have to attend school in such a great school district. I feel so blessed to have the varied resources and great people for my children to work with. I look around their rooms and see so many good things. I talk with their instructors who have genuine concern and care for my child as an individual. A few experiences over the last week stand out to me.

Darik's teacher has devised a program for working on spelling that allows each child to progress at his own rate. Anna's teachers have interwoven the curriculum to have many of the disciplines supporting each other, i.e. science and social studies. Rachel's teacher has a sign hanging in her room that says, "If you study to remember, you'll forget. If you study to understand, you'll remember." Nathan's teacher is a great orator and has an infectious way of teaching and keeping his attention. Jaron's teacher is involving family members of each child to come and read to the class. These are just a few examples of all the good I see as I spend time in my children's schools.

I have been invited by the principal at the middle school to be the one parent representative from Horizon to serve on the committee to select the new middle school science curriculum that will be taught for the next ten years. It is a huge commitment of my time, and Jason's. The meetings are twice a month from 7:45am to 3:15pm. Jason takes care of our children and our home while I am gone. I am so grateful for his support in this important endeavor. We had our first meeting on the 15th and the next one is tomorrow.

I have met wonderful people as I interact with the members of my school community. I see their values expressed in the lives that they live and the way they conduct themselves. I am pleased to be a part of this district, its schools and the good that it accomplishes. That's what I learned at all my back to school nights.

Lanae