"Without change, there would be no butterflies." ~ Unknown In the world of a school, June is a time when many things change. Our kindergarten students are looking forward to beginning grade one and our grade six students are anticipating junior high. Our staff is still working hard to ensure that the learning momentum continues for the rest of this year while also making some plans for next year. Some staff members, like some students, will leave and others will join our DHS family. June is a time when students are dealing with many conflicting emotions. Summer is finally arriving and that means having fun and enjoying the beautiful weather, looking forward to time spent outside with friends and family, and excitement about the things to come. It is also a time of uncertainty. What will the summer be like? Will I get to do the things I want? What will I do all summer? Will I be able to see my friends? Will my friends still be close to me if they (or I) move to a new grade/school/home? What will next year be like? Will I like my new teacher? Will I get along with the people in my class? What if my friends are not in my class next year? It is easy to try to dismiss the anxiety about change and encourage children to focus on the great things that happen in June, but it is also important to acknowledge that many students also experience a feeling of loss. They are leaving a situation that is comfortable and moving into the unknown. Whatever children are feeling, it is important that the adults in their lives ask about and acknowledge what is happening. It is also important to acknowledge that change is hard for everyone, even adults. After that, it is helpful to talk about all of the positives that the change will bring; like new friends, new opportunities, and the chance for even more growth. Whether child or adult is important to look ahead, but it is also important to take the time to look in the rear view mirror to see how far you have come and remember that every step along the way required a change. Pie Me, MaybeThis month our leadership students held a fundraiser to help raise money for Me to We. This organization was founded by Canadians, Craig and Mark Kielburger, when they were in middle school. Since that time, the organization has focused on empowering youth to help make a positive change on the world. www.metowe.com/about-us/our-story/. Initially there was some confusion about the fundraiser that our leadership students had created and a few parents thought that they were being asked to donate money to buy teachers pies. In fact, the idea they came up with was to have students donate money to a chance to throw a pie in the face of a teacher! In some schools, this student initiative might meet resistance from staff, but ours rose to the challenge and agreeably "took one for the team" as names were drawn and pies were tossed. When it was over, with the support of our families, students raised $463. toward their fundraising efforts. Thank you for all of the support you gave to these dedicated students, not just with this fundraiser, but with the others they held throughout the year to help bring safe water and education to less privileged communities. And to our staff - thanks for stepping up to support our kids and those they are going to help with their efforts! This Week's Math ChallengeHow many days are left in this school year? How many different ways can you show that number? Remember to tweet your answers so we can see how many our whole school can come up with! Weekly Updates
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