Spending Time With Our Youngest Falcons
One of my favorite parts of our district is that we have 4K-12th grade students in one building. I love to go for walks in the building to see all of the amazing things happening in our classrooms. I can be in an AP classroom during the first part of the hour watching high level conversations happen, and the next part of the hour be in an elementary classroom watching our skilled educators help our students learn to read.
I recently had the privilege of spending some time in our 4K classrooms with Mrs. Hornick and Mrs. Pingel. We have many amazing and skilled teachers in our district, but watching our 4K staff is so fun and inspirational! These educators are constantly guiding while responding to daily student needs. Their classrooms are incredibly positive learning environments where the students are valued and loved.
The amount of energy and creativity that our youngest learners bring to school every day is absolutely incredible. At this age, our 4K students are naturally inclined to explore and express themselves. Each day in these classrooms there are animated conversations, with infectious laughter and imaginative play/learning. This curiosity is a reminder for us as adults to engage with our youngest learners and remember important life lessons. Engaging with our 4K students is not just beneficial for their development; it enriches our entire school environment and strengthens the foundation for our portrait of a Falcon learner.
After visiting the classrooms, I sat down with several students in front of the video camera to ask them some questions about our school. Ben and Genevieve from Mrs. Pingel’s class, and Case and Maren from Mrs. Hornick’s class wasted no time jumping into the questions and making sure they shared their thoughts with me. I asked the students about their favorite subject in school, what they like to do for fun, their favorite book or lesson from school, and what they want to do when they grow up. While we practiced some of the questions off camera, once the tape rolled it was all up in the air!
Overall, it was an incredibly fun experience. I was amazed by how our learners described their experiences with art projects and how they like to spend their time during free play. Their favorite school projects morphed into Halloween plans and their favorite teachers. The students’ excitement and creativity highlighted the importance of allowing students to express themselves freely, reinforcing the idea that education is not just about rote learning but also about exploration and discovery. I am hopeful that our new STEAM center can help Ben with his career goal of being Ironman!
Our 4K students are the innovators of tomorrow. They are the future Falcons on our performance stages, in our AP classrooms, and on our sports fields. They are our future Falcon leaders and they are in great hands with Mrs. Hornick and Mrs. Pingel.