We are just a few short weeks until the start of our new school year! I think I can speak for our whole staff by saying that we're very excited (and also a bit nervous)! We've been working hard on getting the school ready, and also getting ourselves ready. We've been looking through resources, watching videos on Conscious Discipline, and planning for our upcoming days. Today we tuned into a webinar led by Will Richardson and Bruce Dixon called "The New Story of Modern Learning: Framing a New Narrative of Schooling." There were many components that hit home with me, but I'm going to focus on something they talked about: everything you do tells a story.

EVERYTHING. From the expressions we give to the things we like to do. I think this is so important because we can learn a lot about the people around us by understanding this concept.

I want to start by saying how excited I am for this new adventure at The Innovation School. Last year, I graduated with my Master in Education. When asked why I got it or what I planned to do with it, my answer was always "I don't know." I just knew I wanted more education so I could one day hopefully do more within education. And now I'm here!
Growing up, I was the second of four girls, and my mom also ran a daycare from home. We grew up playing, as do most kids. We played Barbies, "house" and "library". We created stores using empty containers that my mom cleaned and gave to us. We made streets on the sidewalk out of chalk and came up with laws to follow. We invented different recipes in the sandbox and used mud as our main ingredient. It was truly the best childhood I could have ever dreamed of. 
Look at the verbs that described my childhood: play, create, make, invent. These are words that are synonymous with being a kid. But then we get older and (for most of us) these words aren't used as often. I learned so much about the world around me, my peers, and myself through playing, creating, making, and inventing. And I had fun doing it! I believe that "fun" and "school" can (and should!) be used in the same sentence. I'm excited to help your children get excited about learning! 

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." -Mr. Rogers