I admit, I’m a little jealous of Pierced Wonderings’ vista of color each week. New Orleans splashes across my screen until I swear I can smell bourbon and my skin itches from briny water of the sea mixed with the muddy Mississippi. When the sun beats through my office window in the afternoon, and Jen’s photos grace my monitor, I can feel the sultry heat of the South permeate my nerve endings and widen my synapses. If only I had Mardi Gras to photograph….
Last week I visited Indian Prairie Elementary School. The school just turned 25 years old. The K-5th grade school began with Mrs. Kathleen Savage and she retires this year. Things have changed a lot since she began teaching, mostly due to technology.
Now we have fewer books and more hands on learning.
Mrs. Savage writes plays and every student who auditions gets a speaking part. Here’s a locker decorated with a list of all the plays performed, along with a few photos of the students.
The “Library” is no longer just a library. It’s a “Media and Resource Center.”
Student artwork adds a Mardi Gras feel to the hallways.
[tweetthis]Art, science, and engineering collide and go on parade.[/tweetthis]
Principal Jim Kelley says that Common Core raised the bar for student expectation. Besides higher academic expectations, today’s staff and students must be good stewards and good citizens.
“We want students to understand that we’re part of a community in the school and in the town. We must look for what’s good for ourselves and for others.”
One thing hasn’t changed through the 25 years at Indian Prairie.
The kids are the best part.
