Goodbye Class of 2015

The year rushed to a close this week. Today the halls are empty, teachers are packing up things, and it is quiet- really quiet around here. Time to refresh our staff, time to reflect and look back.

Lots to remember in my first year in administration. I found our graduating class to be wonderful. As the year went on I watched them grow and stretch in amazing ways. Here are a few things stated by three of them at the continuation...

"What we have before us is the future leaders that can help lead us to a better tomorrow... Class of 2015, join me in our continuing efforts for the greater good of not only the smaller communities, but of the world!"Robert Iriye

"We should all live life while we have it in our hands...we want to achieve and not quit... we have all made goals for ourselves ... and we are on the path to success." Eric Trinidad

"Changing the world might be a long process, but in the end, little things can make a big difference." Meley Gebresellassie

Hats off to you the class of 2015! Keep in touch

2nd Graders Vow to Change the World!

As you walk down the vibrant halls of Aurora Quest I warn you to keep focused on your destination. If your eyes venture to the left or the right, something may just catch your eye and hold you captive for a while- you may even forget where you were going! I saw the wonderful campaign posters on the hallway near the primary pod and these words caught me... "I will make the world a better place."

Every day I am reminded of the potential that our students carry with them- they have extreme awareness of the world around them. They are saddened by the plight of dogs at the Dumb Friend's League- or the child soldiers in northern Uganda. We believe the students at Quest have what it takes to make a difference in the world around them...

Young Tolkien, Young Lewis

There are two authors that produced endless hours of adventure me as a young boy. I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and to this day cannot help but show lots of excitement when the Chronicles of Narnia are mentioned (see post in December).

So today I saw something that Mia and Abbie were working on in 4th grade and it blew me away. I saw them construct a map of the world they created and it was awesome! Here is a picture of their work. Their story includes some vicious fire ants- and an evil queen black widow (who is really gray). The mountains separate the two kingdoms and there is plenty of conflict. I really appreciated the key on the side.

Throughout the school students are creating stories that are full of creativity and wonder. Ask them- what are you working on these days...

It is wonderful.

Spring Weather

It was great last night seeing parents and students at the Barnes & Nobles book fair. We had entertainment from music to drama... we had crafts... and we had our fabulous librarian! In addition, I was greeted this morning with a tree outside my window that is awesome! There are bees on it right now going from flower to flower- I am posting it with the flags in the background (I love our flags).

Students and Parents- we are winding up this school year. I want you to squeeze as much out of each day we have together- cherish the day- seize the day- and take opportunities to express appreciation for those who have worked hard all year.

Life is precious.

Mark Ludy, Author and Friend to Quest

Thanks to the hard work of one of our teachers, Dr. Bass, we had a special guest visit Quest- he spoke to our students and captivated them with inspiring messages like, "It is not good to be redundant." Once again what he said was, "It is not good to be redundant."

He said that we are all communicators- and that artists start from the inside out... His words were encouraging and funny.

The thing I liked the most was his hairstyle. It was like having a long lost brother show up on campus. He had an enthusiastic passion for what's best for kids. I was inspired.

He has created several books. Learn more at his website. http://markludy.com/The_Loodalicious_Cafe/Welcome.html

Today Einstein came to Quest. A a dynamic 6th grade team found a way to bring him here- maybe they had a time machine. Quest students not only excel in math and science- they can give presentations like professionals. Today they shared this presentation in front of 600 students!!! Daisy wrote the script for our assembly today and if I could I would submit it for an Oscar nomination. It had humor, it had interaction, and it had practical advice. These students displayed leadership by taking an issue and creating an experience that will impact every teacher and student at Quest. They have organized district personnel to come to install new switches (so we can - they have created a recognition program for classroom teachers- they even shared how our school could earn $6,000 next year through energy savings!

So here are a couple of their points:

• Unplug electrical items when they are not in use
• Remove unnecessary bulbs
• Use energy efficient bulbs

So we all have so much to be proud of today!

Technology Blooming

Today a student made my day when he showed me a project he created. The funny thing is that the project he created was not assigned by the teacher- see he learned about how to use this tool in class and then went home and created something that was personally interesting to him. Thanks Yucheng for showing me this awesome work!
You can see his work too if you click this link... AWESOME...

A Letter to Oprah

We have 4 students going to Washington D.C. to represent Aurora Quest K-8. Here is a portion of a letter one of them wrote to Oprah about this opportunity:

I’m Abena and I'm a 6th grader at Aurora Quest K-8. I live in Aurora, Colorado. Eric (7th grader), Onyi (6th grader), and Sade (7th grader), and I have been nominated to go to Washington D.C. for the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC). The conference is held in the spring of 2011. We were all gratefully nominated by our teachers and the assistant principal of our school Mr. Michael Roth, for our academic achievements and our leadership skills.

If all of us are lucky enough to attend, we will get to visit the National Museum of American History, the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans Memorial, Harpers Ferry, and go sightseeing in west Virginia. We will receive a VIP tour of Washington D.C., and have a sleepover at the Maryland Science Center. On this trip we will learn great leadership skills. At the conference, we will learn the impacts of character, communication, goal setting, problem solving, respect, and teamwork. We will have reflection activities about the lessons and experiences we’ve had each day. We have leadership focus groups to have our discussions and share our opinions. If you want to learn more information about this trip you can go to the website www.cylc.org/JrNYLC. Everyone who hopes to attend this trip wants to accomplish some fun, knowledge of U.S. history, and new leadership skills.
My hopes for this trip, is that everyone will have an experience of a lifetime. Now, the tuition for this trip is $1890 per student. If we include travel expenses, the cost can be up to $2600 per student. For four students, the total cost would be $10,400. We are asking for your kind donation to sponsor us for this trip. Our deadline is February 19 to send in the money. We all are some of the hardest working people when it comes to our education. Schoolwork and education are one of our first priorities. All of us are leaders in our societies, athletics, clubs, and classrooms. When we come back from the trip we will use our skills to positively influence others. Our new leadership traits can help us even further in the future with job applications, college applications, and interviews. The result of us going on this trip will be positive impacts on others, our communities even our country, and last of all ourselves.

These students are preparing a silent auction for the February Kinder/First performance here at Quest. They are selling lollipops and playdough. They are writing to businesses and families for donations. They have written to the airlines for help with travel. They have put some requests on our Giving Tree in the school lobby. PTA has already donated $600 for their trip. Thank you!!!

These students are already demonstrating leadership skills here on campus and we believe this experience is an investment in their futures- we are very proud of these young men and women.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Courage is one of the Guiding Principles we hope our students embrace while they are here at Quest. We teach these principles through the stories in our history.

I hope our students understand the courage it took to fight for Civil Rights. Many people took a stand in the face of hatred and racism and said, "Enough is Enough!" Martin Luther King Jr. will always be remembered for the speech he gave in Washington D.C. I hope however, our students will remember more than those powerful words- I hope they will embrace the courage he displayed and take their stand in the face of any hatred they observe in the world around them.

(the illustration is by Loren Long in the book Of Thee I Sing 2010)

"Nothing Much"

I have talked with many parents who express some frustration when they ask their children about school. The typical interaction looks like this:

"Hey son, what did you learn in school today?"


Dramatic Pause


"Nothing"

So now you know why we ave frustrated parents...

Here is a link with tips I found online today to help out- here are a few of my own:

1. Ask with a sincere interest and passion. I mean get into the information because it is something you want to enjoy with your kid- they feel the enthusiasm in your voice. It is one way to give them positive attention- and you know when we spend time listening and caring it is an investment in their emotional bank accounts. So don't ask if it is just a polite question- get excited.
2. Be specific. When they are reading a book get interested in the characters. Ask- what did you read in school today? Which character surprised you? Which character is most like you and why? You can then get into each subject specifically- what did you write about? Did you build something is science? Tell me about Social Studies today- then enjoy their experiences by probing.
3. Communicate with the teachers and find out what themes/topics are coming up.

I tell you- these kids will not know what hit them when we beef up our questioning skills and our enthusiasm.