Hi Temescalian Families,

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ This week, love was at the heart of many of our conversations—the kind of love we feel at home, at school, with our pets, for our hobbies, and in our friendships. Together, we brainstormed what love feels like, looks like, and can be and then the students wrote their own “Love is…” piece! We hope you enjoy the writing that your students bring home today!

We also explored friendship—what we look for in a friend and what it takes to be a good one. We reflected on kindness, communication, shared interests, and how friendships can form quickly or grow over time. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we decorated and ate cookies and had time to share Valentines!

In celebration of the 100th day of school (which will fall on the Monday we get back from break), we had the chance to check out Blackberry Creek’s and Sweet Briar Creek’s class projects. For our own 100th-day challenge, students are designing a 1,000 sq ft home/apartment—making sure there’s space for essentials like a bed, kitchen, and bathroom, along with everything else they’d want in their home! Some students are bringing their ideas to life in 3D, while others are sketching detailed 2D floor plans. Their creativity is inspiring!

In Cultural Studies, we continued learning about Carter G. Woodson, often called the Father of Black History month, and had meaningful discussions about why we celebrate Black History month. These conversations can be challenging, but they are so important. As Woodson said, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

We discussed how some of the information we’re learning may be uncomfortable to hear, but it is still important to learn and know. We agreed that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable learning about the difficult parts of history, but we know it helps us grow and understand the world more deeply. We agreed that Black History month is necessary and allows us to recognize and honor Black Americans’ many contributions and achievements!

Looking ahead, we have a field trip coming up on Wednesday, March 5 to Coyote Hills Regional Park. We will need 2 drivers/chaperones! If you’d like to chaperone, please email me!

I hope you all have wonderful February break and safe travels to all who are traveling!

Love,

Aly

“Hey, did you just take a photo of us??!”