What a wonderful week we had in the DGS Middle School. I was so happy to see familiar faces and had a great time getting to know our new students. This week was very much about transitioning back to school after so many months apart. We took it slow. We familiarized ourselves with expectations and best practices both academically and relating to the challenge of being at school during a pandemic. We adjusted as needed and in a truly DGS way, when we felt uncertain we talked it through. I couldn't be more proud of these kids...their resilience, their flexibility, and their creativity. I often tell my daughters, Olivia and Cate, when faced with a challenge to keep open minds and open hearts. That is exactly what these kids did this week.
Despite all of the challenges and adjustments, we also got some learning done! We jumped into writer's workshop and are doing a lot of critical thinking about what writing means to us and what the words "writing process" actually mean. We dug into the brainstorming process and created writing territories that will fuel the the writing we do throughout the year. As a class we began an awesome YA novel titled The First Rule of Punk, by Celia Perez. We also did some research about the Genius Hour philosophy and educational movement. If you don't know about Genius Hour (also referred to as a 20% Project or Passion Project) I encourage you to do a little research (or ask your kid!). We will be embedding Genius Hour projects into our curriculum this year, and I'm super excited to see what our awesome kids come up with!
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