Monday message 12.13.2021

Director’s Message

Dear Families,

I am amazed by how quickly the first semester has gone by and we are getting ready to roll in 2022. The theme for the 2021-2022 school year is, “Together We Rise”. Our school community has embraced this theme and has come together to help make this year engaging and bring forth a sense of normalcy for our learners. This includes finding ways to keep family involvement on campus that are safe for everyone. Our Book Fair, Halloween Parade, and Multicultural Day were well-attended and it was wonderful to see so many faces. Our WinterPalooza is coming up on Friday and we are looking forward to seeing all of the performances. We have also had outdoor Presentations of Learning and iSupport Meetings as well, and look forward to many more family events.

This year, we launched our Exploratorium and Makery and added many after-school workshops! We also have created a new test kitchen with convection ovens and items for baking that coincide with classroom projects. Our new Art Lab is amazing and is utilized weekly by 1st-9th grade classrooms. We are getting ready to start a drone program for our sixth-grade learners, in addition to the Glider Project with 8th grade.

Our brand-new high school is thriving! Our 9th grade learners created their own learning spaces, which include a new studio for video and podcasting, an area for Mock Trial debates, flexible seating, learner-created wood artwork, and an outdoor area with comfy furniture and hammocks. The learners are getting ready to dive deep into mycology with new science materials just purchased. Their new driving question is, “How can our understanding of Mycology support wellness for society and Earth?” The learners will be meeting with mycologist Jonathan Fredette, who will be guiding them throughout the project. In addition, 9th grade excitedly awaits their new computer graphic tablets to arrive, which will be utilized within the projects this school year.

Lastly, some friendly reminders: Please bring a change of clothes/shoes for those rainy days, as we do play outside in all types of weather, utilize the lower lot when dropping off or picking up your child (the upper lot should not be used), and please make sure that your child brings a mask daily. Our fall semester concludes on December 17th and Reports of Progress will be emailed home on January 12th.

We hope you have a wonderful week and look forward to seeing you on Friday!

Lisa Latimer
Director, iLEAD Agua Dulce