There is something special about being invited into a school community. Each one is entirely unique, and I am always intrigued by the glimpses I am given into a place that is new to me. Last Friday I got a second invite into the Runkle School community, and saw again many examples of students giving their Runkle best. (Don’t you just love that phrase?)
My visit fell during the school’s annual Music and Arts festival, which meant I was treated to gorgeous art displays and live music during my stay. Although not technically part of the festival, I snapped this picture of the quilt hanging in the school library. Isn’t it lovely?
Science teacher Maxine Hunter challenged her students to keep a plastic journal for the twenty-four hours leading up to my visit, and I was impressed with the student response. Rachel, a sixth grader, recorded 158 ‘plastic encounters’ (another Runkle phrase I adore). The journals got students thinking about plastic in new ways; Rachel wondered why a glow stick that is used for a few short hours is made out of plastic that will last for decades. It’s a good question.
Thanks to librarian Teresa Gallo-Toth, who coordinated my visit to Runkle (and sent me home with some great ideas for read-alouds to share with my kids), to Science Coordinator Janet MacNeil, who shared her wisdom and told me about this cool Understanding Science website, and to all the staff and students I met during my stay; I had a Runkle good time!