March 2012 – Reflections

By Kaye Hauschild
Middle School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School

On the road again…I am humming an iconic tune that goes with those lyrics as I write to you from the hallway of a lovely hotel where I have stayed for the past three days surrounded by my super sixth grade students and my stalwart fellow chaperones. As you have likely guessed, I am enjoying Middle School Adventure Week 2012. It amazes me that our time on the road has passed so quickly!

We have traveled to seven different cities where we have seen a lengthy list of historically significant things (which is very good). But I also rank high in importance the expansion of confidence, the growth of friendships, the sense of self-reliance, the appreciation for all things, both new and familiar, that my students have gained.

As tomorrow brings us to the end of this year’s adventure, we will all go home tired and grateful for the comforts of home. But I also know that the end of the week does not mean the end of the experience. Friendships will remain, confidence with continue to grow, new interests will be explored and memories will be the stuff of many a reminiscence. Thank you, Lakehill, for allowing us to learn through experiences collected in our annual trips. My students and I are already looking forward to Adventure Week 2013!

By Patti Brooks
Lower School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School

I am lucky enough to be one of the few people in Dallas without allergies. To me, Spring Fever isn’t associated with the miseries created by the pollen from blooming plants and trees. My Spring Fever centers on the urge to smell freshly mown grass and the fragrance of our tulip tree blossoms accompanied by happy 7 year olds.

For years spent in the second grade classroom, I could feel the magnetic pull of the windows! My students (and I), all wished we were outside running and playing in the sunshine instead of doing Phonics! (Ha ha, little did they know how I felt the same way they did.) Actually, they figured it out when we took our first neighborhood “nature walk” of the spring.

We always felt a little guilty when we left the building and other students behind as we walked outside into the warm air. I remember how it was impossible to keep from skipping, even if you are an old Nana. We always took baggies with us and gathered nature’s treasures along the way.

It was a fun and carefree way to welcome spring. Just ask any Lakehill student who spent a year in my second grade room if they enjoyed our own special celebration and tribute to “Spring Fever.”