Categories
Lower School Traditions

Three Simple Rules

By John Trout
Head of Lower School, Lakehill Preparatory School

How may rules did you have when you were in elementary school? I remember giant lists hanging on my classroom walls when I was growing up, and they all seemed to be telling me what I shouldn’t be doing. Ask any Lakehill Lower School student how many rules they have, and they can tell you. Three. Just three! And, rather than telling students which behaviors are unwanted, our rules remind children how a Lakehill student should behave. Students are expected to Be Safe, to Be Respectful, and to Welcome Others.

Such vague, nebulous rules don’t tell kids very much, and that’s their genius. They require students to think before they act, to imagine the natural consequences of their choices, and to craft a school environment that is warm and friendly. The Safety Rule reminds students to be aware of their surroundings and their bodies. When students push the boundaries, we, as teachers, ask them to tell us what could go wrong, and to decide how to correct the situation. The Respect Rule encourages empathy. Students are asked to imagine how a situation might look from another point of view, and to imagine how they would feel if roles were reversed. The Welcome Rule promotes togetherness. It reminds students to reach out to others to ensure that their peers feel wanted and have a place in the group.
This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of a special tradition in Lower School, the annual Triangle Rules Poster Contest. Dozens of Lower School students submitted posters to creatively remind their classmates of our Triangle Rules. The winners and runners up were celebrated at our Triangle Rules Assembly on Monday, October 17. The winning poster, a construction-themed illustration by third grader Madeline Jones, will be reproduced for display in every Lower School classroom and along the hallways as a year-long reminder of who Lakehill students are meant to be.
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Categories
Summer Camps

Camps are for Kids

By John Trout
Director of Lakehill Summer Camps

I know it’s only February, and summer seems like a distant dream, but here at Lakehill summer camp preparations are in full swing! Calendars are being set, camp descriptions are being finalized, and the Lakehill Summer Camps staff is busy planning a summer full of fun and adventure.

As this process unfolds, a single thought keeps coming back to me: I wish I were a kid again!
This year’s camp lineup looks fabulous! Minecraft, Community Connections, LEGO Engineering, Destination Dallas, and other perennial favorites are all lined up and ready to go, but it’s the new kids on the block that have me really excited!
Farm to Table takes a close look at the sources of our food, giving kids a tasty lesson in going local. Brain Freeze explores the world of science at its coldest. Mutants, Marvels, and Superheroes examines our classic super heroes and super villains, and guides kids into creating their own. Waffle Iron Cooking promises to do some amazing things with…you guessed it…just the lowly waffle iron.
These quirky, new, outside-the-box camps are exactly the kind of camps I would have enjoyed as a kid, and I’d love nothing more than to roll back the clock and sign up! I’m so thrilled at the creativity and energy that our summer camp teachers have put into their camps already, and I can’t wait to see their ideas unfold as the months roll on.
Our full summer camp catalog is available here, and camp registration goes live on February 20.  You can register here. And, sorry…these camps are only for kids!
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