October 2017 – Reflections

By Julie Riggs
English Chair K-7, Lakehill Preparatory School

Six decades. Sixty years. Somehow my birthday this year seems full of import. More than ever before, I find myself reflecting – and anticipating. My mother lived to be 82, and her younger sister turns 91 the day before I hit my comparatively youthful milestone.

Almost a third of that life has been here at Lakehill, and that’s a rather defining experience. When I began, I was nervous, a bit overwhelmed, and full of resolution to make my classes as meaningful as possible. I’m still overwhelmed sometimes, but nerves have evolved into a reserve of confidence and patience that serves me well.

I am even more eager than I was eighteen years ago to build memories and confidence in my students and to make them feel that time in this classroom– newly remodeled with accents in my signature colors of lime and teal—is well spent.

I hope, as before, that they walk away with some new vocabulary, an awareness of what makes writing effective, the memory of at least one book that touches their hearts or stirs their imaginations, and most of all, the knowledge that they are loved.

Here’s to the next decade!

By John Trout
Lakehill Preparatory School, Head of Lower School

For eleven years now, Lakehill students have accepted the challenge of illustrating Lakehill’s three rules of behavior for our Annual Triangle Rules Poster Contest.

You read that right. We have just three rules in Lakehill’s Lower School: the Safety Rule, the Respect Rule, and the Welcome Rule. Everything a student can be expected to do or to avoid doing in our hallways, on the playground, and in class boils down to those three basic ideas.

These rules are simple, and therein lies 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.

Dozens of Lower School students have submitted posters that creatively remind their classmates of our Triangle Rules, and I expect dozens more will flood my office on the deadline date Tuesday morning when school resumes after our four-day weekend. The winners and runners up will be celebrated at our Triangle Rules Assembly on Wednesday, October 18. The winning poster will be reproduced for display in every Lower School classroom and along the hallways, so that students can be reminded all year long of who Lakehill students are meant to be.