In my last full week at St. Michael, I am so grateful for the 2020- 2021 school year and the positive, productive environment we created together for in-person learning. It was truly a haven from the happenings in the world around us. We felt safe; we had a sense of normalcy; and we experienced community in a time when people were keeping their distance.
I absolutely loved working with your kids and am taking so many fond memories of our year together. I also appreciated the hard work and kids-first attitude of this stellar faculty. Our Blues grew and learned so much. I will miss:
- Seeing preschoolers learn about the world around them through hands-on experiences that sparked curiosity and creativity. And seeing them learn to walk down the hall in a straight line!
- Observing kindergarteners in literacy stations, learning-through-doing; taking movement breaks with “Ta-tu-ti ta”, and writing in sentences. And playing a LOT of rock, paper and scissors with them at lunch time.
- Watching 1st graders grow, take responsibility for their learning, care for one another, and begin to read fluently - with inflection and expression. They were a group with big personalities, and I will miss hearing their tall tales.
- 2nd graders reading and writing with so much concentration that when it’s time to move on, it is hard to bring them back into the real world, and seeing them celebrate the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist for the first time.
- Experiencing 3rd graders learning their multiplication tables and gaining confidence in public speaking. And the way they built community and welcomed new friends when we added a second classroom mid-year.
- The 4th grade group - they have such great chemistry and they confidently bounce things off of each other as they learn. It was fun watching them applying their STEM learning through creative problem solving and building; and presenting their impressive state projects.
- The 5th graders learning to think deeply and discuss literature using the Socratic method; seeing the “aha” moments as they practiced more advanced pre-algebra in preparation for middle school math; and watching them on the playground. They take their kickball very seriously!
- 6th graders learning together in our largest co-hort and taking their move into middle school purposefully. I loved the dream houses they designed and built in art class, and enjoyed seeing them step out their math problems on the whiteboards around the room.
- Eating lunch with the 7th graders, and seeing them leading the cantoring at Mass, studying the systems of the human body and creating models, and thoughtfully discussing classic literature and making connections with the present day. This class is truly a family and they will be great leaders next year!
- Witnessing our 8th graders in deep discussions about different eras in history with Mr. O, serving as revered prayer buddies to their little first graders, taking the lead in morning announcements, and keeping their teachers on their toes testing the boundaries.
God bless you all! I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the St. Michael family. Mr. Connell-Torres (Mr. C) is such an excellent addition to the faculty! I wish him all the best as he leads St. Michael into a bright future, building on the many strengths of this community and applying his expertise in addressing challenges. I will be nearby, as I am taking an interim year as principal at St. John the Baptist in Savage after a couple weeks respite up north.
Go Blues, go Gophers!!
Mrs. Kerr
