First Week 2016-2017 - Bethke Elementary

We entered week 1 with the best resource FINALLY stepping foot in our brand new building – our scholars! Learners arrived at Bethke Elementary on Monday from many locations in and out of our district. Our school opened our doors with 613 students ready to embrace learning! It was such a beautiful sight. When a new school opens, there are so many possibilities for all the new ideas that will flood into a building from ALL learners!

The excitement on our campus is just amazing! All of our resources haven’t quite arrived and you would never know from the activities happening in classrooms. Teachers creatively provided open-ended opportunities for our scientists, mathematicians, and readers. It has been fun to enter learning studios this week to see all our learners engaged and collaborating with others on projects. Thank you Bethke educators for making sure our students loved learning this week. I can't wait to see what this school year brings as we Build our Bethke Legacy! Follow the action on Twitter #BethkeLegacy.

Check out some of the sights…

Smiling families greeted our educators on Monday!	Bus driver gave high fives to ALL learners. What a way to start the day!	Flexible/Choice seating took over our campus. Thanks #desklesstribe.
Collaboration during fifth grade science experiment. “How/Why” was topic of conversation!	Yes, reading workshop happened on Week 1 in fourth grade. Thank you, Mrs. McKiernan.	I love hanging out in the cafeteria and engage in conversations with our learners. They teach me so much daily!

Journey

The last couple of days have truly changed me as a mom and educator. My husband and I traveled to Michigan to get our son, Austin, set up for his first semester in college. A stream of emotions have accompanied me on this journey. I am so proud of what this young man has accomplished in his eighteen years of life. His dream of playing baseball in college has come true and he secured an amazing scholarship (87%) to make it happen! Austin knows the power of sticking with something that you love through all the ups and downs. He knows how to make choices, learn from mistakes, and handle conflict on his own. There has been such a delicate balance of leading him and allowing him to walk forward alone. We have worked hard to give him the opportunity to navigate through life’s twists and turns. The game of baseball has taught him so much and most importantly how to persevere; that will carry him far in life.

Watching Austin take the next steps on his educational journey makes me want to thank some special educators who touched him with wisdom, but more importantly spoke to his heart. Thank you to Julie Cruser, Deedria Bourgeois, Vicki Armentor, Rafael Villarreal, and Mark Fobian. I want each of you to know that your planted seeds in Austin have taken root and have made a difference in his life. A little piece of each of you is now ready to shine in Michigan for the next four years. Thank you for pouring your heart into our son.

Educators, please know that you play such a big part in our learners’ lives. When we focus on building our learning spaces with love, everything else is secondary. You will never know just how far your reach will influence a student. Many of you won’t see the fruits of your labor for many years to come…just know that it will happen. My hope is that someone remembers to say thank YOU many years later. 

Austin and mom after dorm room was assembled. Success!	Mason (roommate) and Austin with Dr. Ditzler (Albion President) while taking a tour of this beautiful home.	Faculty creating a “clap in” to welcome all incoming freshman. This was one of those heart moments this weekend – pure love!