Service Projects, Games and Mascots

All ten of my homeroom students are in the early stages of planning service projects for Summers-Knoll.

• Isobel is matching middle schoolers with kindergarteners and first graders in a buddy program.
• Jianmarco is outlining the parameters and logistics of an SK student government. Mike is helping him.
• Saul is organizing work crews, using the Scattergood system as a model: atrium clean-up, teacher assistance, that kind of thing.
• Trent is focusing that effort upon the PE program--figuring out which equipment we might acquire, how to arrange the materials we have, providing some assistance with the younger students.
• Danny is coordinating with Trent and Dr. George to construct a gaga pit for use on the playground and in PE classes. Ask the kids what a gaga pit is--it was a big hit at the Howell Nature Center.
• Jonathan is developing designs for outdoor areas: the courtyard just outside the atrium; the one between the garage and the main building; the space bordered by the art room and library. He has plans for themed gardens.
• Denali, a talented artist, is planning a mural for one of these outdoor spaces, consulting with Val, Tracy, and Joanna.
• Taylor is working with Evan and Dr. George to create a technology best practices document for all members of the SK community--students as well as adults.
• Mike is taking the lead on the kindergarten playground. (Val's children wanted a swimming pool, which we've amended to 'some kind of water feature'.)
• With Taylor's assistance, Evan is drawing up plans for the development of SK's athletic program. This will entail both intramural and interscholastic sports. This will embrace conventional competition, like basketball, track & field, and cross-country, as well as modified versions befitting a small school like ours, like futsal or five-a-side soccer. Better still--this is my favorite part--Evan and Taylor are developing proposals for interscholastic competition in non-traditional sports, including--but not limited to--kickball, quidditch, rip-stik, zombie tag, paper-rock-scissors, and so forth.

In a related development, and in a similar spirit, Jason's newspaper EB asked for suggestions on the following question: What should Summers-Knoll's mascot be? When our teams take the court--or whatever (where does a thumb-wrestling match occur?)--they just might do so under one of the following monikers . . . . .

Argonauts
Astronauts
Cats
Dogs
Dragons
Fireflies
Hobbits
Knaves
Knights
Ninjas
Puppies
Robots
Salamanders
Sneaky Ninjas
Squirrels*
Wombats
Zombies

*The squirrels have a nut allergy. Special tip o' th' hat to Sydney Bayoneto for that one.