When I arrived at River Valley Elementary School three years ago, I knew that this groups of students and staff was special. While each have our own unique strengths, I firmly believe our greatest strength is our sense of community. To know the students and staff at River Valley is to know a strong sense of family and team.
It never fails that when there are gaps that need to be filled others will rise to the challenge. When a student is in need, a staff member will go the extra mile to help him/her feel cared for. It's this same sense of compassion and warmth that can be felt when you walk into any one of our classrooms or down the halls.
Likewise, being in the building this Monday, Dec. 16, the sense of community was in full force as teachers, cooks, custodians, associates, and students enjoyed our first ever school-wide Pillar Pod family-style lunch. A feat like this does not get carried out with out a strong team.
It takes a team of amazing cooks to prepared lunch for the entire school and have it ready to serve all 188 students plus staff in one setting.
It takes a team of superhero custodians happily agreeing to place trashcans throughout the building and clean each meeting space afterwards.
It takes a team of outstanding associates to support students through the lunch line and in to Pillar Pod groups to ensure no student gets lost and each tray has proper nutrition.
It takes a team of teachers willing to design a craft, select a special story, or play a game with his/her group as they work to build deeper relationships with these inter-grade groups.
It takes a fully devoted and flexible building staff to structure the day's schedule to enable such a special lunch time environment to occur.
The joys on our students' faces as they ate around each table today and talked with one another, helped one another, and encouraged one another was a sweet experience. The sheer surprise of seeing Santa in the hallway as they headed back to class was nothing short of magical.
While the magic of Christmas provides such a great opportunities to engage with students and families, may we never forget the magic that happens each day in the hallways and classrooms of River Valley Elementary when students, teachers, and staff plan, learn, cooperate, and care for one another and build relationships! How magical is that?!?!
Why not see for yourself. These pictures are worth are 1000 words!
