Open house is a time honored tradition in public school.
Do you remember Open House Night?
It was a time to display a your very best work and prettiest art pieces. There was also a bit of apprehension and uncertainty...Would your teacher remark on your neat handwriting and strong reading voice, or tell about how you figured out how to use the drinking fountain to spray your friend standing in line behind you?
I loved Open House. My brother hated it.
This year, we decided to give our Open House a" Leader in Me" flavor. There have been so many changes at our school this year, and we wanted to showcase these improvements. The students were eager to show their parents their Leadership Binders and tell them how they were becoming leaders at school. So we scheduled a Spotlight on Leadership Night.
Our Jr. Lighthouse Team greeted parents, students and members of the community and guided tours through the school.
Every grade level designed a scavenger hunt in the classroom... a Leader in Me Scavenger Hunt! Each student had a copy of the items that had to be found and explained to the parents. The teachers greeted the parents and students, but after that the kids took over.
At first, the kids were a little tentative, but by the time they reached item #3, they were sailing!
After they finished the scavenger hunt, most of my kiddos showed their parents other pieces of work they were especially proud of, or brought their parents over to visit with the teacher, and hear him or her say good things about them while they blushed, giggled or just grinned and kicked at the floor.
I have to admit, I wasn't sure how the whole "scavenger hunt" thing was going to work, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the Spotlight on Leadership Night will be a new Ortiz All Star Tradition!
