Three cheers for the red, white, and
blue AND for Bridge as it reaches its important halfway point. A day was lost
due to the excitement of fire cracking shows in celebration of the 4th
of July. The day, however, will be made up by a night, a night known as Back to
Bridge Night. The challenge for this week has been to keep the momentum going
strong to put on a good show for the parents and guests.
There has been considerable build up
for Thursday night since it will be the first major event for this program this
year. Some of the preparations in the office have included making newsletters
to inform the students' parents of the upcoming events, organizing groups to
cycle through classrooms, and synchronizing all staff members. Future events
include the final assessment test, Field Day, a Mystery Field Trip, and
Graduation.
The week has been relatively smooth and efficient since the students are familiar with the routine. Thanks to repetition, students are now able to get off the bus, make their way to their classes in an efficient manner, and follow directions in their elective classes. Students are well acquainted with each other and have the ability to flow from one activity to the next and obtain the most out of each exercise. Lessons continue to be creative when opportunity arises. For example, in Ms. Downey's English class students were able to actively learn about setting through the performance of a play. Ms. Downey distributed props to each group and left the rest to the students' imaginations. Each group devised a story.
Math class is also reaching a major checkpoint with their first test just a day away. The test should be a good placeholder for the progress of the students so far. They will be challenged on the accumulated material and will give our math teacher, Ms. Trudelle, a good idea on how to lead her class closer to the primary goal-the final assessment test. So far students have demonstrated high levels of performance, which has allowed Ms. Trudelle to take them through with confidence. Not only that, but the program has also given students the opportunity to work in small groups of three students per assistant. The benefit of these factors should prove noticeable in the test results.
In celebration of their creativity, Mr. Sullivan has been decorating his room with the artwork of the students. Works include a tracing of an idol as well as some of their previous drawings. Winners of Priory's annual T-shirt and Cover book contests have been picked! Both the t-shirt and the memory book will be given to the students at the end of the program and will serve as a reminder of their time at Priory.