Leprechaun Traps, Rainbows, and Spring
Dear PSD Staff and Families,
Rain, rain go away. The Peninsula kids, staff, and community want to come out to play!
Welcome to spring, the time for students and staff to shake off the winter blues and anticipate the school year coming to an end in the next few months. To learn more about spring and see learning in action in our schools, I went to the experts. I ventured to Harbor Heights and Minter Creek elementary schools to learn the practice of trapping leprechauns and how that relates to spring.
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The focus of the day for Ms. Cook’s Transitional Kindergarten class at Harbor Heights was the task of discovering the method of the perfect trap in which to catch a leprechaun. This had been a focus for a couple of days. I had no knowledge of this invention and had little understanding of leprechauns; in fact, I knew nothing. Did we have an infestation? How did they know? How were these things connected?
Several team members and I entered the class with much anticipation. We asked many questions and were impressed with the level of sophistication for these leprechaun traps, fascinating work for these young inventors. Here's a sampling of the questions we asked, along with some answers from the students. |
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🍀 How do you know there are leprechauns in your classroom?
- There are small accidents like green trails of glitter, tipped over books and pencils, and footprints on the window. There were green crayons in the front of the room piled up under the chair!
🍀 What do they look like? And how do you know?- They are really tiny men with funny coats and pants. They always wear hats. They are about this high (showing me a 2 inch space) and can become invisible. I know they are there because they left chocolate gold coins.
🍀 How do the traps catch them?- They cannot really escape and they will like their traps so much, they will forget about leaving.
🍀 What will you do when you catch them?- We will catch them and make them give us 3 wishes. We could also chase a rainbow, but the trap is easier.
After we discussed these questions, I asked if they had caught any leprechauns. They all agreed it was more difficult than it looked; they had no leprechauns. They were not deterred or sad about this fact. They were more excited about the gold coins and looking at the many ways the leprechauns had changed their classrooms.
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The process of discovery and engineering seemed to be the highlight of the designing process at Minter Creek in early elementary classes. I visited Mrs. Nelson's 1st grade class and Mrs. Hefa's 3rd grade class, where many of the students were adding to and finessing their traps.
I left both buildings thinking deeply about what lessons these children taught me. Children take time to dream and learn: how the world works, physics, and cause and effect. As scientists know, a rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicolored arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the sun. It ranges from red to violet and can be seen in spring. |
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Yet every time I see one, it stills seems like magic. How is it that the colors are always the same ROYGBIV? I still feel like you could drive to the end to see the pot of gold. No wonder children believe in leprechauns and the power of wishes.
As we go into spring break and throughout April, may you also take the time to look into the sky and for the silver lining or rainbow during our terribly rainy spring. Like the transitional kindergarteners, may you think about how to "trap" your positive dreams and make plans of action for the remainder of the school year.
May you take the time to celebrate your family and go out in nature even when the weather is dreary. Because kids don't care. They only know that there are dreams to be made, gold to be gathered, and the perfect leprechaun trap is out there - somewhere, over the rainbow. |
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Have a wonderful spring break! See you in May.
Sincerely,
Krestin Bahr
Superintendent |
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Artondale Elementary Celebration
On March 22, 2022, we celebrated the opening of the brand new Artondale Elementary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community open house.
I was thrilled at the tremendous turnout; the support of our community and smiles on the faces of students, staff, and families who attended the event was the highlight of my week. Even better, the weather could not have been nicer!
If you would like to see more information about Artondale's journey, I invite you to click on the following links:
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Occupational Therapist Recognition Week
April 4-8, 2022 is Occupational Therapist Recognition Week in the Peninsula School District!
I want to give a shout out to all of our occupational therapists who help our students participate in school routines while promoting independence, physical health, and mental well-being.
Our students benefit so much from your support, and I am so proud of, and thankful for, the work you do. Thank you!
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April is the Month of the Military Child
Did you know that April is designated as the Month of the Military Child? It is a great reminder for me, and others across the district, to recognize and thank the children of our service members and veterans.
I hope we take time this month, and throughout the year, to celebrate these amazing children as they serve our country as part of a military family.
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