Happy New Year
by Kim Becker
January 15, 2008
At the beginning of this new year, I was talking to my friend about our young adult children and our hopes for them for the new year and years to come. We agreed that we wanted them to be happy, healthy and productive. Here at Geil, we also want to stress these ideals for our students. Our school rules of being safe, respectful and responsible help us achieve these ideals.
Many of Geil's school rules involve safety issues. We have had numerous discussions with students about safety in the snow, in the last two months. Sometimes the students think we are squashing all of their fun, but we need to keep 360 students safe. Students are learning to understand our rational; that it is hard to learn if you are injured or all wet from recess.
Geil's second rule asks students to be respectful to everyone. The Staff stress the idea that we treat others like we would want to be treated. Kind words and actions promote a respectful learning environment. Modeling respectful interactions is a way to help students learn this important skill and we practice in classrooms and other areas of the school.
Geil's third rule calls for students to be responsible. Responsible students meet their obligations. They complete their homework and turn their work in on time. Learning to show responsibility now in school, is a skill that will help students to be productive in the future.
During 2008, Geil Staff will continue to stress our rules of being safe, respectful and responsible. Hopefully, this will help our students have a happy, healthy and productive new year.
