Submitted by Mr. Stephen Waigand

Principal, Rock Port Elementary

We were greeted with a few snowy days and school delays to start the second semester. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so I am confident spring is right around the corner. Right?

In January, our students and staff focused on the Energy Bus Principle “Transform Negativity.” We discussed the power of reframing situations in our lives. A small, but powerful example of this would be looking at something we “have to do” and reframing it into something we “get to do.” Students shared real-life examples of this at our January assembly. Some of the favorites shared were . . . instead of having to go to bed, I get to go to bed (I’m sure parents would welcome this perspective) and instead of having to be nice to my brother or sister, I get to be nice to them. Again, small changes to our mindset can result in big gains over time.

Our annual Maradi Mifflin Spelling Bee was held on January 29 for students in grades 5-8. Nearly 40 students filled the elementary library for the competition. Ryan Lucas was crowned champion on the day, runner-up was Bannack Skillen, and tied for third were Brady Cox and Ella Meyerkorth. These four students competed against the top spellers from Tarkio and Fairfax at the Atchison County Spelling Bee in Rock Port on February 5. Bannack Skillen took home the county championship and will compete at sectionals in St. Joseph on March 7. Congratulations to all participants and good luck Bannack!

In addition to the county spelling bee, two powerful forces happened to collide in the elementary world on February 5 – Global School Play Day and the 100th Day of School. Students got the opportunity to participate in free play throughout the day with several play stations set up in different classrooms. Benefits and goals for the free play day were to strengthen students’ ability to collaborate, work in a team, problem solve, think critically, and use positive communication skills. It is amazing to watch our older students interact with younger students. The pride and ownership they take in helping others makes this one of my favorite days of the year.

How about those Chiefs! We participated in the Super Bowl Spirit Week January 27-31; students enjoyed the player-themed dress-up days leading up to the big game. Stay connected with daily classroom events and school updates on Twitter @RPBluejays. As always we strive to . . .

Love all our passengers

Serve their academic needs

Care for the whole child

Every Student, Every Day