From the Desk of the Superintendent...
March 27, 2021
APRIL 2021 DISTRICT DISPATCH
Children are immensely curious. An important priority in education is to keep their curiosity alive. When children want to learn, they enjoy education, welcome its challenges, and value its rewards. The more curious children are as they grow, the more they will learn, and the sharper their abilities and sensibilities will become. How do parents and teachers keep children curious? In his book entitled You, Your Child, and School, Dr. Ken Robinson offers the following three suggestions: (1) by intriguing them with questions that interest them; (2) by giving them tasks that challenge them; and (3) by engaging them in projects that inspire them. Cultivating curiosity is vital from the earliest days of a child’s education, but education is not only about childhood and adolescence. Learning should be a lifelong adventure. Nurturing children’s curiosity in their most formative years is a gift that will sustain them throughout a lifetime of learning.
In many respects, we humans are similar to the rest of life on this planet. But in other ways, we are very unique. One unique feature is that we have immense power of imagination and creativity. As humans, we can bring to mind things that are not present in our senses and focus our actions on original accomplishments. Such accomplishments often involve taking into consideration various points of view and examining ideas and information using different and unique perspectives. Young people who feel confident in these areas will be equipped to engage in the economic, cultural, social, and personal challenges that they will inevitably face in their lives. It is important that we keep these things in mind as we strive to prepare our students in the Underwood Community School District to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Please note that we will be having a 1:30 p.m. dismissal on Thursday, April 1, 2021. In addition, there is no school on Friday, April 2, 2021, or on Monday, April 5, 2021, because of spring break.
