04/25/2026
A great day today, Instructors Matthew & Shawn Parker, who many of the children refer to as The Parker twins came in to give a lesson focused on both literary analysis and personal reflection, helping students grow not only in academic skill but also in thoughtful decision-making.
For the language arts portion, they studied one of Aesop’s Fables, using it as a foundation to introduce and reinforce key literary concepts. Some of the students worked through identifying:
Personification
Similes and metaphors
Vocabulary in context
They also completed matching exercises and short essay responses to strengthen comprehension and critical thinking. The goal was to help students move beyond simply reading a story, and instead begin to analyze how and why a story communicates its message.
In addition to literary skills, they incorporated an activity to encourage deeper thinking. Building on a previous lesson about the Founding Fathers and the principles they stood for, they posed the question:
“What is something in your life that you believe is worth standing up for?”
The Parker’s really clarified that this did not mean physical conflict, but rather something they would defend, uphold, or remain committed to, even when challenged.
This was to stem the thought about the importance of forming personal convictions. In a world where students are constantly influenced by media, technology, and outside voices, it is essential that they begin to:
Think independently
Evaluate what they hear and see
Develop their own grounded beliefs
The aim is to guide students toward becoming thoughtful, discerning individuals, not simply repeating what they are told, but understanding why they believe what they believe.
After that, they demonstrated to the eager middle school students how to make some home made guacamole from scratch, and of course they all got to enjoy it together!
They shared with them, how you can enjoy it with things other than chips too! They brought in some sliced organic apples, cucumbers and carrots for dipping, along with some salsa!
As I walked out today, I was greeted with hugs and genuine “thank yous” from a few students. I want you all to know, those moments, never go unnoticed.
Days like this remind me how fortunate we are to have a community filled with people who truly care; educators, families, and mentors who invest in our students in meaningful ways.
As both a principal and a parent, I’m especially grateful this evening ❤️
