At 3 minutes past 9pm on Thursday the principal message was finally polished and ready for publication...3 minutes too late. :-( I will keep doing my very best to not make this a habit.

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I’m sitting down to write while I listen to my “Prince” playlist. Ideas have been bouncing around in my head over the past few days and most landed on reflections from my spring break visit to China.  I wonder if I might be able to connect those initial thoughts with the amazing music artist serenading my ears, who significantly influenced my generation.  Here goes…

Almond has engaged in a partnership with a “sister school” in Hangzhou, China.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with this city, it’s where the September 2016 G20 Summit will be held.  My husband and I journeyed East 10,762 km (6687.19 miles for us Westerners) across the Pacific Ocean and Asian seas. It was an UNFORGETTABLE experience.  My husband’s biggest take away might have been surviving 9 days with no escape from his very energetic wife who wakes up at high speed and doesn’t slow down until her head hits the pillow.  I, on the other hand, had some other reflections that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Having been born in Mexico, lived in Spain, and Brazil, I have experienced incredible diversity and seen beauty in the form of the city chaos of “El Distrito Federal,” the Amazon, Carnival, and castle ruins in Europe.  Traveling to China exposed me to a world so very different than our own, yet with some similar fundamentals.   Throughout, we were mystified at the abundant juxtapositions, humbled by the paradox our own insignificance alongside the opportunity to contribute to this beautiful world, appreciative of life's simplicities, and in awe of its complex intricacies.  

Here are some pictures from our trip that speak to these reflections.

I have never met such hard working people; the concept of “leisure” belongs to the west.  There is great respect for ancient history and the influence of those that came before.  There is a deep sense of pride in the country.  There is gratitude by the newer generation for the progress that China has made in the past 20 years, while at the same time a fear of the country developing too quickly.  There is a new understanding of how important it is to care for the environment so as to address the pervasive pollution.  There is eerie acceptance of the limits in place by the government because the people are only informed by what is permitted through the censures.

In the fall, approximately 20 students, a few teachers, and the principal from Dayulu Primary School - will visit America and spend two days at our school.  While dining with the educators from China, we discussed the differences in how we approach learning.  In China, there are 40-50 students per class.  Teachers only teach one subject.  Students work in groups infrequently.  During PE we saw students marching and practicing changing formations from 2 lines, to 4 lines, etc…  During recess, music came over the speakers and the students all go out to the track for a run and then they engage in different types of play.  They encourage physical exercise every day.  Students are expected to sit upright with their arms one over the other and there is a specific way to raise hands.  When students speak, they stand at their desk.  Students and staff were very friendly and we were truly treated like royalty.

I shared that our class sizes are 25-30 students.  Most teachers teach all subjects at the elementary level while teachers in the upper grades specialize on a few.  Students work in groups throughout the day and we highly value conversation, team work, and problem solving.  Students participate in PE for a certain amount of minutes per week and play a variety of games at recess.  In one room we have three different types of chairs that respond to the active nature of children; rocking, bouncing, wiggling.  Student write on their tables with a white board marker.  Students do raise hands, but they aren’t required to stand.  We are a warm, welcoming, nurturing, spirited, diverse community.

All this week I have had a permanent smile as I’ve passed through classrooms and walked throughout the campus during recess and lunch.  I LOVE ALMOND SCHOOL!!!  We have students from all different backgrounds that effortlessly (most of the time ;-)) play and learn at each others’ side.  Staff is encouraged to take risks and forge ahead with fierce, innovative, ideas that benefit children.  We strive to differentiate, individualize, and personalize learning for EVERY student. We encourage voice and choice and want our students to be critical thinkers who contribute beauty to this world; whether that be in the form of a new invention, a cure for cancer, a business start up, or…(wait for it)...an incredible musician’s musician like Prince.

Prince was born in Minneapolis and died there as well.  His parents were both musicians and he learned to love music early in his life.  He gained international success in 1982 with the release of his 1999 album.  When listening to his songs with high quality ear phones, I hear tracks that are each laid upon the other offering different pathways into music nirvana.  Perhaps it’s his soulful voice, or the twangs of his high pitched bravado, or the incredible guitar plucking and riffs.  He was creative, brave, tenacious, free, talented - a unique individual who contributed to the beauty of this world!  

Let us all aspire to create environments around us that support each learner in our midst to develop into the amazing individual they are meant to become.