No holding back here! Our Bobcats (grade 5/6 class) were eager to share the straight up truth of what a student at Via Vita is all about. As they put it, #nofilterneeded. Here you go - right from the mouths of our most candid ones in the bunch, here is an honest recap of what they’re loving (and what they’re not lovin’) at Via Vita.
LOVE/NOT LOVE @ VIA VITA By The Bobcats LOVE: It’s like a TV show, you go to school, learn a lesson, come home, and it’s a happy ending at the end of the day. LOVE: We all feel like a family because it’s like a home here... Except there’s no beds and stuff to lay down and sleep, but there is a couch. NOT LOVE: We get a lot of homework. There’s so much I feel like can’t do it but when you get it done, you feel so good. Then your parents are like, “See, doesn’t it feel good?” And you really look at them like, “uuuuuuh!”. LOVE: Everybody’s friends and everybody just hangs out, different grades and all. No pressure to be anybody you’re not. Just be. LOVE: It’s so easy to be friends in a smaller school than a big school because in a big school you don’t know everyone, but here you know everyone. NOT LOVE: Teachers are always around you. They notice everything! LOVE: The classes are smaller and you get a better chance to get help when you’re stuck. I used to think Math was so hard. I, like, really know what I'm doing here. LOVE: Gym is everyday. It’s awesome because you get to run around. And be loud! NOT LOVE: They really push you to do the work yourself. It’s hard! LOVE: You have a lot of say in how you do your projects and what you do them on. You have so much control over your learning. LOVE: You can get here early and play in the gym or you can just sleep in and be late. It’s cool. But seriously, you still gotta get your work done on time. Trust me. NOT LOVE: They always find a way to talk to your parents. Like everyday. They know everything. LOVE: You can play together and not yell and punch, you can actually help each other be the best of yourself. LOVE: You get to play outside a lot. You gotta wear a coat though. It’s freezing out. NOT LOVE: No excuses on late work. You just have to do it. Like, if you don't do it, you're gonna have to eventually. LOVE: You don’t have to wear shoes inside. LOVE: At my old school I didn’t really do any fun activities, It was like math, math, math. Here we do fun stuff like hikes, go to the park, play mantracker inside the building on the last day, and create plays and stuff. NOT LOVE: They really force you to speak up. Once you do, it all makes sense and stuff, but oh man, it's like, I just don't know what to say! But then you do know.
0 Comments
As part of a series, each class has put together their Top 10 things they think other kids will want to know about Via Vita. To start us off, please give a warm welcome to our Coyote Class! These students range from grade 1 to 3 and were excited to create their top 10 list for you to read! Enjoy the pictures, too, they really add something special to the post! We are the Coyote class and we’re so excited to tell you what we love about Via Vita Academy! We are in grade one, two and three. We’re Logan, Simeon, Payton, Danica, and Ms. Yolanda!
These are all the things we think you should know!
Please welcome our newest member to the Via Vita team - Ms. Yolanda McLean! We are excited to announce the hiring of Ms. Yolanda and formally welcome her to the Via Vita family. She has been working with us now since mid-January and is already deep into new projects with her students, while quickly getting to know each family. Please take a read and learn about her first week observing the busy halls of Via Vita. We are lucky to have such a passionate and caring educator join our school! Photo: Ms. Yolanda posing for a picture with her students in Kisii, Kenya. The words “Via Vita”, meaning way of life, fully encompasses what I have observed student’s experiencing during my first week here at Via Vita Academy. Walking through the doors on my first day, I saw students busy working together with the support of their teachers, encouraging them along the way.
The community built inside this small school is like nothing I have ever experienced in a school before. Seeing students supporting one another throughout the day - during a math activity, learning a new sport, standing up in front of others, opening a snack, putting on boots - honestly, the whole day - it warmed my heart. These kids have learned the skills to to speak up for themselves, motivate each other, and help others through tough times. They've really created a feeling of safety and acceptance. What strikes me the most about this environment is really getting to see how much each child cares deeply for each other. In such small class sizes, these students accept one another for who they really are, the things that they have in common and even more so, the things that make them different and unique. The feeling I got from working with the students was that they could feel more relaxed and free to make mistakes and take risks because they were not being judged. Their engagement and attitude is fantastic! They create questions, find information on the topic and teach the class. Seeing the students take the lead in their learning is inspirational! Their curiosities are explored and they have the opportunity to see their own success. As a teacher, I feel that students having a blend of responsibility and independence are necessary to develop confidence and a desire for individual growth. Students at Via Vita are given this responsibility through every day. Older and younger students are paired together to help clean the school and work in buddies throughout the week. Seeing older students being so compassionate with younger children’s needs during break times, outings, in the kitchen or during chores reminds me why I love teaching so much. These younger students see the older students as role models and love getting to spend time with them, while the older students gain a multitude of skills that are so difficult to teach. It's a great balance and support network for all students involved. From my observation, Via Vita is fostering a learning environment where students can feel safe to be themselves while continuing to challenge themselves each day to grow and develop. The skills these students are learning will help them not only today, or throughout their schooling, but for the rest of their lives. There are so many responsible, kind and inquisitive young minds at work at Via Vita and I’m so excited I get to be a part of it! |
Welcome to Our BlogEach post is written by a supportive member of Via Vita Academy, be it a teacher, parent, student, community member, who is invested in the topic of education. Take a read and comment below! Archives
February 2022
Categories
All
|