As I think back to my days as an elementary student, the last full week of school was rarely a time to have new material introduced in the classroom curriculum.  My classmates and I were so looking forward to summer break, we could taste it! Our teachers would schedule a little more time for recess and work in some fun activities to help us get to the finish line in style. All these years later, the students at The Redeemer’s School are no different. Their voices get a little louder, their bodies a bit wigglier and their feet a little more antsy to run and be free. Their teachers? Well, we too are striving to survive… I mean, to encourage them to finish the race well. 

With our jittery, summer-hungry students in mind, the idea of Discovery Week has been around from the beginning. Before I joined the team in 2016, students were participating in end of the year activities under the umbrella of Spirit Week.  Spirit Week was a means of filling the newly available time with activities, and a little more time outside. So, to honor this idea, I’ve had the opportunity to build on the foundation that had already been set. Knowing that this time comes around at the end of every school year, I sought to capitalize on the opportunity to expose our students to all the incredible ideas, experiences, and people that surround us in this city, this state, our home.

When we engage in new experiences, our perspective of the world changes. For TRS students, we hope that their perspective of what they are capable of develops as well. Even though this week does not scratch the surface of the learning they experience here throughout the year, we know that all some people need is a spark to motivate them. A small glimpse or an introduction to something new can alter the trajectory of a person's life. That is why we have activities like a “Day of Creativity” that challenge students' artistic abilities and creative understanding. It is not impossible to believe that a passing word from a trained artist about how they go about finding inspiration could be the missing link between a student's desire and their artistic reality!  It encourages students to look beyond what is right in front of them and see all the possibilities that surround them.

Through exposure to different ideas and experiences, I hope students walk away from the school year curious. I hope they enter into summer break excited to continue on their journey of learning. A journey that their teachers have been carefully and skillfully coordinating throughout the school year. After carving a bar of soap, it is my hope that they will no longer see just the soap that they wash with, but all the things that can come for such a simple, everyday item. After planting a seed, and sitting under the wisdom of an expert in the field of Horticulture, I hope they look forward to the opportunity and challenge of nurturing that seed to fruition. Discovery Week provides students the opportunity to engage in activities and information that may not have been covered in class. Oftentimes, it introduces them to ideas or ways of life that they had not known about previously.  

 Students are always eager to let me know what has been their favorite activity, and how much they enjoy getting to do different things everyday. This year has been especially exciting for students who haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy time with students from other grades. I believe regaining a piece of the fellowship we once shared has been as exciting as the activities themselves. My favorite part of every Discovery Week is getting to witness those eye popping realizations that students have when engaging different activities. More times than I can remember, I have seen this physical response to students feeling that spark, that excitement of learning something in such a way that it sticks. At The Redeemer’s School, Discovery Week is here to stay. The only thing left to do is start working on making next year the best Discovery Week yet!