I know that safety is your first priority, as well as ours. On that note, I want to remind everyone that use of your cell phone is prohibited in an active school zone, which includes school property while operating a motor vehicle, according to the Texas Traffic code 545.425. If you are parked on campus, you may use the cell phone, however, once the vehicle is in motion, cell phone use is prohibited by law.
Yesterday, Cedar Ridge hosted the first 2014-15 RRISD Council of the Arts meeting on its campus. Our visitors were given an overview of the Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) Academy by Laurie Chamblee, the VPA Administrator. They were then treated to a performance in our cafeteria of our fabulous band. The pictures didn't turn out as good as I had hoped, but I want to share them anyway. The visitors then were treated to tours of the building by our very own student ambassadors.
I also, want to highlight a really wonderful classroom lesson I caught yesterday in Brad Harper's U.S. History class. Students were transported back in time to the Colonial Era. The "Honorable Judge Harper," representing the British King and Parliament, heard various cases presented by the Colonial representatives. The students had time prior to class to work in groups to prepare their arguments, from the perspective of the Colonials, against various "Acts," such as the Sugar Act of 1764, the Quartering Act, and the Currency Act. The students then appeared in the "court of Honorable Judge Harper" to argue their cases against their chosen Acts. It was delightful to watch the engagement, the critical thinking, and the passion, of the students arguing their cases. The "colonials" did a super job sharing and supporting their arguments.
After each case, the Honorable Judge Harper reverted back to the Honorable Teacher Harper to debrief the case with the students by going over the facts and specifics behind that particular Act, During this time, he shared the historical context, the King's point-of-view, and the colonialists' point-of-view. It was a fascinating class to watch and even I learned a lot!
