It seems like there is so much going at LILA, that it is sometimes hard to keep up with just getting it all on the blog... This article is a group project... Allison Sparks wrote the blurb, Doug Maxwell took some pictures and 10th grader Sebastien Nicolau manned the camera...  I just took their footage and made you a 3 minute clip to show what Allison does such a nice job of telling you about...

 Roses are red, violets are blue, April 30th was Poetry Day, and it was fun, too!

It was a Friday, the secondary school gathered to celebrate Poetry Month with student-made activities, exhibitions, performances, and a talk with visiting guest poet, Luke Davies. While enjoying music performed by the secondary band, students were treated to poetry readings at the "Open Mic" - an opportunity for all to share their work. And a "Poetry Wall" allowed students the freedom to jot down free verse, poetic ideas, or create "word bracelets" with letter beads. At stations set up throughout the yard, students displayed poetry styles, poetry games, and their own original poems. And in Room 4, the eleventh graders hosted special performances and games centered around poetry. The stations were free-flowing, and students traveled around according to their own interests and curiosity. A huge "Thank You" goes out to Luke Davies, who shared his own original poetry and answered the students' questions in his presentation in Room 6.

I have a personal preference for educational moments in which big kids help little ones...  I found this moment to be one of these irresistible and blog worthy moments...  In a nutshell, the Los Feliz 5th graders and kindergartners are working together. They are reading buddies and the 5th grade prepared a lesson for the kindergartners on the 5 senses.

Two 5th graders, Alexandra Goodale and Amelia Yessayantz wrote about the experience, so I will just let them tell you about their day

"On Thursday, March 18th, 2010, we went to kindergarten. Why? Because we needed some extra reading practice and we knew that they could help us! Well, that is what we told them. The day before, we planned and prepared a lesson on the five senses, just like our teachers plan lessons for us. Then, the next day, we went to teach our lesson to the little kids. First, Miss Sarah introduced the five senses. Second, Miss Sarah and Miss Helen paired us up with our kindergarten buddies. Third, we helped our buddies read a book on the five senses. Finally, we helped our buddies write their very own five senses poem! This was a great experience because we got to be teachers and they learned a lot. Not only did they learn, but we learned about teaching and being patient, and now our buddies come up to us and say hi!"

As many of you know, the Los Feliz campus is under new leadership.  The new campus director, Philippe Vanhille, started in July and has already put his stamp and signature on many key improvements this year.  For example, parents and staff were greeted with a new Parent Handbook and Faculty Handbook respectively that incorporates all procedures and forms they need to be able to navigate around the complex maze of getting things done at Los Feliz. 

As part of the communication battle cry, Philippe is launching an election day on the Los Feliz campus.  On October 6^th, the campus will hold official elections for all school representative positions that need to be filled.  Specifically, all members of the LILA-Los Feliz community will be invited to vote and participate.  Students will vote for their student representatives; teachers will vote for their teacher representatives; and parents will vote for their homeroom parents and the open parents’ association positions. These elected representatives will join forces on the newly created Campus Advisory Committee which will meet a couple of times a year to discuss key campus issues and which will then report to the general  LILA-wide “conseil d’etablissement” to try and further LILA progress.

If you are interested in being a representative, a homeroom parent, or hold any elected positions, please address your willingness to Philippe.vanhille@lilaschool.com  so your name gets put on the respective ballot.

The elections will be held Tuesday October 6^th in the MPR.  If for some reason you cannot participate in person, a proxy form or absentee ballot will be made available.

What a wonderful way for students to experience the power and responsibility of the democratic process.  As Albert Einstein once said, “Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach.”  So please, be a LILA citizen and volunteer your time as a representative.  Put your name on a ballot, and if that is not possible, make sure you come and vote on October 6^th.