In the spring of 2006, we got together with Lyesse and teachers and came up with our very own LILA tradition.  Something to help bond students 6 through 12 together, and create campus unity.  We wanted to give students one day out of the year that is completely unexpected. 

The concept is pretty simple.  Everyone starts class, business as usual until five minutes into the day the routine is interrupted and secondary teachers and students are called out of their rooms and onto the basketball court and names are called out.  A spattering from each grade to field the 20 odd teams that will from then on meet each other in extreme competitions all day long putting their skill, brains, imagination, talent, athletic ability, and heart into it to win points and, with any luck, take home a victory t-shirt. 

After year one it was clear that this was already a tradition.  Now every year students impatiently await the surprise day where everything gets turned upside down and they play with their teachers on a level playing field. 

Today, January 7, 2010 was that day at LILA... And as usual, it was magic. 

I think it is the simple things in life I enjoy the most, watching preschoolers create imaginary worlds with PVC pipes or seeing our secondary world drop everything for a day to just take the time to enjoy the school that they call home and the people they share it with.

In 4 minutes flat, a snapshot of their day...