Groups of wet, smiling and tired students lugged bags of goggles, floaties and towels in and out of Pagosa Peak Open School throughout the past week. After working hard on earning “waves” from teachers and administration during a month of celebrating the school’s values, students had finally reached their goal: class pool parties with School Director Angela Reali-Crossland at the Quality Inn.
Each week the school focused on one of the four values presented to students by Reali-Crossland: Lifelong Learning, Community, Quality and Meaningful Work and Whole and Healthy Humans.
As staff noticed students living these values, their classroom swimming pool charts slowly filled with ‘wave’ drawings and stickers. Students earned ‘waves’ for things like cleaning up trash on a class walk, saying please and thank you in line for lunch, completing draft after draft of writing work; trying new things and helping others.
With full classroom swimming pool charts and joyful hearts, students joined their school director for a two-hour off-campus healthy adventure to the Quality Inn. Games of Marco Polo and Sharks and Minnows filled their time; reinforcing community and health for students and staff during this fun experience spent together.
Emily Murphy is School Director at Pagosa Peak Open School, the first District-authorized charter school in Archuleta County. Prior to her appointment as School Director, Emily filled various roles at PPOS including Project-Based Learning advisor, instructional coach, and assistant director.