Spring 2011 - Stanley British Primary School - Website

stanley bulldogs athleticsmiddle school fun day at jump streetBy Art Gluck7th Grade Mathematics Teacher &Director of Middle School AthleticsAt Stanley BPS we find ourselvesat the end of our winter sportsseason. We have seven differentMiddle School teams andapproximately 110 athletescompeting during the winter. Sixof these are basketball teams.Basketball is the one sport offeredat Stanley that is broken upentirely by gender and grade level.Thus we have three girls’ teamsand three boys’ teams, one each at6th, 7th, and 8th grade.Our basketball teams and theircoaches have been puttingforth great effort and have beenrewarded with several excitingvictories over the independentschools that we face during theseason. The Daniel’s Gymnasiumhas been alive with entertaininggames! Thank you to those who’vefilled the bleachers and showntheir support. The athletes trulyappreciate playing in front ofthe home fans and it’s alwaysimpressive to see the growth thatis made as the players transitionthrough the grade levels. Theygain proficiency both individuallyand collectively as dribbling basicsgive way to driving lay-ups andfull court presses.The other winter sport we offer isMultiSport. This team combinesboys and girls from 6th, 7th,and 8th grades. MultiSport hasa committed group of athletes,there are twenty-two, who practicefour days a week. Their activitiesvary depending on the day, yetthe fitness program consists ofswimming and working out at theMontclair Recreation Center. It’seasy to see that the athletes havebeen pushing themselves andfocusing on their individual fitnessgoals.The 6th grade girls basketball team.The Stanley BPS cross country team.Middle School girls’ field hockey.6th grade boys’ soccer.Lookingback at thefall there were several successesto celebrate. Our soccer teamreturned to its dominant formand concluded an undefeatedseason in style. The team notonly played with great skillbut played with excellentsportsmanship as well. Thefield hockey team had itsbiggest turnout in their history.Twenty-three middle schoolgirls made this team not onlyproductive on the field butenthusiastic on the sidelinesas well. We hope the currentdesire to play this exciting sportcontinues to grow. Our newestteam, boys and girls crosscountry, had an outstandingseason as well. With twentyfiverunners, they were a forceto be reckoned with. Of the sixevents they participated in,they brought home trophiesfrom three and should be evenstronger next season with onlytwo eighth graders departing.Once again our three volleyballteams, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades,were a huge success and thethirty girls who bumped,set and spiked their way tocountless victories should beproud of all they accomplished.If you haven’t witnessed thisgroup play, or heard theirincredibly lively cheers, (thebest in the league), you’ve trulymissed out.We look forward to seeingyou this spring as we readyourselves for boys and girlslacrosse as well as girls soccer.All the best and Go Bulldogs!continued from page 1a potluck & so muchmore…who give you their food give you theirheart.” The potluck is a wonderful andunique celebration of our many familiesand their traditions, sharing a mealtogether as a community with one heart.Another annual occurrence is thestorytelling evening that took placein late February. This event allowsmembers of our school communityand the community at-large to sharetheir incredible talents through stories,poetry and song. Students come dressedin their pajamas with pillows andsleeping bags in tow ready to listen andtake part in the tales. Past storytellershave included Christopher Maier, andthe late community jewel, OpalangaPugh. These gatherings promotecommunity-building and inclusiveness,however, inclusiveness is much morethan a potluck.Intentional policies and practices, whichadapt to our growing and changingcommunity through connections,curriculum and staff development, arealso key ingredients. In the classroom,our creative and dedicated teachersClockwise from left:Darcy Neureiter,Julie Gottesfeld,Ivan Buss, Tali Butzand Isabelle Lewis.work to create welcoming environmentswhere all students and families feel asense of belonging. In the communitywe diligently work to foster andnurture relationships with other schoolgroups dedicated to learning andsustaining diversity and inclusiveness.An example is the ACIS InclusivityNetwork, a dedicated group of facultyand staff from other independentschools statewide who gather togetherto share resources and collaboratein varied cross-community learningopportunities.Another multi-school collaborativeinitiative is the Connecting InclusivelyResponsive Communities LeadingEducation (C. I. R. C. L. E.) program.Stanley BPS created the originalprogram and has maintained activeleadership from its onset. The3rd annual daylong diversity andinclusiveness conference took placeon March 5, 2011. The C.I.R.C.L.E.Conference was hosted by Stanley incollaboration with partnering private/independent and Denver Public Schoolsincluding: Ashley, Denver MontclairInternational School, Logan School,Odyssey and Paddington Station.This year’s conference sponsorshipcame from a Denver FoundationInclusiveness Project grant as well asthe partnering schools sustainabilityfund, and in-kind contributions fromthe Matrix Center. The keynote speakerwas Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. with severalspeakers, affinity group/reflectivecircles, and workshops to inform andchallenge participants to promotelearning by courageous conversationsthrough vision, dialogue and action.This year’s conference theme wasWhat’s in your Knapsack? Repackingyour Knapsack ~ Through Intention,Engagement and Transformation.There are always opportunities tobecome more involved in these manyefforts to create, promote and sustainthe diversity and inclusiveness in ourcommunity.The commitment is a journey, not adestination…come aboard!-13--12-