Our Very Memorable First Day of School

Our first day of school was incredible. In addition to establishing guidelines, organizing supplies, and getting to know each other, we attended a very special assembly aligned with this year's theme at Chets: Around the World in 180 Days! Our very special guest, Mr. Bruce Junek, took our students on a virtual tour of a special trip he took with his wife Tass "around the world" several years ago. It was absolutely amazing. He and his wife traveled to over 25 different countries over a two year period, traveling 14,ooo miles (many of these miles by bicycle!). He led his presentation with a pictorial slideshow, sharing the triumphs and difficulties of their journeys. The most compelling part of the presentation was how he taught our kids to appreciate diversity by sharing the traditions, lifestyles, and beliefs of the many people he and his wife interacted with during their journey. He told stories of his visits to many places, including: Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Nepal, India, Egypt, Jerusalem, Athens, Austria, and Switzerland. As he reflected on his experiences in each country, he taught us so much about the culture and the landscapes, the people and the way their lives compared to or differed from our own. Upon returning to our classroom after this special presentation, our class debriefed the experience and what we gained from it. A lot of what was discussed pertained to appreciating (and not judging) people who are different from us in America. Justin said that we should "Respect the things that we have and respect others for what they have." Many of the children we saw in the pictures had no shoes, or they had to walk with buckets to retrieve water each day for their family from nearby rivers. Other children Mr. Junek spoke about cared for younger siblings and worked to support their family instead of going to school to receive an education. In addition to developing a greater appreciation for others different from us, we also found that we were inspired to follow our dreams. As Ryan reflected, he said: "It doesn't matter what other people say of your dreams- you just do it." Shannon said we should "Try our hardest to accomplish our goals." What important life lessons we learned beginning in the first few hours of our journey together in 4th grade that has just begun! We are looking forward to many more life lessons to come!