This week, the district’s newest facility, Janis Guerrero-Thompson Elementary, opened its doors to 561 new Grizzlies and their families. The school, which was built as part of the 2004 Bond Program, has 40 classrooms on about 17 acres at 102 East Rundberg Lane. It was named for Dr. Janis Guerrero-Thompson, a longtime educator whose work in the district included 17 years of service as a teacher and as AISD’s executive director of planning and community relations.
This afternoon, Principal LaKesha Drinks welcomed me for a tour, which included stops by the cafeteria, gym, and library. All are clean and welcoming, and custodians and other staff were working to keep them that way. In the cafeteria, students can choose a book to read at breakfast or lunch from baskets of books on the stage. That's a great way to support our district's focus on literacy!
In the library, I joined story-time in the impressive glassed-in story area, which allows students to hear stories while the rest of the library is quiet.
Then it was on to Ms. Rangel's fifth grade science classroom, where students were conducting an experiment to measure the absorbency of paper towels. This was the culmination of a week-long lesson that began with reading about scientific inquiry and how to ask questions, then creating a graphic organizer and learning to take notes. Ms. Rangel told me that the experiment is the culmination of the lesson, and students have been looking forward to it all week.
At a brand new school like this, excitement is mixed with challenges. It's sort of like moving into a new home, says Principal Drinks. The brand new facility has state-of-the-art equipment, and everything is bright and shiny and new. Students and teachers all are getting to know each other, most for the first time. Now that everyone is here, teachers will begin to assess their students, who have come from a number of different schools, and provide the appropriate supports for learning and achievement.
The first week is drawing to a close, and we're all happy to be back to school. It's going to be a great year!
Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!
