To the Archway Arete 5th Graders of 2021-2022,
It has been such a joy to watch all of you grow so much throughout the school year. There’s something so special about exploring the world and making discoveries together, which is exactly what science (and school!) is all about.
We’ve experienced so much together throughout this year. We’ve been whisked away to the magical world of Narnia, where we learned with Eustace how painful, yet good, it can be to change ourselves for the better. We’ve encountered both the brightest joys and darkest sorrows of a relationship between a young boy and his dogs. In The Secret Garden we discovered that “thoughts—just mere thoughts—are as powerful as electric batteries—as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison.” Lastly, in a journey through space and time, we learned how to fight IT, the dark and terrible shadow that represents evil itself. IT cannot be fought with weapons, but with overcoming our own faults, nurturing virtue, and loving others.
Let me leave you with a few final words of advice, many of which you’ve heard me say all year long.
Be a good citizen and love others by taking care of the environment around you (“Pick up a pencil, save a life”).
When naming things, make it a goal to show a touch more creativity than the average scientist (Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, really?).
Be utterly bold when sharing an idea or opinion. The worst you can be is wrong, which if taken humbly is really the best thing in the world. You get the opportunity to do school correctly: You learn!
Let your curiosity blossom. Curiosity never killed the cat, nosiness did. The world is a beautiful, scary, and exciting place. Explore it!
Teachers have short term memory loss. You make a bad choice. You apologize. Teacher forgives and forgets. Each moment of each day is an opportunity to make a good choice and change who you are.
Always show integrity. Who you are when no one’s watching is the real you.
Never pass up an opportunity to lose yourself in a good story. Harry Potter changed my life, and there are countless stories out there that can change yours, too.
Learn how to type. Shoot some hoops every once in a while. Do a few push-ups and run some sprints. In this way, maybe one day one of you will beat me in a typing competition, one on one basketball, arm wrestling match, or race. But mostly, just do something that’s hard. Trees only grow strong when tough winds bend them to the point where they almost break. “Mr. Kiehne, this is hard.” “Good! I can’t wait to see you persevere.”
In everything you do, finish strong. Don’t start what you won’t finish well.
Being a kid doesn’t make your ideas less important. You are valuable. You are insightful. You have a beautiful heart and mind. I walk into the classroom each morning with the title of “teacher”, but leave feeling like you have taught me more than I could ever teach you.
Magic is real. Perhaps you’ve seen it even this school year. I know that I have.
Your fifth grade teacher,
Mr. Kiehne