6th Grade Fall Splash-a-thon & Splash-a-licious BBQ Chicken Lunch

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Photos (top to bottom): photo1: Rosa, Adama, Emilie & Alice; photo2: one bad-ass southern momma who advertises the wisdom of regular flossing; photo3: Ethan-the-tiger-shark; photo4: Mrs. Keck and daughter in a rare bit of quiet water; photo5: Lucie and little bro; photo6: Ibrahima & poppa; photo7: a rare Caribbean yellow-nosed Charne; photos 8&9: Ibrahima; photo10: Rozita and Sheila have obviously been working out; photo11: Mansur backs away from the teacher-photographer-shark; photos 12-15: general frivolity in the deep end (no bomber casualties thankfully); photo16: Mourtada; photo17: CJ; photo 18: Tom, Alphadi & CJ in line for Shady's splash-a-licious chicken lunch; photo 19: parents socialize over lunch; photo20: Rosa, Adama, Emilie, Alice and Margret.

A memory is a thing: it possesses substance (or the lack thereof). A memory may be coded in multiple forms and in multiple locations, whether in an isolated intellectual-verbal center, as might a vocabulary definition, or a combination of centers, as occurs in the case of context-rich, emotion-laden experiences.

Groups vary in the degree to which the members of those groups share a common vision, or believe-in and commit-to the vision of its leader/s. The implications are very important: performance of a group is directly proportional to the strength of their shared vision, without limit. It is true at all levels of community, whether a couple, family, classroom, or within the psychological landscape of an individual.

So what's the connection with a 6th grade pool party?

The 6th grade community -- kids and families -- met on Saturday for a couple hours of play at the Club Atlantique. It was good fun for all: plenty of splashing, pleasant conversation, and good food -- all the components of a memorable day. And that's really what it's about: building memory of what is a very important point-in-time for us all, being posted here in Dakar, at ISD.

A felt identity with class and school has important payoffs both for the school year and the memory of the school year. The shared sense of fun and relationship coats and protects memory. The increased sense of community and belonging also results in a greater willingness/desire to invest oneself academically. It is very important and very powerful, thus the reason why so many schools begin the year with grade level retreats.

Here's to the 6th grade!