Arlington School & Family Magazine October 2016 | Page 23

Dream Wall
at Crow
Elementary
Crow Principal Jamie MacDougall may have heard
AISD Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos talk about it
before, but this time was different.
“We must help our students dream,” Cavazos said that day, “but we must also help them achieve their dreams.”
That simple but powerful statement resonated with MacDougall, inspiring her to create a dream wall for her students.
“I thought, ‘What can we do at Crow Elementary to help kids connect to their dreams and to help teachers, staff and parents
see kids as the adults they want to become?’” MacDougall said.
Crow students wrote on a small slip of paper that they wanted to be everything from a teacher and soccer player to an artist
or game designer, and that paper then hung on a wall in the school.
What started as a simple, “I want to be a…” statement written by each student last school year has turned into a family affair.
“This year we asked parents to write a dream for each of their children at Crow,” MacDougall said.
All of the Crow parents and students took pictures together, and the Crow staff is in the process of collecting the dreams to
post in the hall. MacDougall sees it as an opportunity for parents to express their commitment to partnering with the school
to help their children achieve their dreams.
“It is a visual reminder that we are on the same team and working together to help our children succeed,” MacDougall
said. “I don’t just want teachers to see a class of students, I want teachers to see
future policemen, future teachers and future professionals. I want our staff and
community to remember that these children will grow up and become adults
that will do great things.”
Amelia Celis, a mother of three Crow students, said the Dream Wall is
motivation for students.
“When they are discouraged, they can see the dreams that their parents have for
them and that will give them the motivation to keep going,” Celis said.
Said parent Patricia Chairez, “Students spend a large part of their day at school,
so if parents and teachers work together, we will have better results.”
The goal is for every student to have a message from their loved ones to go
along with their picture.
“Education is about more than teaching our students reading and math,”
MacDougall said. “It’s about helping each individual child discover their future
and grow into the best version of themselves.”
And turning those dreams into a reality.
Arlington School & Family

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