G'day from the Principal Welcome from the Principal G’day, My name is Howard Wilson.  I was born in Australia where I began my career as a music and theater arts teacher. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be an archeologist.  When I got to high school, I realized that I wanted to impact the future more than dig around in the past.  I became a teacher to help people learn, especially children.  I became a Principal because I wanted to help more children learn - not just those in my classroom. I began my career as an administrator in the Saint Paul Public Schools in 1997.  This is my 4th year as Principal of Four Seasons A+ Elementary School.  I love the idea that the children who attend this school get to discover the artists within themselves on a daily basis while learning how the arts are part of our daily life as a civil society.  At Four Seasons A+, we understand that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and we are here to serve for the greater good of the world.  We are here to embrace change, to learn and to grow no matter how old we are.  We are here to not just do things right; we are here to do the right thing.  That often requires courage.  We have high expectations for everyone not just our students.  We work to honor and value the contributions of every person.  We teach and learn by all we do and in the process learn to care and respect and take responsibility.  Work, Respect, Create, Belong: these are our core values. We are an Arts+ school.  Our students receive at least one full instructional period of arts daily with instruction in Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts throughout the week.  We know that in this way, they improve their critical thinking skills, discover and explore their artistic talents, investigate ideas, stories and themes of all times and people.  They grow in their understanding of diversity and the richness of world cultures through the Arts.  At Four Seasons A+, the Arts are integrated into the language arts, math and science curricula in an integrated, "Teaming" model in which classroom teachers and arts specialists collaborate in the classroom.   I invite you to visit our school and see for yourself the kind of opportunities our students have to learn in art, dance, theater, music, science and school enrichment classes.  Once you join our community, you will be invited to work with other parents and staff members who serve in many, many ways to help a great school become an even greater school. We are working hard again this year to create a respectful and welcoming environment for everyone who walks through our doors.  You are welcome at Four Seasons A+ Elementary School. For more information, please call me at (651) 290-7595 or e-mail me at    Howard.Wilson@spps.org