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| Even the most fertile farmland must periodically lie fallow. The period of rest makes the rich, rapid growth that follows possible. I hope the summer of 2009 afforded you and your family some time for renewal.
September 11th is circled on my calendar. As always, I am anticipating those magical first moments of the first day of school that always seem to vibrate with possibility.
The trepidation of the youngest students as they cling to a parent’s skirt or pant leg gives way to excitement, as they move off to play with classmates and embrace the adventure of newfound social independence.
Somewhat older students are giddy at being reunited with old friends they may not have seen in months and classmates new to them. There are a few wonderfully awkward moments when these children are not sure what to say to one another. Here, too, play is the context within which connections are rediscovered.
The oldest lower school students wrap their feelings in language. They chatter enthusiastically about summer activities and the rites of passage it will be their privilege to enjoy in their new grade.
Parents experience the turbulence of transition in myriad ways. There is exuberance and pride as their children stride into a new school year, their lives their own. There is the ambivalence of separation as parents come to terms with the end of summer that likely has made a distinctive quality and quantity of time together possible.
The school doors close and the conversation begins. How do you know what color stegosaurus was? How can you be a good friend and classmate and what is the difference between the two? Who will be the subject of our artist study this year, and will we be working in fabric, or paper, or clay? Which letters of the alphabet make more than one sound and how do I know which sound is the right one to use? What pattern will coloring all of the prime numbers on a hundreds chart produce (and must it produce a pattern)? In what ways did slavery shape the course of American history?
At Friends Select, teachers and students address such questions with authenticity, determination and intellectual rigor. It is my privilege to be part of that process.
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| Please join me for coffee in the Dining Hall at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, September 11, after you drop off your child in his or her classroom. This get-together will afford you an opportunity to celebrate (or commiserate about!) the first day of school with other new parents. I will say a few words about the lower school program, and I will be available to answer any lingering questions you may have. |
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| September 25, November 20, January 22, February 26, May 21
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| Middle SchoolTelling Tales out of School: Adventures in Digital Storytelling |
| I spent time this summer pulling together my Honduras experiences into a “digital story” to share with faculty at our first meeting in September. You might remember from my June letter that digital storytelling involves using computer-based tools to tell stories in a first-person narrative. (To learn more about the process, check out storycenter.org.)
Embracing this and other new technologies has been a multi-year effort at Friends Select. During the summer of 2008, the entire faculty read Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind. Middle school teachers then created classroom lessons based on Pink’s ideas and shared their creative teaching approaches at our faculty meetings.
This summer, after much discussion, the middle school faculty decided that our summer work together should be creating digital stories. In lieu of a common book, we explored the Web site The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, a site that includes definitions, examples from many disciplines, software demonstrations, and advice for getting started. This shared endeavor called on all of our prior knowledge as educators as we explored how to integrate a new set of 21st century skills into our classrooms.
Each middle school faculty member agreed to create a short, personal digital story that tells us something we might not already know – about a summer experience, perhaps, or a hobby. Our goal with this hands-on project was to learn and practice new skills that we can then encourage our students to use to facilitate their learning.
We will be sharing our digital stories with one another this fall. I am gratified that the middle school faculty has embraced this new technology in such a thoughtful and practical way. I can’t wait to see their finished products.
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| There are so many immutable truths about the start of the school year. Bittersweet emotions mix lamentation over summer’s end with excitement about the year to come. As students pour back into the building, they regale their friends with summer stories and prepare for the school work that is soon to come. Everyone wants to be here, but no one wants summer to end. As I personally experience this emotional tug-of-war, I think about the unique aspects of Friends Select and what pulls us back each year.
Recent graduate Fumnanya Ekhator said it best in her graduation speech last June. She noted:
“Friends Select students are mindful of the community around them, and enforce a safe environment for their fellow classmates. I see that when we stand up for one another, encourage each other, and celebrate each other’s differences. Our talent shows can attest to this.
“We are curious and engaged. I see that and have seen it in every class with all of you when I watch you make unbelievably insightful observations about our texts. I see it in the hallways after class when we discuss the latest in scientific research, current events, and even political topics.
“Most importantly, Friends Select students are also teachers. While we learn, we also teach others…You do this by striving to be your best academically and being a continuous example of excellence. You do this in our discussions, in which you respectfully disagree with me and show me new perspectives.”
What Funmanya articulated as a senior is what students from Friends Select become during their years here. It is the modes of thinking she describes that perhaps best describe the uniqueness of this place. Of course, the school provides a rigorous academic program that challenges students in each and every subject. (Where else can you finish advanced calculus and take an independent study titled “Really Advanced Calculus”?) But the reach of this school, which goes beyond the academics, is felt keenly in the dynamic community we create together. Being a part of a place with such energy is exciting and contributes to students wanting to be here.
Funmanya’s comments about students also apply to the faculty. At Friends Select, faculty members get to know the students really well -- and it is that sense of “being known” that allows students to thrive in so many ways. As the year begins, it is always great to observe how quickly new students learn what it means to be a part of this community. It’s even better to watch how well veteran students model for the newcomers how to be a community member. At the same time, it is gratifying to see how teachers dive right back into teaching students specific material and helping them become intellectually curious teachers and friends to the people around them.
As the first day of school approaches, I admit that I’m reluctant to bid farewell to summer. But I am looking forward to having this thriving community back together again.
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