W+March+2008

=__ School life Minutes for March, 2008 __= Attending: Mary, Barbara, Hugh, Guthrie, Susan, Leon, Angela, and Kathy
 * Next Meeting – April 1 (no foolin’) – Leon’s room, Middle School 7:00 – 8:30 **

PSA
Angela shared that the Development Office had been contacted about school history. John Ladd said that items from the 40th anniversary have not been cataloged as yet and that the video of Martha and Peter’s conversation is not presentation quality. It could perhaps be transcribed if we could find a skilled transcriber. Susan will check with Bryce on the results of his archival class during the 40th year. Ø a goal should be a new video of Martha and Peter The PSA Care Committee is providing for families in times of need. A recent request for meals to be donated to an anonymous family garnered 14 meals in less than 24 hours.

Community Building
Barbara shared her trip to New Garden Friends to hear FCE presenters Jack Kirk on Quaker history and Irene McHenry on Quaker education. - Does it cost to have them here? Parents would enjoy this presentation. - Are FCE grants available? - Perhaps useful to look at sessions other Friends schools offer for parents. - CH Meeting has offered parenting workshops (Mike & Marcia Green) - The Feb. 27 MFW had about a dozen attendees. - Next MFWs are scheduled for o Wednesday, April 30, in the Center o Wednesday, May 28, in the US Meeting Hall o Written invitations should go to both Meetings

Early School
A quick note that the recent rain has transformed the playground! Much digging, water play, sand sculpture, and construction going on.

Upper School
Susan shared her joy in the visit of Father Tony and his wife. Hopefully, his visit will deepen our relationship with the Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry in Newton Grove. The US Cabaret night – featuring students, staff, and parents, was a smashing success – and also raised money for end of year trips. A new trimester has begun and staff are exhausted. The transition from conferences to a new term is a hard one. Clerk’s Committee is planning a surprise pancake breakfast for all next week. Annie Dwyer is doing an outreach class “Wishes for the World”, which will include students from Efland Cheeks and Central Park schools. Susan and US students worked on a peace project with ES and LS students.

Middle School
Mary Deborah’s //Cooking with Kindness// class has been a popular service option. They have baked cookies for the coaches, the Klopfers, and the 4th years. Henry’s 60th birthday celebration literally stopped the show, with Lydia purposely ”forgetting” her lines so as to segue into a birthday tribute. LS students are coming to MS for “Risers” classes with Leon. Many prospective students are visiting. New classes have begun, and end of year Exploratoriums are being planned. MS students do 20 service hours a year – CES is a popular option. A second play is planned this year. The production of //Our Town//, under Rachel’s direction, will include songs. Ida and Matthew are rehearsing a great chorus. A May arts evening is planned. (The sound track for this evening’s meeting included loud claps of thunder, window-rattling winds, and a few roars that had us all heading for the storage closet in case of a tornado!)

Lower School
Lower School has been talking about transition issues – when a child is ready for LS - or ready to move to an older classroom - or ready for MS. There seems to be a perception on the part of some parents that moving from unit to unit is automatic – the “once you’re in, you’re in” viewpoint. LS had some very awkward conversations with the parents of an ES riser when we questioned our ability to serve their child adequately and did not automatically grant that child a contract for next fall. Kathy wonders if our committee could review the literature that is handed to prospective and enrolling parents. Is it consistent? Does it say what we do? Is there and implication of “automatic: reenrollment? This type of literature review was historically part of SL’s purview. We should perhaps check with Mike about his thoughts on this. Barbara shares that ES does not interview prospective students, only parents. This year a parent withheld information. Home visits happen only after acceptance. ES is ending up with more special needs students. An idea emerges: What if __all__ contracts for the first year in ES (or any other unit) were 1 year, provisional contracts? Wouldn’t that be clearer for all and give us a chance to be sure the “fit” is a good one. In what ways could this committee support the units and heads in pondering this idea? Unit musings, next page: =School Life – Unit Musings for February 2008=

Campus Early School
Following an extraordinary MLK Day celebration, there is a noticeable calm around the CES campus. The process of defining and redefining has settled and the children have learned more about themselves, their friendships and their environment. The kids are experiencing first-hand how teamwork, listening, sharing, and patience help build the bonds of friendship with their peers and teachers. It is a beautiful time to be a part of our classroom and see the magical friendships that have emerged and the imaginative play that accompanies the comfort of being a part of this community. Many adventures are on the horizon. A salon expedition and a trip to the landfill are coming soon. The children have been sorting through Orange County trash and are now thoroughly convinced we are throwing away too much stuff.

Chapel Hill Early School
The dragonflies have had a great time exploring the fun and fascinating characteristics of Penguins. We have graphed all the parts of the world in which they inhabit. We have also learned about the many ways Penguins waddle, swim, and slide and we did our own whacky penguin dances. The children loved reading stories about //Tacky the Penguin// to illustrate the value of Individual Uniqueness. During afternoon meeting we introduced flannel board stories. The group enjoyed the interactive nature of the teacher telling a story with props rather than reading from a book. Mostly the kids had fun being a part of the story by using the various props themselves with the flannel board. The butterflies are flying in all directions right now. We have many unique children working on several unique projects. Outdoors we are creating, changing and protecting a construction site on the playground now that we’ve finally gotten some rain (it challenges the Big Dig!). We’ve been making clay creations, learning about fire engines and firefighters, counting and sorting bears according to color and number, and learning to use the listening center. With spring just around the corner, we’re excited about what the next season holds!

Durham Early School
DES parents and staff met on February 4 over dinner for a discussion of an article from Teaching and Learning: Collaborative Exploration of the Reggio Emilia Approach. The article, “Big Ideas and the Essence of Intent,” explores the way teachers inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach work with children. Some of the topics we discussed were: Recognizing children’s deeper intent Discovering the Big idea and how to keep children engaged in it Different ways of documentation/transparency Who is documentation for? Teachers, children, parents? How does Reggio Emilia inform socialization in the classroom? Overview from Sara about her study tour to the Boulder Journey School All present felt like we just touched upon the tip of the iceberg of this discussion and would welcome another evening event to continue and go deeper. We will select another article to read and plan for another “DES Book Club” event sometime in March.

Cesanne, Charlie, and Barbara went to New Garden Friends School for their Quaker Education Series on Feb. 25. It was great to hear Jack Kirk speak about some Quaker history and how the various Friends schools came into being. Irene McHenry addressed the uniqueness of Quaker schools (relative to other progressive schools) and she used the term "academic vigor." She noted that vigor implies joy and enthusiasm (in addition to rigor), which I thought was a great description of our approach to teaching. __ Lower School __ Most Friday afternoons our students are engaged in what we call “Interest Groups”. These are mini-classes, usually meeting for three Fridays in a row, which explore a wide variety of topics: basketball skills, knitting, Lego structures, card games, cooking, rocketry, hiking, nature crafts…. the list is endless. Classes contain mixed age groupings and are taught by staff and by parent volunteers. Twice a year we change the Friday format a bit and offer “Discovery Groups” for the Mountain and Forest Class students only. During this February and March, a group of parents is offering Discovery Groups focused on the country of Afghanistan. Students are learning about weaving, fabric art, cooking, calligraphy, kite making, games, music, maps, dance, photography, and drama. Some students are working on projects that will result in artwork to send to our sister school in Tob Chi. The sessions will culminate in a “Market Day” on Friday, March 14, with all groups offering wares to be viewed and sampled. Staff have enjoyed working as assistants on this project and very much appreciate the planning and care these parents have brought to this process. Our last session of Interest groups will run for four Fridays: May 9, 16, 23, and 30. If you have a hobby or skill you’d like to share with a group of students ages 6-10, contact Lisa Carboni (lcarboni@cfsnc.org). Sharing is a big part of the life of a Lower School student. Students have “regular” sharing days every other week. One of the privileges of being the child of the week is being able to share every day. Shared items range from special stuffed animals to collections of stones to anecdotes about trips…and so on. A special treat is a “live” sharing – usually a pet, but occasionally a parent, sibling, or visiting relative. Recently Donovan, a River Class student, shared his older brother Brandon – now in his last year of Middle School – who had also been in River Class. Dee remembered Brandon as the child who helped her to deepen her belief in the difference we can make in the world. She recalled that it was the day after 9/11/01. Teachers had spent time in the morning processing the events with the students, allowing them to talk and ask questions. Students then moved to their language group areas and began doing a writing project. Brandon wrote for a bit, then looked up and said, “Dee Wee, now I know why we do talking out our problems, why we do conflict resolution. It’s so we won’t drive planes into buildings.” We may not always hear our messages reflected by our students so clearly. Indeed, they may not truly “get” what we’re teaching until much later in life. But get it they do, and matter it does. Lower School staff have been pursuing a variety of professionally enrichment experiences. We appreciate the support (in thought and wallet) that Mike and Lisa have provided. Linda, Michael, Charlie, and Tom spent two days at a Design Tech workshop in Richmond, VA. Kathy will be attending a “Handwriting Without Tears” refresher course in Greensboro. Natasha and Michael went to Houston to see a lower school running an exemplary Spanish language program for K-5. In April, Joan will be going to a presentation by spelling “guru” Richard Gentry.

__Upper School Moments – from Susan Kincaid__ Hola. Cómo estás? Mucho gusto! The hand reaches out with a firm grasp as the eyes twinkle and the smile opens wide. This is Father Tony. Wherever he goes, he reaches out to every person he sees and places them at the center of his attention. Father Tony is a little man in stature but a large man in spirit. Following him around CFS last Thursday I learned so much about CFS, the values of our school, and the rewards of engaging with the world outside our doors. For the past three years, the freshman class has traveled to Newton Grove, North Carolina, to complete service projects under the auspices of the Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry. When Rob Lavelle and I looked for a service organization for 30 14 year-olds three years ago, most turned us down. But not Father Tony! He accepted us with open arms. As any student from the sophomore to senior classes about Newton Grove and they will tell you that it changed the way they look at the issue of immigration, work in America, community, service, and coming together as a class. Father Tony and his wife, Lucia, arrived at the Upper School on Wednesday, just in time for our Silent Meeting. They met with the freshman class and then parents at a pot luck event that evening. On Thursday they returned to spend the morning in classes and visit the rest of the school. In my homeroom that morning, junior Juliette Rousseau expertly translated for Father Tony. (Mind you, Juliette is already fluent in two languages – French and English). Father Tony will say that his English is not that good, but I think that this is a strategy to actively engage students in his teachings. In the first period Foundations class, senior Virginia Thomas took over as translator. The next stop was Guillermo’s Spanish III class, where Father T. taught students how to roll their rs among other things. Next was a tour. I had the great pleasure of taking Father Tony and Lucia on a long walk from the Upper to the Middle to the Lower to the Campus Early schools. And here’s what I saw. Everywhere, students were actively engaged in learning. Whether they were reading, writing, listening to a lesson, or playing a cooperative game, I didn’t see one bored or disengaged student. And everywhere, students wanted to talk to him. In the Middle School one student asked Father Tony, “Do you know about our conflict resolution class?” and proceeded to explain the goal of the class and the meaning of the game they were playing. She knew exactly what they were trying to accomplish that day. In Annie’s “Wishes for the World” dance class, Marlin Cohn (our senior from Nicaragua) and Father Tony engaged in a rapid-fire exchange about the process of creating dance. In the Lower School we met our three pot-belly pigs and in the Early School one student exclaimed proudly, “This is my school!” I was especially impressed with how welcoming teachers were with our visits. They happily met Father Tony and Lucia, and told us a bit about their classes that day. Father Tony is a true man of service, genuine, honest, and sincere in his efforts to reach out and support the migrant population of North Carolina. If he had chosen a career in business, he would probably be a millionaire now. But though Father Tony has little in material wealth today, he is rich in spirit, friendship, and community. He has changed the lives of thousands of people, including our students at CFS. Everywhere he went at CFS, Father Tony voiced that our mission and his are one and the same. He marveled at the sense of community at CFS. “Cherish your time here,” he advised students. “You have a true community here with friendship at its core. This school is unique and very special.” Another highlight of my week in the Upper School has been a special project that my Immigration class did with Early Schoolers and students from Sky Class. We hosted a walk-a-thon on March 1st to raise money for a school in Sudan. Our theme, “Footsteps to a Dream” illustrates that immigration is a journey of many steps. The school in Sudan is being built by Valentino Achek Deng, one of the thousands of Lost Boys who walked across Sudan in the mid-80s to escape Arab militias. He immigrated to the United States in 2001, and has devoted his life to sharing his story, getting an education, and raising money to build a school for children in his hometown in southern Sudan. We read the account of his life (__What is the What__, written by Dave Eggers) and felt inspired by both the story of Valentino’s immigration to this country and his commitment to improving life in his native country. By walking even such a short distance, we hoped to be able to connect with Valentino’s experience while at the same time helping him achieve his goal. Since most of the boys were very young when they crossed Sudan, Upper School students wore scarves decorated with the footprints of members of the Early and Lower Schools. There were 14 of us last Saturday, and all together we walked 61.3 miles. On Wednesday, students traveled up the hill to the Early School equipped with paint, a map of Sudan, and fabric donated by the CFS community. I had talked earlier with Tim and Carley about how to introduce our project to four-to-five year olds. They had recently had a unit centering around the theme of peace and how to find it. So I focused my talk around that. I asked the young children to define peace for me. Our student from Haiti told me that peace meant “sanctuary.” We talked about where to go to find peace and then I told them that the young boys and girls in Sudan (not much older than them) were trying to find a peaceful place to live. Because they were poor, they didn’t have shoes. Then the real fun began as older students painted the feet of younger students, who then walked across the strips of fabric. As I as leaving the Early School that day, two of the children came running after me to give me a great big hug. On Friday, we repeated our lesson for the children of Sky class. The level of conversation about peace was, of course, more sophisticated. For these children, peace meant the absence of war, safety, freedom, love. A peaceful place could be found by a gurgling brook. They impressed me with their awareness of geography. They knew where Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya were. But they were just as excited about getting their feet painted. Upper Schoolers and I fine-tuned our art making, to create a more efficient process. By the end of the period, we had 20 scarves with bright footprints. We left them in the art studio so Amelia’s drawing class could sketch them later in the day. The best thing about the walk-a-thon was getting time to chat with each student. Then on Saturday night, the Upper School hosted a 2 -hour Cabaret to raise money for our end-of-year service trips. It’s been a very busy week in the Upper School, to say the least!!!