9T+May+2012

Minutes for May 1, 2012

Thank you to Charlie for a delightful supper!

Settling-in / Silence

Have signed contract for assessment of Top Chi. Lower School bazaar went very well. Laura Lamberson working on a newsletter so more folks can be involved in communication. $1500 donation from a grandparent for computer training. School now has solar power. Upcoming class in Middle School. Movie idea – checking with principal of school about how to safely film children – especially girls.
 * Afghan Sister Schools Partnership **

Charlie is communicating with Guilford about sharing expenses. We will reimburse Paul for his travel and transportation expenses, plus an honorarium. Then Guilford will reimburse us. Budget items to be archived for future use?
 * Review of All-staff event on April 24 **

Feedback has been very positive. Recognition for the work and direction of this committee. Send some of this feedback to staff development committee. Comments make it clear that folks want to continue these sorts of discussions. All school Meeting for Worship on a half day seems to work - some issues with MS dismissal. US on bleachers facing others worked.

Charlie sent thank-you cards to the people in the clerking workshop. Who else do we need to thank: Bryce has thanked Ken, Jamie has also thanked Ken and Jordan. Jim will thank David Stewart. Ida will write Joe Fitzsimmons.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Composition of the committee <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">not returning: Viviann, Kathy – would like 2 people from every unit
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Plans for next year **

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Initial thoughts about the future directions of the committee <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">timing – do we have to meet evenings? Tuesdays? Thursdays? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">not Wednesdays - can change which week

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">service learning – AASP also thinking about this – who’s it for?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">talk by Tom Farquhar – maybe get video – future QIR??

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">how best to continue these discussions? another afternoon? staff meetings? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">at retreat? yearlong self-study with small groups exploring topics across the units?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">a look at the mission statement?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">will need communication between the various <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">committees: retreat, staff development, 50th Anniversary, us, etc. – lots going on in <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">next 2 years –

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Charlie to Quaker Leadership conference in August at Earlham – anyone on committee welcome to go, says Mike
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Announcements/Other items of business **

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Folders have been made for staff new to school next fall – Charlie will distribute.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Feedback from April Event:**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I especially appreciated the visitors who offered their expertise and contributions to the workshops. I enjoyed the workshop on clerking- it was incredibly helpful, and the handouts were SO valuable and well put together. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I would definitely prefer that there wasn't an hour and a half between school being out at noon, and our first official meeting together. I would have preferred to be done an hour earlier- childcare is always tricky on these days, so that down time could have been put to better use (like, we could have had our US Wednesday staff meeting, or I could have had lunch with my child).

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> I also felt that the panel didn't feel extraordinary, and I understand that it was supposed to be a more diverse age group-- and it actually felt like the kids (and adults) involved weren't incredibly prepared or sure what was expected of them. I would have preferred two workshop opportunities- the small groups were really nice (they always are, in my opinion).

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> In all, I felt it was one of the most beneficial days we've had with staff development. It resonated so fully with the work we do, and especially at this time of year, helped to provide some grounding in these busy weeks.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Thank you for all you did to help coordinate! <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">____

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Is there a survey that I've missed that we should be completing? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">If not, I'll just offer my huge thanks for a very meaningful afternoon. The program was designed with great thought and care; and I felt well nurtured, with lots to think about. Our guest was a huge gift, and the variety of workshops seemed just right (I could have attended several quite happily).

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> It was extra-special lovely that you asked us to order our lunches, but if that added a lot of work, it might be a step you could skip.But I guess since we need to have enough veggie and enough gluten-free, this is a good idea. Thanks to the committee for all you've done.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> ________

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Excellent! Thank you so much for providing lunch, as well as ample time to eat it, mingle and tie up loose ends before jumping into the afternoon work. I think those things helped get me in a more relaxed frame of mind as compared with other times when we've started right away at 1:00 with little time to eat, close down shop in the classroom, or say hello to folks from other units. I loved hearing Paul Lacey speak. I appreciated his invitation for us to talk about our school and then hearing him reflect upon his own experiences with the values we described. I also enjoyed the work my group did during the workshop. It felt good to be discussing a topic with other teachers that didn't require an action step, per se. Simply sharing our thoughts, experiences and wonderings together felt very meaningful in its own right. To sum it up, the afternoon was extremely rewarding for me! Please thank the committee for all of your hard work to make it happen for us. I really hope to have another staff development opportunity focused around Quakerism at our school, in the nearish future.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> ---

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I really enjoyed the afternoon. It was nicely paced with the two short breaks. The food was lovely and the speakers were excellent. My only disappointment was the lack of diversity on the student panel. I don't necessarily mean racial diversity. When I spoke to Christen she said she had asked for students (non-Quaker and Quaker) from different units. I, personally, would prefer a bit more variety. I hope I'm not speaking out of turn. I have to say how much I appreciated the responses from those students and alum who participated. I also appreciate a chance to give some feedback.

---

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I thought it was great. I can actually say I totally enjoyed all aspects of it. I even had energy when I left. Great planning and agenda. Stimulating.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">--

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> I was in the group exploring what makes a Quaker school distinctive or unique. Good conversation and probably one that ought to be continued. When people ask about CFS, I often feel I don't explain the Quaker aspect very well.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">--

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> It was a great afternoon. I especially valued the Clerking workshop and the handouts. Paul Lacey was a great choice for our speaker choice. An invaluable part was the participation by Durham & Chapel Hill Friends Meeting. Wonder if it's possible to have this kind of participation at least every other year?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">__**Reports from Groups**__

Minutes of Discussion in Quakerism and Quaker Education Workshop #7 ** “What if I have beliefs that differ from Quaker practices and Quaker testimonies?” ** 4/24/12  In attendance: Dave Cesa, David Stewart (DFM, facilitator), Dylan Pendergrast, Jim Henderson (facilitator, recorder), Mike Hanas, Tommy Johnson

Much of this group’s discussion centered on two, perhaps contradictory, difficulties: On the one hand, attempting to reach decisions using a process modeled on seeking a “sense of the meeting” can become tedious, laborious and frustrating when individuals become overly attached to their particular viewpoints. On the other hand, one may feel judged or excluded by colleagues when a particular staff person holds a belief (e.g., about gun ownership, war, or gay marriage) that differs from the majority and/or from certain Quaker testimonies. Other questions raised and addressed during this session included the following: How can the School strive to create greater opportunities to wrestle with more diverse points of view? How can teachers of an “objective” subject (such as math) integrate broader, deeper, and perhaps more subjective, Quaker values and beliefs into what their classrooms learn or discuss? Can Meetings teach CFS better ways to elicit and harmonize diverse viewpoints that may arise during a discernment process? Discussion of the above questions was fruitful and engaging but not conclusive.

4/24/12


 * Group #6: Friends Education: Towards a Culture of Peace**

NOTES (as many as I could keep up with in complete thoughts and/or sentences…)

1.What is the Quaker peace testimony?


 * Taking away the occasion for war: being proactive to make war unnecessary
 * What are we doing or could we be doing more of to keep peace?
 * Not resolving the conflict (as teachers), but stepping in (or just observing) to facilitate solving the conflict before it becomes an insurmountable “war” or unmanageable situation where feelings are hurt vs. students being heard and learning from each other.
 * It’s the teacher’s job to help facilitate the process of conflict resolution, not just the product of the resolution.
 * Listening to the students- letting them have a voice- sometimes they just need to be heard.
 * Teachers here ALLOW for time/space for the students to have opportunities to practice/process/handle conflict before it escalates.
 * Teachers take the time to teach the process of peaceful resolution.
 * Capture the flag game: whole group of MS- teachers took the time to establish the rules/expectations with the students before the game could start so that kids are responsible for maintaining the situation in a manner that feels “good” to all participants.
 * Providing a “safe” environment (teaching the whole child vs. ignoring community participation to force subject matter) is more important than whether it is an “acute or obtuse angle”- the time is taken to build the students’ ownership of appropriate and positive communication within the classroom or community.
 * Conflict is an incredible opportunity to give people a chance to practice responding to the release of adrenaline that comes with conflict in a way that they won’t regret later.
 * Kids are taught to have a chance to process through the initial, intense, immediate response and to then use their higher functional thinking skills to be responsible enough to respond in a manner that solves the conflict in a physical and emotional sense for all parties involved. (Kids need time to own their behavior and reflect so that they don’t repeat reactions that hurt others- they have a chance to see how their response can hurt others and how it makes them feel in retrospect.)
 * Kids need to reflect and recognize their feelings and have closure to that conflict situation so they can move on with their day or that relationship.
 * Kristen read a segment of the Quaker peace testimony (also in green folder).
 * Problem between the philosophy and the practical use of Quaker values- because the philosophy is constantly adapting to the situation- makes it hard to stick to values in the face of adversity- specifically in the situation of the Quaker who refused to pay taxes because the money goes to fund military expenses. The court ruled against him.
 * Declarations of peace for early Quakers put them at risk of being put to death for speaking their commitment to peaceful resolution.
 * American Friends Service Committee is considered an Anarchist Colony-some confuse anarchist with terrorist- Quakers have no one leader or high power.
 * Muslim/ Afghan sister school- girls have husbands chosen, get married, have kids, etc.- after our involvement (pen pals), 4 girls have now graduated high school- changes the culture and has a lot of impact…
 * Our cultural understanding of what is oppressive may not be an accurate perception. What is it we are imposing on other cultures? If our listening is not a complete listening, keeping cultural consciousness in mind, then we are not really doing the peace work that we intend to be doing.

What are things we “should” be doing in the greater world to create peace?


 * We have to acknowledge that our society comes with a certain mindset of what peace is and what our own institutionalized privilege is– how we make others feel just by our own place in the world.
 * We need to learn a way to communicate that peace is there in a non-accusatory manner. Not to be frustrated that people are accepting of cultural oppression, but helping them to see that peace can exist.
 * We need to work to be IN the community, but we have to acknowledge that there are a lot of privileges associated with being a part of our school (elitist in an unintentional manner).
 * We sometimes are defending our elitism instead of acknowledging it and addressing it. – “Yes, AND…” not “Yes, BUT…”
 * ***An important response that we have to this is SERVICE- breaks down a lot of the barriers, going into the community, being intentional with students about why we are going into the community and doing service.
 * It’s not just about helping out “poor, needy kids” but it is about giving back to and being a part of the community- teaching a set of kids to feel a sense of responsibility to do service to help the community. Service is mutually beneficial- teach kids to really see how it benefits everybody. It is reciprocal, not just makes our kids “good people” because they helped, but because it benefits everyone. (Example: one school bused over a group of kids in a dance group to perform for our school and we went to their school to help out with literacy activities)
 * It isn’t about giving, it’s about relating- building a relationship, exchanging parts of ourselves to help see eye-to-eye. From a place of “us and them” to a place of “we.”

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE- we would like to do something as a school to celebrate…


 * Whole school activity options:
 * Pinwheels- Students write words of peace on the pinwheels and the wind spins the peace into the world. Fill the campus (driveway) with the pinwheels to help people be aware/celebrate Day of Peace.
 * “Path to Peace” in the driveway: September 21st
 * Each class could have small groups of students where there is a discussion of what peace is for each of us- powerful to know that there are people all over the world on the same day that are celebrating peace and believe in peace.
 * We could discuss this celebration at RETREAT so that activity can be age-appropriate, but all students can participate. Teachers can have time to plan the activities for their classes.
 * During Orientation Week- nice activity project for the kids to work on during the first part of the year.
 * We would need a person/people to commit to making the pinwheels- able to hold up in rain, etc.


 * Any sort of change in the world starts with critical thinking (“buck the trend”) and the ability to evaluate/look critically at the institution (our school) and make changes as needs arise or intentional/unintentional actions are brought to our attention.***

If, community means people with the same values, how do we make it “WE?”- How do we come together to be a community (example: CFS and DPS) without losing our identity/purpose? How do we create/utilize a symbiotic relationship and realize that both/all groups benefit from each other’s strengths?

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