First Grade Releases Butterflies

The first grade released four butterflies just now, and bid them safe travels to Mexico. ("That one's taking a short cut," said one child.)

Sometimes pictures say it all . . .

A Week of Parades . . . and the First Chat of the Year

This was a week of parades . . . of sorts.

On Monday afternoon, we held our annual celebration of United Nations International Day of Peace with a "Peaceable Kingdom Parade." Children made and wore masks depicting different animals, based upon Edward Hicks' "Peaceable Kingdom" paintings, and processed past the Hickman and around the lawn.

The "Peaceable Kingdom" series of paintings are among the most famous works of Edward Hicks, a Bucks County Quaker who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Based upon the Bible passage, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb . . . and a little child will lead them" (Isaiah 11:6) each painting contains a collection of animals and young children -- that normally would not get along -- lying, sitting and standing comfortably together. The background contains a scene of William Penn signing a peace treaty with the Native Americans.

West Chester native Horrace Pippin painted the "Holy Mountain" series in 1944, based upon the same Bible passage. A replica painted by WCFS students several years ago hangs in the lobby of the Activities Building.

The other "parades" this week were the start of the Morning Mileage Club. Teacher Amy has run the mileage club for the past several years at lunch time. This year, students can log laps on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays before the start of school, and we have many motivated runners. It is a great sight to see students dropped their backpacks on line and quickly head out to the lawn. Word has it that some kids are more motivated to get out of bed and out the door on running mornings!

We had a good turnout for the first Chat With Matt session on Friday. I elaborated on the upper grades (3-5) schedule and curriculum enhancements that were introduced in my back-to-school letter. I was pleased to hear appreciation for changes to the art and music schedules (allowing larger and more effective blocks of time) as well as for the new lunch procedures. The next Chat is scheduled for Friday, October 30, at 2:30. See you there!

Happy First Day of School

Did you happen to see the rainbow this morning? As I drove with my daughter to school this morning, there was a beautiful rainbow in the western sky. It remained there for our entire trip and was still visible above the treeline when we walked across the schoolyard. May it bring good fortune to our new school year!

My next happy experience for the morning was being greeted by a bouncing third grader telling everyone how excited she is to be back in school. Indeed, there were many happy children walking through the blue doors as grades one through five had their first day of school. I look forward to pre-k and kindergarten to join us on Monday, and for our new preschoolers to arrive on Tuesday.

I don't know if you or your children were able to watch the President's speech to the nation's school children on Tuesday afternoon, but I know you could not avoid news about the controversy around it. I'd like to share the perspective of Will Richardson, posted on his blog. Will writes about educational use of technology and schools in general, and he co-leads the 21st century learning professional development program that a team of our teachers took part in last year (see my post of September 15, 2008). While I don't agree with everything that Will writes, his commentary on why it actually is appropriate for students to watch speeches like this in school resonates with me.

I sat in with the fourth grade as they watched an archived copy of the speech today. When the students were asked what they thought about the speech, one girl said she learned that it is o.k. to ask questions, and that asking for help is necessary for success. Teacher Rachel agreed, and pointed out that the fourth grade progress report even includes an assessment of whether or not a student asks questions when needed. Following the President's reference to Michael Jordan, T. Rachel told the class about Babe Ruth who, in achieving his "most home runs" status also accumulated the most strike-outs. It is important for our children to develop a sense of themselves that allows them to make mistakes and accept moments of failure with grace; to seek help and ask those questions that are, as our fourth grader said so well, important to success.

Finally, I'd like to share a moment from this morning's Meeting for Worship. One student observed that she saw a number of new faces and, as a fifth grader, she thought it was her responsibility to welcome them. I am proud of the poise she exhibited and the fact that, even on day one, she took the initiative as well as this example of leadership.

I echo her words of welcome to you all, and look forward to seeing you soon as the school year gets underway.

What's Your Favorite Book?

The Labor Day weekend is upon us and in just one short week the school yard -- which is quite empty and still today -- will be teeming with children as we begin yet another school year. I look forward to that happy day!

This fall's All-School Unit theme is "All About Books" (please see the May 4 post for the announcement). Two years ago our auction theme was related to books and faculty members' reflections on their favorite children's books were displayed around the room. My favorite is The Chronicles of Narnia series. I have a vivid memory of reading them as a child and of the images they invoked in my mind. I even named a stray cat Aslan. In the past year of so, my wife and I have enjoyed reading the books to our children at bedtime and seeing the stories acted out in their imaginative play.

What are your favorite books . . . either from your childhood or adulthood? I invite you to share your own reflections as a comment here on the blog. My hope is that this might spark conversations (virtual and face-to-face) among parents just as our children are exploring the world of books this fall and beyond.

I also want to pass along two interesting articles that I came across this summer related to the theme of books.
"What to Read Now. And Why." from Newsweek's June 27 issue, with books as the cover topic.
"Choosing Summer's Last Big Read," an editorial piece from the August 15 New York Times.

I hope your Labor Day weekend includes some time with books . . . either quietly on your own, or together with your children.

Play is Serious Business

The end of the school year is one full month behind us . . . Independence Day weekend is history . . . and our Summer Programs are wrapping up another successful season. This seems like a perfect time to write about the importance of PLAY!

My letters in the Bulletin this past school year all related to our faculty's summer reading book, A Whole New Mind, and author Daniel Pink's proposal that there are six right-brained aptitudes that are necessary for success and fulfillment in the Conceptual Age of the 21st century. Previously, I wrote about how the aptitudes of Story and Design are present in the West Chester Friends School curriculum. The series continues here with the aptitude of Play.

According to Pink, one important aspect of the Conceptual Age is a move away from sober seriousness as a measure of ability. “‘Man the Player’ is as effective as ‘Man the Knower’ in getting the job done.”

“Play is becoming an important part of work, business, and personal well-being, its importance manifesting itself in three ways: games, humor, and joyfulness. Games, particularly computer and video games, have become a large and influential industry that is teaching whole-minded lessons to its customers and recruiting a new breed of whole-minded worker. Humor is showing itself to be an accurate marker for managerial effectiveness, emotional intelligence, and the thinking style characteristic of the brain’s right hemisphere. And joyfulness, as exemplified by unconditional laughter, is demonstrating its power to make us more productive and fulfilled. In the Conceptual Age . . . fun and games are not just fun and games – and laughter is not laughing matter.”

Each chapter is followed by a Portfolio of suggested ways that we can tap into the particular aptitude. Here are a few suggestions related to Play:

• Find a Laughter Club – a growing phenomenon of small groups of people who come together early each morning in parks and work places to spend a half hour laughing. My search revealed only two in Pennsylvania, and they are in Pittsburgh, but maybe the trend will spread our way.
• Play at Inventing – Pink observes that “the best inventors are playful (and) the best players are inventive” and he suggests that we see the “Invention at Play” exhibit in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A traveling version of the exhibit is at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg through the summer. The prominence of our annual Science, Invention and Technology Fair clearly demonstrates how important we think play and inventiveness are here at WCFS.
• Go Back to School – “The best way to get in touch with your inner child,” Pink writes, “is to take it outside for some play. So go back to school . . . or at least, back to the playground.” Pink suggests that we watch how kids play and that businesses hold staff retreats in a children’s museum or elementary school. Well . . . we’re already there!

Educators have long known the critical role of play in children’s learning experiences and the body of research to support its place in schools is considerable. Play – especially unstructured, loosely supervised play – fosters imagination, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and self-confidence. It is essential for children’s healthy development, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, play is becoming less of a priority in schools across the country – even in many kindergarten classrooms – due to the increasing pressure for test preparation. Play during after-school hours is facing the same demise due to towering homework loads and busy activity schedules. (“Children’s Lack of Playtime Seen as Troubling Health, School Issue,” Education Week, published online November 17, 2008.)

At West Chester Friends School, play is an essential part of every day. It is evident in the way we schedule our time. It supports our emphasis on helping children develop interpersonal skills and self-reliance. And, for many students, it is often the best vehicle through which academic content becomes real and lasting. Here are some examples of how play is present in various classes at WCFS:

• Pre-K and Kindergarten – “A child’s work is play.” The whole day is based on play, with academics woven in. Children can often be found in dress-ups and housekeeping, playing out various imaginative roles.
• Grades 1 & 2 – Free Choice is a part of every day, fostering decision making skills and creativity. In addition to scheduled recess following lunch, these classes also take breaks for “runaround time.”
• Third graders “play” with cuisinaire rods, building structures and learning the relationship between the rods, not yet knowing that they will be used to more formally develop concepts necessary for multiplication, division, fractions and geometry.
• Student-led play at recess helps children learn and practice social skills. Fourth graders keep a recess journal to help them reflect on these experiences.
• Fifth graders lead groups of younger students through Cooperative Games Day, modeling and fostering collaboration.

It is fitting that Summer Sessions concluded today with a play. Now, I know that a scripted, rehearsed

performance is not the same thing as the free play described above. But in this play, Lightning Larry vanquished all of the bandits in a small Texas town by “shooting” their hearts with the light of happiness, friendship, and cooperation. May your summer days be lit with this same spirit.

Now, go on out to the yard, or the park, or the swimming pool . . . and just play!

[For more on the importance of play in child development, I recommend:

"Taking Play Seriously" -- an in-depth discussion of scientific research, including recent findings that suggest play is a central part of neurological growth and development. The author concludes that play "warrants a place in every child's day . . . that embraces all styles of play and that recognizes play as every bit as essential to healthful neurological development test-taking drills, Spanish lessons or Suzuki violin." (by Robin Marantz Henig, New York Times Magazine, February 17, 2008)

"Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills" -- a growing number of psychologists believe that the decline in unstructured play has a deteriating effect on the development of executive function, a set of skills that are a better predictor of success in school than IQ. (by Alix Spiegel, Morning Edition, National Public Radio, February 21, 2008)]

Environmental Symposium

Here’s a new word for your science vocabulary list: Eutrophication. If you ask one of our fourth graders, I expect they can define it for you. It is the process through which decomposition uses the O₂ from water to change the plant and animal life in a lake or bay. Our fourth graders study of eutrophication began last month both in science class and on their trip to Echo Hill, and it was the focus of a project that they presented in the Environmental Symposium today.

The Environmental Symposium (formerly known as the Mold Symposium) is an annual gathering of fourth grade classes from five area Friends schools in which the students present the results of their scientific explorations as well as entertaining skits and songs that they have created related to their project. We have been glad to host the symposium, now in its 29th year, for the past several years.

One of the nicest aspects of the gathering is the friendships that quickly develop among students from the different schools. After a morning full of workshops and lunch, the students went out into our school yard for recess. It was heartening to see groups forming for various games that included students from different schools -- all without teacher direction! Everyone gathered in a circle for one last "F-R-I-E-N-D-S" cheer before our guests headed back to their own schools. I know our fourth graders are looking forward to sharing the Harrisburg trip with their friends from Goshen Friends School and Friends School Haverford, later this month.

Quakerism This Month

The testimony of Integrity is the focus of our Quakerism curriculum for this final month of the school year. Integrity, by definition, is a firm adherence to a moral code or set of values. With our youngest children, we talk in simple terms about honesty and truth telling. For older children and adults, discussions become increasingly complex and reflective as we first explore what our beliefs are. We then focus on the importance of remaining true to these beliefs, even in the face of challenging situations, and introduce and practice the skills that help us to do so.

Parents are welcome to join us for worship:
Thursday, May 7, 8:55 a.m.
Thursday, May 21, 8:55 a.m.
Thursday, May 28, 8:35 Meeting for Singing, 8:55 Meeting for Worship

Our plan to enjoy worship outside last month, when our theme was Stewardship, was “washed out.” We may still try to enjoy this experience when the weather allows.