The Survey Says . . .

At the most recent Chat I shared some results of the parent survey that we conducted this winter. The survey was successful in several ways, not the least of which was the fact that more than half of our families completed the survey. I am not a statistician, but I do know that is an extremely high rate of response and speaks the sense of commitment our families have. The survey produced a wealth of information -- most of it affirming and all of it instructive -- and I am pleased to share some of the highlights with you here.

Parents were asked to consider a set of 14 characteristics and tell us how important each was to them when they made the decision to enroll their child(ren) in the school. It should not surprise you to see the characteristics that top the list (with the combined percentage of those rating it as “Very Important” or “Critically Important”): 1. Quality of the Teachers (98%), 2. Quality of the Academic Program (98%), and 3. School Environment (96%).

Next, we asked parents to rate the same set of characteristics now that their family is part of the school. While the same three rise to the top, School Environment received even more “Critically Important” responses. It is also interesting to note that the school’s relationship to the Hickman Home and West Chester Monthly Meeting becomes more important to parents after they have been in the school. Both of these trends make sense when you consider that they are qualities that need to be experienced in order to be truly appreciated.

Another characteristic that becomes more important to parents after they have been with the school is the level to which our students are being prepared for middle school. When asked to look ahead, 93% indicated that they are “Confident” or “Very Confident” that their child will be well prepared academically for middle school, and 86% gave the same responses for how well their child will be prepared socially and emotionally. These are the same kinds of responses we have received from a smaller survey conducted over the past two years of fifth grade parents as their children graduate.

An open-ended question about the strengths of our academic program produced a very clear message. Parents value the teachers and their approach to teaching, specific curricular areas, small class sizes and the personalization of the program (which goes hand-in-hand with the teaching methods and small classes). When offered the opportunity to suggest improvements to the academic program, the word “more” appeared frequently, particularly in calls for more time spent on certain subjects. This speaks to a persistent challenge that we face in organizing our school: making all of the valuable pieces of our program fit into the school day and finding a good balance. One parent made a suggestion that we often hear, especially as a child is approaching graduation: “Add a secondary school :-)”

In describing the strengths of our school community, many parents feel a sense being welcome, included and involved. Several special events were heralded with a general sense that there is a good number and variety of events and that they are well-run. In terms of desired improvements, some survey results encourage us to hold more smaller events such as shared suppers; to keep in mind the availability of events to working parents and those with very young children; and to consider the timing of events, especially in the busy fall season.

Finally, in an effort to assess the effectiveness of our marketing and outreach, parents were asked how they had first heard of WCFS. Clearly, word of mouth is the best advertisement. We have known this anecdotally, and now the numbers prove it: 40% of the respondents first hear of the school through a recommendation, be it from a current family, alumnus, friend, neighbor, or other educational professional. One family even heard of us while attending an open house at another school! The second most frequent mode of learning about the school is through online searches (19%), which confirms what experts say about how people get information these days. Only one respondent indicated that they first learned of us through a newspaper or magazine ad. This will inform our marketing efforts moving forward.

So, keep spreading the good word! If you know of a family that might value a WCFS education for their child as much as you do, please let us know (admissions@wcfriends.org).

And thank you to all of the families that completed the survey. There is much more to learn as we continue to dig down into the valuable feedback.

DayS of Service

Last Friday we held our annual Day of Service. It was a time of busy hands, happy activity, lifted spirits, and joining together to do good work for truly meaningful causes . . . our school at its best!

The Day of Service is held in conjunction with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a way of emphasizing for our students the lessons learned from Dr. King's life-long commitment to bringing about positive change through peaceful means in the face of injustice. For this year's project, we chose to support ConKerr Cancer, an organization founded by a mother in Wayne with the mission "To make life brighter for children with life changing illnesses and injuries." Our children spent the afternoon making more than 80 colorful pillow cases that will help to brighten the hospital stays of children in our area.

A spirit-filled energy was evident throughout the school as small hands knotted fleece and fed sewing machines (with no pricked fingers!). Children partnered with classmates and Meeting Buddies and were assisted by teachers, parents, grandparents, alumni and board members. We gathered in the gym at the end of the day for everyone to see the collective results of their hard work. As we stood in a circle holding hands, Teacher John Scardina led us in singing "Circle of Friends" and "The Turning of the World." The pillowcases were placed in the middle of our circle and, as we headed home for the holiday weekend, they were taken to be washed, bagged, and distributed to the hospitals. Our light going out into the world.

Service is one of the Friends testimonies upon which our school's philosophy is based. For service to have meaning for young children, it should be tangible -- an opportunity for children to both learn about the needs of others and have a real understanding of how their act of service will make a difference. The pillowcase project met these goals in ways that simply collecting and giving money cannot.

That being said, sometimes giving money is exactly the help that is needed. When disaster strikes, as it has now in Haiti, organizations do not need us to send things -- they need cash to support immediate relief work. I am very proud of our Student Council who chose to donate the proceeds of their very successful bake sale toward relief work in Haiti rather than pursue their original plan of purchasing new playground equipment.

Your family may have already contributed to relief work in Haiti. If not, I strongly urge you to consider supporting the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker organization with a long and successful history of providing both immediate relief and longer-term recovery.

Members of our faculty are already exploring ways that our school can engage in service work for the people of Haiti that is, as I mentioned above, tangible. In the past, we have participated in drives that AFSC has organized to collect hygiene kit materials. I expect a plan to develop over the next few weeks.

From the Day of Service to days of service . . . I am confident that our students will go on to lead lives of service . . . making our world better through their good work.

Friendly Gatherings

The first Friends Meeting Friends event was held this past Friday, and it was a wonderful evening in so many ways. The event takes the place of the (former) spring auction and is a departure in terms of the format. Because it is new and different, you might need to be brought up to speed -- and you aren't alone in this category -- so, I'll start with an explanation.

Friends Meeting Friends is both a community builder and a fund raiser. All of the donations are "Friendly Gatherings" that various members of the community will host throughout the year. Striving to offer something for everyone, the gatherings range from pretzel making for 20 children, to a kayaking excursion for two, to a barbecue and pool party for five families, to the ever-popular dinner for 20 hosted by the WCFS Catering Crew (aka several of our very talented teachers).

One of the most unique offerings is a "golden ticket" for the West Chester Guerilla Drive-In , which was introduced to us by John Young (father of Lydia '15 and pictured at right). Never heard of it? Then you must check out the West Chester Guerilla Drive-In web site.


Unlike an auction, there is no bidding for the items. They are simply for sale at set prices. Part of the excitement Friday evening was the unveiling of the events and getting first shot at purchasing tickets. Any events that did not sell out on Friday evening will still be available for purchase until they do sell out or until the event happens -- whichever comes first. So those who were not able to attend Friday evening can still attend a gathering. A full listing of events will be posted soon on the Friends Meeting Friends page in the Alumni & Development section of the school web site.

The evening itself was a community builder with faculty, parents, alumni parents, current and former board members, family and friends enjoying each other's company. I was pleased to receive a number of positive comments throughout the evening about the new format. The Friendly Gatherings will continue to build community as they take place throughout the year. One of the nice "twists" is that people will go to these gatherings and meet people that they might not have known before.

Many thanks to all who donated events and all who will be attending them. You are helping to make this new venture a success.

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.