Mascot Musings

When Mrs. Davies and I we were shopping for plants for the entrance to the Lower School several years ago, we found something that we just could not resist, the surprisingly realistic looking bulldog who greets everyone as they enter the Lower School. We  just had to have him at the end of the bridge because the bulldog is Dwight-Englewood’s mascot. Since that time, she ( I am not sure why we always  assume a bulldog is a he.) has spent so much time outdoors that last spring one of the fourth grade classes had to give him a much needed new coat of paint.

Fourth-grade model for outdoor sculpture piece

I assume that the picking of a mascot is a deliberate choice, reflecting the character and culture of a school. One of my children’s colleges had a Huskie as mascot, which I can understand. Another had a Beaver, which, considering its engineering orientation, also makes sense. Another had a mud hen mascot, which I can only interpret as part of her college’s culture was that it has a good sense of humor. My other daughter’s college only had the color crimson as a “mascot.” I guess they were above the whole idea of mascots.

Fourth-grade paper sculpture

Over the six years that I spent heading the admissions office at D-E earlier in my career, it became clear to me pretty quickly that there were certain qualities that stood out, way above others, in determining which students would be a good match for Dwight-Englewood. It was not always the student who had the highest test scores, but those who had the most “stick-to-itiveness” and tenacity that were the best fit - exactly the same characteristics that are associated with bulldogs! At D-E, we encourage, value, scaffold and reward self-direction, resolution, stick-to-itiveness, tenacity and courage, for it is individuals with these qualities, natural or learned, who are not easily discouraged when they think something is the right thing to do, when their creative idea is not at first accepted by others, or when things just do not work out perfectly the first time.

Fourth-grade art
independent study work

Some parents may remember that several years ago I wrote in the Lower School Notes piece on the "Marshmallow Test" that is a better predictor of future success than IQ. If you missed it, all you have to do is Google “Marshmallow Test” for lots of information, links, video…. It boils down to a measure of a preschooler's ability to delay gratification. This ability to  delay gratification coincides with the determination, resolution and grit that bulldogs embody. A recently published book, entitled, How Children Succeed by Paul Tough builds upon what we have learned from the Marshmallow Test and a great deal of other data. It is definitely a must-read for parents, as it lays out the "bulldog" approach to success. Click here for a New York Times review.

Fourth-grade art
independent study work

Personally, I would always pick a “bulldog” first to be on my team. 

GO BULLDOGS!

Moving from Notebook to Finished Piece 
Susan Abramson

The following is inspired by the bulletin board display outside the third-grade classrooms that explains the writing process.

In Lower School classrooms children write every day - the pieces they write are called "entries", and these are storied in either a writing notebook or a writing folder, depending on the grade level. A beautiful bulletin board outside of third grade highlights the process of moving these entries into published pieces. If you have a moment, please visit to see and understand the writing process, which culminates in  a piece that is prepared to be shared with an audience. 

The following is an overview of the process modeled on the bulletin board: 

Entry - Entries are ideas, wonderings, jottings. In each unit of study, entries are gathered in the notebook or folder and these become the "seeds" for future pieces. In the third grade, entries became the seeds for "Small Moment" stories. At the beginning of the writing unit on "Small Moments," students re-read notebooks to find an entry that could be developed into a Small Moment story. 
 

Revise - Once students select the entry they wanted to develop, they learn the process of drafting and revising. Teachers teach them specific skills to develop an entry into a more complete and comprehensive piece. Examples of student work on the bulletin board highlight the way students took an entry and made intentional revisions.

Edit - Editing is the process of making sure conventions of written language are followed. With teacher assistance, students are expected to apply grade-level expectations to their written work.

Publish - The goal of collecting entries in a notebook is so that ultimately we have a finished piece we can revise, edit and ultimately publish. Published pieces have gone through the above process and are now ready to be shared with an audience. In this unit, third graders shared their pieces during a writing workshop. Students read one another's written work and noted what they saw their classmates doing as writers. 

Inspire- After students publish their writing pieces, it is time for others to read, enjoy and learn from it. They notice how many different techniques they have studied were present in the work of their classmates. This is a good opportunity to learn from each other and be inspired for their own future writing.

Although this particular bulletin board highlights the work of one third-grade class, it is an example of the the cycle students in all grade levels undergo as they learn more about good writing.

***

Below is a video of Friday afternoon with third-graders ending the day with song.

A Message from Lower School Nurse, Maureen Krane

Get Your Flu Shot. It is not too late!

A dramatic representation of what the nurse's office
could look like .

This season the flu has hit early and hard, but not yet at D-E.  Already, New Jersey has had four times as many documented cases than the whole season last year. With your help, the D-E community can avoid adding to this statistic. Symptoms include high fever, chills, sore throat, cough, body pains and lethargy. Sometimes there may be nausea and vomiting.

The CDC is encouraging flu vaccine for all those eligible. This virus is widespread and extremely contagious. A person is contagious for 24 hours before becoming ill, so many people will be exposed- in school, supermarkets, mass transit, etc. The vaccine this year has matched the circulating flu types well. If you have been vaccinated and do contract the flu, you most likely will experience a much milder and shorter illness.

I encourage you to have your children vaccinated, and to get vaccinated yourself. The flu is a serious illness, one that can have disastrous results. It's not too late to be vaccinated.

***

What follows is the work of two fourth grade girls, both of whose nicknames happen to be Kiki. They wish to share reviews of books that they have enjoyed writing. They are considering whether they might like to create their own Library Book Review blog or website to which other students from other grades might want to contribute. 

Stay tuned....

Ki + Ki book reviews

Grace Lin is an awesome author. If you haven’t read her books, it’s about time to get started. Her illustrations are so magical. She is a great artist. It has almost always been Grace’s dream to be a children’s author and illustrator. When she was a kid, Grace dreamed of being a champion ice skater and even drew pictures. Unfortunately, Grace didn’t have the talent or coordination to become one. Later, she saw her drawings and thought, "I am really good at this!" In most of her books, she includes real-life events, half-true moments, and totally made-up parts. In a book called Robert’s Snowflakes, she writes about her husband who had cancer, and they started a foundation. Later, sadly, Robert died. Grace’s books are for anyone.Grace’s books:

• Year of the Dog
• Year of the Rat
• Dumpling Days
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
• Starry River Over the Sky
• The 4 seasons
• The ugly vegetables
• Bringing in the new year
• Ting and Ling
• Lissy’s Friends

Fourth-grade art
independent study work

Third-grade paper sculpture

Fourth-grade art
independent study work