"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."

Heraclitus of Ephesus

"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold."
Joseph Chilton Pearce

More Second-Grade Art

Making Memories

During this time of holidays, celebrations and family events connected to religious or cultural traditions, making lasting memories for our children comes naturally. But what about the rest of the year?

Fourth-graders celebrating D-E's history at recess.

Having four grown children to poll, it is interesting to hear what their most lasting memories are. Aside from holidays, here are a few of my children’s fondest memories, the ones that they are most likely to tell their children and even try to reproduce for them in some way. Some of them are odd, and none are universal, but all have meaning for them.

Third grader, Karina, wanted to teach her
classmates about Chinese language characters
 as her "birthday choice." Her classmates
enjoyed it so much that they asked her to
make the same choice on her next birthday!

• Long trips to Vermont, most often through blizzards, packed into the back of our VW van with friends and singing along to The Little Mermaid.
• Teasing their father about how he would predictably wag his right index finger to indicate disapproval for some action.
• Building igloos in the backyard on snow days.
• Special experiences with the many foreign-exchange students who have lived with us.
• Raking leaves, whether they wanted to or not.
• Getting as many of the 17 cousins together as possible.
• Getting up at 4:00 a.m. and piling into the car in their PJs for long trips to faraway places.
• Listening to the piano at 6:00 a.m., because all four had to practice before school.
• Making silly movies to be seen over and over and over again.
• Rainy-day car rides to nowhere.
• Going to bed in the summer long before the sun went down.

A common thread in all of these memories is that they were shared and repeated, some only twice and others interminably. It is the shared and repeated which children look forward to. Silly, unusual or special routines not only provide something for children to anticipate but also something familiar to look back on.

Kindergarten teacher,Tricia Fiore, and her daughter, 
D-E sophomore Alexis, talk with second-graders
about volunteerism. The second-grade social studies
curriculum is about communities, and they are in 
the process of deciding on a volunteer project that 
they would like to commit to as a grade level.

When the alumni at one of the boarding schools where I worked were asked what had been their most memorable experience, there was a surprisingly common answer, which at first seemed unexpected. However, with a little thought, it made perfect sense.  Most alumni mentioned their regular “work job” as their most memorable experience. It was working together on tasks, such as being part of a dish crew, that they remembered most fondly. It is the shared and repeated that makes for a memorable experience.

Three fourth graders played together as one of
many performances at last week's Lower
School assembly.

In the Lower School, we use the same techniques to build memories that will last a lifetime and, hopefully, have meaning and provide guidance for children as they grow and become adults themselves.

An important holiday at this time of year is New Years, which is usually associated with making resolutions. A worthy resolution for parents is to find ways to make memories for their children throughout the year to come.

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Lower School PE teacher, Kim Franco, is
congratulated by her team captains for being
named "Bergen County Field Hockey Coach
of the Year" at last week's Lower School
assembly. Two of her captains were taught
by her when they were Lower School students.

Monica Bauer writes The big Lie About Student Achievement in the Huffington Post about what education should be (the development of intrinsic motivation) and what is still the driver in most schools (extrinsic motivation). This wonderful article gives insight into what is fueling our all-school discussions of the last two years about how we can provide the very best education for our students. Although her focus is on high school and college, it is in the lower grades that we most powerfully shape student attitudes about learning.

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If you Missed the Occupational Therapy Presentation

For those who were unable to attend last week's session with occupational therapist, Chaya Warburg, here is a copy of her presentation, her handout and links to her blog. Those who attended learned about the importance of early intervention when normal developmental milestones are not met. The handout contains checklist to determine the normal development of child through five-years-old. She also provided a link to an article on how to choose toys for the holidays from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

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Insight Into the Power of the Singapore  Math Approach

Using Singapore Math techniques, a third-grader maps out her solution
to an interesting real-world math problem. ( Take a special look at
her bar model on the left, half way down the page!)

Here is an article from the UK that gives insights into why the Singapore Math approach makes so much sense for our students.

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Seniors Sara Ragi, Shereen Al-Sawwaf  and Rafaela Vasquez would like to announce: 

The 3rd Annual Gently Used Musical Instrument & Accessory Drive

All instruments are donated to Renaissance Youth Center in the Bronx.
Drop off: Lower School lobby though January. Click here to see a full description of the program.