Greeters tell all

A great thing about Parker that guests notice and that I appreciate, is that when you visit a classroom, a "greeter" will come over to tell you what's going on. You'd think I would know what is going on at Parker from day to day, but even though the school is small, I rely on greeters, formal and informal to fill me in.

The weather has been crazy lately. Miriam is ready for anything, so she informed me, with ski coat, ear muffs, and an umbrella. Pre K had a pasta party on Friday with their buddies in 4-5. I got an invitation to that one, and lots of informative facts about pasta at the lunch: "I love pasta!" "I ate all mine!" "Ice cream and pasta are both the best."

2-3's have eggs in their classroom that have turned very rubbery while soaking in vinegar. I know they are rubbery because the 2-3's are constantly testing them - who could resist? Why are they soaking eggs? I'll need to ask the greeter.

All kinds of teachers

Teachers come in many forms at Parker. This morning a Pre K Dad taught the 4-year-olds about making pasta from scratch as part of pasta week. Yum! Felix was the teacher in second grade math, using Popsicle sticks in bundles for counting. James, our middle school social studies teacher, was demonstrating how to use the new Smart Board. Thank you Jasper, for being the guinea pig!

Some January units of study:
Pre K - Wood scrap sculptures with descriptive stories; pasta week; Doctor’s office
K-1 - Winter weather and hibernation; local birds and bird stories; calendar projects; a Mexican market
2-3 – Writing and illustrating a class book tracing the history of the Hudson River; Hudson River math; monetary systems; floor tennis
4-5 - Power points on tree research; building tree models for the Hudson River display; thousands charts; fractions; archery
6-7 - Ancient Greece; Alexander the Great time machine project; alternative energy presentations as part of Challenge 20/20; viruses, bacteria, and infectious disease; The Taming of the Shrew
8 - Thesis research; Macbeth; creating a Day of the Dead altar in Spanish; archery

Winter is here; we're calling alumni

We're back! And everyone seems refreshed from a two week break. I have been remiss in my blogging entries! But camera issues and a wonderful vacation with family are over, and I will pick up the routine - although winter at Parker is never "routine!"

The amount of snow is really exciting! Winter Fridays afternoons have started. Skiers and snow boarders took off to hit the slopes; sports kids practiced their form at the bowling lanes, and dance moves and brain games kids jived to the beat. There was intense excitement for this winter ritual at assembly as announcers Kenan and Jasper donned ski goggles and Phil (without Jonah this week) filled everyone in on snow fun facts.

One of our goals this winter from the administrative and board level is to contact every Parker alumni. We sent letters in late December, and now we are following up with phone calls. The Board's Enrollment Committee are the callers, myself included.

Yesterday as I tried to reach people and left several messages, I did actually connect with a few Parker grads. It was great to talk to Kate from the class of 2003. She went to Hoosac School after Parker, was the captain of the lacrosse and soccer teams there, and is now a freshman at Lake Forest. She loves it! She's studying pre law and eventually wants to come back to New York to go to Columbia or Cornell for law school.

Then I got Aaron from the class of 1999 on his cell phone as he was boarding a train to a plane to New Hampshire for some blog work for the primary. He is in Washington D.C and is the coordinator of on-line communications for the One Campaign to fight global poverty. This non-profit organization was founded by Bono. Aaron writes the website, blog, and e- newsletters for them among other things and is active in Democratic politics. He went to Tufts and majored in political science and art history.

I feel inspired! I can't wait to connect with the other alumni on my list!

Display of work

Just before the winter break, there was a flurry of student work that was displayed, shared, and celebrated. Here are just a few of the many things adorning the walls, halls, and classrooms.

Brian shows his page of the K-1 class pop-up book about animals and their habitats. This delightful book is a showcase for progress in writing, research, illustration, and execution. Students shared this book, habitat dioramas, stories, science journals and much more with with Pre K and their parents. They have become experts on local animals such as beavers, squirrels, foxes, coyotes, and many others.

The Hudson River is taking shape down the Pre K to 3 corridor. Daily, new creatures are appearing that compete the display of authentic knowledge: fish, amphibians, mammals, and plants adorn the land and river scape, including displays of the water cycle.

Our student teacher in art, Megan, mounted a display of giant silhouette and color studies from the 4-5's. They are stunning!

Work hard, play hard

After a great morning showing their animal habitat work to the Pre K's, K-1's headed out for some fun in the snow.

In social studies 6th and 7th graders are discussing, "How did Greek culture and ideas survive so long?"

In science they are summarizing and analyzing current events articles like: "Steroids, Take One for the Team" from the LA Times; "The Day the Dinosaurs Died" from Weather Wise; " Obesity Goes Global - Blame Prosperity, Bad Habits and Fast Food" from the Orlando Sentinel. They are making power point presentations from research they have done on different sources of energy and comparing and debating the relative merits of each.

Eighth graders have just finished essays analyzing Supreme Court cases.

Then a rousing game of floor-pong!

Peace

We started a tradition a few years ago of having an assembly dedicated to peace as our last program before winter break. Children sing, they read poetry about peace and other reflections on peace that they have written. For the final song, the middle school students light candles. This year we also stood holding hands around the perimeter of the gym and passed a hand-squeeze of peace to feel connected and celebrate our community. It was quiet and sweet.

In a school that holds families of many different backgrounds and religious traditions, we try to be sensitive to children's feelings of being included. Especially in the lower grades, families are encouraged to come to school and share their traditions. In Pre K last week , Astrid, who is from Sweeden, brought her family in and shared her St. Lucia tradition, in her white dress with a headress of candles.

A peace assembly that includes candles joins a tradition of light that is part of many cultures and religions. A message of peace is one that even our youngest children can understand and participate in. I hope that this tradition grows and matures in the coming years!

Wishes for snow, books, and an end to hunger

Pre K's rolled in the somewhat meager supply of snow, but then they did a snow dance - and it worked! The flurries are flying as I write.

After a whole week of the book fair, the picture I got was of the boxes ready to go back to Scholastic! It doesn't look like much compared to what we started with. We made over $900 for the library! Our parent volunteers spent long hours manning the cash box. There is no way to pull this fund raiser off without parents' help volunteering, sending in cash for wish lists, and putting up with cries for "Just this one more book, pleeeease!" Thank you to ALL - Thank you, thank you!

The 8th grade Oxfam hunger awareness banquet last night was very moving. Our students dressed up and spoke with power about world hunger. With the help of James, Dan and Susie, they put on a feast for a few, and offered rice and beans for many. I pulled a ticket for the "rich" table - boy, does that feel uncomfortable! But not as uncomfortable I'm sure as those who just got a scoop of rice to eat with their hands. The $1,036 they raised is for Oxfam America. Well done!!

The Squirrel's Store

I got my own personal, hand-written invitation to The Squirrel's Store, a math play. It was performed today by first graders who wrote, produced, directed and acted. The audience of kindergartners and seventh graders gave rave reviews. The plot involved squirrels visiting a store and skip counting by twos, threes, fours, fives and sixes to purchase nuts. There was even a delivery truck: "Acorn Home Delivery - Call any time, day or night!"

Middle school moments

Square roots, rational and irrational numbers, writing an essay, pudding math...

Poetry and music

On Friday, the 4-5's performed a "poetry slam" at assembly. It was wonderful in many ways. They looked so cool, that's one! And their main piece was very funny. But the best part was the level of their preparation - and their obvious delight that they pulled it off so well.

They spoke in unison, with inflection that highlighted the humor of the poem - and of course dressing like beat poets set it all off to perfection. Individuals and small groups recited poems with spirit, humor, and drama. Mindy, their teacher, also recited a poem about the difference that teachers make. It was very moving!

On Special Friends Day all the classes performed. There were songs, dances, and an aleatory composition by one of the middle school music classes. I have watched over the years as our performance culture has matured. It is gratifying to see the enthusiasm and pride our students bring to the stage. Sandy, our music teacher, introduces a diverse selection of music from world cultures and history. The new piano also makes a huge difference!

Here are reflections from middle school music journals about Schubert's Erlking:

I love the drama at the beginning of the lied. The intense sound of the piano captures the emotion in the piece. The way the characters' voices are separated by pitch gives you the effect of different people speaking. The child's rising voice also beautifully portrays the scene. The sheer intensity causes you to hold your breath throughout the entire piece, and not even know it.

Schubert wrote the song in triplets. The strands sound like the little boy's heart, beating fast...The child is terrified. Every time he screams it makes me feel his fear. The sound is very dramatic, even though you know what's going to happen, it still surprises you at the end.