An impossible dream?

The bees were put to bed for the winter with some tasty fat cakes  - and the Bee Club harvested the first batch of honey!

This article, Girls Just Want to Go to School by Nicholas Kristof is inspiring and heartbreaking.  That we are fortunate beyond words is something I think about every day. 

Learning like a scientist

Alison Gopnik, U.C. Berkeley professor of psychology talks about the best ways to teach and learn in this interesting interview.   She says: "it seems children learn by exploring—by experimenting, playing, drawing inferences... We all have the capacity to function the way scientists do."  Her books, The Scientist in the Crib and now, The Philosophical Baby, tell us so much about the brain, parenting and teaching.

Inspired

I just participated in an amazing workshop called The Music Paradigm with conductor, Roger Nierenberg.  I was at a conference for Heads of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut independent schools.  120 of us sat among about 30 string musicians, and experienced the beautiful sound and flow of talented musicians led by a passionate maestro.  We learned that a symphony orchestra can be a metaphor for an organization and it's leader - and that a shared vision can inspire. 

I now can't stop hearing Tchakikovsky's Serenade for strings...and thinking about our beautiful vision for education at Parker!

Feeling vital and alive

Getting outside makes you feel better.  Where to Find Happiness, an article from the Huffington Post describes the work of Dr. Elizabeth Nisbit, of Carleton University.  She says, "spending time in nature or going for a walk outdoors is a mood booster and makes us feel more vital and alive."

No wonder Parker is such a great place to work and learn!  

The beauty of a Buddy hike

Parker Day

If you have heard the "denim" commercial for Target, you will get the song that one of the advisories performed today at the Robert C. Parker Day assembly:

Spoken:  Hey kids, you're not only here to get one of the greatest educations available in the world, but you're here to have the full Bob Parker experience, too!

Sung to piano accompaniment: 
Parker!
Never content with complaining, impatience, or laziness
Parker!
Mountain climbing, enthusiasm, and passion
Parker!
Crew and trumpet and grammar

Shout: He hated bad grammer!

Sung:
Parker!
Excitement, fun, and energy
Parker, Parker, Parker, Parker

Yell as a group: Cheers to Robert C. Parker!!

Wide open spaces

How lucky we are to have beautiful space and the freedom to use it!  Fitting in Exercise between Math and English tells about the lengths some city schools must go just to find a time and place for kids to run. 

Stream to River - Hudson River Day

Parker students participated today in the Day in the Life of the Hudson project organized by the DEC.  3,000 students from Troy to NYC collect data on this day each year to help assess the health of the river. 

Parker students in grades 2-3 and 6-7 have participated for several years.  They extend their study through our Stream-to-River project, and during the course of the school year, add data from Parker's creek and Crooked Lake.  They become knowledgeable about interconnected water systems as they advocate for clean water practices.  Plus, it's fun!

Autumn's treat

The smiles tell it all!  Fall Festival was a wonderful time.

Why kids need to play

Playing gives children self-confidence, decision making practice, and teaches them how to get along with others, among other life skills.  Kids really need time for unencumbered play.

"Freely-chosen play is a testing ground for life. It provides critical life experiences without which young children cannot develop into confident and competent adults" says Peter Gray, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology (emeritus) at Boston College.

Read this article in the Atlantic about how declining play among children is leading to depression and anxiety.  And about all the reasons play is essential!