Archives

• PORTABLE MAGIC
  ​6/15/17
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  GCDS News article – June 2017
   
  Eating too many vegetables or exercising in excess can make you sick. However, there are no medical or psychological studies that warn of the ill effects of too much reading. There is research that warns against almost everything, so that is quite a statement.
   
  As we head into the summer recess, we should take this information to heart. We should read, and we should read a lot. I’m regularly asked about the most important things to do during these times away from campus to keep the mind sharp and curious. I always have the same answer ... read.
  ​
  There’s a catch. While it’s important for our children to remain daily readers, it is also essential for us as parents, the most powerful role models for our sons and daughters, to be intentional and conspicuous readers. The benefits of reading are numerous and unquestioned. We should read, and let our children see us enjoying reading. 
   
  More good news. We don't need to read, or pretend to read, or force our children to read, only the classics. Baylor professor and author Alan Jacobs suggests we should read what we enjoy and do so without shame. Jacobs suggests that like so much else in life, the greatest benefit comes from a balanced approach. Read from many different genres, for many different reasons. That is how we get the most out of our time with the printed page. Whether written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Dr. Seuss, books are “uniquely portable magic” (Stephen King).
   
  Finding a good book is a worthy adventure. Our children are good at it. They are surrounded every day by voracious readers in their classmates and able guides in their teachers and librarians. They should ask around and make mental notes. Libraries and bookstores can be captivating places for kids - especially when they draft on our enthusiasm. Even the most jaded can get blissfully lost in the options. My own children know that the best way to get me to buy them something is to get me to a bookstore.
   
  There is work that suggests there is a very real connection made between the reader and the printed page. I love a good hard cover; however, I also believe in stories, fiction and nonfiction, and I know that stories come through on paper, on Kindle, and on iPad. If a device makes reading appealing, and or easy, take advantage.
   
  There are almost as many salient quotes about books as there are actual books. There are quotes about the power of books on a rainy day and the ability of a book to take you far far away or help you make sense of the world around you. All of these ring true, but I find this quote by author and academic, Charles William Elliot packs particular punch and wisdom:
   
  “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ​
  
  
  
  MEMORIAL DAY
  5/28/17
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  We learn through stories. Stories teach us lessons about valor, honor, resilience, caring, and hope. Some of these stories are from our imagination – others are very real.  Today, as we remember and honor sacrifices made for our country, listen for the very real stories that not only teach us lessons, but inspire.
  
  
• 5/21/17 
  
  When you teach or coach you always hope that you are the teacher or coach you remember from your own childhood who made a difference. There is no more purposeful or rewarding calling – it is the best job in the world. I usually take it on faith that I have done more good than harm with my students and players over the years, but this week I received a package that made me so proud.
  
  ​A collection of my former basketball players from New Orleans, now adults in their own right, took the time to put thoughts to paper in support of me. Their words meant so much to me, and were a reminder of how wonderful it is to be a teacher.
  
  
  
  
  
  I DON'T CARE
  5/14/17
  
  "Nice guys/girls finish last."
  
  ​I beg to differ. Last week, Adam addressed our assembled guests, grandparents and grand friends, and talked a bit about what makes our school and our students special. He talked about a robust and dynamic academic program, but he focused on the fact that our graduates are caring, honest, and inclusive learners and leaders.
  
  At the close of his remarks, one grandparent provided a particularly powerful response, "I've wondered whether children who are kind and honest are at a disadvantage in today's world… After hearing this, I have come to the conclusion, that I don't care."
  
  I am so grateful to be in a place that prepares students to be kind, resilient, and successful, in any environment.
  
  
  
  UNCONDITIONAL LOVE 
  5/7/17
  
  Those of us in the business know and often say that Grandparents/Grandfriends Day is annually the happiest day on campus - and we have a whole lot of happy days. I would also argue that this day is also one of our most important. We are a family school. The people who love our students are multigenerational and geographically diverse. A day that celebrates this powerful connection and unconditional love is deeply impactful for our community. From dropoff, to concerts, to the art show, to the classroom – it is a day worth looking forward to, all year long.
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  LISTEN
  4/30/17
  ​
  This past week I had the opportunity to attend the REACH luncheon. REACH Prep is a program that helps students from disadvantaged communities attend independent schools. Their mission is honorable, and their graduation statistics are exceptional. Greenwich Country Day was one of the founding schools in the REACH network.
  
  Every year they have a keynote speaker, and this year that was Sonia Manzano, better known as Maria from Sesame Street. Her story was remarkable and compelling to the students in the room, as she attended schools with cultures and expectations far different than her South Bronx neighborhood. She commented that at times she felt invisible, and wondered aloud how she could contribute to a world that didn't see her.
  
  She struggled to understand the values and priorities of her classmates, but she found teachers and friends that helped her tap her formidable talent.
  She talked with gratitude of the teachers who heard her, and her message to us as teachers reminded us of a daily opportunity.
  
  "When somebody listens to you and values your ideas, you realize you have value."
  
  
  
  4/23/17
  CO-TEACHERS
  
  Friday was an afternoon of learning and celebrating with our second year co-teachers as they shared presentations on year-long projects, each of which had a direct impact and take away for the division.
  
  The presentations were entertaining and informative, but I walked away from the afternoon with a reminder of just how important and remarkable our co-teachers are. Our co-teachers are exceptionally accomplished and energetic young educators, high in character, beloved by their students, and relied upon by their colleagues and mentors. The Greenwich Country Day lower school community would be far less wonderful without them.
  ​
  When I came to Country Day four years ago, I was particularly excited about working with the co-teacher program. My expectations have been exceeded at every measure. 
  
  Our highest calling is to cultivate lifelong learning among the children in our care. Our co-teachers not only model this drive for learning, but they make sure that the rest of us do so as well, every day.
  
  
  
  4/16/17
  BALANCE IN ALL THINGS – INCLUDING LITERATURE
  
  Long weekends are often the time when we give ourselves permission to crack open a magazine, or a spy novel, or something else that doesn't hurt our brains to read.  It is generally a good idea to stay away from any articles about reading during this time of “weakness.”  They are sure to remind you about the dangers of straying away from the classics - resolute in the belief that anything by Grisham is guaranteed to leave your brain as mush.
  
  This weekend however I found an article that allows us all to breathe easy. Baylor professor and author Alan Jacobs argues that we should read what we enjoy and do so without shame. Jacobs suggests that like so much else in life, the greatest benefit comes from a balanced approach. Read from many different genres, for many different reasons. That is how we get the most out of our time with the printed page.
  
  
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  4/9/17
  SHUCKS
   
  Last week I heard a review of a book in which author Ben Blatt loaded the text produced by famous authors and analyzed their word use. The story highlighted a few of particular interest and curiosity, but it was largely an intriguing bit of research for bibliophiles.
  
  A couple of my favorites: J.K. Rowling: wand, wizard, potion - Mark Twain: hearted, shucks.
  
  While the story was interesting, and I have no doubt that the book would be as well to someone who is as word obsessed as I am, it got me to thinking about just how important the words we use are and what they say about us. I invite you to take a peek at some of your past reports or recent emails - see which words come up most often.
  ​
  I wonder if Samuel Clemens knew his favorite word was shucks...
  
  
  
  MARCH MADNESS
  4/2/17
  
  The University of Connecticut women's basketball team finally lost, for the first time in recent memory, on Friday night. Last week, a video clip from a press conference with head coach Geno Auriemma went viral. If you haven't seen it, here is a link.
  
  In the clip he talks about the importance of body language and engagement for each and every one of his players. In an age where attention seems to go to the player who does it all by him or herself, it was refreshing to hear a coach at the very pinnacle of his profession speak compellingly on the value of character and authentic positivity.
  ​
  What does this have to do with schools and learning? Auriemma is talking about a mindset - an engaged, proactive, team-first mindset - whether the spotlight is on you or not. Engagement is a powerful force, in sports and in learning. Helping our children to build that engagement in the things that they do will help them in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in their relationships.
  
  
  
  
  POINT OF VIEW
  3/26/17
  
  Spring is a wonderful time in schools. The hard work spent building culture and habits around learning have taken root, and classes are primed for a dynamic finish to the year. 
  
  It is an important time to avoid a rut. I recently read an article about point of view and how necessary it is to shake ours up every once in awhile. I would argue there is no more important time to do this than the Spring. The article suggests a number of concrete ways in which one may look at a familiar scene through a different lens. There is no better time to do this than when you feel like you know your culture back to front. It is at this point of the year that a new perspective is at its most helpful. 
  
  I plan on taking the exercise to heart and focusing on new perspectives every day.  
  
  How to Pay Attention: 20 ways to win the war against seeing  
  
  
  
  SPRING BREAK
  3/5/17
  
  When you not only hear a treasured story, but are also pressed against the most important person in the world, a connection is made that cannot be severed. 
  -Maurice Sendak
  
  Regardless of where spring break finds you, the most important thing you may put in the suitcase or on the kitchen table is a book that you hope to share with your child. In the two weeks we spend away from campus I hope there are opportunities to sit down and share a story. It may be a tale you treasure from your own childhood, or the book your child has been waving in your face for the last few months, or you may explore a new series together. Please take advantage of the opportunity. Spend this week searching for a book or two with your child – it's time well spent.
  
  Our Lower School library page on the GCDS website has some terrific resources for the search!
  
  
  
  DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  2/26/17
  
  I believe the conversations with parents that we have this week are difference makers for us. The relationship that we have with parents here at Country Day is unique, powerful, and a real value added. It is also essential for the type of teaching and learning we hope to cultivate. Over the years I have come across a few resources that I believe help us in this mission. Below is my favorite link and an excerpt on generous listening that I believe can help us get into the right mindset for these important conversations.
  
  Claim the Child– Michael Thompson
  
  Listen Generously - Brene Brown
  “What is the most generous assumption you can make about this person’s intentions or what this person said?”
  
  “Generous listening is powered by curiosity, a virtue we can invite and nurture in ourselves to render it instinctive. It involves a kind of vulnerability— a willingness to be surprised, to let go of assumptions and take in ambiguity. The listener wants to understand the humanity behind the words of the other, and patiently summons one’s own best self and one’s own best words and questions.”
  
  
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  NON-NEGOTIABLES
  2/20/17
  
  My to-do list never seems to get shorter. I diligently cross things off as I complete them, but I never stop putting new things on. Last week I read a piece by author and artist Austin Kleon in which he shared an example, below, of a daily to do list. It exemplified what I like to call the non-negotiables - the things that, no matter what else happens, get done every day. Because they are essential. 
  
  All of us need these non-negotiables, and while the list below is certainly a worthy model, each of us has a slightly different set. Whatever they may be, they should be at the top of the daily to do list. They are at the top of mine, and I do my best not to hit the pillow without checking them off.
  
  Every day:
  Hear a little song.
  Read a good poem.
  See a fine picture.
  Speak a few reasonable words.
  - Goethe 
  
  **A footnote to this list. While it is attributed to Goethe, it is actually the words of a far less famous theater manager – Serlo.
  
  
  
  ENGAGEMENT IS A BIG DEAL
  2/12/17
  
  Engagement is a big deal. If you can cultivate  curious and engaged learners in your classroom, on the field, and at your dinner table, you are doing valuable work.
  
  A recent post on the blog mindshift tackles what this looks like in classrooms. Below are the eight signs that research suggests indicate and stimulate engagement. All eight are admittedly difficult to  design to fruition all at once, but there is evidence that suggests if you can hit three of them it will make an impact.
  
  It's worth asking ourselves regularly whether we are creating an environment for the children in our care, at school and at home, that cultivates at least three of the markers below. 
  
  Does the activity, strategy, task, or idea allow for the student to personalize his or her response? Can they bring their life experiences into the activity and make it their own?
  
  Are there clear and modeled expectations?
  
  Is there a sense of audience above and beyond the teacher and the test? Does the activity have value to someone else?
  
  Is there social interaction? Do students have an opportunity to talk about the learning and interact?
  
  Is there a culture of emotional safety? Are mistakes valued because they are an opportunity to learn?
  
  Do students have opportunities to choose within the activity?
  
  Is it an authentic activity? This doesn’t mean it always must connect directly to the student’s world, but it should connect to reality.
  
  ​Is the task new and novel? If kids are bored, it’s hard to see engagement.
  
  An interesting visual model -  Learning Cube 
  
  
  
  
  HAPPINESS, A TO-DO LIST
  2/5/17
  
  There is no shortage of advice on the internet on how to live a happy life. The truth is, it probably depends. It probably depends on the person, the geography, the culture… 
  
  However, this morning I read an interesting post breaking down the work of Martin Seligman, a happiness guru at the University of Pennsylvania. It talked about four types of happy living, and it finished with this summation, a daily to-do list for happiness:
  
  Every single day, do something that makes you smile.
  
  Every single day, do something you’re good at.
  
  Every single day, make sure your efforts help someone else smile.
  
  
  
  ​BE GENEROUS
  1/29/17
  
  We are in the people business. This means that we are in the relationship and the conversation business as well. Some of those relationships and conversations are overwhelmingly and consistently positive, but even on the best days, we need to be ready for the difficult conversations that come with struggling students, anxious families, and passionate colleagues. These are not easy for anyone, so I always pay special attention when I see something that may help us do this well.
  ​
  Over the past two weeks there have been two articles on a blog that I read regularly by Shane Parrish around making the most of every conversation. My summary, be generous, in your assumptions and in your listening. 
  Below you will find two excerpts that I believe illustrate these main points.
  
  “In her book Rising Strong, Brené Brown describes how she learned to assume that people are doing the best they can and shares a concept introduced to her by Dr. Jean Kantambu Latting, a professor at University of Houston. Brown writes:
  
  Whenever someone would bring up a conflict with a colleague, she would ask, ‘What is the hypothesis of generosity? What is the most generous assumption you can make about this person’s intentions or what this person said?’”
  
  And 
  
  “Generous listening is powered by curiosity, a virtue we can invite and nurture in ourselves to render it instinctive. It involves a kind of vulnerability— a willingness to be surprised, to let go of assumptions and take in ambiguity. The listener wants to understand the humanity behind the words of the other, and patiently summons one’s own best self and one’s own best words and questions.”
  
  
  
  WORK HARD AND SAVOR THE MOMENT
  1/22/17
  
  On Wednesday evening, the Parents Association speaker series brings Julie Lythcott-Haims to Country Day. Her book, How to Raise an Adult, has drawn justified attention. As the former Dean of Freshman at Stanford, Lythcott-Haims has a unique perspective on young adults. Her book presents important and challenging thinking and talking points for us as parents and teachers today. See below for an excerpt from the New York Times book review.
  
  Lythcott-Haims’s central message: When parents laugh and enjoy the moment but also teach the satisfaction of hard work, when they listen closely but also give their children space to become who they are, they wind up with kids who know how to work hard, solve problems and savor the moment, too. 
  
  
  
  FAIR
  1/16/17
  
  Our children have a sensitive and accurate internal barometer for fairness. While this makes it very difficult to split the extra piece of cake confidently, it is also the reason why children are so attuned to the spirit and meaning of this day. On Friday morning I had a chance to speak with our first, second, and third graders about the importance of Martin Luther King and his work. We talked about how he saw unfairness in his world through his life and got together with his friends to change his country. This was not new news to them, but I also gave them a challenge. If they saw unfairness, if they saw someone who couldn't stick up for themselves, it was their responsibility to stand up. This seems like a big ask, but I would argue that it is just the way our children are wired. As we spend time with our children today, please join me in reminding them of their opportunity.
  
  
  
  SNOW!
  1/8/17
  
  There is something about a bit of snow on the weekend that allows us to appreciate it appropriately. Gone are the weekends in which we have nothing planned, but there does seem to be a bit less of a rush. This allows us to dive in, literally and figuratively, and frolic in the wintry weather. It's good for us to be with and act like 5 year olds every once in awhile. Snow on the weekend seems to be a good catalyst!
  
  
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  UNLIKELY FRIENDS
  1/2/17
  
  Over the break I read a book called The Book of Joy. It is the story of The Dalai Lama's 80th birthday and a week that he spent in conversation with former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The opportunity to listen in on these two was too much for me to pass up.
  
  While the book had some pearls of wisdom, there was a theme that emerged throughout for me - Friendship. These unlikely friends had so much fun talking about life, and emotion, and faith - despite and because of their differences. 
  
  When you talk to alumni about their times Country Day, they often reflect on recent conversations they have had with childhood friends who have become lifelong. The friendships made on this campus are important. Let us help our children savor the opportunity to make lifelong, and occasionally unlikely, friends. According to two of the most profound thinkers in the world, friendship is where Joy is found. 
  
  
  
  JOY
  12/18/16
  
  Joy is one of my favorite emotions. While you can certainly feel it, I believe that you can also see it, touch it, and hear it. If you were to go looking for joy at this time of year, I defy you to find a better place than 401 Old Church Road.
  ​
  As we frolic through our last few days before the winter break, please keep your eyes and ears open for the abundant joy. It is a terrific time to be a child, teacher, or parent.
  
  
  
  THE MAGIC IN THE PROCESS
  12/11/16
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  We have entered performance season in the Lower School. It is the time of year when students take to the stage and astonish us with their poise, talent, and joy. It is hard not to marvel at the polish of the final performance.
  
  It can also be hard to remember that the performance under the lights is not the most important aspect of the journey. The practice, the anticipation, the fine tuning… This is where the learning occurs.
  
  As you enjoy these remarkable performances throughout the winter, please remember that the real magic happens in the weeks and months before the spotlights turn on.
  
  
  
  NOTICE
  12/4/16
  
  ​Tomorrow begins our 13 Days of Holiday Cheer. Participation  is entirely voluntary, but whether you choose to join in or not, I encourage you to notice. I encourage you to notice the community. I encourage you to notice the culture.  I encourage you to notice the laughter and the smiles. I encourage you to notice your friends.  
  
  Notice the cheer this month. We are in a unique and special place.
  
  
  11/27/16
  EMBRACE IT!
  
  The next three and a half weeks are a sprint. They are a whirlwind of projects, celebrations, great books, deep discussions,  poetry, and song. My advice … embrace it! 
  
  I have always loved the time in a school between the Thanksgiving and winter breaks. There is something about the finite time and the added energy of the season that makes for a uniquely spirited learning environment. It is truly a wonder filled time for the children in our collective care.
  
  Take the time, when you can catch your breath, to appreciate the joy and enthusiasm that goes along with being a child in December!
  
  
  11/20/16
  GRATITUDE
  
  ​Gratitude is good for you. Science has proved it, and your gut should tell you the same thing. 
  
  Tuesday morning we will gather as a community in the Alumni Gym - more than 1000 students and faculty. There are many moments throughout the year where I am overcome with gratitude for this place, but none more powerful than the close of that gathering when the community puts its collective voice together and joins in a chorus of O Greenwich Country Day.  
  
  When that moment happens this week, don't stop singing, but take a moment to look around. It is a  visual and audible reminder of the spirit and enthusiasm of this unique school.
  
  
  11/13/16
  UNDERSTANDING, KINDNESS, AND INCLUSION
  
  This has been quite a week. Regardless of your politics, one message rings true as we head into the next chapter for our country, there has never been a more important time to honor our role in the cultivation of understanding, kindness, and inclusion in the children in our care.
  
  ​A friend likes to talk about focusing on the good we can do "within arm's reach." This is an important message to share with our students and children as they grow up. They can make a significant impact on their world every day, and they should know that they can.
  
  We shared an article from common sense media last week that talked about communicating with students about the election. Here it is again, just in case you missed it.
  
  
  
  11/6/16
  NASA
  
  This week I read an article shared with me by a Country Day father about questions, parents, and children. The article from the Financial Times told about a father who agreed to answer three questions each evening at bedtime from his son. The answer either needed to be provided on the spot or with a promise of research the next day. After one particularly challenging question, the dad and the child wrote to NASA. NASA wrote back.
  
  The power of questions, and the power of the search for answers is something we know makes a difference. The search may be the more important element, and it is a gift and an inspiration for our children  to join us in this quest for the answers to  tricky questions. 
  
  Link to “Nasa’s email to a curious four-year-old” 
  
  
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  10/30/16
  OUR COLLABORATIVE COMMITMENT
  
  Your child will be known, and your child will be loved.
  
  This was the annual pledge of former Roxbury Latin Headmaster Tony Jarvis to the school’s families. You have no doubt heard Adam  share this sentiment regarding Greenwich Country Day. It is the most important set of promises any school can give its parents. We mean it, and it is at our core.
  
  ​This week we have a chance to have conversations with you about your children during fall conferences. We treasure these opportunities to build our partnership and share  our collaborative commitment to your children. 
  
  
  
  10/23/16
  PARADES
  
  I love parades. I learned to love and understand them 20 years ago when I moved to New Orleans. New Orleanians throw a parade together at any excuse. At times they could just be spontaneous, often musical, displays of random merriment, but parades can be so much more. They can be a goodbye to a friend,  a celebration of a holiday or a people,  a symbol of pride, or a grand tradition.
  ​
  When our Lower Schoolers parade on Friday it is a celebration, but it is also a chance for our magical community to get together, with a little music,  and enjoy each other. It is indeed a grand tradition, but I take great satisfaction in the fact that it is also a display of random merriment! 
  
  
  
  10/16/16
  THE STAYING POWER OF GRACE
  
  There was an article in the New York Times this weekend lamenting the state of the Republican Party and reminiscing about the grace that GCDS alum George HW Bush brought to his daily interactions when he was in office. Regardless of your politics, the article, which mentioned Greenwich Country Day directly, brings to mind the impact of kindness and courtesy. The staying power of grace. 
  
  This is in the very foundation of our school, and it is seen on weekends such as this one when alumni return and we are reminded of the power of character this school cultivates. 
  
  As a father of two tigers, I am deeply grateful.
  
  
  
  10/9/16
  LARGER THAN ONESELF
  
  A hope of parents is that their children will be inspired to be part of something that is bigger than themselves. It may be a team. It may be an orchestra. It may be a school.
  
  Our Annual Dinner on Thursday night was all about culture. It was about the many things that collectively make Country Day the amazing place that it is. It was about the traditions,  the future, and the people. I left the dining hall feeling a part of something far larger than myself. I am so grateful.
  
  This Homecoming week our focus on the culture of Country Day continues. Enjoy the enthusiasm and the school spirit of the children in your care, and help them to see how special this is.
  
  
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  NOTICING THE RIPPLES
  ​10/3/16
  
  One of the most powerful aspects of teaching is the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Sometimes these differences are like tidal waves - the sort of things that get remembered in Oscar acceptance speeches. More often the impacts are smaller, but nonetheless important. This week I read a piece by Seth Godin in which he wrote about the importance of appreciating the “ripples” that we make in the lives of others. 
  
  We may someday be remembered in an Oscar acceptance speech … we may not.  Don't underestimate the importance of the ripples.
  
  The link is here - http://flip.it/wsP-Eh  It is a short piece and well worth reading.
  
  
  
  MAD
  9/25/16
  
  I had a  conversation with a Lower Schooler this week about a book he was reading, and he was mad.  There was a feeling of tremendous Injustice around the protagonist in his book. Our students have a spot-on compass for fairness  and a healthy measure of  empathy. It makes them engaged and emotional readers.  
  
  ​I sincerely enjoyed hearing the passion of the young reader in our conversation, but I also left wondering about the last time I was truly  mad about a book. We should all be so lucky as to find ourselves emotionally invested in a book ... and to do so often. I'm going to make it a goal.
  
  WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
  9/18/16
  ​
  “Work hard, play hard”
  
  This motto is oft-repeated on college campuses where they tout the rigor and the rowdy in learning environment. It is also appropriate and true to use the adage to describe the days of much younger students.
  
  In the early years of school learning is a full body, contact sport. Our young learners have not yet learned to be cautious with their wondering and exploration. They have not yet learned to sit on a question or give up when the next monkey bar is just out of reach.
  
  We have the double-edged responsibility of encouraging this brand of learning and comforting the learners when the fall hurts. It is an exhausting, but wonderful gift to walk with our students as they learn with reckless abandon. Enjoy it. 
  
  
  HAPPY MATTERS
  9/11/16
  
  Dr. Annie McKee has done groundbreaking research on the importance of being happy at work. It turns out that being happy makes you more productive, a more creative thinker, and a more helpful teammate. In short, being happy is a big deal. In an article for Harvard Business review, McKee distills happiness at work into three buckets: a meaningful vision of the future, a sense of purpose, and great relationships.
  
  Educators in general, and those of us at Greenwich Country Day in particular, are in a uniquely advantaged situation when it comes to being happy at work. However, it does not come without a conscious effort to build engagement in our collective purpose and to maintain our relationships. I am so grateful to be in a place in which this comes naturally. Happiness as a default setting makes for a terrific place to work.
  McKee Article 
  
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  FAMILY TIME
  9/11/16
  
  There are many books,  articles, and wise souls that talk about the importance of the first weeks of school: the importance of these first weeks to set expectations, build ownership, and foster community within the classroom. This is not a novel idea, and good teachers have been following this practice for a very long time.  Here at GCDS our faculty and our children  are using their first weeks together to build a family in the classroom. The relationships between and among students and faculty will make the difference when the learning gets challenging and risky. I am grateful that our community takes the time each year, it matters. 
  
  
  WATCHING CLOUDS
  8/1/16
  
  Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. -John Lubbock
  
  There’s plenty of modern science and scholarship behind that reflection. Summer days can, and at times should be, breathlessly exciting, but we know there is real merit to watching the clouds. Even better to do so with our children.
  
  
  
  ANOTHER MONTH
  6/5/16
  
  I need another month.  At the end of each of my 18 years in education I always have. I need another month to greet children at the door. I need another month to share ideas and stories with teachers. I need another month of projects, concerts, debates, and field days.  I need another month to say thank you to everybody. But I don't get one. On Thursday, the front door will be quiet,  so I'm going to make the most of the next three days. I encourage each of you to do the same.  Summer will be here very soon.
  
  
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  PERSPECTIVE
  5/30/16
  
  After a glorious, sun-drenched weekend, and I love glorious, sun-drenched weekends, waking up this morning to rain was important. Everything slowed down. The rain provided a new perspective: a chance to sit down, outside, and listen. It was a chance to reflect on the spirit and the purpose of this Memorial Day.
  
  This time of year everything seems to be glorious, sun-drenched, and moving awfully fast. It's helpful to grab our moments to sit down and breathe it all in, to get perspective as the school year comes to a close. There is a lot to notice and be grateful for.
  
  
  
  NOTICING BEAUTY
  ​5/22/16
  
  "Those who said they regularly took notice of something beautiful were 12 percent more likely to say they were satisfied with their lives.” (Isaacowitz, Vaillant, and Seligman 2003).
  
  Noticing beauty is scientifically worthwhile. I often find beauty in music, especially jazz. This past Friday we were able to share exceptional jazz with our Lower Schoolers through a pair of morning concerts from a trio from the Juilliard School. This was unquestionably music played at the top of its form, but it was also a chance for our youngest musicians and music appreciators to practice the art of listening for the story in the music - especially when there weren’t any words. It was their, and my, way to start the day by noticing something beautiful.
  
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  STORIES WORTH SHARING
  5/15/16
  
  There is an anticipation and excitement that fills the air at the start of a new journey. This is one of my favorite things about the start of a new school year each September. This afternoon I got an early taste of that wonderful feeling as we welcomed new Lower School students and their families to campus to meet new friends, test out the playground, and get a little more comfortable with their new school home.
  
  Over the last few months, I’ve been honored and grateful to hear ninth graders eloquently share stories about their home and their journey here on Old Church Road. As I watched soon-to-be-nursery students sprinting, climbing, and laughing together this afternoon, I couldn’t help but wonder about the amazing stories they’ll have to tell in 12 years.
  
  
  
  The HARD THINGS
  5/8/16
  ​
  Psychologist and Author Angela Duckworth talks a lot about about grit (her new-ish book is entitled, appropriately, Grit). Grit as a necessary and worthy avenue toward success is not a new idea, but Duckworth is compelling. She makes the case in a recent interview that one way grit can be instilled in young children is through using the “hard thing” rule. Everyone has to pick their own “hard thing” and stick with it.
  
  Specifically, Duckworth said, it has to be "something that requires practice, something where you're going to get feedback telling you how you can get better, and you're going to get right back in there and try again and again."
  
  Duckworth applies this rule to her own family. Can we apply it to our classes? Can we apply it to ourselves?
  
  
  
  
  THE NOURISHING POWER OF THE ARTS
  5/1/16
  
  The arts, quite simply, nourish the soul. They sustain, comfort, inspire. There is nothing like that exquisite moment when you first discover the beauty of connecting with others in celebration of larger ideals and shared wisdom.
  Gordon Gee (Educator and Author)
  
  This week we celebrate the arts (visual and performing) that play such an important role in the lives of our students. The Art of Country Day celebrates the artists in our care and serves to “sustain, comfort, and inspire” the rest of us. 
  
  This afternoon also offers an opportunity to thank Debbie Lewis for the transcendent work she has done with and on behalf of the artists of GCDS. Debbie’s, passion, humor, and genius has inspired generations of students, families, and teachers. I am profoundly grateful for the work she has done to “nourish the soul” of the arts at Country Day.
  
  
  BIRTHDAY POETRY
  ​4/24/16
  
  This weekend we visited with my wife’s 94-year old grandmother for her birthday. It was a joyous event - well worth the drive! My favorite moment was a stolen one for the guest of honor with her two great grandsons. Sitting on the couch, she shared a piece of poetry she had memorized from her youth. Impressed and inspired one of the boys dug into his backpack exclaiming, “ I've got some poetry right here!” Out came Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. The next 30 minutes disintegrated into hilarity as they took turns reading their favorite irreverent tomes.
  
  It doesn’t have to be Whitman to be powerful. There’s something about poetry that captures the imagination, the heart, and occasionally the funny bone. Recently, I read an article that talked about four reasons that we should all start classes with a poem. The link is below and it's worth the read. 
  
  LINK - Four Reasons to Start Class Each Day With a Poem
  
  
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. AND MRS. MALLARD!
  4/17/16
  
  Mark Twain famously said, "A classic is a book that everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read". 
  
  I respectfully disagree. A classic can be a book that provides a treasured experience on the first reading, on the second reading - on every reading. A classic is a story with a message that can transcend generations, genders, cultures, and languages.
  
  A work of art in literature, a classic, enriches the human mind and heart.
  ​
  One of my personal favorite turns 75 this year: http://www.npr.org/2016/04/12/473565285/make-way-for-celebration-these-ducklings-are-turning-75
  
  
  
  MOVE!
  4/10/16
  When a student has a stressful, traumatic, and/or high energy/anxiety event, the adrenaline produced takes nearly 72 hours to work its way through the system of the child. This means that nearly every child in our care is learning and living with a perpetually elevated state of energy and distraction. According to Mayuri Gonzalez, our speaker on Friday and one of the principal players in the School Yoga Project, the only thing that significantly mitigates this is movement. 
  
  Part of my learning process is to gather lenses, points of view, and then ask questions. My questions regarding this bit of science are these - How do we find time in jam-packed days to give the children in our care the movement they need? How often do we consciously inhibit movement that may be necessary for optimal learning and engagement?
  
  ​While the benefits are logical, the answers to the questions are not as clear. They’re worth the discussion.
  
  
  
  SHARE YOUR EUREKAS
  4/3/16
  We all learn every day, and it’s important to acknowledge when it happens - it’s one of the things that makes life grand. For the children in our care to hear about our eurekas, our learning process, is inspirational.
  
  ​This spring as you learn new things, share your eurekas.
  
  Futurist and author, Terry Moore’s eureka - How to tie your shoes
  
  
  
  FULL DAYS
  3/27/16
  
  This month, college basketball takes on an unnatural importance. I will admit to enjoying it wholeheartedly. Coaches are usually given too much of the credit and too much of the blame in any sport, but gifted coaches are amazing teachers. Jim Valvano was an NCAA Champion as a coach at North Carolina State who spent his last, all too quick, years fighting cancer - publicly. His indomitable optimism was hard not to admire, and he was a one-man quote machine. My favorite is one I try to read regularly, 
  
  “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
  
  As parents and educators we’ve got some full days to come this spring. Thank you in advance for the support, enthusiasm, and celebration you will share with us in the months ahead. It is deeply appreciated, and it is something special.
  
  
  
  INTENTIONAL AND CONSPICOUS READING
  3/6/16
  
  In the independent school world we have breaks to renew, explore, and unwind. These are well deserved and thoroughly enjoyed. However, it is time away from the classroom. I’m regularly asked about the most important things to do during these times away from campus to keep the mind sharp and curious. I always have the same answer ... read.
  ​
  There’s a catch. While it’s important for our children to remain daily readers, it is also essential for us as parents, the most powerful role models for our sons and daughters, to be intentional and conspicuous readers. The benefits of reading are numerous and unquestioned. Over the upcoming break, read, and let your children see you enjoying reading. They may be inspired.
  
  
  
  THE GIFT OF BROAD INTERESTS
  2/28/16
  
  "The people who have the best lives are not necessarily those who have the most comforts; they are those who have the most interests". - JLM, 1926
  
  Expanding and developing children's many interests - that is the DNA of our school. Our founding Headmaster John Lynn Miner built our school on the belief that a diversity of experience, curiosity, challenge, and rigor would lead to a cultivation of broad interests, and that this would be one of the great rewards of an excellent education.
  ​
  There is so much that happens for our children during their time on campus. Our conversations this week offer us an opportunity to explore them with the adults that share their lives. Please know we all treasure and look forward to this opportunity. 
  
  
  INTEGRITY
  2/21/16
  
  Integrity, is, to me, a somewhat stronger word than “honesty.” “Honesty” often implies truth-telling and little more, but “integrity” implies wholeness, soundness, a complex philosophy of life.
  
  To have integrity is to stand by your word, to have a sense of honor, to do what you have agreed to do and to do it as best as you can. To have integrity is to be satisfied with nothing less than the best job you can do.
  
  In that sense, anyone can have integrity, regardless of how small and unimportant a role he may play in the world… - Isaac Asimov
  
  This is a discussion we might do well to raise in our classrooms. The two words are not mutually exclusive, but the idea of integrity as a way of life, a promise to oneself to give nothing than the best, is an admirable guidepost.
  
  
  A LEARNING LABORATORY
  2/7/16
  
  “Our campus will be a learning laboratory - a place where everyone learns, every day.”
  
  I’ve taken to saying this as often as I can, to anyone who will listen. I believe our highest goal as educators is to cultivate lifelong learners. One way to do this is to model daily learning ourselves. When the children in our care see the adults around them as curious, engaged learners, they build the realization that learning never stops, and it’s inspiring.
  
  
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  HOW WE GET THINGS DONE
  1/31/16
  ​
  I’m fascinated by the daily routines and habits of people - famous and otherwise. There is so much to do, and the routines we all build in our lives to get things done, and to keep our sanity, are so important. Finding time in our days not only for the work, but also for family, friends, and health is an essential juggling act.
  
  It’s hard for our students as well. Building the executive function skills in the children in our care to allow them to successfully navigate their days is a valuable tool to cultivate. We should be conscious and intentional in our modeling - our students will pay attention and it’s good for us!
  
  Link to Mozart’s Daily Routine
  
  
  REACH RIGHT BACK TO CHILDHOOD
  1/24/16
  
  “Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.”
  - Andy Goldsworthy
  
  I’m not a skier, so I don’t necessarily pine for winter during the warmer months, but on days like today, I fully understand the sentiments above of British artist, Andy Goldsworthy. There’s something about bundling up and chasing a child, or a dog, through a fresh snowfall that rewinds the clock. 
  
  It’s not just snow that has this effect. A summer sunset, a warm rain, a quiet walk in the woods - all of these have the potential to bring me back to a fond feeling. Embrace these moments, and “reach right back to childhood” when the opportunity presents itself.
  
  
  CONNECTIONS MATTER
  1/18/16
  ​
  Connections matter. A recent Harvard study (highlighted by NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast) put science to that long-held theory, and the impact of the relationships between teachers and students might be even more important than we thought. GPAs jumped and achievement gaps shrunk substantially for classrooms in the study’s test group. Those who felt they had something, anything, in common with their teachers were more engaged in their learning and; therefore, perfomed better.
  
  The interesting spin in the Harvard study was the disproportionate value of the teachers finding something in common with each of their students. It made them better teachers.
  
  This is good news for independent schools, places where the teacher-student relationships are primary in our philosophy and pedagogy. There is a clear message for teachers: seek out the common interest and experiences with each of your students. It will make you a more engaging teacher and increase student engagement in their learning. 
  
  
  
  THERE'S MORE TO LISTENING...
  1/10/16
  
  There’s more to listening than being quiet. That is my one-sentence summary for a blog I read this weekend entitled, “Listening and the Learning Lens.” The article reminds us that in order to really listen, we must do more than just not talk ourselves - we need to recognize and account for the lens through which we hear. 
  
  In his blog post, Shane Parrish writes about the importance of making the “learning lens” our default. He encourages us to view, “the whole conversation is a journey of discovery not a battle of wits.” 
  
  At no time is that advice more important than in our conversations with the children in our care. 
  
  
  
  RESOLUTIONS
  1/3/16
  
  I’m not one for too many resolutions, but I find the turn of the year an appropriate time to take stock of what’s important. I’m reminded of two core promises our Headmaster Adam Rohdie often shares with us as core to the Country Day mission - quoting Tony Jarvis, the former head of Roxbury Latin, “Your child will be known, and your child will be loved.”
  
  ​To these I add, “Everybody will learn, every day.” We will be a learning laboratory, a place where the adults and children identify and take advantage of the challenges and learning opportunities all around them.
  
  Worthy resolutions for a school - resolutions that personify a learning lens that has served generations of GCDS students. 
  
  
  
  THANK YOU
  12/13/15
  ​
  Marketing and business writer Seth Godin recently wrote a blog on the vulnerability of “thank you.” As we enter our last weeks if 2015, I’d like to say thank you for all that you do. Thank you for the early mornings, the late nights, the hugs, the difficult conversations, the questions, and the tireless dedication, every day. 
  
  Godin writes about “thank you” as a way of paying homage the power and necessity of a team. I am grateful for each of you and the work we do together. 
  
  Thank you, and Happy Holidays.
  
  
  
  LIFE-CHANGER LISTS
  12/6/15
  
  This weekend seems to have been the official kickoff to the “Best of …” lists that come out in the waning weeks of each year. Amazon sent out their Best Children’s Books of the Year, and there were more than a few other lists that arrived in my inbox in time for holiday shopping. 
  
  One blog I read proposed a new list, “The Books that Changed your Life.” This was a list/concept that got me thinking and reflecting. As we are inundated with best-of lists this season, let’s make a few life-changer lists of our own - songs, movies, poems, paintings … They might make good gifts too.
  
  
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  SINGING TOGETHER
  ​11/29/15
  
  In Friday morning’s New York Times, columnist David Brooks contributed a piece on “Communities of Character.” In Brooks’ words, “occasionally I stumble across a loving, charismatic and super-tight neighborhood organization. Very often it’s a really good school.” Brooks goes on to stress the power and importance of communities that treasure the accomplishments of the many, not merely the few, and build a value in the collective power of a common mission.
  
  Last week our campus community gathered in the Alumni Gym and joined in song. It was an impressive community moment. I believe and deeply appreciate that we are one of Brooks’ “really good schools,” and our strong community of many minds and hearts is one for which I am grateful every day.
  
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  BE READY
  11/22/15
  
  grat·i·tude ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/
  noun
  the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
  
  The science is in, according to Harvard Medical School, a “readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness,” is good for you. The idea that kindness is a revolving door, and through gratitude we keep it spinning, is one that sets a clear goal. It’s more than just saying thank you, it’s being ready and willing to pass along that kindness to others, This Thanksgiving let’s make the effort to be ever ready to show appreciation and return kindness - and let’s think out loud with the children in our care as we’re doing it. It’s important, and it might catch on. 
  
  Link to “In Praise of Gratitude” - Harvard Medical School
  
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  HONOR THE QUESTIONS
  11/15/15
  
  9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Newtown, Paris … tragedy lands on our doorstep, literally or virtually, all too often in our world of instant news. As school leaders we are charged with the conversation, curating the message for the children and adults that make up the community in our care. We are charged with moderating an appropriate conversation, period of mourning, and path forward - often when we’re not so sure ourselves.
  
  To think of tragic events as merely historical lessons is a gross misrepresentation, but to discard them as too emotionally charged to serve as a catalyst for introspection, discussion, a new focus, and action, is a mistake. 
  
  I have a close friend who is the Director of the European Council for Independent Schools. His schools are located in 45 countries throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. This weekend, he sent a letter (LINK HERE) to his schools acknowledging his profound sadness and shock over the terror in Paris. He also called for moral courage and action. He called his schools to combat terror with education. 
  
  We find ourselves at the frontiers, those places both physical and emotional, where discomfort lies in the unknown. Yet so too do excitement, discovery, and self-realisation, all antidotes to discomfort.
  
  It is time for us, as international schools, to be bold in our pursuit of equity, justice, and peace at the frontiers. Our time is now. Our impact should be felt now. - Dr. Kevin J. Ruth, ECIS, 11/14/15
  
  I had a talk with my eight-year old son this morning about the fraction of a clip he heard on the radio regarding the shootings in Paris. We acknowledged that we were both very sad, and then the questions started. My son wanted to know more about the people in Paris, the culture, and the conflict that might cause such a tragedy. As a young learner and developing human, his empathy is high and his moral compass is strong, it was a great conversation. 
  
  Our students are curious. How do I as a school leader help my faculty, and their parents, to have the conversations? There is no shortage of research-based and anecdotal professional literature on how to teach and learn through and with tragedy, and a strong school community does a good job of comforting and protecting. Safe is essential, but do we do a good job with the questions? Do we move forward? The more we understand the world, nearby and far away, the better we will equip our students and our learning communities to be “morally courageous.” 
  
  We need the tools. The unknown is scary, and it’s around every corner. Adults, teachers and parents, all too often justifiably push it aside and try to focus on the familiar. Children, our students, sons and daughters, greet the unknown with an avalanche of questions. They are learners in every circumstance. Our ongoing challenge: how do we, the adults, honor the questions, curate the information, and combat terror and cultural ignorance through education?
  
  
  
  KEEPING AN EYE ON THE GOAL
  11/1/15
  
  When we teach, coach, parent, and mentor we are fostering more than skills, wins and losses, and grades. We are cultivating mindsets, habits, and dispositions for now and for life. It can pay dividends to keep this impact in mind when we think about the way we help those in our care grow. 
  
  
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  A TREASURED STORY WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD
  10/25/15
  
  This week’s lagniappe was written for and shared with our Lower School parents.
  
  This weekend a friend reached out from Charlotte, NC. A fellow educator, father, and lover of books, he had been stopped in his tracks at the front door of Charlotte’s public library by a quotation from author Maurice Sendak that greets visitors.
  
  When you not only hear a treasured story, but are also pressed against the most important person in the world, a connection is made that cannot be severed. 
  
  As the nights get darker and colder, sooner, bedtime stories seem just right. Share stories out loud with your children every night. The research behind the benefit of the activity is substantial and undisputed, but the truth in its power is in Sendak’s words. 
  
  
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  HOW OUR STUDENTS LEARN FROM AND CHANGE THEIR WORLD
  10/18/15
  
  There is a strong emphasis on service in our community. This is appropriate for our parent body, and it is essential for our youngest students. As they grow, their awareness of the world around them, and an appreciation for the wonder and the complexity of it, grows with them. Building a sense of empathy and appreciation is so important as our children learn not only about how they might help others, but all that we may accomplish by learning from and with those who are outside our community. Through this focus on helping and learning, our students make meaning of their world and realize they have the ability to change it.
  
  This week, a recent Country Day alumnus gave us another example of the impact one young person can make. Courtney Smith was highlighted in the most recent Greenwich Sentinel for her philanthropic work, in lieu of her Sweet Sixteen celebration, toward building and supporting schools in under-served communities around the world. Tiger Pride doesn’t end at graduation or when you leave 401 Old Church Road.
  
  Link to Greenwich Sentinel article 
  
  
  
  
  SCHOOL SPIRIT: OR, A TERRIFIC EXCUSE FOR ORANGE PANTS
  10/12/15
  
  I am guilty of suggesting that the children at Country Day "bleed orange and black." While I know it is not the literal, I do believe it is the proverbial, truth. Our students love their school with a depth that finds its foundation in the relationships they have with each other and with each of their teachers. This week we have a few opportunities to dive into our school's spirit with our students and their families.
  
  Enjoy this unique perk of our particular profession - see if there's some orange and black in the closet!
  
  
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  THE CHARACTER OF PICTURE BOOKS
  10/4/15
  
  I read/receive book lists regularly. Some are helpful, others are less so. Every once in a while there's one I have to share. This weekend I came across a list of books recommended on a blog curated by reading teachers as the best picture books for building character. Some titles were familiar and others were new to me, but it is a list worth our exploration.
  
  I encourage you to take a look.
  
  Link to Anna Sedenka’s Top Ten Picture Books to Build Character
  
  
  
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  LEARNING TO BE PRESENT
  9/27/15
  
  On the front page of the Sunday Review of the New York Times this morning was a commentary by MIT professor Sherry Turkle on the demise of face-to-face communication and interpersonal skills at the hands of smart phones. The article offered a few sobering messages, that social skills are in decline among those who are growing up with omnipresent internet access, that parents aren’t any better at putting away their phones than their children, and that children are noticing the latter point.
  
  The article wasn’t entirely doom and gloom, children are resilient. In cited studies where teens were removed from smart phones for a period of time, they rediscovered their ability to read faces, to tell stories, and to enjoy their conversation.
  
  As parents and educators, the role falls to us to be counter-cultural, to emphasize the importance of being fully present, to take emotional intelligence seriously, and to model the appropriate use of technology (with children and each other).
  
  Link to “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.”
  
  
  
  
  COLLECTIVE WISDOM
  9/20/15
  
  About the third week of school, conversations stop being about the grand opening and begin to start diving deeply into our business of helping the children in our care discover what is finest in themselves every day ... and helping each other to do the same. I love these conversations, and they remind me of a favorite quote about the wisdom of highly functioning groups. 
  
  "The smartest person in the room, is the room. And the more diverse the room gets, the smarter it becomes."
  
  Hear from everyone. Ask questions. Our collective wisdom is a dynamic tool in the growth of our students and ourselves. 
  
  
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  EMPATHY: EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK
  9/14/15
  
  The platinum rule, as penned by author Roman Krznaric: "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them." 
  
  I've written about this twist before, and about the power and importance of empathy at every age, but I bring it up again this week for two reasons. One, because as we set the climate and culture in our classrooms for the new year, developing empathy should be high on the list of priorities. It makes you a better friend, a better teammate, a better teacher, and a better learner. Two, because there was a thorough and readable blog post from Eric Barker this weekend on the subject that is well worth your time. 
  
  My favorite line from the post:
  
  "Plain and simple: empathy is the cornerstone of good relationships and good relationships are the cornerstone of happiness"
  
  
  
  BACK TO SCHOOL!
  9/4/15
  
  Every year there are hundreds of articles written on the power and importance of the first days of school. Every year I read a few, and usually there are one or two that resonate. This year, a colleague shared a powerful article with me written by Rabbi David Wolpe entitled "Five Lessons for Teachers in a New School Year." In it he talks about some big ideas - including some we've spent time with over the past few days in back-to-school faculty conversations. It's worth the read - this is an exciting time of year.
  
  
  NATURE IS FULL CONTACT
  8/6/15
  
  "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
  - Albert Einstein
  
  Summer is a time for nature. It is a time to roll up sleeves, lose the shoes and socks, and go searching for treasures in a tide pool or climb a tree to get a new perspective. Children learn by doing, and summer is a wonderful opportunity to fully engage in that learning - to fully engage in nature. As Dr Scott Sampson, Vice President of Research and Collections at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, states, “Nature connection depends on firsthand, multisensory encounters. It’s a messy, dirty business—picking leaves and flowers, turning over rocks, holding wriggling worms, and splashing in ponds….Nature connection is a contact sport.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  SHENANDOAH, HUGS, AND TEARS
  6/7/15
  
  
  Two of my favorite traditions take place with our third grade "graduation" this week. The first is a song. Shenandoah is one of those songs that gives you goosebumps. In a fitting coincidence, nearly twenty years ago I sang Shenandoah at my own college commencement (it may surprise all of you, but I cried). Every important moment seems to have a melody, and I find it appropriate and wonderful that two of the schools that hold my heart share a tune. 
  
  While families get to share in the goosebumps of that moment, my favorite tradition is just for the Lower Schoolers. As our third graders filed out of Molinari Hall on Friday, they got to say thank you to their teachers. There were real smiles, real hugs, and real tears. That moment meant a lot to those students, and to everyone who helped raise them into confident, curious, and exuberant learners. The foundation that is laid for lifelong learning in the Lower School years is vital, and our third graders know it. 
  
  Let me add my voice to their thanks - I'm also happy to throw in a hug.
  
  
  
  
  
  SAYING GOODBYE, OR , ROARING AND GNASHING
  5/31/15
  
  
  Now is the time of year when we start saying our goodbyes - to friends, colleagues, and students. Some of these are just for the summer, some for longer. New chapters and adventures are often amazing and certainly exciting, but saying goodbye isn't easy. 
  
  I looked for quotes from wise writers and scholars to help us say goodbye eloquently, and found plenty, but there was one that may most often describe our feelings at this time,
  
  “But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!”
  And Max said, “No!”
  The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye.”
  ― Maurice Sendak
  
  While our colleagues, friends, and students may sail away - remember the end of the story. Max got hugs and warm food, and there were more rumpuses to be had for the wild things. 
  
  
  Not so bad.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  BE NICE TO YOUR THUMBS
  5/25/15
  
  
  I'm typing this note with my thumbs as my wife drives us back from a terrific few days away - refreshing and full of laughter. We're connected all the time these days, please find a few moments when you can to take a break from that connection this season - the people who love you, and your thumbs, will appreciate it.
  
  
  
  FOSTERED, NOT FORCED
  5/17/15
  
  This morning there was an article in the Times regarding learning through play, and it's importance. By this point we've all read quite a lot about this research, and generally agree on the power of play. This article however also talks about the temporary gains and potentially harmful effects of an overly didactic style of education. Particularly for the young child. 
  
  Academic skills are important and exciting for our youngest learners, but there is a true art to the learning and teaching process. It is so important to build a culture of engagement, challenge, support and exploration, one where our youngest build skills that are, "fostered, not forced." 
  
  Link to NYT: Let Kids Learn Through Play
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE CASE FOR HAPPY AS YOUR DEFAULT SETTING
  5/10/15
  
  
  I'm a happy person. I believe life is just generally better when happy is one's default setting. 
  
  I read an an article recently that asked an interesting question, "Is happiness something you feel or is it something you do?" The science says that happiness is about your decisions and actions, not a great surprise. Just thinking about being happier won't do it, it's about making conscious choices. According to the article, if you want to be happier, you have to do something differently. 
  
  This is sound counsel for us and for the students in our care as we work to guide them out of the occasional funk. Helping our students to make a conscious choice to do something differently is the path to being happier. 
  
  Link to Happiness Is Not a Feeling – It Is Doing | Psychology Today
  
  
  
  CHAMPIONS
  5/3/15
  
  I'm going back to the well this week and reusing a note from last year because it shares my favorite resource on the power of a grandparent in the lives of our children:
  
  “Every child deserves a champion. An adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." 
  
  Speaker and lifelong educator Rita Pierson closes her powerful (less than eight-minute) TED talk with these words. She's talking, primarily, about teachers, and we should all take this to heart. It is an essential role in the successful development of happy life-long learners. However, she's also talking about the other adults in our students' lives who champion them. 
  
  Think about how many of these champions are their grandparents. Patient, loving, and enthusiastic advocates for the children they'll be visiting this Friday on Grandparents' Day. A worthy celebration of our shared role.
  
  
  
  
  
  QUOTABLE FOLK
  4/26/15
  
  
  Dr. Seuss makes up, with ee cummings and Mark Twain, my triumvirate of most quotable folk. To say something profound and silly at the same time is a very valuable thing indeed, and we in education look for that line in our choices daily. 
  
  
  To help us on our way to profound silliness I'm sharing an article from one of my favorite bloggers, Shane Parrish, on a new book which curates advice handed down from the good doctor. While I'm sure the book itself will find its way to my office soon, the article shares some real gems. 
  
  
  Who is your favorite quote source? It's worth having one, or three. 
  
  
  Shane Parrish blog post on Dr. Seuss
  
  
  
  
  
  SELFLESS, PASSIONATE, AND KIND
  4/19/15
  
  Every once in a while an article comes out that makes you feel even better about your life's work. Even more rarely, that bit of prose inspires you to put even a little more in the next day. Last week David Brooks wrote a column in the New York Times about the people he admires. Selfless, passionate, and kind - these people collect eulogy virtues, not resume virtues. They are successful in the way that makes for heartwarming stories. 
  
  
  It's the kind of read that makes you grateful for the meaning in your day. It's the kind of read that makes me grateful to work in a community of colleagues with all of you. 
  
  
  
  
  GLOBAL LEARNING
  4/12/15
  
  This week I've been honored to meet school leaders from all over the world, including some from emerging countries and cities. While many of our challenges are very different, our mission is nearly universal - engage and challenge the children in our care in their learning, every day.
  
  One of the things that children around the world love to do is figure things out. I've linked a picture here - see if your class can sort out what it is, how it works, and why it's helpful.
  
  
  
  
  PROPER PERSPECTIVE
  4/5/15
  
  
  Last week I walked into a first grade classroom as they were talking about this week's round of IOWAs - the first experience for that grade level. I couldn't help but smile as the teacher asked the children what the tests were. "Not a big deal," was the choral response. I followed up with a first grader later in the week, and he confirmed that the test was not a big deal, but when I asked if he should try his best, he looked me in the eye and answered matter-of-factly, "of course." 
  
  Somewhere later in life students lose that perspective on standardized testing. They stop seeing it as a snapshot, part of a bigger picture of assessment, and start viewing it as an all important event. I'm hoping that trend changes, soon, but until then, let's work to keep the proper perspective as long as possible in the children in our care. 
  
  The tests are, "no big deal." Should we try our best? "Of course."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  MANY OPTIONS
  3/28/15
  
  
  The time from today until commencement is a perfect storm of projects, assessment, celebration, play, high expectations, surprises, and best intentions. It is a time when it is awfully easy for the immediate to take the place of the important. Every year I resolve to do a little better in my quest to keep my eyes and energy on the most important things. Toward this aim, I spent time this break mapping out the items most needing my time and attention over the next three months, and I will be sharing some of them with each of you - because I can't/shouldn't do it alone! I can't guarantee that a day won't be justifiably derailed between now and the middle of June, but I am hoping that I will be more effective toward my goal to put time and energy where it is most impactful, rather than on the last item to land on my desk. 
  
  I encourage each of you to take some time to think about the important vs. the immediate as the days fly by - it's a good filter for days with many options. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  SEVEN THINGS
  3/8/15
  
  This week an article was passed to me that served as an effective "self check." The piece by Williams professor Susan Engel in the Boston Globe Magazine, talks about the seven things all students should master for success in learning and in life. 
  
  
  A link to the full article is below, but use the seven concepts above as a mirror toward reflecting around the children in your care, your classroom, and our school. How well are we doing? You'll feel good about your answer, but perhaps your thinking will kick a new idea into action. That's worth the time. 
  
  
  
  
  
  THE COEDUCATION DEBATE
  3/1/15
  
  
  Coeducation is a hot topic this time of year in our community as accepted families come to Country Day Morning with choices. This past week there was also a national discussion in the New York Times on the subject fueled by a letter from Sean Kullman. The letter focused on the ways that our education system fails boys. Mr. Kullman made good points in his letter, boys and girls are different - I would argue that each child is different. 
  
  He also calls for a greater focus on single sex education. 
  
  Here he misses the opportunity that coeducation provides. Boys and and girls should be educated together, not in spite of their differences but because of them! There is so much boys and girls learn with and from each other. 
  
  The dialogue in the Times went to print this Sunday, and intelligent people disagreed on the subject. One response in support of coeducation from the world early childhood and educational academia resonated with me. (link here)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  OUR VALUE PROPOSITION
  2/22/15
  
  
  This time of year is busy, exciting, overwhelming, exuberant - pick your adjective, each has a ring of truth. As we put the finishing touches on reports and prepare for the March parent conversations, we get another chance to show our families the Independent School advantage - our value proposition. 
  
  Families choose independent schools, and Country Day in particular, for specific reasons: safety, rigorous academics, traditions, culture, friendships, family, faculty ... Whatever the reason that brings families to our campus, the value of an independent school to a current family is often the degree to which their child is "known and loved." We "claim" their child as an opportunity, never a burden. Our conversations in two weeks and our report narratives about the children in our care give us our opportunity to do that. 
  
  Ahead of our conferences I am again sharing one of my favorite pieces on the power of "claiming" the child from Michael Thompson. 
  
  
  
  A CULTURE OF VISITING, LEARNING, AND SHARING
  2/16/15
  
  My school visit on Thursday afforded me the opportunity to ask questions, take pictures, borrow ideas, and be a student. It was deeply appreciated and a lot of fun. It also gave me the opportunity to be so grateful for the school community we have. There are very good schools everywhere, but each school culture is unique, and ours is special. 
  
  
  I couldn't help but smile knowing that on Thursday, all over the country, GCDS teachers were taking notes, asking questions, drawing inspiration, and likely having the same conclusion I was - I can't wait to share with my friends and my students. It is that practice and expectation of everyday learning and sharing that makes our community dynamic. Enjoy the conversations this week and in the weeks to come. 
  
  
  MAKE MEETINGS COUNT
  2/8/15
  
  Last week our snow day forced our Grade Level Facilitators meeting to take place online via a google doc. Two things became apparent to me that afternoon - you can get a lot done with a shared document - and - knowing you can get a lot done without dragging everyone to the same room, scheduled meetings need to have a clear agenda and an intended purpose/outcome. There is no substitute for a shared meal or a good face to face conversation (and all the twists and turns it can take), but we need to be mindful of the valuable time we spend in meetings and make the most of it. 
  
  Recently, there was an article on NPR that talked about the meetings, pre-meetings, and post-meetings that take up so much of everyone's day and can take us away from the important work we do. The link to the article is below - and there are hundreds more out there like it. 
  
  Let's make a point to hold each other accountable for the minutes we spend in meetings. It should be time well spent. Our opportunities to gather and share ideas and conversations are precious, let's all treat them as such. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  HAPPINESS PAYS OFF
  2/1/15
  
  On Friday, we spent some "virtual" time with Shawn Achor, an author and Harvard professor who has spent his professional life espousing the virtues of positive psychology. He has built his theories with help from thinkers such as Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and from his work with students, schools, and companies. 
  
  As we heard in his TED talk, he has a lot to say, and he does so quickly. His distilled message is that we're more productive, more healthy, more prone to find success, if we find happiness in the process, not just the product. There is a very real "happiness advantage." 
  
  Please see below for a link to his talk, and I recommend his book as well:
  
  
  WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR CHILDREN
  1/25/15
  
  Last week many of our Lower School families heard from Dr. Ross Greene. Dr. Greene is a psychologist and professor at Harvard who has written extensively on working collaboratively with traditionally "difficult" children. Behind his theories lies his belief that children want to do the right thing, that there are are developmental challenges keeping them from doing so in some instances, and that the key to helping these children lies in working collaboratively with them to find the underlying issues that lead to the child's frustration.
  
  His lens is one that is informative as a parent and an educator. I encourage you to take a look at the resources linked below.
  
  
  
  
  1/19/15
  THE MEANING OF LIFE
  
  What is the meaning of life?
  
  This was the question lobbed at astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson recently, by a 6 3/4 year old boy. Where we find the meaning in our lives is different for all, some of us find it in nature, in our faith, in our children, in our work - perhaps in all of the above. Tyson is a scientist, so it should not come as a surprise that he finds his meaning in life through daily learning:
  
  "When I think of 'meaning' in life, I ask, 'Have I learned something today that I didn't know yesterday?' Bringing me a little closer to knowing all that can be known in the universe. Just a little closer, however far away all the knowledge sits. If I live a day and I don't know a little more that day than the day before, I think I wasted that day."
  
  Tyson then goes on to challenge the assembled audience (and the world of you tube) to live with wonder and learn every day. Catch snowflakes, jump in puddles, bang pots and pans - so you know what happens when you do. Good advice, for our students and for us as educators.
  
  Link to Neil deGrasse Tyson's whole response
  
  
  1/11/15
  PERSPECTIVE
  
  In every classroom, we attempt to build an appreciation for the perspective of others, and in turn help our students develop a greater sense of our their own perspective regarding the world around them. As we endeavor to build a room full of informed perspectives, students are taught what is likely, what is possible. That does not necessarily prepare them for the unexpected.
  
  This week, I read an article from Jessica Hoffman Davis, founder of the Arts in Education Program at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She talks about the importance of arts education in helping the children in our care truly "see" the world around them.
  
  She begins her article with a telling illustration from a summer walk with her grandson,
  
  “Look,” I whisper to my small grandson,
  pointing across the lake.
  The morning light embraces the scene,
  pastel colors emerge in layered parfait.
  The water, the shore, the sky. I ask,
  “What color are the mountains?”
  He is amused. “I don’t see mountains.”
  “What color are the hills?” He contemplates,
  “They should be green or brown.”
  “Yes but what do you see?” Reluctantly,
  abandoning what he thinks must be,
  “Look,” he leans in close, “Pink.”
  
  Our students benefit from knowing what to expect, but they also need to be able to appreciate the unexpected, the pink mountains, when they magically appear.
  
  
  
  
  
  1/4/15
  RESOLUTIONS
  
  
  I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. I make resolutions for myself year-round, and some have more staying power than others. As we head back to campus tomorrow, with the year at its approximate mid point, one thing I am doing is taking the opportunity to check in on the professional and personal goals I set for myself in August. Whether I'm on track, or not so much, it's a worthwhile reflection.
  
  Keep in mind that your written "goals" are part of a living document - edit, add, adjust. The past months have likely brought some new priorities, but I've found that reviewing my goals is always good for keeping my focus, especially as I get the 'back to school" butterflies for the second time this school year.
  
  
  12/14/14
  WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST?
  
  "The Best Children's Books of the Year" ... I've received a few of these lists in my inbox over the past week or so, and I'm sure there are more to come. They are appreciated, and it is fun to look for some of the common titles across the lists. Each group has its own criteria - I've attached the lists from Bank St and Amazon below - and each has a number of really great books.
  
  One activity I'd recommend is making your own list. What is your criteria? Would a book have to make you laugh, cry, dance, change the way you look at the world ... all of the above? I trust there is a stack of books (children's or otherwise) that speaks to you - mine (ever changing) is below as well.
  
  
  
  
  
  WHERE CREATING IS THE TEACHABLE MOMENT
  12/7/14
  
  This week on the NPR Education Blog, there was an article on one of the most treasured teachers at Dartmouth. It wasn't a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a Tuck Business School Dean, or a groundbreaking research scientist ... it was the wood shop teacher. Anyone who has spent time in Peter McKenna's space here on our campus or given students an opportunity to "create" with their hands in the classroom, should not be surprised, For Dartmouth's traditionally high flying students, their academic epiphany came when they got to take a piece of wood and turn it into something useful or even wonderful.
  
  Our students have opportunities to create every day, and these should be celebrated. They are often the teachable moments that mean the most.
  
  
  LEARNING THROUGH THEIR OWN, AND OUR, MISTAKES
  11/30/14
  
  Dr. Richard Curwin recently wrote about the power of creating an environment where students are expected and encouraged to learn from mistakes. It is one thing to acknowledge that making mistakes is a piece of the learning process. It is another to design a learning environment in which students and teachers take risks, make mistakes, and grow through their (and our) analysis of the miscues. It is a product of mindful purpose and an effort worth making.
  
  I would love to see a sign on every entrance to every school that says, "Everyone who enters here will learn." Learning means not being afraid to examine mistakes that teachers make and encouraging students to think in ways that might produce mistakes. Use all these mistakes to learn from, to improve, and to feel good about individual progress. - Dr. Curwin
  
  
  
  EVERYDAY EPIPHANIES: Saying thank you is important
  11/23/14
  
  Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. - John Milton
  
  Saying thank you is important. Looking for ways and opportunities to say and show our gratitude throughout each day (and to coach and model this behavior for the children in our care) is a wholly worthwhile and positive experience.
  
  Thank you for all that you do for our students and our community. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
  
  
  HONORING THE ARTISTRY
  11/16/14
  
  This week we begin a series of magical performances that lasts through Spring Break on the Molinari stage. It is a source of great pride and celebration for parents and students alike, but it is more than that. Music has a proven unique and dynamic effect on the brain development, self esteem, and focus of a learner.
  
  Anecdotally, I was told last week of a Connecticut boarding school Head who counseled alumni to send their children to us, "because at Country Day, they educate the whole child."
  
  That means rigor in the places you expect it (math, reading, history, science ... etc), but it also means a driving focus on the arts, where a quiet academic may come alive on stage or with brush in hand. When I ask our students at the end of the school year if they think they're artists - every hand goes up. That doesn't happen accidentally. Thank you for celebrating, appreciating, and elevating the artistry in our students - it's so important for them.
  
  LEARNING IS AN EXPERIENCE
  11/9/14
  
  Learning is an experience. Everything else is just information. - Albert Einstein
  
  I came across this quote in a blog post from Terry Heick this week, and, while it strikes me as a universal truth, it couldn't be more powerful for our youngest learners.
  
  We strive to build an environment, physical and atmospheric, that encourages a learning experience. There is a hum to learning in a Lower School, in a place where learning is an experience. There are also paint splatters, dirty fingernails, grass stains, and other visible evidence of learning. Students learn to do by doing, and asking, and drawing, and writing, and explaining. Our goal as teachers, stated simply by Dr. Einstein, is to cultivate the opportunity to have that experience. Every day.
  
  
  
  THE MAGIC OF PICTURE BOOKS
  11/2/14
  
  Books are magical. I recently came across a short piece entitled, "Why Picture Books Matter" by author and illustrator Aaron Becker. The entire text is brilliant, but please see below for his opening paragraph. We, as educators, talk until we are blue about the importance of reading with and to our children ... this is why.
  
  The picture book physically connects a child to their world through story. It provides an elemental platform in which storytelling can find its way into the newest members of our planet and provide a moral compass, or at the very least a subtle whisper: “You are not alone. You matter.” When we share a book with a child, an exchange is taking place: a passing-down of wisdom, adventure, joy, and even love.
  
  p.s. I originally discovered Aaron Becker through co-teacher alum Annie Makela, who worked with him in San Francisco and passed along his amazing work.
  
  
  
  
  A NEW LENS ON THE GOLDEN RULE
  10/26/14
  
  The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," is a staple of character education, teaching, and parenting. It's a good compass for choices, and it's catchy.
  
  Recently, I read a quote that reframed the golden rule, "Treat others as they would have done unto themselves. Understand who they are, and give them what they need in the way they can hear it." 
  
  This quote was delivered at a recent design conference by Dr. Helen Fisher, a scientific advisor for Match.com. Despite the unlikely source, the empathetic lens is one worth thinking about - placing others first will rarely steer you wrong.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  CONVERSATIONS ON RESILIENCE
  10/19/14
  
  
  Last Friday, Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg spoke to Country Day parents about raising resilient children. Dr. Ginsburg is a prolific author on the subject and an engaging speaker.
  
  Dr. Ginsburg's message was also affirming for us as educators. HIs "7 C's of Resilience" were all clear priorities identified by our mission as foundational to a GCDS education. Dr. Ginsburg cited these seven points of focus as being essential not only for happiness and success in childhood, but also for happiness and success as an adult:
  Dr. Ginsburg's talk raised questions for our parents, and some of them may find you. At Country Day we have a tradition of helping to raise resilient, confident, and capable students, with an emphasis on leadership and teamwork. Dr Ginsburg's message was an encouragement for parents to continue to partner with us in that endeavor.
  
  
  A DEEP BREATH
  10/13/14
  
  
  Each year this particular weekend serves as a chance for me to take a deep breath, reflect on the first month or so of the school year, and look ahead with great expectation. The last three days were no different.
  
  On Friday, we turned off the lights and had a no power day at Country Day. The day was designed to give our students a taste of what it would be like to learn in an environment in which power was scarce. In the Lower School there were many questions and discussions about the experiment, but there were also some unforeseen benefits to the challenge.
  
  For me, I put my smart phone away, never fired up my computer, took no pictures, and spent no time on the office phone. I found time to explore, observe, participate, wonder, and appreciate. I joined a kindergarten PE class in their sprints, I learned a new dance from Miss Wittrock, I had conversations with groups moving to and fro during second grade service day, I learned about the amazing power of magnets with Mr. Rosenfeld, I looked for inspiration in the leaves with our art classes as they headed out en plein air, and I sat down with a group of first graders as they read to their reading buddies in the nursery courtyard.
  
  A disruption from the norm resulted in memorable and creative learning experiences - at times even in new places (Miss Wittrock brought both the third grade and the kindergarten choruses into the LS Commons - much to the delight of those of us who have the good fortune to have our offices in that area - we have some magnificent voices in those groups!).
  
  No power days might be few and far between, but I will continue to look for the wonder filled moments of learning that come regularly when a challenge presents itself.
  
  
  
  PURPOSE
  10/13/14
  
  
  
  A life of purpose is a worthy ambition. Purpose suggests meaning, an impact on the world within arm's reach (thank you, Bob D'Angelo), and a motivation for waking up every morning. This is a life worth cultivating in our students and our children. It would be terrific if we could model it ourselves!
  
  Tracy passed along a very helpful Venn Diagram on the subject this weekend, and it should be affirming for all of us who both love our chosen profession and believe it works toward a greater good. To teach with passion, creativity, love, and energy is to hit the target - it is to live a life of purpose.
  
  
  
  THE ART OF THE ARGUMENT
  10/5/14
  
  
  Head teachers talked last week about asking questions, and so many of our discussions each day, with students and each other, take the form of good questions, debate, and collaborative problem solving. Knowing how to have these conversations when there is an expected or unexpected difference of opinion can make a real impact and lead teams to a shared direction moving forward.
  
  This week I read a blog post that addressed the art of the argument. It might also be titled, the art of the learning conversation. It's worth the read - see below.
  - link here - The Ten Golden Rules of Argument | Farnam Street
  
  
  ENLIGHTENED TRADITIONALISTS
  9/28/14
  
  
  This week I heard the term "Enlightened Traditionalists" for the first time. It is a description invoked regularly in the literature and message of the Allen Stevenson School in New York by their Head David Trower.
  
  As a school creeping up on a century of education, GCDS has many time-honored and storied traditions, but one of those traditions is the consistent need to keep our eyes open and look to do things exceptionally well, even if that means doing things differently.
  
  At the risk of copyright infringement, I would suggest that at Country Day our educators and students are living the life of "Enlightened Traditionalists" - a sign of a school that is growing and healthy not in spite of its traditions, but in celebration of them.
  
  
  
  
  
  ORANGE SKIES AND SIX-LEGGED CATS
  9/21/14
  
  In his book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten , Robert Fulghum distills the broad strokes of being a good person into the foundational lessons of Early Childhood education. It was/is a very popular poem/book, but that hasn't kept us (society and education) from piling on the activities and expectations in the early years of a child's life. It's natural to see the spark of energy, curiosity, and spirit in a young child and want to give them more to tackle.
  
  This week Catherine Clark shared an article from the Huffington Post entitled, What Should a Four-Year Old Know? It has some significant and affirming takeaways for teachers and parents - here is one of my favorites:
  
  
  "She (a four-year old) should know how to laugh, act silly, be goofy, and use her imagination. She should know it's always OK to paint the sky orange and give cats six legs."
  
  The rest of the list is worth the time. Please have a look.
  
  
  
  
  THE IMPORTANT OVER THE IMMEDIATE
  9/14/14
  
  All of us (students, parents, and teachers) begin the school year with lofty goals and expectations. We spend time planning excitedly and build a laser focus on our action plans. Then life happens. The immediate can take precedent over the important. It makes it difficult to hold the course.
  
  The focus on your goals, on what you've deemed most important, is at the heart of Greg McKeon's book Essentialism, worth a read. This focus was also credited in a recent New York Times article as one of the secrets to building self control in adults and children - the need of the direction of a "burning goal."
  
  
  Remember your hopes and dreams when life happens this year, and find your way back to the important when the immediate seems to dive in.
  
  
  
  ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS
  Shared with parents as part of the opening Lower School Parent email.
  9/7/14
  Some children can’t wait to share each detail of their day with their parents the moment they hop in the car - this a rare and special circumstance. Others take a bit more prodding. Asking great questions is one of the telltale talents of a powerful teacher, and it can be helpful for us as parents too. Last week there was a spot on the nightly news that addressed many of the different ways we might ask, “how was school today?” without actually asking, “how was school today?”
  
  
  Good questions typically get better answers - and the key to the best of the suggested questions in the report below was that each were specific, valued the opinion and perspective of the child, and were difficult to answer with one word or a grunt. Please find the link to the story below and pick a few to try.
  
  
  
  
  SCATTERING CIVILIZATION
  9/7/14
  National media articles on "spotting the best teacher" often miss the mark. However, Tracy passed along a recent Wall Street Journal article on the subject that was affirming and had some real takeaways - links below.
  
  Included in the article was the following sentiment from W.E.B. DuBois on the requirements of a great teacher:
  
  "In 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois, who once taught in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Tennessee, wrote that teachers must "be broad-minded, cultured men and women" able to "scatter civilization" among the next generation. "
  
  More than 100 years later, scattering civilization, in partnership with parents, among the children in our care remains a worthy ambition.
  
  
  DREAMING TOGETHER ON THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL
  
  9/1/14
  
  
  The first day of school is a blessing that teachers, students, and families share each year. Sleep comes a little harder the night before for all, and there is an unbridled excitement over the first opportunity to greet new friends and dream together of the year ahead. It's an event that has inspired staples of teacher-literature, Responsive Classroom's The First Six Weeks of School and Harry Wong's The First Days of School being two of the most ubiquitous. It is an inspiring time, a yearly milestone in the lives of all involved, and one that we should treasure every chance we get to participate.
  
  The first few weeks are a time to make connections and build a culture in and around your classroom - with your students and their families. Enjoy this unique time of year with them.
  
  
  CREATING A PLACE TO LEARN
  
  8/24/14
  
  
  Along with memories of summer sails and bike rides with my boys, I also stockpiled some helpful articles this summer that I'll share throughout the year. 
  
  We all know the importance of an intentionally designed classroom environment and the positive effects it can have on learning, engagement, and ownership for students. University of Massachusetts professor Mark Phillips describes this impact in his article on student learning spaces for Edutopia.
  
  "There are at least two lessons from this story.
  
  The physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in effecting student morale and learning.
  
  Students' involvement in the process of creating their environment can empower them, develop community and increase motivation."
  
  We all spend so much time curating and tinkering with our class environments - please know how important this is, that it is deeply appreciated, and make sure to save some work/room for the children to make their mark.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  FIND TIME TO PLAY
  
  
  7/10/14
  
  
  While we look for time during this summer to reinforce skills, these months are also a not-to-be-missed opportunity for your children to get lost in a book, start a building project that lasts for days, find a math adventure in the mussel shells on the beach, and hone the perfect throwing form for skipping rocks across the water. These “unstructured” times are powerful and should be treasured - please find them, for your children and yourselves.
  
  
  In an article from the Atlantic this June, Jessica Laehy shared the science behind the power of these “summer” moments.
  
  
  The link is HERE - it’s worth a read.
  
  
  
  
  "TRY TO BE KINDER"
  
  6/8/2014
  
  
  In 2013, George Saunders, an American author with a gift for storytelling and character, gave the commencement address at Syracuse University. The address, in both written and video form went viral. In his talk, Saunders accomplished what so many commencement speakers fall short of doing. He engaged, he entertained, and he left his audience with a tangible life lesson. One that we would all do well to follow. 
  
  
  The takeaway - though I'd highly recommend reading/watching the whole speech (linked below) can be summed up in this quote,
  
  
  "I'd say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder." 
  
  
  Kindness is memorable, kindness is returned to you, kindness is a worthy goal. As we look toward our commencement this Thursday, I so appreciate the value our school places on kindness - it makes a difference. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  SAVOR AND CELEBRATE
  
  06/01/2014
  
  
  There is a stream of comments that comes to someone only when it is his/her first year on the job. Most focus on a genuine curiosity as to my experience in my first 12 months in our community. Others follow the theme that the pace/season must leave me absolutely exhausted and desperate for a long break.
  
  Truth be told, while I sleep well (education is not a low-energy calling), I am not quite ready for the students to leave. I think of all the things I'll miss next Wednesday - shaking 400 hands to start the day, being called on to produce a third grade challenge project, being able to help the PreK with an epic game of hide and seek, knowing that at any point - among any group of GCDS students - I can start up a rousing chorus of "Oh GCDS" (you may have now realized how happy that makes me).
  
  Savor and celebrate the time you have with your students this week and the first few days of next - they are precious and you'll miss them, all of them, even while you're on the beach this summer.
  
  
  
  
  FINISHING STRONG
  
  06/01/2014
  
  
  5/26/14
  
  The end of a school year is a bittersweet, wonderful, and challenging time for students and teachers. We are preparing to say goodbye to students we know and love and, at the same time, endeavoring to keep the inspiration coming in the learning through the last day. Appreciate every moment, even the taxing ones. The students and each of you, have earned a finish that is memorable and sends each of us into the summer wishing there was a few more days.
  
  Many of us refer to responsive classroom literature and training throughout the year, and, not surprisingly, they have a helpful article on the best ways to finish the year in strong fashion. Please find the link address below.
  
  https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/bringing-school-year-strong-finish
  
  
  
  
  
  PEACE IN MAY
  
  05/18/2014
  
  
  Jennifer and Caroline began their action team presentation on Friday with the quote below:
  "Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work, it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." - anonymous
  
  I wouldn't call a great school a place of trouble, but during the month of May, the noise and hard work are at their peak. With the final school days flying by, it is doubly important to stay in the moment with your students, help them do the same, and savor the time that we have left with the children we have cared for this school year. They, and you, deserve it.
  
  
  
  
  
  "THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM - IS THE ROOM"
  
  05/11/2014
  
  
  Collaboration, like differentiation, 21st-century, and awesome, is a good word that has been used so much it's lost its meaning. This is the subject of an interesting article (link below) from Angela Maiers, as she attempts to bring the word and the idea of collaboration back into a meaningful focus. While the entire text is worth your time (it's brief), one quote spoke to me in particular, "Tap into the crowd if you believe the most valuable person is the crowd. You must innately believe that smartest person in the room - is the room–and that the more diverse the room, the smarter it gets."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GRANDPARENTS AS CHAMPIONS
  
  05/04/2014
  
  
  5/4/14
  
  Lagniappe: “Every child deserves a champion. An adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." Speaker and lifelong educator Rita Pierson closes her powerful (less than eight-minute) TED talk with these words. She's talking, primarily, about teachers, and we should all take this to heart. It is an essential role in the successful development of happy life-long learners. However, she's also talking about the other adults in our students' lives who champion them. Think about how many of these champions are their grandparents. Patient, loving, and enthusiastic advocates for the children they'll be visiting this Friday on Grandparents' Day. A worthy celebration of our shared role.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  FROM OCTOBER TO APRIL
  
  04/27/2014
  
  
  Each week I try to give the Lower School faculty a little something extra to think about as they wrap up the weekend. Every Sunday I learn something new as I look to start the conversation. I enjoy it immensely, and I hope that it resonates with those who spend the time reading it.
  
  4/27/14
  
  Lagniappe: "We make our mistakes into masterpieces!" Possibly my favorite classroom quote, ever, is heard regularly in our Lower School Art room. In the care of Jane Keenan and Lauren Rago, our students learn to make mistakes, believe in their artistic voice, and the trust in the result. Masterpieces come in large waves. This Sunday we will celebrate the Art of Country Day, and it is important to remember that art helps all of us, whether or not we know a Matisse from a Monet, develop lifelong learners.
  
  
  
  4/20/14
  
  Lagniappe: The hope with professional development is that it speaks to someone, in some way, in attendance. The dream is that the someone then takes that idea and does something new /different/inspired with it . When Leonard Marcus spoke to the Country Day faculty last week he gave us a lot to chew on. I went home with a new lens on some favorite books - Nick Manfredi went home and got to work. Inspired by the section of the talk on alphabets , Nick set his mind, and his computer, to creating an alphabet based on the school environment, the core values, of an elementary classroom. He shared it with me at the end of the weekend, and I asked his permission to share it with you. Please follow the link below to access the Nick's alphabet project. Thank you, Nick, for jumping on a good idea and sharing.
  
  
  Link to Alphabet Project
  
  
  The site is still in development - thanks again to Nick for allowing me to share this particular spot.
  
  
  4/14/14
  
  Lagniappe: This Saturday I had the chance to participate in a most "Country Day" and marvelous rite of Spring - Kindergarten Baseball. Baseball is a sport of significant frustration for even the best players - hitting the ball 1/2 of the time would guarantee you a spot in the Hall of Fame! That can make it a very difficult sport to introduce to the youngest children. Not so with Kball! Saturday afternoon every child hit, threw, caught, and enjoyed the time with their friends. It was a festival in the dirt. There is a social and historical draw to our national pastime - and it doesn't have an age or coordination limit. Kball has it in spades - if you're looking to get excited about the season stop by the fields on a Saturday afternoon. I would defy you not to come away a fan.
  
  
  4/7/14
  
  Lagniappe: I've shared with each of you some of my favorite books - many of them are picture books. They might bring back memories from childhood, be a bedtime favorite for my boys, or introduce a difficult/important message in a simple and profoundly powerful way. Before you hear Mr Marcus on Friday, please spend some time thinking about the picture books that speak to you - I'm sure there are a few.
  
  
  3/30/14
  
  Lagniappe: This past week I revisited the goals I put on paper for myself this summer. It was an affirming and daunting exercise - quite a lot can happen in a few months! I reflected, and I revised a bit as I head into the last few months of my first school year on the Country Day campus.
  
  
  The pace of the spring will be quick for everyone, I encourage you to revisit, reflect, and revise as you prepare to dive in.
  
  
  
  3/9/14
  
  Lagniappe: Two weeks off is a long time. We've hit our mid winter stride in the classroom, and the students are having a-ha moments on a daily basis. Parents and teachers alike worry about the Spring Break "melt" and we do what we can to help - book recommendations and the occasional math packet can be helpful, but it's a vacation. There should be authentic ways to keep the brains going and sometimes it is in pursuit of these moments that we discover a lifelong inspiration. There was a story/blog on NPR recently about finding that love - about when a piece of art reaches out and grab you. The author describes his 8-year old memory of a trip to MoMA, "I looked at it. It looked at me, and all it said was, 'Me too!'— and Cezanne and I have been talking ever since." All of us remember those moments from childhood - let's encourage our families to go out in search of them in the next two weeks.
  
  
  3/2/14
  
  Lagniappe: As we head into conference week, I will recycle two of my favorite pieces regarding these conversations. Enjoy the sense of shared purpose with the parents in your class this week, it is a remarkable connection.
  
  
  2/23/14
  
  Lagniappe: An article in the Sunday Review of the New York Times got me thinking. It was a commentary from Thomas Friedman entitled,How to get a job at Google. (link). The whole article is worth a read, but the gist of it relates to the skills identified as needed for success in the dynamic professional world of companies like Google (ranked the most innovative company in the world by Fast Company magazine this month).
  
  The hiring team at Google is looking for five key attributes:
  
  The article is affirming - creating lifelong learners is what we do. Their curiosity and experience learning with and from peers and caring adults in this environment will serve them well.
  
  
  2/17/14
  
  Lagniappe: Every day that I am physically able, I shake as many of the 400+ Lower School hands as I can as they sprint through the front door on their way to you. They are very happy to be here, and there is no more affirming way to start the day for me. Adam Rohdie promises parents that their children will be known and loved while they are in our care, and we set the tone for this when we greet them personally in the morning and say goodbye in the afternoon. These daily interactions are important and appreciated, and there's scientific research and history (see below) to back it up. Please make it a part of your day that is never passed over.
  
  
  2/9/14
  
  Lagniappe: As I mentioned above - it's February. The snow is not going away, the sun is rising too late, and it's setting too early. Mother nature is doing her best to make life difficult, but we have an advantage in combating these challenges - we work with children. They too can succumb to the February doldrums, but because of them, we get to come to work and change lives. Not to put too fine a point on it, but changing lives is what great educators do. Please know that it is well worth the dark commutes.
  
  
  2/2/14
  
  Lagniappe: I love stories. The stories we tell with our children, our friends, our families, our students - they are a wonderful way to teach and connect. This week I came across an article on the hidden importance of teaching with stories. There is nothing hidden about the importance of the stories we use to teach our students in the Lower School. A relationship-driven, student-driven, mission-driven school thrives on its stories. Thank you for telling them.
  
  
  1/26/14
  
  Lagniappe: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” This is a quote from Irish playwright, novelist, and poet Samuel Beckett brought into recent light as it is tattooed on the left forearm of yesterday's Australian Open Tennis Champion Stanislas Wawrinka. While the idea of tattooing verse onto one's arm is hardly age appropriate, the idea behind the ink of the man who, after ten years of "almost there" finally won a grand slam tournament, certainly is. Visit the kindergarten and watch the construction of one of their epic block towers - then ask the budding architects how many times it fell on the way up. Resilience starts young.
  
  
  1/19/14
  
  Lagniappe: The idea that young children are more capable than most adults give them credit for is not a revolutionary thought for those of us in the early childhood business. However, as we look toward preparing our own students for a world that expects collaboration, creativity, and resilience, it's important to remember just how much more they're capable of when we find the right kindling.
  
  
  1/12/14
  
  Lagniappe: Last week the request by some of the big NYC banks for their junior analysts to take a Sunday off every once in a while made national news. This morning, the Sunday review led off with the cleansing power of sleep for our brains (article below). You don't need to be a banker to work hard, occasionally too hard. The work/life balance is an essential one to monitor - even when you love what you do!
  
  
  1/5/14
  
  Lagniappe - I know that a focus in our house over the break was the importance of being grateful for all that we have. There are all manner of reasons why we as parents and teachers emphasize the importance of being grateful with our children. Recently, the Wall St. Journal published an article stressing the research behind the power of gratitude as a defining habit for children.
  
  
  12/15/13
  
  Lagniappe: Storytelling is a time-honored holiday tradition, at home and at school. Thanks go to Tracy for passing along this article from the Atlantic which emphasizes the importance of storytelling, with or without a book.
  
  
  12/8/13
  
  Lagniappe: Asking questions is what we do. It's an art form, and in an engaging classroom questions drive the environment - questions to and from teachers and students alike. Collaboration and creativity are natural byproducts of an environment that encourages and feeds the insatiable curiosity of young children. This weekend I cam across an article on five questions we could all direct every day to the children in our care.
  
  
  12/1/14
  
  Lagniappe: Spending time with my parents this week and listening to them read stories to my boys was a powerful reminder to me of how important reading aloud is to my children and the role it plays in my family memories. It''s a habit worth forming.
  
  
  11/24/13
  
  Lagniappe: At Thanksgiving, it seems only appropriate to think about thank you notes. Please find here aLink to Thank You Notes From Famous People. Some of them are gems.
  
  
  11/17/13
  
  Lagniappe: The most powerful speaker during the conference at which I was presenting this weekend was former Philadelphia Principal, Salome Thomas El. He was an inner city magnet school leader who has received recognition for his vision and success in his desperately poor neighborhood. His message was centered around the power of a teacher's influence in the lives of children and the heights he'd seen his own students reach under dire circumstances. In less than 20 words, "Every child deserves to have someone in their lives who is absolutely crazy about them." Often, El found that for his students those people were the teachers. Don't forget the power of your influence on the lives of your students
  
  
  11/10/13
  
  Lagniappe:
  
  This week NY Times columnist Charles M. Blow devoted a column to the "passion" of parenting. As a single dad, Blow calls his mother a lot for advice, and she gives the advice, "parenting was a lot like giving a hug: It’s all about love and pressure and there is no one way to do it." (link to the full article)
  
  
  11/3/13
  
  Lagniappe:
  
  Preparation for my Connections Coffee on Monday led me to a few different sources. I was both challenged and affirmed by the things I found. Please follow the link below for a brief selection of a few quotes and resources regarding Global IQ, culutural competency, and what it all looks like in schools - certainly at GCDS.
  
  
  Link to Global Citizenship Resource
  
  
  10/27/13 
  
  Lagniappe:
  
  As we all spent time this week talking about the wonderful world of high expectations (some appropriate, some not so much), I love this quote from former college football coach Lou Holtz.
  
  
  "I can't believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary."
  
  
  10/20/13
  
  Lagniappe:
  
  Please find a link below to a story that child psychologist Michael Thompson tells on the power of parent conferences and the message we send as educators about the children in our care. It's a powerful commentary.
  
  
  Michael Thompson - Say Something that Claims the Child
  
  
  Please find below a link to a blog post regarding setting the environment for conferences by Erin Klein. It's got some ideas and might spark a few more.
  
  
  Tips for Setting up Parent/Teacher Conferences
  
  
  10/14/13
  
  Lagniappe: I saw this article over the weekend in the NY Times and thought it was worth sharing. It's for anyone who spent time practicing scales or can't resist sitting down at an open keyboard now and then .... there are a few of us!
  
  NYTimes: Is Music the Key to Success?
  
  http://nyti.ms/1bmgIhl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Lagniappe: There was an article in the New York Times this weekend lamenting the state of the Republican Party and reminiscing about the grace that GCDS alum George HW Bush brought to his daily interactions when he was in office. Regardless of your politics, the article, which mentioned Greenwich Country Day directly, brings to mind the impact of kindness and courtesy. The staying power of grace. 
  
  This is in the very foundation of our school, and it is seen on weekends such as this one when alumni return and we are reminded of the power of character this school cultivates. 
  
  As a father of two tigers, I am deeply grateful.Lagniappe 
  
  Long weekends are often the time when we give ourselves permission to crack open a magazine, or a spy novel, or something else that doesn't hurt our brains to read.  It is generally a good idea to stay away from any articles about reading during this time of “weakness.”  They are sure to remind you about the dangers of straying away from the classics - resolute in the belief that anything by Grisham is guaranteed to leave your brain as mush. 
  
  This weekend however I found an article that allows us all to breathe easy. Baylor professor and author Alan Jacobs argues that we should read what we enjoy and do so without shame. Jacobs suggests that like so much else in life, the greatest benefit comes from a balanced approach. Read from many different genres, for many different reasons. That is how we get the most out of our time with the printed page.
  • Eric Barker's blog post on power of empathy and the science behind it
  • Link to "Five Lessons for Teachers in a New School Year."
  • Link to Rita Pierson's TED talk (8 min)
  • David Brooks - The Moral Bucket List
  1. - Reading
  2. - Inquiry
  3. - Flexible Thinking and the Use of Evidence
  4. - Conversation
  5. - Collaboration
  6. - Engagement
  7. - Well Being
  • Link to "Seven Things Every Kid Should Master"
  • Link to the whole dialogue
  • Link to "Say Something that Claims the Child" - Michael Thompson
  • Link to - And So We Meet, Again - NPR
  • Link to Shawn Achor TED Talk
  • Dr. Greene's website
  • A one-page synopsis of Dr. Greene's work
  • Link to Muted Colors and Blurry Lines: Ten Benefits of Quality Arts Education By Jessica Hoffmann Davis
  • Bank St List
  • Amazon List
  • Andrew's List
  • Link to NPR Article on Dartmouth
  • Link to Dr. Curwin's blog post on edutopia
  • Wall St. Journal article on the power of music in schools
  • Competence
  • Confidence
  • Connection
  • Character
  • Contribution
  • Coping
  • Control
  • Link to Dr. Ginsburg's 7 C's of Resilience
  • Please follow the link here to the diagram.
    
    
  • Link to NYT article - “Learning How to Exert Self Control”
    
    
  • Link to Story
  • Link to article takeaways
  • Link to full article
  • Link to Mark Phillips Article - A Place for Learning
  • text link
  • you tube link
  • Link to Angela Maiers article - Getting to the Heart of Collaboration
  • Link to Rita Pierson's TED talk
  • Article - Art Influences Learning - Early Childhood
    
    
  • Link to "Boy Meets Painting. Painting Grabs Boy. Boy Mystified"
    
    
  • Michael Thompson - Say Something that Claims the Child
    
    
  • Erin Klein - Tips for Setting up Parent/Teacher Conferences
    
    
  • learning ability - pulling together seemingly disparate information and creating something with it
    
    
  • non traditional leadership - more about managing and encouraging the flow of a team than dictating the course
    
    
  • humility - who gets the credit or the blame can't be a hang up
    
    
  • ownership - believe in the mission
    
    
  • expertise - according to Google, the least important of the five main attributes
    
    
  • Science of the Handshake Link
    
    
  • The History of the Handshake - During the medieval times, when many of the men were covered in armor, the handshake was a manner of greeting used to show friendship. If one male extended an open hand to another this was understood to mean an extension of friendship and the gesture would be returned. Of course the alternative would be a hand extended with an accompanying dagger or sword. Suffice it to say the handshake was a way to determine whether one was friend or foe.
    
    
  • What Students Remember Most - Thank you to both Allison Putnam and Sara Muelder for sharing this article with me.
    
    
  • Link to article - The Hidden Importance of Teaching with Stories
    
    
  • Link to article on Kindergarten entrepreneurs
    
    
  • Good Night. Sleep Clean - NYT
    
    
  • Link to WSJ Gratitude Article
    
    
  • What Kids Learn From Hearing Stories - the Atlantic 
    
    
  • Five Questions Teachers Can Ask
    
    
  • Graphic on Reading Aloud
    
    

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