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Rewriting The Three R’s of Education:
Why Reading, Writing and Arithmetic Are Only Half the Story
The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. So says one of the Guiding Principles of the Responsive Classroom approach. I have been thinking about this particular principle recently, and how abstract the term “social curriculum” is for many folks.
Traditionally, education has been characterized by the cornerstones of academics: reading, writing and arithmetic. These days, science, social studies and other subjects play critical roles in a well-rounded education as well. But, that’s not all.
So too, says the Responsive Classroom approach, that there is a set of social skills that children need to practice and be able to use in order to be successful both academically and socially. They are cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control. C.A.R.E.S., for short.
Our days become a melting pot of academics and social interactions, each set of skills dependent on the other for not only the content – the meat and potatoes, if you will – of what we discuss, but also the style and skill, courtesy and grace, with which we discuss it.
How is it, then, that we can explain social and academic learning in a way that respects and complements traditional education? By broadening our definition of what is “core.” I believe there are rightfully four R’s of education, and they are not limited to reading, writing and arithmetic. They are:
1 Rigorous Academics
2 Rules (and Consequences)
3 Routines
4 Relationships
It’s not enough to just produce good readers, writers, and mathematicians. Schools must provide opportunities for children to be scientists, historians, artists, athletes, musicians and take on a host of other roles. It’s not enough just to focus on the traditional three R’s anymore. Classroom experiences must be rich and enjoyable, but cause students to engage and think critically about their learning in multiple subject areas. They need to mentally sweat over the content in order to make meaning.
All of this must happen within a structure. The rules that teachers create with children provide this structure, while the consequences for breaking those rules provide an opportunity for children to take responsibility and fix what they have broken, to make amends.
Students are taught and practice these academic and social skills during daily routines, such as Morning Meeting. Daily routines provide purposeful, scheduled time for the integration of social and academic skills. Even the simplest routine – lining up for lunch, for example – is an opportunity to integrate social and academic skills. I observed a teacher dismissing her class to line up the other day by asking them to correctly answer a math fact. Once they answered their fact correctly, they were asked to model self-control in lining up safely. Dismissing her entire class too less than 60 seconds, and in that time children practiced both a critical academic and social skill.
Finally, relationships are the true foundation on which everything else is dependent. Our relationships with students must include knowledge of how individuals learn, their cultural experiences and their hopes and dreams. Our relationships with families and the community are just as important as our relationships with children. These relationships, again, are built on routines – conferences, daily conversation, newsletters, etc., and we value every bit.
Tradition is important. Recognizing where we have come from is critical in guiding our future thinking. Reading, writing and arithmetic and paramount, but they’re not the whole picture. A complete education includes four R’s: rigorous academics across the board, rules (and consequences), routines and relationships.
Respectfully,
Chris Dodge
Principal
Calendar of Events:
March 21st – No School - Parent Conferences
March 24th – Whole School Mtg. @ 7:40 a.m.
March 26th – Early Dismissal @ 11:50 a.m.
March 29th – PTO Fundraiser, Mt. Ellen Base Lodge
April 3rd – Preschool Screening
April 3rd – School Board Mtg. @ 6:00 p.m.
April 7th – Whole School Mtg. @ 7:40 a.m.
April 8th – School Safety Mtg. @ 6:00 p.m.
April 9th – Early Dismissal @ 11:50 a.m.
April 14th – Red Clover Day
April 16th – Integrated Arts Night @ 6:30 p.m.
April 21st through April 25th – Spring Break
April 28th – Whole School Meeting @ 7:40 a.m.
April 30th – PTO Meeting @ 6:30 p.m.
June 9th – 6th Grade Step-Up Day @ Harwood
Every Tuesday - F.E.S. Playgroup, School Gym, 9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Contact Sharon Cote (496-3636) for more information
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DONATION REQUEST
from Cheryl Joslin, Food Service Director
If you, or someone you know, have a microwave you would like to donate to Fayston School Food Service Program please call me at school. The microwave in the kitchen has “given-up.” Thank you!
Developmental Screening
Screening for all Fayston children who will be three years old by September 1, 2008, will be held on Thursday, April 3rd, at the school. Screening will last about one hour and take place during the school day by appointment. All three, four and five-year-old children not previously screened should be registered for an appointment by calling Cally Schober, Administrative Assistant, at 496-3636 Please bring your child's birth certificate and immunization record. The staff will observe play behaviors, motor development, interactions with others, hearing, speech and vision. The School Counselor will discuss your child's social and emotional development. Please call early to schedule an appointment.
MAD RIVER VALLEY YOUTH LACROSSE
Neil Nussbaum
Mad River Valley Youth Lacrosse – There’s still time to sign up for lacrosse this spring. Boys and girls in grades 3-6 can participate. FREE EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE! For registration form or information, please email MRVYL@madriver.com, or call 496-5677 Lacrosse – the fastest game on two feet!
Thanks!
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Something Out of Nothing
By Leslee Torsell
Instructional Assistant
“Whatcha doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Yep, nothing.”
“That’s impossible!”
Well, maybe it’s not impossible, but it is a challenge!
My family and I did a lot of nothing during our February break. Well, not exactly nothing. More like nothing in particular. We had no schedule to maintain and no place we had to be. Nothing meant leaving the unfolded clean laundry piled on top of the clothes dryer, allowing the dust balls to multiply in the corners and steering clear of the unfinished novel resting on the coffee table.
Once that week, nothing was sitting in the rocking chair watching out the kitchen window as the snowflakes slowly wafted toward the ground as if someone had just gently shaken a Mount Ellen snow globe. Another time, nothing was hewing the most amazing snow tunnel with my husband and children; then sitting atop a “ginormous” (Elli’s word for giant and enormous) snow pile and watching the children play “Snow Army.” They were on the same team and had to make many narrow escapes through the tunnel as the imaginary enemy advanced upon them with an arsenal of snow ammunition.
That’s what nothing is – down time, unplanned, unorganized, spontaneous activity, activity that doesn’t require a child’s obligation to a team, a class, an organization or electronics. Refreshing, unbridled time to encourage soaring imaginations.
In his article, Over-Scheduled Kids, Carleton Kendrick, Ed.M, LCSW, asks, “Whatever happened to play for its own sake? Why have serious, goal-oriented, skill-building, adult-managed activities and programs replaced the freedom and carefree laughter of backyards, parks, fields, and swimming holes?” He further states that scientific research “supports the theory that self-initiated, unstructured creative play is the single-most important activity that young children can engage in to develop at all developmental levels, including neurological and cognitive growth.”
According to Dana Johnson, MSW, a former children’s play therapist, in her article, When is Playing, Not Playing? (No, It’s Not a Trick Question), “Play fosters the growth of healthy children in every aspect of development – physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. It really is food for children’s bodies, minds and spirits.” For an activity to be considered “true play” she says, “most researchers agree that children’s activities must meet five criteria:
--Play must be pleasurable and enjoyable.
--It must be spontaneous and voluntary.
--A play activity contains an aspect of make-believe.
--The player must be actively engaged in play.
--Play must have no extrinsic goals.”
She goes on to say that play “activities for children today seem to be lacking in two primary areas: (1) the player must be actively engaged in play and (2) play must have no extrinsic goals.”
What can we as parents do to help bring “true play” back into our children’s childhood? Some suggestions compiled from Dana Johnson, Carleton Kendrick and Family Times include:
--Slow down and allow time in your child’s daily schedule for free play – “play that is undirected and uninterrupted by adults.”
--Allow your child to play for the sake of playing with “no hidden agenda for ‘teaching’ or ‘learning’ during play.” Children learn naturally through play.
--Turn off or limit use of electronics – television, gaming systems, and computers. These stifle interaction among children and are passive activities with extrinsic goals.
--Provide unstructured, multi-purpose toys as well as opportunities to explore natural materials.
--Offer opportunities for your child to observe you during daily tasks. Children learn through imitation and role playing in their play activities.
Finally, Carleton Kendrick quips, “So when you see your kid ‘doing nothing,’ whether she’s sitting on the front steps, seeming to stare into space, or making a space colony under the dining room table, or re-reading a comic book for the 100th time, let her be. She’s just taking a little time out of her busy day to have a childhood.”
Vernon Tornadoes Bring Healthy Message to Fayston School
The Vernon Tornadoes, a teaching and demonstration jump rope team from the Vernon Elementary School, performed at the Fayston School gym on Thursday, March 7th. The team, 28 years strong, is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart Program and the Communities Against Tobacco group. The team includes second through sixth grade students and practices two mornings a week for an hour, beginning in October, before taking their show on the road in January. The Tornadoes perform between 10 and 14 shows on the road every year. The shows include a demonstration of skills, followed by a workshop during which students have the opportunity to try the tricks first hand. The team includes 65 Vernon students. Eighteen members of the grades 4-6 team traveled to Fayston.
Vernon Physical Education teacher John Stetzel coaches the grades 4-6 team, while his wife, Peggy, an Instructional Assistant at the school, coaches the younger children. John started the team in 1980, after being inspired by attending a physical education conference. The group has performed in seven states and at two national physical education conferences.
For the past several years, the Fayston School has participated in the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart Program under the direction of P.E. teacher Tricia O'Regan. The students raise money annually to help fight heart disease and stroke. (see attached photos from the Vernon Tornados' presentation)
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Developmental Screening
Screening for all Fayston children who will be three years old by September 1, 2008, will be held on Thursday, April 3rd, at the school. Screening will last about one hour and take place during the school day by appointment. All three, four and five-year-old children not previously screened should be registered for an appointment by calling Cally Schober, Administrative Assistant, at 496-3636 Please bring your child's birth certificate and immunization record. The staff will observe play behaviors, motor development, interactions with others, hearing, speech and vision. The School Counselor will discuss your child's social and emotional development. Please call early to schedule an appointment.
Morning Meetings
by Beth Abbott-Koch, Preschool & Kindergarten Teacher
We all have certain parts of the day we enjoy and look forward to. One of those times for me is Morning Meeting. Starting our day in the classroom with a group gathering where everyone feels important and has a chance to participate is extremely rewarding. Each morning we meet at our circular rug and have a fifteen to twenty minute gathering that is called, “Morning Meeting.” Morning Meeting is an important part of The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching. These meetings are carefully planned and consist of four components: a Greeting, Sharing, a Group Activity, and News and Announcements.Why are these meetings important? Morning Meeting builds community, creates a positive climate for learning, reinforces academic and social skills, and gives children daily practice using respectful communication. The classroom is a safe, caring environment to practice these very important skills, and the structure of the meetings assures everyone in the class has an opportunity to fully participate.
We have a lot of fun at our Morning Meetings in kindergarten! You are welcome to join us and participate in one of our meetings. Let me know if you would like our Morning Meeting schedule. We would love to have you!
Thanks to the PTO
We would like to thank the PTO for another wonderful lunch on Town Meeting day. The gathering of voters certainly allows everyone to make their voice heard, but the day also provides an annual social setting in which folks from all corners of Fayston come together and catch up. The PTO begins planning this luncheon weeks in advance. We want to thank them for their time and effort.
End-Of-Day Dismissal Safety
We have been experiencing a number of vehicles driving by school busses in our parking lot when the school bus lights are flashing. We have begun reporting all incidents of this unsafe behavior to the Vermont State Police and will continue to do so in an effort to protect your children. Thank you for helping us to keep your children safe.
Mr. Dodge
FES Student Art
FES students have artwork on display at the Warren Store. The following students’ artwork is on display:
Ella Hubbard, Bobby Kelly, Kelly Tynan, Eli Viens, Olivia Shonio, Caleb Kessler, Sarah Hoyne, Thomas Belknap, Reilly Loynd, Maegan Blake, MacKenzie Wardell and Tabor Wilson.
The projects included are a response to Vincent VanGogh’s “Starry Night” ,our own “Wild Things,” based on Maurice Sendack’s book, and Reproductions of Diego Rivera paintings, done as group projects.
Fayston School’s 7th PTO Fundraiser
The 7th annual PTO Fundraiser will take place Saturday, March 29th, 2008, at 7:30 p.m., once again at Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen Base Lodge. Set Saturday night aside for an evening of live music, a silent auction, great food and, of course, gaming. The silent auction has been a huge draw in previous years, with a unique assortment of local season passes, admission to area attractions, original art, fine art photography, jewelry, artisan coffees and teas, premium gift baskets, as well as various gift certificates to local retailers and restaurants, and businesses offering health and beauty services.
This is an evening not to be missed. Whether interested in gaming, the exciting silent auction gifts and services – or just socializing with the community -you can dress up, dress down, or
just come for the fun. Everyone welcome!
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $17 at the Mad River Garden Center, Fayston Elementary School (on German Flats Rd.) and the Tempest Bookshop or at the door for $20 Tickets purchased before March 14th receive $10 of chips at the door.
All proceeds benefit the Fayston Elementary School PTO.
Contact:
Trish Read 496-3052trishr@wcvt.com
Thank you change bandits!
As a school you raised $956 for the Children’s Miracle Network. The grand total raised for this year’s event is over $144,000. Thank you very much for your time and effort. You have a made a difference in the life of a sick child. If anyone has change bags that they did not bring in yet, please feel free to bring them in, we will make sure they get to the Children’s Miracle Network. They will accept the money for a few more weeks.
FROM P.E.
by Tricia O’Regan, P.E. Teacher
I am so impressed with how our students can play together using jump ropes. All classes were asked to "Just Jump" on Thursday, February 21st, to do the work for our fundraiser, Jump Rope For Heart. Most of the students were able to practice jump rope skills they already had and practice some new skills including Double Dutch. The secret is to get inside the two turning ropes from an angle.
Important information: All donations collected for the American Heart Association were due today. Thanks for all your help and effort.
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Italian Dinner
Graduation at Harwood Union is just around the corner! Many of you may be familiar with Project Graduation, if not...Project Graduation provides a great way to celebrate with classmates in a fun, safe environment. Yes, it will be here before you know it!!
We are doing a number of fundraisers, maybe some of you have been already "Flamingo'd".
If you haven't checked out the new Maxi's Restaurant, now would a great time to do so!!! Bring yourself or your whole family!
We are having an Italian Dinner fundraiser.
MENU: 2 choices of pasta dishes with meat or meatless sauce, bread, salad, beverage and dessert.
March 30, 2008 - Open seating:
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Maxi’s Restaurant, 47 North Main Street, Waterbury (next to the Waterbury Post Office)
Adults just $10, Under 12 = $7
A special "Thank-you" to the owners of Maxi's, Tom and Tracy for generously donating the space and the food!!
Please call Camille Mason with any questions (802) 244-7110 or e-mail camlmason@yahoo.com.
Mad River Valley Youth Lacrosse
Lacrosse Registration - Registration for Mad River Valley Youth Lacrosse will be held on Tuesday, March 18th, at the Waitsfield School gym from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Boys and girls in grades 3 through 8 are invited to participate. The cost of the program (including U.S. Lacrosse membership) is $70 for 3/4's, and $85 for all other teams. Scholarship available – contact school. MRVYL will loan out a full set of equipment for the season to the first twenty registered 3rd and 4th graders for NO CHARGE! For more information, please contact Kari Dolan (3/4 Girls) – 496-5020, Mark Woolley (3/4 Boys) – 583-2623, Anne Macmillan (5/6 Girls) – 496-7150, Jeff Beosse (5/6 Boys) – 229-0229, Sarah Ibson (7/8 Girls) – 496-3860, or Neil Nussbaum (7/8 Boys) - 496-5677 Lacrosse – the fastest game on two feet!
Mad River Kids’ Chorale
Mad River Kids’ Chorale is now beginning rehearsals for a spring concert on Sunday, June 8th at 4:00 p.m.
The singing group is open to all children in grades 2 through 6 and is conducted by Andrea Bonamico, former music teacher at Waitsfield School. Rehearsals are held at the Bundy Center for the Arts at 4:30 – 5:45 p.m. every Monday from now until the concert, except for April 21st. All are welcome next Monday, March 17th. New singers are welcome to visit for a rehearsal before deciding whether to join.
For more information, please contact The Bundy at 496-4781
Tiger News is published every Thursday. Email submissions by Monday at 3:00 PM to Cally Schober at: cschober@faystonelementary.org
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