Sunday, November 15, 2015

Week of November 15, 2015

Learner Profile: Balanced

Risk-Taker isn't the only term that is inviting nuanced reflection from the MYP. "Balanced" can now be interchanged with "Spiritual." This is a curious shift for a secular and intercultural framework, but part of the LP definition of Balanced stands out in this regard. "We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live."

Thich Nhat Hanh first came to international prominence as an activist during the war in Vietnam. He has been recognized  as a global spiritual leader, and many experts on religion consider him among the most influential religious figures alive, having had a direct impact on the practice of Zen Buddhism, on the spread of Buddhist practice around the world, and on interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Central to his teaching is the concept of "interbeing," which is not necessarily Buddhist orthodoxy (it's not a term that appears in the ancient Pali texts which capture the teachings of the first Buddha) but it can be seen as an adaptation of the doctrine of "dependent co-arising." This concept is also central to what he calls Engaged Buddhism, a kind of postmodern branch of Mahayana Zen Buddhism that is infused with a commitment to social justice. 
"If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-are. 'Interbeing' is a word that is not in the dictionary yet, but if we combine the prefix 'inter-' with the verb 'to be,' we have a new verb, inter-be." from The Heart of Understanding
For Thich Nhat Hanh (and maybe for the IB), none of us is alone; no one exists in isolation. Instead, we inter-are. If you're intrigued, dived into Being Peace (I have a paperback version on my shelf if you want a real book), and for a brief reflection on the concept by Thich Nhat Hanh himself, visit this recording. 

Items of note...

Developing an Assessment Calendar

As we move forward with the year, I'd like to develop an effective assessment calendar that assists teachers' planning and can give students and parents an accurate view of the pattern of quizzes, tests, projects, presentations, and other major deadlines. This will help us plan for next year's academic calendar and can serve as a useful tool for students to develop self-management and self-advocacy skills. Ideally, this would be automatically populated from the grade book on myAW (but apparently it doesn't have or we have not enabled that feature), and I'll continue to pursue this with David to see how we can do this as simply as possible. In the meantime, I'm going to work with Alicia to create Google Calendars for each grade level that will capture these deadlines, so more details are forthcoming. Ideas, send them on to me or Alicia!

Advisory this week...

Observations

If you have not scheduled an observation for before Winter Break, please do so a.s.a.p.!

MS Space

I'll keep this doc linked in the blog for ongoing ideas about the MS space. As ideas come up, plug them in! 
Conferences
Thanks for your time and attention to this round of conferences. Except for a few re-scheduled meetings, I think we're finished with fall conferences. Any feedback about the schedule, the sign-up process, or the preparation process, please send it my way! 

Lessons & Carols

On Tuesday, December 15, the Middle and Upper Schools will celebrate Lessons & Carols. The schedule is still being finalized, but it will be something like this:
  • 3:10pm End of the School Day
  • 4:00pm Light Dinner for Students in the Dining Room
  • 5:00pm Lessons & Carols
  • 6:00pm Reception in the Great Hall for Families; Cookies for Students in the Library; Checkout for Students from the 10th Street Entrance/Library
  • 7:00pm End of the event
We still need 3 or 4 extra people to help with Lessons & Carols - basically, hanging with the MS between the end of school and the start of the event, and supervision in the Library afterward. If you'd like to volunteer for either or both, please let me know.

MYP...

Important MYP Info

 Thanks to John for his leadership on Saturday! And thanks to all for being present and engaging in our work together. John and I will develop a calendar for MYP collaboration based on the reflections you sent to John. In the meantime, please remember to schedule time with John to check in about progress on unit planning and identifying any areas where you need support. 

Communications...

Flash

This week's Flash (11/20) will include: 
  • MYP: Focus on the LP attributes Communicators and Balanced
  • Academic Highlights on Design and Language & Literature

Blogs

Don't miss the latest installments of The Dish from Mrs. Dicks or Joe Romano's AWSLibrary blog! 

Religious & Cultural Observances coming up...

Upcoming at AWS...

Monday, November 16
10:00am All School Chapel: House Cup Donations (MS Students may be asked to help deliver donations to the truck)
2:10pm Internet Safety Speaker Stefanie Thomas in the Kemper Center (All MS students and faculty)
7:00pm Internet Safety Speaker (Parents Session) in the Great Hall

Tuesday, November 17
2:10pm Schedule Team Meeting (MS Office) 
3:15pm 6th Grade Team Meeting 
4:00pm Memorial for Chuck Walkey

 Wednesday, November 18
10:00am MS Chapel
2:10pm MS Faculty Meeting

 Thursday, November 19

Friday, November 20
All School Civvies Day
10:00am 8th Grade Share and Student Recognition
3:15pm Brief MS Faculty Meeting in the Design Lab

Team Meetings Agendas:
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