Sunday, February 21, 2016

Week of February 21, 2016

MYP: Knowledgable 

The current issue of CSEE's Connections Quarterly focuses on how we teach about the environment in independent schools and features a short article by our Upper School colleague Bridgette McGoldrick. I first learned about Annie Wright when I met Bridgette at a CSEE Institute on Teaching the World's Religions about a decade ago. The institute gathered teachers, campus ministers, and administrators from a geographically and programmatically diverse range of independent schools. One of the patterns that I noticed at that institute and throughout my career as a teacher of religion is a frustration on the part of teachers about the simultaneous breadth of knowledge required and lack of consistent standards or expectations across the field. Whereas most people are familiar with sub-disciplines within a particular subject like Science or History, few are familiar with the variety of disciplines under the umbrella of Religious Studies. Preparing to teach about religion is daunting until you have a trajectory to focus your efforts. For me, that trajectory was the material experience of religion, especially as expressed in ritual. For Bridgette, the intersection she explores in the article has been her starting point. What strikes me about the insights and tips that Bridgette explores is how abstract ideas and a broad knowledge base about big topics like religion, the environment, and ethics translates into discreet questions and activities for students. The direct benefit of exploring this intersection in these ways is not necessarily building up a knowledge base; it's the formation of the individual conscience. 

Items of note... 

MS Office Coordinator

As we return from break, we welcome Tiffany to the Middle School team! Tiffany will pick up the tasks that Alicia managed while juggling her other roles, including the Summer Camp and Service. If you have any questions about this transition, please let me know!

Faculty Meetings and MYP

Is it late-February already? That means that we are heading into crunch time for MYP preparedness. On the Friday before Spring Break, we have an in-service that will be devoted to MYP preparedness. With that date in mind, we've got a lot of work to do. The first goal is to ensure we've got all our ducks in a row - completed units, policies, structures, etc. In addition to completed units, this is a time to reflect on how our preparedness is explicitly reflected in our classrooms. The second (and ultimately more important) goal is to ensure that we have absorbed and are authentically "living" MYP. John has done a fantastic job bringing our team to this point, including facilitating in-house and external professional development and keeping us on track, but he is not being authorized alone. Each of us needs to be able to demonstrate understanding and implementation of the framework and its philosophy. For some, this means a shift in language and taxonomy; for others, it's a deeper reflection on aspects of practice like assessment and curriculum development. 

 I'll be reaching out to everyone in the coming days with a kind of status report on completed units. As I indicated before break, the Wednesday Faculty Meeting time until Spring Break will be designated for MYP work. This is in addition to the work that should already be continuing in terms of unit planning and review and collegial collaboration. Please note the following schedule for upcoming Wednesdays (2:10-3:10pm):

  • 2/24: Unit planning time. Use this time as needed, whether it's building units, reflecting on implementation, or sending units to our consultant for review. 
  • 3/2: Coaching Sessions: We'll break into small groups to collaborate, provide some collegial coaching, and give each other some feedback. 
  • 3/9: Coaching Sessions.
  • 3/16: TBD (depending on the progress made...)
  • 3/23 TBD

The Schedule

Also in the coming days, I'll be putting out a few things for your review, including a few models to consider for the MS schedule. This will reflect the work and insights of the whole Schedule Research Team. Because, as we've found, schedule design is pretty abstract territory, we'll invite everyone to review the schedule on their own and to meet with a small group to dig in, ask questions, and solicit your feedback. Please look for this information in the next couple of days. 

Mid-Year Meetings

Between the February Breaks, please a meeting with Bill and Clare (just one meeting, with both of us). These meetings will provide an opportunity to reflect on progress toward professional goals, check in on unit planning and MYP integration, and to provide and receive feedback. This week, I'll put out some available times to make scheduling these easier and a template with some questions to reflect on in advance of the meeting.

Summer Planning

It's a long way off, but please start to think about planning for summer. In addition to the camps and programs offered through Summer @ Annie Wright, there will be a variety of maintenance projects throughout the building. It'll be important to clear or secure MS or personal supplies and objects; start to think about if you think you'll need bins or boxes for summer storage. If you have specific maintenance or furniture needs or ideas, please be sure to plug them into MS Space Ideas and Requests, and as we learn more concerning any construction, renovation, or updating projects, we'll keep you updated.  

This week...

I'm heading to San Francisco for the NAIS Annual Conference on Wednesday afternoon. The theme for the the conference is "What's Your Story?," and the speakers and workshops look like both a great variety and potential for total overstimulation. If you feel like looking at the program and want me to learn about or attend a particular offering or glean some resources, please let me know! There's a list of exhibitors in the program - I'm happy to pick up brochures or make contacts. While I'm gone, Clare will be at the helm. 

Advisory this week...

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! 

MYP...

Important MYP Info

 Communications...

Flash

This week's Flash will introduce the Global Contexts Fairness and Development and highlight the Visual Art and Individuals & Societies programs.

Blogs

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

Religious & Cultural Observances coming up...

  • February 1 marked the beginning of Black History Month. 
  • Friday, February 26 marks the beginning of the Baha'i Intercalary Days, which are four days (five in a leap year) that are not part of any month in the Baha'i year. The Baha'i calendar is made up of 19 months, each consisting of 19 days. The Intercalary Days are set aside for joyous celebrations, fasting, and acts of charity.

Upcoming at AWS...

Monday, February 22
8:00am Morning Meeting
10:00am All School Chapel
3:45pm Topic Group Meetings

 Tuesday, February 23
2:10pm PHE Nutrition Speaker in the Chapel
3:15pm 8th Grade Team Meeting
3:30pm MS Girls JV Basketball v. Crosspoint
4:30pm MS Girls Varsity Basketball v. Crosspoint
6:30pm Parent Education Speaker: Lisa Geraud in the Great Hall

 Wednesday, February 24
10:00am MS Chapel

 Thursday, February 25
3:30pm MS Girls JV Basketball v. Heritage Christian
4:30pm MS Girls Varsity Basketball v. Heritage Christian

 Friday, February 26
All School Civvies Day

Important Links:
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