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From the Director’s Chair May 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Uncategorized, From the Director's Chair

Professional development summer reading … encourages us to deepen our knowledge about topics of interest and relevance …

It is May. Since this past September, an array of tantalizing books have piled up, slowly and assuredly, upon my shelves: volumes on pedagogy and educational philosophy, the latest research on learning differences, the future of math education. Although a handful were nibbled and several were even read to completion over winter and spring breaks, most toppled over from “must-read now” into “must-read this summer.”
 
Fortunately, I am not alone in my eagerness to dive into books this June. In fact, Penn Charter has a wonderful way to support summer reading: the professional development summer reading program for PC faculty. The program encourages us to deepen our knowledge about topics of interest and relevance, both through reading and by discussing these works together in the fall.
 
For this summer, teachers can select from a list of eight books, chosen by the All-School Committee on Teaching & Learning. I’d like to share how several of these books relate to our ongoing work in Lower School.
 
Learning through play and discovery: As mentioned in the first newsletter of the year, play holds an important role in supporting children’s growth. Our Lower School teachers continually explore ways to engage students in hands-on learning and discovery, especially for our youngest students.  One summer option, Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, discusses the correlation between play and children’s cognitive growth.
 
Caring for the natural world around us: This year, the Stewardship & Service committee has focused its energies on creating an environmentally sustainable Discovery Garden in Chigwell Close. As we move from the planning to the implementation stage, the kindergarten teachers will spend some time this summer designing hands-on curricula that encourage exploration of and care for this discovery garden. The related summer reading option is Bill McKibben’s Deep Economy, which describes the importance of local environmental efforts in creating greater ecological awareness.
 
Choosing books that provide windows and mirrors: This year, the library team expanded our Trask collection, so that it would more fully represent the many different kinds of families that we have in our school community. The All Kinds of Families committee organized several presentations: to further inform us about how to review children's books for bias and to learn more about the diverse children's books available in Trask. One summer option, The Help, a novel by Kathryn Stockett set in Mississippi during the civil rights era, offers a window into the world of black domestic servants and the white women who employ them. 

I wish all of you a delightful summer: filled with books, play, time to explore the natural world, and lots of fun moments with friends and family!

Janet Chance
Director of Lower School

In the Classroom May 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Uncategorized, In the Classroom

Transitions and Changes
Judi Morrow and Carol Spadaro are retiring this June, after many years of outstanding service and dedication to the entire Penn Charter community. Please check your inbox for a letter from the PC Community and Cecelia Grace about how Lower School families can contribute (by May 24!) to a project honoring these important women and their contributions to our school!
 
This news led us to conduct two searches this spring. Our early elementary search is complete, and our art search is in process.
 
For the early elementary position, we are thrilled to welcome Bonnie Schiff-Glenn to our Lower School! Bonnie has taught first and second grades for the past eight years at St. Ann’s, an independent school in New York known for its outstanding arts program. In addition to her expertise in working with young children, Bonnie has a passion and talent for integrating science and the arts into the classroom in creative ways. A George School graduate, Bonnie is delighted to be moving back home to the Philadelphia area while simultaneously returning to Friends education. Bonnie holds a BA from Brown University and an MS in childhood education from the Bank Street College of Education.
 
Grade-Level Teams for 2010-2011
5th grade: Ruth Aichenbaum, Chris Burnett, Harvey Rentschler
4th grade: Drew Jennings, Beckie Miller, Maria-Odilia Romeu
3rd grade: Naveena Bembry, Chris Christoph, Teodora Nedialkova
2nd grade: Sonia Duprez, Joel Eckel, Natasha Pronga
1st grade: Monique Durso & Marla Levin; Beth Gould & Orit Netter; Lisa Katharina Messer & Mary Schilling
Kindergarten: Jill Brotman & Bonnie Schiff-Glenn; Lindsay Franklin & Candy McGuire
Pre-kindergarten: Jill Einbender, Caroline Studdy (Rebecca Cox, studio, and Joan Rosen, director)
 
For next year, we’ve made several changes which we believe will create a vibrant balance for each grade-level team. With three kindergarten classes moving to first grade this fall, we now have three first grade teacher pairs. First grade will use the glass classroom, in addition to the current first grade rooms.  The kindergarten classes will be located in the two adjoining classrooms (green and red cubbies) located near the kindergarten playground.

News You Can Use May 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Uncategorized, News You Can Use

Lower School Spring Concert
On Thursday, May 27, we will be holding the Lower School Spring Concert in the David L. Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts for the first time! Since we expect many Lower School family members and friends to attend this event, we will be holding the concert in two parts, with an intermission in between.
 
The first part of the concert, for family members of children in grades 2-5, will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 9:10 a.m. Also, beginning at 8:30 a.m., we will provide a reception in the dining hall for those who are waiting for the second half of the concert.
 
At 9:10 a.m., we will have a 20-minute intermission to allow parents of older children to leave while parents of younger children take their seats.
 
The second part of the concert, for families of children in grades pre-K to 1, will take place from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m.
 
If you have children in both the younger (pre-K to 1) and the older (2-5) grades, we understand that you will want to stay for both halves of the concert. For those who want to attend both halves of the concert just for fun, please try to gauge the crowd and ensure that families of children performing in that half have seats first. Please know that Lower School children will watch the dress rehearsal of the concert, so siblings and school friends will have the opportunity to see the concert in its entirety.
 
Finally, concerts are “Special Dress” Days for all students, pre-K through 5, including the Bell Choir.  The attire for Special Dress Days is: blouses or shirts with collars (tucked in); long pants, skirt or dress. Please, no jeans. For after the concert, students may wish to bring a change of clothes.  
 
A reminder about theater etiquette: We do not permit food, coffee or other drinks in the Ball Theater. We ask that families turn cell phones off or on vibrate mode. And, please, no flash photography.

Thank you for your cooperation, as we look forward to making this a wonderful community event for all! Please don't hesitate to contact the Lower School office if you have any questions.
 

Admissions Corner May 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Uncategorized, Admissions Corner

Thank You Breakfast: Thursday, June 3, 2010 (Note new date!); 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  Drop in any time, in the Lower School Trask Library.  
For all those who helped out with this year’s admissions efforts including open houses, welcome breakfasts, phone calls to accepted families, Thursday tour guides, parent partners, etc.  Please join us as we say thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.
 

Be A Parent Partner: In addition to full classes of new pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners, we are excited to have 10 new students joining the Lower School in grades 1-5 next year.  Please consider signing up to be a parent partner to help welcome our new families and help them transition smoothly into the Penn Charter community. 

We match current families with new families based on grade level and geographic area.  While not expected to solve all possible problems, parent partners often:

•         answer nitty-gritty questions (“Who should I talk to about…?”)
•         arrange a summer play date at a playground with your partner family
•         join your partner family at the first community meeting
•         suggest fun ways for your partner family to get involved in the PC community and their child’s education
•         encourage your own child to welcome your parent partner child on the first day of school
•         continue to serve as a resource throughout the school year
 
If you would like to be the parent partner of an incoming family, please contact Debbie McIlvaine at dmcilvaine@penncharter.com or 215-844-3460 ext. 199 ASAP.  Please include the best phone number and e-mail for an incoming family to use to contact you over the summer. It’s fun and easy, and we need a lot of volunteers. Please sign up!

From the Director’s Chair March 2010

Posted by lsnl in : From the Director's Chair


How can I encourage my child's intellectual development over time?

What can I do to help my child succeed? How is my little girl doing, in comparison with other children her age? Do you think my little boy is smart? These are some of the questions that often swirl around in parents’ anxiety kits, especially during parent-teacher conferences season.

If these questions are on your mind, I invite you to join me in reading some fascinating work: the research of Carol Dweck.  Last summer, many faculty members at Penn Charter read Dweck's most recent book, Mindset, and then discussed its implications for transforming classrooms. Several weeks ago, I heard Dweck describe her work at the National Association of Independent Schools’ annual conference. Her presentation was packed with attendees: educators from across the nation filling every available seat and flowing out into the hallways, despite the 8 a.m. start time! So, why all the fuss?

Dweck's extensive research indicates that we are greatly affected by our mindsets about intelligence. Specifically, those with a fixed mindset – who believe that being smart is a static quality that doesn't change – are less likely to take intellectual risks and more likely to view small setbacks as signs of personal failure. In contrast, those with a growth mindset – who believe that intellectual growth is malleable and that our skills and knowledge change over time – are more likely to regard challenges as a learning opportunity and to develop mastery.

What does this mean for parents and educators?

Dweck’s work indicates that we want to encourage a child’s efforts or strategies, rather than praising his intelligence. Instead of asking, “Is my child smart?” we might ask “How can I encourage my child's intellectual development over time?” And, when faced with a challenge, children can learn to ask themselves, “What other strategies could I use to solve this problem?” 

One of the most mind-boggling aspects of Dweck’s work is that she has found that praising children as smart can actually be detrimental, leading them to embrace the fixed mindset and to fear making mistakes. A child with a fixed mindset, for example, will be more likely to choose an easy word puzzle rather than a challenging one, in order to appear smart to others who are evaluating her performance.  Consequently, Dweck recommends that we praise children by pointing out their specific efforts and strategies. This requires us to rethink cultural biases, including assumptions about innate intelligence (“she’s no Einstein!”) and pejorative images and terms (nerd, geek, dweeb) for individuals who studiously pursue intellectual interests.  Without a doubt, creating a cultural shift in the way we provide feedback to children is likely to require real creativity, significant effort, and a great deal of compassion, as we are bound to make numerous mistakes along the way.

Circling back to our work with children at Penn Charter, the “In the Classroom” section of this newsletter describes two current initiatives that will support development of the growth mindset: our portfolio pilots in fifth grade and pre-K (asking children to reflect upon their own growth as learners) and our approach to teaching Spanish in grades K-5 (creating a foreign language classroom in which it feels safe to take risks).  We look forward to your feedback about these initiatives in the coming months, and I welcome your thoughts about what other steps we might take to embrace the growth mindset, in all aspects of our work.

Janet Chance
Director of Lower School

p.s. Copies of Carol Dweck’s Mindset are available in Gummere Library in the Upper School building. For those interested in a more thorough account of Carol Dweck’s research, I highly recommend her Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development.

In the Classroom March 2010

Posted by lsnl in : In the Classroom


Why Portfolios?  A Process of Reflection, Illumination, Celebration
This trimester, our youngest and oldest children in the Lower School will be using portfolios to share their work with their families. A portfolio is a compilation of purposefully chosen quotes, photos and samples of work that best depict the learning of an individual child. This type of assessment actively engages your children; working with a teacher, children are asked to critically examine and choose from their body of work those moments of pride, effort and accomplishment. This is a respectful process that honors the voice of the student as well as paints a portrait of your child as a learner.

The first step in putting together a portfolio is reflection. Picture yourself at work, surrounded by stacks of papers you have written, photos of your work and tapes of your presentations, when your boss approaches you and asks you to pick just a few samples. Not an easy task! And yet, your children have been given just this request. Guiding questions help to direct the children in choosing their work. What did you enjoy? What was challenging? What are you most proud of? What could you have done better?  What did you work especially hard on?  For the student, this process helps to clarify the terms of excellence as they search for it in their own work, elucidates helpful strategies of achievement and nurtures a reflective attitude about work. For the teacher, patterns in learning as well as chances taken are recognized, progress and growth surface, and goals are noted. And for you the parent, well, you hopefully have a clearer insight into your child’s learning as well as a wonderful record of your child at his/her stage of development.

The level of student involvement in creating the portfolio differs depending on the age of the child. For pre-K children, they may look at photos of block structures that they have built and then choose the one of which they are most proud, perhaps because it was tall or balanced. The teacher may note the persistence and community spirit in which the structure was built. For fifth graders, they may reread drafts of a literary piece of work, noting how revising made their writing stronger. Here, the teacher may note stylistic strengths, punctuation and diligence to the task. During pre-K conferences, the teacher will present the words, work and thinking of your child. But in fifth grade, your child will be present to speak about their chosen pieces, focusing on pieces that show their strengths, growths and challenges. Regardless of age, each child takes an active role in the creation of their portfolio.

Although the process is as important, if not more important, than the final presentation, the finished portfolio is meant as a celebration of your child. Together, the child, teacher, parent team takes a step away from the every day happenings to recognize and applaud efforts and accomplishments.  

Joan Rosen, Pre-K Director

Teaching Spanish through TPR and TPRS
The primary interest of most language learners is to be able to speak and understand the foreign language they have chosen to study. Fortunately, there are two teaching methods that make second language acquisition interactive and entertaining, and simultaneously help to reduce the tension and anxiety that many learners experience in the foreign language classroom. They are Total Physical Response (TPR) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). 

When employing these methods, teachers use gestures, props and pictures to aid students in the comprehension of new vocabulary terms. Then, in an effort to facilitate the retention of the new vocabulary, the teacher tells stories in which the new vocabulary terms are utilized regularly. As the teacher retells the story, the students perform the gestures or point to the props and pictures to indicate that they understand the narrative. Once the story is told a few times, the teacher asks questions to further aid in the retention of the new terms.  Finally, after the new words have been learned, the students can retell the story in pairs or small groups, which aids in the development of fluency. This method also allows for differentiation since the more advanced students can utilize the new terms they learned to make up their own stories rather than retell a version of the story they already heard.

TPR and TPRS are most effective in the early stages of language acquisition. For that reason, Anabelle Montero-Hricz and I have worked closely this year to redesign the Lower School Spanish curriculum and to enhance our teaching of Spanish by using these methods. Throughout the year, we have been continually impressed by the work of our students. Not only have they learned many new vocabulary terms, they also can use these words in a meaningful context and communicate in complete and sometimes complex sentences. In addition, our students have proven to be excellent listeners whose comprehension of spoken Spanish has improved immensely. Finally, the students in the upper levels of Lower School have also written their own versions of stories. In some cases, these stories are close to or exceed 100 words in length, which is outstanding for a student at this level. Anabelle and I are grateful to have been given the opportunity to make changes to the Lower School Spanish curriculum and we look forward to watching our students continue to develop improved communication skills and fluency as Spanish speakers.

David Brightbill
Chair, Foreign Language Department

News You Can Use March 2010

Posted by lsnl in : News You Can Use


Biennial Art Show
Penn Charter's first biennial art show, an invitational featuring more than 30 established and emerging artists, is open through Sunday. Don't miss the chance to tour the gallery in the transformed Old Gym. Gallery hours for Impressions: Exploring Printmaking in the 21st Century: Monday to Thursday, March 15 to 18, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, March 19, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 20, 1 to 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, March 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information at www.penncharter.com/artshow.

 

Blue Playground Reminder
A number of concerns have been raised about lack of supervision of some children using the blue playground after school. If you and your child use the playground after school, please review the following guidelines and remember that, whenever your children use the blue playground, we ask that you actively supervise them — observing them and intervening as appropriate — in accordance with these guidelines and general approaches.

 

Admissions Corner March 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Admissions Corner

The admissions season for 2010-2011 is almost over. A huge thanks to the volunteers who assisted with open houses, Thursday tours, play dates and the many other activities and events that attract wonderful new students and families to Penn Charter.

Believe it or not, we are now ready to start work on admissions for the 2011-2012 academic year. We will hold our first open house — for grades pre-K to 8 — on Tuesday, April 27 at 8:30 a.m. Tell your neighbors and friends! If you know families who are looking for admission for this coming September, please advise them to call me directly at 215-844-3460 ext. 119. 

We will soon be looking for parent partners in grades pre-K to 5. A parent partner makes contact with a new family, answers questions about the school and logistics, maybe schedules a playdate or two over the summer, and attends the first Drop & Stop of the year to introduce the partner family to other PC parents. This is another opportunity to help make Penn Charter a welcoming community. Stay tuned for details.

John Zurcher
Director of Enrollment Management and Lower School Admissions

From the Director’s Chair February 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Uncategorized, From the Director's Chair, February 2009

… creative endeavors connect us … emanating from an ethic of care.

As we continue to reflect on the testimony of community as a school-wide focus this year, I’d like to share a few examples from this past week that reflect the care, creativity and collaboration that strengthen our sense of community as a Lower School.

Caperucita Roja: The Spanish teacher, known as Señora, drops in to show me a mini-book she has developed with the help of an art teacher, for the students to take home and share with their parents. The mini-book introduces new grammatical patterns and vocabulary, using cartoon drawings of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Due to my familiarity with the story, I was able to decipher many words, including abuela, by glancing at the images and using context clues. As I page through the booklet, I realize that students will have a similar experience of confidence and satisfaction in recognizing multisyllabic words in Spanish as they read. Señora then shows me that her version of the tale ends with a completely different twist from the original; this clever approach means that students will acquire and review key vocabulary words in the first few pages, and then the story will become more challenging to read as the students reach the final pages. She has created a mini-book that will deepen children’s engagement with Spanish and encourage collaboration with parents, thus strengthening the home and school partnership that is so important to student learning.

Handicrafts for Haiti:  Teams of second and fifth grade students, who frequently collaborate as “buddy classes,” are arranged behind tables, greeting folks as they enter the Lower School lobby and encouraging them to choose their favorite student-made pins. Made of recycled materials – cardboard, magazine photos that have been cut into small rectangular images, and outdated plastic pins that otherwise would have been tossed into the landfill – these colorful crafts require careful attention. Each of us pauses and looks, selecting one or two gems from the wide variety of patterns and styles. While the suggested donation is only $1 a pin, some donate more, knowing that the proceeds will benefit people in Haiti. In fact, this entire project emerged spontaneously, from the desire to take some sort of action that would help to alleviate the suffering of earthquake survivors.

These and similar creative endeavors connect us – second and fifth graders; Spanish and art teachers; children, teachers and parents; Philadelphia and Port-au-Prince – emanating from an ethic of care.

Janet Chance
Director of Lower School

In the Classroom February 2010

Posted by lsnl in : Uncategorized, In the Classroom, February 2009

Busy Season at Trask
The New Year ushered in busy times for Lower School's Trask Library.

The older students have been working diligently on their research projects. The fifth graders are studying the American Revolutionary War and visited the library to find books to aid them with their assignment. The fourth grade students began their Explorers project in November, researching a diverse group of people such as Jonas Salk, Bessie Coleman, Matthew Henson and Amelia Earhart. By January, they were busy developing their outlines and creating complete bibliographies using online tools.

With the fourth graders wrapping up their research projects, the third graders eagerly started their own. The third grade teachers have scheduled additional library time for the students to delve into their Famous Penns project, researching Ben Franklin, Marian Anderson, Jim Thorpe and Leon Sullivan, to name just a few.  The students have been working on their notecards, learning how to use tags to organize them and practicing their note-taking skills. In addition, the third graders are keeping track of their resources using source-card sheets which will aid them at the end when they create a bibliography citation to go with their research paper. I'm looking forward to seeing the final products of all three grades!

Our younger students have been keeping active in the library as well.  The second graders are wrapping up a dictionary unit where they have been re-writing nursery rhymes using definitions and synonyms.  The library “passports" have kept the first graders busy exploring the different sections of the library.  Our kindergartners just wrapped up the Caldecott unit by choosing the book they felt should win the medal for best illustrations.  Karinn Figdore and I have been visiting and reading to the pre-K students over on their turf, so we were excited to have one of the classes come to Trask Library to visit and learn about our animal books.

In addition to the projects and themed units, we continue to emphasize reading and to encourage students to explore the variety of books and magazines we have in Trask Library.  Through book talks, displays, Wordle word clouds and more, the students are exposed to a wide variety of books to read for pleasure. We are looking forward to Feb. 9 when our author-in-residence, Matt Phelan, will be visiting with all of the students in the Lower School. I encourage all families to take advantage of the extended hours of the library (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and visit before and after school.  I hope to see you soon!

Linda O’Malley
Trask Librarian