In the Classroom September 2008
Posted by lsnl in : In the Classroom, September 2008 , trackbackWelcome to our new faculty members–and congratulations to those in new roles!
Janet Chance arrived on campus July 1 to begin her work as the new director of Lower School. Janet has a B.A. from Swarthmore College and two master’s degrees, one from Harvard University in education and one from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School in English. She co-facilitates Friends Council on Education’s SPARC program and began her teaching career at Tokyo Friends School.
Former first grade teacher Rebecca Cox has moved to Penn Charter’s new pre-kindergarten and an exciting role as the arts integration teacher.
Lyndsay Franklin is working with Candy McGuire in kindergarten for a few months this fall while Debra Symonette is on medical leave. Lyndsay has a B.A. from Dickinson College and is pursuing a degree in elementary education at West Chester University. She taught most recently at Fairville Friends School and has also taught at Wilmington Friends School.
Drew Jennings is the newest member of our second grade team. Drew comes to us from Wilmington Friends School, where he taught for five years, including two years in second grade. He has a B.A. in intercultural communication from the University of New Mexico.
Marla Levin has joined the faculty as a full-time member of the fourth grade team. She previously taught fifth grade at the Lower Merion School District. She has a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Maryland. Marla is already familiar to the Lower School as she taught fifth grade last year during Ruth Aichenbaum’s sabbatical and kindergarten during Joel Eckel’s paternity leave.
Orit Netter is teaching first grade with Beth Gould. Orit most recently taught at the nearby Wissahickon Charter School, which has a strong environmental focus and with which Penn Charter has a service learning partnership. She also taught at the Miquon School. A graduate of Tel Aviv University, Orit also has a master’s degree in public health from Temple University and a master's in education from Chestnut Hill College.
Laura Rhoades is teaching pre-K. A graduate of Skidmore College, Laura has a master’s in educational psychology from the University of Colorado. Laura comes to us from Colorado, where she taught kindergarten for five years at the Vail Mountain School.
Lyndsy Rosenfeld is co-teaching with Carol Spadaro during the first trimester while Karen Riedlmeier is on sabbatical. Lyndsy has a bachelor of fine arts from the University of the Arts and did part of her student teaching at Penn Charter, where she has also been a long-term art substitute in the Lower School. She is currently working toward a master’s in painting from New York University.
Caroline Studdy is a member of our new pre-K team. Caroline comes to us from teaching pre-K at Plymouth Meeting Friends School; she also taught pre-K in New York City and established an after-school language program in Spain for young children. Caroline has a B.A. from New York University and an M.S. in elementary education from Hunter College.
Kudos to our playwrights!
Three Penn Charter students-Ethan A., Jimmy P. and Ben S.-placed first place in the Philadelphia Young Playwrights contest for the plays they wrote during fifth grade. As winners, their plays will be performed at the Art Alliance at 251 South 18th Street, Philadelphia. Ethan’s play Fish, Chips, and Bullies and Jimmy’s play My Friend and Enemy: The Thief will be performed on Saturday, Oct. 25th at 11 a.m. Ben’s play Friends till the End will be performed on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. Admission to the plays is free and we encourage you and your children to attend to enjoy and celebrate the works of these young playwrights.
Opening of Pre-Kindergarten
On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the doors of the new pre-Kindergarten facility opened to welcome 28 children and their families. With approximately 5,000 square feet of renovated space within the Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd, the children easily settled into their new home consisting of two classrooms, a studio, kitchen, faculty room, and a large activities room. Designed specifically for the four-year old child, each room reflects the philosophy of how young children learn best. For example, within each classroom are specific areas of interest, including dramatic play, science and nature, creative arts, and language and math centers. Children work independently and in small groups with a teacher using a variety of multi-sensory materials as they question, explore and make sense of their world. Social skills, math, language arts, science and social studies are integrated into a project-approach study – important and purposeful work initiated by the children’s questions and interests. Pebble Path, the pathway that leads to our outside playground area, has already captured the interest of our youngest students. We will be working with them to see where this “path” leads.
Our Studio space is a unique component of the pre-K program. Throughout the day, a third of the children from each class leave their homeroom to go to Studio. Using a wide range of mediums such as water, sand, wire, clay and paints, arts integration teacher Rebecca Cox guides the children in exploration. In Studio, children have the opportunity to communicate their thinking not only through words but through materials that may appeal to their individual learning style. In the afternoon, Rebecca leads the children in a Movement Class of dance, yoga and dramatic interpretation in the large activities room. Our activities room, complete with a large block building area and tricycle course, is also the place where children learn Music with Margaret Lea and Physical Education with Pam Shannon.
As the year progresses, we hope to expand our travels over Penn Charter’s 44 acres. So if you see a line of singing, laughing and joyful children, please wave hello to the “super lifers,” the William Penn Charter class of 2022!
Joan Rosen
Director of Pre-Kindergarten