What's a parent to do?

A recent New York Times article, Tips for the Admission Test...to Kindergarten, is thought provoking, if a little disturbing. The article details a new phenomenon in the ever more competitive world of independent and public test school admissions. It seems that it is now possible to pay to have your three or four-year-old child tutored in preparation for the aptitude tests schools use to help evaluate student readiness for school. Is this going too far? One independent school admission director calls it "unethical". Really? Don't we all try to give our children a leg-up in various ways? Isn't that precisely why we choose to invest in an independent school education in the first place? So why is this so wrong? As the article points out, how is this different from SAT prep classes? Schools in New York and a few other big cities have the "luxury" of many times more applicants than spaces available, so who can blame parents from trying to help their child put her or his best foot forward? On the other hand, does it negate the validity of the test as a part of the admission process? Thankfully, independent schools don't use testing as the only criteria for admission, but without a somewhat objective criteria as a part of the process, schools are left with purely subjective measures by which to make admission decisions. What will this mean for the make-up of a school's student body? No doubt, independent schools in New York and other cities where this test-prep phenomenon has taken hold will find new ways to get accurate information on their applicants. Otherwise, my guess is that the only people who will be concerned about this trend is those whose children are not accepted. And then they'll have the choice to complain or join the crowd.

The Season of Giving

Buffalo spent last week gripped in what can only be called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition fever. The popular ABC television show spent its time in Buffalo making-over the home and the lives of the Powell family on the city's West Side. As I learned during the October storm, in my first year at EFS, Buffalo takes it's moniker of "City of Good Neighbors" seriously. And the occasion presented by Extreme Makeover provided the people of Buffalo and Western New York another opportunity to live up to that ideal. While the show typically gets hundreds of volunteers, Buffalo had thousands (upwards of 5000 in some reports). Where other projects fix up one family's home, the effort of all the volunteers in Buffalo improved 50 houses in a neighborhood that needs the help.

At Elmwood Franklin, we try to do our little part to help our neighbors as well. Giving is our theme for the month of December, and our students are proving already that they're well acquainted with the concept. Our annual food drive to support the Food Bank of Western New York and the Ronald McDonald House has generated a mountain of canned goods and other foods that seems to grow by the minute. The third grade has even started a friendly competition between Mrs. Karassik's class and Ms. Constanzo's class to see which one can collect the most food to be donated. The 8th grade has donated money raised at their annual skate-athon to support Buffalo's Ronald McDonald House. Usually earmarked for a class gift and a day of fun at an amusement park at the end of the year, this year's class opted to make the gift in honor of a classmate who recently had a serious operation and whose family used the services of the Ronald McDonald House in another city. The Prep II class is corresponding with Master Sargent Coleman in Iraq. A local firefighter and member of the National Guard, Master Sargent Coleman has shared the messages and pictures from our students with the men in his unit.

As I see our students coming in to school each morning weighed down with canned goods but excited to be making a contribution to those in need, I'm reminded of the traditions of Thanksgiving, the spirit of this season of giving, and the reach and power of young people to make us all smile.

Buffalo's Young Philanthropist of the Year

We're always proud of our graduates, but it is especially gratifying when their accomplishments are recognized by others. One of our recent graduates, Kilby Bronstein '06, has been chosen Outstanding Youth Philanthropist of the Year by the Buffalo chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She was nominated by both EFS and Roswell Park Cancer Institute and is featured in today's Buffalo News. Kilby will be honored at a luncheon at the Adam's Mark Hotel on November 18th. Her involvement at EFS includes being a committed caller on behalf of the Annual Fund and a speaker at our annual Upper School Information Night, where she shares her perspective on the preparation she received in our 5th through 8th grade program that led to her success at Buffalo Seminary - this year's Information Night will be on Thursday, November 19th at 5:45pm. Kilby's passion for giving back to EFS follows in the footsteps of her mother, Jennifer Prince Bronstein '74, also one of our most devoted and tireless volunteers.

In addition to all the good she does in the community, Kilby serves as a perfect roll model for Elmwood Franklin's growing service learning program. Committed to teaching our students the value of service to the community and the power that even our youngest students can have in Buffalo, Western New York, and beyond, we are developing meaningful service projects connected to the curriculum at each grade level. My October 22 post (Real World Lesson) is an example of how kindergarten students can learn new skills and help others at the same time.

Congratulations, Kilby. Your Elmwood Franklin family is exceedingly proud of your accomplishments.

Addicted?

Ever feel like a slave to technology? Worried that your teenager spends too much time on-line? Drawing parallels to alcohol or drug addiction, today's Boston Globe has an interesting article about the signs and costs of Internet and computer addiction. Interestingly, yesterday's edition featured a story titled, Why an iPhone could actually be good for your 3-year-old.

Confused by the seemingly mixed messages? Me too. Welcome to parenting in the technological age. Perhaps the real lesson for parents is to beware and be aware.