EFS Head's Blog

Raise a Smarter Kid?

2011-10-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

I recently ran across an article in Parenting Magazine titled Raise a Smarter Kid! It suggested five simple steps: have ongoing conversations with your child's teacher(s); don't let technology become a distraction; make time to be involved at your child's school; have family dinners as often as possible; and read out loud as a family. While I'm not sure I buy that any one or all of these would make my kids any smarter, I do think they'd make me a better parent. And that's no small thing.

The Sounds of School

2011-09-15T10:10:00.002-04:00

Summer is a lonely time in school. All summer long, I keep my outside office door open. As someone who’s not a fan of air conditioning and who loves hot, humid weather, I appreciate the fact that I can enjoy a little fresh air while I work. But throughout those summer months the only sounds I hear are the occasional train passing on the tracks behind the school and Mr. Ziggy or Mr. Pat on the lawn mower. Once school starts, that all changes. Now I open my door and I hear the excited voices of the fourth grade class next door, their laughter and joy as they explode out of their classroom for recess, and even the sound of focus and concentration as they sit outside, leaning against trees and benches doing their independent reading.

As the weather begins to turn and my door to the outside stays shut for several months I still get to hear the sounds of school -- of excitement, of friendship, of deep thought, of singing, of questions and answers, of grammar, of squeaking sneakers on the gym floor -- as I walk the halls. Those sounds are a sure sign that we’re back to the business of school and remind me that without students and teachers, a school really isn’t a school at all.

As always, our students and teachers begin this year with excitement, ready to hard work and eager to learn. I share their sense of anticipation and enthusiasm for a great year.

Welcome back.

Acknowledgement for the Acknowledgers

2011-05-27T17:17:00.001-04:00

At today's yearbook assembly, two representatives of the 8th grade class read this year's acknowledgement to the whole school:

We, the yearbook staff, would like to present this acknowledgement to a group of hard-working people. They are an integral part of the school, always putting others before themselves and providing service with a smile. They arrive at EFS early each morning to prepare for the day ahead, and throughout it all, they seem to never stop working. They enjoy their jobs, and it shows in the way they put extra care into everything they do. This year especially, they have offered many new ideas and new choices. They are very special to EFS, and we are all very happy that we have them here. They deserve an extra big helping of appreciation. We, the 8th grade class of 2011, are extremely proud to acknowledge the kitchen staff: Chef Jeff, Mike, and the lunch ladies.

Sometimes an acknowledgement says as much about those who offer it as those who receive it. Congratulations to our kitchen staff for being recognized for their commitment to our students. Congratulations to the 8th grade class for living up to our expectations and recognizing what it means to be leaders in our school community.

What Makes a Great Teacher?

2011-03-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

I recently came across an article in Scholastic Administrator magazine that asked several superintendents to opine on the characteristics of great teachers. Their responses are interesting and, in my opinion, right on.

"A great teacher must be resilient." Gregory E. Thornton, Milwaukee Public Schools

"A great teacher invites every child to join a community of learners." Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle Public Schools

"Much of what makes a great teacher today is the same as it has always been. It's a passion for a subject, an inherently caring attitude, the ability to trigger receptiveness to learning in children, and a knack for coaching kids in fun ways...Good teachers are able to sift though a world of information and weave it into new lessons for 21st-century minds, while also teaching children how to do the same." Art Jarvis, Tacoma Public Schools

"Great teachers are instructional leaders and curriculum designers." Suzanne Freeman, Trussville (AL) City Schools

"Great teachers love what they do and perceive teaching as their calling." Neil Pedersen, Chapel Hill - Carrboro (NC) City Schools

"Great teachers are empathetic and engaged...They are also flexible, able to multitask, and willing to collaborate in professional learning communities." Keith Lutz, Millard (NE) Public Schools

"Great teachers seem to capture the artistry and the science of teaching." Jose Torres, Elgin (IL) District U-46

"A great teacher needs to excel in five key areas...comprehensive knowledge of subject matter...good communication skills...demonstrate to students that they care about them...have to be lifelong learners...must have outstanding interpersonal skills." Gene White, Indianapolis Public Schools

I might add that great teachers are infinitely patient, as good with parents as with children, never complacent, and tireless workers.

What's a Teacher Worth?

2011-03-15T08:59:00.001-04:00

I've watched the fight in Wisconsin between the governor and the public employees' unions with fascination and without knowing exactly how I feel about the whole thing. Have unions in some cases protected poor performing teachers to the detriment of students? Certainly. Is Wisconsin going broke because teachers are soaking the system and getting rich in the process. Certainly not. While I've always seen teaching as a calling, a path one chooses for its intrinsic value, I can't help but wonder what education would look like if teachers were paid more. What if our best and brightest could envision a comfortable life as a teacher instead of in law, medicine, or investment banking? Nicholas Kristof's recent New York Times op-ed piece , Pay Teachers More, points out that we pay for what we value in this country, and it's clearly not teachers.

Raising Our Children to Leave Us

2011-03-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children is a book from which any parent can learn a thing or two. I recently saw author Wendy Mogel speak at the Nation Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference. She's quite entertaining and sensible. Although her talk didn't seem to offer much of a message to teachers, her advice for parents is right on. I was inspired to buy her book (my first e-book purchase on the iPad) and have found it to be filled with good practical keys to raising well-behaved, responsible, and grateful children. The book's "aha" moment for me was a short subsection of chapter four titled, Raising Our Children to Leave Us. While this simple phrase makes perfect sense, I'd never really thought of it before. As the parent of a high school senior, I'm mere months away from this very reality. In truth, though, this is exactly what we've been doing, whether or not we realized it or embraced it. The extent to which our daughter is successful on her own at college will depend on the competencies we've build in her, or more accurately, allowed her to develop over the last seventeen-plus years. Dr. Mogel's advice to parents reminds me of what I always say about dieting: it's simple, not easy.

Are You a Chinese Mother?

2011-01-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

According to the essay in Saturday's Wall St. Journal, Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior, by Yale professor Amy Chua, the moniker can be applied to any culture. Her premise, however, is that "Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away." Pretty provocative stuff. While I'm not entirely comfortable with what seem like sweeping generalizations in the piece, there is certainly some truth in Ms. Chua's words as well.

The Power of a Well Placed Spoon

2010-12-15T10:29:00.003-05:00

I will always remember my first snow day. I was in 7^th grade and had recently moved, in the middle of the school year, to Newton, Massachusetts from Oberlin, Ohio. It was a day like many others that winter. My mother insisted that I bundle up against the cold and snow for my 20 minute walk to school. As the new kid, I hadn’t yet found a friend with whom to share my journey, so I trudged alone through the snow along Washington Street to Warren Junior High. Upon arriving, I discovered that the front door to the school was locked. Warren was a classic American junior high school building – it’s now high-end condos – with a wide set of stairs leading up to a grand entrance. Although it was odd that the main entrance was locked, I didn’t think anything of it until I tried several other doors with the same result. Many things ran through my mind. Is it a holiday? Could I have come to school on Saturday by mistake? I can’t just go home, because my mother is never going to believe me! After checking all the doors again, I eventually noticed the empty parking lot and realized I had no choice but to head home. It was only after my mother called a neighbor that we learned about snow days. I was instantly a fan and, like every other kid I knew, learned the ritual of sitting by the TV or radio to listen for my town to be on the list of closed schools at the sight of a single flake of snow.

As a teacher I remained an ardent supporter of the well-placed snow day. They often seemed to come at just the right time, when everyone needed a break. As I moved into administration, I scoffed at my heads of school who resisted, agonized over, and complained about snow days. After all, what can you do about the weather? Fast forward a couple of decades. I now hold the awesome responsibility of deciding when and when not to have a snow day. My initiation to calling snow days took place early in my tenure as head of Elmwood Franklin School. I had barely settled into my new office when Buffalo was struck by The October Storm of 2006, leading to six days off in a row and having to dip into the winter break to reclaim two school days. Talk about giving with one hand and taking with the other. After assuring me that Buffalo’s weather reputation was largely over blown before I took the job, I think my board of trustees was afraid I might quit right then and there.

The glamour of being up every hour or so all night long to look out the window whenever snow is predicted has long since worn off. The 5am phone calls to my colleagues at Nichols and Buffalo Seminary have similarly become old. What never seems to fade is my fascination with the lengths that students – and some adults – will go to “influence” the weather. I already knew about spoons under the pillow and inside out pajamas. This year I’ve learned that backward pajamas work too, and that flushing ice cubes down the toilet and pencils in the freezer work "every time" according to some students. And if those methods don’t work or the proper tools aren’t available, many resort to the tried and true snow dance. Of course, I always hear about these tricks when they work. I know that many kids, mine included, almost always wear their pajamas inside out, just in case, but I never hear about it when it doesn’t work. EFS is luckier than most schools. It seems that we have a few snow day savants in the student body and on the faculty, who believe they possess a supernatural ability to predict when a snow day is coming. Maybe from now on I’ll just call them instead of waking up early.

What Are Parents To Do?

2010-12-09T19:18:00.000-05:00

If it seems as if this space is turning into a tech blog, please know it isn't intentional. It just seems that there's so much out there for us to know about technology: what it can do; what it can't do; what we wish it could do; what we're sorry it can do. Steve Bergen, the director of technology at Concord Academy when I started my teaching career there in 1990, would often say, "If you have a question about how to do something on the computer, ask someone younger than yourself. If that person can't help, then ask someone younger than that." I've never forgotten that advice, and I've never gotten totally comfortable with it either. There's no doubt that Steve knew what he was talking about, but the older I get them more I worry that turning over so much control to the young is not such a great thing.

Last Sunday's New York Times published a front page story, As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch-Up. The story correctly points out that what we're up against as parents and educators is as much about a technology gap as it is a morality gap.

Does Twitter Make Us Twits?

2010-12-07T20:02:00.001-05:00

"All these new machines, new processes, and games can be likened to a hand. Is a hand good or bad? It can kill, steal, destroy, give, embrace, support. It depends how you use it. The same with all these modern appliances and systems. The world isn't fast-paced, it's frenetic. People have to be managers of themselves. Time has been managing itself for 15 billion years; we have to manage ourselves in the context of time."

Response by brain researcher, Tony Buzan, to the question of whether today's faster paced life, from smartphones to Twitter to YouTube, harm intelligence. (Scholastic Administrator, Late Fall 2010)

I've the Seen the Future...

2010-11-22T16:38:00.001-05:00

...and it looks a lot like an iPad. After spending a day this weekend at a workshop called iPad for Administrators, I'm a convert. OK, it didn't take much convincing, but I think this device and the future versions that will follow have the potential to truly change teaching and learning. How? It might still be too early to tell. Just the notion that textbooks could be on a device like an iPad is exciting enough. The blog Eductechnophobia has an entry titled, Six Ways the iPad will Transform Education, giving us a few clues. Are there downsides? No doubt. Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction in today's New York Times points out negative effects of too much time plugged in can have on the brains of young people. I suppose, like all good things, moderation will be important. Nevertheless, I think the next leap in technology and education is at hand.

Reflections on a Bookless Library

2010-11-09T07:59:00.000-05:00

EFS holds its semi-annual bookfair this week. While the fall bookfair is a wonderful community building event and fundraiser, it's perhaps first and foremost a celebration of books and reading. We hold this event in the face of dire predictions of the end of the printed word as we know it. As old fashioned as some think books are, I don't know many teacher or parents who don't love the sight of a child with a book.

I'd forgotten all about one of my blog posts from last fall in which I attached a Boston Globe article announcing that Cushing Academy, a Massachusetts boarding school, was getting rid of all the books in its library. Last week, The Globe published a follow-up article, Digital Shift, about how their new "bookless library" has been received. Cushing calls it's new library "a creative commons," complete with plenty of comfortable seating and a coffee shop. As a lover of books and hater of coffee, I find sending young people the message that books are bad but caffeine is good quite interesting. Clearly, teaching digital skills is critical in education today. But is it time to quit books cold turkey? I embrace my inner Luddite when it comes to things like Facebook and Twitter, but I'm not anti-technology. As my own children can attest, I'm very excited to be getting an iPad in a couple of weeks. And among the things I'm most anxious to try out is its e-reader function. Maybe digital books are the future for school and research, but I can't imagine they're going to hold up well at the beach.

Upper School Parents' Night

2010-10-22T19:18:00.000-04:00

What follows is the text of my talk with Upper School Parents on October 6, 2010.

Strictly speaking, I’m not going to address the usual Parents’ Night topics. I’m not going to talk about our fantastically passionate and committed faculty. I’m not going to talk about our proven academic program. I’m not going to talk about what a great start to the year we’ve enjoyed. I’m not going to talk about our graduates and all the things that an EFS education can prepare you for. Rather, I’m going to talk a little about the past and the future.

Sally Jarzab, in our development office, recently unearthed some interesting history about EFS. As the school marks its 115^th year since incorporation, it is fascinating to see how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

Both the Elmwood School and the Franklin School were founded in the Elmwood District in the late 19^th century. Prior to their founding, Buffalo was sometimes referred to as an “educational desert.”

In 1914, the Elmwood School established Buffalo’s first parent council, then called the Mother’s Council.

In the 1920s children would often arrive at the Franklin School in the mornings by chauffeured limousine.

Changing class periods were announced at the Elmwood School by the school secretary banging a gong in the hallways.

As part of the new-fangled social studies class at the Elmwood School in 1930, students were given the assignment of looking ahead 10 years and describing life and culture. One group of students predicted that, by 1940, children would simply “sit in chairs, tuned in constantly to elaborate radios for every kind of communication and instruction.”

Tuition at the Franklin School for the 1938-39 school year ranged from $175 for kindergarten to $375 for 8^th grade. Remember, median family income was under $2000.

So what does this tell us about EFS then and now?

EFS has always been a recognized educational leader in Buffalo.
The school has always valued innovation.
Limos and chauffeurs, still proliferate. We just call them the limos SUVs and the chauffeur is known as mom.
Kids always dream about how school can be less painful and more fun. Unfortunately, for our little dreamers, school always has been and always will be hard work.
Many through the years have recognized EFS as a worthy investment in the future.

Last week, my daughter Lucy asked me for help on her history homework. I was thrilled. This is the same kid who when I asked her last year what she’d like to be when she grows up, replied, “I think I want to be a history teacher…” Imagine how my chest puffed out. She wants to be a history teacher like her father, I thought. I’d never heard her say anything like this before. Of course, before I could tell her how proud I was that she wanted to follow in my footsteps, she completed her sentence with three words that crushed my spirit, “…like Ms. Drew.” Even though I hadn’t quite recovered from this slight, I jumped at the chance to help her with her homework.

Mr. Garra’s assignment was to read some rules for civility that George Washington had written to practice his handwriting as a child and then to see if those rules had any relevance today. As we read them together, I couldn’t help but smile. The rules for appropriate behavior that our first president was taught as a child are exactly the same as what we all try to teach our children now. Sure they were stated differently, but the sentiments are universal.

First, the words that young George Washington wrote, and then I’ll translate them into today’s vernacular. Parents may hear themselves in these words:

“Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present.” Or as we might say today, treat others as you would like to be treated.

“Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop.” Translated for 21^st century parents, “Listen to me when I’m talking to you,” or, “Take that iPod out of your ears before I throw it out the window.”

“Kill no vermin as fleas, lice, ticks, etc in the sight of others, if you see any filth or thick spittle put your foot dexterously upon it. If it be upon the clothes of your companions, put it off privately and if it be upon your own cloths return thanks to him who puts it off.” With today’s notion of privacy being stretched to its limit, we find ourselves reminding students that privacy can afford us all a little dignity in embarrassing situations. Parents might want to remind their kids not to post family secrets on Facebook.

“Read no letters, books, or papers in company but when there is a necessity for the doing it, you must ask leave.” Don’t text at the dinner table!

“Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy.” Never kick someone when they’re down.

“Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor earnest. Scoff at none although they may give you occasion.” Teasing isn’t funny to the one being teased.

And finally, “Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation, for tis better to be alone than in bad company.” Or put as I heard my father say many times, “Just because your friends jump off a bridge doesn’t mean you should.”

See, simple, universal, timeless themes. Some of the issues may be different – Washington’s parents didn’t have to contend with the concern of George being exposed to adult themes at a young age through TV, movies, music, and the internet. They didn’t have to worry about email, texting, and IMing replacing good old fashioned human contact as the preferred modes of communication or the notion that how many “friends” you have is more important than the depth of those friendships. Nevertheless, the overall lessons are exactly what we all hope our children learn and learn well; what we know for a fact will stand them in good stead at Elmwood Franklin School, in high school and college, in their relationships and their careers.

These rules were drilled into George Washington’s consciousness by his copying them in his own handwriting. To those of us who spent time at the board in school, writing things like, “I promise not to take my neighbor’s pencil without asking,” over and over again until the teacher finally took mercy on us, this method of learning important lessons is familiar. Of course we don’t do that sort of thing any more, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. If we did, I can hear one of our students telling his teacher, “I could cut and paste it much faster.”

While parenting styles and pedagogy change, good character is always in fashion. Indeed, Elmwood Franklin’s mission has consistently spoken to the importance of positive character development as well as academic excellence. Our themes for the year – respect and celebration – demand action of our students in order to live up to our mission. Respect speaks to an attitude, but celebration asks that we all reach a little farther, to look for opportunities to celebrate the gifts that each member of this community has to offer.

I think the white noise of technology that bombards our children today makes teaching these old fashioned lessons more difficult – and more important – so I hope I can count on you to support our themes through your words and deeds throughout this year. When we work together, all our children benefit. Thank you, in advance. I’m looking forward to a great school year.

Even Superman Can't Fight City Hall

2010-10-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

"Superman ran into politics, and in the world of education that's kryptonite."

So ends the blog posting of Jim Stergios on Boston.com announcing Michelle Rhee's resignation as chancellor of the DC public schools and referencing the recently released documentary on the state of public schools, Waiting for Superman. It's a great line!

Although many have judged Rhee during her short tenure - yes, 3 1/2 years is a very short time to try to fix something that took decades to break - only time will really prove her ideas and methods right or wrong. What seems indisputable, however, is that she generated energy, national attention, enthusiasm, new ideas, and, oh by the way, lots and lots of money all to benefit DC's school children. No doubt, Michelle Rhee will find another job - probably a very high paying, high profile job - so I'm left thinking the only ones losing out in all this are the kids of Washington, DC...again.

A Celebration of the "Dangers" of Childhood

2010-10-11T11:48:00.001-04:00

Here's a book for the consideration of all parents. Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) caught my attention simply because of the title. What's that they say about judging a book by it's cover? Not only do most of the fifty things, e.g., make a slingshot, play with dry ice, burn things with a magnifying glass, lick a 9-volt battery, remind me fondly of my childhood, but they make me sad that most of today's children will never experience this sort of living on the edge, mine included. The author, Gever Tulley, is both nostalgic and purpose driven. He recently spoke at Canisius College, where he read from his book and spoke about the importance of hands-on, self-directed learning as being critical to the development of the kind of creativity and love of learning that is largely absent from today's test driven schooling. In their article on his talk, The Buffalo News quotes Mr. Tulley, "When we're teaching children, we shouldn't worry so much about the facts that they're learning, the techniques that they're learning, but how well they're learning to love learning. If we produce children who are voracious, self-directed learners, they can learn and adapt to anything." Here's to teaching your nine-year-old to drive over the weekend.

Lower School Parents' Night

2010-10-01T08:02:00.000-04:00

What follows is my address to Lower School parents on September 30, 2010.

Welcome back to school.

A colleague at a DC area independent school recently sent me a blog posting from The Washington Post's website titled, Surviving Back to School Night. It begins:

An administrator at a school in Montgomery County welcomed several hundred parents at back-to-school night by relating his extensive experience as an educator and as a soldier.

Then he said, “So you can see I am very qualified. So, do I know more than you do about the curriculum? Yes I do. Do I know more about [student] placement? Yes I do. Do I want your opinion? No I don’t.”

The crowd was effectively cowed.

This, admittedly, is not the best way to start back- to-school night, but it points to two problems that can mar the evening when parents and teachers meet at the start of the new year. The two problems: the parents and the teachers.

Pretty funny column, actually, with a little truth sprinkled in for sure. I don’t view Parents’ Night this way, however.

Parents’ Night is a wonderful opportunity for parents to get a little taste of what your children experience every day: expert, passionate, nurturing teachers, stimulating lessons and activities aimed at developing academic skills and confidence, cutting edge technology that helps to actively engage students in their learning, a facility specifically designed for the needs of students in preschool through 8^th grade, and an environment in which high standards for character are as important as high standards for academic excellence.

I’ve come to the conclusion – after more than 20 years as a teacher and administrator in independent schools – that we educate first and foremost by relationship. Yes, we have formal curricula around academics and the arts. And while we’re always looking to improve what we offer, using the best resources available, it is through relationships – between student, teacher, and parent – that the real magic happens. We all know a fire needs fuel to burn, a pile of wood simply isn’t enough. There needs to be a spark and then the fire needs to be fed by oxygen to continue burning. That’s what this school does. That’s what these teachers do. That’s what you do as parents. Together we bring the fuel, the spark, and the oxygen together. Because each child is different, how and when the elements come together to make fire differs. I can hear my own father muttering to himself something like, “The teacher’s providing the spark and blowing really hard, but my kid is like wet wood. He won’t burn.” And that was an apt description of me and my brothers at certain times. And you may be thinking something similar. It’s important to remember, all wood dries in its own time. EFS is a ten-year experience. Some of our students arrive red hot and we can all sit back and enjoy watching the fire. Others are just beginning to smolder when they graduate, but because all the elements were brought together here, early, under the watchful eye of master fire starters, when EFS students and graduates are ready to burn, everything is in place. And the secret is that we do this together. No one element is more important than the other. We need engaged students, excellent teachers, and involved parents.

I have a quick story about a graduate that offers me the chance to brag a little. Hope you don’t mind.
Buffalo Business First recently published a list of the 26 local high school seniors who were named National Merit Semifinalists, meaning their PSAT scores were among the top 1% of all students who took the test last year. James Dryden, EFS class of 2007, is on the list. Anyone who knows James won’t be surprised by this recognition. He’s a very smart and talented, not to mention nice, young man. High schools often claim credit for their highest flyers, but genetics and native curiosity have a lot more to do with success on the PSAT and SAT than high school honors and AP classes. On the other hand, I would posit that elementary schools like Elmwood Franklin School play a huge role. No matter how bright – or to go back to the fire analogy, how good the wood – love of learning and great study habits are developed and fostered at a young age. These teachers and this curriculum engendered in James a passion for knowledge and school, and helped to build his confidence to perform to his considerable capability, thus putting him in the position to succeed later in school. Without the foundation he got here, he might only be in the top 5%. That’s why the teachers are here: to build those skills and confidence. And I think that’s why you’re here too: to ensure that your child maximizes her or his potential.

But back to why we’re here tonight. For teachers, Parents’ Night represents a chance to help parents put in context what they hear from their children and other parents and to inform future individual discussions later in the year. In many schools, report cards are seen as the primary mode of communication between school and parents. I see them as the least important of all the ways in which we convey information about your children. Remember, it’s about the relationships, not the reports. Tonight represents an important stone in the foundation we’re building together. Parents’ Night is meant to give you a sense of the big picture, to get you excited about what the kids get to do in school each day – this isn’t the time to ask individual questions about your child. In November and again in March we have conferences that provide us a formal time to give feedback and hear your insights and to strategize together. And in between, our teachers are available for questions anytime they’re not teaching. As with any relationship, our partnership takes time and deliberate effort to make it work well.

I look forward to working together with you, the faculty, and your children to make this another great year.

Return to Oz, Hold the Monkeys

2010-09-24T14:57:00.006-04:00

The EFS auction is an annual highlight for the school community. Although it doesn’t take place until April 30^th this year, there was a kick-off luncheon yesterday for all the committee chairs. The auction occurs each year only because of the hard work, dedication, and generosity of hundreds of committed volunteers and donors. Planning is well under way, but yesterday’s event marked the official start of auction season and the announcement of the theme, Return to Oz. Everyone loves The Wizard of Oz and it presents our auction planners with so many great options for creative decorations. But before we get too far down the yellow brick road of planning and building excitement, I’ve got a little confession.

My goals upon arriving at EFS just over four years ago were modest. I wanted students, parents, alumni, and friends of the school to see me as approachable, humble, smart, confident, engaged, an effective communicator, and balanced. At least I wasn’t putting too much pressure on myself, right? I’m lucky to have found a school community that has allowed me to be myself and grow into the job.

As with any relationship, layers are peeled away over time. Insights into my upbringing, my family, my personality, and my quirks have no doubt revealed themselves, some intentionally and others in spite of my best efforts to keep them hidden. I love to tell stories and often use tales about my strict parents, about being the new kid in school, about my successes and failures to illustrate life lessons we hope to teach EFS students. Some of my stories are even true. I’ve certainly shared my passion for Boston sports teams, history, cycling, and playing hockey. And I think anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy and take seriously my responsibility as Riley and Lucy’s father.

Now the EFS auction is forcing me to reveal a secret I’d hoped to keep to myself. I hate the flying monkeys. I know hate is a strong word and one that parents and teachers tell young children not to use, but I don’t do so lightly. First, it makes me a little less vulnerable than words like scared, nightmares, or heebie jeebies. And second, let’s be honest, no one likes those monkeys. They’re poor role models for our children. They’re followers of the worst sort, doing whatever the wicked witch tells them. They’re bullies, picking on poor, defenseless Toto. Worst of all, they have awful theme music. Everyone needs good theme music – think Superman, ET, Mighty Mouse, and Dudley Do-Right (dating myself a bit, aren’t I?). Flying monkeys are just plain creepy.

Anyway, I have every confidence that this year’s auction will be a rousing success. Of course I’ll be there to greet folks and share in the revelry as usual. But if there are any flying monkeys around, you’ll find me in the bathroom.

See, they're a traffic hazard too!

Congress Catches Up with EFS...But It's a Good Thing!

2010-09-14T17:08:00.000-04:00

What do you call someone who can speak two languages?
Bilingual.

What do you call someone who can speak three languages? Trilingual.

What do you call someone who can speak only one language? American.

It's an old joke, but it's truer than many of us wish. And increasingly we speak our one language less and less well. In July, on the very last day the 111th Congress was in session, H.R. 6036, the Excellence and Innovation in Language Learning Act, was introduced in the US House of Representatives. It aims to have every child in the US become proficient in a second language. In other words, it aims to do what EFS and other leading independent schools have done for years: make learning a second language an essential part of what it means to be an educated citizen.

The State of Education

2010-09-09T10:48:00.000-04:00

I'm frustrated every summer that when I have time to go to the movies there's nothing worth seeing. And with the start of school, when I have less time and energy to head to the theater, there always seem to be many interesting films that I want to see. This year is no exception. Among the films I'm looking forward to seeing are two documentaries about the state of education in the US: Race to Nowhere and Waiting for Superman. While each offers a different view, they both point to troubling trends that affect the future for our children and our country. Check out the trailers.

New Shoes

2010-09-02T09:56:00.002-04:00

Perhaps there's nothing that symbolizes the first day of school more than a new pair of shoes. I remember being so excited to wear the new school shoes my mother had bought in August but I wasn't allowed to wear until the first day of school. Of course, in the old days, shoes meant shoes rather than sneakers, so I remember the blisters after walking to and from school those first few days as much as I remember the shoes themselves. Later, when it was ok to wear sneakers everyday - my mother was a late convert to the idea - there were Chuck Taylors, Stan Smiths, Jack Purcells, and Puma Clydes. I can even tell you what colors I had. And I can recall begging for Nikes when they first became fashionable, but they were just too expensive. As a parent, I'm always amazed that my kids' feet seem to grow exponentially during the last week of August. Those shoes that fit perfectly while we were on vacation earlier in the month are suddenly too small. So off the the mall we go to find the perfect pair of first-day-of-school shoes. As the father of two girls, we keep looking until we find the pair with just the right amount of pink.

So on this first day of school, my new greeting is, "Welcome back! Have a great day! Nice shoes!"

A Bruins Fan in Buffalo

2010-04-29T14:36:00.004-04:00

Wearing my Red Sox hat while shaking hands was one thing – I only offended the Yankees fans among our students and parents – but I think I may have gone too far by proudly donning my Bruins cap during the recent playoff series between Boston’s hockey team and Buffalo’s beloved Sabres.

One student, a 4^th grader, came up to shake my hand one morning last week and said, a little dejected and bewildered, “Why are you wearing that hat?”

“I’m a Bruins fan,” I replied. “Did you know that I grew up in Boston?”

He just stared at me for a few seconds and I said, “You’re disappointed, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” And he turned and walked into school.

Some adults I encountered around town were equally bemused and not all were as polite as the 4^th grader. Most just gave me a little good-natured ribbing. Truth be told, I’m not much of a Bruins fan anymore. I don’t get to see them play in person or even on TV very often, and it’s been a while since they’ve had much to cheer about. That said, I’ve been a fan for more than 35 years. What can I say? They’re my team. I assume Buffalo natives all over the Boston area were wearing their Sabres regalia proudly over the last two weeks. The real difference is that few places care about their hockey team as much as Buffalo. Even I root for the Sabres to do well, unless they’re playing Boston, of course. I’ve lived in other cities and haven’t felt even the slightest desire to root for their teams. I like the Sabres because I like Buffalo and Buffalonians.

OK, so now can I count on a little support for my Bruins in the next round of the playoffs?

Confession of a Frankenparent

2010-04-15T09:46:00.001-04:00

I was going to be different. With 20 years of experience in independent schools I know the college game and I wasn't going to be sucked in to the trap of living out my own insecurities through my daughter's college acceptances. I know better, right? Maybe not. An op-ed piece in today's Boston Globe, The myth of the Frankenstudent, points out the struggle for many parents, even those of younger children, of balancing our hopes and dreams for our kids with letting them just be kids. I like to think I'm mostly successful at keeping my inner "Frankenparent" at bay, but as I vacillate between being happy to allow my girls to be who they are and registering my eldest for SAT tutoring this summer, I fear I'm really Jekyll and Hyde.

History Comes to EFS with Skype

2010-03-26T15:34:00.001-04:00

EFS 6th graders recently read The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis. The novel tells the story of a family who moved from Michigan to Alabama at the time of one of the Civil Rights era's hallmark tragedies, the bombing of the 16th Avenue Baptist Church that killed four young girls. The book really resonates with middle schoolers, but as we move further and further from African-Americans' fight for civil rights, kids know less and less about what the Movement was all about. They know about Dr. King and a couple of his speeches, but they know little about Jim Crow and the system of oppression that existed in the US. While it might seem impossible, and perhaps a little depressing, that our students largely unaware of depth of the struggle for civil rights, realize that Dr. King was assassinated 42 years ago next month. 42 years before I was in 6th grade Herbert Hoover was president and the US was sinking into the Great Depression. In other words, it's all ancient history to the kids.

In an effort to put a face on the Civil Rights Movement, the grandmother of one of our 6th graders volunteered to speak with our class about her experiences as a young woman. Dr. Marjorie Miller was a student at Tufts University in 1960 when she helped organize and participate in boycotts and marches in Boston. She also helped to organize a concert in the Boston Garden featuring Harry Bellafonte that raised funds for college students in the South who had been arrested at lunch counter sit-ins. Our students were totally engaged, listening intently to her stories and asking excellent questions. Her personal story brought to light many issues of which our students were largely unaware, including the fact that the Civil Rights Movement was not exclusively Southern and that white people played a critical role in the Movement. And did I mention that Dr. Miller spoke to the students from Busan, South Korea? Thanks to the wonders of Skype and a recently installed interactive SMART Board in the 5/6 English classroom, our students experienced some real-time distance learning. Dr. Miller is on a Fulbright from her regular job as a professor of feminist philosophy at SUNY Purchase, but she stayed up late into the night to "meet" with our kids (South Korea is 13 hours ahead of us). It is not hyperbole to say that this is a class that could not have taken place at EFS even just a year or two ago.

EFS 6th graders speaking with Dr. Marjorie Miller from Korea via Skype.

Professional Blogging

2010-02-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

I started this blogging business on a whim. In an effort to keep our friends and family in touch with our trip to last year's inauguration, I set-up a blog that chronicled our 4 days in DC. My family and I enjoyed recounting our experiences and hearing from those who were following us. As school started in September I launched this blog to have the forum to discuss various topics having to do with education, parenting, EFS, and anything else that came to mind. Although I hoped to post once a week, I haven't always kept up. Nevertheless, this will be my 19th post; not too bad.

As a result of my vast experience with blogging, I was asked to be one of four official bloggers for the National Association of Independent School (NAIS) Annual Conference - there are over 4000 independent school administrators and teachers at the conference. So here I sit, in San Francisco, attending workshops and general session speakers and blogging in every free moment. I've been to the conference many times over the years, but this is a very different way to experience it. It's meant that I need to be efficient and focused, but it's also been fun to be a voice of the conference for others. I had assumed that most of the followers would be folks who could not attend, but there are many attendees who have told me that they are following as well. Who knew?

I consider myself something of a luddite when it comes to social networking, so this blogging thing, this year and this week, has been an interesting new addition to my life. If you are interested in seeing what I've been up to in San Francisco, click here. Not included in the blog for NAIS, but definitely a highlight of the trip, was a dinner last night with a few EFS alums who live in the Bay Area.

One final note...don't feel too badly for me. In spite of dire predictions of rain all week, the weather here has been quite delightful. Although I've been stuck inside most of the time, it's struck me how nice 55 and sunny can feel for those of us mirerd in a cold and relatively snowless winter in Buffalo. The picture below was taken at a park across the street from the convention center during a break when I was able to sneak out for a few minutes.

Hopefully, this is what spring will look like when it finally arrives in Western New York.

Am I Really Too Old?

2010-02-19T14:44:00.001-05:00

My mother clearly thinks so.

Last week I sprained my knee - grade 2 tear of the MCL I think the doctor said - playing hockey. I'm not really sure what happened, but I think I caught an edge, causing me to fall and slam into the boards. No one was near me, nor was I moving all that fast. Nevertheless, I wasn't able to continue playing that night, and the visit to the doctor a couple of days later resulted in my wearing a brace while the ligament heals. Hopefully, I'll be back on the ice in a few weeks, albeit with the brace under my shin pad.

Now back to my mother. We spoke a couple of days after the incident and she made it very clear that I was too old to still be playing hockey. "It's time to stop that," is what I remember her saying. Those who know Mother Featherston know she's nothing if not direct. And I think my brothers would agree that she continues to take seriously her role as mother and not-so-gentle voice of reason, even though we're all in our 40s. In other words, I expected nothing less. Just think what she might have said if I told her that before I played hockey that fateful evening I'd gone snowboarding with our middle schoolers. I'm certainly not too old to know there are some things you don't need to share with your mother.

So, back to the original question. Am I really too old? I guess the answer is that while my body may, in fact, be too old to keep up with my athletic aspirations, I'm not mature enough to know when to stop.

Sorry, Mom.

Let the Games Begin

2010-02-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

Molly Clauss, Prep music and Friendship Club teacher, is our resident Olympics guru. In an effort to bring the Olympics home to her students, Molly has created a blog through which the class is communicating with people in Vancouver, fans, parents of athletes competing in the Games, and even some athletes themselves. In her first post, Molly spelled out the mission for the site and for her class: "We are a class from New York State that wants to know more about the Olympic experience, and we are hoping that people who are attending the Olympics will become our eyes and ears, and write to us about the events they attend." I think it's safe to say, we've all been surprised, pleasantly so, by the response. And it is great to see a committed and innovative teacher making use of technology to teach our students about competition, sportsmanship, geography, and more. Thanks, Molly!

Molly Clauss and the Prep students taking the Olympic oath.

Characteristics of a Good Student: The Top 10 List

2010-02-12T09:48:00.001-05:00

Last night EFS inducted 20 7th and 8th graders into the National Junior Honor Society. This recognition is given to students who have earned an A- average in their classes and who maintain high standards of character, service, leadership, and citizenship. In my talk to the students and their parents I proposed a list of 10 characteristics that I feel are critical for success in school. While this list is not meant to be definitive or exclusive of other worthy traits, I do hope that it sparks reflection among students about their own strengths. I'm anxious to hear from others about important characteristics I've failed to include.

Top 10 Characteristics of a Good Student
10. Ability
9.   Luck/Blessings
8.   Humor
7.   Humility
6.   Self-awareness
5.   Empathy
4.   Confidence
3.   Sense of Wonder
2.   Discipline
1.   Positive Attitude

How Much is Too Much?

2010-02-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

Is there a parent out there who didn't gasp a little when it was recently announced that a new study found that children 8 to 18 spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day using recreational media? It sounds unbelievable, especially when you realize that "recreational media" means time spent on the computer, TV, mobile phone, iPod, handheld game, etc. for fun; time spent on the computer for homework is not included. The research, conducted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family foundation found that the time on entertainment media had increased over and hour and a quarter since 2004, with most of that increase due to more access to mobile media. According to the study, "Over the past 5 years, the percentage of students owning cellphones jumped from 39 to 66 percent. The share of students who own iPods or other MP3 players rose from 18% to 76%." (Education Week, 1/27/10) And due to multitasking, young people are actually packing 10 hours and 45 minutes of recreational media content into the 7 hours and 38 minutes! If my kids can be considered normal in this context, I can certainly attest to the fact that they tend to watch a show on Hulu.com in one corner of the screen and browse the web or play a game in another corner. Not surprisingly, the study found that heavy users reported a negative impact on grades. The shocking piece of this is that a heavy user is defined as consuming, on average, more than 16 hours a day of recreational media content! How is that even possible?

So what's a parent to do? How do we balance the need to develop media literacy with the tendency of young people to overdo it? Is it possible to effectively monitor and limit all this access to the recreational use of media? Is it really worse than all the TV I watched as a kid? The best answer probably lies in what most EFS parents are doing already: engage children in athletics, theater, music, and other outside activities; spend as much family time...unplugged family time...as possible; continue to encourage independent, leisure reading. Over the summer, I read a great book, The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30). This fascinating, research-based book posits that all this time spent plugged-in comes at the expense of leisure reading, and is resulting in the least literate, least informed, and most self-absorbed generation ever. While it doesn't necessarily provide THE answer for parents, along with this recent study, The Dumbest Generation provides a compelling and cautionary tale for parents and educators alike.

Gr8 Db8

2010-01-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

Although educators have become enlightened about the link between spelling and intelligence or academic ability - there is none - any teacher of writing will admit to being both amazed and amused from time to time at students' creative misspellings. While spell check certainly helps writers produced more polished essays, my experience is that it doesn't seem to actually help children learn to spell. And with the advent of instant and text messaging, the job for all teachers of writing has gotten more difficult. As Ammon Shea points out in The Keypad Solution, from Friday's New York Times, many have tried to "fix" spelling in the English language, without much success. Now text messaging may be the start of a populist spelling revolution - every English teacher I know cringes at the thought. Will it happen? Is it a good thing? You be the judge.

Why MLK Matters

2010-01-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

Every family has its stories. Or perhaps they should be called legends, because that’s what they become over the years and through the many retellings. And often they change as time passes and our memory plays tricks on us, or they change simply to make a better story. One of the legendary stories in my family involves my eldest daughter, Riley, and Martin Luther King, Jr. She was in kindergarten and had been learning about the civil rights leader in school, so at dinner one night she excitedly told us all about him. The conversation led us to talk about my father who had died the previous year. Somehow, she hadn’t made what many of us would probably think was the most obvious connection between the two men: they were both African-American. When I informed her of this and that it meant that I, too, am African-American, she was pretty impressed. And because at five she wasn’t quite ready to make the final connection on her own, I finally let her know that this meant that she is African-American. To which she responded excitedly, “I am?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

That’s our family story, one that’s been told many, many times. And no doubt my telling of it has gotten better over the years, for the sake of maximum humor if not maximum accuracy. Riley just grins and shrugs now, as if to say, “I was five. What did I know about this stuff?” Over the years, I’ve had many interesting discussions around this story, from the innocence of children and if they see race on their own or only after they are taught to see difference to whether African-American is a more inclusive, accurate, palatable term than black. But as the national observance of Dr. King approaches, I’ve been thinking about another thing about this tale points out: his story resonates with children. Why?

While the specifics of slavery, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, nonviolent resistance, the Poor People’s Campaign, war in Vietnam, the social and political atmosphere of the 1960s, and Dr. King’s assassination may escape most children, even a five year-old understands what’s fair. And really Dr. King’s work was just about doing what was right and fair. As he said in his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, “In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” I often implore our students to work hard, play fair, be kind, and get involved. Dr. King asked the same of all of us and then led by example. Kids know fake from real. And they know Martin Luther King, Jr. was the real deal.

What's a parent to do?

2009-11-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-19T16:58:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-11-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

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.

Tribute to a Mentor

2009-10-27T15:26:00.000-04:00

The field of education, and education reform in particular, has lost one of its giants. Theodore R. Sizer, Ted to those who knew him, passed away last week at the age of 77. His obituary chronicles an extraordinary life spent in some of the nation's finest secondary and post-secondary schools as well as his efforts to remake American education around small schools, committed teachers, and authentic demonstrations of mastery.

Although I entered our first meeting in 1989 with a not-so-healthy balance of curiosity and cynicism, I quickly become one of many who consider Ted Sizer to be a friend and mentor. He had recently stepped down as chair of the education department at Brown University, but Ted was still very involved, respected, and even worshiped. In fact, the whole teacher education program had been formed around his ideology. Of course, I didn't know any of this when I started there that summer. In truth, I'd never heard of the guy. When the opportunity arose to meet him to discuss the possibility of being one of a dozen or so graduate assistants for his very popular undergraduate class on school reform, I tagged along with a few friends, as interested in the free food that was promised and meeting the person of whom everyone at Brown spoke in such reverential terms as I was in being a TA.

Having been around the block once or twice, Ted had experience with smart alecks of my ilk and won me over almost immediately. Without a doubt one of the smartest people I've ever known, he was also among the most unpretentious. Perhaps what made him such a wonderful teacher was that Ted was a great listener. Our weekly evening meetings at his home to discuss his class and our discussion sections were characterized by his giving us a little direction, our doing lots of brainstorming and a fair amount of arguing, him providing more gentle direction, and us reaching the exact point he knew we would at the beginning. Of course, at the time, we thought it was our brilliance that brought us to great clarity, when it was really him all along.

On my best days, I'd like to think that I live up to the model that Ted provided and to the belief he had in me. On my worst days, I take comfort in knowing that he would know just what to say to inspire me to be my best. Although it's been a few years since I last saw Ted and his wife Nancy, a great teacher and scholar in her own right, his ideas, his model, and his manner continue to inspire me as an educator and as a leader.

Hopefully, it's not too late to say what I should have said years ago. Thanks, Ted.

Real World Lesson

2009-10-22T16:19:00.001-04:00

I think we often think of school, particularly the early years of school, as preparation for doing bigger and better things: learning letters and sounds to become a fluent reader later; learning math facts early enables higher level mathematics down the road; learning to write an effective topic sentence in elementary school leads to effective paragraph and essay writing in middle and high school. And on and on.

Molly Clauss and her Prep II class signing their greetings via Skype to their

new friends at St. Mary's School for the Deaf.

But even our youngest students can learn valuable skills that they are able to put to use right away. For many years Prep II students have learned American Sign Language, which they practiced in school, showed off to parents, and used at performances in the theatre. This year, long-time Friendship Club and music teacher, Molly Clauss, has taken signing another step. As we’ve looked for opportunities for EFS students to have an impact in the community through service learning – community service tied directly to curricular goals – Molly has partnered with St. Mary’s School for the Deaf. In September, Molly used the new interactive SMART Board in her classroom and Skype to conduct a joint lesson with a kindergarten class at St. Mary’s, giving both classes the opportunity to practice their signing skills in a real-world, real-time setting without ever leaving their classrooms. This week EFS welcomed the class from St. Mary’s here to perform a joint telling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The cast, made up of students from both schools, signed and spoke the story to the delight of classmates and teachers. Cute doesn’t begin to describe it! The children, both those performing and watching, were totally focused and very proud. Molly said later, “Afterward, all the children went out on the playground, where the real magic began. The children were signing to each other, asking each other to play, asking what their sign name is, and using their knowledge to effectively communicate through the universal childhood language of play. The Prep teachers stood in awe as we watched.”

EFS and St. Mary's students performing Goldilocks and the Three Bears in spoken

word and American Sign Language.

Five and six year-olds practicing new skills, using technology, and having a positive impact outside the school. In other words, they were living out the mission of EFS. Next month, the EFS students have been invited to St. Mary’s for a Thanksgiving feast.

Living the Dream

2009-10-05T09:56:00.000-04:00

Although The Buffalo News neglected to mention it in its October 2, 2009 story, Worth a look: Adam Lippes makes a name in design, Adam Lippes, founder and creative director of the fashion line ADAM, is a 1987 graduate of Elmwood Franklin School. He remains closely connected to and supportive of the school, even hosting an alumni event last year at his flagship store in New York City.

Adam signing autographs for some of his fans in Upper School.

An early highlight of the year was to have Adam visit on Friday and speak to the Upper School about his path to success and the importance of the foundation he received at EFS. Adam showed a short clip of his recent runway show at Fashion Week in New York and answered lots of great questions from our students and teachers. While many of the students were very interested in the celebrities he’s dressed (Oprah, Brad Pitt, Halle Barry, the cast of Gossip Girl, to name just a few), they also asked about his fashion inspirations, educational path, travels, the challenges of running a business, and social and environmental responsibility. Adam told them how important a second language, especially French or Italian, is in his business. He warned them that while modeling looks glamorous, it is anything but. Adam mentioned the important role that mentors have played in his success and that he now tries to do the same for young, aspiring designers. He spoke of learning to write a business plan. And he talked about the importance of having a family who believed in him and supported his dream. Perhaps the best messages of the day, delivered explicitly by his words and implicitly by his very example, were ones we’ve been stressing with our students this year: set goals, work hard, and surround yourself with allies who can help you realize your dreams. It's safe to say our students will not soon forget Adam's visit.

Adam spoke of the importance of mentors. In his case, they

include his mom and Oscar de la Renta. Here Adam is pictured with

a couple of his non-fashion mentors, Tom Ryan and Mr. Ziggy.

Of Leadership and Memories

2009-09-21T14:43:00.000-04:00

What's better than a 5 hour bus ride and a week in the cold with no showers or flush toilets? Not much, according to EFS 8th graders. For the last 16 years, Elmwood Franklin's "seniors" have traveled to Algonquin Provincial Park north of Toronto for a week of leadership development at Camp Pathfinder. For some, this sort of experience is old hat, having spent weeks at camp each summer - many of the boys at Pathfinder itself. For others, it's way outside their personal comfort zone. But to hear each of them talk about their time on the island, the week spent at Pathfinder is a highlight of Upper School.

And who's to argue? Pathfinder is a special place, away from most of the modern conveniences that make life better - indoor plumbing, to name one - as well as those that complicate our lives - cell phones, email, and the like. Instead, the 8th graders are challenged by sleeping in platform tents or unheated cabins and the formal program which includes hiking, canoeing, and a high ropes course. But perhaps more importantly, they are required to find pleasure in simply spending time with each other, in strengthening friendships, and in supporting one another through the experience.

The 8th grade Pathfinder trip holds special memories for all who have gone. From the long bus ride with friends and enough junk food to horrify a nutritionist to the the daily Polar Bear Club swims with Ms. Clark - picture 50F degree water and 35F degree air at 7:00am; no showers, remember - Pathfinder represents a rite of passage at EFS. We count on our 8th grade to set a positive tone for the rest of the school, and no matter the class, this special place seems to bring out the best in our students, setting them on a course to a great final year at Elmwood Franklin School.

The Death of Books?

2009-09-14T16:46:00.000-04:00

Much has been written about the importance of technology in today's world and in education in particular. There is little doubt that almost everything we do has been transformed by computers, the internet, and myriad other technologies. And this is certainly the case in schools. Just this year, EFS has added 9 new interactive SMART Boards – bringing us up to 14 total – that enable our teachers to capitalize on our students’ energy and creativity. The children love it! In fact, they look forward to any opportunity to use technology in the classroom, and our teachers are constantly on the lookout for ways to leverage technology to enhance our curriculum. By any measure, ours is truly a “wired” environment.

While there are many benefits to engaging young people through the use of technology, there are inevitable trade-offs. Learning proper keyboarding comes at the expense of practicing handwriting; gross motor skills suffer as children play more video/computer games and spend less time playing outside; Google searches and Wikipedia become preferred sources for any inquiry over encyclopedias, books, or other “off-line” reference materials; ability to multitask – watch a teenager manage Facebook, TV, iPod, instant messaging, texting, AND homework all at once – may negatively affect the ability to focus on a single task for an extended period of time; leisure reading – a reliable predictor of academic success – has decreased as online time has increased.

Most of us have fully embraced the benefits of technology at work and at home – I know I can’t go to the store for a gallon of milk without my iPhone. When we take the time to think about it, however, we might also agree that we’ve lost something in terms of human interaction and civility, not to mention reading and writing, with the rise of email, texting, and surfing the internet. So with technology being so important to the young, can you imagine EFS doing away entirely with the library and its 16,000 volumes? One prominent independent school in Massachusetts is doing just that. In a recent Boston Globe article, Cushing Academy is highlighted for closing its library in favor of a “learning center” and fully embracing the power of technology to meet its students’ needs. Is this the future for schools? Are those who cling to traditional books just like those who believed the automobile would never replace the horse? You be the judge.

Here We Go!

2009-09-03T15:09:00.001-04:00

There’s nothing quite like the energy of the first day of school. After a summer marked by what seemed like constant rain, the weather certainly cooperated today. It was a spectacular morning to stand out front shaking hands, welcoming new and returning students alike for the start of Elmwood Franklin’s 114^th year. With enthusiasm outweighing the nervous energy of teachers, students, and parents, we’ve gotten off to a great start.

As predicted, everyone is wowed by the new Lower School hallway. Although many who saw how it looked as late as Tuesday doubted that it would be ready, I never lost faith…OK, maybe I had a few doubts. With new lockers, a bright and cheery paint scheme, and a ceiling that vaults to over 15 feet, the transformation is quite remarkable. Other changes around school include new computers in the library and in Lower School classes; interactive SMART Boards in Prep I, in Molly Clauss’s room, and in Upper School math (more will follow in the next week in 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd grade); two new teachers—Tammy Manikowski, who will teach 1^st through 6^th grade Spanish, and in Upper School chorus, Ryan Kaminski—and 50 new students from Prep I through 8^th grade. While the children are excited to note all the changes around school, they are at least as interested in reconnecting with their old friends and their old teachers. The first day of school at EFS has a homecoming feel to it that is energizing and comforting to students, teachers, and parents, alike.

A school is not a school without students and teachers. So, while the end of summer means a loss of free time as well as a return to earlier bed times, homework, and other routines of school, I, for one, am happy to be “back in business” and looking forward to another great year.

Almost Ready...

2009-09-01T16:24:00.000-04:00

As I write, there are about 40 hours before we welcome back the students for Elmwood Franklin School's 114th year. As you'll see from the picture, we're not quite ready, although we're readier today than we were yesterday and we'll be readier still tomorrow. The week before school starts is typically one of controlled panic as teachers – Upper School, Lower School, and Prep – work to ready classrooms and Mr. Ziggy and Mr. Pat prepare the building and grounds for 350 or so eager students and their parents. But this year’s building project in the Lower School hallway has pushed us right to the limit. Lower School teachers couldn’t get into their rooms as early as usual and they’ve had to work overtime to get everything set-up. But when we open on Thursday, all anyone will see is a great new Lower School hallway, with new lockers, a new paint scheme, and a vaulted ceiling. And in the classrooms they’ll find their teachers ready for another great year.

As a blogging novice, I've been researching what makes a good blog - once a history teacher, always a history teacher, I guess. Predictably, the internet provides hundreds, maybe thousands, of articles about how to write a good, great, excellent, compelling, interesting, engaging, or even a famous blog. And while their advice is quite varied, they do agree on one thing: keep it short. If you're reading this, then you know that's going to be my challenge. Some recommend keeping each posting to fewer than 250 words, while others say absolutely no more than 1000 (in case you’re wondering, I’m at 271 right now). Perhaps the most distressing information I found claims that the average reader spends 96 seconds on a blog. To those of us who love to luxuriate in books, this seems shocking. However, when I really think about how I flick from website to website, 96 seconds sounds about right, maybe even a little generous.

My goal here is to be informative about the goings on at EFS, to ponder issues of parenting and education, and to foster conversation. I hope you’ll make a habit of visiting this blog regularly.

364 words; not bad.