May 14, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

Despite the intermittent rain showers, I hope that everyone has found some time to relax this past weekend.  In an effort to 'practice what I preach', and with Mother's Day on Sunday, I believe it is a good time for me to step back and unplug a bit.  This blog entry is an abbreviated one this week as a result.  As always, however, I can not promise that some articles may not be sent your way!  With Teacher Appreciation Week last week, I have posted for your interest a piece by Arne Duncan - 'Secretary Arne Duncan on Teacher Appreciation Week'.  

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
May 7, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

Hopefully you were able to find some time to get outside this past weekend to enjoy this wonderful weather.  I continue to be amazed how much the weather can have an impact on the spirits.  After a busy day of errands and sports for the kids on Saturday, it was a real treat to come back to Blake for 'A Night of Seuss' - what a wonderful success!  It was great to see all of the hours of hard work come to fruition on stage.  I want to commend all of the students (both on stage and backstage) to help the performance come together.  The added bonus this year, of course, was seeing the staff members (Seth Hellerstein, Eileen Hurley, Kelly Dengos, Marissa Gumas, Susie Boulos, and Deb Manning) on stage with the kids.  A special thank you to Tracy Allen, Joan Dion, and Kathleen Caprio for their leadership, patience, and support of the students along with the help of Nancy Deveno, Kayla Armstrong, Eileen Hurley, and Matt Frazier - well done and thank you!  I also want to thank many of the adult helpers (both staff and parents) who assisted with study hall coverage and tech week help.  As I was driving home with my kids after the show, I felt very fortunate to be part of this student-centered environment.

This week is 'Teacher Appreciation Week' and I am encouraging our staff to try and find time (a challenge, I know) for reflection and for themselves.  We are often the toughest critics on ourselves (I know I am), and I believe it is important for each of us to recognize our own efforts as well.  One of my continued goals for our students is to find various ways to recognize their accomplishments, and I share that sentiment for our staff as well.  I know it is an area that I can improve, and I hope that I will be able to find time this week and in the coming weeks to connect and share the appreciation that I have for our staff. 

As I think about ways to recognize both students and staff, I am continually reminded of the multifaceted nature of our work.  The middle school years are critical and present many challenges, and it is important that we are always finding multiple approaches to meet the needs of our students.  It is certainly a challenge, but a worthwhile one for sure.  To that end I am sharing three articles of interest this week along with a TED talk that I believe reflect, highlight, and underline some of the focal points we have for our students' growth.   The first article is a post from Education Week written by John Wilson entitled 'Students Need 8 Critical Conditions for Success'.  Wilson shares results from the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations' (QISA) 'My Voice, My School Survey', detailing some of the results and identifying, "...eight conditions that can make a difference in the academic, social, and personal successes of a student":  belonging, heroes, sense of accomplishment, fun and excitement, curiosity and creativity, spirit of adventure, leadership and responsibility, and confidence to take action.  The second article comes from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute - 'The Four Biggest Myths of the Anti-Testing Backlash'.  I found this article to be pertinent and relevant as our students begin round 2 of MCAS testing this week.  While I do not believe that standardized tests are the sole measure of a student's learning or academic achievement, I do espouse multiple modes of assessment and it is important to hear varying perspectives on the issues related to education - and, the standardized testing debate is certainly a hot topic.  Along similar lines, the third brief article, 'Has Technology Changed the Way Children Play?' by Audrey Watters, challenges the notion that technology has 'dampened the way children play', citing a study that, "...suggests that much of the outcry about declining kids' play may be exaggerated."  The study (Children's Playground Games and Songs in the New Media Age) is from 2011 and is encouraging to read as we expand our integration of technology at Blake.  This does not alleviate all of my concerns on this topic, but again, the research and challenging views are important.  Finally, and directly related to the topic of technology, I am sharing a TED talk by Juan Enriquez - Your Online Life, Permanent as a Tattoo.  Enriquez was the founding director of the Life Sciences Project at Harvard Business School and has published work on the economic and political impacts of life sciences.  His six minute talk focuses on the permanency of our digital footprint, and his reminders are important for children and adults alike.

Many aspects go into our work and I am indeed proud to be a member of the Blake and Medfield community.  A special thank you this week to the care and efforts of our teachers - Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
April 30, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

I hope that everyone was able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend.  Our family enjoyed a lovely weekend - dinner out for Katie and me on Friday night, Grayden seeing Sesame Street Live with Katie on Saturday morning, and a day of sports for Maggie and Owen on Saturday.  It was also the 'Holliston Spring Stroll' on Saturday - always wonderful to be part of a community day, connecting with friends and enjoying the connections that have been made for our children.  

Shifting gears after a vacation is always a challenging task, for both students and staff, but I want to thank everyone once again for their presence, professionalism, and care that was exhibited Monday morning and throughout the week.  I have to admit that coming back to school after time off with family is often a 'less than desirable event' at times, but it was wonderful to be back with one another at Blake.  Thank you.  As has been shared in personal interactions and certainly in the greater media, many stories of hope and optimism have been very present as we all look to find ways to work through the tragic events of the past week - certainly in Boston, but also throughout the nation and world.  I feel fortunate to be in an environment at Blake and in Medfield that has put forth a strong effort to support each other and maintain an optimistic lens.  I have attached two articles that I found of interest, that relate both directly and indirectly to this idea.  The first article, 'Cynicism is Contagious:  So is Hope', from Edutopia is a brief piece focused on the cynicism that can have a presence in schools.  Symptoms of cynicism are noted and strategies for overcoming the feelings are offered.  My sharing is not intended at all to state that we are a cynical bunch and some of the examples at the start need more background, but I do believe that the message of 'leaning towards yes' is one that is important:  "Reclaiming the power to make ourselves feel good minimizes the emotional risk that leads to disappointment and cynicism."  The second article, 'Teaching May Be the Secret to a Good Life' from The Gallup Blog, highlights results from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.  The results indicate that teachers are ranked # 2 out of 14 major career categories (physicians are # 1) in overall well-being, and influences on the ranking index are shared.  I am sharing this article as it highlights the the importance of finding, fostering, and retaining great teachers and the impact that educators have on the lives of others:  "At a time when America is struggling to evolve its K12 and higher education systems to better adapt to teaching 21st century skills, utilizing technology, and competing on a global playing field, there is nothing more critical to that effort than great teachers...Great teachers, as each of us can personally attest to, can change the trajectory of an individual student's life and career.  In large numbers, teachers can ultimately change the trajectory of human development, too.  It is very likely that the lofty mission and purpose of teaching has something to do with teachers' high overall well-being.  They have jobs that - although incredibly challenging - allow them to reap incredible rewards in the form of young people realizing their potential, overcoming hurdles, and achieving goals and dreams.  They get to see these results in tangible ways almost every single day."  The authors also go on to note the importance of leadership, and in particular, the role of the principal and implications of school culture, workplace, and its impact on a building.  As you know, reflection and feedback are very important to me and these results are a good reminder for me to 'practice what I preach'.  I continue to offer my 'open door' so that we may work together to establish a healthy culture at Blake for our students and our collective growth.

The month of May is on our doorstep, and I want to bring our focus back to the theme of 'perseverance' as we look towards the 'final push' of the school year.  Over the April vacation I came across a blog entry from LifeHacker, How to Stick With It When You're Learning Something New On Your Own, that breaks down some strategies for the self-learning process.  Although the nature of schooling implies a 'guided learning' process, I do believe that one of the 'paradigm shifts' from the traditional model of school is the welcoming and embracing of the various avenues for students and staff to learn and grow.  The blog's structure outlines a 'self-education plan' that has interesting connections to the idea of teaching and embedding the skills of perseverance into our work:  Find what you actually want to learn about; Figure out how you learn best; Learn by doing whenever possible; and Find a community to learn with.  As I reflect upon the work we have done with our mission statement and also thinking about the implementation of the new teacher evaluation system, I believe this structure will serve us well.  Within the entry there are two elements I have noted below that support the importance of both reflection and habits in the learning process...

"Some people prefer to learn on a defined path (syllabus) and others prefer to wing it.  Winging it, for the people I spoke with, means starting with the thing you're curious about, and letting yourself follow the tangents you need in order to understand what you're interested in, or master the skills you want.  So again, some self-reflection really matters."

"...learning on your own is almost like a habit that requires a schedule and your attention.  Even just 15 minutes a day can ensure you're sticking with it."

As we think towards the end of this year and the scheduling/planning for the 13-14 academic year, the shifting and changing methods of education are present on my mind.  The prospect of the endeavors we are exploring with our students and community are exciting, but I am reminded more than ever about the importance of balance and community outreach.  Although I do not fully agree with every aspect of the posted reading from Edudemic - 'The Importance of the Evolution of Education', the idea of evolution deeply resonates with me right now in the shaping of our lessons, units, and work.  As the article states at the outset:  "Over the past century, the modes of both imparting and receiving education have undergone a paradigm shift.  The evolution of education has become more important than ever."  The author conveys that traditional learning is important (strong academic base), coupled with the means for full-time learning and continued acquisition of knowledge, in essence e-learning and mobile learning.  Finally, as we think about technology's role in learning, we must also continue to work on 'meeting students where they are at' and understanding their perspective.  This morning I read Peter Dewitt's latest post in Education Week (I highly recommend his work), entitled 'Should Teenagers Expect Privacy On the Internet?'  As with much of our work and the readings I come across, I found this to be helpful both as an educator and as a parent, and I hope that it sparks conversations and reflection for you as well.

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
April 23, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

I would like to sincerely thank the entire Blake community for the care and compassion that has been both offered and demonstrated since our return to school.  With our hearts, thoughts, and prayers with those affected by the tragic events over the last week, today's update is an abbreviated one.  This week we will be working as a community to think about the ways that we can show our care and support for the casualties of these events.  I am once again inspired and moved by the care, compassion, and professionalism that exists in our community - for students, staff, and one another.  Do not hesitate to contact us with questions or for guidance and support.  As always, the safety, well-being, and care of our students is our highest priority.

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 

April 17, 2013

04/17/2013

 
Dear Blake Families:

Thank you to everyone for their shared concerns about our staff.  Ms. Dengos, Mrs. Kearney, and Mrs. Heim are all safe.  Your care and compassion is greatly appreciated.
Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
April 9, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

After a long week full of colds, sinus infections, and overall 'malaise' in the Vaughn house, the spring weather as of late has certainly been a welcome sight - amazing how the environment can help to improve the spirits! 

The highlight of this past week was our Special Olympics event at Blake on Friday.  There are many individuals to thank and I am afraid I would forget someone if I began to list them, but I was truly honored to be a part of the day.  The combined efforts from all five communities (Ashland, Holliston, Medfield, Medway, and Millis) resulted in a wonderful day for all of the athletes and their families.  As is the tradition/ritual at the beginning of these events, the athletes recited the Special Olympics Oath:  'Let me win.  But if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.'  These words represented the tone of the entire day and I believe that we should strive to carry forth this missive with all of our students.  The bravery of all of our athletes was present and appreciated by all.  If given the opportunity, please take a minute over the next week to recognize and commend all of our athletes and know that you all (students, staff, parents, community) played a part in supporting the event.  Thank you.

This past Tuesday evening we held another iPad Highlights Night for parents/guardians in our continued effort to share, highlight, and discuss the progress our challenges, as well as the direction we are moving as a school and district.  As I reflect upon our work and think about the integration of technology into our classes, I am continually reminded of the importance of 'balance' and the importance of defining and articulating the purposefulness of our initiatives.  In this vein I have posted an article from The New York Times, entitled 'The Child, the Tablet and the Developing Mind', written by Nick Bilton.  Bilton's article shares an important perspective on the importance of socialization skills for our children, referencing the work of Sherry Turkle (professor from MIT) who has written the book, 'Alone Together:  Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other'.  Turkle espouses the importance for children to learn about solitude and the importance of thinking independent of a device:  "Ms. Turkle has interviewed parents, teenagers and children about the use of gadgets during early development, and says she fears that children who do not learn real interactions, which often have flaws and imperfections, will come to know a world where perfect, shiny screens give them a false sense of intimacy without risk."  Along similar lines, I am also sharing an entry from TeachThought (What a Digital Native Needs to Know About Playing Outside), an 'open letter' to children born into the age of technology.  The message is not a new one, but the reminders about healthy alternatives and outlets (enjoy nature, observe, and play) serve as an excellent reminder for all of us as we approach April vacation and (hopefully) the reality of spring!  Finally, I am sharing a link that you may find to be helpful (How to Set Parental Controls on In-App Purchases) as a resource for setting appropriate limits with our students.  Katie and I have found these to be helpful as parents, and I will be sure to continue in the shared efforts to work together for all of our children. 

I hope that April vacation will serve as a welcome break for all, and that you are able to rest and recharge before we approach the 'final stretch' towards summer.

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
April 2, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

It certainly has been nice to get a taste of spring weather over the past few days, and I hope that everyone found some nice 'down time' during the long weekend.  It was great to be able to get outside to do some yard work, go for a few runs, and spend time with family.

A real highlight of this past week was the visits and time spent with each of the three finalists for the Superintendent of the Medfield Public Schools.  On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning, I had the pleasure of being toured around the building with each candidate and representative from the School Committee by three of our Student Council representatives.  As you all know I am incredibly biased about Blake and our school, and touring around the building helped to support my sense of pride once again.  Before each visit, I must admit that I had some 'healthy' angst about each visit, however - as my investment is so deep and my lens is 'present and in it' at Blake, I often wonder about the view from an outsider - Are we practicing what we preach?  Do our core values really live in our school?  Are the lessons that we hope to be teaching our students transferable?  And, as I have shared with many of you, it is always wonderful to see our school and community from a different perspective.  Our student leaders were thoughtful, honest, forthright, and mature.  It was great to see and hear the reactions and feedback from each of the candidates about our school, culture, and community.  We certainly are not perfect, but the commitment to students on many levels is clear.  Thank you all for your dedication, professionalism, and commitment.  I would also like to thank and commend the student leaders:  Liam Dewey, Annie Phipps, Joe Pagliazzo, Meg Zona, Kyle Keegan, Michaela Joyce, Sarah Jubber, Jenevieve Erickson, and Connor Haskell.

As noted above, each visit was an opportunity for self-reflection and healthy examination of our practices - What is our belief system and where do our beliefs live and breathe in our school?  I have posted an article written by Elena Aguilar, entitled 'Effective Strategies for School Transformation:  Our Beliefs', that I found of interest as it emphasizes the importance of understanding the impact and influence that our beliefs have on our actions and efforts.  The article is comprised of excerpts from Aguilar's book new book, The Art of Coaching:  Effective Strategies for School Transformation, and presents a framework (Chris Argyris' 'Ladder of Inference') for understanding the power of our beliefs, specifically our assumptions:  "We can't live our lives without adding meaning and making assumptions.  We simply have to do this in order to make sense of our world.  But as you probably see, there's a great danger in constantly charging up the ladder and taking actions based on unexamined assumptions - we operate from a distorted picture of reality."  I believe this approach and ladder of inference has many direct and indirect implications for the work we do with our students.  We must be willing to examine our beliefs with an open and honest mind, always allowing ourselves the opportunity to question and challenge our current thinking so that we may make thoughtful, informed decisions in the best interest of our students.

The reflection and examination of our beliefs is important as we think about the skills and attributes we want our students to acquire as they move through Blake Middle School.  Our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, and Reflection are certainly at the heart of our work.  One of the core attributes/traits that I hope we can foster is that of empathy.  Webster's defines empathy as, "the imaginative projection of one's consciousness into the feelings of another person or object; sympathetic understanding."  Acquiring and demonstrating the understanding of another's point of view is critical - I believe that it always has been, but particularly in our ever-changing and and rapidly evolving world.  Along these lines I have posted a brief article, 'Empathy:  A Gateway to Objectivity in Leadership', written by Jan Birchfield that nicely outlines empathy as the bridge between compassion and understanding:  "Empathy is the linchpin between compassion, which arises from the heart, and understanding, which arises from the mind.  There is no understanding of others without compassion.  So, too, there is not compassion without understanding.  When we perceive others without compassion, judgment arises.  We usually assume that we are an impartial judge.  However, to be truly impartial requires understanding.  True understanding is informed by empathy.  As we respond with empathy, compassion inevitably arises.  This doesn't mean that our judgment is clouded by emotion, but rather that it is informed by emotion."  With each day, as I work with students, teachers, and parents, I am cognizant that the ability to empathize is invaluable, for it will help to bridge the gaps that may exist in the belief systems that we all bring to the table.

The visits this week also helped bring to the forefront of my thinking the importance of a community's effort in educating our children.  Each candidate met with teachers, students, parents, town officials, and administrators, and the 'common ground' for all of these constituencies was, and is, the education in the Medfield Public Schools.  It is important that we continue to open up the walls of the school and make connections with our community.  Our goals, vision, mission, and practices should be transparent and I hope we can build upon the partnerships that we have established.  On Friday morning I read a blog entry in Education Week by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers, 'Partners are Essential', that emphasized the importance of partnership for the benefit of our students and youth.  The examples that are highlighted are certainly intense and are on the more extreme end, but they underline a basic principle that we need to keep in mind - no one can do the important work alone:  "One thing is for sure...we must have help.  This calls for partners who share our concern and our purpose.  These children belong to all of us."  I feel that we are blessed to work in a community likeMedfield that does put education first, but we need to keep reaching out.  We all (teachers, administrators, parents, community members, town officials, and students themselves) all own a share in the responsibility of educating our children, whatever the focus at hand - academics, social/emotional support, technology integration, balance, wellness, etc. - may be.  I hope that we can continue to work together in a partnership to share our beliefs, reflect upon their influence on our work, and foster values such as empathy in effort to further the academic and social growth of our students.  

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
March 26, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

I hope that you all enjoyed your weekend and that you were able to get outside to enjoy the sun a bit after a wintery first week of spring!  Our weekend was relatively quiet, which is never a bad thing, with lots of excitement around March Madness.  I would like to thank and acknowledge our staff for their efforts in making MCAS as smooth as possible last week, providing a structured and nurturing environment for our students.  

As with most of our weeks, this past one was a busy one - Term 2 grades turned in and verified, MCAS testing, adjustments to scheduling for the snow day, meetings, etc. - and I once again was struck by the professionalism and commitment of our staff.  We often talk about the importance of being flexible, particularly with the developmental needs of the students with whom we work, but at times it can feel extreme.  What impresses me most and fills me with a sense of pride and admiration is the continued commitment to maintain a safe and nurturing environment for our students. 

When the MCAS testing takes place across the Commonwealth the debate about standardized testing fills the media and is on the forefront of the minds of educators.  The debate is not one that is new, but the research and dialogue is ongoing and important.  As with many of these 'hot button' debates, I believe that balance is the key and the solution does not necessarily have to be 'either/or' - I do think we should be striving to strike an appropriate balance.  The most important elements for us, as educators, is to continue to work towards finding the most influential factors that increase the propensity for students to be able to access the curriculum and learn.  The environment has to be right.  With this in mind, I am highlighting two articles that I read this past week.  The first article, entitled 'Motivation Matters:  40% of High School Students Chronically Disengaged From School', is written by James Marshall Crotty and presents findings released by the Center on Education Policy (CEP).  Their findings emphasize the importance of 'motivation' in student learning or, in turn, the lack of student motivation resulting in the too-often disengagement of students in school:  "Too often, strategies that adults use to boost student achievement - such as raising academic standards and giving high-stakes standardized exams - do not address the real reasons why students are disengaged...students who are bored or inattentive or who put little effort to schoolwork are unlikely to benefit from better standards, curriculum, and instruction unless schools, teachers, and parents take steps to address their lack of motivation."  High academic standards and assessments are indeed important, but it is critical that we make sure that 'student motivation' is at the foundation of our work - otherwise, the accessibility and readiness will not be in place.  The studies emphasized the increased likelihood for students to be academically motivated when these conditions are present:  "...when they feel competent enough to complete the task at hand; when they see a direct link between their actions and an outcome and have some control over whether or how to undertake a task; when the task has interest or value to them; and when completing the task brings social rewards, such as a sense of belonging to a group or approval from someone they care about."  Each of these conditions are critical and influential, and I hope we can endeavor to increase the attainment of all of these conditions for our students.

The second article is from Connected Principals and written by Johnny Bevacqua, entitled 'Creating the Conditions to Unlearn' (Creating the Conditions to Unlearn).  At the top of the article is a quote I have shared before from futurist Alvin Toffler:  The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.  The concept of unlearning directly relates to the values and belief system we have discussed as a staff - mistakes are important and we need to make sure that we are taking risks, learning, and continually growing from our experiences.  As we examine our current practices and think about the initiatives we are exploring and embarking upon (integration of technology, expansion of iPads in the classroom, mission statement, identifying effective ways to implement the Common Core, etc.), this focus needs to be at the heart of our thinking.  We must be willing to embrace paradigm shifts and rethink what our lessons, classrooms, and school environment should look like and be for our students.  With report cards going home this past Friday and the start of the third term now in swing, I hope we can continue to tap into the motivating elements and conditions for our students, continually learning and unlearning both for and with our students.

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
March 19, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

I hope that everyone was able to find some much needed 'down time' this weekend and had a nice snow day.  After a week with three nights out, I have to admit that 'unplugging' is something that was much needed in our house.  We had a full weekend - dinner out as a family, Owen's soccer, Maggie and Katie at a Girl Scouts event, and the joy of going to see the MHS girls win the state championship on Saturday afternoon!  Congratulations to the girls and to our very own Mark Nickerson and Ellen Gelinas for their success coaching this season - well done!

Although this weekend's pace was just as full as the school week, it was equally fulfilling.  I believe that I am an optimistic person, but when the tasks and lists tend to pile up, I find myself starting to get overwhelmed and the 'negative or pessimistic' thoughts start to kick in.  It is easy to get overwhelmed by everything going on, but when I am able to take a step back and look at each aspect, I am able to see the value and importance in each endeavor.  I remember sharing this last year, mid-March starts the time of year where are entering the unique time frame of planning for two academic years - planning and scheduling for 2013-2014 while also making sure that we stay in the present for our students in the 2012-2013 school year.  As such the work starts to pile up and the overwhelming feelings can kick in.  It is during times like these that I believe it is critical to find a moment to slow down the thoughts, recognize the triggers of stress, work towards finding the good, and 'lean towards yes'. 

With this thought process in mind, I have posted two articles that I believe are important and are pertinent to our work with students, the community, and one another.  The first article, 'What Teens Get About the Internet that Parents Don't', presents the variance in opinions of young people and parents regarding the role of the Internet and technology in learning.  The author, Mimi Ito, shares insight from her daughter's experience in school and the rising levels of stress that we all see in our society and youth, going on to present a perspective of how our youth view the technology meets their needs:  "For her, the Internet has been a lifeline for self-directed learning and connection to peers.  In our research, we found that parents more often than not have a negative view of the role of the Internet in learning, but young people almost always have a positive one."  With our expansion of technology in education as a whole, and specifically at Blake our 1:1 iPad Initiative for the entire 8th grade for next year, this is a paradigm shift to recognize and keep in mind.  And, please do not get me wrong - I believe in balance, have traditional views that still guide my views on education, and have many concerns that need to be considered as we move forward.  However, it is our responsibility to stay current and respond in a positive, forward-thinking approach to meet the constantly changing needs of our students, as shared by Ito:  "Young people are desperate for learning that is relevant and part of the fabric of their social lives, where they are making choices about how, when, and what to learn, without it all being mapped for them in advance...When my daughter graduates from college, I want her to be able to ask interesting questions, make wise choices in where to direct her time and attention, and find a career that is about contributing to a purpose that's more than her own self-advancement."  This is not an easy task and involves far more than the integration of technology into the classroom, but the goal is one worthy of aspiring towards and I could not agree more with her hope for all of our students.

Along with the guiding principles and vision that I believe helps to center our work, we can not ignore all of the day-to-day tasks that need our attention.  As shared above this is a busy time - placement tests, MCAS planning, Term 2 grade completion, meetings - and the overwhelming nature of our work can consume us.  The second article I have posted is from Chris Lehmann, founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA.  It is entitled 'Letter to a Young Teacher' and was written by Lehmann in 2008.  He reposted it on Twitter a couple of weeks ago and I shared it with some of you already.  It is an 'open letter' to a teacher thinking of leaving the profession, offering some of the things he has learned along the way.  I saved a copy to my 'desktop' and have found myself reading and rereading it many times over the last couple of weeks.  Here are a few of the ideas that I found particularly relevant and resonated with me...


This job is a marathon, not a sprint.  As much as we don't like to admit it, we have to acknowledge our need to pace ourselves...You learn that perfection is a lousy goal because it is unattainable...You learn that you know a lot less than you think you can do.  You learn that your colleagues know a lot more than you think they do...You learn that teaching is both an art and a craft, and that it is something you get better at...You learn that you aren't perfect...and neither are the kids, and sometimes the best thing you can do is forgive...yourself and the kids...You learn that the worst thing you do is think of yourself as 'just a teacher'.  You learn that the second worst thing you can do is think that being a teacher is the hardest job in the world...You learn how to ask yourself, "Did I give what I had to give today?"  You learn how to look at that question over time...You learn how much you have to keep learning...We need you to stay and figure it out.  It's never easy, but it does keep getting better as long as you are willing to learn.

I hope that we can continue to help our students, children, and one another 'lean towards yes', work towards balance, and foster the willingness to learn.  As shared at the incoming parent nights for all three grades over the last week, I feel so fortunate to work in this community and learn with all of you.  Thank you.

Please click here for Important Dates and Announcements.
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Take care.

Nat Vaughn
 
 
March 12, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

After the snowy and blustery Friday, I hope everyone was able to get outside and enjoy the mild and sunny weather - gives us the hope that spring is indeed coming.  Daylight savings, although tough with the initial adjustment, is always a welcome sign of light in the evenings!  We had a relatively low-key weekend, with activities for the kids and 'the routines' filling our schedule.  

This past week, even with only four days of school, was certainly a full one, but also one that gave me many opportunities to reflect upon our work and the environment we are striving to foster for our students.  Beginning the week with the discussions about our own views of 'public education' at our staff meeting was centering and refreshing, hearing the varying views of academics, advising, and social/emotional learning.  It was a real joy to have the Harmony Club from MHS visit and share their thoughts with us about their work and views as to how we can foster a climate and culture of acceptance.  As discussed at our meeting, our goal in this work is to provide a 'seat at the table' for all of the students in our community and to be sure that we are pushing our school towards a school of true acceptance, and not just tolerance.  With this in mind as a follow up, I have posted an article by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers from Education Week, entitled 'Leading from Tolerance to Acceptance'.  Myers and Berkowicz articulate the difficult task of confronting one's personal belief system in this work:  “Schools must make the subtle and significant shift from tolerant environments to accepting ones.  Some people use the word tolerance and mean acceptance.  Others see a difference between the two…Tolerance includes a type of separateness, while acceptance requires inclusion.  Leading the leap from tolerance to acceptance requires the hard work of confronting belief systems.”  It was inspiring to read our staff's thoughts as to how we can adjust our own approaches in classrooms and their ideas for fostering a culture of acceptance -  reflecting on both our language and actions. I appreciate their willingness to join me in this work to benefit all of our students.

As part of Read Across America week, I had the joy of visiting Alison Guilbert's kindergarten class as a guest reader at Memorial on Wednesday morning.  On Tuesday evening, my son Owen (a kindergartner himself) picked out the book Big written by Coleen Paratore and illustrated by Clare Fennell, sharing that, “…it would be a good one - they will like it.”  And, he was right -  it is a wonderful picture book with the message that we all have the chance to be big (through thoughts, actions, questions, etc.) every day.  I have to say that my respect and admiration for elementary educators always rises every time I have the chance to visit a classroom at Memorial, Wheelock, or Dale.  Beyond the energy of the students and enthusiasm for learning, what struck me most was the caring and supportive environment at Memorial and in Alison's class.  No matter what the age of our students or our audience, it is critical that we continue to work towards a nurturing and open space for learning.  For your interest I have posted an article by Larry Ferlazzo entitled, 'Cultivating a Positive Environment for Students'.  Although it may be seem obvious, in this brief article Ferlazzo acknowledges the challenges of remaining positive with influences of negativity: “…the power of a setback to increase frustration is more than three times as strong as the power of progress to decrease frustration.”  He then presents some concrete suggestions, concluding with the idea of incorporating reflections on a regular basis, emphasizing the 'why' -  “Identifying those reasons can help students see actions they can take more often to increase the quality and quantity of positive events in their lives.”

As I look ahead to this week -  planning for incoming 7th and 8th grade parent information nights, building upon the vision of technology in our schools, beginning the work of scheduling for the 2013-2014 academic year, in addition to the day-to-day work -  I am going to try and find time to center myself on the positives and keep the overall vision of our work in mind.  March is National Middle Level Education Month (see http://www.nassp.org/tabid/2686/default.aspx and posted article - '8 Ways to Celebrate the Magnificent Middle'), and I am reminded every day of the awesome opportunity and responsibility we have working with our students each day.  As the seasons are starting to change I am renewed by the hope our students give us and look forward to our work together.

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Take care.

Nat Vaughn