Sunday, March 27, 2011

HEADLINES-------------------------------------March 25, 2011

Dan is attending a conference in San Francisco for a few days. I’m here, though, writing Headlines in his place…and thinking about ducks.

You may know that the little school pond that is just outside my office window has attracted a pair of mallards each spring for the last three years. I can’t be certain it’s the same pair each year, but I like to think that it is. They turn up in mid-March to paddle around on the pond, snack on what they find floating in the water, and nap on the rocks in the early spring sun. They’re signs of spring for me now, like robins, forsythia, and the first crocus. I’m a little concerned about their mating behavior, though, and I’ve been trying to teach them the concept of “a time and a place for everything”. I don’t want them to be demonstrating when the children are out for recess.

These two ducks are determined to procreate and they sometimes begin that process on our little pond. I never really mean to watch them, but they’re not very discreet and they’re usually very vocal in their enthusiasm. Duck mating (for those of you who may not have studied it as extensively as it appears that I have) is…well, kind of energetic. In fact, it could be seen as violent if you didn’t know that everyone involved actually had good intentions. Nevertheless, I found that I was uncomfortable with the idea of our youngest children witnessing it, even though young children seem especially well-equipped to accept the vagaries of the natural world in a most matter-of-fact way.

Parents and teachers travel some very tricky territory as we decide when children are ready for certain pieces of information. This extends far beyond duck mating, of course. We wrestle with the question when we teach children about slavery or other violations of human rights, about war or the Holocaust, about natural disasters and man-made tragedy. We ask when children are ready to be told the terrible stories of human history, and whether they are resilient enough to then be lifted up adequately by stories of inspiration and greatness. We know that the answer is not simply a number, not just a chronological age. Children aren’t ready for hard news just because they’re 8, or just because they’re four feet tall, or just because they’re in 6th grade. Children are ready when we see signs that they have an emotional strength, a kind of hardy wisdom that will help them to internalize and synthesize difficult or shocking facts in a manner that also protects their own inner light and individual sense of security.


One of the many things I treasure about Friends School classrooms is that teachers ask those “When?” questions. Difficult information is handled delicately and thoughtfully, and shared when students show signs of being ready. The curriculum doesn’t dictate that students read Macbeth in 7th grade, or that Hiroshima is ‘taught’ in November of 6th grade, or that no one will use the word ‘reproduction’ in the presence of children younger than 10. Instead, children’s questions are answered as they’re asked, information is given in doses that can be ingested without choking, and students are given the opportunity to question and discuss, to gasp or weep in the embrace of an aware and caring community. This sensitivity matters, of course, to the emotional well-being of children, but it also leads to a richer, deeper education. Children can’t learn information they’re not ready to hear. There is wisdom in waiting until it’s time.

And for me, as morning recess approaches, it is time to chase away that duck, the one with the gleam in his eye.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS:

**Congratulations to Teacher Shelley Roderick and Abe Falcone---and brothers Sequoia and Everest---on the birth of Kailani Rain who was born on March 12. Kailani weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. Mom, baby, and the entire family are happy and healthy.

**For those of you who think ahead, our just-approved 2011-2012 Friends School calendar is attached.

**The International Children’s Fair will be held on Saturday, April 2 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at State College High School’s South Building. The event includes performances, crafts, and much more for kids and families. Admission fee is $5 per family, or $3 for an individual. This event is sponsored by Global Connections and PSU’s Office of Global Programs.

**Teacher Dorothy’s and Teacher Lisa’s K/1 classes have received grants through ClearWater Conservancy’s Connections program to fund field trips to Millbrook Marsh this spring. The following corporations and individuals supported this ClearWater program: The Hershey Company, State of the Art, Centre County Community Foundation, State College Evening Rotary, Mary Alice Graetzer, and Cliff & Doris Wurster. We thank all of them on behalf of our K/1 students!

**We have a number of part-time positions available this summer on our maintenance crew and our summer camp staff. Please contact Diane Lehman for specifics or if you have people to recommend.

**We haven’t sent home overflowing Friday Folders in recent weeks, so you may be out of the habit of checking them regularly. The folders are full of good stuff this week, though, so remember to take a look.


Enjoy this last weekend of March!



Mary Ziegler