Message from the Head of School - September 10, 2010

"A Questing Faculty—Even in the Off-Season"

At our opening meeting earlier this week, I asked each faculty and staff member to share with a colleague a Big Dream for the upcoming year, an idea that was inspired by visiting the school in Moscow where our son, Matthew ’03, teaches.  The Slavic-Anglo-American School (SAAS) was established as the Soviet Union collapsed by a clear-thinking, strong-willed Russian who saw a need for a school that would teach Russian kids to be facile in English.  It is a vibrant example of a questing institution—one that is very good but restlessly trying to be even better.  The founder, who still serves as head, has a sign in English over her desk: “Start and end every school year with a Big Dream.”  The energy our faculty and staff brought to their Big Dream discussion was evident from the spirited chatter that filled the Meeting House.  SAAS is less than 20 years old while MFS is 225 years old.  Yet both are questing institutions.

The way many of our teachers spend the summer offers a particularly good example of striving for self-improvement.  Summer vacation certainly provides an essential opportunity to reflect on the year just past and make plans for the one ahead, but many of our teachers also use June, July, and August to engage voluntarily in a wide variety of pursuits that will help make them even better teachers and mentors.

This past summer, for example:

• LS/MS Quaker Education Teacher Lynne Brick, US Math Teacher Dorothy López, US Math Teacher Brooke Smith and Chester Reagan Chair Priscilla Taylor-Williams traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to explore potential curriculum and educational trips to provide further education for students about the Islamic world.
• Computer Science Teacher and Upper School Service Coordinator Gail Barna traveled to Costa Rica in August to help build and plan for future service learning trips with students and faculty to Central and South America.  The trip was made possible thanks to a Zekavat Summer Sabbatical grant.
• Director of Multicultural Affairs Karen Washington was a co-leader of George School's Global Service Program trip to Cuba.
• Sandra Brudnick (Grade 2), Susan Jackson (Kindergarten) Ted Quinn (Grade 3) and Stephanie Schuetz (Grade 4) attended Reading and/or Writing Workshop seminars at Columbia University.
• MS/US Drama Teacher Mark Gornto visited the Rudolf Steiner School in Nurenburg, Germany for nearly three weeks. During his stay he produced a sixth grade student play, "Ghost in the Castle."
• Middle School Director Steve Shaffer and Fifth Grade Teacher Kathy Cook attended the Apple Institute in Chicago which provides administrators and teachers hands-on opportunities to experience how technology is helping to transform learning.
• Upper School English teacher Ericka Bohman received her M.A. from Middlebury College’s prestigious Bread Loaf School.

The list above is just a sample of the wide array of professional development pursuits and serves as a reminder that ours is a questing institution with questing faculty—teachers constantly seeking to further their knowledge and training.  It’s particularly impressive that many use a portion of their “free” time in the summer for this purpose.  Their commitment to self-improvement is inspiring for their colleagues and students alike.  It is the essence of an already fine school striving to be even better.

Warm Regards,

Larry Van Meter '68
Head of School

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