10th Age State Reports-A Comprehensive Project!

I had the great pleasure this afternoon of watching 10th Age state report presentations on Ohio and Utah. For the state report, the students have to research many facets of a state (population, size, industry, tourism, and history, to name a few), write a formal paper, prepare a PowerPoint, dress up in clothes fitting for their state, and then deliver an oral report of approximately five to seven minutes to their classmates while using the PowerPoint slides as a visual aid. In short, it is a comprehensive exercise in research, writing, organization, technology, and oral presentation. The girls this afternoon did beautifully. I was so impressed with the overall quality of their presentations, including their use of PowerPoint as an aid (and not simply reading from their slides). Moreover, one girl had to deal with my arrival about thirty seconds after she had begun and with some noisy boys in the hall (yes, even Calvert students are noisy sometimes!). She handled that adversity wonderfully, and I complimented her afterwards on her composure. Sometimes, as I explained to the girls, there will be a "curveball" during a presentation--a technical malfunction, a tough question from the audience, noise, disruption--and while those situations are difficult in the moment, they are great learning opportunities. I look forward to seeing more reports in the coming weeks!

Calvert's Version of "Mike and Mike"

Sports fans may be familiar with "Mike and Mike in the Morning," a popular ESPN radio and TV show from 6 to 10 AM weekday mornings featuring commentators Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. At Calvert, we have our own sports version of "Mike and Mike"--softball coaches Mike Shawen and Mike Paul. Mr. Shawen and Mr. Paul have a combined 61 years of teaching experience at Calvert and are doing a terrific job coaching the talented girls' softball team this spring. Enjoy some pictures below.

P.S. As a former offensive lineman, I love the Ravens first round selection of Michael Oher!

Chorus and Hip-Hop Clubs Shine!

Last night, the Lower School Chorus and Hip-Hop Clubs presented their spring shows in the Auditorium. Congratulations and many thanks to the performers, Mrs. Elliott, Mrs. Spadone, Mrs. Radway, and Mrs. Lawrence!

The Power of Persuasion...from the Students

I regularly receive suggestions, comments, and feedback about Calvert from our many constituencies: current and former parents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and community members. Last Friday, a stack of neatly written, very thoughtful letters found its way to my desk. The letters, by design, were an exercise in persuasion, and they were written by the 9th Age girls! In the letters, the girls explained a change they feel would be in the School's best interest, why the change should be made, and how it should be communicated and implemented. The letters were excellent and covered a wide range of topics: dress code, length of the school day, allowing students to bring in their own lunches, heterogeneous vs homogeneous groupings in math and reading, alternative activities for recess, and a longer lunch period. I must say they made some compelling arguments for their suggested modifications. One girl said to me emphatically, "Mr. Martire, we meant what we said. We were serious." As the saying goes, I think I will have some explaining to do if I do not adopt their changes!

Molly's Garden Blooming!

On March 23, I blogged about the Molly Harris' 13 Memorial Garden and promised updates throughout the spring. As promised, I have fresh pictures, taken in the rain yesterday. The Garden is really coming to life and should continue to grow and blossom after the recent rainfall. The old saying "April showers bring May flowers" will be very true!

Middle School Uniform Town Hall

On Monday, we devoted approximately thirty minutes at our assembly to discuss the Middle School uniform. In an effort for multiple viewpoints to be both aired and heard, we had an "open microphone" town hall event. Students and faculty shared comments and suggestions about our uniform and how it might be modified in the future. A panel of students and faculty asked clarifying questions when needed. Ultimately, the panel will make recommendations to Middle School Head Kelly Herrity, who will then send the recommendations with her commentary to me for a final review. I was quite impressed with the thoughtful nature of the students' comments. For example, one boy expressed a contrary opinion to the popular notion that boys should be allowed to wear shorts, stating, "We are getting more mature and should be wearing long pants in school." The discussion seemed to focus on the following items: nail polish for girls, type of sweatshirts allowed, skirts vs. "skorts," shorts for boys, tucked vs. untucked shirts, and type and color of shirts. I will report back in May with the uniform modifications--if there are any! :)

Value of Sleep Reaffirmed in NY Times Article

Children need ample sleep. Yes, this is common-sense news to parents and non-parents alike. However, we need reminders that children should not be over-scheduled with too many after-school activities that, along with homework, can impact their ability to get a solid, good night's sleep. I recommend that parents reassess their children's after-school activities at least once per year if not once per season. The link below takes you to an excellent New York Times article about sleep and children by Dr. Perri Klass.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/health/10klas.html

Outstanding Speaker Addresses Peer Issues

Last night in the Middle School, Michelle Kriebel delivered what may have been the best address to parents I have ever seen. For two solid hours, Michelle spoke passionately to approximately 30 Calvert School parents about child development, peer pressure, communication, and parenting. In her talk, entitled "But Everyone Else Is," Michelle spoke of the pressures children and adolescents face as they navigate social, academic, and technology waters. For several years, Michelle has visited with our 7th and 8th graders and then met with interested parents. I offer her my highest recommendation, and I urge parents to hear her if they have the opportunity in the future.

We Are One School

Calvert School has two divisions--a Lower School and a Middle School--but we are one school. We are united in our mission, and we firmly believe in the benefits of the pre-K through 8th grade model, of which there are many: the full focus of the school's attention, expertise, and resources are on Lower and Middle School only; our Middle School students have tremendous leadership, academic, and athletic opportunities; our Middle School students serve as role models for the younger, Lower School students; and, our 8th graders choose a high school when it is only five months away, thereby ensuring they will enter the school that is the right fit for them. (As a side note, and I will report more on this later, we had another outstanding year of Upper School placement!)

The pictures below capture some of the spirit of the pre-K through 8th grade environment. You will see 7th graders and Pilot Class students playing together on the field. I will let the pictures speak for themselves, and I hope they "move" you as they moved me.

April Fool's!

As always, we had fun today on April Fool's Day--one of the many non-academic benefits of working in a school. During handshaking, I wore a plastic lobster claw donated especially for the occasion by a Lower School parent. I also called the children by the wrong name, usually their sibling's name or a parent's name. Some of the students were thoroughly confused, but the older students "got it," and some even called me the wrong name, too!