Is September Almost Over?

Since the afternoon of August 31, we have had a Pilot and 6th Age Popsicle Party, three parents' nights, an 8th grade kickoff party, an Annual Fund kickoff party, a new parents' BBQ, a 5th grade overnight trip to Camp Wright on the Eastern Shore (thank you, chaperones!), several alumni meetings, multiple interscholastic athletic contests, two Picture Days...and 18 days of school! It is hard to believe that 10% of the school year has already been completed. I think of the academic year in six segments: 1) September; 2) October through Thanksgiving; 3) Thanksgiving to winter break; 4) January through spring break (arguably, this could be broken into two segments, divided by Presidents' Day weekend); 5) late March through the end of April; 6) May through early June. September is such a critical month in terms of setting expectations, establishing routines, renewing friendships, and launching into the curriculum. My gut tells me we have had a strong month of September thus far. The pace is fast, but it feels good! Two more days of September then October 1 dawns on Thursday!

Hardwood Floors!

During some routine renovations early this summer, we discovered that there were hardwood floors under the tile in a 7th Age girls' homeroom. We decided to rip off all the tile in the classroom and refurbish the wood floors. The result was remarkable! The floor is simply stunning. To add to the good news, we believe that all the classrooms that were part of the original 1924 Lower School building (there have been additions) have hardwood floors underneath the tile. We plan to do the same refurbishment in three classrooms per summer starting in 2010. Please enjoy the pictures of 7-A below!

September Events Foreshadow Strong Year

Last week was chock full of productive, successful events: Middle School Parents' Night, the Annual Fund Kickoff Dinner, and the 4th Annual New Parents' Barbecue, held at the Head Master's residence on campus. At all three events, the attendees' enthusiasm for the year ahead was evident. Our Annual Fund goal this year is $700,000. These funds will flow directly into the operating budget to help pay for salaries, benefits, energy, books, supplies, professional development, field trips, and food, among other expenditures. At the New Parents' Barbecue on Sunday, we were blessed with beautiful blue skies, delicious food, and a great turnout. I explained to the parents that during the time their children were at Calvert, we would try to provide the best possible pre-secondary education anywhere and to love and care for their children. If we can do those two things well, we will have done a good job! I received an incredible education during my Calvert years, and hopefully we can provide that same top-notch education to the students of today.

Turtles!

Did you know that a few turtles live at Calvert School? Visitors and students will see several turtles residing in the interior courtyards in our Lower School. Mr. Kevin Lloyd from the maintenance department takes excellent care of the turtles. Here are a few pictures of one of our shelled friends eating:

The President's Speech

This is a hopefully "better late than never" post on the President's speech to the nation's schoolchildren on Tuesday. Calvert 10th Agers saw the speech live, and many of our Middle Schoolers saw it later it in the afternoon. The White House was smart to release the text of the speech a day early, but it was sad, in my opinion, that they had to do so. The critics of the speech missed a key point: even if the speech did deliver a partisan message--which it did not--it would have been a great learning opportunity for our students and students across the country! In fact, one might argue that students could have learned more from a partisan speech (regardless of the party) than from a middle of the road speech. The post-speech discussions in class would have been much richer. It is important for students to understand politics, to analyze what politicians (and authors, other speakers, etc) say or write, and to digest that information and then make an informed opinion about what they themselves believe. This is obviously a process and cannot be fully achieved when a child is 10 or 11, but we can start that education now.

A New Lower School Schedule

This spring, we overhauled the Lower School schedule. We emerged from the grueling process with a schedule for 2009-10 that better suits students' needs and better utilizes our facility and faculty resources. One change allowed us to separate 9th and 10th Age physical education classes, which had previously been (mostly) together. To do so, we moved 10th Age PE to the morning, which the students seem to truly enjoy already. One remarked with pride, "We are the first 10th Agers in Calvert history to have PE in the morning!" The pictures below were taken at about 9:30 this morning, under cool, beautiful blue skies. Longtime PE teacher Jane Sewell commented, "The schedule change is the best thing that has happened in years." You will note that I also included a picture of some very happy 8th Age boys in the library for good measure!

First Day of School!

We had an incredible, special first day of school! The weather was spectacular, the students were eager and enthusiastic, and the faculty and staff were fully prepared and ready to go! Highlights: shaking hands in the Lower School, assisted by new Lower School Head, Dr. Ed Trusty; walking around the entire school, seeing 550 students already engaged in lessons and activities; an All-School Assembly; the first lunch for the Sixth Age; and a Fifth Grade Scavenger Hunt! I am already looking forward to shaking hands in the morning! Please enjoy the following photos from the day.