The pace is brisk this week even though we are only in the first week of school. This morning, we held our first divisional assemblies, which were excellent opportunities for community building. In the Lower School, Dr. Trusty asked some trivia questions, introduced new faculty members, and emphasized the importance of friendship. The Middle School assembly was lively, to say the least! To present dress code “do’s and don’ts,” seven Middle School teachers and administrators danced onto stage in various forms of dress code adherence. Students then had to point out what clothing items—and accessories!—were prohibited. Students who provided correct answers received a pass for a dress-down day. Many thanks to the brave faculty members! Yes, we took pictures as well as video of the assembly.
I am now observing class #2 in my “50 Classes or Bust!” quest. I am in Middle School Room 304 with Madame Bofill-Polsky’s 7th grade French class. The lesson is being conducted almost entirely in French. I am impressed with the pace of the class and the skill level of the students. Given how rusty my French is, I am having a hard time keeping up with the class and understanding the dialogue. My biggest educational regret is not learning a second language to fluency. I really hope these students continue their French studies until they become fluent and fully conversant. Madame, who is a native French speaker, has designed a very Middle School appropriate lesson, with a variety of activities built in. The students moved around the room after responding to commands, conjugated verbs by sliding magnets with pre-printed words on them into the right spaces on the board, worked collaboratively in groups, and recited conjugations as a class. To Madame and her students, I say “Bravo!”
