Writing in My Career

I had the pleasure of speaking to 10-A (one of our fourth grade girls' homerooms) about the centrality of writing in my career. A variety of parent and employee speakers have been visiting 10-A to discuss how they use writing and math in their daily lives as adults. I discussed the various ways that I write (e-mail, letter, report, text message, blog, handwritten note) and the importance of several key elements of writing: knowing your audience; the use of descriptive, non-repetitive vocabulary; proofreading; and revising. Whether the piece of writing is a composition or a dissertation, I explained, the writing process is essentially the same:

1) think of a topic

2) brainstorm ideas

3) make an outline

4) write

5) proofread

6) revise (with the help of a teacher or colleague) until it is your best effort.

Colorful Art Project

Long before the Tim Tebow craze was sweeping the country, Wayne Thiebaud (also pronounced "Tee-bow") was making a major impact within the art community. Best known for his colorful painting of cakes, pies, and baked goods, he was presented with the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 1994. Why do I mention Waybe Thiebaud in my Calvert blog? No, it is not because I love his prime subject of baked goods! Under the direction of Middle School art teacher Larisa Kamp, our 8th grade art students create Thiebaud-inspired paintings, and they are currently on display in the second floor landing of the Middle School. The paintings are terrific--bright, vivid images that come off the canvas and make the viewer yearn for the bakery. Please see below for some examples. Also, we hope to arrange a display of the paintings later in the semester at The Evergreen on Coldspring Lane. I will share details when they become available.

MLK Day of Service

We held our third annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service this morning, and it was a big success! Approximately 275 students, family members, and employees participated in a wide variety of on and off campus activities. Participants assembled sun butter and jelly sandwiches for Our Daily Bread; made scarves for the homeless; hand painted crafts for sick children; played bingo with the disabled; clipped coupons and wrote "sight words" for families who visit The Door; and assisted at Paul's Place and the Hampden Family Center, among other activities. Master storyteller (and former Calvert librarian) Karen Burdnell kicked off the morning by offering comments about Dr. King and sharing several family-friendly, interactive stories. In my brief opening remarks, I stated that the event was important for three reasons: 1) to serve the Baltimore community; 2) to honor the legacy of Dr. King; and 3) to build "community" within Calvert. Special thanks to Mrs. DeLorbe and Senora Sachar for organizing this wonderful day!

Impressive Students

Even though I have spent 15 years of life walking the halls of Calvert School--seven as a student and eight as Head Master--I remain continually impressed with poise, effort, and achievement of our students. On Wednesday, we held our second annual Middle School Fine Arts Night before a packed audience in the Black Box Theater. It was a wonderful evening displaying theater, dancing, singing, art, music, digital arts, and public speaking. Nearly 50 students participated! Also, there was a subset of those students who also played in interscholastic athletic events that afternoon and then hustled back to campus for Fine Arts Night. I truly appreciate how well they represented the School in all of their endeavors that day. This morning, we had our first-ever school-wide Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly. (It was actually "almost" school-wide because the Pilot Class and 6th Age students followed their normal schedule while 7th Age through 8th grade gathered in the Middle School Gym). The assembly was incredible! An 8th grade girl offered her "Reflection" on her younger brother, who has special needs, followed by an 8th grade boy who recited a portion of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Both students were poised, articulate, and inspirational. The Middle School band also provided excellent musical accompaniment throughout the program. The assembly was the perfect way to begin the Martin Luther King weekend. On Monday, we will hold our third annual Martin Luther King Day of Service. I will report on those activities next week.

Book Recommendation

On a plane ride to and from Boston last week, I read The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, and I recommend it highly. I had heard about the New York Times bestselling book for a year, and I finally had the perfect opportunity to read it. I am sure glad that I did, because it is a powerful story of family, education, and socioeconomics. The book cover states, "Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence?" If that question intrigues you in the slightest, pick up the book (or perhaps I should say "order it for your e-reader").

Important Admissions Reminder

If you are interested in Pilot Class or 6th Age for your child, I strongly recommend that you attend one of our two Prospective Parents Nights, which will be held on January 10 and January 18 in the Lower School. The program will run from 7:00 to 8:45 PM and will include time with administrators, homeroom teachers, and "specials" teachers (science, art, music, physical education, etc.). The beauty of the evening is that it is a concentrated look at our two biggest entry grades, and visitors get a chance to interact directly with teachers and other key employees. I hope to see you there!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my readers! I hope that you had ample time to celebrate the holidays with your family and friends. I had a great break and was able to visit several museums in Washington, D.C. (Air and Space and Natural History) as well as participate in a Polar Bear Plunge yesterday in Margate, N.J. I dove all the way under the freezing cold water. I am still not exactly sure why I did it, but I did it! This week, we dive right back in to the school year. Classes, sports practices, and and extracurricular activities all resume. On Friday evening, the 5th grade will present Middle School Musical in the Auditorium. Next week, the events continue with a Prospective Parents' Night on Tuesday, 1/10, and a Middle School Fine Arts Night on Wednesday, 1/11. Best wishes for a wonderful, healthy, and productive 2012!