Corks for Calvert

Our annual parent social event, called Corks for Calvert, was held on Saturday night in the France-Merrick Atrium in the Middle School. It was a huge success! Some highlights: record ticket sales of approximately 280, delicious food (crab dip, tenderloin, sushi), terrific silent auction items, grade-level auction items (art projects made by the class) that get better each year, and a spirited tuition raffle (winner received a $5,000 credit for next year’s tuition!). It is wonderful to see so many happy attendees each year. If you are a current Calvert parent who has not yet attended Corks, then you should really mark your calendar now for next year's party! Tentative date: February 23, 2013.

New Teacher Mentoring

This weekend, I power read (meaning "read for essence," a phrase I learned in graduate school) through a very valuable booked entitled New Teacher Mentoring: Hopes and Promise for Improving Teacher Effectiveness. Although the authors (Moir, Barlin, Gless, and Miles) refer to successful mentoring programs in urban public schools, they outline principles that should be guidelines for all mentoring programs, regardless of a school's classification, including "recruit and select the best mentors" and "ensure that teachers have sufficient time for interacting." We are very proud of our new teacher orientation and mentoring program at Calvert, which flourishes under the skillful guidance of veteran faculty member Peggy Szczerbicki. New teachers are assigned a carefully-chosen mentor and then attend the following events and activities, among others: shadow day in the Spring, after they are hired; half-day orientation in June; summer meetings, as needed, with mentor and academic division head; four-day orientation in August, before the veteran teachers return, then five-days of faculty meetings as a "full" faculty before school begins; new teacher group meetings about once every six weeks during the school year, focusing on a topic, such as parent-teacher conferences and technology. New teachers at Calvert are under our watchful eye, for sure! We all know that teachers make the Calvert experience special for students and parents. Our new faculty orientation and mentoring program is the first step along the path of a long and successful Calvert teaching career!

Middle School Art!

Both the quality and volume of art currently on display in the Middle School are truly impressive. The following eleven (yes, eleven!) projects presently adorn the walls and shelves of the building: ceramic coil pots, Wayne Thiebaud-inspired acrylic on canvas paintings, self-portraits in pencil, observational hand drawings, warm and cool portraits with tessalations (using acrylic paint), relief sculptures, ceramic teapots, Aztec sun prints, Islamic-inspired clay slab boxes, painted foam guitars, and a ceramic "dinner party" that includes a cheeseburger and fries, hot dogs, blueberry pancakes, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, shish kabobs, bacon and eggs, and fruit. Kudos to Mrs. Kamp and her students for their significant accomplishments thus far this school year! Why am I not including any pictures with this post? I want you to come see these outstanding projects up close and in person! If you are interested in perusing this diverse array of artwork, e-mail me directly at amartire@calvertschoolmd.org and I will give you a personal tour. If we time the tour correctly, we can also visit an art class in progress and see students creating their next set of masterpieces.

Our Oldest Alumnus

Our oldest living alumnus is a member of the Class of 1924. She is a remarkable woman who lives in Naples, Florida, and I have had the great pleasure of meeting with her on three separate occasions over the past few years. Last week, we wished her a slightly-early birthday at our Calvert alumni event in Naples. In three weeks, this special alumnus will be 100 years old! She was a member of the last class to graduate from the Calvert building at 10 West Chase Street. (In the fall of 1924, Calvert moved to Tuscany Road, and we have been here ever since). With a clear memory and a sparkle in her eye, she told me of being sent to the Head Master's office in 1922: "I was sent to Mr. Hillyer's office for bursting into a classroom and shouting 'I have a baby sister. I have a baby sister!' I was just so excited I could not contain myself. Mr. Hillyer was very kind and said, 'It is fine to be excited about your sister, but you should not interrupt class.'" By the way, the baby sister she mentioned? She was a member of the Class of 1934, is now 90 years old, and attended the same Naples alumni event last week! I now have a picture of me with the two sisters, and I will sure to treasure that image for years to come.

A Prediction

This is a non-Calvert post, but tomorrow IS Super Bowl Sunday. Everyone makes predictions about the game, but are they courageous enough to put it in writing for the world to see? Well, I am courageous--or foolhardy--enough to do so: Patriots 24, Giants 20. Happy football and commercial watching to all my readers!

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!