SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS:

Students in Mr. Redd's and Mrs. Lyle's 5th grade classes performed science experiments last week. They tested snack foods to see which would be the most greasy, and the winner was potato chips, followed closely by candy bars. Students may now think twice before reaching for the junk food!

Above: Future star players for the Upper School Flag Football team review the "Pro Left X-Crash 39 Sweep and Pitch" play during recess.

Lower School Assembly: Lower School students will attend an assembly about bullying on Monday, September 17, at 9:30 am.

Election Day: Lawrence Lower School is a voting location for the City of Broadview Heights Primary Election next Tuesday, September 11. Please be patient during arrival and dismissal as there will be additional traffic in the parking lot.

Upper School Store: The Upper School Store is open Monday - Friday from 8:05 am - 8:25 am, and right after school at 3:20 pm. Pick up your Lawrence tee, hat or other school spirit item today! Also, the school sweatshirt sale is going on now.  Orders must be in by Mon. September 17.

September 7, 2007

Invitation to Lower School Parents: Lower School parents are invited to visit the Upper School on Friday, September 14th at 8:30 a.m.  Come see our beautiful new Upper School campus and learn more about our middle and high school programs. If you're not sure how to get to the Upper School, Vanessa Diffenbacher will meet parents at the Lower School after drop off at 8:00 a.m. and lead a caravan to Sagamore Hills. Lou Salza, Joyce Walker and Vanessa Diffenbacher will talk about the Upper School and students will be available for tours. All are welcome! Please RSVP to Jayne Eiben x3107. 

Lower School Curriculum Night: Lower School parents, please join us on Thursday, September 20, for Lower School Curriculum Night. Parents may arrive between 6:45-7:00 to pick up their child's schedule, and the presentation will begin promptly at 7 pm in your child's language class. This is an opportunity to walk through your child's schedule and hear an overview of the classes your child will be taking this year. Agendas will be sent home soon. No students, please.

Athletic Boosters Club: The first meeting of the Upper School Athletic Boosters Club is on Wednesday, 9/5 at 6:30 pm in the Upper School library. This is a great parent-run organization which supports all of our athletic teams and athletes. We would love to see you there! 

Eighth Grade Parent Meeting: There will be a meeting for all 8th grade parents on Wednesday, September 12, to discuss strategies for making the transition between middle school and high school. There will be two meetings to choose from: 8-9 am, or 2:30-3:30 pm. We hope that at least one parent per family will be able to attend one of the sessions.

Become a Lower School Room Parent!  Lower School is in need of volunteers to serve the role of Room Parents.  If you are able to help with class parties and special activities a few times a year, please contact Pat Feith at x1124.

Lower School "VIP" Fundraiser: The "Very Involved Parent" Association of the Lower School is currently holding their annual fundraiser. Items available for purchase include gift wrap, gifts, candy and more. If you did not receive or packet or need an extra, please contact Pat Feith at x1124. Proceeds support different Lower School activities throughout the year including field trips, picnics and other special events. Orders are due by Monday, September 24.

KidsScripts Writing Rally - Grades 7-8: Students in grades 7-8 will participate in a KidsScripts "Writing Rally" on Friday, 9/14, at 1 pm in the theater. KidsScripts is a creative writing project where students write stories and have the opportunity to see those stories performed by the Magical Theatre Company. This project is kicked off by a writing rally where professional actors/teachers assist students in developing their stories.

FREE Adult Technology Courses: The Technology Department is pleased to provide adult technology classes this school year. The next class is on Thursday, September 12, and offers an overview of Classroll, our online grade book for Upper School. To see a detailed schedule of all classes, please log on to the Lawrence VIP website at www.lawrencevip.org (under the category "Parent Resources") or click here for a pdf version.  Classes are open to all adults including parents, relatives and community members.

Lower School Picture Day: Lower School Picture Day is Monday, September 24. Picture packets with order forms will be sent home the week of September 17.

Market Day is Back! Lower School is now sponsoring Market Day sales each month. Order forms were sent home, or you can order online at www.marketday.com. Order sheets should be returned to the school by September 13, and internet orders are due on September 14. Upper School is working on creating their own Market Day sales soon, but for now, parents are welcome to order and pick up from the Lower School if desired. All proceeds from the Lower School Market Day will go towards Lower School activities.

 
I will start this week where we left off last week:  Do our students need something different from what kids in any other school need?

My question was framed to spiral back to the column I wrote two weeks ago when I staked out the position that ALL education is transitional for all students at all levels, from primary grades to graduate school.

I believe that all children need an education that prepares them to be learners for life -- one that prepares them for the responsibility of citizenship in a democracy, fosters critical thinking, rewards and practices creative problem solving (particularly around the growing problems of environmental sustainability), teaches the use of a wide range of academic, communication and technology tools, and encourages responsible risk-taking. 

Students in school need to experience both success and failure and learn that neither is a permanent state. Both can be seen as a means to a greater use of one's talents and skills to benefit the community.  Education needs to build strength and resilience. Strength so our students can advocate for themselves with neither apology nor arrogance -- and resilience so they can endure the inevitable dilemmas and struggles that life brings.

Each of us might articulate this list a bit differently.  I welcome your comments, questions and observations. I question how timed tasks, memorization, hours of homework, high stakes testing, and letter grades contribute to the kind of education and the kind of learning our children and our communities will need in 10 years.  These are the cornerstones of current practice all over our industry.  The greatest indictment of these practices may be that that they have remained in place unchanged for so very long. 

Tom Friedman, in his book The World is Flat, paints a vivid portrait of a world changing so rapidly that change has become a constant.  Eric Hoffer wrote, "In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."

Whether we in the education industry are willing to acknowledge it or not, 'learning to learn' has trumped knowledge-based education.  This creates compelling questions about what we do in schools and why -- and creates an exciting challenge and well-earned opportunity for schools like Lawrence.  

Here at Lawrence we have always been all about learners and learning.