January 11th 2019
On this day I was blessed to receive a personalized tour of a most wondrous nearby educational institution the Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge.
Here are things I LOVE about it.
CORE VALUES:
#1: Culture steeped in SOCIAL JUSTICE…
- which they call “SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.“
- commitment to cultivating RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.
- firm belief that Social Responsibility starts with LEARNING.
That means:
- Learning from PRIMARY SOURCES whenever possible, and
- Always asking these THREE QUESTIONS:
- 1. “WHO was at the table when this happened?”
- 2. “WHO wrote it?” (eg: white male U.S. land owners in 1776) , and
- 3. “WHAT did they miss?” (eg; everyone else)
- Laying the foundation for PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, to become
- GOOD CITIZENS with
- CIVIC AWARENESS
ATMOSPHERE:
- open WELCOMING SPACE when you walk in
- open-air OFFICE right near the front door
- intelligent, happy, calm, engaged, helpful and humourous STAFF
- gorgeous open-wall LIBRARY at center of school, with invitingly angled stacks and amphibian friend(s)
- overall clean, calm, carpeted, cozy and uplifting ENVIRONMENT with natural light!
- the first teacher I meet is already a good FRIEND!
- wonderful and excellent ART displayed throughout the school
- lovely and intelligently designed PLAYGROUND that my son already loves
- MOVEABLE PARTS in the playground – so often missing in American playgrounds
- proximity and use of local public RAFFERTY PARK
- clean, bright, colorful, cozy GYM that is not echo-ey
- This quote which I saw posted in multiple places:
“KINDNESS:
Do something nice for someone
just because they breathe.”
CULTURE:
- PROJECT BASED, COLLABORATIVE LEARNING (eg; students I observed constructing dioramas of entire Wompanoag environments)
- Student written CLASSROOM CONSTITUTIONS
- Vibrantly engaged, happy TURNED ON TEACHERS
- Classrooms foster CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
- Lots of STUDENT LEAD PROJECTS
- Older students serve as TEACHERS’ ASSISTANTS in younger classrooms
- ALL SCHOOL MEETINGS are run by students!
- “TAKE ACTION THURSDAY” MEETINGS are run by 7th & 8th Graders
- COMMUNITY SERVICE is cultivated right inside their own building
- 7th&8th Graders actually STUDY IMMIGRATION, including a
- FANIEUL HALL FIELD TRIP to observe a naturalization ceremony
- GROWTH ED (including reproductive development) is taught
- 8TH GRADE GRADUATION includes (extremely) meaningful presentations
CURRICULUM:
SCIENCE:
- LAB SCIENCE begins in 5th grade(!)
- GREAT LAB!
- Students learn that SCIENCE IS A PROCESS not a “body of knowledge”
- 5th & 6th Grade INDEPENDENT SCIENCE PROJECT, with…
- live, interactive, digitally assisted PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
- lots of FIELD TRIPS to take partake of so many local scientific institutions
- the upper elementary HOVER CRAFTS they build in the spring and test on kindergartners there!
LANGUAGE & LITERACY:
- everyone learns SPANISH
- the SPANISH TEACHER is reputed to be excellent with all experience levels
- Literacy includes READING, WRITING, SPEAKING AND LISTENING (imagine!)
MATH:
- there is SUMMER HOMEWORK but not with a lot of pressure
- multi-layered approach to fostering MATH FACTS, including recommended software IXL
- MATHEMATICAL THINKING is learned through writing, drawing & discussion
- GAMES & PUZZLES are integral to practicing and exploring concepts
HUMANITIES (!):
- the signs by the door read: “LOVE IS LOVE” and
- “BLACK LIVES MATTER”
- the students I observed were preparing to read MACBETH with…
- an excellently prepared synopsis of characters to help them
- teacher was EXCITED about her favorite upcoming unit:
- “HOW TO COMMIT A SHAKESPEARIAN MURDER” including a
- real, live, certified STAGE COMBAT instructor
ART & MUSIC:
- JULIE the Music Teacher is also a fabulous human being and friend
- wonderful MUSIC ROOM with lots of electric guitars, ukuleles and percussion
- APPROACH TO MUSIC EDUCATION: to actually play and enjoy music
- fantastic ART ROOM with options for specialization in disciplines such as oil
- APRIL PLAY that all 7th & 8th graders put on
- This quote by Kermit the Frog which I first encountered here years ago:
How important are the visual arts in our society? I feel strongly that the visual arts are of vast and incalculable importance. Of course I could be prejudiced. I am a visual art.
~Kermit the Frog
EXTRACURRICULARS:
- a vibrant AFTERSCHOOL program of many activities and sports including parkour
- TWO RECESSES per day; brilliant!
- LONG ENOUGH SCHOOL DAY in which to have them (~8am-3:15pm)
- LUNCH is a calm affair with the teacher in the classroom (microwave available)
- Middle schoolers walk to IGGY’S BAKERY once per week
- Annual Valentine’s Day LOVE WALK from Harvard Square to City Hall (!)
- OCTOBER FUN FEST includes:
- UPCYCLED COSTUMES,
- NURSING HOME VISIT and
- STUDENT PRODUCED CARNIVAL
INTANGIBLES:
- I saw EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SUPPORT is codified, from
- egalitarian TOOLS used (eg; everyone gets the same trapper keeper) to
- REMINDERS posted in class (eg; did you write down your homework? did you understand it? etc.)
- CLASS SIZE is 2 teachers to about 20 kids
- They are CO-TEACHERS (vs. one lead and one assistant)
- learning often occurs with HALF the class; one in class one at a special
- um… FINANCIAL AID is a possiblity… (?!?)
CONS:
- price well beyond our means
- not as diverse as preferred
- no transportation
- no cafeteria or food provided
HOPES:
- fulfill/exceed all application expectations
- achieve acceptance
- fulfill all financial aid requirements
- amass enough financial aid to support enrollment
- GAVIN BECOMES A FAYERWEATHER STUDENT in 2019!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥