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!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥