I have been at NGFS for a long time, 25 years to be exact. It is true what they say, whoever they are, time flies when you are having fun. I have gotten to do a lot at NGFS, I've taught some class to kids of every age at some point in my time here. I have loved being a head of school with Marty and now flying solo. And four years ago, the one thing that I had always said NGFS hadn't afforded me the opportunity to do, I finally got the opportunity to do; coach girls basketball.
When NGFS began its upper division program, varsity athletics came into existence; and I became a first year coach. (My 3rd, or 4th, or 5th-I lose count-dream job I've had at NGFS.) Our first year we truly began from scratch. I had kids who wanted to play basketball, who hadn't had a lot of experience. I was a coach who had always wanted to coach but never had. We only had the SAC for practices. We wouldn't have been described as very good, but the girls worked hard, learned and learned and learned, never gave up, had a great time and finally won a game late in the season.
The second year came and we improved and won 4 games. The third year came and we improved and won 6 games and learned to be competitive against almost everyone. We are now in our 4th year and we are good. We have experience and we could win 20 games. We are even hosting our own invitational tournament next week. Most importantly, we play-win or lose-with sportsmanship and class. Other teams compliment our girls after almost every game. They tell us we are not like most other teams they play and wish other teams were like us.
Throughout these four year two girls, Erin and Grace, have been there since day one. They have been leaders, captains, and starters from the beginning. They have established the foundation of a program NGFS can know honors the mission of the school. Tonight at 4 oclock they will play their last regular season home game. I celebrate their efforts and can say I am honored that they were willing to put up with me as an inexperienced coach and help me grow as they grew and as they helped the program grow. Thanks is not enough and yet I think it mostly simply and thoroughly captures my gratitude to these two incredible NGFS student-athletes. They will be missed but all they have done will only be built onto in the future. A coach, a program, a school could not ask for two better, strong founders of a program. Again thanks to each of you and thanks to both of you.
On February 24 NGFS will be co-sponsoring a concert by Quaker folksinger Carrie Newcomer. Carrie has performed in Greensboro before and came to NGFS to work with our students one other time in the 1990's. We are thrilled to be a part of bringing her back to Greensboro. Her concert will be at 7:30 in the meeting room at New Garden Friends Meeting. The concert is free but donations will be accepted to support NGFS and Friends Center at Guilford College. Come out and bring the kids, you will be thrilled you came. Any of us who have ever seen her in concert once, go back again and again.
To read more about Carrie and her latest release go to http://carrienewcomer.com/#Celebrated-Singer-Songwriter-Carrie-Newcomer-Releases-New-Album-Before-And-After-On-Rounder-Records-February-23-2010.html
On April 25th from 3 to 5 at the Carolina Theater NGFS and Replacements Ltd will present "Many Friends, Many Voices 2010; a celebration of the music of Greensboro. We hope this will become the first of a series that will promote the diverse and vibrant arts community of Greensboro. Many local artists will share their music this afternoon. We are also honord to have Joan Garry as our keynote speaker. She is a current leader in ongoing civil rights causes and has a special affinity for NGFS and the innovative education we provide.
More information will be coming very soon. We hope you will be able to come to this incredible event, the entire family will have a great time.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Pondering Forever
In 1993 I received information about a Teacher's Seminar held at Westtown School outside of Philadelphia. It looked great, actually better than great; but it said attendance was by invitation only. With some combination of trepidation and courage I picked up the phone and called the seminar leader, David Mallery. I asked him how someone could get invited. He didn't know me from Adam's cat, but he said who do you want to invite? Sheepishly I replied, "myself." He signed me up immediately.
At Westtown, I learned that David was so much more than a seminar leader. He was a friend, a colleague, a mentor, I don't think it's too far to go to say he could be your hero. By the time the week ended he had connections with me that he had made over the previous 20 years through Guilford College and Friends Council and other places AND he had that with every one who particpated in this experience.
Over the years since 1993 I had the opportunity to go to 2 more of his seminars and to send a number of NGFS staff to various of his seminars. Each person always came back energized, excited, invigorated to teach, to teach better and to teach to each and every student they had. I was also lucky enough to stay in touch with David through my work at Friends Council. About once every year or two we would get together for breakfast in Philadelphia. David always called it our summit meeting. We would talk about NGFS, about Quaker education, about life and I always came away knowing education is truly the most noble and fulfilling profession.
Last week Carrie (who also went to a Westtown Seminar, just a couple of years ago) got word that David was very ill and likely not to live through the week. On Saturday a friend of mine, who I met at the Westtown seminar, called to let me know that David had passed away. My last summit with David came last April at a bakery in Germantown with Carrie there also. I certainly didn't know it would be the last, in fact I was planning to try to schedule another summit this April. We had a wonderful time, and hugged David when we left. Carrie and I were so happy to have gotten to spend a morning with David and have our reservoirs filled, even overfilled. We talked for a long time driving home about the difference David had made in our lives and in the lives of EVERYONE we knew that had ever met him.
Tracy Chapman has a lyric that reads, "I've seen and met angels wearing the disguises of ordinary people living ordinary lives." I don't know that anyone would describe David as ordinary, but he certainly was an angel in the lives of thousands and thousands of educators over his life. I have been left this week smultaneously feeling incredibly empty and incredibly joyful for having known David. I feel for his family during this time, but also know they have an extended family too large to count. And I've thought a lot about forever, if anyone can "live" forever, it is David. He touched so many in his life, who continue to give his gifts of grace, compassion and joy for life. I know how much I loved and love David, and I know so many colleagues who feel the same way. I know your life will continue through each one of us and we will each do our part to keep what you gave us alive.
David liked to ask his seminar participants to close their eyes and create a variety of images, maybe your favorite teacher, and then yourself as an adult encountering that teacher and painting what you would say and do given this chance. So, as a small part of paying forward what David gave to me, I ask you "paint a picture of someone who made a difference in your life, see them as you remember them and for all they did for you." Then if the opportunity presents itself, or maybe make the opportunity. Tell them. After all what better gift than to let someone know they made a difference in your life. I'm so glad I got to tell David that time and time again.
At Westtown, I learned that David was so much more than a seminar leader. He was a friend, a colleague, a mentor, I don't think it's too far to go to say he could be your hero. By the time the week ended he had connections with me that he had made over the previous 20 years through Guilford College and Friends Council and other places AND he had that with every one who particpated in this experience.
Over the years since 1993 I had the opportunity to go to 2 more of his seminars and to send a number of NGFS staff to various of his seminars. Each person always came back energized, excited, invigorated to teach, to teach better and to teach to each and every student they had. I was also lucky enough to stay in touch with David through my work at Friends Council. About once every year or two we would get together for breakfast in Philadelphia. David always called it our summit meeting. We would talk about NGFS, about Quaker education, about life and I always came away knowing education is truly the most noble and fulfilling profession.
Last week Carrie (who also went to a Westtown Seminar, just a couple of years ago) got word that David was very ill and likely not to live through the week. On Saturday a friend of mine, who I met at the Westtown seminar, called to let me know that David had passed away. My last summit with David came last April at a bakery in Germantown with Carrie there also. I certainly didn't know it would be the last, in fact I was planning to try to schedule another summit this April. We had a wonderful time, and hugged David when we left. Carrie and I were so happy to have gotten to spend a morning with David and have our reservoirs filled, even overfilled. We talked for a long time driving home about the difference David had made in our lives and in the lives of EVERYONE we knew that had ever met him.
Tracy Chapman has a lyric that reads, "I've seen and met angels wearing the disguises of ordinary people living ordinary lives." I don't know that anyone would describe David as ordinary, but he certainly was an angel in the lives of thousands and thousands of educators over his life. I have been left this week smultaneously feeling incredibly empty and incredibly joyful for having known David. I feel for his family during this time, but also know they have an extended family too large to count. And I've thought a lot about forever, if anyone can "live" forever, it is David. He touched so many in his life, who continue to give his gifts of grace, compassion and joy for life. I know how much I loved and love David, and I know so many colleagues who feel the same way. I know your life will continue through each one of us and we will each do our part to keep what you gave us alive.
David liked to ask his seminar participants to close their eyes and create a variety of images, maybe your favorite teacher, and then yourself as an adult encountering that teacher and painting what you would say and do given this chance. So, as a small part of paying forward what David gave to me, I ask you "paint a picture of someone who made a difference in your life, see them as you remember them and for all they did for you." Then if the opportunity presents itself, or maybe make the opportunity. Tell them. After all what better gift than to let someone know they made a difference in your life. I'm so glad I got to tell David that time and time again.
Friday, December 11, 2009
NGFS continues to go global
NGFS Rainbow students, teachers and families have completed their 2nd round with Rock Our World. ROW provides an opportunity for students, teachers and their families to work with students teachers and families in other schools from all over the world to compose music, create videos and have conversations with one another. This round was focused on tolerance and each group of students had to create a project to become more tolerant of the world around them. Rainbow students tasted foods from around the world and then had an opportunity to come in one evening and meet with Japanese students to talk about foods from around the world and other topics. We hope NGFS will be invited to participate in future ROW rounds.
In January NGFS Upper Division students will have the opportunity to expand their class choices by over 200 classes because of a collaborative effort between NGFS and Virtual High School (VHS). Students are currently signing up for classes. Following is the press release that went out on Tuesday of this week. It's exciting to see the many ways that NGFS is preparing our students for their world, while remaining true to our core values of simplicity, harmony, integrity, community, equality and stewardship.
New Garden Friends School Expands Curriculum with 200 New Online Classes12-10-2009 GREENSBORO, N.C. – High school students at New Garden Friends School will start the New Year with the option to choose from more than 200 new classes on topics as diverse as American popular music and constitutional law. The expanded curriculum is made possible through a partnership with the Virtual High School, a pioneer in online learning. More than 6,000 students are enrolled in Virtual High School courses at 324 member schools in 27 states and 24 countries. New Garden Friends School is the only Triad educational institution offering Virtual High School courses and one of only five schools statewide. “Our affiliation with Virtual High School gives our students a way to explore new interests and to develop collaborative, online learning skills that are increasingly critical to success in college and in the workplace,” says David Tomlin, head of New Garden Friends School. “They will have new opportunities to build character, promote creativity and entrepreneurial aspirations, learn new problem solving techniques, practice communication skills, and test their teamwork and leadership capabilities.” Students will be able to select from Virtual High School courses in the arts, business, foreign languages, language arts, life skills, health, mathematics, science, social studies and technology. Each class will be delivered over the Internet as a complement to the rigorous curriculum taught by New Garden Friends School teachers. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with peers from around the globe who are enrolled in the same online classes. About New Garden Friends School Founded in 1971, New Garden Friends School is part of a centuries-old tradition of Quaker education and is committed to the Quaker testimonies of peace, equality, truth, integrity, simplicity, community and stewardship. An interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to learning is designed to help students uncover their strengths, express themselves fully and become active community leaders. New Garden Friends School serves pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It also is a member of the Friends Council on Education, an association of more than 80 Friends schools across the nation committed to excellence in education. For more information on New Garden Friends School, visit http://www.ngfs.org/.
Have a wonderful weekend, remember to purchase your BEAR WEAR before the holidays. Next Friday is a half-day for students, extended care is offered until 6PM as always.
In January NGFS Upper Division students will have the opportunity to expand their class choices by over 200 classes because of a collaborative effort between NGFS and Virtual High School (VHS). Students are currently signing up for classes. Following is the press release that went out on Tuesday of this week. It's exciting to see the many ways that NGFS is preparing our students for their world, while remaining true to our core values of simplicity, harmony, integrity, community, equality and stewardship.
New Garden Friends School Expands Curriculum with 200 New Online Classes12-10-2009 GREENSBORO, N.C. – High school students at New Garden Friends School will start the New Year with the option to choose from more than 200 new classes on topics as diverse as American popular music and constitutional law. The expanded curriculum is made possible through a partnership with the Virtual High School, a pioneer in online learning. More than 6,000 students are enrolled in Virtual High School courses at 324 member schools in 27 states and 24 countries. New Garden Friends School is the only Triad educational institution offering Virtual High School courses and one of only five schools statewide. “Our affiliation with Virtual High School gives our students a way to explore new interests and to develop collaborative, online learning skills that are increasingly critical to success in college and in the workplace,” says David Tomlin, head of New Garden Friends School. “They will have new opportunities to build character, promote creativity and entrepreneurial aspirations, learn new problem solving techniques, practice communication skills, and test their teamwork and leadership capabilities.” Students will be able to select from Virtual High School courses in the arts, business, foreign languages, language arts, life skills, health, mathematics, science, social studies and technology. Each class will be delivered over the Internet as a complement to the rigorous curriculum taught by New Garden Friends School teachers. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with peers from around the globe who are enrolled in the same online classes. About New Garden Friends School Founded in 1971, New Garden Friends School is part of a centuries-old tradition of Quaker education and is committed to the Quaker testimonies of peace, equality, truth, integrity, simplicity, community and stewardship. An interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to learning is designed to help students uncover their strengths, express themselves fully and become active community leaders. New Garden Friends School serves pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It also is a member of the Friends Council on Education, an association of more than 80 Friends schools across the nation committed to excellence in education. For more information on New Garden Friends School, visit http://www.ngfs.org/.
Have a wonderful weekend, remember to purchase your BEAR WEAR before the holidays. Next Friday is a half-day for students, extended care is offered until 6PM as always.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
On being thankful
I will say this from the beginning, my blog is inspired by the message that David Bills gave at New Garden Friends Meeting this past Sunday on this exact topic. I'm also inspired by my love of having a day that gives us all cause to stop and give thanks.
I know each one of us has challenges and difficulties in our lives, some small and some monumentally large. That being said, I'm thankful for a day that causes me to stop and reflect on all I have to be thankful for. I hope I don't bore you too much with my list and I promise you it will just be the very beginnings of a list. I do hope it will encourage folks to stop and think of their own list.
I am thankful for a community that has supported me through 25 years as an educator and administrator. That has given me far more opportunities to learn than I have given the students that I have taught over those years. A community that more times than not celebrates me for what I do well and forgives me for my weaknesses.
I am thankful to have an incredible wife, Carrie, who truly loves being the wife of a head of school. This is a blessing, because often times her job is much tougher than mine. As an educator herself she helps me to continue to grow in my professional work, this is simply the icing on the cake.
I am thankful for parents who spoiled me as a child but also held me accountable for my actions. I know that if I hadn't been successful in my life it would have been my own fault. They provided me every opportunity to succeed and to be happy in my life.
I am thankful for innumerable friends who care about me no matter what. Who support me in my personal and professional life. I am especially grateful to my friends who keep me sane by getting me on my bike or out for a walk or to a getaway to the beach, etc, etc, etc.
I am thankful for the opportunity to work with our students through the Quakerism seminar I teach and through coaching girls basketball. Almost all heads of school know that being with the students makes them better administrators but not all schools afford this to their heads of school. Working with the students keeps me grounded in what is most important, energizes me by being around their own energy, and allows me to better empathize with our great staff through both their celebrations and trials in their own classrooms with their own students.
I am thankful for a staff that puts everything they have into providing the best and most current education for the students at NGFS. A staff that is consistently bringing new, more scientifically researched information that continues to allow us to offer the strongest curriculum from age 3 through 12th grade that we know to offer. And for a staff that truly cares for me far more than most heads could ever imagine. I can only hope they feel so cared for from me.
I am thankful for a parent community that is so incredibly supportive of the work and play of the students of NGFS, and so supportive of the time and energy of our staff as they work with our students. Our parents play a pivotal role in making NGFS as strong a community as it is.
I could continue on and on and on, but won't at this time. I hope each of you has time over Thanksgiving to be with family and friends and share thanks for all that is good in your world.
I know each one of us has challenges and difficulties in our lives, some small and some monumentally large. That being said, I'm thankful for a day that causes me to stop and reflect on all I have to be thankful for. I hope I don't bore you too much with my list and I promise you it will just be the very beginnings of a list. I do hope it will encourage folks to stop and think of their own list.
I am thankful for a community that has supported me through 25 years as an educator and administrator. That has given me far more opportunities to learn than I have given the students that I have taught over those years. A community that more times than not celebrates me for what I do well and forgives me for my weaknesses.
I am thankful to have an incredible wife, Carrie, who truly loves being the wife of a head of school. This is a blessing, because often times her job is much tougher than mine. As an educator herself she helps me to continue to grow in my professional work, this is simply the icing on the cake.
I am thankful for parents who spoiled me as a child but also held me accountable for my actions. I know that if I hadn't been successful in my life it would have been my own fault. They provided me every opportunity to succeed and to be happy in my life.
I am thankful for innumerable friends who care about me no matter what. Who support me in my personal and professional life. I am especially grateful to my friends who keep me sane by getting me on my bike or out for a walk or to a getaway to the beach, etc, etc, etc.
I am thankful for the opportunity to work with our students through the Quakerism seminar I teach and through coaching girls basketball. Almost all heads of school know that being with the students makes them better administrators but not all schools afford this to their heads of school. Working with the students keeps me grounded in what is most important, energizes me by being around their own energy, and allows me to better empathize with our great staff through both their celebrations and trials in their own classrooms with their own students.
I am thankful for a staff that puts everything they have into providing the best and most current education for the students at NGFS. A staff that is consistently bringing new, more scientifically researched information that continues to allow us to offer the strongest curriculum from age 3 through 12th grade that we know to offer. And for a staff that truly cares for me far more than most heads could ever imagine. I can only hope they feel so cared for from me.
I am thankful for a parent community that is so incredibly supportive of the work and play of the students of NGFS, and so supportive of the time and energy of our staff as they work with our students. Our parents play a pivotal role in making NGFS as strong a community as it is.
I could continue on and on and on, but won't at this time. I hope each of you has time over Thanksgiving to be with family and friends and share thanks for all that is good in your world.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Welcome Home
I'm humbled to write today's blog about a man I consider a friend and a mentor. Without his vision, energy and collaborative work NGFS would have not come into existence. You see, in 1969 Bruce Stewart took a group of Guilford College students to the Philadelphia area to visit Friends Schools there. From that visit the vision arose to create a Friends School in the Greensboro area. Through Bruce's hard work and the hard work of others including another founder of the school and current trustee Jim Newlin, New Garden opened its doors in 1971.
Bruce continued his service to Guilford College for many more years. In fact, that is where I first met him, when I was a student at Guilford. A little known fact, Bruce and I ran on the same 5K relay team race contested by Guilford students and staff and sponsored by the college. After his tenure at Guilford, Bruce served as head of school first at Abington Friends School, in Jenkintown PA. AFS is one of the oldest Friends Schools in the country, having opened its doors in 1697. He left Abington to become head of Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC. At Sidwell, Bruce would tell me he had to be so careful with his words and any statistics or data he shared publicly because of the Washington press. Yet he led Sidwell with such incredible vision and concern for all things Quaker.
Through the years I have had many opportunities to visit with Bruce. We always have had time to get together at Friends Schools Heads Gatherings and we served on the Friends Council on Education Board of Directors. Each time I see Bruce, all he wants to talk about is NGFS and how this community is doing. He has said he never imagined NGFS having the staying power to become such a strong, educational institution in the Triad area. That he thought it might live for 10 years, and having served its mission, closed its doors. He is thrilled that we continue to serve that initial mission of educating kids in a caring, supportive, challenging environment.
Bruce cares deeply about the NGFS community and has for longer than the school has existed. We are fortunate next week to welcome Bruce home for a day. He and his wife Andra will be visiting NGFS on Wednesday, November 18. At 5:30 PM he will be speaking in the Commons at the upper division campus. All NGFS community members are invited to this event and we hope you will come out' share with friends that you think may be interested also. Bruce is a dynamic, visionary speaker. He will share about "The Importance of Friends Education for the 21st Century." If you can come please RSVP to Beth Brooks at bbrooks@purringtonmoody.com. We are offering child care at the Guilford campus in the extended care room.
I hope to see many of you at this special event. It will be a great time to say thanks to Bruce, hear him speak about a topic near and dear to his heart, and welcome him home.
Bruce continued his service to Guilford College for many more years. In fact, that is where I first met him, when I was a student at Guilford. A little known fact, Bruce and I ran on the same 5K relay team race contested by Guilford students and staff and sponsored by the college. After his tenure at Guilford, Bruce served as head of school first at Abington Friends School, in Jenkintown PA. AFS is one of the oldest Friends Schools in the country, having opened its doors in 1697. He left Abington to become head of Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC. At Sidwell, Bruce would tell me he had to be so careful with his words and any statistics or data he shared publicly because of the Washington press. Yet he led Sidwell with such incredible vision and concern for all things Quaker.
Through the years I have had many opportunities to visit with Bruce. We always have had time to get together at Friends Schools Heads Gatherings and we served on the Friends Council on Education Board of Directors. Each time I see Bruce, all he wants to talk about is NGFS and how this community is doing. He has said he never imagined NGFS having the staying power to become such a strong, educational institution in the Triad area. That he thought it might live for 10 years, and having served its mission, closed its doors. He is thrilled that we continue to serve that initial mission of educating kids in a caring, supportive, challenging environment.
Bruce cares deeply about the NGFS community and has for longer than the school has existed. We are fortunate next week to welcome Bruce home for a day. He and his wife Andra will be visiting NGFS on Wednesday, November 18. At 5:30 PM he will be speaking in the Commons at the upper division campus. All NGFS community members are invited to this event and we hope you will come out' share with friends that you think may be interested also. Bruce is a dynamic, visionary speaker. He will share about "The Importance of Friends Education for the 21st Century." If you can come please RSVP to Beth Brooks at bbrooks@purringtonmoody.com. We are offering child care at the Guilford campus in the extended care room.
I hope to see many of you at this special event. It will be a great time to say thanks to Bruce, hear him speak about a topic near and dear to his heart, and welcome him home.
Friday, October 30, 2009
NGFS staff community and collegiality
Each year the staff of NGFS begins the year with a retreat. We study new educational information, making sure that when we make changes to our dynamic curriculum, these changes are sound scientifically and allow for consistency from one level to the next. We also have time to play and just spend quality time together. It is a great way to begin the year. Historically we then go through the year with very few extended opportunities to renew ourselves as an entire community, sharing and learning from one another.
Last year it was suggested by a person on staff to have a few opportunities throughout the year to come together as a staff for an extended time. Certainly this was an idea whose time had come. That's why in this school year calendar we have 3 early release day for students: today, March 8 and May 3. On these afternoons our entire staff will come together professionally to further study important educational trends and also just have time to be with one another.
Today we will be continuing our conversation of what makes us the best education for a 21st century student. More and more research shows a consistency of skills that students today need to have, some of these are the ability to: write and speak eloquently, access and analyze information, and be creative and imaginative.
As we work together today as a staff, we will spend time thinking about what skills and traits a person needs to succeed in the world after formal schooling. This helps us see when and where to initiate and build these skills within our students. We will also have time to discuss how we transform units of study so that we maintain critical and interesting content, but allow our students to use the tools of the day, and be considering the tools of tomorrow. This will be a wonderfully useful opportunity for all of us on staff as we work to give our students the best we can give them for the world they will live in.
Last year it was suggested by a person on staff to have a few opportunities throughout the year to come together as a staff for an extended time. Certainly this was an idea whose time had come. That's why in this school year calendar we have 3 early release day for students: today, March 8 and May 3. On these afternoons our entire staff will come together professionally to further study important educational trends and also just have time to be with one another.
Today we will be continuing our conversation of what makes us the best education for a 21st century student. More and more research shows a consistency of skills that students today need to have, some of these are the ability to: write and speak eloquently, access and analyze information, and be creative and imaginative.
As we work together today as a staff, we will spend time thinking about what skills and traits a person needs to succeed in the world after formal schooling. This helps us see when and where to initiate and build these skills within our students. We will also have time to discuss how we transform units of study so that we maintain critical and interesting content, but allow our students to use the tools of the day, and be considering the tools of tomorrow. This will be a wonderfully useful opportunity for all of us on staff as we work to give our students the best we can give them for the world they will live in.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Friends School Heads Gathering
What an amazing event when roughly 50 heads of Friends Schools from all across the country get together! There are new Friends Schools and ones over 300 years old. There are nursery schools only, schools that go through 6th or 8th, and schools that go through 12th grade. And once a year the heads get together. Never, outside of the NGFS community, am I more surrounded by professionals more committed to there work than at this event. This year's event was co-hosted by Newtown Friends School and George School in Newtown, PA.
What do we spend our time on at such a conference, well the themes will probably sound familiar. We discuss the the idea that Friends Schools are well positioned for the 21st century because friends have always moved away from fear and toward opportunity. We talked about collaborative inquiry leading to innovation. We talked about our commitment to have each individual student in all our schools have the chance to learn who he/she is as an individual and to respect and learn about their peers. And we talked about the importance of hope and that Friends Schools teach hope.
Of course this year most of us have had economic and enrollment concerns, however it seems most of us are doing very well with enrollment and we have been creative with budgets to make the most out of an economy where people have less. One particular area of goodness, is that we all feel that there is an abundance of creativity, wisdom and optimism in our communities that will help us through the current times and better prepare us for hopefully better economic times ahead.
I am always filled with a sense of joy to be with these colleagues, who are more freinds than friendly acquaintences. I look forward to this gathering and always come back with ideas and energy that hopefully helps the NGFS community. I hope that I am able to share ideas and energy that others can take back to their communities.
I look forward to being back in NC tomorrow and greatly looking forward to the Fall Unity Festival next Friday. Hope to see you there.
What do we spend our time on at such a conference, well the themes will probably sound familiar. We discuss the the idea that Friends Schools are well positioned for the 21st century because friends have always moved away from fear and toward opportunity. We talked about collaborative inquiry leading to innovation. We talked about our commitment to have each individual student in all our schools have the chance to learn who he/she is as an individual and to respect and learn about their peers. And we talked about the importance of hope and that Friends Schools teach hope.
Of course this year most of us have had economic and enrollment concerns, however it seems most of us are doing very well with enrollment and we have been creative with budgets to make the most out of an economy where people have less. One particular area of goodness, is that we all feel that there is an abundance of creativity, wisdom and optimism in our communities that will help us through the current times and better prepare us for hopefully better economic times ahead.
I am always filled with a sense of joy to be with these colleagues, who are more freinds than friendly acquaintences. I look forward to this gathering and always come back with ideas and energy that hopefully helps the NGFS community. I hope that I am able to share ideas and energy that others can take back to their communities.
I look forward to being back in NC tomorrow and greatly looking forward to the Fall Unity Festival next Friday. Hope to see you there.
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