Read this article:
Link to PNW Magazine
Then take the quiz, "How Millenial Are You?"
"This is a can-do generation. These students want to be great. They're searching for a way to be what I call 'epic.' "
David Donke, voted UW class of 2008's favorite professor
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Dads Are a Key Factor in the Life of Girls
This past week, I joined fourteen SGS dads at a breakfast sponsored by Holy Names Academy, one of our sister girls schools here in Seattle. We weren’t just there for the good company. We had the opportunity to hear from Dr. JoAnn Deak. She is an advocate for helping children develop into confident and competent adults. She also focuses on working with adults, parents and teachers in their roles as guides or 'neurosculptors' of those children. On her website is a quote that best describes her perspective on her work: "Every interaction a child has, during the course of a day, influences the adult that child will become."
Dr. Deak presented research that supports, among other things:
• SGS is a great environment for nurturing and educating our daughters.
• Dads have more influence on their daughter’s tween/teen development than moms.
• Dad’s need to help their daughters learn to take risks in order to establish positive self esteem.
• Positive self esteem is the #1 characteristic found in successful girls.
• Our daughters want to spend time with dads. They like dads best when they display a sense of humor.
• Dad’s need to talk quietly and listen more than they talk. Responding to their daughters, dads need to ask ‘Tell me more?’ and ‘What can I do to help?’ rather than act like Superman and try to fix it.
As the “honorary” daily dad of 117 girls, I would concur with these points. I also noted with great interest that Dr. Deak pointed out that the research on girls applies to about 80% of them while 20% actually present more boy-like. Likewise, 20% of boys present more girl-like. Knowing your child best, only you can determine what the research has to say about that particular special human being.
Visit Dr. Deak's website at: http://www.deakgroup.com/deak/index.html
Dr. Deak presented research that supports, among other things:
• SGS is a great environment for nurturing and educating our daughters.
• Dads have more influence on their daughter’s tween/teen development than moms.
• Dad’s need to help their daughters learn to take risks in order to establish positive self esteem.
• Positive self esteem is the #1 characteristic found in successful girls.
• Our daughters want to spend time with dads. They like dads best when they display a sense of humor.
• Dad’s need to talk quietly and listen more than they talk. Responding to their daughters, dads need to ask ‘Tell me more?’ and ‘What can I do to help?’ rather than act like Superman and try to fix it.
As the “honorary” daily dad of 117 girls, I would concur with these points. I also noted with great interest that Dr. Deak pointed out that the research on girls applies to about 80% of them while 20% actually present more boy-like. Likewise, 20% of boys present more girl-like. Knowing your child best, only you can determine what the research has to say about that particular special human being.
Visit Dr. Deak's website at: http://www.deakgroup.com/deak/index.html
Friday, October 22, 2010
Making Schools Bully-Free for LGBTQ Youth
Dear SGS families,
I would like to turn over this week’s Thursday Notes Home to Janet Miller who has been working as an integral part of the 7th grade team. Her presentation on Tuesday holds a powerful message for us all. While I believe that SGS is a safe place for LGBTQ families and students, we must never take the emotional safety of any of our students for granted. Please find a time to have a conversation with your daughter, a conversation framed by your own family values and faith, but with a clear message of inclusion and respect for others. Ask her about her own emotional safety, but also challenge her to think about any times when she has been less than kind to a
classmate. Yes, this is one of those teachable moments where the goal is to teach empathy and compassion. Let’s all take on the challenge.
Thank you,
Rafael
Community Meeting 10/19/10
I’m going to talk about something that’s really sad and difficult, but important to be aware of, so we can work to change our reality.
Raise your hand if you have heard about the recent suicides of young people who identify OR who are perceived to be LGBTQ/gender non- conforming.
This is a very serious issue for me. It affects me personally. This is my community, my family. That is why I wanted to talk to all of you today about this issue.
Acknowledging and talking about these suicides is one of the ways that we can work to change our culture to not only tolerate people who identify as LGBTQQ, but to value and love them as well!
First, let’s learn a little bit more about what’s been going on just in the past 2 months. Here is Gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns addressing the issue at a City Council meeting on October 12th, about a week ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax96cghOnY4
Raise your hand if hearing about these deaths makes you feel sad. Keep your hand up if it angers you. Keep your hand up if it makes you want to be a part of the movement to make life better for LGBTQQ people, their allies, and their loved ones.
Look around the room. There is so much support and allyship in this room. Take a
moment to appreciate that. It means so much to me, and I hope it is also powerful for
you.
There has been a huge response to these recent suicides. I want to highlight some of the ways that young LGBTQQ people, and people of all ages, have been responding and
acting proactively, to show their love & support for the LGBTQQ community.
The video we watched is part of a project called “It Gets Better.” Columnist Dan Savage launched “It Gets Better,” a video message in response to recent youth suicides to tell LGBT youth that life gets better after high school. You can go on You Tube and watch hundreds of videos that people have made, telling young people that life does get better.
One response, led by young people, is The Make It Better Project. The Make It Better
Project takes the “it gets better project” one step further, giving youth the tools they need to make their lives better now. They are saying, “We aren’t waiting until high school is over for our lives to get better... We are taking action now!” Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vBmLivjVAo&feature=player_embedded
Another powerful project is a local project called Put This on the Map. It’s a
documentary made by a friend of mine about a generation of young people who live in
and around Seattle & Kirkland re-teaching gender and sexual identity. Their goal is toimprove schools and communities for LGBTQQ youth through educating parents,
teachers, and other young folks.
I love hearing what these young people have to say. Creating change is not just about
ending bullying. It’s about really changing our culture! Changing our culture to accept and love queer people means doing more than just making overt statements like, “We must end bullying!” It’s fabulous to say, “Let’s all wear purple tomorrow to show our love and support for the queer community!” and we also need to make sure we are following through with that message on a daily basis. What are some actions we could take in our daily lives to show that we love, respect, & value LGBTQ people?
-Don’t say things like, “that’s so gay” and if you do hear it, say something!
-Don’t make faces when people talk about LGBTQQ people
-Check your assumptions about what peoples’ families might be like.
And also, people need to know that there are lots & lots of LBGTQQ people who are
happy and living fabulous, amazing, successful lives!
I’d like to end with a real positive note from a lovely group of young LGBTQQ people:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tSmwqpWQM
Thank you!
Janet
I would like to turn over this week’s Thursday Notes Home to Janet Miller who has been working as an integral part of the 7th grade team. Her presentation on Tuesday holds a powerful message for us all. While I believe that SGS is a safe place for LGBTQ families and students, we must never take the emotional safety of any of our students for granted. Please find a time to have a conversation with your daughter, a conversation framed by your own family values and faith, but with a clear message of inclusion and respect for others. Ask her about her own emotional safety, but also challenge her to think about any times when she has been less than kind to a
classmate. Yes, this is one of those teachable moments where the goal is to teach empathy and compassion. Let’s all take on the challenge.
Thank you,
Rafael
Community Meeting 10/19/10
I’m going to talk about something that’s really sad and difficult, but important to be aware of, so we can work to change our reality.
Raise your hand if you have heard about the recent suicides of young people who identify OR who are perceived to be LGBTQ/gender non- conforming.
This is a very serious issue for me. It affects me personally. This is my community, my family. That is why I wanted to talk to all of you today about this issue.
Acknowledging and talking about these suicides is one of the ways that we can work to change our culture to not only tolerate people who identify as LGBTQQ, but to value and love them as well!
First, let’s learn a little bit more about what’s been going on just in the past 2 months. Here is Gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns addressing the issue at a City Council meeting on October 12th, about a week ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax96cghOnY4
Raise your hand if hearing about these deaths makes you feel sad. Keep your hand up if it angers you. Keep your hand up if it makes you want to be a part of the movement to make life better for LGBTQQ people, their allies, and their loved ones.
Look around the room. There is so much support and allyship in this room. Take a
moment to appreciate that. It means so much to me, and I hope it is also powerful for
you.
There has been a huge response to these recent suicides. I want to highlight some of the ways that young LGBTQQ people, and people of all ages, have been responding and
acting proactively, to show their love & support for the LGBTQQ community.
The video we watched is part of a project called “It Gets Better.” Columnist Dan Savage launched “It Gets Better,” a video message in response to recent youth suicides to tell LGBT youth that life gets better after high school. You can go on You Tube and watch hundreds of videos that people have made, telling young people that life does get better.
One response, led by young people, is The Make It Better Project. The Make It Better
Project takes the “it gets better project” one step further, giving youth the tools they need to make their lives better now. They are saying, “We aren’t waiting until high school is over for our lives to get better... We are taking action now!” Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vBmLivjVAo&feature=player_embedded
Another powerful project is a local project called Put This on the Map. It’s a
documentary made by a friend of mine about a generation of young people who live in
and around Seattle & Kirkland re-teaching gender and sexual identity. Their goal is toimprove schools and communities for LGBTQQ youth through educating parents,
teachers, and other young folks.
I love hearing what these young people have to say. Creating change is not just about
ending bullying. It’s about really changing our culture! Changing our culture to accept and love queer people means doing more than just making overt statements like, “We must end bullying!” It’s fabulous to say, “Let’s all wear purple tomorrow to show our love and support for the queer community!” and we also need to make sure we are following through with that message on a daily basis. What are some actions we could take in our daily lives to show that we love, respect, & value LGBTQ people?
-Don’t say things like, “that’s so gay” and if you do hear it, say something!
-Don’t make faces when people talk about LGBTQQ people
-Check your assumptions about what peoples’ families might be like.
And also, people need to know that there are lots & lots of LBGTQQ people who are
happy and living fabulous, amazing, successful lives!
I’d like to end with a real positive note from a lovely group of young LGBTQQ people:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tSmwqpWQM
Thank you!
Janet
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Amplify
Today I attended the Women’s Funding Alliance breakfast, Amplify: Raise the Volume, Up the Impact. Seattle Girls’ School is currently the only school recipient of WFA funding. I believe that it is a testament to the scope and reach of our mission. We do indeed exemplify their definition of amplify:
• To make more powerful, stronger or louder
• To magnify intensity, heighten, deepen, compound, raise
• To add to; make complete
• To increase the volume
As our families converge on the school next week to interface with teachers, but led by students who “chair” their learning teams; I want to share with you some communication from our Curriculum Council. These are the school’s core standards that we use to inform both planning and assessment at SGS. Our faculty revisits these standards every year to ensure viability and relevance.
• Democratic Citizenship: The student actively works to create an environment in which there is respect and equity for all. The student works to create equitable social interactions and strives to be a critical consumer of information about issues. She consistently works with others toward a common goal while balancing both individual and group needs.
• Analytical / Critical Thinking and Problem-solving: Analytical/critical thinking involves the ability to make accurate observations, draw inferences, identify relationships and integrate knowledge. Problem solving includes the ability to examine possible solutions, choose effective courses of action, plan ahead/strategize, integrate skills into a functional process, monitor that process, document results, and accurately evaluate and verify.
• Communication: Communication involves the ability to clearly and effectively impart or exchange information through a variety of methods and modes: verbally - in both speaking and writing, active listening skills, and visual representations. Effective communication results in a two-way exchange of pertinent information as well as in the potential to positively influence others or reach a desired outcome.
• Effort (Work Habits): Effort involves consistent evidence of follow-through and responsibility. Evidence of effort includes meeting deadlines, possessing required class materials, arriving promptly, paying close and consistent attention, adhering thoroughly to verbal and written directions, completing all prescribed tasks, posing pertinent, provocative questions, and participating actively.
I believe that our focus on 21st century skills helps insure that this amplification effect starts happening in grade 5, 6, 7 or 8. We are not just preparing the girls for some distant future endeavor. The future is tomorrow; and these girls are ready to shape it!
• To make more powerful, stronger or louder
• To magnify intensity, heighten, deepen, compound, raise
• To add to; make complete
• To increase the volume
As our families converge on the school next week to interface with teachers, but led by students who “chair” their learning teams; I want to share with you some communication from our Curriculum Council. These are the school’s core standards that we use to inform both planning and assessment at SGS. Our faculty revisits these standards every year to ensure viability and relevance.
• Democratic Citizenship: The student actively works to create an environment in which there is respect and equity for all. The student works to create equitable social interactions and strives to be a critical consumer of information about issues. She consistently works with others toward a common goal while balancing both individual and group needs.
• Analytical / Critical Thinking and Problem-solving: Analytical/critical thinking involves the ability to make accurate observations, draw inferences, identify relationships and integrate knowledge. Problem solving includes the ability to examine possible solutions, choose effective courses of action, plan ahead/strategize, integrate skills into a functional process, monitor that process, document results, and accurately evaluate and verify.
• Communication: Communication involves the ability to clearly and effectively impart or exchange information through a variety of methods and modes: verbally - in both speaking and writing, active listening skills, and visual representations. Effective communication results in a two-way exchange of pertinent information as well as in the potential to positively influence others or reach a desired outcome.
• Effort (Work Habits): Effort involves consistent evidence of follow-through and responsibility. Evidence of effort includes meeting deadlines, possessing required class materials, arriving promptly, paying close and consistent attention, adhering thoroughly to verbal and written directions, completing all prescribed tasks, posing pertinent, provocative questions, and participating actively.
I believe that our focus on 21st century skills helps insure that this amplification effect starts happening in grade 5, 6, 7 or 8. We are not just preparing the girls for some distant future endeavor. The future is tomorrow; and these girls are ready to shape it!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Can we teach compassion?
At Rutgers University last week, an 18-year old freshman decided to participate in secretly videotaping a male student having an encounter with another man. The young man whose privacy was invaded took his life as a result of being exposed on the internet. This tale is tragic on so many levels. What would compel two young people – one in the role of bystander – to decide to inflict this kind of humiliation on a classmate? Would the exposed young man have faced similar anguish to the point of taking his life if he had been filmed with a girl? Should we actively be preparing our students for a new definition of privacy in the 21st century? I think so! This story left me with more questions than answers.
However, at Tuesday’s community meeting, I found some answers. The rising leaders of a group at SGS, Richard’s Rwanda – Impuwe, delivered a motivational presentation that highlighted the group’s inspirational founder, an SGS alumna currently in 10th grade, as well as their on-going mission to help girls in Rwanda become empowered women. Their presentation included two very powerful video clips that are MUST view for all of us:
Richard’s Rwanda - Impuwe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxMZaBx4pc
Girl Effect
http://www.girleffect.org/video
“Impuwe” is Rwandan for compassion, and also stands for “inspire and motivate powerful, undiscovered women with education.”
I myself left community meeting inspired and hopeful. The choice that Jessica and her classmates made years ago to help others who are very different from them presents itself in stark contrast to the choice made at Rutgers University. I believe that compassion and empathy can indeed be taught; and that they are an important part of working and learning collaboratively in a diverse community. I also believe that SGS graduates will make different choices because of what they learn from their teachers and from each other. As the girl effect video reminds us, we all face divergent paths that have much to do with how we are guided.
As the Dalai Lama told us a few years ago on his visit to Seattle, “With an open heart and joyful mind, I promise to practice compassion- to be kind to myself and to others and, especially, to be kind to every child whose life touches mine, from near or far, for today and always”
However, at Tuesday’s community meeting, I found some answers. The rising leaders of a group at SGS, Richard’s Rwanda – Impuwe, delivered a motivational presentation that highlighted the group’s inspirational founder, an SGS alumna currently in 10th grade, as well as their on-going mission to help girls in Rwanda become empowered women. Their presentation included two very powerful video clips that are MUST view for all of us:
Richard’s Rwanda - Impuwe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxMZaBx4pc
Girl Effect
http://www.girleffect.org/video
“Impuwe” is Rwandan for compassion, and also stands for “inspire and motivate powerful, undiscovered women with education.”
I myself left community meeting inspired and hopeful. The choice that Jessica and her classmates made years ago to help others who are very different from them presents itself in stark contrast to the choice made at Rutgers University. I believe that compassion and empathy can indeed be taught; and that they are an important part of working and learning collaboratively in a diverse community. I also believe that SGS graduates will make different choices because of what they learn from their teachers and from each other. As the girl effect video reminds us, we all face divergent paths that have much to do with how we are guided.
As the Dalai Lama told us a few years ago on his visit to Seattle, “With an open heart and joyful mind, I promise to practice compassion- to be kind to myself and to others and, especially, to be kind to every child whose life touches mine, from near or far, for today and always”
Sunday, October 3, 2010
How cool is this!?
Railway to the sky? NASA ponders new launch system
Engineers have tested a prototype track-based system that uses magnetic levitation to accelerate vehicles to launch speeds
Click Here
Engineers have tested a prototype track-based system that uses magnetic levitation to accelerate vehicles to launch speeds
Click Here
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A Homework Assignment for Private School Families
Well, the long awaited debate on the state of education in the US is here. In case you have not heard, we are all Waiting for Superman, Racing to the Top, or Racing to Nowhere depending on which blog or movie you might have first chanced upon. As a private school that is often said to have a public school heart – with about half our students coming from public elementary schools and about half our graduates attending public high schools – I believe that we have an obligation to consider our “public obligation” and enter into this debate.
With that in mind, I give you all homework; and yes this is intentional and relevant and certainly not busy work! I would ask that we all spend some time in the next month viewing and discussing the following “media events:”
Waiting for Superman. Here are two reviews that provide very different perspectives on this film.
o http://www.examiner.com/family-in-seattle/isabelle-zehnder-review-waiting-for-superman
o http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-ayers-/an-inconvenient-superman-_b_716420.html
Question: Does this movie “provide a strong argument for major reform of America's educational system and examines how the system is failing our children and, ultimately, our society?” Or is it “a slick marketing piece full of half-truths and distortions.” Talk amongst yourselves!
There is another film that will be harder to find, Race to Nowhere. It will be shown locally on October 26th at the Nova Project, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124873.
It is a film that seeks to describe “the dark side of America’s achievement culture.” I had the opportunity to preview Race to Nowhere in the spring at the PNAIS Heads’ Meeting. It is a disturbing film that brings to light the impact of the achievement culture on individual students. While I don’t agree with all the premises presented, I do believe all private school families and educators should see it and enter into that conversation.
Last, but not least, this website describes itself as “a nationally broadcast, in-depth conversation about improving education in America.” You will find links here to the current administration’s Race to the Top initiative, comparisons to other nations – valid or not – and other links for us to view the larger educational landscape, http://www.educationnation.com/.
Given the unique missions of private schools, I will be so bold as to say that we hold a piece of the educational reform puzzle. We must ask of ourselves what we ask of our students: will we be informed and analytical in our approach to understanding and helping solve a key national challenge?
With that in mind, I give you all homework; and yes this is intentional and relevant and certainly not busy work! I would ask that we all spend some time in the next month viewing and discussing the following “media events:”
Waiting for Superman. Here are two reviews that provide very different perspectives on this film.
o http://www.examiner.com/family-in-seattle/isabelle-zehnder-review-waiting-for-superman
o http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-ayers-/an-inconvenient-superman-_b_716420.html
Question: Does this movie “provide a strong argument for major reform of America's educational system and examines how the system is failing our children and, ultimately, our society?” Or is it “a slick marketing piece full of half-truths and distortions.” Talk amongst yourselves!
There is another film that will be harder to find, Race to Nowhere. It will be shown locally on October 26th at the Nova Project, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124873.
It is a film that seeks to describe “the dark side of America’s achievement culture.” I had the opportunity to preview Race to Nowhere in the spring at the PNAIS Heads’ Meeting. It is a disturbing film that brings to light the impact of the achievement culture on individual students. While I don’t agree with all the premises presented, I do believe all private school families and educators should see it and enter into that conversation.
Last, but not least, this website describes itself as “a nationally broadcast, in-depth conversation about improving education in America.” You will find links here to the current administration’s Race to the Top initiative, comparisons to other nations – valid or not – and other links for us to view the larger educational landscape, http://www.educationnation.com/.
Given the unique missions of private schools, I will be so bold as to say that we hold a piece of the educational reform puzzle. We must ask of ourselves what we ask of our students: will we be informed and analytical in our approach to understanding and helping solve a key national challenge?
Friday, October 1, 2010
SGS Alumna, Sylvie Baldwin, is trying to apply the idea of being a "conscientious objector" to the world of admissions testing.
No surprise to her teachers at SGS, Sylvie is using the power of her convictions to change the landscape for college admissions. More ripples from the remarkable young women we are sending forth as empowered leaders!
Click here for the full story
Click here for the full story
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