Yoga at Park for All the Right ReasonsbY CAROL bATCHELDER ParK Parent Editorial Board

volume 47 number 3

a publication

of the park

school parentsrsquo

association

DECEMbER 2014-JANUARY 2015

in this issue

Dr ldquoordquo on becoM-

inG resilient 2

JorGe VeGa in

profile 3

DiVersitY amp

inclusion 4

arounD the

librarY 7

parkinG space 11

The Park Parent

continued on page 6

This October Park eighth graders took part in

a revamped Project Week program entitled

ldquoA Place at the Tablerdquo The program has three

principal components learning about food learn-

ing about hunger and learning about ways to serve

The focus on a new program began last spring The Grade VIII faculty wanted to create a program for Project Week that would have an overarching cohesive theme rather than devote a few days to different activities as they had done in previous years Since the former eighth grade program had included a trip to The Food Project in Lincoln where the students worked on a farm and separately a service day at the Allston-Brighton Food Pantry the teachers felt that creating a more comprehensive program highlighting food harvesting and service was a natural next step

Upper Division English teacher and Grade VIII Head Advisor Curt Miller says ldquowe wanted students to

A Place at the TablebY SARAH SMiTH Park Parent Editorial Board

continued on page 8

Baron Baptiste The Blissful Monkey HYP and The Park

School What do all of these things have in common Yoga

Yes thatrsquos righthellipyoga at Park

All kids (and adults for that matter) have trouble focusing managing their emotions settling down and being patient sometimes Yet that is what they are asked to do all day long This is a tough task when you consider that we are wired to process everything around us in order to detect possible danger Chil-drenrsquos minds especially notice everything but we are asking them to stop think-ing about all of those people places and things that are important to them right then and focus on exactly what we want them to concentrate on and respond appropriately Yoga helps develop skills to manage this by teaching kids how to choose what to pay attention to and how to live more in the moment

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

Learning Through Success andhellipFailurebY OLiViA MOOREHEAD-SLAUGHTER Psychologist

BECOMING RESILIENT

Itrsquos happened again Another school year is well underway Routines are feeling familiar the first conference has passed and itrsquos time to take on in earnest the goals that were set for the year

Goal setting is a very personal and individualized endeavor One size definitely does not fit all Indeed perhaps the most important implicit and explicit message in setting these goals is that everybody is working on something Your childrsquos goals may have to do with improving reading or writing skills learning math facts presenting in Morning Meeting trying a new sport learning to tie shoelaces making a new friend or learning to use an assignment notebook The list of possibilities is endless And perhaps therein lies the tricky part There are so many possibilities one could become over-whelmed and decide to simply plod along and to let the year unfold without delving into the potentially stressful and messy business of goal setting Why introduce that kind of pressure along with the possibility of disappointment and failure if the goals are not met

Both success and failure are excellent teachers though one tends to be more welcomed than the other As parents it might be helpful to replay your own school experiences and to think about what you learned about yourself along the way How did your experiences in school shape the person that you have become today What did you learn from the times that were uncomfortable or really painful Itrsquos difficult to wish failure upon our children but this will likely be unnecessary as life has a way of ldquohappeningrdquo pro-viding the bumps and roadblocks that our children will experience as ldquofailuresrdquo As difficult as it may seem sometimes we will need to resist scaffolding smoothing over or buffeting these experiences so that our children are spared the hurt and disappointment that comes in tow

Over forty years ago I had a very embarrassing and painful experience in fourth grade that remains as fresh and vivid as ever I raised my hand to read a paragraph and proceeded to encounter what felt like a daytime nightmare In this passage I encountered a generous sprinkling of ldquotrig-ger wordsrdquo that exposed my stuttering speech to all of my classmates and my teacher I couldnrsquot believe that I had volunteered for this torturous and humiliating experience

Somehow I made it to the end of the paragraph but that day was seared into my memory I honestly do not recall the conver-sation that I likely had with my parents but I do remember the resolve that emerged within myself to figure out how I would ldquofixrdquo this problem No doubt this very difficult experience made me more empathic understanding and supportive of othersrsquo challenges It also likely built some important resilience that fueled me through many future challenges This fourth-grade moment is one of many resilience-building moments each contributing a deposit into an account from which I continue to make withdrawals

Short of rescuing your child there is much that you can and should do As a parent listening to your child and offering a supportive and nonjudgmental space for processing a challenging

continued on page 9

Coming in future Park Parent publications

We are planning to pilot a new column in future editions of the Park Parent called ldquoAsk Dr Ordquo Do

you have a question about parenting child development learning or socio-emotional health and well-

being that you would like to have answered in the Park Parent You can remain anonymous or not

your choice Please note that questions will be selected for publication by Dr O in conjunction with

the editorial staff of the Park Parent Space constraints will necessarily limit the number of questions

in each issue We thank you for your participation and understanding Questions can be submitted to

MooreheadOparkschoolorg or by placing your question in the box in the Lobby Again thank you

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

Learning Through Success andhellipFailurebY OLiViA MOOREHEAD-SLAUGHTER Psychologist

BECOMING RESILIENT

Itrsquos happened again Another school year is well underway Routines are feeling familiar the first conference has passed and itrsquos time to take on in earnest the goals that were set for the year

Goal setting is a very personal and individualized endeavor One size definitely does not fit all Indeed perhaps the most important implicit and explicit message in setting these goals is that everybody is working on something Your childrsquos goals may have to do with improving reading or writing skills learning math facts presenting in Morning Meeting trying a new sport learning to tie shoelaces making a new friend or learning to use an assignment notebook The list of possibilities is endless And perhaps therein lies the tricky part There are so many possibilities one could become over-whelmed and decide to simply plod along and to let the year unfold without delving into the potentially stressful and messy business of goal setting Why introduce that kind of pressure along with the possibility of disappointment and failure if the goals are not met

Both success and failure are excellent teachers though one tends to be more welcomed than the other As parents it might be helpful to replay your own school experiences and to think about what you learned about yourself along the way How did your experiences in school shape the person that you have become today What did you learn from the times that were uncomfortable or really painful Itrsquos difficult to wish failure upon our children but this will likely be unnecessary as life has a way of ldquohappeningrdquo pro-viding the bumps and roadblocks that our children will experience as ldquofailuresrdquo As difficult as it may seem sometimes we will need to resist scaffolding smoothing over or buffeting these experiences so that our children are spared the hurt and disappointment that comes in tow

Over forty years ago I had a very embarrassing and painful experience in fourth grade that remains as fresh and vivid as ever I raised my hand to read a paragraph and proceeded to encounter what felt like a daytime nightmare In this passage I encountered a generous sprinkling of ldquotrig-ger wordsrdquo that exposed my stuttering speech to all of my classmates and my teacher I couldnrsquot believe that I had volunteered for this torturous and humiliating experience

Somehow I made it to the end of the paragraph but that day was seared into my memory I honestly do not recall the conver-sation that I likely had with my parents but I do remember the resolve that emerged within myself to figure out how I would ldquofixrdquo this problem No doubt this very difficult experience made me more empathic understanding and supportive of othersrsquo challenges It also likely built some important resilience that fueled me through many future challenges This fourth-grade moment is one of many resilience-building moments each contributing a deposit into an account from which I continue to make withdrawals

Short of rescuing your child there is much that you can and should do As a parent listening to your child and offering a supportive and nonjudgmental space for processing a challenging

continued on page 9

Coming in future Park Parent publications

We are planning to pilot a new column in future editions of the Park Parent called ldquoAsk Dr Ordquo Do

you have a question about parenting child development learning or socio-emotional health and well-

being that you would like to have answered in the Park Parent You can remain anonymous or not

your choice Please note that questions will be selected for publication by Dr O in conjunction with

the editorial staff of the Park Parent Space constraints will necessarily limit the number of questions

in each issue We thank you for your participation and understanding Questions can be submitted to

MooreheadOparkschoolorg or by placing your question in the box in the Lobby Again thank you

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

FACULTY PROFILE

LeaveThingsbetter A Visit with Jorge Vega Parkrsquos Director of TechnologybY EMiLY RAViOLA Park Parent Editorial Board

If yoursquore curious to know which Park faculty member has been a theater director a physics teacher and has authored a graphic novel look no further than the Office of Technology

Similarly if you want to meet someone who embodies Park21 our schoolrsquos strategic plan that fosters innovation introduce yourself to Jorge Vegamdashwhom we are lucky to welcome back to Park in his new role as Director of Technology

Before most kids had access to computers Jorge was busy put-ting together servers at home in Far Rockaway Queens New York He fondly recalls the day when his father first brought home a Commodore 64 in the 80s Later following a K-12 teaching career that included theater physics and public speaking Jorge went back to school for networking at Hofstra University

Beginning in 2005 Jorge served as the Technology Specialist at Park for five years In 2010 he left Park to become the Director of Technology at the Sage School in Foxboro and then moved to New York to serve as tech director at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx

With a diverse experience and skill set Jorge has a passion for working in schools which as his experience has shown offer the opportunity to present ldquoall of oneselfrdquo It follows naturally then that Jorge is focused on helping our students ldquobe themselves onlinerdquo that is with guidance and an appropriate level of adult supervision

Having made huge advances in its technology infrastructure during the last five years Park has what Jorge says is a unique and exciting opportunity to ldquointentionallyrdquo approach its use of educational technology in a fashion consistent with the Schoolrsquos core ideals ldquoWe donrsquot have to worry about the lsquostuffrsquo (eg equip-ment and devices) We have the stuffrdquo he says ldquoWersquore now at the phase where we as a community can begin asking how do we best leverage our investment in technology to extend the Schoolrsquos missionrdquo By helping our children navigate a successful relation-ship with technology we can better ensure that we are embodying Parkrsquos commitment to encourage each child to develop to his or her greatest potential and to become a contributing member of the community School leadership faculty and staff are committed to ensuring that we have a consistent high-quality conversation with our students about how to navigate in a high-tech world This con-versation will be critical to our success in enabling Park students to develop into savvy tech users and simultaneously strong contribut-ing community members both within Park School and also in the local national and global communities that they inhabit

To accomplish this it will be critical that Park faculty staff and parents engage in regular and transparent conversations about the language we use when discussing behaviors and responsibili-ties with young people Jorge emphasizes the critical role that we as adults have to play in helping our children learn to express themselves consistently both on and offline Rather than leading the conversation with the dangers associated with being online it is essential that adults emphasize a positive message that says ldquobe yourself both online and offlinerdquo Otherwise we are indirectly instructing students to develop ldquoalter egosrdquo while they are online The behavior of these alter egos is often disconcerting and rarely reflects the amazing kids we know them to be offline (At the same time Jorge reminds us that technology use should be age-appro-priate parents should follow Facebook Twitter and Instragramrsquos guidelines which urge against children below the age of 13 using their services)

Jorge encourages adults to emphasize the opportunity the internet presents for students to put their knowledge and pas-sions front and center but to do so in a way that protects their personal safety and privacy For example to create a safe environ-ment for students to begin ldquobeing themselvesrdquo online sixth grade students are using a Park School Gmail account provided through the Schoolrsquos association with Google Apps for Education Jorge describes it as ldquoa portion of Google-sphere with a Park fence around itrdquo School leadership administers monitors and archives all activity on these accounts Kids know that they can reach out to friend yet they can take a measure of safety in the fact that

continued on page 5

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

How Does Parkrsquos Focus on Diversity Show Up in How Our Teachers TeachbY LAURA bARKAN Park Parent Editorial Board

DIVERSITY amp INCLUSION

When you walk the halls of Park School you see the faces of diversitymdashchildren and

families of different races ethnicities sexual orientations and socio-economic back-grounds

Itrsquos a community for all of us to be proud of and to be a part of Yet we as parents often donrsquot get the experience of looking closer into how Parkrsquos teachers and leaders work with our children to help ensure that diversity at Park goes deeper

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Growth Education Department Head Margo Smith about this questionmdashand about how an exciting program that has recently been reinstituted at Park (called SEED) enables Parkrsquos teachers to look closely at how their own ideas experiences and identities relate to how they lead and influence a diverse classroom

What is SEEDSEED stands for ldquoseeking educational

equity and diversityrdquo and is an internation-ally-used curriculum designed for teachers to explore their own experiences and those of the children they teach and learn skills to make their communities more inclusive The curriculum is largely experiential utiliz-ing a mix of activities including guided dis-cussions exercises personal reflections and journaling Margo and second grade teacher Kat Callard are trained SEED leaders who are currently facilitating two groups of Park teachers to go through the program which runs a three-hour session once per month throughout the 2014-15 school year

Margo said ldquoI believe passionately that until you look at your own journey and experiences and how your own attitudes (both conscious and unconscious) effect you you cannot be highly effective as a teacher

nor at creating an inclusive classroomrdquo In the SEED program Parkrsquos teachers

are able to explore cultural systems looking at oppression and privilege and heighten their own awareness of bias and its related behaviors Director of Admissions Merle Jacobs a participant in the program said ldquoIt is really powerful to engage in authentic dialogue about these issues with colleagues whom we trust and respect to both support us and hold us accountable We challenge ourselves to question our assumptions and dig deep when examining our biases It is hard and rewarding workrdquo

How are learnings from SEED applied in the classroom

Kat put it eloquently ldquoSEED has made me more frequently consider my own lsquolensrsquo (formed by my identity) and reflect on its influence on my interpretation of a childrsquos behavior or my delivery of information and curriculumrdquo Teachers have recently been exploring the risk of developing a ldquosingle

storyrdquo for individual studentsmdashthat is when a feature or characteristic of a child is extrapolated to represent all that that child is about For example imagine a fidgety child who appears to not be paying atten-tion and then a teacher dismissing the child as not engaged or a poor student It is important to remember that the child is more than just fidgety and to be open to and honor the rest of the child Single stories become blindfolds when applied to all peoples of the same race or ethnicity or having a similar feature or characteris-tic Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gives a wonderful TED talk on this issue in ldquoThe Danger of the Single Storyrdquo (httpbitly1yxtKUk)

Supporting an inclusive environment also means addressing slights or biased comments when they happen Teachers are encouraged to be allies to children on both sides of the dynamic which may mean putting oneself in momentarily uncomfort-able situations to talk openly about the issue Mandarin teacher Mulian Chen said

ldquoSEED has reinforced for me the notion that there are different sides to each story I would like to not only teach my students to see things through different lenses but also for me to understand things from my stu-dentsrsquo eyesrdquo Kat added ldquoIt is important to develop an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and wonder-ing aloud about bias or assumption If they live in fear of saying the wrong thing so many learning opportunities will be missedrdquo

The experience of going through the SEED program is deeply moving and eye opening for many teachers Parkrsquos invest-ment in such a program demonstrates how much personal and professional effort goes into creating an environment that is as inclusive as possible

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

How Does Parkrsquos Focus on Diversity Show Up in How Our Teachers TeachbY LAURA bARKAN Park Parent Editorial Board

DIVERSITY amp INCLUSION

When you walk the halls of Park School you see the faces of diversitymdashchildren and

families of different races ethnicities sexual orientations and socio-economic back-grounds

Itrsquos a community for all of us to be proud of and to be a part of Yet we as parents often donrsquot get the experience of looking closer into how Parkrsquos teachers and leaders work with our children to help ensure that diversity at Park goes deeper

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Growth Education Department Head Margo Smith about this questionmdashand about how an exciting program that has recently been reinstituted at Park (called SEED) enables Parkrsquos teachers to look closely at how their own ideas experiences and identities relate to how they lead and influence a diverse classroom

What is SEEDSEED stands for ldquoseeking educational

equity and diversityrdquo and is an internation-ally-used curriculum designed for teachers to explore their own experiences and those of the children they teach and learn skills to make their communities more inclusive The curriculum is largely experiential utiliz-ing a mix of activities including guided dis-cussions exercises personal reflections and journaling Margo and second grade teacher Kat Callard are trained SEED leaders who are currently facilitating two groups of Park teachers to go through the program which runs a three-hour session once per month throughout the 2014-15 school year

Margo said ldquoI believe passionately that until you look at your own journey and experiences and how your own attitudes (both conscious and unconscious) effect you you cannot be highly effective as a teacher

nor at creating an inclusive classroomrdquo In the SEED program Parkrsquos teachers

are able to explore cultural systems looking at oppression and privilege and heighten their own awareness of bias and its related behaviors Director of Admissions Merle Jacobs a participant in the program said ldquoIt is really powerful to engage in authentic dialogue about these issues with colleagues whom we trust and respect to both support us and hold us accountable We challenge ourselves to question our assumptions and dig deep when examining our biases It is hard and rewarding workrdquo

How are learnings from SEED applied in the classroom

Kat put it eloquently ldquoSEED has made me more frequently consider my own lsquolensrsquo (formed by my identity) and reflect on its influence on my interpretation of a childrsquos behavior or my delivery of information and curriculumrdquo Teachers have recently been exploring the risk of developing a ldquosingle

storyrdquo for individual studentsmdashthat is when a feature or characteristic of a child is extrapolated to represent all that that child is about For example imagine a fidgety child who appears to not be paying atten-tion and then a teacher dismissing the child as not engaged or a poor student It is important to remember that the child is more than just fidgety and to be open to and honor the rest of the child Single stories become blindfolds when applied to all peoples of the same race or ethnicity or having a similar feature or characteris-tic Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gives a wonderful TED talk on this issue in ldquoThe Danger of the Single Storyrdquo (httpbitly1yxtKUk)

Supporting an inclusive environment also means addressing slights or biased comments when they happen Teachers are encouraged to be allies to children on both sides of the dynamic which may mean putting oneself in momentarily uncomfort-able situations to talk openly about the issue Mandarin teacher Mulian Chen said

ldquoSEED has reinforced for me the notion that there are different sides to each story I would like to not only teach my students to see things through different lenses but also for me to understand things from my stu-dentsrsquo eyesrdquo Kat added ldquoIt is important to develop an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and wonder-ing aloud about bias or assumption If they live in fear of saying the wrong thing so many learning opportunities will be missedrdquo

The experience of going through the SEED program is deeply moving and eye opening for many teachers Parkrsquos invest-ment in such a program demonstrates how much personal and professional effort goes into creating an environment that is as inclusive as possible

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

adults who care about them are watching them online In the case of any inappropriate correspondence adults will use the occurrence as a ldquoteachable momentrdquo with the school division head or teacher involved in an in-person discussion about the interchange

And are you wondering what Jorgersquos longer-term vision is Ask him It will inspire you

ldquoIn five years Irsquom hoping ninth graders are leaving the school not just better writers speakers and thinkers but that theyrsquore channeling those skills into their online contributions sharing their voices and their knowledge via published material onlinemdashfic-tion music art science political discourse the whole enchilada I can envision an era where Park students arenrsquot only receiving a great educa-tion but are also generating content that educates and informs the discussions and ideas of others well beyond the Park domain In five years our students will be leaving the Internet better than they found itrdquo

And whatrsquos Jorge up to this year He said he is focused on getting to know the students say-ing ldquothe key to really deep change at school is engag-ing the student body in that changerdquo To initiate this conversation Jorge spoke during morning meeting in September at which point he introduced a new hashtag LeaveThingsBetter Hersquos encourag-

ing the Park community to email him examples of how they are improving the communities they are a part ofmdashboth online and offline Students faculty staff and parents can join in the conversa-tion by emailing him at vegajparkschoolorg Please be sure to include the hashtag LeaveThingsBetter in the subject or body of your message

Jorge Vega continued from page 3

THANK YOU

for your support of the

2014-15 Annual Fund Over

60 of current families have

contributed so far this year Your

important contributions account

for 9 percent of the revenue the School needs each day and are central to everything that makes

Park such a special place Thank you for your enduring generosity and support If you have not yet

contributed please consider making your gift by year-end You can do so via The Park School website

at parkschoolorgdevelopmentwaystogive or by calling Jessica Conaway at 617-274-6019

thanks and happy holidays

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 7The Park Parent PAGE 6

experience a thematic interdisciplinary kind of study with immersion in an issue and connect the study of food and hunger with ways to serve We really wanted to pique our studentsrsquo curiosity to awaken these issues for themrdquo The faculty knew that they needed seed money for the new program and a service-learning expert too Thanks to a grant from the Parentsrsquo Association and a partnership between Park parent Heidi Johnson and the Grade VIII team ldquoA Place at the Tablerdquo was born

From the outset Heidi who came on board to provide programming leader-ship ideas and organization knew that the program had to include a study of food as a necessary prelude to a discussion about hun-ger or service opportunities ldquoYou canrsquot talk about hunger without talking about foodrdquo Heidi says She crafted a program that included three off-campus trips numerous speakers a movie and two special lunches along with exposure to new foods new ways of thinking about helping others and introduction to the idea of personal service missions

The program ran for four days Day one called ldquoFarm to Tablerdquo began with a visit from Chef Andy Husbands chefowner of two Boston restaurants and an advocate for ending hunger for children The students also went on a scavenger hunt at the Farmerrsquos Market in Copley Square where they learned about foods grown locally tasted fruits and vegetables that were new to them and met some of the people who bring the food to the city

Day two ldquoFood Insecurityrdquo focused on hunger Students waited to eat breakfast until they gathered in the dining room at 10 am Each student used one word to describe how being hungry makes him feel the words included ldquoemptyrdquo ldquocrankyrdquo

ldquouncertainrdquo ldquosickrdquo ldquopre-occupiedrdquo ldquolifelessrdquo and ldquopowerlessrdquo The students watched a movie ldquoA Place at the Tablerdquo which show-cases the insidious heart-breaking problem of childhood hunger in America a nation of plenty in which one in five children ldquoare hungry or donrsquot know where their next meal is coming fromrdquo according to No Kid Hungry (nokidhungryorg) The students also took part in a ldquohunger banquetrdquo for lunch in which the meal they were given and where they could eat were a reflection of their relative ldquowealthrdquo (conferred for the purposes of the lunch by lottery)

Day three ldquoCooking up Solutionsrdquo included an opportunity to cook in host kitchens and to bring the finished dishes back to school for a community lunch Then a panel of three Park parents (Bill Creelman Courtney Forrester and Mark Romano) and Park alum Nathan Hender-son rsquo98 spoke about the food-related busi-nesses they created

On day four ldquoBeing the Changerdquo stu-dents went to The Food Project in Lincoln to work at the farm and harvest food to be brought to urban areas with limited access to fresh food The program wrapped up with a conversation with Park parent and chef Ming Tsai followed by student reflec-tions about the kinds of service they were

inspired to do in the futureWas the program a success Curt

says that the de-briefing in advisories was ldquoincredibly positiverdquo In particular students loved the trip to the Farmerrsquos Market the movie the Hunger Banquet and the panel of Park parents and alumni who came in to discuss their businessesmdasha restaurant a cupcake chain all-natural sparkling drinks and a farm Mr Miller noted that the students were particularly interested in the entrepreneursrsquo business plans because the students wanted to know how these leaders had made their dreams come true The adults on the panel talked to the students about caring for the community taking risks being self-starters and working very hard ldquoFor merdquo said a current eighth grader

ldquothe best part of the week was the time I spent with friends at organized activities off-campus We donrsquot usually get the time especially as a group to share new experi-ences outside of school It was great to bond together over activities like shopping at the Farmerrsquos Market and cooking together in home kitchensrdquo

Curt feels the program succeeded in fulfilling its objectives ldquoA focus on feeding ourselves well and feeding others well is a metaphor for taking care of ourselves and others in myriad waysrdquo he says The Project Week faculty team hopes that the eighth graders had a memorable experience that will encourage them to continue to explore ways to think about food hunger and ser-vice ldquoA Place at the Tablerdquo gives them real food for thought

A Place at the Table continued from page 1

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 7The Park Parent PAGE 6

Inspired by the current nation-wide campaign WeNeedDiverseBooks (weneeddiversebooksorg) the Library

recommends the following 2014 publications for their power to offer

ldquomirrors amp windowsrdquo into diverse lives and experiences

FOR YOUNG READERS

Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

A luminous picture book that brilliantly

captures the emotional aesthetic of the

remarkable Frida Kahlo

Little Humans by Brandon Stanton

The creator of the wildly popular Humans

of New York crafts a photographic picture

book of his littlest subjects A visual feast of

everyday diversity

Norman Speak by Caroline Adderson

illustrated by Qin Leng

A familyrsquos cultural assumptions are radically

challenged by a most unusual circumstance

the dog they adopt only understands

Mandarin Chinese

Firebird by Misty Copeland

illustrated by Christopher Myers

An inspiring tale for any young dancer by

ground-breaking African-American ballet

soloist Misty Copeland Myerrsquos artwork is

the perfect partner in this stunning picture

book

The Lion Who Stole My Arm

by Nicola Davies

A remarkable story for elementary readers

which incorporates adventure evocative

descriptions of African life a light-hearted

tone and a serious message

FOR OLDER READERS

Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell

illustrated by Christian Robinson

Sophisticated illustrations and appropriately

fast paced prose tell how Josephine Bakerrsquos

love of dance and anger at the constraints of

the segregated South propelled her to Paris

and eventually a life of fame

El Deafo by Cece Bell

A touching and important graphic novel

memoir about a girl who becomes deaf at

the age of four and starts school with an

awkward overcompensating hearing aid

which gives her at times rather unsettling

hearing ability

The Misadventures of the Family

Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

A heartfelt chapter book debut that features

a very modern family for the middle-grade

reader Two dads four adopted sons and

comic misadventures aplenty

The Turtle of Oman

by Naomi Shihab Nye

A rich and textured tour of the Sultanate of

Oman through the eyes of Aref a list-making

animal-loving boy who is saying goodbye

to everything he loves before moving to

Michigan for three years

The Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin

A riveting narrative about dramatic events

of 1944 when a brave protest followed

a disastrous explosion at Port Chicago a

segregated navy base near San Francisco

where black men loaded dangerous

ammunition in unsafe conditions

The Library

Around

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 7The Park Parent PAGE 6

Inspired by the current nation-wide campaign WeNeedDiverseBooks (weneeddiversebooksorg) the Library

recommends the following 2014 publications for their power to offer

ldquomirrors amp windowsrdquo into diverse lives and experiences

FOR YOUNG READERS

Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

A luminous picture book that brilliantly

captures the emotional aesthetic of the

remarkable Frida Kahlo

Little Humans by Brandon Stanton

The creator of the wildly popular Humans

of New York crafts a photographic picture

book of his littlest subjects A visual feast of

everyday diversity

Norman Speak by Caroline Adderson

illustrated by Qin Leng

A familyrsquos cultural assumptions are radically

challenged by a most unusual circumstance

the dog they adopt only understands

Mandarin Chinese

Firebird by Misty Copeland

illustrated by Christopher Myers

An inspiring tale for any young dancer by

ground-breaking African-American ballet

soloist Misty Copeland Myerrsquos artwork is

the perfect partner in this stunning picture

book

The Lion Who Stole My Arm

by Nicola Davies

A remarkable story for elementary readers

which incorporates adventure evocative

descriptions of African life a light-hearted

tone and a serious message

FOR OLDER READERS

Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell

illustrated by Christian Robinson

Sophisticated illustrations and appropriately

fast paced prose tell how Josephine Bakerrsquos

love of dance and anger at the constraints of

the segregated South propelled her to Paris

and eventually a life of fame

El Deafo by Cece Bell

A touching and important graphic novel

memoir about a girl who becomes deaf at

the age of four and starts school with an

awkward overcompensating hearing aid

which gives her at times rather unsettling

hearing ability

The Misadventures of the Family

Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

A heartfelt chapter book debut that features

a very modern family for the middle-grade

reader Two dads four adopted sons and

comic misadventures aplenty

The Turtle of Oman

by Naomi Shihab Nye

A rich and textured tour of the Sultanate of

Oman through the eyes of Aref a list-making

animal-loving boy who is saying goodbye

to everything he loves before moving to

Michigan for three years

The Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin

A riveting narrative about dramatic events

of 1944 when a brave protest followed

a disastrous explosion at Port Chicago a

segregated navy base near San Francisco

where black men loaded dangerous

ammunition in unsafe conditions

The Library

Around

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

Yoga first found a place in the Park classroom five years ago when Kat Callard began teaching her own second grade classroom The combination of wanting a routine to greet the day for an age group that loves to move their bodies needing a stretch after her bike ride to school and her graduate study of enhanced learn-ing through movement all inspired Katrsquos famous Grade II daily yoga sessions She hears her students say ldquothis feels so goodrdquo and watches them relax and restart their brains and bodies in preparation for learn-ing after what is often a hectic morning rush to school And this is accomplished in a mere seven minutes in a collabora-tive low-pressure fun and community-building way

Now yoga is a part of the Physical Education curriculum for Pre-K through Grade II as well as Grade VIII Thanks to a Parentsrsquo Association grant Pre-Kers enjoy an additional yoga class every Tuesday and therersquos another grant being reviewed for a Physical Education yoga program for ninth graders as well as some teacher training

In the Upper Division yoga is also offered within the Growth Education curriculum Yoga is presented to seventh graders as a healthy way to relieve stress in the unit on Stress and Drug amp Alco-hol Abuse When studying Mental Health eighth graders are given the opportunity to take a yoga class And after the unit on Stress and Mental Health ninth graders are offered three classes on yoga and meditation A handful of Park teachers are integrating yoga into their classrooms and faculty are getting involved with a weekly yoga class offered to anyone interested So why the surge in yoga at Park

Letrsquos get scientific for a moment The lower part of the brain the limbic area develops before we are born and houses our emotions reflexes instincts and basic bodily functions When we react based on an emotion or impulse it comes from this part of the brain Think safety and immediate gratifica-tion Think kids

The prefrontal cortex section of the brain is where the thinking plan-ning and imagining take place When this is all working well we think before we act The problem is that this part of the brain is not fully developed

until our mid-twenties We therefore need tools to encourage and support our kids to help them live a more bal-anced life with good decision-making skills and focused attention

This takes work under the best conditions but when you factor in the stress of being a kid these days the challenge increases dra-matically We canrsquot fully eliminate the over-scheduled days lack of sleep overwhelming stimuli and social dynamics our kids face but we can help manage it all by recognizing the sources of stress helping our kids feel secure safe calm and uncondi-tionally loved teaching stress-relief

techniques and helping to strengthen and train the thoughtful part of the brain so the protective part doesnrsquot take over Impulsive and unpredictable conduct can be labeled troublesome especially when it seems as if kids are choosing this behavior but when you consider their developmental stage these actions can take on a different meaning

Yoga and mindfulness can work together to help build up the thoughtful brain improving the capacity to focus by learning to recognize when the mind is wandering and bring it back Once this happens kids are more ready to learn In fact the original (physical) practice of yoga was designed specifically to prepare people to be able to sit in meditation for long periods of time

One definition of yoga is ldquoa method of bringing the whole humanmdashbody breath and mindmdashinto a balanced and healthy staterdquo which helps ldquobring a greater amount of present-moment awareness

to all areas of liferdquo (Little Flower Yoga for Kids) Mindfulness has been defined as ldquononjudgmental present-moment awareness and the capacity to act based on that awarenessrdquo Alleviating some of the burden that can come with dwell-ing on what has already taken place and anticipating what is to come allows kids to live more thoughtfully in the moment With that comes patience appreciating what you have helping others under-standing that making mistakes helps us grow and learn and enjoying the moment With that comes better focus

The range of benefits that yoga brings to children is astounding Well beyond the stress relief feel-good

Yoga continued from page 1

continued on next page

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

Join Parkrsquos Social Networks

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn for Park School news photos event information

and networking opportunities

For alumni facebookcomParkSchoolAlums

For parents grandparents faculty and friends facebookcomParkSchoolBrookline

For everyoneLinkedIn follow us at ldquoThe Park School - Brooklinerdquo

Learning Through Success and Failure continued from page 2

experience is important You are uniquely qualified to hear and to validate your childrsquos feelings and to reassure herhim that you are present and available for support Importantly there may not be a ready solution to the difficulty at hand Even if there is offering it may not be in your childrsquos best interests A better scenario may be to engage your child in a conversation that invites herhim to prob-lem solve to think about future scenarios where there might be opportunities to have a different outcome and to think about what might have been learned from the experience Remind your child that failure is a ldquowonderful teacherrdquo preparing us for those times in life when circumstances do not turn out to our liking What we do at these times determines who we ultimately become Be adamant that we are not defined by a singular failed experience Rather our successes and our failures contribute to the rich complexity of our lives

Consulting with a teacher advisor division head or psycholo-gist may be helpful in determining when andor if more support is needed As a parent one way to gauge the need for professional support is by observing your childrsquos response to a ldquogrowth experi-encerdquo over time Does she learn from the experience recover

and move forward Or does she get stuck maybe even repeat-ing behaviors that continue to produce nonproductive outcomes Sometimes seeking professional intervention is helpful and will provide a plan and the right dose of support for the path forward

Park School is a vibrant community of learning At any given time during the school day one can hear the sounds of children engrossed in a rich and varied array of subjects and interactions that will engage their intellect expand their thinking and chal-lenge them to grow Sometimes this growth is fun easy and excit-ing the stuff that inspires a triumphant ldquofist bumprdquo Other times growth looks down right grimy grueling and like a slog through a sea of molasses Emerging from a day like that is not easy and not pretty The child who greets you at the end of a day of this latter kind of growth experience may resemble a downtrodden soggy noodle or a touchy angry bear Either way there is likely to be no interest in a ldquofist bumprdquo of celebration for the experience Yet cap-turing and cultivating the grit of this challenging time is important to your childrsquos long-term learning

Ultimately learning to move forward after both success and failure will build resilience that lasts a lifetime

stretching and living more in the moment yoga also gets kids moving in ways that have been proven to build up sensory systems dimin-ish fidgeting increase core strength and allow kids to pay attention focus and learn better

Our kids are busy They are being asked to do so much on top of all of the things they want to do Eight hours of school homework and extra-curricular activities in addi-tion to growing socializing and donrsquot forget about the just being kids part

If only we could all start our day with some yoga Maybe as a result of what Park is offering our kids will always make yoga a part of their lives and feel less stress by living in the present just a little more Yoga isnrsquot a cure-all but itrsquos nice to have another resource that helps our kids be their best version of themselves

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

Join Parkrsquos Social Networks

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn for Park School news photos event information

and networking opportunities

For alumni facebookcomParkSchoolAlums

For parents grandparents faculty and friends facebookcomParkSchoolBrookline

For everyoneLinkedIn follow us at ldquoThe Park School - Brooklinerdquo

Learning Through Success and Failure continued from page 2

experience is important You are uniquely qualified to hear and to validate your childrsquos feelings and to reassure herhim that you are present and available for support Importantly there may not be a ready solution to the difficulty at hand Even if there is offering it may not be in your childrsquos best interests A better scenario may be to engage your child in a conversation that invites herhim to prob-lem solve to think about future scenarios where there might be opportunities to have a different outcome and to think about what might have been learned from the experience Remind your child that failure is a ldquowonderful teacherrdquo preparing us for those times in life when circumstances do not turn out to our liking What we do at these times determines who we ultimately become Be adamant that we are not defined by a singular failed experience Rather our successes and our failures contribute to the rich complexity of our lives

Consulting with a teacher advisor division head or psycholo-gist may be helpful in determining when andor if more support is needed As a parent one way to gauge the need for professional support is by observing your childrsquos response to a ldquogrowth experi-encerdquo over time Does she learn from the experience recover

and move forward Or does she get stuck maybe even repeat-ing behaviors that continue to produce nonproductive outcomes Sometimes seeking professional intervention is helpful and will provide a plan and the right dose of support for the path forward

Park School is a vibrant community of learning At any given time during the school day one can hear the sounds of children engrossed in a rich and varied array of subjects and interactions that will engage their intellect expand their thinking and chal-lenge them to grow Sometimes this growth is fun easy and excit-ing the stuff that inspires a triumphant ldquofist bumprdquo Other times growth looks down right grimy grueling and like a slog through a sea of molasses Emerging from a day like that is not easy and not pretty The child who greets you at the end of a day of this latter kind of growth experience may resemble a downtrodden soggy noodle or a touchy angry bear Either way there is likely to be no interest in a ldquofist bumprdquo of celebration for the experience Yet cap-turing and cultivating the grit of this challenging time is important to your childrsquos long-term learning

Ultimately learning to move forward after both success and failure will build resilience that lasts a lifetime

stretching and living more in the moment yoga also gets kids moving in ways that have been proven to build up sensory systems dimin-ish fidgeting increase core strength and allow kids to pay attention focus and learn better

Our kids are busy They are being asked to do so much on top of all of the things they want to do Eight hours of school homework and extra-curricular activities in addi-tion to growing socializing and donrsquot forget about the just being kids part

If only we could all start our day with some yoga Maybe as a result of what Park is offering our kids will always make yoga a part of their lives and feel less stress by living in the present just a little more Yoga isnrsquot a cure-all but itrsquos nice to have another resource that helps our kids be their best version of themselves

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 11The Park Parent PAGE 10

Electronic Reading mdash A New OpportunityBy DOROthEA BlAck Librarian

We have launched our initial collection of around 80 ebooks and a few

audiobooks available for download to personal devices through OverDrive a service that may be familiar to users of public libraries For information about how it works visit the Library page on the Park School web site for links to guides and videos

Our new Digital Library can be found at httpparkschoolliboverdrivecom The easiest way to borrow a book from the website is to download and read it in a

web browser using the OverDrive Read application Books and audiobooks can also be

downloaded to any kind of device including Kindles Nooks smartphones iPads and Android devices Library books are free but to transfer a book to a personal device you need an account with OverDrive or Amazon Account holders must be over age thirteen and submit an email address

Until our Digital Library gets bigger check outs are limited to one book at a time and no more than five check outs a week If you want to test different books in the ebook format you can download samples

Answers to a variety of questions can be found at httpparkschoolliboverdrivecomHelphtm The librarians are always happy to help you in person

Fall Musical amp Grandparentsrsquo Day Performances Available Online

Videos of Grandparentsrsquo Day and Yule Festival performances and school plays are available to the community at no cost The Parentsrsquo Association in partnership with the Park School Communications Team has created a link for the whole community to access the edited footage (Log into the website and search for the performance on the ldquoFeatured Newsrdquo tab You can download it and burn your own CD) Questions Please contact Carole Carter cartercparkschoolorg

The cast of Charlottersquos Web second

graders serenade grandparents and

special friends and Pre-K in their

turkey farmer costumes

image httpwwwftp-sgpartnersnettdceuuploadsuploadedereaderstabletsjpg

DECEMBER 2014 ndash JANUARY 2015 PAGE 11The Park Parent PAGE 10

Parking sPace ads are freeContact Kate LaPine by phone (617-274-6009) or e-mail (communicationsparkschoolorg) The deadline for the FebruaryMarch issue is Monday January 19th

piano Music theory and improvisation lessons David Leach offers lessons for all ages and abilities out of studios in Roslindale Jamaica Plain and in studentsrsquo homes throughout greater boston with free trial lessons To learn more about David visit wwwDLEACHMUSiCcom or contact parent bettina Scemama Or contact David directly at 617-721-3821 or dleachmusicgmailcom

suzuki cello lessons Melanie Dyball professional cellist and teacher with 20+ years of experience has limited spaces available for new pupils in her Jamaica Plain studio For more information contact Melanie at 857-498-1677 or wwwCelloLessonsbostoncom or Park parent Christina baker

Dog sitter available Going away Worried about your pet Park alum and graduate nursing student available for doghouse sitting nights and weekends References available Please contact Hilary Segar at segarhhuskyneuedu

The Park School

PARKING SPACE

WELCOME JANE GLAZER MA MSN CPNP FNP-BC

We are pleased to welcome Jane Glazer to the Park School nursing staff She will work

Wednesdays and Fridays beginning Wednesday November 5 (The Nursing Office will now

be open from 8 - 430 PM on M W Th and F to provide medical coverage during after-school

activities)

Jane is a pediatric and family nurse practitioner and looks forward to using her strong medi-

cal background combined with her health education expertise to make a positive impact

on health with children and families She first became interested in child health in college at

the University of Vermont where she worked with the Vermont Child Health Initiative She

expanded upon these interests while serving two AmeriCorps health service years in California

teaching sexual health to high school students and working in a womenrsquos health center After

this initial experience with health education she completed a masterrsquos degree in nursing as

well as an additional masterrsquos degree in clinical bioethics at Case Western Reserve University

The Park School171 Goddard Avenuebrookline MA 02445617-277-2456

-DeceMber 2014- JanuarY 2015

The Park Parent

UPCOMiNG DATES OF NOTE

Read The Park Parent online at wwwparkschoolorg

The Park Parenteditor TC HALDi

editorial board chair STANLEY SHAW

Director of communcations

KATE LaPiNE

editorial board

HARLYN AizLEY LAWSON ALbRiGHT LAURA bARKAN CAROL bATCHELDER CAROLiNE biCKS ELizAbETH DUNN ANNE HARVEY KiLbURN TODD iDSON DAWN OATES EMiLY RAViOLA RiTU SiNGH SARAH SMiTH NiCKY TOLLiDAY SYKEN SARAH HALL WEiGEL

president parentsrsquo association

SHANNON FALKSON

chair board of trustees

ViNNY CHiANG

head of school

MiCHAEL RObiNSON

We Want to hear from you

If you have a story idea or issue yoursquod like to see covered or thoughts about something yoursquove read please let us know

theParkParentparkschoolorg

December 19 Friday Yule festival (Pre-K ndash iX Dress Day) 930 am 1130 am dismissal ndash No ASP Winter Vacation begins

January 5 Monday School resumes

January 8 Thursday Kindergarten Parent Social 630 pm

January 15 Thursday Pre-K Parent Social 630 pm

January 19 Monday Martin luther king Jr Day ndash no school

January 22 Thursday Grade iii Parent Social 630 pm

January 27 Tuesday Grade i Parent Social 630 pm

January 29 Tuesday Grade Vi Parent Social 630 pm

Grade Vi ndash iX Winter Athletics December 1 ndash February 21

Grade Vi Drama December 2 ndash March 6

Grade Viii iX Drama December 2 ndash February 27

Grade iV After-School Sports December 2 ndash January 16

Grade V After-School Sports January 19 ndash February 27

Visit the calendar on the park school website for more dates