volume 46 number 3

a publication

of the park

school parentsrsquo

association

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014

in this issue

Global

citiZenship 2

sue seufert in

profile 4

naViGatinG

technoloGY With

kiDs 5

arounD the

librarY 10

125th eVent 11

The Park Parent

continued on page 6

continued on page 3

As Park Schoolrsquos annual Yule Festival

approaches many of us can recount our

favorite moments from past celebra-

tions the lump in our throats the first time we

heard ldquoChristmas in the Trenchesrdquo the entire

school singing ldquoLight One Candlerdquo (with the

ninth gradersrsquo descant) or perhaps the serenity of

a Buddhist reading

The Traditions and History of Yule FestivalBY STANlEY SHAw Editorial Board Chair and KATE laPiNE Director of Commincations

With special thanks to Maria Alvarez and Andrea Sparks for their assistance with the Park School Archives

Park21 The True learning Organization BY MiCHAEl ROBiNSON Head of School

Historically education has been something we do to students ldquoEighth graders are taught

to solve binomial equationshelliprdquo

Itrsquos clear that Park takes a different approach Our mission states that we provide a nurturing envi-ronment in which children can develop curiosity express creativity appreciate the value of hard work and discipline and experience the joy of learning Parkrsquos faculty encour-ages individual students to strive for intellectual physical and moral growth and to become contributing members of the community If we are to be successful in developing creative and curious students we must have a teach-ing faculty who are encouraged to develop and model these very same attributes

During the summer as I was getting acclimated to my new post I was inspired by the many faculty taking advantage of professional development programs Park has a long tradition of promoting professional growth and a

Lower Division teachers engage in professional development

Janice Allen leads the School in a rousing Yule Festival finale Children Go Where I Send Thee

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

Emerging Global CitizensBY PADMAJA RAMAN Park Parent Editorial Board

New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Friedman has eloquently brought to our attention that technology and social events have made the

world ldquoflatrdquo making resources and countries around the globe eas-ily accessible There are ldquolong-term opportunities and challenges that the flattening of the world puts before the United Statesrdquo says Friedman that require us to be flexible and adapt to changes This means having to evaluate how to educate our children to be successful global citizens The Park21 Initiative has enabled Park faculty and staff to tackle such daunting questions realistically through the Global Citizenship Initiative

Learning to be nimble and adapting to globalization has become a critical part of education Over the last few years The Park School has offered eighth grade students the opportunity for cultural immersion through the Costa Rica Service Learning Program Through this program students have the chance to live study and observe the daily lives of people in Bello Horizonte Costa Rica The eighth graders teach English at a local school work alongside their new friends to improve school grounds play soccer and enjoy meals and music together Park students also learn about reforestation efforts and sustainable practices for local agriculture and small businesses

As one Park student observed ldquoA highlight for me was seeing the joy on the childrenrsquos faces when we played the bilingual game we made up Actually everything in Costa Rica filled me with joy The birds plants animals friends volunteering but especially the new people I met Costa Rica was indescribable I wanted to stay there foreverrdquo Making such experiences accessible for all students at Park is the eventual goal of the Global Education and Citizen-ship Initiative

This past summer Secondary School Counselor and Service Learning Head Comfort Halsey Cope and Modern Languages teacher Alan Rivera brought a group of Park faculty and admin-istrators together to define the best ways to foster global citizen-ship at Park As part of this initiative they created a database of books on global diversity for Grades K-V and launched the Global Citizenship Speakers Series The book A Is for Africa by Nigerian childrenrsquos author Ifeoma Onyefulu for example can be found in this database and Ms Onyefulu was invited to Park this past November to speak to children and share her story

Comfort and Alan articulately describe their mission as encouraging students to experience diverse environments in order to broaden their world-views ldquoEach Park student and each one of us inhabits only a very small part of a very large worldrdquo Alan said

ldquoPerhaps we consider our lives our ways of being and our ways of doing things as lsquonormalrsquo My hope is that young people will have the opportunity to experience other peoplersquos lives other ways of being and other ways of doing thingsmdashand that they will be open to and embrace a whole world of differencesrdquo

Alan recalls a 10 week summer homestay experience in Colombia as life-changing ldquoAs a fourteen year old I remember being energized by seeing an entirely different part of the world that looked nothing like my home state of Michigan I met really wonderful people and learned about the history geography and social conditions that shaped their livesmdashlives that I previously knew nothing about In retrospect I realize that a result of this personal exchange of stories and ideas was that my own world view had become broader wider and more informed that it had been beforerdquo Comfort added that in order to be a successful global citi-zen ldquostudents have to know their own environments and culture This will enable them to identify commonalities and shared values across boundariesrdquo

In the first of the Global Citizenship Speaker Series Parkrsquos Social Studies teacher Adam Young presented ldquoLinks to the Land The 5 Themes of Geography in Kenyardquo Through his narrative and visuals Adam did an impressive job of transporting the audience to various points of interest including Nanyuki a town on the Northwest side of Mt Kenya Located on the equator Nanyuki is home to an old-growth forest under threat from tree poaching Listening to Adam one could sense how he was moved by his guidersquos passion to preserve this ancient forest

The theme of an accessible global world could not have been

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

continued on page 9

Eighth graders work with Costa Rican students in the village school of Bello Horizonte

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

HEADrsquoS LINES

commitment to funding profes-sional development opportuni-ties Under the Park21 initiative funding expanded to focus on key elements necessary for 21st cen-tury learningmdashprograms in math and sciences globalism technol-ogy service learning collabora-tive learning and cross-cultural competency Parkrsquos commitment to investing in faculty profes-sional development is a signal to prospective teachers and peers alike that the School is serious about faculty improving their craft and augmenting their learning

One of the most exciting prospects for me about leading Park School was knowing that the School was truly engaged in orga-nizational learning Now that I am in my 15th year as a Head of School (and 25th working with students and teachers Pre-Kndash12) I appreciate that this is a context in which students authentically learn to be capable agile thinkers and citizens of the world Stu-dents benefit most when the emphasis is on the process of learning not a predetermined outcome Indeed the proverbial ldquoright answerrdquo may be far less valuable than deep insight into how one arrives at that answer Whether an answer is correct or incorrect understand-ing the process of learning and then transferring knowledge to new challenges is the essence of education Asking the right questions having the right insights and perceptions and gathering ldquodatardquo to assess whether one is headed in the right direction are the hall-marks of innovative agile learning

A highlight of my first semester at Park has been my exposure to the many strategic initiatives of Park21 Park21 innovations are enhancing each Park studentrsquos academic experience but what sets Park21 apart from many school improvement campaigns is the awareness that student learning is predicated on teachersrsquo learn-ing Park21 provides a platform for the entire Park organization

to engage deeply in the learning process Park faculty not just students are learners themselves as they seek to find study under-stand and bring back to Park classrooms the most compelling ideas and techniques for teaching and learning

The central driving force of Park21 is a true spirit of innova-tion in which opportunities are identified new solutions are pro-posed test programs are evaluated and this iterative process directs future planning Park21 is not just a set of strategic initiatives that enhance studentsrsquo academic experience it is a framework for Park School to be a creative and curious organization driven by creative and curious teachers The Park21 strategic mindset is that educa-tion is emphatically not something that we ldquodo tordquo students It is something that the entire organization embraces and models for the students who are in turn authentically engaged and inspired by the community of learners

the learning organization in practice

Professional Development By The Numbers

Summer 2013 ndash Present

ALL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

143 programsworkshops

116 individuals participating

795 faculty amp staff participating (out of 146 eligible)

PARK21 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

26 programsworkshops (includes Peter Amershadian grants)

47 individuals participating

32 faculty amp staff participating (out of 146 eligible)

learning Organization continued from page 1

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

Call it Physical Education Call it PE But Please Do Not Call it Gym (where PE Takes Place) BY CAROl BATCHElDER Park Parent Editorial Board

At a time when physical education programs across the country are being squeezed Park children are lucky to be part of the PE renaissance that is taking place under the

leadership of Sue Seufert Parkrsquos new Head of the Physical Educa-tion Department

The timing could not be better as evidence mounts in sup-port of the power of exercise in facilitating learning and boosting IQs while also curbing depression attention deficit hyperactivity disorder fatigue and stress (Landers amp Arent 2007 Sibley amp Etnier 2003 JOPERD vol 8 No 3 March 2010) Studies of both animals and humans show that exercise promotes brain growth When physical activity takes place more oxygen-rich blood feeds the brain more neurotransmitters are released more endorphins are freed and more neural networks are affected Research on mice shows that physical exercise triggers chemical changes in the brain that spur learning

These research findings as well as numerous articles on the benefits of physical activity on a childrsquos overall health can be found in Sue Seufertrsquos folders and represent her extensive knowledge and commitment to making Parkrsquos Physical Education program a vital component of childrenrsquos learning

So who is Sue Seufert Sue comes to Park after 17 years in the Physical Education Department at The Brearley School (K-12) in New York City seven of those years as head of the department Before that Sue worked at various schools and camps and also obtained a Bachelor of Science with a PE concentration and a Masters in Education Sue brings passion hope and energy

to Parkrsquos Physical Education program

As she settles into her new role Sue is quick to praise the work of her colleagues in the PE Depart-mentmdashKara Fon-esca Tim OrsquoBrien Steve Savage and Paul Toussaintmdashas well as Bob Little Athletic Direc-tor and Dana Welshman-Studley Assistant Athletic Director The

renewed collaboration and commitment of the team to physical education and Parkrsquos children is exciting

Where does Sue plan to take physical education at the Park School I went directly to her to find out The overall mission is to shift to a curriculum that meets children where they are and inspires them to make physical activity a core part of their lives Thanks to Parkrsquos Professional Development Program the PE staff is getting more knowledgeable and accredited in Functional Move-ment Screening (an assessment that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function) Project Adventure (a curricula that encourages positive risk-taking social emotional learning and group development skills) and Yoga as well as other strength and conditioning certifications

Sue believes that PE should be one of the best parts of a kidrsquos day I was surprised to find however that a theme among certain Park students is that PE is not that fun and in some cases a cause for angst When I asked why they donrsquot like PE children replied

ldquoWe have to wear sneakers on PE daysrdquo ldquoWe have to run laps around the gym the BIG gymrdquo ldquoIrsquom always lastrdquo ldquoItrsquos not athletic enoughrdquo

Sue is open to this feedback and eager to hear what kids want from Physical Education This way the department can combine their goal of helping students achieve lifelong success surrounding movement and fitness with what children enjoy for examplemdashmore gymnastics dance and yoga-type activities that are so popu-lar these days varied warm-up exercises to replace laps around the

FACULTY PROFILE

Sue Seufert encourages fifth graders to keep the ball in play continued on page 8

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

There is scarcely a more hotly debated parenting topic these days than childrenrsquos use of technology and the internet And itrsquos no wondermdashexcessive media use is associated with

obesity poor school performance aggression and lack of sleep (ldquoPediatricians Set Limits on Screen Timerdquo Andrea Petersen Wall Street Journal Online October 28 2013)

In an eagerly anticipated Par-ent Roundtable on October 10th clinical psycholo-gist Mark Kline met with a group of Park parents with the goal of allaying some fears and providing expert guidance Mark began ldquoTechnol-ogy is not all bad Itrsquos a dilemma that wersquore going to live with not a problem to be fixed So as parents itrsquos appropriate to be worriedhellip but not to have catastrophic fearsrdquo

The goal Mark explained is to develop a wide-ranging dialogue with our children on the use of technology Like other complex social and ethical issues children will be best served to internalize their own moral compass with respect to using tech-nology ldquoThat means the internet security software needs to be INSIDE our kids not on our computersrdquo

With three teenage girls of his own an enthusiastic video gamer himself and as the Clinical Director of The Human Rela-tions Service (HRS) in Wellesley where he specializes in childrenrsquos issues with technology Mark speaks from both personal and professional experience ldquoChildren need to understand whatrsquos right and wrong about their use of technology well before they get to collegehellip and itrsquos our job as parents to get them thererdquo Mark said

To help parents navigate how to do this Mark offers four general principles

1 Approach technology use with a sense of curiosity ldquoIt will be much more difficult for you to understand what to do (not to mention gain your childrenrsquos respect) if you have no idea what the technology is theyrsquore using and are fearful of using it yourselfrdquo Instead Mark suggests demonstrating an ability to learn new technologies and to be careful not to approach all technology with inherent suspicion or fear

2 Participate in internet activities with children For example Mark encourages parents to have their own Instagram or Twitter accounts to interact with and follow children online ldquoPlay video games with your children Yoursquoll be surprised that some have some very good redeeming elementsrdquo Mark said For example Mine-craft is very creative and encourages children to build 3D spaces with their own vision

3 Expect children to make mistakes and run into problems on the internet Technology offers opportunities for trial and error learning and when children make mistakes itrsquos a ldquoteachable momentrdquo Mark emphasized that developing mutual trust is criti-cal ldquoit is important that our children believe that if they run into problems online they can trust parents to try to understand and help themrdquo

4 Reflect on our own use of technology and discuss it How often do you trail off in the middle of a conversation as a new email comes in Or are you working on your computers around the clock These behaviors send strong messages to children Mark provided an example of when his teenage daughter was texting a friend while he was trying to talk with her on a drive ldquoI said lsquoIrsquom feeling kind of left out Irsquod love to talk with you toorsquordquo The honesty led to a great conversation and more awareness from his daughter about how it feels when someone next to you is completely consumed in a device

For more specific age appro-priate advice Mark offered the following tips

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children

ages Pre-K through Grade II should have no more than 2

hours per day of screen time (including television) The

national average is more than 7 hours (The American

Academy of Pediatrics guidelines also suggest that chil-

dren under two years old shouldnrsquot have any screen time

exposure)

Elementary and middle-school aged kids despite what

they may tell us are not endowed with a divine right of

internet privacy Parents should maintain passwords to

all accounts and kids should know that parents will check

TECHNOLOGY

Brave New World Mark Kline on How to Navigate Technology Use with ChildrenBy LaUra BarKaN Park Parent Editorial Board and BeNNa KUsHLefsKy Parent Roundtable amp All-School Evening Committee

continued on page 8

P

P

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

Emerging Global CitizensBY PADMAJA RAMAN Park Parent Editorial Board

New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Friedman has eloquently brought to our attention that technology and social events have made the

world ldquoflatrdquo making resources and countries around the globe eas-ily accessible There are ldquolong-term opportunities and challenges that the flattening of the world puts before the United Statesrdquo says Friedman that require us to be flexible and adapt to changes This means having to evaluate how to educate our children to be successful global citizens The Park21 Initiative has enabled Park faculty and staff to tackle such daunting questions realistically through the Global Citizenship Initiative

Learning to be nimble and adapting to globalization has become a critical part of education Over the last few years The Park School has offered eighth grade students the opportunity for cultural immersion through the Costa Rica Service Learning Program Through this program students have the chance to live study and observe the daily lives of people in Bello Horizonte Costa Rica The eighth graders teach English at a local school work alongside their new friends to improve school grounds play soccer and enjoy meals and music together Park students also learn about reforestation efforts and sustainable practices for local agriculture and small businesses

As one Park student observed ldquoA highlight for me was seeing the joy on the childrenrsquos faces when we played the bilingual game we made up Actually everything in Costa Rica filled me with joy The birds plants animals friends volunteering but especially the new people I met Costa Rica was indescribable I wanted to stay there foreverrdquo Making such experiences accessible for all students at Park is the eventual goal of the Global Education and Citizen-ship Initiative

This past summer Secondary School Counselor and Service Learning Head Comfort Halsey Cope and Modern Languages teacher Alan Rivera brought a group of Park faculty and admin-istrators together to define the best ways to foster global citizen-ship at Park As part of this initiative they created a database of books on global diversity for Grades K-V and launched the Global Citizenship Speakers Series The book A Is for Africa by Nigerian childrenrsquos author Ifeoma Onyefulu for example can be found in this database and Ms Onyefulu was invited to Park this past November to speak to children and share her story

Comfort and Alan articulately describe their mission as encouraging students to experience diverse environments in order to broaden their world-views ldquoEach Park student and each one of us inhabits only a very small part of a very large worldrdquo Alan said

ldquoPerhaps we consider our lives our ways of being and our ways of doing things as lsquonormalrsquo My hope is that young people will have the opportunity to experience other peoplersquos lives other ways of being and other ways of doing thingsmdashand that they will be open to and embrace a whole world of differencesrdquo

Alan recalls a 10 week summer homestay experience in Colombia as life-changing ldquoAs a fourteen year old I remember being energized by seeing an entirely different part of the world that looked nothing like my home state of Michigan I met really wonderful people and learned about the history geography and social conditions that shaped their livesmdashlives that I previously knew nothing about In retrospect I realize that a result of this personal exchange of stories and ideas was that my own world view had become broader wider and more informed that it had been beforerdquo Comfort added that in order to be a successful global citi-zen ldquostudents have to know their own environments and culture This will enable them to identify commonalities and shared values across boundariesrdquo

In the first of the Global Citizenship Speaker Series Parkrsquos Social Studies teacher Adam Young presented ldquoLinks to the Land The 5 Themes of Geography in Kenyardquo Through his narrative and visuals Adam did an impressive job of transporting the audience to various points of interest including Nanyuki a town on the Northwest side of Mt Kenya Located on the equator Nanyuki is home to an old-growth forest under threat from tree poaching Listening to Adam one could sense how he was moved by his guidersquos passion to preserve this ancient forest

The theme of an accessible global world could not have been

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

continued on page 9

Eighth graders work with Costa Rican students in the village school of Bello Horizonte

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

HEADrsquoS LINES

commitment to funding profes-sional development opportuni-ties Under the Park21 initiative funding expanded to focus on key elements necessary for 21st cen-tury learningmdashprograms in math and sciences globalism technol-ogy service learning collabora-tive learning and cross-cultural competency Parkrsquos commitment to investing in faculty profes-sional development is a signal to prospective teachers and peers alike that the School is serious about faculty improving their craft and augmenting their learning

One of the most exciting prospects for me about leading Park School was knowing that the School was truly engaged in orga-nizational learning Now that I am in my 15th year as a Head of School (and 25th working with students and teachers Pre-Kndash12) I appreciate that this is a context in which students authentically learn to be capable agile thinkers and citizens of the world Stu-dents benefit most when the emphasis is on the process of learning not a predetermined outcome Indeed the proverbial ldquoright answerrdquo may be far less valuable than deep insight into how one arrives at that answer Whether an answer is correct or incorrect understand-ing the process of learning and then transferring knowledge to new challenges is the essence of education Asking the right questions having the right insights and perceptions and gathering ldquodatardquo to assess whether one is headed in the right direction are the hall-marks of innovative agile learning

A highlight of my first semester at Park has been my exposure to the many strategic initiatives of Park21 Park21 innovations are enhancing each Park studentrsquos academic experience but what sets Park21 apart from many school improvement campaigns is the awareness that student learning is predicated on teachersrsquo learn-ing Park21 provides a platform for the entire Park organization

to engage deeply in the learning process Park faculty not just students are learners themselves as they seek to find study under-stand and bring back to Park classrooms the most compelling ideas and techniques for teaching and learning

The central driving force of Park21 is a true spirit of innova-tion in which opportunities are identified new solutions are pro-posed test programs are evaluated and this iterative process directs future planning Park21 is not just a set of strategic initiatives that enhance studentsrsquo academic experience it is a framework for Park School to be a creative and curious organization driven by creative and curious teachers The Park21 strategic mindset is that educa-tion is emphatically not something that we ldquodo tordquo students It is something that the entire organization embraces and models for the students who are in turn authentically engaged and inspired by the community of learners

the learning organization in practice

Professional Development By The Numbers

Summer 2013 ndash Present

ALL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

143 programsworkshops

116 individuals participating

795 faculty amp staff participating (out of 146 eligible)

PARK21 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

26 programsworkshops (includes Peter Amershadian grants)

47 individuals participating

32 faculty amp staff participating (out of 146 eligible)

learning Organization continued from page 1

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

Call it Physical Education Call it PE But Please Do Not Call it Gym (where PE Takes Place) BY CAROl BATCHElDER Park Parent Editorial Board

At a time when physical education programs across the country are being squeezed Park children are lucky to be part of the PE renaissance that is taking place under the

leadership of Sue Seufert Parkrsquos new Head of the Physical Educa-tion Department

The timing could not be better as evidence mounts in sup-port of the power of exercise in facilitating learning and boosting IQs while also curbing depression attention deficit hyperactivity disorder fatigue and stress (Landers amp Arent 2007 Sibley amp Etnier 2003 JOPERD vol 8 No 3 March 2010) Studies of both animals and humans show that exercise promotes brain growth When physical activity takes place more oxygen-rich blood feeds the brain more neurotransmitters are released more endorphins are freed and more neural networks are affected Research on mice shows that physical exercise triggers chemical changes in the brain that spur learning

These research findings as well as numerous articles on the benefits of physical activity on a childrsquos overall health can be found in Sue Seufertrsquos folders and represent her extensive knowledge and commitment to making Parkrsquos Physical Education program a vital component of childrenrsquos learning

So who is Sue Seufert Sue comes to Park after 17 years in the Physical Education Department at The Brearley School (K-12) in New York City seven of those years as head of the department Before that Sue worked at various schools and camps and also obtained a Bachelor of Science with a PE concentration and a Masters in Education Sue brings passion hope and energy

to Parkrsquos Physical Education program

As she settles into her new role Sue is quick to praise the work of her colleagues in the PE Depart-mentmdashKara Fon-esca Tim OrsquoBrien Steve Savage and Paul Toussaintmdashas well as Bob Little Athletic Direc-tor and Dana Welshman-Studley Assistant Athletic Director The

renewed collaboration and commitment of the team to physical education and Parkrsquos children is exciting

Where does Sue plan to take physical education at the Park School I went directly to her to find out The overall mission is to shift to a curriculum that meets children where they are and inspires them to make physical activity a core part of their lives Thanks to Parkrsquos Professional Development Program the PE staff is getting more knowledgeable and accredited in Functional Move-ment Screening (an assessment that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function) Project Adventure (a curricula that encourages positive risk-taking social emotional learning and group development skills) and Yoga as well as other strength and conditioning certifications

Sue believes that PE should be one of the best parts of a kidrsquos day I was surprised to find however that a theme among certain Park students is that PE is not that fun and in some cases a cause for angst When I asked why they donrsquot like PE children replied

ldquoWe have to wear sneakers on PE daysrdquo ldquoWe have to run laps around the gym the BIG gymrdquo ldquoIrsquom always lastrdquo ldquoItrsquos not athletic enoughrdquo

Sue is open to this feedback and eager to hear what kids want from Physical Education This way the department can combine their goal of helping students achieve lifelong success surrounding movement and fitness with what children enjoy for examplemdashmore gymnastics dance and yoga-type activities that are so popu-lar these days varied warm-up exercises to replace laps around the

FACULTY PROFILE

Sue Seufert encourages fifth graders to keep the ball in play continued on page 8

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

There is scarcely a more hotly debated parenting topic these days than childrenrsquos use of technology and the internet And itrsquos no wondermdashexcessive media use is associated with

obesity poor school performance aggression and lack of sleep (ldquoPediatricians Set Limits on Screen Timerdquo Andrea Petersen Wall Street Journal Online October 28 2013)

In an eagerly anticipated Par-ent Roundtable on October 10th clinical psycholo-gist Mark Kline met with a group of Park parents with the goal of allaying some fears and providing expert guidance Mark began ldquoTechnol-ogy is not all bad Itrsquos a dilemma that wersquore going to live with not a problem to be fixed So as parents itrsquos appropriate to be worriedhellip but not to have catastrophic fearsrdquo

The goal Mark explained is to develop a wide-ranging dialogue with our children on the use of technology Like other complex social and ethical issues children will be best served to internalize their own moral compass with respect to using tech-nology ldquoThat means the internet security software needs to be INSIDE our kids not on our computersrdquo

With three teenage girls of his own an enthusiastic video gamer himself and as the Clinical Director of The Human Rela-tions Service (HRS) in Wellesley where he specializes in childrenrsquos issues with technology Mark speaks from both personal and professional experience ldquoChildren need to understand whatrsquos right and wrong about their use of technology well before they get to collegehellip and itrsquos our job as parents to get them thererdquo Mark said

To help parents navigate how to do this Mark offers four general principles

1 Approach technology use with a sense of curiosity ldquoIt will be much more difficult for you to understand what to do (not to mention gain your childrenrsquos respect) if you have no idea what the technology is theyrsquore using and are fearful of using it yourselfrdquo Instead Mark suggests demonstrating an ability to learn new technologies and to be careful not to approach all technology with inherent suspicion or fear

2 Participate in internet activities with children For example Mark encourages parents to have their own Instagram or Twitter accounts to interact with and follow children online ldquoPlay video games with your children Yoursquoll be surprised that some have some very good redeeming elementsrdquo Mark said For example Mine-craft is very creative and encourages children to build 3D spaces with their own vision

3 Expect children to make mistakes and run into problems on the internet Technology offers opportunities for trial and error learning and when children make mistakes itrsquos a ldquoteachable momentrdquo Mark emphasized that developing mutual trust is criti-cal ldquoit is important that our children believe that if they run into problems online they can trust parents to try to understand and help themrdquo

4 Reflect on our own use of technology and discuss it How often do you trail off in the middle of a conversation as a new email comes in Or are you working on your computers around the clock These behaviors send strong messages to children Mark provided an example of when his teenage daughter was texting a friend while he was trying to talk with her on a drive ldquoI said lsquoIrsquom feeling kind of left out Irsquod love to talk with you toorsquordquo The honesty led to a great conversation and more awareness from his daughter about how it feels when someone next to you is completely consumed in a device

For more specific age appro-priate advice Mark offered the following tips

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children

ages Pre-K through Grade II should have no more than 2

hours per day of screen time (including television) The

national average is more than 7 hours (The American

Academy of Pediatrics guidelines also suggest that chil-

dren under two years old shouldnrsquot have any screen time

exposure)

Elementary and middle-school aged kids despite what

they may tell us are not endowed with a divine right of

internet privacy Parents should maintain passwords to

all accounts and kids should know that parents will check

TECHNOLOGY

Brave New World Mark Kline on How to Navigate Technology Use with ChildrenBy LaUra BarKaN Park Parent Editorial Board and BeNNa KUsHLefsKy Parent Roundtable amp All-School Evening Committee

continued on page 8

P

P

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 3The Park Parent PAGE 2

HEADrsquoS LINES

commitment to funding profes-sional development opportuni-ties Under the Park21 initiative funding expanded to focus on key elements necessary for 21st cen-tury learningmdashprograms in math and sciences globalism technol-ogy service learning collabora-tive learning and cross-cultural competency Parkrsquos commitment to investing in faculty profes-sional development is a signal to prospective teachers and peers alike that the School is serious about faculty improving their craft and augmenting their learning

One of the most exciting prospects for me about leading Park School was knowing that the School was truly engaged in orga-nizational learning Now that I am in my 15th year as a Head of School (and 25th working with students and teachers Pre-Kndash12) I appreciate that this is a context in which students authentically learn to be capable agile thinkers and citizens of the world Stu-dents benefit most when the emphasis is on the process of learning not a predetermined outcome Indeed the proverbial ldquoright answerrdquo may be far less valuable than deep insight into how one arrives at that answer Whether an answer is correct or incorrect understand-ing the process of learning and then transferring knowledge to new challenges is the essence of education Asking the right questions having the right insights and perceptions and gathering ldquodatardquo to assess whether one is headed in the right direction are the hall-marks of innovative agile learning

A highlight of my first semester at Park has been my exposure to the many strategic initiatives of Park21 Park21 innovations are enhancing each Park studentrsquos academic experience but what sets Park21 apart from many school improvement campaigns is the awareness that student learning is predicated on teachersrsquo learn-ing Park21 provides a platform for the entire Park organization

to engage deeply in the learning process Park faculty not just students are learners themselves as they seek to find study under-stand and bring back to Park classrooms the most compelling ideas and techniques for teaching and learning

The central driving force of Park21 is a true spirit of innova-tion in which opportunities are identified new solutions are pro-posed test programs are evaluated and this iterative process directs future planning Park21 is not just a set of strategic initiatives that enhance studentsrsquo academic experience it is a framework for Park School to be a creative and curious organization driven by creative and curious teachers The Park21 strategic mindset is that educa-tion is emphatically not something that we ldquodo tordquo students It is something that the entire organization embraces and models for the students who are in turn authentically engaged and inspired by the community of learners

the learning organization in practice

Professional Development By The Numbers

Summer 2013 ndash Present

ALL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

143 programsworkshops

116 individuals participating

795 faculty amp staff participating (out of 146 eligible)

PARK21 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

26 programsworkshops (includes Peter Amershadian grants)

47 individuals participating

32 faculty amp staff participating (out of 146 eligible)

learning Organization continued from page 1

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

Call it Physical Education Call it PE But Please Do Not Call it Gym (where PE Takes Place) BY CAROl BATCHElDER Park Parent Editorial Board

At a time when physical education programs across the country are being squeezed Park children are lucky to be part of the PE renaissance that is taking place under the

leadership of Sue Seufert Parkrsquos new Head of the Physical Educa-tion Department

The timing could not be better as evidence mounts in sup-port of the power of exercise in facilitating learning and boosting IQs while also curbing depression attention deficit hyperactivity disorder fatigue and stress (Landers amp Arent 2007 Sibley amp Etnier 2003 JOPERD vol 8 No 3 March 2010) Studies of both animals and humans show that exercise promotes brain growth When physical activity takes place more oxygen-rich blood feeds the brain more neurotransmitters are released more endorphins are freed and more neural networks are affected Research on mice shows that physical exercise triggers chemical changes in the brain that spur learning

These research findings as well as numerous articles on the benefits of physical activity on a childrsquos overall health can be found in Sue Seufertrsquos folders and represent her extensive knowledge and commitment to making Parkrsquos Physical Education program a vital component of childrenrsquos learning

So who is Sue Seufert Sue comes to Park after 17 years in the Physical Education Department at The Brearley School (K-12) in New York City seven of those years as head of the department Before that Sue worked at various schools and camps and also obtained a Bachelor of Science with a PE concentration and a Masters in Education Sue brings passion hope and energy

to Parkrsquos Physical Education program

As she settles into her new role Sue is quick to praise the work of her colleagues in the PE Depart-mentmdashKara Fon-esca Tim OrsquoBrien Steve Savage and Paul Toussaintmdashas well as Bob Little Athletic Direc-tor and Dana Welshman-Studley Assistant Athletic Director The

renewed collaboration and commitment of the team to physical education and Parkrsquos children is exciting

Where does Sue plan to take physical education at the Park School I went directly to her to find out The overall mission is to shift to a curriculum that meets children where they are and inspires them to make physical activity a core part of their lives Thanks to Parkrsquos Professional Development Program the PE staff is getting more knowledgeable and accredited in Functional Move-ment Screening (an assessment that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function) Project Adventure (a curricula that encourages positive risk-taking social emotional learning and group development skills) and Yoga as well as other strength and conditioning certifications

Sue believes that PE should be one of the best parts of a kidrsquos day I was surprised to find however that a theme among certain Park students is that PE is not that fun and in some cases a cause for angst When I asked why they donrsquot like PE children replied

ldquoWe have to wear sneakers on PE daysrdquo ldquoWe have to run laps around the gym the BIG gymrdquo ldquoIrsquom always lastrdquo ldquoItrsquos not athletic enoughrdquo

Sue is open to this feedback and eager to hear what kids want from Physical Education This way the department can combine their goal of helping students achieve lifelong success surrounding movement and fitness with what children enjoy for examplemdashmore gymnastics dance and yoga-type activities that are so popu-lar these days varied warm-up exercises to replace laps around the

FACULTY PROFILE

Sue Seufert encourages fifth graders to keep the ball in play continued on page 8

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

There is scarcely a more hotly debated parenting topic these days than childrenrsquos use of technology and the internet And itrsquos no wondermdashexcessive media use is associated with

obesity poor school performance aggression and lack of sleep (ldquoPediatricians Set Limits on Screen Timerdquo Andrea Petersen Wall Street Journal Online October 28 2013)

In an eagerly anticipated Par-ent Roundtable on October 10th clinical psycholo-gist Mark Kline met with a group of Park parents with the goal of allaying some fears and providing expert guidance Mark began ldquoTechnol-ogy is not all bad Itrsquos a dilemma that wersquore going to live with not a problem to be fixed So as parents itrsquos appropriate to be worriedhellip but not to have catastrophic fearsrdquo

The goal Mark explained is to develop a wide-ranging dialogue with our children on the use of technology Like other complex social and ethical issues children will be best served to internalize their own moral compass with respect to using tech-nology ldquoThat means the internet security software needs to be INSIDE our kids not on our computersrdquo

With three teenage girls of his own an enthusiastic video gamer himself and as the Clinical Director of The Human Rela-tions Service (HRS) in Wellesley where he specializes in childrenrsquos issues with technology Mark speaks from both personal and professional experience ldquoChildren need to understand whatrsquos right and wrong about their use of technology well before they get to collegehellip and itrsquos our job as parents to get them thererdquo Mark said

To help parents navigate how to do this Mark offers four general principles

1 Approach technology use with a sense of curiosity ldquoIt will be much more difficult for you to understand what to do (not to mention gain your childrenrsquos respect) if you have no idea what the technology is theyrsquore using and are fearful of using it yourselfrdquo Instead Mark suggests demonstrating an ability to learn new technologies and to be careful not to approach all technology with inherent suspicion or fear

2 Participate in internet activities with children For example Mark encourages parents to have their own Instagram or Twitter accounts to interact with and follow children online ldquoPlay video games with your children Yoursquoll be surprised that some have some very good redeeming elementsrdquo Mark said For example Mine-craft is very creative and encourages children to build 3D spaces with their own vision

3 Expect children to make mistakes and run into problems on the internet Technology offers opportunities for trial and error learning and when children make mistakes itrsquos a ldquoteachable momentrdquo Mark emphasized that developing mutual trust is criti-cal ldquoit is important that our children believe that if they run into problems online they can trust parents to try to understand and help themrdquo

4 Reflect on our own use of technology and discuss it How often do you trail off in the middle of a conversation as a new email comes in Or are you working on your computers around the clock These behaviors send strong messages to children Mark provided an example of when his teenage daughter was texting a friend while he was trying to talk with her on a drive ldquoI said lsquoIrsquom feeling kind of left out Irsquod love to talk with you toorsquordquo The honesty led to a great conversation and more awareness from his daughter about how it feels when someone next to you is completely consumed in a device

For more specific age appro-priate advice Mark offered the following tips

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children

ages Pre-K through Grade II should have no more than 2

hours per day of screen time (including television) The

national average is more than 7 hours (The American

Academy of Pediatrics guidelines also suggest that chil-

dren under two years old shouldnrsquot have any screen time

exposure)

Elementary and middle-school aged kids despite what

they may tell us are not endowed with a divine right of

internet privacy Parents should maintain passwords to

all accounts and kids should know that parents will check

TECHNOLOGY

Brave New World Mark Kline on How to Navigate Technology Use with ChildrenBy LaUra BarKaN Park Parent Editorial Board and BeNNa KUsHLefsKy Parent Roundtable amp All-School Evening Committee

continued on page 8

P

P

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

Call it Physical Education Call it PE But Please Do Not Call it Gym (where PE Takes Place) BY CAROl BATCHElDER Park Parent Editorial Board

At a time when physical education programs across the country are being squeezed Park children are lucky to be part of the PE renaissance that is taking place under the

leadership of Sue Seufert Parkrsquos new Head of the Physical Educa-tion Department

The timing could not be better as evidence mounts in sup-port of the power of exercise in facilitating learning and boosting IQs while also curbing depression attention deficit hyperactivity disorder fatigue and stress (Landers amp Arent 2007 Sibley amp Etnier 2003 JOPERD vol 8 No 3 March 2010) Studies of both animals and humans show that exercise promotes brain growth When physical activity takes place more oxygen-rich blood feeds the brain more neurotransmitters are released more endorphins are freed and more neural networks are affected Research on mice shows that physical exercise triggers chemical changes in the brain that spur learning

These research findings as well as numerous articles on the benefits of physical activity on a childrsquos overall health can be found in Sue Seufertrsquos folders and represent her extensive knowledge and commitment to making Parkrsquos Physical Education program a vital component of childrenrsquos learning

So who is Sue Seufert Sue comes to Park after 17 years in the Physical Education Department at The Brearley School (K-12) in New York City seven of those years as head of the department Before that Sue worked at various schools and camps and also obtained a Bachelor of Science with a PE concentration and a Masters in Education Sue brings passion hope and energy

to Parkrsquos Physical Education program

As she settles into her new role Sue is quick to praise the work of her colleagues in the PE Depart-mentmdashKara Fon-esca Tim OrsquoBrien Steve Savage and Paul Toussaintmdashas well as Bob Little Athletic Direc-tor and Dana Welshman-Studley Assistant Athletic Director The

renewed collaboration and commitment of the team to physical education and Parkrsquos children is exciting

Where does Sue plan to take physical education at the Park School I went directly to her to find out The overall mission is to shift to a curriculum that meets children where they are and inspires them to make physical activity a core part of their lives Thanks to Parkrsquos Professional Development Program the PE staff is getting more knowledgeable and accredited in Functional Move-ment Screening (an assessment that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function) Project Adventure (a curricula that encourages positive risk-taking social emotional learning and group development skills) and Yoga as well as other strength and conditioning certifications

Sue believes that PE should be one of the best parts of a kidrsquos day I was surprised to find however that a theme among certain Park students is that PE is not that fun and in some cases a cause for angst When I asked why they donrsquot like PE children replied

ldquoWe have to wear sneakers on PE daysrdquo ldquoWe have to run laps around the gym the BIG gymrdquo ldquoIrsquom always lastrdquo ldquoItrsquos not athletic enoughrdquo

Sue is open to this feedback and eager to hear what kids want from Physical Education This way the department can combine their goal of helping students achieve lifelong success surrounding movement and fitness with what children enjoy for examplemdashmore gymnastics dance and yoga-type activities that are so popu-lar these days varied warm-up exercises to replace laps around the

FACULTY PROFILE

Sue Seufert encourages fifth graders to keep the ball in play continued on page 8

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

There is scarcely a more hotly debated parenting topic these days than childrenrsquos use of technology and the internet And itrsquos no wondermdashexcessive media use is associated with

obesity poor school performance aggression and lack of sleep (ldquoPediatricians Set Limits on Screen Timerdquo Andrea Petersen Wall Street Journal Online October 28 2013)

In an eagerly anticipated Par-ent Roundtable on October 10th clinical psycholo-gist Mark Kline met with a group of Park parents with the goal of allaying some fears and providing expert guidance Mark began ldquoTechnol-ogy is not all bad Itrsquos a dilemma that wersquore going to live with not a problem to be fixed So as parents itrsquos appropriate to be worriedhellip but not to have catastrophic fearsrdquo

The goal Mark explained is to develop a wide-ranging dialogue with our children on the use of technology Like other complex social and ethical issues children will be best served to internalize their own moral compass with respect to using tech-nology ldquoThat means the internet security software needs to be INSIDE our kids not on our computersrdquo

With three teenage girls of his own an enthusiastic video gamer himself and as the Clinical Director of The Human Rela-tions Service (HRS) in Wellesley where he specializes in childrenrsquos issues with technology Mark speaks from both personal and professional experience ldquoChildren need to understand whatrsquos right and wrong about their use of technology well before they get to collegehellip and itrsquos our job as parents to get them thererdquo Mark said

To help parents navigate how to do this Mark offers four general principles

1 Approach technology use with a sense of curiosity ldquoIt will be much more difficult for you to understand what to do (not to mention gain your childrenrsquos respect) if you have no idea what the technology is theyrsquore using and are fearful of using it yourselfrdquo Instead Mark suggests demonstrating an ability to learn new technologies and to be careful not to approach all technology with inherent suspicion or fear

2 Participate in internet activities with children For example Mark encourages parents to have their own Instagram or Twitter accounts to interact with and follow children online ldquoPlay video games with your children Yoursquoll be surprised that some have some very good redeeming elementsrdquo Mark said For example Mine-craft is very creative and encourages children to build 3D spaces with their own vision

3 Expect children to make mistakes and run into problems on the internet Technology offers opportunities for trial and error learning and when children make mistakes itrsquos a ldquoteachable momentrdquo Mark emphasized that developing mutual trust is criti-cal ldquoit is important that our children believe that if they run into problems online they can trust parents to try to understand and help themrdquo

4 Reflect on our own use of technology and discuss it How often do you trail off in the middle of a conversation as a new email comes in Or are you working on your computers around the clock These behaviors send strong messages to children Mark provided an example of when his teenage daughter was texting a friend while he was trying to talk with her on a drive ldquoI said lsquoIrsquom feeling kind of left out Irsquod love to talk with you toorsquordquo The honesty led to a great conversation and more awareness from his daughter about how it feels when someone next to you is completely consumed in a device

For more specific age appro-priate advice Mark offered the following tips

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children

ages Pre-K through Grade II should have no more than 2

hours per day of screen time (including television) The

national average is more than 7 hours (The American

Academy of Pediatrics guidelines also suggest that chil-

dren under two years old shouldnrsquot have any screen time

exposure)

Elementary and middle-school aged kids despite what

they may tell us are not endowed with a divine right of

internet privacy Parents should maintain passwords to

all accounts and kids should know that parents will check

TECHNOLOGY

Brave New World Mark Kline on How to Navigate Technology Use with ChildrenBy LaUra BarKaN Park Parent Editorial Board and BeNNa KUsHLefsKy Parent Roundtable amp All-School Evening Committee

continued on page 8

P

P

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5The Park Parent PAGE 4

There is scarcely a more hotly debated parenting topic these days than childrenrsquos use of technology and the internet And itrsquos no wondermdashexcessive media use is associated with

obesity poor school performance aggression and lack of sleep (ldquoPediatricians Set Limits on Screen Timerdquo Andrea Petersen Wall Street Journal Online October 28 2013)

In an eagerly anticipated Par-ent Roundtable on October 10th clinical psycholo-gist Mark Kline met with a group of Park parents with the goal of allaying some fears and providing expert guidance Mark began ldquoTechnol-ogy is not all bad Itrsquos a dilemma that wersquore going to live with not a problem to be fixed So as parents itrsquos appropriate to be worriedhellip but not to have catastrophic fearsrdquo

The goal Mark explained is to develop a wide-ranging dialogue with our children on the use of technology Like other complex social and ethical issues children will be best served to internalize their own moral compass with respect to using tech-nology ldquoThat means the internet security software needs to be INSIDE our kids not on our computersrdquo

With three teenage girls of his own an enthusiastic video gamer himself and as the Clinical Director of The Human Rela-tions Service (HRS) in Wellesley where he specializes in childrenrsquos issues with technology Mark speaks from both personal and professional experience ldquoChildren need to understand whatrsquos right and wrong about their use of technology well before they get to collegehellip and itrsquos our job as parents to get them thererdquo Mark said

To help parents navigate how to do this Mark offers four general principles

1 Approach technology use with a sense of curiosity ldquoIt will be much more difficult for you to understand what to do (not to mention gain your childrenrsquos respect) if you have no idea what the technology is theyrsquore using and are fearful of using it yourselfrdquo Instead Mark suggests demonstrating an ability to learn new technologies and to be careful not to approach all technology with inherent suspicion or fear

2 Participate in internet activities with children For example Mark encourages parents to have their own Instagram or Twitter accounts to interact with and follow children online ldquoPlay video games with your children Yoursquoll be surprised that some have some very good redeeming elementsrdquo Mark said For example Mine-craft is very creative and encourages children to build 3D spaces with their own vision

3 Expect children to make mistakes and run into problems on the internet Technology offers opportunities for trial and error learning and when children make mistakes itrsquos a ldquoteachable momentrdquo Mark emphasized that developing mutual trust is criti-cal ldquoit is important that our children believe that if they run into problems online they can trust parents to try to understand and help themrdquo

4 Reflect on our own use of technology and discuss it How often do you trail off in the middle of a conversation as a new email comes in Or are you working on your computers around the clock These behaviors send strong messages to children Mark provided an example of when his teenage daughter was texting a friend while he was trying to talk with her on a drive ldquoI said lsquoIrsquom feeling kind of left out Irsquod love to talk with you toorsquordquo The honesty led to a great conversation and more awareness from his daughter about how it feels when someone next to you is completely consumed in a device

For more specific age appro-priate advice Mark offered the following tips

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children

ages Pre-K through Grade II should have no more than 2

hours per day of screen time (including television) The

national average is more than 7 hours (The American

Academy of Pediatrics guidelines also suggest that chil-

dren under two years old shouldnrsquot have any screen time

exposure)

Elementary and middle-school aged kids despite what

they may tell us are not endowed with a divine right of

internet privacy Parents should maintain passwords to

all accounts and kids should know that parents will check

TECHNOLOGY

Brave New World Mark Kline on How to Navigate Technology Use with ChildrenBy LaUra BarKaN Park Parent Editorial Board and BeNNa KUsHLefsKy Parent Roundtable amp All-School Evening Committee

continued on page 8

P

P

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 7The Park Parent PAGE 6

The Yule Festival we know however is a relatively recent vision Parkrsquos December celebration has evolved significantly over time reflecting changes in Parkrsquos student population the increasing commitment to diversity and the growth of the music program

Carols and wassailConsider the Christmas Pageant program from 1926 which included a traditional Christmas play European carols and the following program note ldquoDuring the singing of these Christmas songs pictures by the Old Florentine and Venetian Masters will be thrown on the screenrdquo In the 1960s Park celebrated the Christ-

mas story with plays and traditional carols (ldquoThe Holly and the Ivyrdquo ldquoPersonent Hodierdquo) performed by a subset of students fol-lowed by a Wassail party for parents and faculty

The Boarrsquos head era and ldquoa FesTiVal oF TradiTionsrdquoLongstanding members of the Park community fondly recall the era of the Boarrsquos Head Yule Log Festival coinciding with Bob Hurlbutrsquos tenure as Headmaster

According to program notes from that time presentation of the Boarrsquos Head is likely ldquothe oldest continuing festival of the Christmas seasonrdquo dating to 1340 As reimagined at Park students would enter bearing a stuffed boarrsquos head on a platter accompanied by Bob Hurlbut brandishing a lacrosse stick refash-ioned as a shepherdrsquos staff and resplendent in green tights and a sheepskin vest ldquoI was some combination of the Lord of the Dance a shepherd and an emceerdquo Bob recently recalled The processional was accompanied by the ldquoBoarrsquos Head Carolrdquo with the refrain for all to sing ldquoCaput apri deferro reddens laudes Dominordquo or ldquoThis boarrsquos head I offer giving praises to the Lordrdquo

In 1971 Yule Festival moved from the Kennard Road campus to the newly completed building on Goddard Avenue which allowed the entire school to congregate for the first time The programs incorporated a growing variety of songs from different traditions many of which have become fixtures Songs related to Hanukkah were sung regularly beginning in 1979 ldquoChildren Go Where I Send Theerdquo debuted in 1980 as did ldquoChristmas in the Trenchesrdquo (1985) and ldquoLight One Candlerdquo (1987)

In 1987 art teacher Fern Cunningham-Terry founded the One World Club (now called Pangea) and student members helped select readings for Yule Festival ldquoWe would add something

Yule Festival continued from page 1

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 7The Park Parent PAGE 6

every year based on the club membershiprdquo Fern explains ldquoWe had a girl who spoke fluent Arabic so she read about Eid from the Koran Likewise we had a Hanukkah reading in Hebrew and a Three Kings reading in Spanishrdquo Soon after the subtitle to Yule Festival in the program was changed from ldquoA Festival of Giftsrdquo to

ldquoA Festival of Traditions Cultures and Peoplesrdquomdashwording that persists to this day

Yule Festival todaYWhile previewing his first Yule Festival in the December 1993 Park Parent new Head of School Jerry Katz wrote ldquoDecemberhellip provides us with an occasion to celebrate both the common values that bind us together at Park and the diverse traditions that stu-dents learn to respect and appreciate at our schoolhellip Although we shall no longer be continuing the Boarrsquos Head Procession (due to the retirement of the Headmasterrsquos green tights) I trust that you will find this a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students your own holiday tradition and the richness that others bring to the Park communityrdquo

In an era of ldquopolitical correctnessrdquo some school communities turned to bland non-denominational winter songs Park however

chose to celebrate the many religious traditions represented in the student body but grappled with how to strike the appropri-ate balance at Yule Festival Minutes from a 1993 Multicultural Committee mention that ldquoYule Festival was a frequent focus of the eveninghellip Past and possible future areas of both joy and discom-fort for students and parents were addressedhellip Several parents commented that by enrolling our children at Park where respect for diversity is a stated mission we embrace the value of learn-ing from all traditions Many agreed that some discomfort might be part of sincerely experiencing diversityrdquo And longtime music teacher Janice Allen recalls talking with students about their dis-comfort singing songs from a different faith ldquoI just said that wersquore sharing each otherrsquos music each otherrsquos songs We have a Christian girl singing lsquoLight One Candlersquo and a Jewish girl singing a Christ-mas carol Some parents have had reservations about the blend of traditions but in the end they come and enjoy itrdquo

Despite (or informed by) these challenges Yule Festival in the 1990s evolved into the celebration familiar to todayrsquos Park community Based on input from faculty parents and Jerry Katz songs and readings from different cultures or religions would be

suggested and discussed throughout the year New traditions have been established including Grade VII performances on dulcimers the jazz ensemble and the Indian dance introduced by Grade V teacher Shalini Rao in 2009

Soon the West Gym will reverberate with another joyous rendition of ldquoChildren Go Where I Send Theerdquo Old Yule Festival programs informed us that Yule Logs are traditionally lit with the embers from last yearrsquos fire imbuing the ceremony with a sense of continuity In this 125th year of The Park School and our first with Michael Robinson as Head of School Yule Festival will again bring our community together in a celebration of Parkrsquos past and its future

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

gym especially for the younger kids for whom laps are not always as fitting for their minds or bodies innovative ways of boosting mobility stability and strengthening for the older kids

Sue also plans to expand the scope of programs within the Physical Education curriculum Some ideas include integrating dis-cussions around nutrition learning what people around the world are doing adding activities that are new to everyone so no one feels they have an advantage or disadvantage and including problem-solving situations

The opinions from parents vary Some want a PE curriculum that gives kids a solid attainment of the fundamental skills neces-sary to help establish a lifelong love for or at least appreciation and understanding of the benefits of physical movement Other parents would like to see Parkrsquos PE program be more about athleti-cism and sports (although related these are not the same as PE)

Part of the PE departmentrsquos job is to manage these competing points of view from the myriad personalities that form the student body and the large Park community to devise a PE curriculum that everyone is excited about Perhaps that means adding some Project Adventure programs or learning what other cultures do for move-ment Maybe it means exploring new models such as giving kids a choice about what they do during PE

One thing is for sure Parkrsquos Physical Education department is working hard towards making PE a favorite part of the day Lead-ing with passion energy and hope the PE department is commit-ted to inspiring Park kids to lead productive and healthy lives

Physical Education continued from page 4

them periodically Computers in the home should not be

used where parents cannot easily see the screen In addi-

tion elementary school children do not need cell phonesmdash

especially smart phones which should be considered

personal computers

By 5th grade Mark said parents can ldquolet out the string a

little but it is important to understand that all children

are different when it comes to using technology Your

approach should be customized for each childrdquo

Monitoring of childrenrsquos internet use should be frequent

and can be made a regular family activity ldquoHave them

show you their favorite sites and online activities You can

use technology as a way to strengthen your relationshiprdquo

Some social media sites are worse than others Mark sug-

gested keeping children away from Snapchat and askfm

for example ldquoThese sites are like the wild west I suggest

checking commonsensemediaorg regularly for a list of the

good the bad and the ugly when it comes to social media

sitesrdquo

Children should know that personal informationmdashsuch as

home address phone numbers credit card numbers etcmdash

should not be shared online

Privacy is an illusion Children should know that what they

do and say online can end up anywhere so they actually

need to be accountable to a higher standard than in-per-

son communication

As a general rule regarding when the use of the internet social media or gaming is excessive Mark suggested asking ldquoWhat else isnrsquot happening while your child is on a device If a child displays an intense desire to be on a device at the expense of all other activi-ties itrsquos likely a problemrdquo He advised that children should always make time for outdoor activities free imaginative play board games books and other non-technological pursuits

Markrsquos articles and tips can be found on the HRS website and he is available to answer questions at MKlinePsyDcomcastnet

Navigating Technology continued from page 5

P

P

P

P

P

Supporting an Inclusive School Culture

February 5 2014 630 ndash 9 pm in the Conference RoomWine amp Cheese 630 ndash 7 pm Presentation amp Interactive Activity 7 ndash 9 pm

Join Christine Savini of Diversity Directions in an interactive activity session asking

bull WhyDo21stCenturySchoolsNeedInclusiveCultures

bull WhyDoesAffirmingIdentityinaSchoolCommunity EnhanceTeachingandLearning

bull InWhatWaysCanWeAffirmIdentityandExamine PrivilegeinaSchoolCommunity

HostedbythePADiversityandInclusionCommitteeQuestionsSamantha Kaplan sekmhlaolcom Heeten Kalan hkalanigcorg

or Russ Porter russ_porterharvardedu

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 7The Park Parent PAGE 6

every year based on the club membershiprdquo Fern explains ldquoWe had a girl who spoke fluent Arabic so she read about Eid from the Koran Likewise we had a Hanukkah reading in Hebrew and a Three Kings reading in Spanishrdquo Soon after the subtitle to Yule Festival in the program was changed from ldquoA Festival of Giftsrdquo to

ldquoA Festival of Traditions Cultures and Peoplesrdquomdashwording that persists to this day

Yule Festival todaYWhile previewing his first Yule Festival in the December 1993 Park Parent new Head of School Jerry Katz wrote ldquoDecemberhellip provides us with an occasion to celebrate both the common values that bind us together at Park and the diverse traditions that stu-dents learn to respect and appreciate at our schoolhellip Although we shall no longer be continuing the Boarrsquos Head Procession (due to the retirement of the Headmasterrsquos green tights) I trust that you will find this a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students your own holiday tradition and the richness that others bring to the Park communityrdquo

In an era of ldquopolitical correctnessrdquo some school communities turned to bland non-denominational winter songs Park however

chose to celebrate the many religious traditions represented in the student body but grappled with how to strike the appropri-ate balance at Yule Festival Minutes from a 1993 Multicultural Committee mention that ldquoYule Festival was a frequent focus of the eveninghellip Past and possible future areas of both joy and discom-fort for students and parents were addressedhellip Several parents commented that by enrolling our children at Park where respect for diversity is a stated mission we embrace the value of learn-ing from all traditions Many agreed that some discomfort might be part of sincerely experiencing diversityrdquo And longtime music teacher Janice Allen recalls talking with students about their dis-comfort singing songs from a different faith ldquoI just said that wersquore sharing each otherrsquos music each otherrsquos songs We have a Christian girl singing lsquoLight One Candlersquo and a Jewish girl singing a Christ-mas carol Some parents have had reservations about the blend of traditions but in the end they come and enjoy itrdquo

Despite (or informed by) these challenges Yule Festival in the 1990s evolved into the celebration familiar to todayrsquos Park community Based on input from faculty parents and Jerry Katz songs and readings from different cultures or religions would be

suggested and discussed throughout the year New traditions have been established including Grade VII performances on dulcimers the jazz ensemble and the Indian dance introduced by Grade V teacher Shalini Rao in 2009

Soon the West Gym will reverberate with another joyous rendition of ldquoChildren Go Where I Send Theerdquo Old Yule Festival programs informed us that Yule Logs are traditionally lit with the embers from last yearrsquos fire imbuing the ceremony with a sense of continuity In this 125th year of The Park School and our first with Michael Robinson as Head of School Yule Festival will again bring our community together in a celebration of Parkrsquos past and its future

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

gym especially for the younger kids for whom laps are not always as fitting for their minds or bodies innovative ways of boosting mobility stability and strengthening for the older kids

Sue also plans to expand the scope of programs within the Physical Education curriculum Some ideas include integrating dis-cussions around nutrition learning what people around the world are doing adding activities that are new to everyone so no one feels they have an advantage or disadvantage and including problem-solving situations

The opinions from parents vary Some want a PE curriculum that gives kids a solid attainment of the fundamental skills neces-sary to help establish a lifelong love for or at least appreciation and understanding of the benefits of physical movement Other parents would like to see Parkrsquos PE program be more about athleti-cism and sports (although related these are not the same as PE)

Part of the PE departmentrsquos job is to manage these competing points of view from the myriad personalities that form the student body and the large Park community to devise a PE curriculum that everyone is excited about Perhaps that means adding some Project Adventure programs or learning what other cultures do for move-ment Maybe it means exploring new models such as giving kids a choice about what they do during PE

One thing is for sure Parkrsquos Physical Education department is working hard towards making PE a favorite part of the day Lead-ing with passion energy and hope the PE department is commit-ted to inspiring Park kids to lead productive and healthy lives

Physical Education continued from page 4

them periodically Computers in the home should not be

used where parents cannot easily see the screen In addi-

tion elementary school children do not need cell phonesmdash

especially smart phones which should be considered

personal computers

By 5th grade Mark said parents can ldquolet out the string a

little but it is important to understand that all children

are different when it comes to using technology Your

approach should be customized for each childrdquo

Monitoring of childrenrsquos internet use should be frequent

and can be made a regular family activity ldquoHave them

show you their favorite sites and online activities You can

use technology as a way to strengthen your relationshiprdquo

Some social media sites are worse than others Mark sug-

gested keeping children away from Snapchat and askfm

for example ldquoThese sites are like the wild west I suggest

checking commonsensemediaorg regularly for a list of the

good the bad and the ugly when it comes to social media

sitesrdquo

Children should know that personal informationmdashsuch as

home address phone numbers credit card numbers etcmdash

should not be shared online

Privacy is an illusion Children should know that what they

do and say online can end up anywhere so they actually

need to be accountable to a higher standard than in-per-

son communication

As a general rule regarding when the use of the internet social media or gaming is excessive Mark suggested asking ldquoWhat else isnrsquot happening while your child is on a device If a child displays an intense desire to be on a device at the expense of all other activi-ties itrsquos likely a problemrdquo He advised that children should always make time for outdoor activities free imaginative play board games books and other non-technological pursuits

Markrsquos articles and tips can be found on the HRS website and he is available to answer questions at MKlinePsyDcomcastnet

Navigating Technology continued from page 5

P

P

P

P

P

Supporting an Inclusive School Culture

February 5 2014 630 ndash 9 pm in the Conference RoomWine amp Cheese 630 ndash 7 pm Presentation amp Interactive Activity 7 ndash 9 pm

Join Christine Savini of Diversity Directions in an interactive activity session asking

bull WhyDo21stCenturySchoolsNeedInclusiveCultures

bull WhyDoesAffirmingIdentityinaSchoolCommunity EnhanceTeachingandLearning

bull InWhatWaysCanWeAffirmIdentityandExamine PrivilegeinaSchoolCommunity

HostedbythePADiversityandInclusionCommitteeQuestionsSamantha Kaplan sekmhlaolcom Heeten Kalan hkalanigcorg

or Russ Porter russ_porterharvardedu

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

gym especially for the younger kids for whom laps are not always as fitting for their minds or bodies innovative ways of boosting mobility stability and strengthening for the older kids

Sue also plans to expand the scope of programs within the Physical Education curriculum Some ideas include integrating dis-cussions around nutrition learning what people around the world are doing adding activities that are new to everyone so no one feels they have an advantage or disadvantage and including problem-solving situations

The opinions from parents vary Some want a PE curriculum that gives kids a solid attainment of the fundamental skills neces-sary to help establish a lifelong love for or at least appreciation and understanding of the benefits of physical movement Other parents would like to see Parkrsquos PE program be more about athleti-cism and sports (although related these are not the same as PE)

Part of the PE departmentrsquos job is to manage these competing points of view from the myriad personalities that form the student body and the large Park community to devise a PE curriculum that everyone is excited about Perhaps that means adding some Project Adventure programs or learning what other cultures do for move-ment Maybe it means exploring new models such as giving kids a choice about what they do during PE

One thing is for sure Parkrsquos Physical Education department is working hard towards making PE a favorite part of the day Lead-ing with passion energy and hope the PE department is commit-ted to inspiring Park kids to lead productive and healthy lives

Physical Education continued from page 4

them periodically Computers in the home should not be

used where parents cannot easily see the screen In addi-

tion elementary school children do not need cell phonesmdash

especially smart phones which should be considered

personal computers

By 5th grade Mark said parents can ldquolet out the string a

little but it is important to understand that all children

are different when it comes to using technology Your

approach should be customized for each childrdquo

Monitoring of childrenrsquos internet use should be frequent

and can be made a regular family activity ldquoHave them

show you their favorite sites and online activities You can

use technology as a way to strengthen your relationshiprdquo

Some social media sites are worse than others Mark sug-

gested keeping children away from Snapchat and askfm

for example ldquoThese sites are like the wild west I suggest

checking commonsensemediaorg regularly for a list of the

good the bad and the ugly when it comes to social media

sitesrdquo

Children should know that personal informationmdashsuch as

home address phone numbers credit card numbers etcmdash

should not be shared online

Privacy is an illusion Children should know that what they

do and say online can end up anywhere so they actually

need to be accountable to a higher standard than in-per-

son communication

As a general rule regarding when the use of the internet social media or gaming is excessive Mark suggested asking ldquoWhat else isnrsquot happening while your child is on a device If a child displays an intense desire to be on a device at the expense of all other activi-ties itrsquos likely a problemrdquo He advised that children should always make time for outdoor activities free imaginative play board games books and other non-technological pursuits

Markrsquos articles and tips can be found on the HRS website and he is available to answer questions at MKlinePsyDcomcastnet

Navigating Technology continued from page 5

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P

P

P

P

Supporting an Inclusive School Culture

February 5 2014 630 ndash 9 pm in the Conference RoomWine amp Cheese 630 ndash 7 pm Presentation amp Interactive Activity 7 ndash 9 pm

Join Christine Savini of Diversity Directions in an interactive activity session asking

bull WhyDo21stCenturySchoolsNeedInclusiveCultures

bull WhyDoesAffirmingIdentityinaSchoolCommunity EnhanceTeachingandLearning

bull InWhatWaysCanWeAffirmIdentityandExamine PrivilegeinaSchoolCommunity

HostedbythePADiversityandInclusionCommitteeQuestionsSamantha Kaplan sekmhlaolcom Heeten Kalan hkalanigcorg

or Russ Porter russ_porterharvardedu

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 9The Park Parent PAGE 8

Global Citizens continued from page 2

better underscored when Adam mentioned the town of Iten where many Boston Marathon winners have trained Iten is the home of the high altitude-training center where many of Kenyarsquos best runners practice and prepare At the end of his presentation one student said ldquothe people (in Kenya) are looking for the same things as we arerdquo Achieving such engagement from Park students is the goal of the Global Citizenship Initiative

The Speaker Series manages to hold the attention of the young audience while providing depth of learning Alan described an aspect global citizenship as ldquohaving both the curiosity and the disposition to engage people from diverse backgrounds in conver-sations about their livesrdquo At the most recent presentation Alan described how a unique storefront in Cambridge caught his atten-tion On further exploration he discovered that this store stocked with exotic and beautiful handcrafted items is the brainchild of Raja and Benedicte Moubarak who hail from Lebanon and France respectively Through their social enterprise Beyt2b Design the Moubaraks have trained disenfranchised individuals in war-torn Syria and Lebanon to make beautiful handcrafted home deacutecor Closer to home Beyt2b Design has partnered with Pine Street Inn and is providing training and hiring homeless women to make handicrafts from salvaged items These items are sold in the US and abroad

The Park21 Global Citizenship Initiative is providing Park students with a unique opportunity to think within a global context This challenges students as Comfort said ldquoto know onersquos own

culture in order to be successful learners in a new culture Over the long term our lsquoglobal learnersrsquo can effectively identify commonali-ties across geographic and cultural borders which in turn have the potential to enrich their academic environmentrdquo

Upcoming Speaker

Nicole Maddox Former Park School Science Teacher and intern

Swahili proverb

Haba na haba hujaza kibaba(The small things amount to a great thing)

Wednesday December 18815 am Morning Meeting in the Theater

THANK YOU

for your support of the

2013-14 Annual Fund

Over 60 of current

families have contributed so

far this year The Park School

relies on your generosity as the

Annual Fund provides over 9 of operating revenue for the School Your generosity to the Annual Fund

ensures that Park can be Park small class sizes outstanding teachers and students who love coming to

school If you have already given to the Annual Fund thank you If you have not yet contributed please

consider making a year-end gift at parkschoolorgdevelopmentwaystogive or call Jessica Conaway at

617-274-6019 thanks and happy holidays

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 11The Park Parent PAGE 10

LIBRARIAN PICKS FOR PARKLower Division (selected by Christian Porter)

Xanderrsquos Panda Party by Linda Sue Park illus by Matt Phelan

Xander is planning a dandy bear affair but his party plans keep changing Clever word play and charming illustra-tions distinguish this wonderful read-aloud

Middle Division (selected by Tory Lane)

Flora amp Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo illus by KG Campbell

Who would guess that a friendship between a superhero squirrel and a self-described cynic of a girl would fuel Kate DiCamillorsquos newest heartfelt wonder As the unlikely pair battles the mysteries of parents vacuum cleaners and love this offbeat chapter book reminds us why reading is magical Holy Bagumba

Upper Division (selected by Mindy Lawrence)

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

After losing both of her parents in a tragic accident Willow Chance a quirky genius finds herself thrust into the lives of near-strangers This heartbreaking and hopeful novel will appeal to readers who loved Wonder and Out of My Mind

The Library

Around

BOOK OF THE MONTH

A longstanding tradition the Libraryrsquos

Book of the Month provides an opportu-

nity to celebrate an exceptional recently

published title from our collection For

the winter months of December and

January the selected theme books focus

on ldquolightrdquo as it relates to vision faith

celebration and inspiration Please

join us as we learn more about Eid and

Einstein

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns A

Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan

illus by Mehrdokht Amini

On a Beam of Light Story of Albert

Einstein by Jennifer Berne illus by

Vladimir Radunsky

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 11The Park Parent PAGE 10

PARENTSrsquo ASSOCIATION CORNER

Guest Mandarin teacher Ying Lei-Zhang and her students in Grades VII-IX hosted a traditional Chinese tea ceremony for faculty staff and parents to learn about and taste the varieties of Chinese tea

The PA Community Service Committee organized a successful Chop-a-Thon service day for the Park community in October More than 200 students and 110 parents and faculty helped to peel snap and chop over 900 pounds of vegetables for the Pine Street Inn

DECEMBER 2013 ndash JANUARY 2014 PAGE 11The Park Parent PAGE 10

PARENTSrsquo ASSOCIATION CORNER

Guest Mandarin teacher Ying Lei-Zhang and her students in Grades VII-IX hosted a traditional Chinese tea ceremony for faculty staff and parents to learn about and taste the varieties of Chinese tea

The PA Community Service Committee organized a successful Chop-a-Thon service day for the Park community in October More than 200 students and 110 parents and faculty helped to peel snap and chop over 900 pounds of vegetables for the Pine Street Inn

UPCOMiNG DATES OF NOTE

December 20 Friday Yule festival (Pre-K ndash iX Dress Day) 930 am 1130 am dismissal ndash No ASP winter Vacation begins

January 6 Monday School resumes

January 16 Thursday 125th event ldquoOur Past amp Futurerdquo 630 pm

January 20 Monday Martin luther king Jr Day ndash no school

January 22 wednesday Grade V Parent Social 630 pm

January 23 Thursday Grade ii Parent Social 630 pm

January 28 Tuesday Grade iX Parent Social 630 pm

January 29 wednesday Kindergarten Parent Social 630 pm

January 30 Thursday Grade Vii Parent Social 630 pm

Grade Vi ndash iX winter Athletics December 2 ndash February 21

Grade Vi Drama December 2 ndash February 13

Grade Viii iX Drama December 2 ndash March 7

Grade iV After-School Sports December 2 ndash January 17

Grade V After-School Sports January 22 ndash February 28

Visit the calendar on the park school website for more dates

The Park School171 Goddard AvenueBrookline MA 02445617-277-2456

DeceMber 2013 ndash JanuarY 2014

The Park Parent

The Park Parent is a newsletter that highlights academic extracurricular social and fundraising activities at The Park School It is currently published six times a year and its readership includes parents grandparents faculty alumni and other friends

Read The Park Parent online at wwwparkschoolorg

The Park Parenteditor editorial board chair

TC HAlDi STANlEY SHAw

Director of communcationsKATE laPiNE

editorial board lAURA BARKAN CAROl BATCHElDER lAURA CARROll CHRiS HARTMANN PAUlA iVEY HENRY TODD iDSON ANNE HARVEY KilBURN KATE OlMSTED PADMAJA RAMAN DOROTHY RiCHARDSON DARSHAK SANGHAVi JOHN STRAND

president parentsrsquo associationKATiE McwEENY

parentsrsquo association communications networkEMiliE KENDAll AliSON HONG (photographer)

chair board of trusteesSUziE TAPSON

head of schoolMiCHAEl 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