Reading

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In the world of literacy, reading and writingare inextricably intertwined, mutuallysupportive, parallel processes. They arecritical life skills… underpinning learningin all subjects: in Math children read wordproblems and must support solutions withwritten explanations; in Science,they record data and documentobservations within lab reports;in Social Studies they examineprimary source documents to writeresearch reports; in Spanish,students translate English andSpanish texts; in Music they readabout composers before listening totheir works; in Art, they writedescriptions to accompany paintings.

At MPFS, reading and writinginstruction take place withinLanguage Arts and Humanitiesprograms. Their aim: to develop literacy, language fluency and com-munication skills, and along the way,to instill within students a love of reading andwriting that grows and lasts for a lifetime.

The foundation for reading is laid in preschool when children’s brains are wiredto recognize the sounds of language.Accordingly, Teachers Merril, Andrea andHeather integrate pre-reading activitiesthroughout the school day including inter-active read-alouds, games that use rhymes

and alliteration, and circle sharing time.Together with letter-sound correspondencelessons ("letter of the week", games of picture and letter identification, etc.), theseactivities build vocabulary as they developthe phonemic awareness needed to

understand written language. Picture andbeginning reader books are also utilized toreinforce pre-reading skills.

Preschool lessons pave the way for explicitreading instruction in Kindergarten and1st grade when phonics, word analysis andspelling are introduced. Teachers Emilyand Liz teach a meta-cognitive approach,helping students to acquire a comprehensiveset of strategies to independently monitor

reading comprehension (using "smart" fingers to retain place, taking "picture walks"to obtain context, "chunking" to parsemulti-syllabic words, confirming that whathas been read made sense, learning rules

for adjacent vowels, silent letters, etc.).With the advent of more substantialreading abilities, children begin tobuild a significant bank of sightwords and proudly share their abil-ities with both older and youngerstudents for the first time – alwaysa huge boost to self-esteem.

Teacher Shirley, Lower SchoolLanguage Arts Coordinator, canfrequently be found in theKindergarten, 1st and 2nd gradeclassrooms working with teachersto develop child-specific readingstrategies. She also providesindividualized enrichment andremediation for students, ensuringthat children have the ability to

self-monitor comprehension, evaluate andsynthesize text, and relate stories to theirown experiences. These skills are criticalfor success in upper elementary and middle school grades when formalizedspelling, vocabulary and grammar instruc-tion are often connected with literatureselections.

Because motivation for readers is highlypersonal, from 3rd through 8th grade,teachers often tailor literature selections

Narratives of the Magic of MPFSWinter 2007

The Reading-Writing Connection

Media-Providence Friends School

Continued on page 3

What makes a Quaker school differentfrom other independent schools? Andwhat makes Media-Providence FriendsSchool different among Friends schools?Is there a particular method of teaching- a pedagogy - that affirms the Quakertestimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity,community, equality and service? Howdo we instill these values, which areshared by most religions, within our students more directly?

The use of queries, like those above, is aformat common amongst Quakers.Nancy Starmer, Head of GeorgeSchool, says that"The query ismeant to elicitself-examinationor group self-examination."Like Friends ina Quaker community,our studentsmight ask,"How do wehelp to create a community of learners where everyone in our class is respected?" or,for middle school, "How might I workto alleviate some of the problems of oursociety?" or, "Do I take on the work of astudent in a serious and thoughtfulmanner?" These are "heavy" questions,but they are the worthy ones. Just asking questions, instead of giving infor-mation, "opens up new synapses andconnections in the brain, connectionsthat make the brain more receptive tonew and different points of view."(Baucom 2003)

Another format used in Friends schoolsrelates to the way children gain skills,and how we ask groups of children toanswer questions. While every childneeds concrete academic skills, we trynot to make acquiring them a win orlose operation. Whether in Meeting,Humanities, or Group Guidance, we askstudents to consider a topic in all itscomplexity, seek causes in a communalway, and work together toward a solution.This kind of discourse is deliberativerather than argumentative or adversarial,prompting the search for commontruths, not differences. We know thatusing all the talents, ideas, and experiences

of each personin the pursuitof solutionsmakes for better solutions.Nancy Starmerconnects thisnotion that "weare all teachers ofeach other" to theQuaker idea ofcontinuous revela-tion – that truthjust keeps on a-

comin’, if we areopen to new information from science,literature, experiences, each other, andthe spirit.

These are just a few examples of ways"Quakerness" is embedded in the "deepmuscle" of the school. Upcoming editions of Dragon Tales will examineother means by which Quaker pedagogyinforms our students’ daily experiences.

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MEDIA-PROVIDENCE FRIENDS SCHOOL

125 West Third StreetMedia, PA 19063

Phone: 610-565-1960www.mpfs.org

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HEAD OF SCHOOL: Lynn Oberfieldloberfield@fox.mpfs.org

extension: 102

ADMISSIONS: Francy Strathmannfstrathmann@fox.mpfs.org

extension: 104

BUSINESS: Fred Kefferfkeffer@fox.mpfs.org

extension: 105

COMMUNICATIONS: Janice Petersonjpeterson@fox.mpfs.org

extension: 145

DEVELOPMENT: Phyllis Mincerpmincer@fox.mpfs.org

extension: 106

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2006-07Donna Allen

Michael J.J. CampbellNancy Fitts Donaldson ‘37

Jessica EldredgeSusan Elliott

Glenn FeathermanGeorge S. Forsythe ‘41

Donn GuthrieBrian R. Harris

Susannah Henderson ‘88R. Matthew Hendricks

John R. James ‘47Eugene JarrellJudy Marcus

Kenneth ParkHarry Shreckengast, Clerk

Doris TiradoArthur Weisfeld Althea Whyte

This Newsletter is a publication of MPFS.If you have moved recently or are planning to

move, be sure to give us your new address so that you can continue to receive

uninterrupted mailings.

Media-Providence Friends School is a PreK – 8 Quaker day school which provides

a rich educational experience whereacademic challenge is combined with the

teaching of values.

Quaker Pedagogy: A Primer

C Printed on recycled paper.

Writing

to the interests and needs of each learner. Small classes enableteachers to recognize students’ individual likes and dislikes sothat they can find the "perfect book". And, unlike in largeschools, MPFS teachers can continuously update book selectionsfor currency and relevance, making for more thought-provokingreading.

During these years, students also experience alternative ways torespond to books. Peer-led literature circles are much like bookclubs in their dependence upon deep discussion based onparticular information. Our students examine specific contentin plot and characterization, new vocabulary and inferences,and consider connections to their own lives and to the broaderworld (other literature they’ve read, historical knowledge, andcurrent issues). This method also engages the "social beings"our children are becoming. Through these means, they becomemore vested in the content, and this enhances reading skills in amore subtle fashion.

Research indicates that those who read well often write well.In that it leaves behind a physical record for all to see, however,for most students writing feels like a "riskier" venture thanreading. To alleviate fears that accompany this risk, MPFS students are taught to first edit for content, because it is theideas they bring that are most important in any type of writing.Grammar, at these early times, is secondary and is called forlater in the editing process as they write for others.

Emergent readers/writers use drawings to convey information.As fine motor skills and phonemic awareness develop, studentsare encouraged to use inventive spelling (sounding out) todescribe the action happening in their pictures. During firstgrade, when so many skills gel, their compositions begin tohave recognizable beginnings, middles and ends and increas-ingly include traditional spelling for many sight words.

The writings of mid and upper elementary graders becomemore sophisticated as students use pre-writing organizers suchas story maps and character elaborations to organize theirthoughts. Students learn research techniques (note-taking,outlines), are expected to write well-organized, well-supportedmulti-page pieces, use vocabulary effectively and demonstrategrammatical competency.

In middle school, expectations increase significantly as studentsoften receive multiple writing assignments a night from teach-ers of different subjects. They are exposed to various kinds ofwriting and by the time of graduation in 8th grade, have tack-led assignments asking for expository, narrative, responsive,persuasive, creative and biographical styles, and have learnedappropriate acknowledgement of source materials throughstandard bibliography formats.

MPFS reading and writing programs build the skills necessaryto read for meaning - gaining information from text, identify-ing feelings and motives, making inferences, writing clearly andsequentially, and moving to higher order thinking skills likeanalyzing and evaluating. The two intertwining programs alsoreflect the mission of the School: challenging the way studentsthink, helping them to make connections with texts, themselvesand the world, and encouraging them to articulate their ownunique points of view.

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continued from page 1

E d u c a t i o n a l I m p r o v e m e n t Ta x C r e d i t

We are grateful to the Camp Family for their recent gift to theFaculty Salary and Enrichment Endowment Fund. Throughthe bequest wishes of William and Katherine Camp, TeacherDavid Camp, his brothers, Nelson and Anthony, and wifeTeacher Margaret, have directed a generous gift from their parents’ estate to the Fund.

David and Margaret Camp havebeen associated with Media-Providence Friends School fornearly four decades. David hastaught wood shop, fifth grade,middle school and Quakerismhere and also served as a Trustee,while Margaret has assisted a halfa dozen Heads of School andprovided a warm welcome to allin the front office since 1979.Their children Nathaniel (‘89)and Geoffrey (‘90) are MPFSalumni whose grandparents visit-ed the school for special events, concerts, and plays. Bill andKay Camp shared the school’s commitment to peace, justice,human rights and education and it was this connection that ledDavid and Margaret, in consultation with David’s brothers, todistribute a portion of their estate to MPFS.

"We are touched by this kind gesture from the Camp Family.A strong endowment is crucial to the long-term health ofMedia-Providence Friends School, particularly in the area ofsupport for faculty, as teachers remain at the core of theSchool’s quality," said Phyllis Mincer, Director of Development.

The Camp Family graciouslyagreed to allow us to announcethis gift to our community withthe thought that it mightencourage others to support thelong-term viability of elemen-tary Quaker education throughbequest giving. "David’s workand involvement with MPFSsince 1970, and now as our 8thgrade teacher of Quakerism andcomparative religions, reflectsthe importance of having expe-rienced teachers on our staff.They inspire intellectual inquiry

in students, and introduce them to important values of simplici-ty, peace, integrity, and equality," explained Lynn Oberfield."We are thankful to the entire Camp Family for their support."

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A Family Legacy

Pennsylvania’s EducationalImprovement Tax Credit (EITC) pro-gram provides businesses tax credits formaking contributions to institutions likeMPFS to fund need-based scholarships.Several area corporations collectivelycontributed $35,000 toward MPFS’financial aid fund in 2006 by way of thisinnovative program.

The MCS Group provides business,outsourcing and document managementservices to corporate and legal marketsacross the nation. Harry Shreckengast,MCS Vice President and MPFS parent,brought the program to his company’sattention. "As Clerk of MPFS’ Board, I

understand the school’s challenge toprocure sufficient financial aid funds.Investing 10 minutes of my time tospeak to my CFO about EITC 5 yearsago has made a real difference to MPFS’scholarship fund."

Bob and Kitty DeMento, current schoolparents, described their reasons for partic-ipating in the EITC program as follows:"Part of what makes MPFS such aremarkable institution is its commitmentto economic diversity in its student body.We were happy to help open doors forchildren who wouldn’t otherwise be ableto attend this wonderful school."

Roffman Miller Associates is a wealthmanagement firm headquartered inPhiladelphia. Said Peter Miller,Managing Director, "Our company waspleased to work through EITC to sup-port need-based scholarships for worthyyoung people in our community. Thesechildren are our future."

EITC contributions underwrote 10% offinancial aid grants during the 2006-07school year, offsetting expenses thatnormally would come from the school’soperating budget. More important,these gifts have helped to transformlives. Thank you, ETIC donors!

EITC

80’s

90’s

00’s

70’s

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Each spring, MPFS students celebrate the visual arts with an exhibi-tion of their year-long work in Art. As we plan for this event, itoccurred to us that our students would enjoy learning about, andfrom, alums involved in the fine arts. If this describes you, kindlyemail jpeterson@fox.mpfs.org, with details about what you do.Digital photographs of works would also be interesting to share withstudents! Who knows, if we have a tremendous response, perhapswe will organize a small alumni exhibition here at school!

ANDREW FULTON emailed us to report that he is living in RoyalPalm Beach, Florida with his wife and daughter. He has been acivil trial lawyer there for 17 years.

An alum of both MFS and PFS, CHUCK WILKIN is living inGlenmoore with his wife and 4 children.

CLARENCE PEARSALL (picturedleft) stopped in and fondlyrecounted memories of schoolplays, the playground treehouse and maypole, and histeachers. These days he is aprofessional firefighter andCPR/Emergency Managementinstructor and lives in Newark, Delaware.

KYLE GOLDSCHMIDT is teaching AIDS orphans in Zambia while on leave from his job as a mechanical engineer.

PETER LEBUHN ‘84, is working at a drug rehabilitation center,helping former prisoners turn over a new leaf.

SUZIE SHAPIRO wears many hats as the director of a Manhattan preschool, a doctoral candidate in Education Administration atNYU, wife and mother of a two year old!

JOE WILLIAMS ‘87, works with the Philadelphia DA’s office toacquire and assign homes for HUD, FEMA and Philadelphia CityServices. He is married and has a 3 year-old whom he hopes willattend MPFS in the future.

After graduating from Temple’s School of Film and Media Arts,NICK ROMOLINI ‘97 put his skills to the test, assisting a BBC film crew to shoot local Philadelphia footage for an upcoming documentary.

KATRINA ROGACHEVSKY ‘99, enjoyeda spring semester abroad in Pragueduring her junior year at Princetonwhere she studied Holocaust philoso-phy, the constitutional system of thepost-independence Czech Republic,

and the European Union from an Eastern European perspective.She is now working on her senior thesis examining the impactWashington v. Davis (a landmark Supreme Court Equal Protectioncase of the ‘70’s) has had on anti-discrimination case law.

Having briefly considered following in former Math teacher,Thom’s footsteps, JEANINE SWEZEY ‘98 has settled on Nursing,and expects to complete her degree at Salisbury University inMaryland this spring.

KYLE SWEZEY ‘95, graduated with a business degree from Widenerin 2003 where he was a 4-year starter on the lacrosse team. He hassince decided to switch gears, literally, and pursued schooling inautomotive mechanics with an aim of rebuilding classic cars (hisfirst job: restoring his dad’s ‘72 Corvette!).

ANDREW SMITH ‘97 is taking on-line courses at Drexel Universitywhile managing a Radio Shack in Exton.

ANIQUE CLEMENTS ‘03, now a senior at Wilmington FriendsSchool, stopped in after volunteering at a Media domestic abuseagency. She recently returned from an exchange trip to Spain andwanted to convey a big "thank you" to T. Jeannie for the Spanishskills she imparted!

Our current cohort of eighth graders sent care packages to theMPFS class of 2002, now freshmen at Cornell, Guilford,University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Westminister Choir College,Franklin & Marshall, University of Stirling (Scotland), Universityof Rochester and Delaware Valley College. Packages were also sentto two alums who haveremained local. We’vebeen advised to wait untilnext year to send a packageto AARON ROGACHEVSKY

(pictured right) who isspending a year travelingthroughout Central andSouth America withWorld Wide Opportunitieson Organic Farmingbefore heading to BardCollege next fall!

Alumni News Calling Alumni Artists – Help Inspire Student Artists!

CHRIS NEILSON ‘05 stoppedby recently to join in on the fun

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Because tuition does not cover all of MPFSoperating expenses, we need the generous finan-cial support of the entire MPFS community --trustees, parents, alumni, parents of alumni,teachers, friends and Friends -- to help bridgethis gap. Please invest in the strong academicprograms, values-infused curriculum and out-standing faculty that make MPFS so special.Your personally significant contribution todaywill make a difference. Please contact theDevelopment Office with any questions.

Annual Fund

Event photos: Grandparents Day, Holiday celebrations, Winter Concerts/PreK Sing

Experts concur that children who are intro-duced to a second language at an early ageare more likely to develop proficiency inthat language. This is because, unlikeadults, children and early adolescents usethe "deep motor region" of the brain whenacquiring language… the area that controlsthe things we do without thinking, by "sec-ond nature". This is not to say, however,that learning a second language is effortless.Experts also acknowledge that motivationis a critical component in second languageacquisition. For this reason, MPFS’language program capitalizes upon theaforementioned window of receptivity andincorporates contexts that reflect students’real life interests and experiences.

To engage students, instruction may takethe form of a game, story, song or celebration, and includes plenty of visualsand hands-on activities. Learning is alsoscaffolded by connecting concepts: justmemorizing that "verde" means "green"does not breed comprehension. But whenstudents say the word out loud, write it,paint it, sing a song about it ("It’s not easybeing verde"!), think about "arbol" (tree)being "verde" and link it up with "verdant",their chances of remembering it improve.Retention is also a function of participation.MPFS’ intimate classes give students more opportunities to participate in class.Combined with continual exposure to vocab-ulary via instruction in Spanish, frequentreinforcement further boosts comprehension.

Likewise, instruction is developmentallyappropriate: preschoolers learn to count inSpanish as they develop basic number sensein English; first graders simultaneously

learn distinct Spanish and Englishphonemes; fourth graders tackle increasinglychallenging vocabulary in Spanish andEnglish; middle school students begin tomaster conversational Spanish relevant toadolescent interests: "What movies do youlike?", "What is your IM screen name?","I like to ski, skateboard and sing."

A core element throughout the 11-yearprogram is culture. Students learn aboutthe diverse traditions and histories ofSpanish and Latin American peoples,explore the geography of Central andSouth America, emulatethe techniques ofHispanic artists, and tryHispanic foods. Theprogram culminates in acultural exchange ineighth grade when students travel to SanJuan, Puerto Rico for aweek to visit its uniqueecosystems, attend theRobinson School whereclasses are taught inSpanish, and experiencelife in a different cultureat a much deeper level by living with a hostfamily. Encountering in situ different traditions, foods, music, art, religious perspectives, economic, domestic structures,and recreational pursuits encourages deepersensitivity to alternative ways of thinking.At the same time, the exchange calls stu-dents to care for each other as they navi-gate this new culture and language, therebybuilding community amongst themselves.

Since 2001, T. Angeles has been the ablecreator and implementorof the Spanish curriculumfor PreK-3 through secondgrade. Students visit hercheerful classroom for twohalf-hour sessions perweek (this year, the PreK-4 classes have had thegood fortune to have addi-tional Spanish enrichmentas she assists in theirclassrooms for severalhours each day). Angeles,

who received her B.S. at the Universidad delas Américas and her Masters in Educationat the University of Alabama, has over 12years of teaching experience here in theStates and in her native Mexico, where sheis recognized as an expert in bilingual earlychildhood education among the 17American Schools in Mexico. Her enthusi-asm is infectious, making Spanish fun for ouryoungest students.

Beginning in third grade, students delvedeeper into Spanish with T. Jeannie,participating in two 45-minute periods per

week before ultimately transitioning todaily classes in sixth grade. Naturally bilingual, having learnt English andSpanish simultaneously while residing inVenezuela and Canada in her youth, shejoined our faculty 15 years ago to establishthe Spanish program and initiate theexchange program. (Of course, there havebeen other roles - Tinkerbell in this year’sHalloween skit for example - that herteaching credentials belie: she holds aMasters in Education and has attended theGovernor’s School of Excellence onModern Language.) Grateful alumni frequently remark upon how well preparedthey were for high school Spanish and howtheir learning with T. Jeannie inspired collegiate pursuits and travels.

So, when next on campus, consider greet-ing students with an "Hola" instead of"Hello" – just be prepared to answer whenthey reply "Hola! Cómo está usted?"

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Habla En Español Por Favor

Teacher EmilyRichardson, an MPFSalum, could be said tolead a "double life":during the school yearshe is our consum-mate, yet indisputablygroovy, Kindergartenteacher. In the summer months, her

alter ego – an internationally recognized andcollected fabric artist – comes to the fore.The unique, intricately hand-stitched artquilts she creates by layering silk fabric (thatshe paints herself ) have been compared tocollages and paintings, and marry her love of art with her ability in sewing. Examplesof her works can be seen at www.grossmc-cleaf.com/artistpages/richardsonpage.htm.

She notes, "There are definitely parallels withteaching Kindergarten and how I work as anartist. As a teacher, I need to get to knowmy students, figure out what works for them,

where they are and what they need, so it isan evolving, creative process. That’s the wayI am with my art: if a quilt isn’t working, Ihave to change my approach: try a differentcolor or shape of fabric, use a different typeof thread. I have to make it be the best itcan be, and that’s how I approach teaching."

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati,T. Emily lives with her very round cat,Mungo, near the art museum in Philadelphiain a Victorian row home that she and herhusband Rick restored. She loves to be outdoors and enjoys walking and biking inthe city and Fairmount Park, and campingand canoeing in the Adirondacks with Rick.In her "free" time, she teaches art quilt workshops around the U.S., in Germany and Japan, and is learning Japanese.

Having taught in public schools prior toreturning to MPFS, Emily says she appreciatesthe way MPFS faculty, administration andstudents perform as a community. "The

climate of respect and valuing of every individual that exists here is truly amazing.It permits the best to happen, like the creamrising to the top."

Whether her "palette" is comprised of children, paint or fabric, Teacher Emily is an artiste extraordinaire!

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Media-Providence Fr iends School

125 W. Third Street Media, PA 19063

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDMedia, PA

Permit No. 842

IMPORTANT DATES

Spring Fling Auction

March 2

Friendly Games Night

April 20

Alumni Reception for Graduating

Classes of 1920-1998

May 11

Meet Teacher Emily - Kindergarten Teacher