Educating the Whole Child: We are the Lower School

WE ARE THE LOWER SCHOOL

BY JENNIFER TURNER, EDITOR & INSTITUTIONAL WRITER

“We are the Lower School, and we live by the golden rule. We will always be friends, to the very, very end, At the Lower School of Ashley Hall!” –excerpted from the Lower School Song

STEPPING INSIDE PARDUE HALL, visitors are drawn to the LoDome, the bright, enclosed courtyard at the heart of the building. On any given day, they will see multiple grades fully engaged in the space. Likely there will be a wellness class completing an activity at one end, girls diligently working on math problems near the stairwell, and children tucked into various nooks while reading. Amid the laughter and learning, one thought immediately comes to mind: This is a place where foundations matter.

WELLNESS & COMMUNITY

HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT Second graders are proud to manage the Lower School’s recycling efforts! Sorting and organizing Pardue Hall’s rolling bins in the morning and gathering recyclable materials from each table at lunch, the girls do a wonderful job accepting responsibility for a highly-valued initiative.

“A place where many girls begin their journey at Ashley Hall, the Lower School is committed to teaching social and emotional skills in conjunction with academics to ensure a well-rounded foundation of learning. In this supportive, nurturing environment, each girl rises to her highest potential.” —Polly Rainey Kronsberg

INSIDE A RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM Planning their class activities for each new school day, Lower School faculty members employ the Responsive Classroom, a philosophy that fits well with the Lower School’s dedication to educating the whole child. “Responsive Classroom is based on the belief that social learning and academic learning are both necessary for students, and it provides opportunities for growth in many different ways throughout each day,” explained Lower School faculty member Lee Tamblyn. “From day one, my girls are part of a community that will work together throughout the year. We begin each new school year sharing our ‘Hopes and Dreams’ with each other. Our parents are also asked to share their ‘Hopes and Dreams’ for their daughters.” developmentally as they grow in independence and confidence. “I believe one of the greatest benefits from Responsive Classroom is providing our students with the tools to live out our Ashley Hall Hallmarks and to feel confident doing so,” asserted Tamblyn. “This strategy helps build a sense of belonging for each student in my classroom.”

For many Lower School faculty members, Responsive Classroom is a valuable approach around which to orient the school day that might include a morning meeting, collaborative problem solving, guided discovery, and academic choice. Each activity is specially chosen to support students socially, emotionally, academically, and

Q&A: SUZANNE SAUNDERS As the Lower School Math Specialist, Suzanne Saunders works with faculty members to identify and implement best practices and learning strategies for students.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A COMPREHENSIVE MATHEMATICS PROGRAM IN THE LOWER SCHOOL? “Our Everyday Mathematics program has a spiraling curriculum. Each concept is introduced and reviewed several times throughout the school year, which allows the learning to go to a deeper level for a more complete understanding. This affords the students an opportunity to fully grasp concepts and apply them successfully to the tasks, challenges, and activities offered in each unit.”

AS THE MATH SPECIALIST, WHAT ROLES DO YOU ASSUME? “My role as the Lower School Math Specialist is to facilitate the math learning experiences in each classroom. Our Lower School teachers determine the best use of my time when I visit their classrooms. Each day and class are different. On some days I locate differentiated activities (which provide experiences to enrich the students’ independent learning) and help the students understand the instructions, so they can be successful. On other days I co-teach with teachers, which allows for smaller math instructional groups and activities. I am always available to work one-on-one with students to secure or broaden concepts.”

HOW DOES YOUR WORK BOTH SUPPORT TEACHERS AND PROMOTE INDIVIDUALIZED STUDENT LEARNING? “Having two instructors in the classroom certainly provides a better teacher-student ratio and allows for smaller and more intimate learning experiences. When our girls have a conversation to express their problem solving strategies, they become more confident and successful risk-takers. They are able to be active learners and take ownership of their math acquisition. The students enjoy learning the games, which is one of the Everyday Math strategies for learning basic facts.”

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT YOUR WORK? “It is so rewarding to work with the girls in kindergarten through fourth grade and see the math curriculum spiral in action. The math concepts introduced in kindergarten broaden throughout all the upper grades. The girls grow more confident in their math, and it is so interesting to witness the way the students make connections, find patterns, and manipulate numbers to solve math problems.”

WHY IS THE EVERYDAY MATH CURRICULUM A CORE COMPONENT OF THE LOWER SCHOOL? WHAT DOES IT OFFER OUR STUDENTS? “Everyday Math is a fully researched math curriculum (based on the best math practices from around the world) to teach the young child mathematics. It offers a curriculum which is age appropriate and differentiated to meet the instructional needs of every student, every day. There is a page in every lesson which provides a review of recent concepts. This program is open-ended to allow the integration of other types of activities or projects to support and enrich the learning experiences for students. Everyday Math promotes problem-solving discussions, so students are encouraged to share their strategies (both orally and written) with others. Brain research supports that this is the best way for girls to learn. In the Lower School, the teachers are supporting girls to become successful and confident in math, all the way through to the twelfth grade.”

INTRODUCING STUDENT PLAYLISTS AND REDBIRD Two intriguing initiatives have been making the rounds in Pardue Hall this year: student playlists and Redbird. Both are dynamic new ways to support student learning. “Student playlists have taken over math instruction,” declared Director of Innovation Ed Dougherty. “This technique, which creates individualized sequences of resources and activities, provides students with a chance to work at their own pace and demonstrate mastery in skills they are working on. Students get to choose their path and monitor their activity completion while teachers are able to shift their direct instruction time from whole group to small group and really target student levels. The overarching goal is to create a more personalized approach to instruction while differentiating curriculum and activities using data mastery charts.” A playlist is a sequence of resources and/or activities for students to complete. When we ask students to complete multi-faceted independent activities, a playlist serves as guidance and sequencing without real-time teacher actions.

Another way the Lower School is promoting differentialized learning is through Redbird, an auxiliary computer math program used alongside the Everyday Mathematics curriculum. “It allows our students to practice what they know, identifies gaps in a student’s

SUMMERTIME AND THE LEARNING IS EASY This past summer, kindergarten through fourth grade faculty members convened for professional development to continue their focus on the best math instructional practices for elementary-age girls. Started in early January 2019, the initiative focuses on supporting students in mastering content in a technology-driven environment. Seeking to align their Everyday Mathematics curriculum with the School’s benchmarks and the National Core Curriculum objectives, each grade level team worked for two days with Lower School Math Specialist Suzanne Saunders to fine-tune their instruction for the fall. “Each team planned their scope and sequence and located learning activities to enrich their instruction,” noted Saunders. “They also discussed instructional techniques that allow students to go deeper into the content and build a toolkit to solve complex, authentic problems.” Gaining new insights and time to prepare for the year ahead, faculty members found their professional development project to be an invaluable opportunity. “We have always taught with a purpose, but now we are using our teachers’ experience and knowledge as another valuable resource to improve the math instruction for our students,” said Saunders. “We are supporting our girls at a young age to assume the responsibility for their own learning.”

mathematical understanding of particular concepts, and challenges students to further their mathematical knowledge by advancing them as needed through self-paced instruction,” explained Lower School Math Specialist Suzanne Saunders. “Our teachers can access students’ accounts to see progress and run reports to assess growth and areas of concern.”

LITERACY

Q&A: ERIN LIBAIRE As the Lower School Librarian and Literacy Program Coordinator, Erin Libaire works with students, faculty, and staff to promote a culture of literacy.

HOW DOES ASHLEY HALL INTEGRATE LITERACY THROUGHOUT THE LOWER SCHOOL AS PART OF THE LEARNING SPIRAL? “Literacy is everywhere, from a science student’s research to understand concepts to social studies, where students read fiction and nonfiction to gain a deeper understanding of a time period. Ideas are expressed in all subject areas through the written word.”

WHAT ARE YOUR DUTIES AS THE LITERACY PROGRAM COORDINATOR? “I make sure our curriculum aligns and supports each grade level. I also help teachers meet students’ needs by providing lessons, holding small groups, conferring with individual students, and holding book clubs. In addition to analyzing grade level and Lower School literacy data, I help tailor curriculum and gather resources for teachers.”

AS THE LOWER SCHOOL LIBRARIAN, IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO BECOME BETTER READERS? “My mission as a librarian, and as a person really, is to help everyone see himself or herself as a reader. The best way to become a better reader is to READ, so one of my most important tasks is to get books into students’ hands. I recommend books and authors and read to students as much as I can. I also weave reading and writing skills into just about everything I do with students. I have kindergartners read poems and play word games that develop their phonics skills. In any grade, whenever I conduct research with a class, I tuck in reading strategies and notetaking skills. Even during a read-aloud session, I pause and ask questions that require students to talk to each other, thus developing comprehension skills. I am using technology with students more frequently to develop their skills as readers and writers.”

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT THE RESEARCH AND COMPOSITION EFFORTS OF OLDER STUDENTS? “The biggest challenge I see for students is wading through the vast amount of information available. I help them curate their resources by showing them databases and primary and secondary sources that support their research. I also help teachers fi nd books and web resources to support their teaching.”

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT YOUR WORK? “I love what I do. I have students who stop me at carpool to talk to me about what they are reading. I also love collaborating with teachers. I think of the “We Are Readers” parade with kindergartners marching and holding their books high as the rest of the school cheers them on. I tear up every year! We are ALL readers, and we are proud of it.”

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF PHONICS Phonics education is an important component of the Lower School curriculum, and over the past year, eight faculty members have attended the Phonics Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. “The phonics units of study go hand in hand with the reading and writing, so there is a cohesive flow from kindergarten through second grade,” said Lower School faculty member Mia Smith. “Having all our teachers using the same curriculum also allows the girls to have the continuity of a workshop as they go through Lower School.”

Faculty members use the Units of Study in Phonics for students in kindergarten through second grade. Organized into small groups or rug clubs, students have a grade-level stuffed animal mascot whose storyline supports their phonics learning. It is an additional touch to ensure children have a positive experience with phonics. “The method of instruction really depends on the phonics being taught, and options include songs, writing something together, and reading something together, to name a few,” explained Lower School Librarian and Literacy Program Coordinator Erin Libaire.

With the goal of having all faculty members who teach phonics receive training at Teachers College, the Lower School is invested in establishing a strong foundation for its literacy initiatives. “Phonics is the basis of reading and writing,” emphasized Libaire. “Because this phonics curriculum is written by the same authors as our reading and writing curriculum, they are closely aligned. When our students have a strong foundation in these skills, everyone benefits.”

WE ARE READERS! In October, kindergarteners marked the important milestone of becoming readers! To celebrate the end of their first reading unit, the girls donned special crowns, carried their favorite storybooks, and chanted “We Are Readers!” while parading around the LoDome with the rest of the Lower School cheering them on. Held in high regard at Ashley Hall, reading is woven throughout the curriculum.

OUR YOUNGEST CRITICS Inspired by kindergartners’ love of reading, Lower School Librarian and Literacy Program Coordinator Erin Libaire thought of the perfect way for them to connect with other students: video book recommendations! “My goal was to use more technology during library classes,” said Libaire. “I thought it would be an engaging way to get our youngest students to share their thoughts and ideas.” Using the Flipgrid application on iPads, students recorded themselves talking about why they liked a particular book. Afterward, each video was paired with a QR code posted with the student’s photograph in the library. Students browsing for a good book can use an iPad to watch the kindergartners’ recommendations. “I liked filming myself and saying what I thought about my book,” said Arrington Wingfield ’32. Libaire wants the reviews not only to encourage kindergartners to read but also to make them more confident. “I hope other students will want to read one of the recommended books,” she remarked. “I want our kindergartners to know that what they like matters and that they can recommend books to a friend.”

STEPPING INSIDE PARDUE HALL, visitors are drawn to the LoDome, the bright, enclosed courtyard at the heart of the building. On any given day, they will see multiple grades fully engaged in the space. Likely there will be a wellness class completing an activity at one end, girls diligently working on math problems near the stairwell, and children tucked into various nooks while reading. Amid the laughter and learning, one thought immediately comes to mind: This is a place where foundations matter.