over the rainbow
I S S U E N O 1 | V O L U M E 2 T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F B R O M P T O N C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L - F E B R A U R Y 2 0 2 3
Notes for the 2022-2023
By Alice Berenbaum
By Amber Dawson
T a b l e o f c o n t e n t s D I R E C T O R ’ S N O T E L O G I C A L C O N S E Q U E N C E S U P C O M I N G E V E N T S A D V E N T U R O U S P L A Y 1 2 8 5
school
S U M M E R C A M P S 9
year
Our Mission:
To nurture and educate the whole child by cultivating a reverence (deep respect) for the natural world, self, learning, and community as they become the next generation of servant leaders.
NOTE Director’s
As we continue to create the school of our dreams for this year, we are being pulled to look toward the future. As incredible as last year was and this year has been, we know that next year has even more magic in store. Our team continually strives for better. How do we do that? We do that by asking questions (our favorites are: “why are we doing it that way?” and “how does this benefit our students?”) and having difficult conversations.
Last year was hard work. Starting a new venture is stressful enough, but when it’s a whole school, well, that’s another level. My team, the amazing team here at BCS, our fantastic team of families, and our Fxbg community came alongside me and built our school by stopping in with an encouraging word, showing up to meetings with a positive attitude (even when it was hard), and by coming in to have difficult conversations, sometimes over and over again, until we got it right.
Building this community is not about being perfect from the beginning. In fact it’s not about being perfect at all. It’s about our constant dissatisfaction in the status quo. It’s about about examining (and re-examining) our choices, actions, and intentions. It’s about asking ourselves every single day: How can we do better?
We look forward to continuing to hold ourselves to the highest standards, to serving our community, and to lifting up our students and their families. Thank you for being a part of the dream team.
“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” - Colin Powell
AMBER DAWSON P A G E 1 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
Educating and Honoring the Whole Child:
Logical Consequences
BY: ALICE BERENBAUM
A core component of our school mission is to provide students with learning opportunities to help foster reverence for self, learning, nature, and community. Our goal is to engage all students in a safe learning environment that is meaningful and respectful both academically and social-emotionally. Our team is committed to providing learning opportunities with clear guidelines that help develop students’ academic learning as well as self-regulation
What happens when a student makes a poor choice? It does happen, right? We might strive for perfection, but we are not perfect (thankfully, that would be boring, wouldn’t it?), nor do we expect perfection from our students. The questions then becomes ….
• What do we do when our students do not demonstrate reverence for self, learning, nature, and community?
• How can we provide students with reflective learning experiences that are respectful to the student and helps to develop an internal understanding of the consequences of their actions?
At BCS, we work towards facilitating students’ social emotional growth by using logical consequences, a strategy from Responsive Classroom*, a researched-based approach to teaching and discipline that supports the social and emotional development of students. Logical consequences are a powerful and effective approach that directly relates to the behavior of the student. There is a relationship between the behavior and the consequence It is respectful, relevant, and realistic and helps the student learn strategies for self-regulation and develop an internal understanding of consequences related to their actions. The student is actively engaged in this process and takes accountability for actions while simultaneously learning self-regulation strategies.
We know that behind most behaviors there is a correlating feeling, or a need that requires unpacking for a better understanding Using logical consequences, the adult speaks with the student privately to gather more information about the students’ feelings just prior to the incident. Within this safe and respectful environment, the adult engages the student to identify strategies for self-regulation to support their social-emotional development.
P A G E 2 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
A key point is that the feelings and emotions related to the behavior have been identified, addressed and the student is given an opportunity to express their feelings/emotions and learn and practice self-regulation strategies to prevent a recurrence of this behavior.
Once identified, the adult then engages the student in determining a logical consequence that is related to the behavior. The student takes an active part in the decision-making process to determine a consequence, giving the student the opportunity to take accountability of his/her actions.
Taking a privilege away, having a student take a “time out” in isolation and not identifying the “why” behind the behavior/action does not support positive socialemotional development.
However, the combination of discussing the emotions related to the behavior, providing strategies for learning self-regulation, and understanding there are logical consequences directly related to behavior that mutually decided upon has proven successful for support students’ social emotional growth.
Applying logical consequences provides a growth mindset* learning opportunity for our students to realize they can choose their behaviors and learn from their experiences. It empowers the students to take ownership of their actions.
Growth mindset is not a new or novel approach to approach to reflect upon life experiences as an opportunity to grow. Teaching children to think and learn for themselves by imparting to them the tools of learning align with our school philosophy of returning to the ancient goal of classical education. Aristotle, the great philosopher, reasoned that humans can grow and improve in virtues (aka growth mindset.) in his Nichomachean Ethics.
Our pillars of reverence, based on educating classically and implementing logical consequences, are what bcs is built on – educating and honoring the whole child.
Logical Consequences Resources + Additional Information:
1. Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. For more information, visit " https://www.responsiveclassroom.org.
2 Carol Dwek, psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, is known for her work with developing a growth mindset For further information, view her TedTalk at Carol Dweck | Speaker | TED or enjoy her book, Mindset, available on Amazon Dweck, C (2006) Mindset Random House
3 For further reading on Aristotle and Growth Mindset or enjoy Aristotle’s work: The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle (mitedu)
P A G E 3 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
Logical Consequences in Practice at Brompton:
Logical consequences follow discussion between adult and student regarding emotions/feelings students had prior to the incident Adults and students are part of the consequence decision making process.
1. A child hits another child with a stick. A reminder is given but a recurrence happens: A logical consequence could be the student does not play with sticks for a determined amount of time
2. A child hits/throws/kicks a ball at another child. A reminder is given but a recurrence happens: A logical consequence could be the child is not allowed to play with balls for a determined amount of time.
3 A child digs a hole in the field, yard, or another location other than the mud pit A logical consequence could be the child is not allowed to dig for a determined amount of time.
4. A child destroys school material. A logical consequence could be to contact parent, and as a team (including child) agree the child will have chores at home to earn the money to replace (or partially replace) broken item
5. Two students are in a physical altercation; there are no physical injuries. Our main goal is to support students with strategies for conflict resolution. Administration will meet with students to facilitate this process.
6 Two students have a food fight during lunch, creating a mess on the grounds Students are responsible for cleaning up the initial mess and then have kitchen chores for a determined amount of time.
P A G E 4 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
THE ART OF RISKY PLAY
BY: AMBER DAWSON
Adventurous Play
Aventurous or “Risky” play, is unstructured, child-led imaginative play that is thrilling and challenging with an element of risk or potential injury. While this can sound scary, the injuries being risked are usually skinned knees, bumped elbows, or other scrapes or bruises In one study, children in an experimental group exposed to a 14-week risky play intervention improved their risk detection and competence, increased self-esteem and decreased conflict sensitivity, relative to their pre-intervention performance, as well as when compared to a control group (Lavrysen et al, 2017) A cross-sectional study compared children with and without ready access to unsupervised outdoor play opportunities and found more developed motor skills, social behavior, independence and conflict resolution in the former group (Hüttenmoser, 1995) Research has also indicated that through physical activity and risk taking in play, children show improved motor skills and spatial skills as well as learning risk assessment and how to master risk situations
In an article published in 2011, Ellen Sandseter warned that a decrease in risky play could potentially mean an increase in mental health concerns for young children, like anxiety, fear, depression and loneliness (Sandseter and Kennair, 2011).
P A G E 5 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
What it looks like in practice
Exploratory, speculative, adventurous, developmental play defines our outdoor time at BCS If you visit our campus on any given day you might see kindergartners in trees, second graders rolling down our big hill, fourth graders tromping back to the creek, or our big graders (middle school students) teaching the first graders how to stick fight appropriately Our students roll logs that they jump on and off of They sit in the bouncy tree 3, 4, or 12 at a time to sway and bounce on the branches of a fallen-down oak BCS kids go home with the “Brompton Bum” from sliding down the mud slide on the side of the sledding hill There is no playground equipment in our yard but students build with sticks, mud, old bricks, and grass They make up complex games and build their own adventures Once they even made their own put-put golf course using chalk, sticks, and walnuts that fell from the tree
Benefits
Students at BCS spend much of their time outside participating in nature based play and activities Some of this nature based play inherently comes with more risk It is exactly this risk that builds confidence, teaches emotional regulation, improves literacy, decreases risk of injury, increases perseverance, and amplifies problem solving abilities Beyond the benefits of just being in nature, participating in adventurous play adds a new dimension to cognitive abilities Our approach to outdoor learning and deep play is based on decades of research Research shows that children who spend time in uninhibited outdoor deep play are less likely to become injured as their gross and fine motor skills are more developed They learn how to move their bodies in a safe way as they assess and take risks Assessing and taking risks outdoors increases confidence, whether or not they were successful in their attempted goal Students learn to trust themselves and their ability to do things, which in turn gives them greater self-esteem and decreases anxiety and stress They are then better able to recognize and regulate emotion This development of the prefrontal cortex helps them make good judgements in other areas throughout their life
P A G E 6 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
Greatest threat
The greatest threat to this type of beneficial play is not injury One study, by Outdoor Play Canada, found that a child would have to participate in outdoor risky play for an average of 3 hours a day for 10 years before they would be at risk of injury that required treatment, and even then the injury was likely to not be severe Children have a much higher risk of injury while playing organized sports or from a motor vehicle accident than they do playing outdoors
The greatest threat to unstructured, free play is us As adults our tolerance for risk taking is greatly diminished It makes sense We want our kids to be as safe as possible We want to shelter them from potential harm We don’t want them to get hurt Unfortunately, the message we send to our kids is that they are not capable Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Rachael Sharman, says this: “You are also potentially undermining their sense of autonomy and competence, which are two psychological variables that feed strongly into wellbeing ” She follows up with this advice to parents: “Parents can encourage and facilitate risky play by stepping back and only getting involved if a situation is dangerous ”
Managing risk
But where are the adults during play time? Our educators co-assess and co-manage risk with students on a daily basis so that students learn to acknowledge, manage, and overcome risks so that risks don’t become hazards All activities are supervised and all staff are CPR/First Aid Certified Do we intervene in every situation? No Our goal is to facilitate age-appropriate play that involves calculated risk taking BCS teachers and staff walk around, chat with students about what they’re doing, ask questions, arbitrate when necessary, but mostly we ’ re observers We are constantly encouraging students to recognize potential hazards or problems and then facilitating problem solving Sometimes the best way we can facilitate this practice is by being a bystander, there to intercede if needed, but mostly just enjoying the imaginative world our students are creating We want them to get lost in their play without intervention because play after all is the work of childhood (Maria Montessori)
P A G E 7 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
Adventurous Play Resources + Additional Reading
Outside Play Canada
https://outsideplay ca
Promoting children’s risky play in outdoor learning environments
https://theeducationhub org nz/promoting-childrens-risky-play-in-outdoor-learningenvironments/
Risky Play in Early Childhood Education: A Risk Worth Taking Erken Çocukluk
Döneminde Riskli Oyunlar: Risk Almaya Değer
Fatma Yalçın, Middle East Technical University, fatma ay 17@gmail com Feyza
Tantekin Erden, Middle East Technical University, tfeyza@metu edu tr
Sandseter, E B H , & Kennair, L E O (2011) Children’s Risky Play from an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences
Evolutionary Psychology, 9(2) https://doi org/10 1177/147470491100900212
Supporting Young Children’s Risky Play
https://www bu edu/childrens-center/files/2020/07/Risky-Play pdf
P A G E 8 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
Upcoming Events
TASTE OF BROMPTON
This annual fundraising event is on April 22, 2023 and is hosted by the bcs pto. Tickets for this event are sold out but you can add your name to the waitlist by emailing our chair, rachelwadkins@gmail.com. Limited sponsorships are also available and volunteers or donations are always appreciated!
EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Join us for the Earth Day Celebration at Old Mill Park in downtown Fredericksburg on April 22, 2023. Visit earthdayfred.com for more information.
BCS will have a booth with activities for the kids and our mobile mud pit!
PLANT SALE
Our 3rd annual plant sale is scheduled for April 29, from 9am-12pm at BCS.
Come take a look at what our students have been growing this year!
P A G E 9 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.“
Aristotle
Summer Camps 2023
We are so excited to host our first full summer of camps!
Camps are open to anyone, not just current BCS families. We look forward to making more connections in our community
Reigstration for camp will open online on 2/23/2023. A link will be posted on our website, www.BromptonSchool.org. Registration for June camps is due by May 1, 2023 and registration for July camps is due by June 1, 2023. We can’t wait to see you there!
If you would like more information please contact Amber or Alysoun amber@bromptonschoolorg alysoun@bromptonschool.org
summer camp me June 5-9 Fiber Arts
9am-12pm
Monday-Friday Ages 8+ | $220
Join us this summer at Fiber Arts Camp! During this week, we will start from scratch with the processes of dyeing wool, spinning yarn, and learning the basics of knitting and felting By the end of the week, your child will have gained tools and experience to help them continue their fiber arts journey.
Mindfulness
12:30-3:30
Monday-Friday Ages 8+ | $220
P A G E 1 0 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
summer camp men June 12-16 Math 1 Nature Science 9am-12pm Monday-Friday Ages 8-10 | $220 12:30-3:30 Monday-Friday Ages 8-10 | $220 P A G E 1 1 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
summer camp me June 19-23
9am-12pm
Monday-Friday Ages 5-10 | $200
9-3:30
Monday-Friday Ages 10+ | $435
Soccer
12:30-3:30
Monday-Friday Ages 5-10 | $200
This camp focuses on dribbling, passing, shooting, and ball control. By the end of the camp your child will have learned new life skills such as teamwork sportsmanship, and improved their sport skills!
Gardening STEAM
P A G E 1 2 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
Math 2
9am-12pm
Ages 5-10 | $200 12:30-3:30
Ages 11+ | $220
Ages 11+ | $220
Soccer
12:30-3:30
Ages 5-10 | $200
This camp focuses on dribbling, passing, shooting, and ball control. By the end of the camp your child will have learned new life skills such as teamwork sportsmanship, and improved their sport skills!
Monday-Friday
Monday-Friday
summer camp me June 26-30 Gardening Nature Science 9am-12pm
Monday-Friday
Monday-Friday
P A G E 1 3 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
summer camp me July 10-14
Gardening
9am-12pm Monday-Friday Ages 5-10 | $200
Botany
9am-12pm Monday-Friday Ages 8+ | $220
We are excited to offer Botany Camp this summer! During this week, we will adventure out into the forest to study some of our diverse local plants We will explore their characteristics and uses, from discussing their role in the greater ecosystem to foraging for food and art
Nature Crafts
9am-12pm Monday-Friday rising kindergarten-2nd grade | $220
We will be offering a nature crafts camp this summer! In this camp we will use materials and inspiration from the natural world to create nature crafts. The goals of this camp are to encourage creativity, develop fine motor skills, and practice reverence for the natural world
Nature Journaling
12:30-3:30
Monday-Friday rising 3rd-8th grade| $220
We will be offering a nature journaling camp this summer! In this camp we will venture into the forest surrounding Brompton as we practice basic nature journaling skills. Students will learn and build skills related to observational drawing, reading and recording weather conditions, using various field guides, thinking critically, and practicing mindfulness through writing
Soccer
12:30-3:30
Monday-Friday Ages 5-10 | $200
This camp focuses on dribbling, passing, shooting, and ball control By the end of the camp your child will have learned new life skills such as teamwork sportsmanship, and improved their sport skills!
P A G E 1 4 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
summer
Gardening Growth
9am-12pm Monday-Friday Ages 5-10 | $200 12:30-3:30 Monday-Friday | $220 STEM 9am-12pm Monday-Friday | $220 P A G E 1 5 • O V E R T H E R A I N B O W
camp me July 17-21
Mindset
Pine Needle Palace Sponsor Taste of Brompton
Our first BCS family Pine Needle Palace sponsor, Littlepage Animal Hospital!
Littlepage Animal Hospital strives to provide compassionate, personalized care to all patients and provide an outstanding level of customer service and education to our clients. We believe in minimizing stress to patients and advocating for preventative and therapeutic care to help pets live long, healthy lives
Our school full of tender-hearted animal lovers is so grateful for your support!
Pine Needle Palace Sponsor Taste of Brompton
We are so grateful for our Pine Needle Palace Sponsor, Healthy Beginnings Wellness & Esthetics
Healthy Beginnings Wellness & Esthetics specializes in comprehensive wellness and deeply cares about the health of the Fredericksburg community. They provide physician-supervised treatments and adhere to the highest standard of professionalism. As leaders in the anti-aging and wellness industry, their goal is to provide exceptional customer service so i t d guidance during your journey to improved well being Healthy Beginn stay healthy and active
contact information
for general questions, reporting absences/illness, before or after care questions, scheduling tours: call or text Brompton Community School 540.940.1806 or email alysoun@bromptonschool.org
for questions about employment, curricula, assessments, report cards, fundraising initiatives call or text our Associate Director 5409401807 or email alice@bromptonschoolorg
for anything else call or text our director at 540.268.0777 or email amber@bromptonschool.org
Brompton Community School 490 Central Rd Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540.940.1806
www.bromptonschool.org
