Park Parent April-May 2015

A PRIL-MAY 2015

The Park Parent in this issue: SOCIAL MEDIA // 2 DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION // 3 AROUND THE LIBRARY // 8 ALL-SCHOOL EVENING RECAP // 9 SPRINGFEST // 10 ASK DR. O // 11 PARKING SPACE // 11

Celebrating Green at Park b y TODD IDSON, Park Parent Editorial Board

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cross the grades at Park, developing an awareness of the natural environment and sustainability permeates the

curriculum, and is an integral part of the

School’s culture.

Pre-K and K students visit farms and make observations on campus that expose them to the natural world.

Students in Grades I through III examine the importance of water to all living organisms and the need for its conservation, participate in the cataloging of biodiverse species, and follow migration paths of various organisms. Grade IV science students examine characteristics of paper, making a connection to the recycling efforts done continued on page 4

Costumed Middle Division students lead Park’s recycling efforts.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee: Promoting Ownership of the School for All b y CAROLINE BICKS, Park Parent Editorial Board

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hich identities do we leave behind when we walk through the doors of Park

School? This was the question that guest speaker Christine Savini posed to members of the Park community last year when they gathered to hear her talk

about the importance of diversity to the broader success of our children.

vo l u me 47 nu mb e r 5 a pub lication of the park s c h o o l parent s’ assoc iation

When I spoke recently with Heeten Kalan, co-chair of Park’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, he described how Savini broke everyone into small groups to share their responses with each other. It was an eyeopening experience that revealed many different ways in which parents, faculty, and staff felt they weren’t bringing their entire selves through Park’s doors each day. And, as Heeten explains, “this meant that we weren’t bringing the best of all of us to the School.”

The exercise helped bring into focus what he describes as a new mandate for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee: “How do we have people embrace all identities and feel that all are welcome? How do we get those people to feel welcome, and that their contributions are welcome?” continued on page 7

SOCIAL MEDIA

From “Read, Rip, and Remix ” to “Create, Converse, and Contribute”—Park’s Approach to Social Media B y L A U RA BARKAN, Park Parent Editorial Board, AN D S U E JE P P S O N , Parent Writer

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safe and because they feel they have a place where they can figure out how the tools work. mysterious phenomenon or a complete waste of time—yet Park is striving to instill a sense of personal leadership online LinkedIn has been around for 12 years and has 300 million from a young age. Jorge explains, “We, as teachers and parents, users and Facebook has been around for 11 years with 1.23 billion users. Our children are using social media (some even younger than genuinely love and care about Park students. If our message is only ‘do not be who you are online,’ then they’ll find someone else to the 13+ requirement), our companies are using social media, and even our favorite little bakery around the corner is on social media. be online. Instead, we aim to nurture Park students to be the best, most authentic reflections of themselves when online.”

And (as you may have noticed)… The Park School is on social media.

It is no surprise that Park has taken a very thoughtful approach to entering this space. Head of School Michael Robinson says, “The way people consume information is changing. We are still the same Park, with the same values and messages—this is just a different channel for us to take advantage of. I want us to be part of the conversations that are meaningful to us and to model a constructive approach for our students.” or many of us parents, social media may seem like a

Introducing social media to Park students Park has recently begun exploring how social media can support student learning and—importantly—is teaching and modeling appropriate usage. Jorge Vega, Director of Technology, defines social media broadly to include email, video chat, cell phone use, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and more: “When Park students are given an email account in Grade IV, we consider that At a recent parent meeting about social media, Jorge Vega stressed to be a significant milestone in their education regarding how to the importance of “being human online.” communicate online and with social media.”

To accomplish this goal, Park models how to use social media Aiming higher for student social media usage: Create, in an age-appropriate way. Jorge offers an analogy: “A teenager Converse, and Contribute doesn’t learn to drive at 16. They’ve already spent years learning, Often student Internet usage falls into the habit of “Read, Rip, watching a parent from the back seat of their car. When it comes to social media, if we’re not the ones driving… who is?” In Grades III and Remix”, or in other words, research material online, copy it, and regurgitate it into another format for presentation. Park aims to and IV, students establish restricted Park School Google accounts teach students to “Converse, Create, and Contribute” online. Jorge to take advantage of collaborative work tools to create documents says, “We want to encourage our students to see themselves and and presentations together with teachers and other students, to comment on each other’s work, and to chat. In the Middle Division their passions, go out in the online community and contribute their passions and knowledge, get feedback, and initiate change.” these accounts only allow communication and sharing with other Katie Reardon, Upper Division Latin teacher, is bringing this members of Park’s domain, and students are aware that all of their philosophy to life for her students. She started with an internal blog online communication is captured (even if they have deleted it). for her Grades VI through IX Latin students, encouraging students Teachers model appropriate behavior and partner with parents to discuss teachable moments—just as they would in any other setting, to post anything they wanted as long it was related to the Classics. online, or offline. Jorge’s experience has been that students grow to “The kids were really excited and we let all their Latin peers read love working and socializing within the school domain because it is it. If a student was interested in sports, he or she would blog about continued on page 6

The Park Parent // PAGE 2

HEAD’s LINES

New Park Position: Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion B y M ICHAE L ROBINSON, Head of School

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rom the content taught in a class to the way time is orga-

nized in a student’s schedule, everything a school community does communicates what we value most. At Park, as our mission states, we strive to appreciate the similarities and differences of perspectives, the interdependence of all people, and to foster a community experience characterized by respecting the dignity of every individual. A dynamic, steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion is inextricably linked to academic excellence and preparing students, not just for high school, but for life.

As part of our ongoing efforts to sustain and strengthen our current diversity initiatives and to develop mindful, innovative school-wide practices and programs in the areas of diversity and social justice, the School is establishing a new position, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to begin July 1, 2015. The Director will be a member of the School’s administrative team and will contribute focused, strategic leadership in this missioncritical work. The Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will provide valuable leadership and coaching for curriculum development at each grade level with inclusive, anti-bias curriculum and instructional practices. Park’s teachers are eager to strengthen their skills in these areas and to collaborate with one another and the Director to ensure the School’s curriculum reflects the diversity of our school, the greater Boston area, and national and global communities. Kat Callard, who received a Peter Amershadian grant to study diversity and inclusivity in 2012, has become a de facto expert among the faculty. “Almost every week, my colleagues reach out to me with questions about situations in the classroom that pertain to inclusivity—how to handle discussions about socio-economic difference, teasing about gender expression, or how to talk with parents of younger students about gender identity. The new Director will be a valuable resource to the community.”

Coordinating with division heads, our new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with help us to develop age-appropriate student programming. “For years, parents and teachers have seen a need for and expressed an interest in instituting affinity groups for students in the Lower and Middle Divisions,” Kat explains. “We haven’t been able to offer them because of the staffing and time requirements. But at many of our peer schools, the diversity director has successfully launched and run these groups.” In the Upper Division, the director will provide leadership for cross-cultural communication in such student groups as Pangaea/One World Club and the Gay Straight Alliance.

The Director will also serve as a resource and leader for the whole community in matters of diversity, inclusion, and multicultural practices and communication by coordinating the representative leadership of the Faculty & Staff Diversity Committee, the Parents’ Association Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and the Board of Trustees Diversity Committee. PA Diversity & Inclusion co-chair Heeten Kalan says, “This new position is an important step for Park to institutionalize and cement the School’s work on these issues and build on them. This role will allow us to align our multiple efforts between the faculty and staff, the Board, and the parent body to keep learning, growing and practicing as a community. To have a dedicated person on staff who can keep up with trends and cutting-edge thinking and find onramps for the School to engage them will benefit Park on all fronts.”

As a member of the School’s administrative team, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will work closely with me and other administrators to assist in recruiting, hiring, and mentoring individuals who reflect and support our diverse community. I look forward to developing a strong partnership with the Director to sustain and deepen Park’s already strong work in this area, and encouraging us all to continually cultivate our community’s capacity for honest, open conversation, and growth, and reinforcing intellectual enthusiasm and deep learning. At Park, when we talk about a commitment to diversity we are affirming a crucial ingredient in achieving excellence in learning.

(As this issue of the Park Parent goes to press, we are interviewing several finalists and hope to introduce the new Director later this spring.)

APRIL-MAY 2015 // PAGE 3

Celebrating Green at Park, continued from page 1

Park collects rainwater runoff in a pond on campus. Then, using this energy-efficient pump, irrigates the entire 34-acre property.

by the homeroom teachers, and study environmentally sustainable engineering designs through the PSITE (Park School’s Institute for Technology Education) program. In Grade VI students explore alternative sources for electrical energy. All Grade VII students spend a week at the beginning of the school year at a rustic campsite in New Hampshire as part of a grade-wide team building and environmental initiative called Project Reason. At the end of the school year, Grade VII students also have the option to visit the Grand Canyon, which provides an amazing opportunity to study geological phenomena that connects well with the Grade VII curriculum. Grade IX students examine the role human interventions have on our lives through genetic engineering, modification of food sources, and medical treatments. Additionally, the Upper Division Green Club, comprised of students who are passionate about the environment, meet during lunch and recess once a week to tackle projects based on students’ interests such as writing petitions to eliminate Styrofoam in the dining area, replacing paper cups with reusable cups, and initiating a clean water campaign which involved a fundraising drive to donate LifeStraws (personal filtration devices) to Haiti after the hurricane of 2010.

In addition to these curricular elements, numerous innovations have been undertaken by the Building and Grounds Committee which, while not as widely known, have really made a difference

The Park Parent // PAGE 4

to The Park School. Ted Wells, Grade IV teacher and a leader in recycling efforts at Park, notes that, “Flashy green-tech improvements like solar panels and windmills are amazing in how they work and what they can do for us and the planet, but we don’t often notice other important green solutions such as gray water use, thinner garbage bags, or healthy cleaning solutions, and they’re important, too.”

The Buildings and Grounds Committee, Director of Operations Mike Massauro, and Assistant Head of School for Finance & Operations Kimberly Boyd work together to maintain the buildings and equipment in the School. Increasingly, the School is purchasing equipment to support its commitment to environmental sustainability. Some examples of equipment that has been purchased includes new LED lighting in many areas of the School, water fountains with the capability of refilling water bottles, and a new electric utility cart to replace a gas utility cart.

The School is fortunate to be located on 34 acres of land. To care for the property, the School irrigates the entire property using rainwater runoff that is collected in a pond, which saves the School from purchasing 86,000 gallons of water each week from the Town of Brookline.

Under Mike Massauro’s leadership, the maintenance team has made many changes to the cleaning practices at the School in

Recent green improvements around campus include the School’s new electric utility cart (left) and drinking fountains (right) that allow users to refill their water bottles.

recent years to be more environmentally conscious. Some examples include cleaning the carpets using high temperature steam cleaning rather than chemicals, cleaning surfaces with all green-certified cleaning products, stocking the bathrooms with recycled paper products, and replacing heavy duty plastic bags with thinner high density bags made with less plastic.

To further reduce the School’s energy usage, in 2007 Park replaced all of the windows throughout the main building with double-paned windows to achieve better energy efficiency. In addition, the School has adopted a building management system, which allows Mike to set and schedule temperature settings and make adjustments remotely. For example, all classroom temperatures are set so that they automatically go down in the evenings when they are not in use. If there is an event in the evening, however, the temperature of one classroom can be modified to make it comfortable.

The School’s dining services, led by the School’s Food Service Manager Sean Callahan and Brock & Company, have also become active participants in the School’s environmental initiatives. Almost 100 percent of cardboard and plastic packaging of the food the School receives from suppliers is now being recycled. Additionally, the food service team serves all food in reusable plates, bowls, and cups that can be washed instead of disposable plastic, paper, or polystyrene. At lunch and catered events, all water is served from pitchers, which has eliminated the need for bottled water.

In 2007, a collaboration between parents and the Administration led to the formation of the Big West and Big East buses, which now transport 24 percent of students to and from Park each day. From the beginning, this project was envisioned as a solution to over-congestion in the parking lot and as a way for the School community to reduce its carbon footprint. The School also owns three buses, which are operated by the maintenance team for field trips and after school athletics. Two of the three buses are now

operated using low sulfur fuel, and it is the School’s intention to replace the third bus with a similar model.

These are just a subset of the overall environmental initiatives taking place at Park. The entire school community has embraced electronic communications, having a positive impact on the community’s ability to access information and dramatically reduced the amount of paper being purchased and used. The shift to electronic communications began in earnest in 2013 when the School adopted Google Apps for Education and teachers began using Google Drive with their students. The entire school community now uses Google Drive, allowing colleagues to collaborate and share information without having to leave messages or copies of draft documents in mailboxes. In addition, during the summer of 2014, the School’s website was updated, which allowed faculty, staff, trustees, and students to share information in a more secure manner (behind passwords). For example, Trustees now can access critical information by signing into a secure portal on the website, eliminating the need for mailings. Faculty are providing more and more information to parents through the website and the Parents’ Association is able to share information with parents more efficiently. The website also enables the Administration to post valuable employee information to faculty and staff in a way that is much more accessible (for example the Employee Handbook, the Family Handbook, and benefit information).

And, while most of you are reading this article in print form, moves are being made to possibly move the Park Parent to a paperless format, consistent with these overall efforts. The entire community at Park has moved environmental awareness from a fringe concern to a central mission of our school.

APRIL-MAY 2015 // PAGE 5

Social Media, continued from page 2 chariot races.” This allowed her to get to know her students’ interests quickly. “I felt that social media was their world, so I got to know them in their setting.“ Katie then expanded the social media use to a Twitter feed embedded in the class webpage. Given that almost all social media services have age requirements of 13 or older for account creation, this approach enables her to introAn example of Katie Reardon’s Latin duce and model a great Twitter feed. use of social media that does not require students to have personal accounts. Katie also set up daily Google Alerts to learn about where ancient history is in today’s news and tweets out interesting content on the class Twitter feed. If there are ten extra minutes in class, she scrolls the feed looking for an interesting article or video, such as news about a tomb being excavated in Turkey that is associated with Alexander the Great.

For a spring project, the eighth graders are each choosing ancient characters, such as Julius Caesar, and creating online identities for them. “Our moderated classroom feeds will include things that only Julius Caesar would have tweeted, for example.” Katie said, “My ultimate goal is that students are enthusiastic about the classical world. We’ve harnessed the enthusiasm they have for social media for our classic learning purposes.” It’s no surprise she has seen an uptick in student enthusiasm for the subject since trying these approaches.

Despite the enthusiasm for social media use by students, Park

will continue to aim to create a balance with online learning as well as more traditional forms. For example, Katie says, “I teach Latin and want to maintain a connection to paper.” She provides every child a paper scroll to write in Latin their final drafts so they can see their Latin progress over their four years. “They have a 15-foot paper scroll next to their Chromebooks. Both can coexist.”

Being part of the online dialogue as a School Community Park is also currently working to grow its presence on social media as a school community—with current families as well as external audiences such as alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, other educators and educational institutions, and prospective families. Park recently launched a Park School Facebook page (facebook.com/ParkSchoolBrookline) and also maintains a LinkedIn profile page (LinkedIn.com/company/the-parkschool) and an alumni Facebook page (facebook.com/ParkSchoolAlums). Flo Farrell, Communications Associate for Social Media, explains, “Park’s audiences want us to be on social media, and we want to be responsive to this.”

As parents, it’s incredible to see how our educational goals for our children can be met in new and different ways by harnessing technology. After all, our children have grow up fluent in using technology as part of their day to day lives and it is so exciting that Park has embraced this and is meeting them where they are.

Illustration: http://ocularpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Social-Media-Icons.gif

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS FOR CHILDREN’S USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Parkschool.org>Resources>Technology Resources: Accessible via your parent login. A terrific new tool!

Commonsensemedia.org: Website dedicated to helping families make smart media choices Humanrelationsservice.org: Dr. Mark Kline, Clinical Director of The Human Relations Service (HRS) in Wellesley and expert on technology use and children. Mark spoke to Park parents at a parent roundtable event on October 10, 2014 and is available for personal consultation by emailing MKlinePsyD@comcast.net.

The Park Parent // PAGE 6

Diversity and Inclusion Committee, continued from page 1 Park School has long been committed to diversity and inclusion. “[A]n appreciation of similarities and differences of perspective” is central to the school’s mission. But, as the Parents’ Handbook reads, “being a diverse community is a journey that requires constant attention.” That’s where the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, part of the Park Parents’ Association, comes in. The Committee has three rotating co-chairs. (Bob Park and Russ Porter are co-chairs with Heeten this year.) They hold meetings throughout the year, and all members of the Park Community are welcome.

While it’s a place for people to talk about their personal experiences and concerns, its primary goal is to advance the diversity and inclusion conversation within the larger School community and beyond.

The Committee has existed for several years, but its work continues to evolve as definitions of diversity expand. “We need to be on the cutting edge of the diversity and inclusion conversation,” Heeten argues. While race and sexuality have been part of that conversation for a number of years, “diversity needs to be broadened to include single-parent families, parents with children who have learning differences, people who are from other countries, and socio-economic diversity,” to name just a few. “We’ve taken a step back to ask, ‘What is it that the school can be better at to engage the parent body?’ People are only going to be engaged with the school if they have a sense of ownership.” There are many ways that a parent can contribute to the school, he notes. A parent might share his or her work experience with the students, for example, or come in to talk about a religious holiday. These contributions are not only valuable to the school community, they help parents who may feel that they aren’t bringing their entire selves into the school to have that sense of ownership and connection.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee has committed itself

to rethinking current programs and initiating new ones to help promote discussions around these questions of identity, personas, and ownership. In the past, for example, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee has brought in 1-2 speakers a year. With so much programming happening at the School, however, it can be challenging to get a good turnout at any given event. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee, therefore, has been joining forces with other PA committees and programs, like the Parents’ Roundtable, to focus on bringing in fewer speakers, but ones that bridge the interests and needs of multiple groups. “Our mandate is that Diversity and Inclusion should cut across everything that the school does rather than being a standalone committee,” Heeten explains. “We want it to be a building block to all that the school is doing.”

It can be challenging to expand beyond the same devoted, core group of parents Illustration: http://civilsay.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/diversity.jpeg and reach other people who wouldn’t necessarily think that questions of diversity impact them. That’s why the Committee has been trying something new this year during the Parent Socials—a slide show. It plays in the background and projects interesting questions and facts: like that the next school bus is going to be zero emissions, or that the next guest speaker is going to focus on anxiety and stress. The idea behind the slide show is to provide prompts that will encourage people to start talking to each other about the ideas we share, but also—importantly—the differences that we live with. It’s one way, Heeten notes, “to create an environment where these issues can surface in healthy and productive ways.”

If you want to join any of the Diversity and Inclusion meetings and be a part of programming ideas like this one, look for announcements in the Friday Notes. You can also sign up for the mailing list by emailing Heeten: hkalan@igc.org.

APRIL-MAY 2015 // PAGE 7

nd

A rou

Multimedia on the Web The library encourages everyone to explore delightful ways of enjoying poetry through multimedia on the web.

• Sign up at poets.org for “poem-a-day” to receive a new unpublished poem in your mailbox daily.

• View poets reading their work on the Academy of American Poets YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCMbWrLV3xwKly6vqhnl0IXg

The Library Theme Book April is national poetry month. April’s Theme Book of the Month celebrates innovation, imagination, and, of course, poetry. In Poem-Mobiles: Crazy Car Poems, beloved children’s poets Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian collaborate on wacky ideas for transportation of the future. Jeremy Holmes’s highly detailed, action-packed illustrations and intriguing color schemes add to the fun.

Park Picks: Notable Recent Poetry Publications Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo This poetic alphabet book abounds in clever wordplay. The conceit: change a word by removing one letter. Sample results: “Without the I, STAIRS lead to the STARS,” and, perhaps most challengingly, “Without the Q, the FAQIR goes to the FAIR.” Bold and humorous illustrations enhance the playfulness.

Water Rolls, Water Rises/ El Agua Rueda, El Agua Sube by Pat Mora, illust. by Meilo So From the Grand Canal of Venice to the Qutang Gorge in China, this collection of elementary bilingual poems celebrates the beauty of the natural world as expressed by the movement and moods of water on Earth. As always, the watercolor illustrations of Meilo So are a delight.

A Moose Boosh: A Few Choice Words About Food, by Eric-Shabazz Larkin With clever wordplay illustrated by

The Park Parent // PAGE 8

• Find a poem for any occasion, from “breakfast” to “breakups,” on the Academy of American Poets browsing page. http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poems

• View videos of ordinary Americans reciting their favorite poems at the Favorite Poem Project. http://www.favoritepoem.org

• Listen to a podcast about topical themes in contemporary poetry from The Poetry Foundation. http://www. poetryfoundation.org/features/audioitem/1976

• Enjoy some of the greatest poetry in English at Classic Poetry Aloud. http://classicpoetryaloud.wordpress.com

• Bring refrigerator magnets to your iPad with an app called Instant Poetry 2 . It’s free, but charges for additional “word packs.”

“vandalized photographs”, imagine a mashup of Michael Pollan and Banksy for children, this delightful and political book about food for children hits all the right notes. From the joy of slippery noodles to an open letter to Michelle Obama, this ode to a common pursuit is anything but pedestrian.

Crossover, by Kwame Alexander (2015 Newbery winner) Josh and JB are basketball players, identical twins, almost thirteen. This is the story, written in verse, of a pivotal year in their young lives. Alexander uses multiple forms of poetry to get at the physical and emotional core of his narrative. We experience the thrill of the game propelled by the conventions of rap and hip-hop. The boys’ evolving familial relationships also hit tumultuous highs and lows, leaving the reader moved by the tenderness, even heartbreak, of the story.

How I Discovered Poetry

by Marilyn Nelson Described as a “portrait of the artist as a young American Negro Girl,” this unique and powerful memoir is written as a series of fifty sonnets. Nelson is a national treasure and this poetry collection is a late-career master work.

SPEAKER EVENT

All-School Evening with Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair: “Stress and Anxiety in Our Children” B y H ajar Logan , Park Parent Editorial Board

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n March 5th the Parents’ Association hosted an All-

School Evening event focused on “Stress and Anxiety in Our Children.” It was an evening where parents, faculty, and staff from all three divisions came together to be informed about something many of us see in the young people we are raising, guiding, and educating in our community. Throughout the two-hour address Dr. Catherine SteinerAdair, an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, was both soft-spoken and direct as she guided us through an understanding of our children at their most anxious and vulnerable times. It was evident that her ongoing work as a child psychologist and as an advocate for young people, especially those in independent schools, guided the knowledge she imparted.

The evening began at 6:30 pm with light refreshments, wine, and cheese. Dr. Steiner-Adair arrived early and mingled with parents. We began a little after 7:00 pm and Dr. Steiner-Adair outlined her talk. A Chestnut Hill resident with a private psychotherapy practice in the community, Dr. Steiner-Adair has worked in child psychology for nearly forty years and focused on the impact of social and cultural expectations on children.

Dr. Steiner-Adair began by addressing childhood anxiety in children during the K through 12 years. She gave examples of how we can begin to take note of our children’s anxiety, how to respond to it, and how to help our children address and overcome it. Dr. Steiner-Adair then addressed stress and how to guide our children to respond well to stress and achieve successful balance. Finally, Dr. Steiner-Adair briefly spoke about the impact of technology and social media on heightened anxiety and socio-emotional development in young people. Throughout her address, she focused on the communication between parent and child and the ways we can guide our children through their responses to anxiety and stress.

There were many “take-aways” from the talk and the follow-

ing Question and Answer session. Two things that stood out for me were how fundamentally important it is to use those anxious moments to teach coping skills and the small ways we can use communication to do that. Something I learned, and am now sharing with my friends and my children, is the importance of listening well and being a calm, rational, and positive voice when my child is in a state of panic. Dr. Steiner-Adair said, “Do not empathize.”

Instead, we can invite the anxious around us to look inside for their positive voice. Dr. Steiner-Adair took us through a compelling exercise demonstrating that.

The second thing was how our children read our responses and how those responses affect our children and the way they communicate with us. Dr. Steiner-Adair explained that our children often categorize our responses that lead to a lack of communication as “scary,” “crazy,” or “clueless” and the way to change that is to make sure that we manage our anxiety and stress levels so that we are always calm, approachable, and informed.

Dr. Steiner-Adair was extremely knowledgeable and straight-forward.

She has the unusual gift of being gentle and insistent in a way that is empowering. Her well-researched book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age, is available in the Park School Library.

Park School, Fay School, and Milton Academy present

An Evening For Parents and Educators with Dr. Jo Boaler inquiry + engagement = the math REVOLUTION! why it matters how we teach math

April 15, 2015 at 7pm

The Park School • 171 Goddard Avenue • Brookline MA 02445

APRIL-MAY 2015 // PAGE 9

SUNDAY, MAY 17th, 2015 1 2pm - 4pm Springfest is Park’s biggest community event and the PA’s largest fundraiser.

Springfest Co-Chairs: Brooke Laughlin (brooklaughlin@mac.com) Elizabeth Wood (emaywood@comcast.net) Diana Vogel (digvogel@gmail.com)

COME:

Don’t miss Park's annual spring fair! Rides, games, raffle, silent auction, rummage sale, good-old-fashioned carnival food and more.

DONATE:

The raffle and silent auction

are only possible with your generous donations.

Please contact the raffle and auction chairs with any donation ideas or questions.

HELP:

We need over 300 volunteers and are counting on all of YOU! To the right is a list of all of the fun ways you can help. Please sign up for a shift on the website or by contacting any of the Springfest chairs.

Thanks for your support!

The Park Parent // PAGE 10

AUCTION

Lawson Albright Sue Jeppson Lori Whelan

lawsonaa@gmail.com suejeppson@gmail.com lfwhelan@gmail.com

RAFFLE

Elizabeth Brennan Jen Dolins Deme Taleghani

elidewinter@hotmail.com mdolins@comcast.net demetra.taleghani@gmail.com

ADMISSIONS

Rebecca Scott

scott.rebecca@me.com

GAMES

Laurie Glassman Melissa Potter

glassono@aol.com mgandmjp@aol.com

SET-UP

Jen Daly

jdaly@bridgebostoncs.org

COMMUNICATIONS

Laura Barkan

lbarkan@comcast.net

PUBLICITY

Vicky Joshi

victoriajoshi@yahoo.com

SOFTWARE/TECH. LIAISON

Christina Vest

christinavest@gmail.com

BEVERAGES

Tamar Frieze Wendy Pierce

tamar@salterfrieze.com wendygpierce@gmail.com

FOOD

Greg Cohen

gc.gc@me.com

BOOK/MEDIA SALE

Christian Porter

porterc@parkschool.org

CONCESSIONS

Amanda Lawrence

am.lawrence@neu.edu

PRIZES

Nikki Nudelman

nikkifnudelman@gmail.com

RIDES

Julia Clarkson

jclarkson@mba1998.hbs.edu

CREATIVE CORNER

Paige Sutphin

paigehenning@yahoo.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Alison Hong

ameyerhong@gmail.com

PARK APPAREL

Jen Eielson Allison Horne Kim Tesson

Jennifer.eielson@gmail.com ahorne@allisonhorne.com ktesson22@hotmail.com

What Do You Want To Know?

Ask Dr. O!

By Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter, Psychologist Dear Dr. O, How can parents help to manage their child’s anxiety about applying to schools after Park?

Just as the application process ends, students (and parents) may begin to feel some anxious anticipation as they wait for the results of their efforts to arrive in their inboxes and snail mail.

Parents can help by listening to their child’s worries and offering support and suggestions on how to constructively channel this energy while they wait. Worrying won’t change the outcome or get their homework, projects, or studying done. Students also need to hear that an admissions process necessarily involves risking rejection and disappointment. It’s normal to feel let down if a desired school says “no.” Make it clear that their self-worth is not based on admission to any particular school. The goal is to move forward, learning from this process and getting ready to enjoy and meet the challenges over the next several years at a new school.

Dear Dr. O, How can parents be helpful if a teenage child is depressed?

Depression is a very real and often painful condition that can significantly impact one’s day-to-day functioning. A diagnosis of depression involves impairment over time in a number of areas, such as sad or irritable affect, change in appetite or sleep, social isolation, emotional and/or physical factors. Seemingly simple, routine tasks can seem daunting at best and often simply impossible to complete. Parents who are worried that their child might be depressed should seek help for her/him from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker. Professional help may involve both therapy and medication. At home, be patient, present, and supportive. Assure your child that s/he will feel better in time. Regular exercise, good nutrition, and adequate sleep are very important. Small steps forward to engage with friends, take part in family activities, and to shift negative thought patterns should be encouraged. Again, be patient and do seek support from others who may have experienced similar difficulties with a child. Reach out to your child’s teacher(s) so they can be supportive and involved in making a plan for moving forward. Encourage your child to find positive outlets for self-care and model this behavior in your own life.

Have a question for Dr. O? Submit questions in the box in the lobby or email MooreheadO@parkschool.org.

To place your free ad, contact Kate LaPine (617-274-6009), or (communications@ parkschool.org). The deadline for the June issue is Monday, May 11th.

The Park School

PARKING SPACE

Temporary Housing or House Sitting Position Sought Expecting grandparents seek rental near Jamaica Plain to be near daughter, teacher Kat Callard, who is expecting twins. We anticipate frequent visits to Boston from midMay through the summer. Please contact Trish Callard if you have a spare room or want a house sitter for part of the summer. pcallard61@gmail.com or 202-537-0355.

Park Alumna Available for Babysitting Experienced babysitter will help take care of your children on a consistent basis while you’re out and busy.

Park graduate (Class of 2008) and current senior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges pursuing a sociology major with minors in child advocacy and public service.

Please contact Olivia.cinquegrana@gmail.com or 617-959-1853.

Soccer Coach Available Coach Tim Ritter played professionally in Sweden and now uses his teaching background for fun, engaging, and challenging training sessions for all age and ability levels. Private, semi-private, group, and half-day camps available (discounts for groups of 4 or more). Contact elitefutboltraining10@gmail.com, 781-434-8047, or visit www.elitefutboltraining10.com.

Music Lessons & Babysitting With Current Park Intern Abigail Gray is offering violin, beginning piano, and songwriting lessons until the end of the school year.

She is also available for babysitting, housesitting, and homework help. Please contact Abigail at abigail.m.gray@gmail.com or 207-837-4881.

Experienced Nanny Available Looking for household management/nanny position in the Brookline/Newton area. I have 25 years experience working with 2 wonderful Park School families. Hours desired 7AM- 5:30PM. Stellar references. Contact Sandra at 617-962-8301 or at sandraehackett@aol.com.

Furnished One-Bedroom Apartment in JP 10-minute walk to Park School. $1,300/month includes A/C, heat, hot water, electricity and Wi-Fi. No pets, no smokers. Additional charges include house keeping every two weeks at $60 per session. Call 617-212-3313.

APRIL-MAY 2015 // PAGE 11

Upcoming Dates of Note April 15

Wednesday

An Evening with Dr. Jo Boaler, 7 p.m.

April 20

Monday

no school – Patriots’ Day

April 23

Thursday

Spring Sing Concert, 7 p.m.

May 1

Friday

May Day (Pre-K-V), 10:30 a.m.,

Editor: TC Haldi Editorial Board Chair: Stanley Shaw Director of Communcations:

dress day, pre-k–iX noon dismissal, No ASP

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon

May 16

Saturday

Alumni Reunion

May 17

Sunday

Springfest, 12 – 4 p.m.

May 25

Monday

no school – Memorial Day

May 29

Friday

Spring Play: Cinderellas, 7 p.m.

May 30

Saturday

Spring Play: Cinderellas, 2 p.m.

Kate LaPine Editorial Board: HARLYN AIZLEY, laura barkan, Carol batchelder, CarolINE bicks, Anne Harvey Kilburn, Todd idson, HAJAR LOGAN, Emily raviola, SARAH SMITH, Nicky Tolliday Syken, SARAH HALL WEIGEL President, Parents’ Association: Shannon Falkson

Visit the calendar on the Park School website for more dates!

The Players in the Park

Chair, Board of Trustees: vinny chiang Head of School:

present the spring play

michael Robinson

The Tale As Told Around The World

Friday, May 29 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 30 at 2 p.m.

We want to hear from you!

If you have a story idea or issue you’d like to see covered or thoughts about something you’ve read, please let us know.

TheParkParent@parkschool.org

Read The Park Parent online at www.parkschool.org The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445 617-277-2456 APRIL–MAY 2015

The Park Parent

Cinderellas–

The Park Parent