DECEMBER 2011
FROM THE HEAD of SCHOOL M O N T H LY U P D AT E S F R O M D AV E F A R A C E
Educating Students for Character I heard the following last month at an independent school conference in Atlanta: “Sometimes an independent school education is about more than the right answer. It’s knowing what is right.” This is certainly true of an MA education. While we have built a well-deserved reputation for developing academic excellence and intellectual curiosity, we know that character development trumps all in our school culture. At the same conference, I was fortunate enough to attend a session led by Dr. Rushworth Kidder, founder of The Institute for Global Ethics. Kidder argued, based on his many years of research, that there are five shared moral values that are common to all cultures around the world: honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness, and compassion. He implored the educational leaders in the room to build “ethical fitness” in their students. Kidder believes that ethical fitness, like physical fitness, is a process that requires daily attention and effort. While it can be learned and developed over time, he cautioned that, “if left unpracticed, it can atrophy, wither and vanish.” Kidder also spent time discussing the role of moral courage on our campuses. He defined moral courage as “the willing
endurance of significant danger for the sake of principle” and offered several attributes of a morally courageous person: • A greater confidence in values than in personalities • A higher tolerance for ambiguity, public exposure, and personal risk • A willingness to accept deferred gratification and simple rewards • A notable independence of thought • A formidable persistence and determination Presenting these remarks to independent school leaders was, in many ways, preaching to the choir. We are all deeply committed to not just developing smart students, but good kids. At MA, our mission to educate and inspire leaders of character has been clearly defined since our inception and will continue to guide us in the years to come.
Dave Farace
Head of School
MA Celebrates Veterans’ Day On Friday, November 11th, The Montgomery Academy observed Veterans’ Day with a special Upper and Middle School assembly. The assembly included speeches by two veterans, the singing of the National Anthem by Middle School Chorus teacher Susan Cooper, students reciting the pledge of allegiance and closed with a reading of John F. Kennedy’s Veterans’ Day Speech. The speakers, Retired Colonel Jeffrey C. Benton and Retired Colonel Stephen C. German both served in the United States Air Force and are parents of MA alums. These
meaningful and inspirational speeches the children heard were appropriate for this day when we remember those who have so selflessly served in our military. With Colonel Benton serving 26 years in the Air Force and Colonel German serving 30, it can truly be said that these men have spent their lives serving and protecting the United States. The Montgomery Academy is proud to honor this special day by having these brave men speak to our students about the true meaning of serving one’s country.
Academy Students Excel at Trumbauer Festival
In early November, nine Upper School students competed in the Trumbauer Theater Festival in Opelika. Organized by the Alabama Conference of Theater, this competition is a precursor for the State Theater competition in December. Led by drama teacher Scott Bowman, seven students qualified for state by receiving “Superior” ratings from both judges, which entails scoring a 40 or above out of 50 possible points from each. Of the seven students that qualified, five competed in the novice
division and two in the varsity division. The novice division is open to all students, grades nine through twelve, who have never competed; the varsity division is reserved for those who have competed previously. The students who qualified in the novice division are: Nora Newcomb, Henry Toohey, Evan Price, Kris Munsen and Abigail Hagood. Nora Newcomb and Henry Toohey took first place in comedic reader’s theater, Evan Price and Kris Munsen were second in comedic reader’s theater, and Abigail Hagood was first in both comedic and dramatic solo musical. Nora Newcomb and Henry Toohey also both qualified in classical dramatic monologue. Sarah Catherine Hook and Hannah Trachy qualified in the varsity division with Sarah Catherine placing second in female dramatic solo musical and Hannah fourth in female dramatic solo musical. Liza Hunter and Brian Lim both narrowly missed qualifying, receiving scores of “Excellent”. “It was great to be surrounded by so many people who share the same passion” commented Abigail Hagood enthusiastically after the competition. This is the sixth year that MA has competed in the Trumbauer Festival and, in that time, has had three state champions.
From The Upper School Years ago a student in my English class remarked with astonishment that class really was so much more interesting if you did the reading. Quelle surprise! Joyful and exasperated in equal measure, I was glad for her: she learned more and liked doing it. She definitely benefitted from at last becoming motivated to see what was in that book I had given her. In his book Drive, Daniel Pink addresses the issue of motivation. He asserts that autonomy, mastery and purpose have to be a part of the tasks set for students and workers in order for them to be motivated to excel. According to Pink, mastery is “the desire to get better and better at something that matters.” He goes on to say that engagement is an essential component of mastery. To get good at something, you have to do it; you have to become immersed and fully involved. You have to break a sweat. Until my student held her breath, pinched her nose shut, and jumped on in, she was safe and dry on the edge of the pool and utterly disengaged. Though she could memorize quiz answers by cribbing from classmates’ notes, she wasn’t getting any better at the kind of thinking and analysis that close reading fosters. Once in, having made the leap into the pages, my student was a consistent reader, and she got better at the discernment that marks a skillful thinker. She was swimming, not treading water.
Student engagement is the great goal and wish of every teacher because it leads to deep, true learning. Pink refers to writer Carol Dweck, who distinguishes between two kinds of goals for students: performance goals, like getting an A on a French test, and learning goals, like learning to speak French. Obviously the latter requires more engagement than the former. Engagement, learning goals, mastery: a worthy trinity. More and more MA teachers in the Upper School are turning their attention to crafting the kinds of assignments and course designs that help students focus on engagement and learning goals. Summer workshops and seminars have given several teachers a surer sense of direction as they work to realign some components of their teaching. Recently the US faculty began working on “Performance Tasks,” a type of assignment that emphasizes the use of course knowledge and skills in real-world scenarios. These tasks, like most assignments compatible with the concept of learning goals, require a student to apply what he knows to unique situations. He or she must be independent and creative in solving the problems posed. Independence and creativity are scary at first. The leap into engagement, into the thin air of figuring something out, is daunting but exhilarating, and so much more interesting and satisfying than merely repeating formulae and isolated facts. Just ask my student who decided to read. Cheryl McKiearnan
Lower School Art Students Take Home Over 30 Ribbons at Fair This fall, Lower School art students entered 146 works of art to the Creative Living Area of the Alabama National Fair. There were over 30 winning pieces with several students having more than one winner. Lower School art teacher, BeeLee Tullos, was very proud of her students’ work and had it displayed in the Lower School commons after the Fair. The work was created last year, mostly in class, while some were done in workshops over the summer and at home. Pieces were entered in collage, colored pencil, pastel, marker, oil, ink drawing, mixed media and wee ones (for age six and under).
MA winners were kindergarten: Paul Harper; first grade: Walton Norrell; second grade: Will Beringer, Kiyoung Baek, Emily Rose Benefield (2), Lukas Yi (2), Mary Weldon Armstrong and Mary Youn Ji; third grade: Bodin Farace (2), David Allsep, Logan Sanford and Orane Brunsting; and in fourth grade: Mary Gray Turner, Thomas Rizzo, Alec Luster, Cam Holmes, Campbell Farace, Elizabeth Monroe, Ellie Gilmore, Kelly Yoon, MacLeod Parker (3), Margaret Chandler, Mary Ellen Sellers and David Ioffreda.
McWilliams In The Middle As I write this, I am sitting on a bus heading to Atlanta for the Upper School trip to France. I had a wonderful experience studying French here at the Academy, and I am pleased to be able to return to France to “dust off” the French skills that I acquired during my years as a student. Our foreign language trips are amazing opportunities for our Upper School students to put their language skills to the test, to gain a greater appreciation of another culture, to see famous historical sites, to eat some tasty food, and to simply enjoy being in another country with friends and teachers. I know that I was more motivated to study French after I had the opportunity to travel to France with Madame Weissman when I was a junior at MA. Interestingly, student motivation is a main topic that has been on my mind throughout the school year. I think that it is critical that we find creative ways to increase levels of academic motivation within our student body. As I pointed out in my PARENTS+ presentation before Thanksgiving, students today are facing some specific challenges that have led to a noticeable decrease in motivation levels. While there are many factors that contribute to this problem, one of the main contributing problems is what I like to call “data overload.” Students are inundated with so much information at all times of the day and night. Technological devices (like the iPad that I’m using to write this article) provide so many opportunities for learning and for communicating, but they can also be a major source of distraction that, if we aren’t careful, can lead to academic paralysis. I believe that schools need to find ways to instruct students how to use technology responsibly so that they can take advantage of the positive aspects of what technology can provide and limit its many distractions. I am proud to report that the Academy has always found ways to introduce technology appropriately into our classrooms. We have worked to stay on top of the latest trends in technology, and we want to meet the students where they are in their digital native world. However, we also want to teach students to realize that they need to disconnect from the technological devices in order to be completely engaged in the academic opportunities that surround them. One skill that has become increasingly important in the 21st century is the skill of discernment. In a world filled with a 24-hour news cycle and countless websites, it is increasingly difficult for students to sift through all of the information out there to determine what is valid for academic understanding. Our teachers and librarians work with students to teach them how to evaluate sources so that they will appreciate the value of substantive and credible sources. Another component of increasing student motivation is the need to understand what actually motivates us as humans. Fortunately, some new research has led to a deeper understanding of how humans are motivated in the 21st century. As those of you who attended my talk
on motivation already know, the key pioneer in the field of motivation studies is the writer Daniel Pink. In his latest book, Drive, Pink explores the true nature of human motivation and exposes the pitfalls found in some traditional approaches to motivating students and workers. Mainly, Pink is critical of carrot - stick models of motivating that rely on extrinsic sources. Although Pink recognizes that reward and punishment systems will work at some level, they do not lead human beings to be motivated intrinsically. In fact, Pink goes so far as to argument that some carrot - stick models can squash creativity and further hinder the development of true motivation. Although I would argue that we will never eliminate (nor desire to eliminate) all forms of rewards and punishments in schools, I think that it is important for us to recognize the limitations of these approaches to motivation. To expand upon his notion of true motivation, Pink describes three essential qualities of intrinsic motivation. They are outlined in detail in the book, but here is a brief summary:
AUTONOMY: our desire to control our own actions MASTERY: our desire to improve and see measurable progress at something that matters
PURPOSE:
our desire to connect our actions to something larger that ourselves. Ultimately, Pink argues that we will be intrinsically motivated to complete assignments or activities that allow us to maximize our autonomy, allow us to achieve some level of mastery and connect to a larger purpose. I am pleased to report that the Middle and Upper School are both examining the system in which we can make sure that our assignments will lead to the development of our students’ intrinsic motivational levels. Fortunately, there are already many examples in our curriculum of opportunities for students to exercise their autonomy, develop their mastery and connect to a larger purpose. But I look forward to leading the Middle School through the process of finding even more ways to develop motivation in the months to come. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I know that we are excited about the upcoming winter break. Please encourage your students to start reviewing for semester exams early. We’ve had a great first semester, and I look forward to the rest of the school year and beyond. John McWilliams
Pringle’s Pages It is hard to believe we are in the midst of the holiday season and almost finished with the first semester of this school year. The old saying, “time flies when you are having fun” really is true - especially at the Lower School! The First Graders and Eagleaires are preparing to present our 48th Christmas Pageant on December 16 at 8:30 am. The parts have been assigned and the children are getting excited. I know I am a bit prejudiced, but I really believe The Montgomery Academy Christmas Pageant is the best holiday performance anywhere. To me it even rivals Radio City Music Hall! You do not want to miss this performance so mark your calendars now. Our Lower School Fall Sharing Project for the playground at Hackleburg Elementary School was very successful. Our children brought money – many who had earned it by helping around the house – to place in a wishing well and signed a card for the Hackleburg students. It was a meaningful experience for our Lower School students and did as much for our students as it did for the children who live in Hackleburg. Teaching children to be generous and share with those in need is a valuable lesson. Mandy Poundstone and I led a session recently on Wendy Mogel’s book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. Dr. Mogel suggests five keys to raising a child with strong character and are ideas that are important for all of us to reflect upon.
Know when to insist on independence.
As parents, we must muster the courage to force our children into situations that are out of their comfort zone. This is not easy because we want our children to feel good and be happy. However, forcing our children to step out and take risks develops character and promotes growth. I still vividly remember forcing my children to take swimming lessons and practically throwing them to the instructor in the pool while they were crying and protesting. I have no regrets about doing that now, but at the time I felt miserable. The end result was not only that they learned to swim, but they developed self confidence and stronger work ethics.
Get children in the habit of solving their own problems.
Children need to handle situations without always being protected. It is natural for us to want to fix things for our children, but by doing so, we prevent them from learning to solve problems themselves. This can be crippling later in life when there may not be someone there to rescue them.
Give children the chance to exercise the divine gift of free will.
Our children have to learn to make wise choices. How they make decisions and choose between right and wrong will directly influence everything else! Letting your child exercise free will doesn’t mean being permissive. It means allowing them to choose badly and to learn from those choices. In other words, we should give our children a chance to mess up and make “cheap mistakes.” We should let them come to school without the homework they completed if they forget to pack their bookbag. Rather than rescuing - bringing their homework to school - let your child suffer the consequences and have the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson when those consequences are rather minor.
Let children experience the world, warts and all.
Dr. Mogel feels we protect our children too much from being around people who are different. In doing this, we are not raising children who can survive in a world of all varieties of people. When I read this chapter I was grateful once again that The Montgomery Academy embraces diversity.
Teach your child not to panic over pain.
Children have to learn that life is not always easy, and parents should discourage them from turning small difficulties into big dramas. It is sometimes hard to discern the seriousness of a situation from a child’s reaction to physical or emotional pain. By not overreacting ourselves, we help children learn how to handle a little pain. Hence, the title of the book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. These five keys to character development are woven throughout Dr. Mogel’s book and I challenge you to ponder these valuable guidelines and consider incorporating the ideas into your own parenting. I also encourage you to purchase a copy of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee for your own library. It is a wonderful resource for all of us who work with children and want to help them develop into resourceful and caring adults. Soon the Lower School will be festively decorated for the holiday season. The kindergarten classes have brought large Christmas trees that they cut during their recent visit to the tree farm. This trip was an exciting new experience for many of them and they will have fun decorating the trees in their classrooms. Please drop by during December and enjoy the Hannukah decorations and the Christmas tree in the Commons area that will be decorated with Australian ornaments in anticipation of our Australian culture study in the second semester.
There are several academic opportunities for our students in December. The WordMaster competition is always a challenging, yet fun activity for our third and fourth grade students. The faculty teaches word analogies in creative ways and our students repeatedly excel in the competition. In addition to the WordMaster competition, the fourth grade students will have their second Continental Math meet. The preparation for this competition is very beneficial in developing and improving valuable problem solving skills. All of our children are motivated to read as they participate in the Accelerated Reader program. The students in the lower grades enjoy taking AR tests while each of the third and fourth grade students set AR goals to achieve. With steady progress during the grading period, they meet the challenge, accomplish the goal they set, and are rewarded with a celebration day for AR. Our current grading period ends on December 16 and report cards will be distributed on January 6. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy your children along with the rich food, joyful music, and laughter December ushers in. Blessings,
Jan
THANKSGIVING PAGEANT The Friday before Thanksgiving break, the second grade performed their annual Thanksgiving pageant: The First Thanksgiving. Dressed as pilgrims and Indians, the students delighted the audience of family, friends, teachers and fellow students with God Bless America, America and other Thanksgiving favorites.
Jekyll Island This October, the sixth grade class took their annual trip to Jekyll Island, a small barrier island off the coast of Georgia, where there is an abundance of wildlife and learning opportunities. A Montgomery Academy tradition for the past 22 years, the sixth grade looks forward to three days at the Georgia Sea Lab where they study the geology and ecology of barrier islands, the development of secondary dunes, sea turtles, and the history of Jekyll Island. From dissecting sharks to studying a marsh, students experience hands-on learning during this unique field trip. Organized by Betty Saunders and Gene Johnson, students enjoy all aspects of the trip so much that they seem to forget they are learning. “We took our first group of sixth graders to Jekyll Island in 1990 and have gone every year
since then. We have continued this field trip for 22 consecutive years because we feel that our trip to Jekyll Island is the perfect learning experience for eleven and twelve year olds. It takes a great deal of work to put the trip together, but when I see a child grasp a concept and enjoy learning, I know it is all worthwhile” said Mrs. Saunders.
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Student Quotes All the way from the start of the bus ride there to the end of the bus ride home, the activities, teachers and lessons we learned made Jekyll so much fun.”
– Anne Miles DeMott
“It’s impossible to not have fun while learning at the 4-H Center on Jekyll Island.”
– Austin Bradshaw
“Getting to explore the beach was amazing. I loved the whole trip.”
– Sarah Payne
“Jekyll Island was so much fun! I had been looking forward to this field trip since fourth grade. I am so glad I got to go.”
– Sydney Kohn
“It is mind blowing how much fun you can have while being with your teachers for three days!”
– Martha Glen Sease “Jekyll Island = fun.”
– Phillip McKenzie
“I had so much fun at Jekyll Island that I didn’t even realize I was learning!”
– Lee Yelverton
“My stay at Jekyll Island was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I loved it because there was so much to do and we didn’t even get to do it all. If I can, I will definitely go back.”
– Hunter Rives
“You haven’t lived life to the fullest unless you’ve gone to Jekyll Island and experienced it.”
– Will Franklin
“It brought me closer to the people I knew and showed me just how a beach works as a system of things that make one great family.”
– Chris LaPlatney
MA ATHLETICS
MA Cross Country Girls Win State The Montgomery Academy girls cross county team won the Class 3A State Championship on November 12, with five of its top runners being chosen for the All-State team. The Lady Eagles scored 36 points with rivals Rogers High School taking second place with 49 points and T.R. Miller taking third place with 103 points. Leading the team was sophomore Taylor Gerard in second place (19:16.93), seventh grader Maggie Chambers in seventh place (20:06.43), junior Erin Budny in ninth place (20:12.83), junior Krisie Stakely in tenth place (20:13.14) and junior Drake McGowin in 12th place (20:20.68). Rounding out the team of ten was eighth grader Maggie Beasley, ninth grader Emily Pierce, senior Audrey Wioka, senior Erin Katz and eighth grader Margaret Canary. The boys cross country team took third place with eighth grader Jack Barganier in 13th place (17:17.78) and ninth grader Taylor Dockery in 15th place (17:50.01). Barganier and Dockery also made the AllState team.
William Sellers to Play Golf for University of Alabama Monday, November 11th, William Sellers was joined by family, classmates, coaches and teachers as he signed his letter of intent to play golf for the University of Alabama. William addressed the group of supporters with a heartfelt thank you to his parents, teachers and coaches and closed with an enthusiastic “Roll Tide”!
Anthony McCall Made Permanent Head Football Coach The Montgomery Academy is proud to announce that Athletic Director and interim head varsity football coach, Anthony McCall, will be the permanent head varsity football coach beginning with the 2012-13 school year. Coach McCall joined the Academy in 1997 and has been Athletic Director since 2007. Head of School, Dave Farace, had the following to
say to faculty and staff: “I’m pleased to share that Anthony has agreed to serve as head football coach in the years to come. He and his staff have done a remarkable job this year in rebuilding the program. The players and parents believe in his leadership and vision and gave him a standing ovation when this was announced at the recent football awards ceremony. Please join me in congratulating and thanking Anthony for his loyalty and commitment to the Academy.”