Thursday, November 29, 2018

You're Invited!

SAVE THE DATE: Monday December 10, 2019, 6:00-7:30 pm
read on...

The snow is lying very deep.
My house is sheltered from the blast.
I hear each muffled step outside,
I hear each voice go past.
But I'll not venture in the drift
out of this bright security,
till enough footsteps come and go
to make a path for me."
          ~Agness Lee

As December descends upon us, many of us begin the month with a large and ever growing 'to do' list.  Boots, hats, snow pants, holiday decorations, preparations, and bustle, bustle, bustle hurries us along.  I invite you to come to school and slow down for a few hours and create a Gift of Writing for someone in your life, amidst all of the hurry. 

Gifts of Writing are simply your words and memories, thoughtfully created, that become a gift to someone in your life.  I have been in education for over 25 years now and Gifts of Writing have become a tradition for all of my students and families and this year, my first year out of the classroom, I get to share this tradition with my new Stone Bank community!  

Please join us on Monday December 10th from 6:00-7:30 pm in the library at Stone Bank School to create a Gift of Writing for someone in your life.  Families are encouraged to come together and all you need to bring are some of your favorite writing utensils.  


I look forward to spending some time together with you and yours, on this very special Stone Bank event.

See you on Monday December 10th!
Beth






Saturday, November 17, 2018

“We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents” . ~ Bob Ross

I got the distinct pleasure of being in a few art classes this week and wait until you see and hear about art classes at Stone Bank School!

Kym Richardson, our art teacher, uses TAB (click for more info) as a way to engage, teach, and think about art.  

Following are some of the things I noticed about art class...

  • learners knew exactly where supplies and materials were as they were/are out, ready, organized, and clearly labeled.




  • A student was working on a painting, with a Bob Ross video playing next to him. Bob Ross was guiding him, step by step, as he painted.  He came across a technique that he didn't have the correct art tool for, so another student came to his side.  They rewound the video a bit, watched one part again, then together, went to find a tool that would suit the artist's need. The artist tried the tool, with his friend by his side, critiquing its ability to achieve the desired "Bob Ross" effect.  When the tool didn't work, they returned the tool and went looking for another one, with a revised vision of what kind of tool the student artist would need.  Ultimately, they tried two more tools, until finally settling on one.  Then, the two artists returned to their work, side by side, creating two different pieces of art, both using the art room as a shared studio, where careful and thoughtful design allows for this kind of work.












  • The artists that I met were all working on different pieces of art.  Some were painting, some were working with perspective, some were using chalk to work on shading and it was clear that they had been taught how to "do" each art technique, that they were getting time to practice these techniques, and that if they needed a reminder or refresher, they had resources all over the classroom/artist studio to help them.



I guess I just remember being in art class and creating the exact same thing as everyone else, but in here, in this carefully designed art studio, budding artists not only create their own, unique works of art, but they talk about why they choose different types of art try out.  The "Artist Habits of Mind" (below) helps them also talk and write about their art.  



In talking with Ms. Richardson, she is constantly observing, assessing, and responding to the needs of these budding artists.  She has an expert eye toward what artists from age four to 15 need, in order to be able to explore and learn about different way to create and express themselves through art, all rooted in these Artists Habits of Mind.  

Thank-you, Ms. Richardson, for creating such a rich learning environment for our learners and families, ask your children about art!

Have a nice weekend,
Beth



Friday, November 2, 2018

Learning and Grading and Assessment, Oh My!

Go ahead and google anything about grading and assessment.  You will likely get results that range from "Get Rid of Grades" to "No More Zeros" to "Confessions from a Grade-Inflating Professor" to "What do Grades Really Mean" to a myriad of opinions and beliefs from parents, teachers, students, community members, administrators, and everyone in between!  Grading and assessment have become hotly contested topics in education lately, and we are going to be embarking on some reading and discussing of what are the best practices in grading, assessing, and the reporting out of learning here at Stone Bank School.

YOU ARE INVITED~to our first round of readings and discussion on November 27th from 7:30-8:30 am in the cafeteria at Stone Bank School.  I am attaching two articles and one body of research in preparation for our first discussion.  The body of research is quite extensive, yet also gives some great history of grading.  We will be breaking up into small groups to dissect each article, and then sharing our whole group at the end of our time together.

The purpose of this time is to help us learn about and weed through the changes we see in grading, assessment and the reporting out of learning, along with looking to our own philosophies and beliefs and how they may impact or fit into new ways of doing this work.

We look forward to seeing you on November 27th and until then...Happy Reading!  If you happen to find any articles that you think would enhance our learning, please share with me and I will post them on the blog.  Thanks!
Have a great weekend!
Beth



Let's Grow Together on May 30th!

Someone told me this week that we have 14 days of school left and I just about fell over.  14 days?  That's it?   And then I sat bac...