Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (June 2, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            How does one begin to speak of the end?  This will be my last head message to you and, frankly, I am struggling with what to say.  It will, of course, be safe to remain clinical and give you specific data about my tenure here.  This is approximately my 238^th head message to parents since 2007, with just a few emails in between.  I suppose that I have repeated myself a few times and I will admit that I have gone back to retrieve earlier messages about instruction at certain times of the year.  This is because I believe that a school leader must not simply advocate the “flavor of the day” when it comes to best practices.

 Many of the things we discuss at our staff meetings are the same general topics that we discussed seven years ago.  This has worked out well and we know this because of developing research that appears in educational journals.  Many times, when presented with the latest “innovation” in an article, our teachers commonly remark, “We already do that!”  If you have been following innovations in education as long as I have, you will know that things have a way of resurfacing with another, more up-to-date title.  One famous educational author once exclaimed that he had been hit by the educational pendulum so many times that he has become numb to its strikes.  Another has said that there is nothing new under the sun in education.  A book on my shelf is called, The Art of Teaching by Horace Mann (1796-1859).  This little book is 31 pages long and contains most of what is embraced today as the way to teach children.  For example, one quote of Horace Mann is, “By leading pupils to discover for themselves, the teacher gives them a natural reward with every new discovery.”  Does this sound familiar?  So, be heartened that your teachers are where they need to be instructionally.  In fact, I think we are way ahead of where other schools are in preparing our students for that uncertain future that’s out there.

            The future – what does it hold?  For me, retirement is an exciting proposition.  However, I know that for a time, at least, my soul will be like Swiss cheese with 110 holes in it.  I will miss your children terribly.  I have known for many years that being with children, watching them grow, playing with them and listening to them is something that gives adults, and especially teachers, a joy that cannot be quantified.

 It has been an exceptional privilege to be the head of this school for the last seven years.  I leave hoping that I have made things better for you and your kids and for the staff.  I know that the future of GreenMount is bright and I will keep in touch in the coming years.  If you think of it, let me know how your children are doing.  My home email address is cb7sw@comcast.net. Thank you for all of your support over the years.  You have certainly helped to make this the best experience of my entire educational career.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.  – An Irish Prayer

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 27, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            Where can I begin to describe how incredible our students are?  On Thursday, we saw a perfect example of what sets GreenMount students and staff apart from all others.  As I said at the end of the theme, I was blown away by the knowledge of art and the way it was presented by our students.

Many schools can boast beautiful art projects and equally wonderful artwork created by talented children.  However, in addition to that, our kids understand art.  They know the complicated history of so many artists and how they struggled to be recognized for their abilities.  When we listened to students describe the artists and periods they represented, it was clear that they had learned so much more than their names.  Our students understand the artists and understand what their work represents.  And then there was the amazing work by the children that was inspired by the masters.  This was the part that confirmed the value of our program, whether it be about artists, inventors, or those who have shaped our history.

We always tout the fact that our objective at GreenMount is to prepare our students, beginning with kindergarten, to approach life with an open, yet critical mind; to approach a changing society through collective problem-solving techniques and to shape their future rather than react to it.  Seeing the confidence with which our students present their learning and the pride they take in it continues to reaffirm that a GreenMount education is one that is very hard to replicate anywhere else. Thanks to all who attended the theme event and the support you have given to our program.  Your appreciation for what we do here is priceless and it means a great deal to all of our students.

            With only nine days left in the school year, we are winding down quickly.  Remember that our last day is Friday, June 6, and we would like you to help us arrive at that day in good shape for the summer.  Please check the lost and found (in a bin under the book return) and make sure all those lunch boxes go home.  We will display all left items on the picnic tables for the last five days, beginning on Monday.

Also, there is a lot to do over the summer and, selfishly, I would like to see most of it completed before I leave on June 30.  Would you like to have some fun with the power washer or get to see your art work displayed as a newly painted wall in the library?  Opportunities abound for lots of summer fun between June 10 and June 30!  A comprehensive list of summer “activities” will be published soon, so be the first to get those cushy jobs like cleaning out the trash shed before they are scarfed up by another ambitious parent.  Remember, our minimum wage is $20 an hour as calculated by the 40-hour requirement.  Where else can you “earn” that amount and help your children’s school at the same time?  Contact Heather TODAY to be the first on your block to pledge your services.  But wait, there’s more!  For the first ten parents to call or email Heather, something special will happen (not sure what yet, but we will think of something).

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 19, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            Can you believe that there are only 14 days of school remaining?  This year has just (what’s a better word than “flown”?) soared? Sailed? Winged? Raced?  I guess it’s all of the above.  We certainly spread our wings this year as we soared high above expectations.  We negotiated the changing currents of student interest as we sailed our way through three exceptional themes.  And while we were not racing anyone or anything, we find ourselves crossing the finish line in fine style.  It’s been a great year, and for some of us it is ending all too soon.

            At today’s Monday Morning Meeting, we again discussed the need for everyone to exercise patience with one another as we are left with these last few days.  The students are very excited about the theme event on Thursday, the beginning of summer vacation, summer camps, trips, sleeping late, eating whenever, couch potatoing, and running with scissors.  This excitement often ends up with short tempers among the students and/or separation anxiety.  Teachers too, in their final push to get everything done, don’t want anyone to keep them from their mission.  As the old military proverb says, “Lead, follow or get out of the way!”  Also appropriate is the Chinese proverb which states, “The person who says it cannot be done (in the time left) should get out of the way of the person doing it.”  These are good thoughts, but we all need to take a breath now and then to stop and appreciate where we are and what we have been able to do in just 170 days.

            I want to remind you that the theme event is on THURSDAY and begins at 12:30 p.m.  The plan is for the event to be finished by 3:00.  Basically, you will move from the gym after the introduction to several rooms around the building where you will be greeted by “docents” who will describe the period in art history you are visiting and the paintings you will see there.  It will be important that you follow the suggestions of the staff members who will be placed strategically around the building.  They will be advising you if a wing of our museum is overcrowded and direct you to another area.

You will be visiting the GreenMount Museum of Art or GMA and must conduct yourself as you would in any other museum.  I tell you this because the “guards” (kindergarten) will be on duty and making sure that you do not touch the art or get too close to it.  Ms. Laura has trained these guards well and they are very protective of their museum, so you have been warned!  They are short and can sneak up on you without you knowing it to enforce the rules of the GMA.  Do you think they are loving this role?

See you there!

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 12, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            If you missed Taste of Summer this year, you missed our best event ever.  Thanks to the hard work of parents and staff expertly led by Jill Goodman, we all enjoyed wonderful food (the tuna was my favorite), a huge silent and live auction, and best of all, the opportunity to have some fun with so many in the GreenMount community.

 Among the most impressive auction items were the mosaic tiles that students from every grade created.  They were absolutely stunning!  Each student was given a small portion of a painting and asked to duplicate it in his or her own style.  Some students chose oil paints, water colors or acrylics, while some chose to use just markers and pens.  None of the students had an idea of how the final product would look, but it was simply amazing how beautiful and true to the originals the mosaics are.  If you now own one of these treasures and have buyers’ remorse, I predict that one day your investment will produce a significant return.  Can’t you imagine these works in a children’s museum?  Otherwise, you will retain a truly unique work of art.  My special thanks go to  Jon and Chrissy Maxwell, Tim Parmer, and Elizabeth Reed for hatching this idea, organizing the students and assembling their work for display. This project served as a significant learning opportunity for students as well as a great model for demonstrating how a team of students can come together and create something of significance.

            I would also like to take the opportunity to thank so many of you who expressed their best wishes to me on the occasion of my retirement.  I won’t go into how much it means to me for parents to be so generous with their comments, but I do appreciate your positive words. A few parents asked if I was sad that this was my last Taste of Summer event. My reply is that I am sad that I have to wait another two years for the next one!  And I’ll be here for next year’s Walk to the Green. In the memorable words of The Terminator, “I’ll be back,”

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 5, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            This morning, I would like to share a personal experience that I believe actually does have some significance for your children.  This weekend, I traveled with my wife and more than 600 other couples to my alma mater, Frostburg State University (FSU).  The occasion was the 50^th reunion of the fraternity for which I was an original Founding Father, way back in 1964.

It turns out that this event was the largest reunion the university has ever hosted, which gives you some idea of the impact our organization had on it.  The weekend was full of individual reunions and meeting brothers who range from those who are still students at Frostburg to those who have been “lost” for as many as 45 years.  The newest members of the fraternity were somewhat in awe of us old guys because we had started the fraternity.  They also had to know just about everything about us as part of the pledging ritual.  So a young, recent graduate would say, “You’re Mr. Warner!  Wow, it’s really you!”  Naturally, I enjoyed the limelight and absolutely let it go to my head.

Otherwise, the entire weekend was filled with great events, including a semi-formal dinner dance and a golf outing at Rocky Gap.  Most of the older guys and their spouses took over the Hampton Inn in Frostburg and crowded the lobby for several impromptu reunions that included exaggerated stories that our unfortunate wives have had to listen to far too many times.

            So, why am I sharing this with you?  First, I would definitely include FSU on my list of universities to visit when the time comes.  For some of you that search is only four years away!  The university has grown considerably from the time when most of us had to live in town because there was only one men’s dorm.  (Students today ask what a men’s dorm was!)

Secondly, I have always been impressed with the bonds that many of our students here at GMS share.  They are already on the way to having life-long friends that 50 years from now will be the same people that they knew so long ago.  And that’s the point.  We cannot change the ravages of time; the graying, the wrinkles and the extra spare tire.  But when it all comes down to it, we are the same people.  We reunite with someone we knew 50 years ago and suddenly their mannerisms, speech, and laugh thrust you both back in time, remembering fondly those good times you shared.

The lesson for future reunions is this: Treasure the friends you have and nurture as many new ones as you can.  And while I know that Greek organizations are not so much in favor these days, they do provide a unique bond that keeps people together for many, many years.  Encourage your children to always reach out to others and gather as many diverse people around them as they can.  They will enrich their lives and provide comfort in times of need.

            On May 14, folks from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will be here to film our school.  They will be conducting interviews with Mr. Fletcher and me and filming students as they are working in their classrooms.  The reason that they are here is because our eighth graders participated in the testing, and the NAEP folks were so impressed with us that they want to use our school for a promotional video that they hope will encourage other independent schools to be part of the testing program.  This is important because the data gathered from private schools is disaggregated to show how independent schools achieve compared to how public schools achieve. Attached with this parent newsletter is a release form that is self-explanatory.  Please return it this week.

            Finally, I want you to know that I received the only prize as a result of the golf tournament.  It is a prize that I have received before.  This time, I got a new golf bag and a golf umbrella.  Can you guess why I keep getting this prize?

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (April 28, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            Ah, spring - three to four inches of rain coming and temperatures dipping to the 50s.  There must be some botanical/biological reason that spring is taking so long this year.  Perhaps nature is teasing the plants to grow deeper roots and the animals to lose their winter coats more slowly in order to avoid rashes.  Maybe she is mitigating the onslaught of annoying insects.  Of course, I haven’t a clue.  Probably it is just what the meteorologists tell us about the jet stream, and the plants and animals are in as much vernal shock as we are.  I just remember that in Baltimore of past years we went from winter to a few days of spring, right into summer.

Oh, well, there is nothing we can do about it except plan appropriately.   As part of that plan, I am suggesting that tomorrow and Wednesday, the students bring in board games and such for our imminent indoor recesses.  I am sure our students are tired of the activities we have typically used when we have been confined to the building because of the weather.

            During our staff meeting on Friday, teachers reported on professional articles they have read. Once again, the idea of modeling was highlighted as a very important way to get kids to start thinking about what they are reading or how they are solving problems in math or in their research.  This idea cannot be emphasized enough.  As adults, we have many opportunities to model for our children, both in the classroom and at home.

Modeling, however, is not as simple as setting a good example, which is obviously a good thing to do.  In order for modeling to be most effective, we must talk to the children about what is being modeled.  In the classroom, this is manifested in a technique called the think-aloud.  For example, when trying to find the main idea of non-fiction text, a teacher may say something like, “As I look at this text, I notice that some of it is bolded.  This must mean that the author thinks this is important and, therefore, something I should remember.”  Or, when solving an equation in math class, a teacher might think aloud saying, “This one is hard.  I think I am going to have to remember which step comes first and work out from the parentheses, doing those operations first.  I think that I’ll also test my answer for /x/ after I think I have solved for it.”

A parent visiting the aquarium with his or her child might think aloud about his or her observations; “That sea turtle is missing a leg.  I am very curious about what could have happened.  I’m thinking that he may have been wounded by a predator.”  Statements like these can be provocative and spark good conversations.  Along with good questioning techniques, we can actually model the kind of thinking that our students will need to be competent, curious, creative, and contributing as adults.  We can teach their brains how to work well as long as we use ours to model and share our thinking with them.

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (April 22, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

                I hope today’s message finds you in good spirits and happy about your spring break.  I understand that for most of you, it wasn’t a break like it was for us and the children, but I hope you had a chance to enjoy part of it with family and friends. Today, at our morning meeting, I asked the students who had traveled the farthest during their spring break and we had sort of a tie with Ireland.  (We couldn’t determine which part of Ireland was farthest, so we didn’t declare a “winner”.)

The students seemed very happy to be reunited with their friends at school and ready to tackle these last 33 days (but who’s counting?).  Speaking of winding down, it is important to note that at GreenMount we traditionally keep up the instructional pace until the last day, with the exception of some housekeeping chores on the very last day.  Please encourage your children to stay focused and I will do the same for the staff.  One of the “traditions” that I have observed over the last 46 years (yipes!) is what I call the “You’re kidding me, only seven weeks left – I can’t possibly get everything done before the year ends” syndrome.  Teachers  race hysterically to give their students every benefit of their instructional wisdom and expertise before the final curtain in June.  While this may cause some anxiety, it is a good indication of the dedication that teachers have - especially ours.

            We welcomed back our eighth graders today from their amazing trip to Costa Rica.  I had a chance to speak to a couple of them and they were full of the experience.  This trip is an important part of the GreenMount experience for many reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to experience a different culture and feel comfortable with foreign travel.  Let’s face it, the odds are that this generation will be traveling a lot more than any other as the world grows smaller and the American marketplace expands even more.  It’s exciting to think about the experiences that these kids will have.  Our thanks to Ms. Elaine and Mr. Luca for chaperoning and organizing this experience for our students.

 I would like to announce something worth celebrating that few of you know about.  On weekends, a young man named Derrick Brooks uses our gym to train basketball players for competition and college admissions.  Some of his older students have gone on to Division I Schools on basketball scholarships and today I am pleased to say that his second grade students will be traveling to Memphis to compete in the national championship at their level.  I saw these little guys this summer as they worked out and they are amazing future stars.  Derrick provides this program for inner city kids and I can tell you that he makes a difference in their lives.  Our small part is to provide the space he needs to implement the program.

Finally, I would like to share an experience that I had on my break.  On Saturday, April 12, we headed over to the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C., which was beautiful.  In our travels around the tidal basin, we visited the WWII Memorial, an amazing sight to see. Several WWII veterans were also there in their wheelchairs and with their families.  One veteran posed for pictures, looking very strong and fit.  I asked to shake his hand and was amazed at his grip.  It turns out that he was a B-24 bomber pilot in Europe.  I mentioned that my dad was in the 29^th Division and he said, “Oh man, those guys had it rough.  All we did was drop bombs and then head back to the base for a drink!”  He was a character and, of course, a true hero.  He is 91, and as he said, “I’m close to the end, but still kickin,’,”  I was in awe of this man.  Let’s all try to remember and thank our veterans whenever we get a chance.

Cheers, 

Steve