Greetings GreenMount Community,
As
this year comes rapidly to a close, it is important to celebrate
accomplishments and acknowledge those responsible for them. In the afterglow of our latest achievement on
Thursday, it is altogether fitting and proper to applaud the accomplishments of
our students and teachers and all that they learned in our Baltimore
theme. As I thought about how this theme
stacked up against others, I found it hard to compare. Some very popular themes have involved a great
deal of performance by students, such as All
the World’s a Stage or a showcase of interesting art projects such as in From Caves to Canvas.
This theme was
different. While we saw much of the
students’ project work and a lot of their artwork, I felt that what was
showcased on Thursday was the learning that took place. Yes, a great deal of learning takes place
with each theme – that’s what we are all about.
But the Baltimore theme was close to home and provided a unique
opportunity for our kids to explore neighborhoods, businesses and historical
landmarks around the city. Unlike the
China theme, which involved virtual experiences for the students, Baltimore is
where we live and the surprises about our own turf gave students and teachers a
new appreciation for city life in Baltimore.
The theme event itself, while well done and comprehensive, could not do
justice to the experiential opportunities that our students had, and will
continue to have right up to the last week of school. We have also been very fortunate to have
special parent involvement during this theme, which resulted in visits nearly
every Friday from local artists and Baltimore notables such as Gilbert
Sandler. We are very appreciative of the
wonderful connections we have with parents who know how to access especially
interesting human resources.
The
themes this year have been especially interesting and rewarding. Just think about what our students did and
compare those experiences with the kinds that students have in other schools. Where else will you find thirty students
expertly demonstrating eight Tai Chi moves in synchronization, or a group of
students marching into battle with the 5th Wisconsin from Seminary
Ridge to Culp’s Hill in Gettysburg? How many students in other schools
understand community revitalization as a result of talking to community
organizers and business owners and then present a convincing argument for a five-year
plan? Where else will primary students learn to sing in excellent Mandarin
Chinese? Where else will students learn the political and economic realities of
the cause of the Civil War? Over and
over again, we remain true to our philosophy of creating “deep smarts” through
themes and project-based learning.
Another
fine example of how our students are being prepared to meet the challenges of
the future is the success of our Destination Imagination team who competed in
the global problem-solving
competition in Tennessee this past week. After winning problem-solving
competitions in the region and in the state, they surpassed 87 of the 98 teams
from all over the world competing in their category. They did this in spite of a technological
glitch that required on-the-spot creativity and problem-solving for which they
were praised by the judges. They also
doubled their score from the state competition in the spontaneous
problem-solving activity. The students
on our team learned a lot about competing on a global level and made many new
friends from other countries. They were
candid about what they could have done better in order to increase their
chances of moving up the ladder. But
they were happy with their accomplishments and appreciative of what the
experience offered them. Word has it
that they are already planning for next year!
I continue to be
amazed, even after six years at GreenMount, at the creativity of teachers, the
unbelievable support of parents and the raw talent of our students. Thanks to all who make our school so important
to the students who will face the next two decades and all the challenges that
they will offer. We can’t predict the future because it is a blur of
change. But we do know that our kids
will have to deal with it, and in order to do that successfully, they will have
to have flexible thinking that will allow them to solve problems, be creative,
and work well with others. I have been
in this business for 44 years and I know (I know!) that we have the right
formula for learning and preparing students for the challenges they will face
in an uncertain world. Cheers to all
GreenMountaineers! We do it right!
Steve
