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 (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

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (June 3, 2013)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            Well, this is it - the last head message for 2012-2013.  And, as usual, another year has flown by.  We have had a great time with our three themes this year and I believe that it was a year in which our students grew exponentially.  We have seen a lot of progress.  The students are growing up also.  We see their faces change, their bodies shoot up, and their vocabulary increase.  I am sure they come home one day and parents say, “Who is this person?  How have they grown so quickly in such a short time?”  It does happen quickly, parents, so watch out.  Before you know it they will be headed to high school, dating, driving, and then going off to college, leaving you in the dust, wondering if you did all you needed to do as a parent.  And I must say that as a group of parents, you have done very well so far.  What a great bunch of kids we have here!  I am very proud to be the head of this school, which is like no other.  It is such a pleasant place to work, and my greatest joy is watching the students laugh and love learning.  Take a look at our philosophy:

We see our school as a diverse community where children are given time and space to

learn and the encouragement to succeed. Students develop academic, behavioral and personal skills that enable them to thrive in different environments.  The curriculum is

connected to or grounded in real-life experiences. Our learning environment is creative, multicultural, community based, and centered on experiential learning through thematic curricula.

Every staff meeting agenda begins with this philosophy so that we remain true to who we are as a school. In particular, I like the fact that we strive to be a diverse community, serving as many learning styles and personalities as we can.  In the collection of tee-shirt design entries this year is the word acceptance. It is important to the child who included that in their design that we are a school that teaches children to be accepting of others.  After all, when they get out in that big world on their own, they will meet people from all walks of life, people with disabilities, and people who don’t always fit whatever mold is the flavor of the day.  I think we empower our kids to be tolerant, and to me nothing is more important in the world we live in today.

A couple of reminders:

• Check out the lost and found for clothing and lunch boxes, etc.  Everything is being displayed on the picnic bench in the front gated area.
• Encourage your children to bring home all their art work.  They may not see the value of it today, but it is important to have these artifacts of their younger years.  I still have my daughter’s clay thing (not sure what it is, but it’s beautiful!)

Finally, have a great summer.  Come back safe and ready to take on another great GreenMount Year.

           

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 14, 2013)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            I have good news and I have bad news.  The good news is that there are only 19 days left (including today) until the last day of school.  The bad news is that there are only 19 days left (including today) until the last day of school.

I guess how you regard this fact depends on your perspective.  I am definitely on the bad news side.  This is the time of year when we always seem to be rushing to accomplish all of our goals.  Nineteen days until we teach all the math that our kids need to know before they go to the next level.  Nineteen days to get the eighth grade art project finished (actually, only eight for Kirsten).  And Laurie gets to meet with her music classes only five times before the Spring Concert on May 28. In every area teachers are under stress to “get it all done” by June 7.

I didn’t even mention the theme event NEXT THURSDAY (yikes!).  But, not to worry, we have a good plan for the theme event and you will be involved as an audience.  Our students have learned a great deal about media and journalism during this theme, and they are anxious to showcase that learning.  Surprisingly, this theme generated the greatest number of field trips of any theme to date.  I recently heard that a local public school was touting the fact that they take four field trips a year.  We take that many in a week!  You should know that we didn’t just saturate this theme with field trips to spend the field trip fees. With the help of many parents, we found some amazing experiences for our students.  The Newseum was a big surprise, and our ongoing trips to WMAR are giving our students a first-hand look at a real news operation.  All of our students were very engaged at the TV studio, or should I say parts of them?  Check out our Facebook page to see how green GMS shirts work against a green screen.

            Another end-of-year activity is the change from heating to air conditioning.  We have been very fortunate that the weather has been cool as we have not yet been able to have our AC activated because we are waiting for some new filters.  I hope to have that job completed by the end of the week, when it looks like the temperatures may start to climb.  But, hasn’t this been a great spring?  In Baltimore, we generally go right from winter into summer.  If this is a result of global warming, I’ll take it.

            Finally, the learning cottage is being readied to be shipped to us and it should arrive sometime in June.  Once here, we will have a lot of work to do, and there will be good opportunities for earning co-op hours and soaking up the sun.  We will be building a deck and moving lots of furniture around.  We also have some rather large projects inside the building too, for those of you who prefer working in air conditioning.  Please check with Heather (coop@greenmountschool.org) to be part of our ongoing improvements to our space.  A belated Happy Mothers’ Day to all of our moms; we appreciate what you do for all of us and for never quitting your number one job.

There is nothing in the world of art like the songs mother used to sing. – Billy Sunday

“Baby’s boat’s a silver star, sailing far away. Sailing to the land of dreams ‘till the break of day…..” (My mom’s lullaby)

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 29, 2012)

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 5^th 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    

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (May 7, 2012)

Greetings GreenMount Community,

            Today, at our Morning Meeting, I asked the students the significance of the number twenty-four.  I received several unexpected answers, such as, “It’s the reverse of 42,” which has some astrological significance that I did not understand.  Someone else contributed, “May the 4^th be with you,” which was interesting, but not exactly what I was looking for.  A student did mention that he thought it was the number of days left in the school year.  Indeed, that is true and the topic of my discussion with them.

            There are certain phenomena which occur in schools every year.  In 44 years at this education business, I can tell you that in a typical school year the teachers and students go through several cycles, which result in, shall we say, personality reconfigurations.  Every year, for example, at least one teacher comes to me in September to say that the students she/he has in the class “don’t know anything!”  Of course, that’s not true.  They know just what they are supposed to know based on their entry to the next grade.  The problem is that the teacher has just left her/his “end product” – students who are producing just what they should produce at the end of the year.  This then becomes a testament to what great things are accomplished in 170 days.

The end of the year brings with it several of the “reconfigurations” I mentioned.  The kids and the teachers are looking forward to the summer while trying to complete everything, including all parts of the curriculum, preparing for the last theme event, and concluding projects.  This year is especially frantic as we continue to embark on many field trips associated with the Baltimore theme.  So, I spoke to the teachers and students about the need for all of us to be patient with one another during these last 24 days.  Tensions can run high and students can make poor choices.  Adults can also add to the mix with their choices and some frustration as they attempt to get everything done.  Let’s all relax, have fun with the remaining days and look forward to a summer during which we sharpen the saw in preparation for another successful year at GMS.

            Finally, I am pleased to announce to you that we have hired an additional full-time teacher to handle much of the language arts instruction, especially for our middle school students.  I am purposefully vague about “much of the language arts instruction” as we are still working on the schedule, which will determine her full assignment. Our new teacher, Allison Fistere, has a master's degree in secondary English education.  She has been teaching since 2004 and continues to grow as a student herself as she is taking coursework in AP Language and Composition at Goucher College.  She also has taken coursework in special education and writing workshops at St John’s College.  Allison will be a great addition to our staff.

Deliberately seek opportunities for kindness, sympathy and patience.

Evelyn Underhill

Cheers,

Steve