Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (March 4, 2014)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

                At today’s morning meeting we all chanted, “Go away snow, go away snow.”  Students were also instructed to wear pajamas right-side out and to refrain from any more snow dances.  I think they all agreed.  And for children to want the snow to go away, you know that this has been a tough winter.  The good news is that we are four days into the meteorological spring.  Can you feel it?  Actually, the seasons are defined in three-month periods and spring turns out to be March, April, and May.  So rejoice - it’s spring! (Yeah, right.)

            I hope that you don’t mind that we were two hours late today.  I know that this can be inconvenient, but I wanted to make sure that the walks were clear and free from ice.  Thanks to our shoveling crew who came last night, all that needed to be done this morning was to scatter salt, which took some time to have any effect.  I am surely hoping that this is the last of it.  And in case you are counting, Monday was our last built-in snow day.  If we have to close any days from here on, we will add days to the school calendar beginning with June 9.

            This morning we also talked to the students about the spread of germs.  We have had many students fall ill due to the “thing” that is going around.  We reminded them about hand-washing and sharing things like Blistex (yes, they do that).  It would help if you also have these conversations at home (and please, do not send sick children to school).  The spring (which we are now in) can be especially germ-infested as temperatures fluctuate between warm and cold (warm?).

            Many of you, as well as visitors to the school, have enjoyed the portraits of families that are displayed on the bulletin board in the lobby.  These will have to come down to make room for theme-related information.  Please feel free to take photos of your family to keep before all of the photos are taken down by this Friday.

            Finally, as I am 118 days from “graduating” from GMS, I continue to enjoy every single moment with you, the staff and your children.  Winding down is exciting and yet sad for me.  So if I seem to hold onto you in conversation or problem-solving together, forgive me if I am over-attentive.  When we know the end is in sight, we tend to cherish each day more.  Believe me, I do.

           

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (March 4, 2013)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            It was April 12, 1958, long before most of you were born.  But I remember the date well.  It was the start of the blizzard of ’58, and it was APRIL!  Schools were closed for a week and the wet, heavy snowfall was nearly impossible to clear from streets.  True, my memory might have enhanced the facts surrounding this event (I was 14 at the time), but I do know that everyone was surprised that we had such a significant snowfall in what was supposed to be spring.  I suppose there was snow on the dogwood blossoms, although this is not something that a 14-year-old boy notices.  All I was interested in was getting to the hill at Conlon Field, near the Gwynn Oak golf course, with my sled and braving the steep slope that should have been serving as a natural bleacher for Little League baseball games that were scheduled for that weekend.

I was not interested in sitting home playing video games or endlessly texting my friends about what I was not doing.  This is obvious.  But nor was I interested in sitting home watching our 12-inch, black-and-white TV, selecting one of three channels which mostly consisted of those early soap operas in their infant years.  Besides, one had to actually get up from the couch to change the channels.  And as long as I had to move, I might as well have some fun in the snow.

            It sounds like our kids may have that opportunity on Wednesday.  Please remember to tune to WBAL-TV to find out if we are delayed or closed.  If you have not done so yet, now might be a good time to subscribe to WBAL’s automatic notification of closings for GreenMount.  You can find out how to do that on their web site. 

So, if we do get something significant, get the kids outside and let them get creative with the snow.  They could have a snowman contest in the neighborhood or play “Top the Snowman” by trying to throw a hat, Frisbee-style, onto the head of Frosty.  A tug-of-war is always fun in the snow, as is a game of football.  You can mark off the boundaries with a spray bottle with water and food coloring. How about making an obstacle course with snow mounds?  If kids must throw snowballs, try a game of snowball baseball.  Cans are stacked in a pyramid at each of the bases and each kid stands on the pitcher’s mound trying to knock over the cans at each base.

Another game involves tying a white cloth to the end of a short stick or around the bowl of a wooden spoon. Then, give each child a chance to hide it by staking it anywhere within a predetermined set of boundaries. Keep track of how long it takes for the rest of the group to find it. Whoever hid the flag that takes the longest time to spot wins the game.

Finally, the hill at Greenwood, the Baltimore County School headquarters on North Charles Street, is a great place for sledding.  But watch out, there is a nasty gully if you go too far.  Teach your kids the art of bailing out!

I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. – Mae West

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (January 28, 2013)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            Well, this morning certainly was a mess.  The delay was a tough call, but looking at what other schools both public and private were doing, I decided to go along with their thinking.  Then, as I drove down the Harrisburg expressway and the JFX, I had second thoughts (too late).  As the morning wore on, however, I heard from a number of staff members about the conditions in their neighborhoods.  It appears that some areas were okay while others had considerable ice.  Also reported on the morning news were several accidents.  Thus, the decision was made.  I know that a delay poses a problem for most of you as you may have to delay your arrival at work.  I am sorry if you had to scurry to make arrangements to get your child to school.  My advice is that you always keep an eye on the weather and the possibility of a closing or delayed opening.  Then tune to WBAL TV or go on their web site to find out the GreenMount status.  I will always post our status before 6:00 a.m., so that you have some time to make your arrangements.  However, I promise to always place safety before convenience.  With that in mind, you should also know that ultimately you have the option as a parent to delay your arrival if conditions in your neighborhood are poor.  If we do not call for a delay on a sketchy morning and you feel it is unsafe for you to bring your child to school on time, then wait until you feel it is safe to proceed.  We will not mark a student tardy during a weather event.

            No doubt many of you have heard the news about the Common Core Curriculum, which  most states are adopting.  The curriculum is designed to better meet the needs of students who will be graduating into this new world we are creating every fifteen minutes or so.  In an effort to make sure that we are not handicapping our graduates, most of whom go on to public schools, the staff is examining the basic tenants of the curriculum.  They have been reading articles and this Friday we will have a long discussion about how we think the CCC will impact our kids.  There’s some good stuff in the curriculum, especially in the much deeper approach to reading and math.  Also, it is rewarding to read that many of the recommendations are things we already do.  For example, one of the assessments, which will be taken on line, asks the students to research a topic, collate the data, and present a report on their findings.  Sound familiar?  I can hear a graduate of GMS in ninth grade saying, “What’s this? Did Mr. Fletcher write this question?”  And then they would proceed to do what they have learned here, and do it well.  At any rate, we will be keeping tabs on this development and, of course, “borrowing” any great best practices that we find.  It’s always good to have someone else doing the leg work for you!

“Bad weather always looks worse through a window.” – Tom Lehrer

Cheers,

Steve