From Shakespeare to Snuffy Smith

So, this week, it seems to me, represents the great diversity of learning opportunities which makes Sumner Academy unique.  It is why we embrace our independence as a school community as our number one strength.

Our fifth, sixth, and seventh grades are currently on Adventure Education trips.  The fifth grade is at Barrier Island learning about the unique ecosystems of the Atlantic Coast.  This type of hands-on leaning may inspire one of our students to be a marine biologist.  

Our sixth and seventh graders are at a YMCA Camp in North Carolina working on team building strategies and learning about forest ecosystems.  This allows them to set personal and team goals and work together to meet those goals.  This type of training could inspire one of our students to work in counseling, personnel, or group dynamics.

In LC II, it’s all about apples this week!  Thursday culminates their study with a morning full of apple activities and a visit from Johnny Appleseed.  Being exposed to this type of learning may lead one of our students to work in the field of green technology and building a more sustainable environment.  Johnny Appleseed would certainly be as well received today as he was in the late 1700s.

Our eighth graders have a very busy week as well.  Half of the Class of 2014 will be performing their silent movies.  Written, acted and directed by themselves, this project takes many of our students out of their comfort zone and allows them to express themselves artistically.  It could be the start of the next Martin Scorsese or Alfred Hitchcock right here on our Sumner stage!

Eighth graders also are performing the Shakespeare play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  They have worked relentlessly on their lines and blocking for Thursday night’s performance.  We may see the next Meryl Streep or Harrison Ford on our stage that night!

The week culminates with all of our PK – 8^th grade students being visited by John Rose, political cartoonist and author and artist of Snuffy Smith.  John is the third artist to draw the Snuffy Smith strip.  During his assemblies, John will talk about his life as an artist and how he got to where he is today.  He will also show the students how to draw different characters from the comic strip.  Who knows...John may be talking to a future political satirist or artist.

As parents, the best thing we can do for our children is to provide opportunities and options for their future.  Sumner Academy provides numerous opportunities for its students to live, learn and grow.  Through these opportunities, we live our mission statement every day here: Helping discover and cultivate each child’s unique abilities.

Diamonds in the Rough

I would like to confess something…I know I should be reading or anything more constructive than watching television, but I just can’t turn off American Pickers when it comes on the History Channel.  Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are the co-hosts who travel the country in search of junk that they can turn into treasure.  They go through attics, barns, out buildings, you name it, all in search of rare pieces of American history and something on which they can make a buck.  Many of you have probably been to their store in Nashville.

When I record the show, I try to fast forward to them digging around places for hidden treasures.  That is my focus for the show, not the banter between them and/or Danielle who holds down one of their storefronts in Iowa.  I like that thrill of the search.

These guys, who are searching for a diamond in the rough, remind me of comments I hear about Sumner Academy’s teachers.  They work very hard to determine the gifts our children have and the mission of our school reflects the shows basis premise, ”Our mission is to help discover and cultivate each child’s unique abilities.”  Mike and Frank can look at a pile of rusted iron and pull out something that is important and valuable.  The same is true for our teachers.  They see different qualities in our students and enrich them to create a more well-rounded individual.

Help us spread the good news about Sumner Academy’s teachers.  Please share your experiences with your friends and families.  YOU are our best marketing outlet!

It's All About the Pie

My blog is not always centered on education, family issues, or Sumner Academy, sometimes I like to have a little fun…so…here are some random thoughts on pizza.  We Americans love that pizza pie.  Did you know that…October is designated as pizza month?  Every second, Americans eat 350 slices!  About 93% of all Americans eat at least one pizza per month.  The National Restaurant Association estimates that Italian food is the most popular ethnic food in the country and that it is a thirty billion dollar industry.

Being the pizza lover that I am, I have rated the best pizza parlors I have frequented…

Top Five Pizzas Parlors for Mr. J.

1. Grand Lake Pizza, Grand Lake, Colorado

www.grand-pizza.com/

A braided dough crust and outstanding toppings are the highlights for these pies.  We were in Grand Lake two days and ate dinner here both days.  The second day we even waited two hours due to a power outage!  Now THAT is a great pizza!

2. Crozet Pizza, Crozet, Virginia

www.crozetpizza.net/

Housed in a very rustic building in Crozet just outside of Charlottesville, Crozet Pizza has all the ingredients listed on a huge blackboard.  You build your own pie according to which ingredients they have for the day.  Great sauce and those fresh ingredients highlight these pies.

3. Bilbo’s Pizza, Kalamazoo, Michigan

www.bilbospizza.com/

The absolute best deep dish pizza I have had (no travels have taken us to sample Chicago’s yet).  It comes to your table still sizzling.  That crust is crunchy on the outside edge and soft and doughy inside.  Terrific sauce as well.  This was a happening place of my high school years and remarkably is still around.

4. Mellow Mushroom, Memphis, Tennessee

www.mellowmushroom.com/

Fresh ingedients, lots of choices of ingredients and a tasty crust make this one the best I have had in Memphis.  I know this is a national chain, but I still love it.  Their selections of microbrews is also outstanding.

5. Luigi’s Pizza, Harrisonburg, Virginia

RIP

Sadly, Luigi’s went out of business since we lived in Harrisonburg.  It was a great place to go after the softball/soccer/football game for some wonderful pizza.  They had fun t-shirts.  If you went somewhere notable in the world and had your photo taken in a Luigi’s t-shirt, you got a free pizza (if no one else had done it).  We wore four Luigi’s t-shirts all day on a visit to the Four Corners one vacation!  They also let you play with dough regardless of your age.

Honorable Mention...

Pete and Sam’s, Memphis, Tennessee

http://peteandsams.com/

A Memphis tradition, Amy even used to go there as a child.  I have tasted a couple of barbeque pizzas in Memphis, but this one is tops in my opinion!


OK middle Tennessee friends, now I need your suggestions…will they be good enough to crack the top five?

Looking to the Future

I think we can all agree that every parent wants the best for their children.  The tricky part of this wish is determining just what is the best course for our children to follow.  I know Amy and I had long conversations about which paths to take for our son Tucker and our daughter Madelyn.

A fellow headmaster shared an article with me in which Tony Wagner, Co-Director of the Change Leadership Group of Harvard University, discusses what skills our children need for the future.

These are seven areas he discusses:

1. Critical thinking and problem-solving

2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence

3. Agility and adaptability

4. Initiative and entrepreneurialism

5. Effective oral and written communication

6. Accessing and analyzing information

7. Curiosity and imagination

As I informally observe our classrooms here at Sumner Academy, I see each and every one of the skills listed in action in our classrooms PK – 8th grade!  Our teachers are outstanding at taking each child where they are in many different areas and nurturing growth in each.  It seems to me Sumner Academy was built on these seven skills and has been cultivating them for forty years.

At Back to School Night, I thanked each parent for the sacrifices they are making by sending their children to our school.  I know it is a financial struggle for many.  The investment in education however, cannot be taken away from you.  Other investments fluctuate with market influences and outside forces.  A Sumner academy graduation diploma from 8th grade is an investment which will last a lifetime.

Thank you for entrusting your children to us each and every day.

New Kid by Friday!

Do You Really Want a New Kid?

I was waiting for a prescription at one of the thousand Walgreen's locations locally when a book title caught my eye.  "Have a New Kid by Friday" written Dr. Kevin Leman.  The premise is to buy this book on a Monday and by Friday, all those annoying behaviors will dissipate.  All in five days!  I am really wondering why we are required to have a minimum of 175 days of school by AdvancEd (formerly Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools).  According to Dr. Leman we can make the necessary changes in five days.  I should not be so harsh to Dr. Leman.  He holds Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona and is a retired psychologist.  He has written books on topics regarding marriage, toddlers, and adolescents.  I am sure he has a wealth of information that I am not privy to and uses it to help families.  It's just that title that caught my eye.

From everything I can tell during my short tenure at Sumner Academy, I see our faculty and staff devoted to presenting a program of study here from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade which creates a well rounded, well educated leader.  While there may be some great ideas in Dr. Leman's book, we realize that it takes years of great parenting and schooling in building children. 

Trust us, as a school, to be in communication with you as parents when issues come up with your child.  Our faculty and staff is a fine mixture of veteran teachers and new educators.  Thank you for allowing us to help in building your child here at Sumner Academy.

Let's Get Organized!

Are you disorganized?  What about your children?  You have probably heard that a clean desk is the work of a sick mind.  While we know there are extremes to everything, there does need to be a certain level of organization present within all of us.  My desk is often piled with papers, articles, letters, etc.  Amazingly, I do know where everything is...it just takes a minute to put my hand on it.  I have listed below some helpful hints in getting children organized.  Remember however, as parents, we can be a role model in making this work!

(1) Talk with your child’s teacher.  Teachers work hard to develop their student’s organizational skills and their responsibility.  Ask your teacher how you can reinforce what is being learned in the classroom.  (2) Getting things ready in the evening will help out the morning rush.  Sign notes, check homework and get clothes ready before the alarm sounds in the AM.  (3) Check your child’s backpack every afternoon.  I know, there are probably some things in there you would rather not touch or see...but there may be important information waiting for you to read.  (4) Monitor homework progress.  If your child is becoming overwhelmed with homework, let the teacher know immediately.  Try breaking homework up into smaller portions and complete each step methodically.  (5) Create a calendar for your child.  If you have an evening family activity, your child should plan ahead to complete homework before you leave.  Deadlines are easier to enforce when it is placed on you child’s calendar.  (6) List making.  Once your child can read and write, encourage them in making a “must do” and “to do” list.  (this helped our daughter to remember to “scoop” after taking our dog Alfie out)  (7) A place for everything.  Your child can be responsible for putting away things they may have gotten out during the day.  (8) Pack rats have no place in an organized environment.  Set aside one day per month to go through things and toss what is not needed.  What about my Zambian coke bottle tops?  Collections are fine as long as you have a place for everything.  (9) Set up rewards.  Children love to be rewarded for their labors and being organized is hard work!

Like most things, being organized takes practice and diligence.  Take the time to discuss what it means to be organized and hopefully your family life will improve!  Now, if I can only find that remote...

Super Origins

As we begin school this week, I wanted to let you know about something new!  At our first faculty meeting of the year, the Sumner Academy teachers approved a new program on character education.  This year will mark the beginning of the Super Citizens Program here at our school.

This character development program is used school wide to emphasize qualities of a good citizen.  Students in grades 1 - 8 are awarded “Super Citizen” cards from classroom and related arts teachers weekly.  Morning announcements focus on character qualities, and teachers may follow-up with classroom discussions, activities and reminders.  Super Citizens are announced at the end of the day on Fridays.  Students who receive a Super Citizen award are given a card after the Friday announcement by the headmaster.

While an assistant principal in the Harrisonburg (Virginia) City Public Schools, I was asked to be on a statewide commission which looked at successful schools around the state.  We visited twelve schools and I was able to pick up lots of great ideas.  In one school in the tidewater region, I noticed signs everywhere around the school.  On lockers, in classrooms, the cafeteria, gymnasium, even in the stalls in the restrooms!  They were one word, RESPECT.  The principal explained that it was their character trait for the month.  She went on to explain that they highlighted a different trait each month and the teachers would make an award at the end of each month to the student who best typified that trait.

Sometime after the visit, I was named principal of Spotswood Elementary School.  As I began to roll those ideas around in my head, the first Super Citizen idea was hatched.  I planned to make it a weekly event instead of monthly and to add an announcement at the end of the week on Friday afternoons.  I designed a card to give to the students so they could take it home and share the good news with their families.  The announcements grew to be a much-anticipated event every Friday afternoon.  We even made the local news one Friday!

I was fortunate to work with four outstanding assistant principals during my tenure in Harrisonburg.  Three of the four have (or had) schools of their own and carried the Super Citizen Program to their schools.

The monthly schedule is as follows:

July/August - Respect, September – Benevolence, October - Responsible, November - Grateful, December – Self-controlled, January - Honest, February - Loving, March - Loyal, April - Forgiving, and May - Persevering.

The greatest joy I get is when your child(ren) get in their car on Friday and show off their card.  What a great sense of accomplishment and celebration!