Gem Hunt

So, three snow days…wow, that’s a lot of calling off school for this Michigander!  While sitting at home during one of these days, I ran across a show on the Travel Channel entitled, “Gem Hunt.” 

Here is the description from the Travel Channel website:

Gem Hunt follows a team of modern treasure hunters on their high-stakes quest for the world's most precious stones. Their global journey takes them to some of the planet's busiest and riskiest trading regions. Fascinating, exciting, unpredictable and embedded in some of the most remote locations, Gem Hunt follows gem dealer Ron LeBlanc, jewelry expert Diane Robinson and geologist Bernie Gaboury as they maneuver through mines, markets and tense negotiations in search of the world’s biggest, brightest and most profitable jewels.

The three “stars” of this show look for uncut gems they can take back to their shops and create works of art.  They examine, create cutting plans for each stone, cut, shape, and polish.  As I began to binge watch the show, I realized the show and our school had similar missions.  At Sumner Academy, it is our mission to help discover and cultivate each child’s unique abilities.  Our faculty and staff examine, create plans for each student “gem,” (hopefully not cut), then we shape and polish.  Just as master jewelers, our teachers look for those unique qualities that make your child special and “shine.”  This individual attention is what sets Sumner Academy apart from other schools in our area.

As I celebrate my first six months here at Sumner Academy I have realized that Sumner Academy is a hidden jewel.  Help us spread the good news about Sumner Academy’s teachers and programs.  Please share your experiences with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and families.  YOU are our best marketing outlet!

Is it snowing yet?

Anatomy of a Snow Day

Recently, Amy and I were able to drive to my hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan to visit with my mother and two brothers.  It was a great drive and as we were approaching the Michigan state line, we began to see traces of snow on the ground!  That was a great reminder to me to let you know of my thought process in determining what constitutes a snow day and what does not.

The decision making process is different for our school in comparison to other surrounding independent schools and public schools.  Things I do have to consider include our faculty and staff driving in, our parents and their drive in, our bus routes and safe pick up and delivery, and the safety in and around the campus.  One thing I do not have to consider is having student drivers on the road!  Our school calendar and the required number of days in attendance does not play a role in closing school, safety always comes first.  There is a process regarding make up days should we go over the amount of extra days.  This is highly unlikely however.

If we do not close and the roads are questionable, our students are not counted tardy for that day.  I want your child(ren) at school, but I want them safely brought to school, so take your time!

When our area anticipates wintery weather, I rise at 5:00 AM or earlier and check the local news and the radar and forecast on the National Weather Service website.  Since our decision is independent of all other schools, I like to make sure all bases are covered before I make a final decision.  The first call I make is to Hannah so we can update our website and send out notices via email and text.  Next, I call four local television stations Channels 2, 4, 5, and 17.  In my experience in Memphis, I know that television stations are not the most reliable in regards to timely posting…so check our website first!

At this point it is around 6:15 or 6:30 and I have another decision to make – stay home and sit by the fire, or go in to work and complete some much needed paperwork that has built up over the last several weeks.  Sometimes, I choose to drive in just because I’m from Michigan and need to prove it to myself I can still drive in snow and ice.  So, if you see me in a ditch somewhere, just shake your head as you pass.  Stubborn Michigander.

I hope this gives you some insight into how I make the decision to close or stay open.  As you read, the fastest way to find out is to check our website at www.sumneracademy.org.

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.