Yesterday I made my way up to The Bronx to watch our gators run in the second Cross Country (XC) meet of the season at Van Cortlandt Park. This is the first year Lab School XC - it exciting to see how well our team is doing. The 1.2 mile was the perfect challenge for our young runners. A lap around the bandstand area and then path continued back deep into the woods. As a spectator I was not able to see what our runners faced but I was told harrowing stories of the mud and multiple hills. This race was much harder than our first and is great practice for the 5K in December. It was great to see so many families there to cheer on our Labbies.
Van Cortlandt Park (and a portion of the course that our students ran) is one of the most famous XC courses in the country. Each year there is a HS meet that involves students from across the country. It is also rated one of the most challenging XC courses. Kids (and adults) have been running races there since the early 1900's. We were in good company yesterday.
This week is a busy week for a school. It is Open School Week, Parent-Teacher Conferences and MS Tour Season. I have already gotten to see some of you and I look forward to seeing many more in the coming days.
This morning I was able to sneak into a few classrooms. 803 was having a "Big Chair Debate" in Humanities class with Ms. Woodburry. The students were debating the best way to be an activist (through literature, newspaper, rallies, revolution). The debate was a wonderful example of a student centered (and directed) lesson. The debate became very fiery and passionate - showing me that they have thought a lot about these topics.
703 is working on the Ivy lab with Ms. Cortes in Science. The students are given two ivy leaves to grow and monitor over the course of several weeks. One of the leaves is placed in a cup of water and the other is subjected to another variable of the small group's choosing. These variables ranged from soda to honey. Every few days the students make scientific observations on their Ivy leaves - measuring its length, mass and visual appearance. I love this lab because it challenges students to apply multiple steps of the scientific process in authentic ways. It also expects a high level of skill and diligence in data collection. It is great to see students take such pride in their work.
Our next Parent Book Club meeting is Monday, November 23rd at 5:30 pm. We will be discussing the first three parts of Last Child in the Woods. It was great to see so many of you at the first meeting (and hopefully even more will join for our second). The group had a thoughtful conversation about their own childhood experiences in nature. We also discussed how nature connects to other aspects of healthy living. To end today's blog I am going to give each of you a a little homework (from the last book group). Take 5-10 min to reflect and write about your first childhood experiences in nature (consider how these experiences have shaped you). Share your reflections with your children.
Warmly,
Meg
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Second Quarter
Congratulations everyone - we have made it to second quarter. It is hard to believe how quickly this is year going. Parent/Teacher conferences are coming up next Monday and Tuesday ( a memo was backpacked home and info is posted on the school's website). Report cards will also be distributed next Monday, November 16th. Please call Marilyn Coston at 212-691-6119 ext 1091 if you have any questions.
This past weekend reminded me of why I love New York so much. On Sunday I headed for a run in Central Park. It was the perfect day - warmish, clear, the leaves hundreds of colors and people everywhere. Kids active and playing outside. More than anything I was struck by how easy it is to discover nature and participate in physical activity within our own city (when we choose to do so). The run reminded me of the topics discussed in our first book selection for our parent book group.
Our first book, Last Child in the Woods explores what parents can do to help children experience nature. I hope that many of you are able to come to our first book club meeting. There is no need to read the book in advance of the first meeting (again, this is meant to be low-stress and commitment :) I have included two articles to start our conversation.
I hope that others will be able to see the connection between health, farming, nature and nutrition. I think that a lot of great things will come out of our first book discussion and I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, November 12th at 5:30. We will be meeting in the library (on the 2nd floor).
Soccer and Flag Football seasons are winding down. Last Thursday I was lucky enough to watch both teams play on their fields along the East River. I am so proud of what our student athletes have accomplished this season - I am impressed by their character, sportsmanship and dedication. Athletics has brought out the best in our young Labbies. The playoff season for Flag Football starts today - Go Gators!
As one season comes to an end another begins. Basketball tryouts are starting for both girls and boys. Cross Country - Lab Runs Far also has two more meets this season (one this Sunday).
The great Egg Drop contest is starting to take shape with the Science Olympiad team. Ms. Gatti's room was a blur of laughter, play, foam and cardboard on Friday afternoon. Students were divided into teams - each designing their own special "egg protection" capsule. The goal of course is to protect the egg when dropped from very high. The contraptions were incredibly creative - perhaps the funniest was the chicken w/ feathers and all (a play on what is found inside). There was some debate about how well chickens could actually fly.
This is the first year that Lab has done the program. Ms. Gatti has done a wonderful job recruiting kids to join the team It was wonderful to see so many moms there helping out as well. If you are interested in volunteering please let Ms. Gatti know.
Much more to report but need to sign-off for now...
Warmly,
Meg
This past weekend reminded me of why I love New York so much. On Sunday I headed for a run in Central Park. It was the perfect day - warmish, clear, the leaves hundreds of colors and people everywhere. Kids active and playing outside. More than anything I was struck by how easy it is to discover nature and participate in physical activity within our own city (when we choose to do so). The run reminded me of the topics discussed in our first book selection for our parent book group.
Our first book, Last Child in the Woods explores what parents can do to help children experience nature. I hope that many of you are able to come to our first book club meeting. There is no need to read the book in advance of the first meeting (again, this is meant to be low-stress and commitment :) I have included two articles to start our conversation.
The first is an article Nicholas Kristof who writes directly about experiences in nature and Louv's book http://bit.ly/natureDeficit
The second article is about the role of experience in improving students' schema (specifically experience on a farm). A Moo-Moo Here, and Better Test Scores Later
I hope that others will be able to see the connection between health, farming, nature and nutrition. I think that a lot of great things will come out of our first book discussion and I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, November 12th at 5:30. We will be meeting in the library (on the 2nd floor).
Soccer and Flag Football seasons are winding down. Last Thursday I was lucky enough to watch both teams play on their fields along the East River. I am so proud of what our student athletes have accomplished this season - I am impressed by their character, sportsmanship and dedication. Athletics has brought out the best in our young Labbies. The playoff season for Flag Football starts today - Go Gators!
As one season comes to an end another begins. Basketball tryouts are starting for both girls and boys. Cross Country - Lab Runs Far also has two more meets this season (one this Sunday).
The great Egg Drop contest is starting to take shape with the Science Olympiad team. Ms. Gatti's room was a blur of laughter, play, foam and cardboard on Friday afternoon. Students were divided into teams - each designing their own special "egg protection" capsule. The goal of course is to protect the egg when dropped from very high. The contraptions were incredibly creative - perhaps the funniest was the chicken w/ feathers and all (a play on what is found inside). There was some debate about how well chickens could actually fly.
This is the first year that Lab has done the program. Ms. Gatti has done a wonderful job recruiting kids to join the team It was wonderful to see so many moms there helping out as well. If you are interested in volunteering please let Ms. Gatti know.
Much more to report but need to sign-off for now...
Warmly,
Meg
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
It's Already November
A school with no children is how I find myself today - a perfect moment to catch -up on the last few weeks. It has been a busy time at Lab School. We held our first ever Lab MS pep rally on October 24th. It was an amazing event that brought me back to my own childhood. One of my goals for this year was to improve school culture (and school spirit). The pep rally was a perfect moment for our children to celebrate each other and our school. Each fall sports team (Cross Country, Soccer and Flag Football) and our Lab After school Programs (Science Olympiad, Freewrite, MS Math Team, Animation After school and Drama Club) made beautiful banners and were introduced to the school. We were also led in a school-wide cheer...
Everybody Stand Up
Gators Get Together
When I Say 1-2-3
You Say L-A-B
There was a lot of green, a lot of cheering and some beautiful music from 702. It brought tears (of happiness) to my eyes. I was so proud of our students and our little school.
Then this past Friday Lab celebrated Halloween in style. It started with the 8th grade annual room decorating contest. Every year the 8th grade students decorate their homerooms (which are judged by a collection of faculty members. This year Ms. Kim and 804 won with their scary Prom Night theme - it was quite the sight. We also held out fist annual Spookfest (sponsored by the Parents' Association - and the special hard work of Stacey Zausner). It was a wonderful event for the whole family. Kids came in costume and we watched Beetlejuice - an all time favorite Halloween Movie.
It is hard to believe that the first quarter is almost over - that we have been in school for nearly two months. It certainly has gone fast. This year I have found that one of my favorite moments everyday is when I spend lunch duty outside with our 7th and 8th graders. It is always a delight to be able to interact with students in a different context. I am often reminded how young our students really are. In Kelly Park kids are engrossed in play - tag, make-believe, laughter, the jungle gym and ball sports. Nothing is "too cool" during this time - you would never believe that they are middle schoolers. This is a side of our children that I realize parents rarely get to see at this age.
Folks always wonder how we spend our faculty conference days. Today we are working on the final components of our school-wide goal setting initiative. Our Goal Setting system will challenge students to develop individualized goals and action plans to work towards these goals. Students will be goal setting in each subject area.
Lastly, I wanted to remind everyone about our parent book group. Throughout the school year we will be reading three books. The first is called Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Our first meeting will be in the library on November 12th from 5:30 -7:00. There is no need to read the book in advance of our first meeting. I will be writing more about this book on my next blog post.
I hope this finds everyone well. Go Vote!
Yours,
Meg
Everybody Stand Up
Gators Get Together
When I Say 1-2-3
You Say L-A-B
There was a lot of green, a lot of cheering and some beautiful music from 702. It brought tears (of happiness) to my eyes. I was so proud of our students and our little school.
Then this past Friday Lab celebrated Halloween in style. It started with the 8th grade annual room decorating contest. Every year the 8th grade students decorate their homerooms (which are judged by a collection of faculty members. This year Ms. Kim and 804 won with their scary Prom Night theme - it was quite the sight. We also held out fist annual Spookfest (sponsored by the Parents' Association - and the special hard work of Stacey Zausner). It was a wonderful event for the whole family. Kids came in costume and we watched Beetlejuice - an all time favorite Halloween Movie.
It is hard to believe that the first quarter is almost over - that we have been in school for nearly two months. It certainly has gone fast. This year I have found that one of my favorite moments everyday is when I spend lunch duty outside with our 7th and 8th graders. It is always a delight to be able to interact with students in a different context. I am often reminded how young our students really are. In Kelly Park kids are engrossed in play - tag, make-believe, laughter, the jungle gym and ball sports. Nothing is "too cool" during this time - you would never believe that they are middle schoolers. This is a side of our children that I realize parents rarely get to see at this age.
Folks always wonder how we spend our faculty conference days. Today we are working on the final components of our school-wide goal setting initiative. Our Goal Setting system will challenge students to develop individualized goals and action plans to work towards these goals. Students will be goal setting in each subject area.
Lastly, I wanted to remind everyone about our parent book group. Throughout the school year we will be reading three books. The first is called Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Our first meeting will be in the library on November 12th from 5:30 -7:00. There is no need to read the book in advance of our first meeting. I will be writing more about this book on my next blog post.
I hope this finds everyone well. Go Vote!
Yours,
Meg
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Reports on the Week
Today's blog may seem a bit fragmented - so much has happened over the past week that I am dying to share (note - this blog is excerpts of a the week :)
Friday afternoon I made may way up to the north central portion of Central Park (a part that I have never been to before). There were fields and fields of young ones playing soccer. Our gators just happened to be all the way on the other end. It was wonderful to see both the girls and boys play - and to see so many parents and classmates along for support. I say this constantly, it is so important that children are able to explore their interests and passions - to have opportunities and outlets for expression. It is my hope that Sports, Lab AfterSchool and Clubs are meeting this need.
On the club front - the application to form a club has been created by the SGO (student government organization). Any student that is interested in forming a club should fill-out the form and submit it to my office for approval. This week SGO has already received three club applications. It is important to note that this is all a learning process for our children. Yes it would be much more efficient (and much easier) to do this all as adults but then so much would be lost in the process of learning how. I was reminded of that today as I sat in the first SGO meeting at lunch. Led by one of our fearless 8th graders the group spent the period brainstorming ideas for the school and then building committees. I was so proud to see the future leaders of our world in action at Lab.
I also snuck into a 7th grade music class yesterday. Mr. Schwartz was playing an electric guitar over his head as the students learned new notes to a rock song. They are practicing for an upcoming performance at our school's first ever pep rally. It was a mixture of loudness, passion and tune that only a music teacher could love or recogize. It was brilliant. I can't wait to hear what they play for the entire school.
Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the year - Curriculum Night. I see this night as a moment to bring our larger school family together to see old friends and welcome new ones. I hope that the night provides a taste of what it's like to be a middle schooler here.
I must go but before I do I also want to do a quick plug for a book group I'm starting. The flyer is posted on SchoolHub and will also be handed out. Our first book is Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. It is a wonderful book that explores the importance of nature in the development of a child. I promise to blog more about this (I have some great accompanying articles to send out as well).
All for now...
Warmly, Meg
Friday afternoon I made may way up to the north central portion of Central Park (a part that I have never been to before). There were fields and fields of young ones playing soccer. Our gators just happened to be all the way on the other end. It was wonderful to see both the girls and boys play - and to see so many parents and classmates along for support. I say this constantly, it is so important that children are able to explore their interests and passions - to have opportunities and outlets for expression. It is my hope that Sports, Lab AfterSchool and Clubs are meeting this need.
On the club front - the application to form a club has been created by the SGO (student government organization). Any student that is interested in forming a club should fill-out the form and submit it to my office for approval. This week SGO has already received three club applications. It is important to note that this is all a learning process for our children. Yes it would be much more efficient (and much easier) to do this all as adults but then so much would be lost in the process of learning how. I was reminded of that today as I sat in the first SGO meeting at lunch. Led by one of our fearless 8th graders the group spent the period brainstorming ideas for the school and then building committees. I was so proud to see the future leaders of our world in action at Lab.
I also snuck into a 7th grade music class yesterday. Mr. Schwartz was playing an electric guitar over his head as the students learned new notes to a rock song. They are practicing for an upcoming performance at our school's first ever pep rally. It was a mixture of loudness, passion and tune that only a music teacher could love or recogize. It was brilliant. I can't wait to hear what they play for the entire school.
Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the year - Curriculum Night. I see this night as a moment to bring our larger school family together to see old friends and welcome new ones. I hope that the night provides a taste of what it's like to be a middle schooler here.
I must go but before I do I also want to do a quick plug for a book group I'm starting. The flyer is posted on SchoolHub and will also be handed out. Our first book is Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. It is a wonderful book that explores the importance of nature in the development of a child. I promise to blog more about this (I have some great accompanying articles to send out as well).
All for now...
Warmly, Meg
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Beginnings
What a busy end (to last week) and start (to this week)...sorry I have not gotten on sooner! The flag football team played their first game on Friday night. I love sports - but I must admit that football is one of my favorites. Since coming to Lab it has been a dream of mine to start a football team. Standing on makeshift football field on the banks of the East River I couldn't of been happier - or prouder of our Gators. It was so great to see our teams play and to spend time with parents and siblings. Good luck to the team and coaches playing the game. And a tremendous thank you to the PA and Y-water (our sponsor) for making this dream a reality. This week I am headed to a soccer game (I will be sure to report out :) )
I am looking for pictures - please send them my way. I am working on a way to post on a secure site so we can honor and celebrate all that our labbies are doing.
The Guidance Department and I hosted High School information meetings today for 8th grade families. We had a pretty good turnout - it was so nice to see everyone. If folks missed the meeting and would like information they should email Jeanine Mastrangelo. Ms. Mastrangelo has also created a HS info email exchange for 8th grade families. The handout (with dates and deadlines) distributed at the meeting will also be backpacked home tomorrow. I know that the HS admissions process can be very stressful. I promise that Lab staff and faulty are here to support you in this process. Please let us know what we can do to help.
Next week is our annual Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 15th. This is a great opportunity to experience what it's like to be a Lab Middle Schooler. Parents will get a chance to meet their student's teachers, see the classrooms and meet other parents (during "passing periods"). More information will be coming home this week. I hope to see you all there.
I am going to sign-off for now. I am hopeful that more parents will subscribe to my blog (please spread the word).
Warmly, Meg
I am looking for pictures - please send them my way. I am working on a way to post on a secure site so we can honor and celebrate all that our labbies are doing.
The Guidance Department and I hosted High School information meetings today for 8th grade families. We had a pretty good turnout - it was so nice to see everyone. If folks missed the meeting and would like information they should email Jeanine Mastrangelo. Ms. Mastrangelo has also created a HS info email exchange for 8th grade families. The handout (with dates and deadlines) distributed at the meeting will also be backpacked home tomorrow. I know that the HS admissions process can be very stressful. I promise that Lab staff and faulty are here to support you in this process. Please let us know what we can do to help.
Next week is our annual Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 15th. This is a great opportunity to experience what it's like to be a Lab Middle Schooler. Parents will get a chance to meet their student's teachers, see the classrooms and meet other parents (during "passing periods"). More information will be coming home this week. I hope to see you all there.
I am going to sign-off for now. I am hopeful that more parents will subscribe to my blog (please spread the word).
Warmly, Meg
Thursday, October 1, 2009
DDR and other events...
Friday afternoon Lab School held the first ever Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) dance party as a welcome mixer for our 6th grade students. For those less hip than our middle schoolers and don't know what this is (me included) DDR is a game involving a series of dance moves projected onto a screen. The players are to replicate the moves by hopping on parts of a large "DDR" pad on the floor. Trust me, it is harder than it looks. Along with the DDR competion, students also limboed, "danced" and ate lots and lots of ice cream. The event was a highlight of my week. It is always a treat to get to interact with students in contexts other than the classroom. I was able to see a crazy, creative and loving side to the 6th grade class - our newest Labbies. The event would not of happened with out the hard work of Ms. Feurtado and Mr. Evans (who organized the event), the PA for helping buy ice cream and donate prizes and all of the teachers and parents that offered to help chaperon. I took nearly 50 pictures and will be certain to share them soon.
On Tuesday I hosted our annual Inclusion Information night. Parents of both inclusion and general ed students gathered in the library to learn about Lab's Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) program and meet some of our faculty. The highlight of the evening was hearing our students share their experiences with CTT. The CTT program is central to our school's values and cornerstone to our work - I must admit the students said it much better. Their words almost brought tears (happy ones) to my eyes.
I am off to Lunch Duty with the 6th graders. Hopefully there will be one more blog update before this short week ends.
Warmly,
Meg
On Tuesday I hosted our annual Inclusion Information night. Parents of both inclusion and general ed students gathered in the library to learn about Lab's Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) program and meet some of our faculty. The highlight of the evening was hearing our students share their experiences with CTT. The CTT program is central to our school's values and cornerstone to our work - I must admit the students said it much better. Their words almost brought tears (happy ones) to my eyes.
I am off to Lunch Duty with the 6th graders. Hopefully there will be one more blog update before this short week ends.
Warmly,
Meg
Friday, September 25, 2009
Happy Week Three
As week three comes to a close I am struck by how wonderful it is to work your students. My goal this week was to get into all the remaining classrooms (those that I hadn't seen last week) and sit-in with all of the homerooms. The first goal was met - the second proved to be a bit of a logistical challenge :) In any case I was able to spend a lot of time learning alongside your children. They are remarkable, brilliant young people. I always wish that parents could see what we as educators get to see everyday- you too would be impressed.
So what did I "learn" this week...
I learned about water (and the water system in our city), how Morning Girl got her name, what the probability of drawing a six is in a deck of cards, what and artist IS to a collection of 8th graders, what's so special about anecdotes, how to do OAI, how to make a graph from a frequency table, what America means from poets and songwriters, why The Watsons Go to Birmingham is the "best book ever"...the list goes on and on.
The classroom wasn't the only site for for learning. Two of our fall sports also started this week - Soccer and Flag Football. I made it out the yard for a little bit of tryouts (yes I do have pictures for those that are interested). It was exciting to see so many students eager to participate in sports. It is a dream of mine to establish an athletics program that is spirited and extensive enough to allow entry points for all types of athletes. Athletics are not only important for a student's own development - having sports teams are important for the culture and pride we have for our school. My goal is that we have at least 1/3 of our students participating in at least one sport over the course of the school year. Related, there was an interesting article in last weekend's New York Times Magazine about intelligence, development and physical activity. I encourage everyone to check it out.
There was also excitement on the fourth floor after school. As I was walking down the hallway on Tuesday I saw a line of children connecting room 429 and room 409 - each with a chair in hand. I stood in the hallway for moment watching as the line kept going (more and more students walking out of 429 with a chair). This continued for nearly 5 min. It was the math team setting a whole new record in members - 51. After all of the students filtered in I stuck my head into 409 to see a sea of children busily solving math problems. Thank you Ms. Feurtado and Mr. Evans (the math team coaches) for making math cool.
I am about to sign-off because there is much to do in preparation for the sixth grade dance this afternoon. Thank you to all of the families who are helping to organize a mixer for our littlest ones. The halls have been buzzing all week about this event. I promise there will be a schoolwide dance later in the school year (in case your 7th or 8th graders are asking).
I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend - I can't think of much that I love more than autumn in the city.
Warmly, Meg
So what did I "learn" this week...
I learned about water (and the water system in our city), how Morning Girl got her name, what the probability of drawing a six is in a deck of cards, what and artist IS to a collection of 8th graders, what's so special about anecdotes, how to do OAI, how to make a graph from a frequency table, what America means from poets and songwriters, why The Watsons Go to Birmingham is the "best book ever"...the list goes on and on.
The classroom wasn't the only site for for learning. Two of our fall sports also started this week - Soccer and Flag Football. I made it out the yard for a little bit of tryouts (yes I do have pictures for those that are interested). It was exciting to see so many students eager to participate in sports. It is a dream of mine to establish an athletics program that is spirited and extensive enough to allow entry points for all types of athletes. Athletics are not only important for a student's own development - having sports teams are important for the culture and pride we have for our school. My goal is that we have at least 1/3 of our students participating in at least one sport over the course of the school year. Related, there was an interesting article in last weekend's New York Times Magazine about intelligence, development and physical activity. I encourage everyone to check it out.
There was also excitement on the fourth floor after school. As I was walking down the hallway on Tuesday I saw a line of children connecting room 429 and room 409 - each with a chair in hand. I stood in the hallway for moment watching as the line kept going (more and more students walking out of 429 with a chair). This continued for nearly 5 min. It was the math team setting a whole new record in members - 51. After all of the students filtered in I stuck my head into 409 to see a sea of children busily solving math problems. Thank you Ms. Feurtado and Mr. Evans (the math team coaches) for making math cool.
I am about to sign-off because there is much to do in preparation for the sixth grade dance this afternoon. Thank you to all of the families who are helping to organize a mixer for our littlest ones. The halls have been buzzing all week about this event. I promise there will be a schoolwide dance later in the school year (in case your 7th or 8th graders are asking).
I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend - I can't think of much that I love more than autumn in the city.
Warmly, Meg
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Welcome to Principal Meg Blog
Good Afternoon Lab School Families...welcome to my blog.
I must admit that the concept of blogging is something that is entirely new to me. Everyday I see and experience moments that I want parents to know about - things that are not important enough to formalize in a note home but lend a glimpse into what it means to be a Labbie (in semi real-time).
More than anything I hope the blog gives answers when your children are less than forthcoming. The question, "What did you do in school today?" can finally be answered in words other than "nothing".This blog is an attempt to share those random moments of learning and joy.
The blog will not replace our website. SchoolHub will remain the primary way that the school and Parents' Association communicates with families. Ideally I will be doing blog updates 1-2 times a week. Join if you'd like (please disregard otherwise).
Warmly,
Meg
I must admit that the concept of blogging is something that is entirely new to me. Everyday I see and experience moments that I want parents to know about - things that are not important enough to formalize in a note home but lend a glimpse into what it means to be a Labbie (in semi real-time).
More than anything I hope the blog gives answers when your children are less than forthcoming. The question, "What did you do in school today?" can finally be answered in words other than "nothing".This blog is an attempt to share those random moments of learning and joy.
The blog will not replace our website. SchoolHub will remain the primary way that the school and Parents' Association communicates with families. Ideally I will be doing blog updates 1-2 times a week. Join if you'd like (please disregard otherwise).
Warmly,
Meg
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