From the director:

Last Thursday, we had our first middle school admissions tour. We learned last year that it was too confusing for families investigating kindergarten and sixth grade to be in the same group, so have split them up. All touring families see the whole school, regardless of their children’s grade level. They hear about PHS philosophy and pedagogy from me; observe classes in session; pose questions to Sunan, Jana, and the parent tour guides; and have a chance to speak casually with students and teachers. Adra is often able to pop out into the hall to provide an overview of the visual arts program, and other teachers can sometimes do the same.

For kindergarten tours, Steve appears at the end to answer questions about curriculum, conflict resolution, transitions, and other aspects of life in the land of five-year-olds. As you would expect, he is a knowledgeable, reassuring presence! The parallel for the first middle school tour was a big dose of extra time at the end with Karen, Mike, Mohammed, and Sue, where parents heard much more detail about our approach to teaching and dealing with adolescent life. Each of them spoke for five minutes or so about what they teach, how they teach it, and why they choose to work at Presidio Hill with your children.

I came in part way through Mike’s presentation, and stayed to hear Mohammed and Sue. I also heard them answer an array of questions ranging from middle school social cruelty to their own curricular choices. And I confess to being knocked out. I already know these teachers are very good at what they do, and know that one of our hallmarks is the depth of affection PHS teachers feel for their students. Yet there was something about their statements, which revealed the passion, knowledge, depth, humor, and heart they bring to their teaching and daily interactions with students, that had me grinning with pride. They spoke about critical thinking and teaching for understanding; gave examples of creative projects they assigned; addressed teasing and bullying; and demonstrated how well they know (and how much they care about) individual students. I stood there feeling lucky to work with such talented colleagues!

This week, I was similarly delighted by reactions from touring families who were paying more attention to lower school teachers. They reported hearing articulate and consistent explanations of progressive education from every teacher, and were dazzled by the students’ confidence and good cheer. Our students are quite happy to show their work to strangers and explain what they are doing in class, and do so with considerable enthusiasm.

Thanks again to the parents who volunteer as tour guides—we could not do admissions work without you. You will all find in this Friday Envelope a request from Sunan and Jana asking for your continued help in our outreach efforts. If this is something you can do, please take a minute to fill out the form and return it to the admissions office.

Happy Halloween!

From the deans:

It is likely we all remember our middle school years as a discernible time of confusion and excitement. Like us many years ago, the typical PHS adolescent is struggling daily to gain a sense of identity at a time when major physical, emotional, and mental changes are taking place. So, what does a school do to address these issues, above and beyond hiring deans, caring teachers who avail themselves to students, and a counseling intern? We develop a course called Self and Community!

In past years, Self and Community focused on meaningful topics such as social skills and media literacy. My background in counseling leads me to believe that much can be gained by an introspective examination of the self . . . especially during one’s adolescent years. Consequently, the 6th and 7th grade Self and Community course is designed as a “personal” course. I am presenting a wide array of topics related to adolescent development designed to address the academic, social and emotional needs of every student. The primary goal of the course is to promote and enhance student learning through a thoughtful, yet critical analysis of self. Through class discussions, student projects, debates, role playing and group cooperation activities, students will:

1. develop and identify personal values, attitudes, beliefs, preferences and interests;
2. understand the relationship between thoughts and actions, and learn to identify and express feelings; and
3. develop an understanding of the social and emotional changes occurring as part of the ‘normal’ developmental process.

The different topics covered include identity, emotions, friendship, health, responsibility, and values and allow students to learn about who they are today and the person they are becoming. Some time is spent talking about the various communities to which students belong. We also talk a lot about how our varied experiences shape and impact us. The idea is to have students explore the “whole” self. And, in doing so, students consistently reflect upon the seven essential questions guiding the course:

• Who am I?
• What and who is important to me?
• How do I fit in?
• Why am I feeling this way?
• At what age do I have to be responsible for my actions and me?
• Do I like the person I am? Can I change?
• How do I define myself for myself?

The course will culminate with each student creating a “Whole Me” portfolio, presented during the last week of the semester. The portfolio is the illustrative and descriptive representation of the student and allows him/her to express their individuality in their own way. While it is expected that every student will present his/her portfolio to the class, students are asked to present only the material that they want to share. My hope is that the students will keep their portfolios as a piece of work that reflects their increasing self-knowledge and individual growth. I invite you to attend our class presentations in late December; invitations will be sent home in a Friday Letter closer to the date of the presentation. Hope to see you there.

Karen Amaker, Middle School Dean