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Character Education at The
Summit
March, 2001
Written by Mary
Foss Brinkmeyer, Assistant Head
"The children we teach will not care how much we
know
until they know how much we care."
-Thomas Sergiovanni
Our school theme this year is
"Educating Leaders of Character" with an emphasis on Kindness
and Caring. We provide opportunities to teach the meanings of these
traits, to practice them, and to engage students in leadership activities.
We would like to share with you some "Third Quarter" highlights
of our Educating For Character Program.
Kindness and Caring:
-Throughout the school year First Grade students in Mrs. Sue Heighberger's
class have kept a written log of their many acts of kindness. In March
they achieved "100 Acts of Kindness" and celebrated with a
popcorn party.
- Students in Mrs. Tiffany Clayton's First Grade class write each week in
their Kindness Journal. According to First Grader Micaela Mountel, "
I really like writing in my Kindness Journal because it helps me think
about being nice to people all the time."
- Hearts with Kindness and Caring acts written on them decorate Mrs. Laura
Seybold's classroom bulletin board. Each Friday students in Mrs. Laura
Seybold's First Class have been sharing a kind and caring act that they do
or that someone else does in the class. They have written the acts on a
heart and hung them on a board for all to see. This encourages students to
be more conscientious of their actions and to realize that even the
smallest of deeds can be considered kind or caring. Seeing their names on
the hearts motivates them to continue to be kind and caring. The class's
goal is to reach "100 Acts of Kindness".
- Fourth Grade students collected thirty-two sleeping bags, over one
hundred stuffed animals, and over three hundred books, which were given to
homeless children who are finding temporary residence through a program
called Inter Faith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati. Relating to
this very special project, students in Mrs. Patti Kenney's Language Arts
classes read The Leaves in October. The main character finds herself
living in a homeless shelter. Mrs. Cammie Corder-Nelson's Language Arts
classes read Afternoon of the Elves in which the main character takes care
of her ill mother with many of her own basic needs not met. Understanding
character traits by understanding these social conditions was the focus of
discussion.
- Students in Ms. Amanda Gruber's and Mrs. Marianne Martin's Sixth Grade
advisement groups kept individual Kindness and Caring Journals. Mrs.
Phyllis Mendel's advisement students pledged to do special acts of
kindness for someone during Lent.
- Students in Mr. Jeff Tullos's Seventh Grade Religion classes collected
over fifty videocassette tapes for children served by Children's Hospital
Medical Center. The hospital expressed thanks to the students, "I
understand you wanted to share some kindness with our patients…I commend
you for your generosity…your gift will make the patient's visit more
enjoyable."
- During Lent Seventh Grade students were given a challenge each week to
do an act of kindness for their parents, siblings or friends each day and
to say something positive to another student before the start of class.
Spiritual:
- First Grade students planned a Valentine's Day prayer service for the
Primary School in the culmination of their Religion class unit on
parables. The theme of the prayer service emphasized Kindness and Caring.
- Third Grade students led the Primary prayer service for Ash Wednesday
and Beth Chambers gave the introduction saying, "Jesus died so that
we might enjoy eternal life. His cross is the sign of our salvation. In
order to be his disciples, Jesus said we must take up our cross and follow
him. As we receive ashes today, let us begin our journey."
- Fourth Grade Religion classes worked in teams to complete large book
versions of the Stations of the Cross. They coordinated artwork, Bible
study, original prayers, and computer information to complete this
project. They then shared the completed books with the Eighth Grade
Religion classes.
- In their study of the Old Testament, Mrs. Maureen Everhart's Sixth Grade
Religion classes worked together in groups to build either Solomon's
Temple or the Tent of Presence. They used the "talents" of
"decision-making and planning" in preparation. They presented
their projects to the class and displayed them in the Tyrrell Library.
- Sixth Grade students also discussed Lenten promises and anonymously
posted them on a purple cross in their classroom.
- The Upper School Worship Committee plan and lead the liturgies for the
Upper School. According to Freshman Anna Ryan, "We encourage student
participation and initiate creative strategies to promote
participation."
- Once a month the Upper School gathers in the chapel for 4th Day Meetings
to pray together and to hear a fellow student reflect on life, faith, and
relationships. Following reflection, students gather in advisements to
continue discussion on the presentation and to participate in special
projects.
- The Worship Committee worked on projects for the entire Upper School to
prepare for Lent and Easter. The 4th Day meeting on February 28 was
devoted to prayer and initiating these projects: Freshmen created a
Healing Tree in St. Cecilia's and asked students to share a thought about
a relationship he/she is trying to improve by writing about that
relationship on a leaf of the tree; Freshmen and Sophomores designed
posters depicting the Stations of the Cross; Juniors visited the Third
Grade and read the book, Tale of the Three Trees, about doing good acts in
one's life and made "Clothespin Crucifixes" with the Third
Graders; and Senior Ben Trautmann addressed the student body at the
opening of the 4th Day meeting.
- Several times a year Upper School students participate in prayer
services of various religions as students share with each other their
faith traditions to gain a greater appreciation of the religions of the
world. This quarter Pastor Dan Kasztelan of Cincinnati Friends Meeting
conducted a Quaker Prayer Service. He described the difference among the
three types of Quaker religious ceremonies: unprogrammed, semi-programmed,
and programmed worship. He stressed the importance of silence in worship
and led the students in a semi-programmed Quaker worship.
- Mr. Kevin Scalf, Upper School Faculty member who teaches Biblical
Studies to Juniors, presented original lectures and integrating rituals at
the Marydale Retreat Center in March. This retreat, "Biblical
Portraits of Masculine Spirituality and Christian Character," invited
men to reflect on their Christian character through the lens of sacred
scripture.
Christian Service:
- The entire Primary had a wonderful time making stew for the St. Francis
Soup Kitchen on March 9. Students contributed to this endeavor by bringing
ingredients for the stew.
- Third Graders made gift candy bags for Valentine's Day to give to the
children of Beech Acres.
- Third Grade students viewed a video on Lent and learned that the three
basic tenets of Lent are prayer, fasting, and alms giving. During Lent
they performed special acts of kindness, foregoing some treats, and
donating saved money to the Avon Breast Cancer Awareness Fund.
- Seventh and Eighth Grade CAT (Christian Action Team) members continued
their volunteer efforts in the community this quarter by: making lunch for
the forty residents at Tender Mercies, helping out the Common Ground
Ministries' fundraiser by participating in their car wash and cleaning the
children's play area, and organizing and stocking shelves at Crayons to
Computers.
-The Middle School CAT team is sponsoring "Box Tops for
Education." Students are asked to collect box tops from any General
Mills and Betty Crocker product and bring them to school. These companies
will reimburse the school for each box top. With this money the students
will buy classroom supplies for St. Francis Seraph's School. So far 600
box tops have been collected!!!!!
- The Quarters for Kids Program: Each year the Upper School collects money
during Lent to donate to local charities. This year funds are earmarked
for the Nelson Family Fund and the India Earthquake Relief Fund.
- Juniors Caroline Wells, Jeff Thompson, and Anne Sammarco worked hard to
orchestrate a fundraiser for the Nelson family. The
"Chicken-Chow-Down" saw some 1200 chicken wings "gobbled
up" to raise over $1,400 - a great success.
- Birthright is an organization that strives to support pregnant women in
need of material assistance. Upper School students supported this effort
by hosting a "Baby Shower" to collect much-needed items for this
organization.
Student Leadership:
- First Grade students served as hosts and hostesses to Montessori
kindergarten students and their parents in January. This was a great
opportunity for both children and parents to learn more about the First
Grade.
- Each Primary student prepared a poster called "Math About Me."
The student shared facts about herself or himself that related to numbers,
such as his/her weight when born, street address, etc. Each poster was
displayed and then students took turns being Classmate of the Week.
- A true test of leadership: First Graders were asked to share what they
would do if they were President of the United States as part of a unit
studying presidents and Washington, D.C.
- Junior Executive Board members Sarah Martin, Jeff Thompson, and Ty Moore
participated in the Student Council Exchange at Sycamore High School.
According to Sarah Martin, "There were 25 schools who sent
representatives to this day-long workshop. We attended two sessions that
were very interesting. The first was on "student spirit" in
schools and each school shared the activities done to enhance school
spirit. There were a lot of new ideas for us. The second session was on
school service work and we shared information on this, and it was apparent
that The Summit was a leader in this area."
- Juniors Megan Browder, Shawn Kuhn, Steven Long, Danny Reynolds, Steve
Stickle, Caroline Wells, and Sophomores Frank Charlton, Mitch Duggins,
Steve Haag, Steve Knoepfler, and Bobby Oakwood participated in the Youth
In City Government Conference. These students spent three days learning
about city government with presentations by city officials. According to
Dan Reynolds, " It was very interesting to hear presentations and
debate issues confronting Cincinnati, such as racial profiling and
downtown parking. We worked together to write our own city ordinances as
if we were on City Council." Students from thirty area schools
attended this conference and Steven Long was elected to be a member of the
Youth City Council. He will assist in planning and leading next year's
conference.
- The second Arts Forum, an Upper School student organization that meets
regularly to promote appreciation and awareness of the arts, was held on
March 7. Student performances included dance, piano, singing, poetry
presentations and two band performances. Student artwork was also
displayed.
- The Senior AYF (American Youth Foundation) Compact Team attended a
workshop with other AYF school teams at Cincinnati Country Day in
February. The focus of the workshop was peer education. According to
Senior Lauren Hoeck, "Students were given task management
recommendations on how to organize and lead peer leadership
workshops."
- The Upper School AYF students planned and led leadership workshops for
Freshmen and Sophomores this quarter. The focus of the Sophomore workshop
was on the leadership skills of teambuilding, collaboration, consensus
building, and group problem solving. The Freshmen workshop emphasized
communication skills and focused on the skills of listening, speaking, and
organization of material.
- Nine Upper School students participated in the Metropolitan Youth
Roundtable workshop in February. The purpose of this Roundtable is to
promote understanding and respect for all people through advocacy and
education. According to Junior Eric McKinney, " The focus of this
workshop was on police action in the community and school violence. We
discussed many issues: the role of police officers in the community;
racial profiling; social, economic, gender, and age stereotyping; and how
peer education can help prevent violence in schools."
Diversity:
- All-Day Montessori students were treated to a most informative
presentation on Venezuela given jointly by Summit parent Mrs. Anna
Passerini, Emanuele's mother, and Montessori Division Director Mrs.
Phyllis Schueler. The Passerini family lived in Caracas for 3 years and
Mrs. Schueler visited her son, Steve, who lives and works in Caracas.
Students studied the geography and food specialties of the country and
artifacts and pictures were shared. They learned about the history of
Venezuela and how the early Spanish explorers saw the Indians travel to
their huts by canoe along the edge of Lake Maracaibo. They named the
country Venezuela, which means "Little Venice" because it
reminded them of Venice, Italy.
- Summit Parent and Alum, Mrs. Allison Weber Erickson '86, and three
dancers from her Erickson Academy of Irish Dance, including Summit student
Mia Escudero, performed Irish soft and hard shoe dancing for Montessori
and First Grade students. She explained the history of Irish dancing and
how it began in the 1400's taught by French and Irish Masters. While
dancing, girls wear colorful embroidered dresses and boys wear quilts, a
sign of nobility. She explained to students that the shamrock was used to
teach Irish children about God because it's 3 leaves are a symbol of the
Trinity.
- Dr. Nandi Mutema, Tendo's mother, presented her native country of Uganda
to Mrs. Susie Kammer's Montessori class. She told the children that Uganda
is called the "Pearl of Africa" because it is so beautiful and
the weather is warm all year. She explained that most of the wild animals,
such as elephants and lions, live in national parks because of poachers.
She said that there are many tribes in Uganda and farming is very
important as a job as well as a hobby.
- Mr. Michael Murray, Conmichael's father, presented Irish music and songs
to the students in Ms. Regina Sansalone's Montessori class. The students
enjoyed learning how to "act out" the words of the songs. Mr.
Murray performs on a regular basis at the Dubliner Restaurant in Pleasant
Ridge.
- Mr. Muhit Rahman, Nadia's father, spoke with the students in Mrs. Susie
Kammer's Montessori class about Bangladesh, where he was born and lived
for 19 years. He brought in many items to share with the students: a flag
of green (representing agriculture) and red (representing the sun); a
peacock shaped-boat which is the only means of transportation during the
rainy season when one third of the country is covered with water; a doll
dressed in a sari, the native dress for women; various denominations of
money; and two different native drums. Mr. Rahman told the students that
the people from India and Bangladesh enjoy spicy food because for a very
long period of time they did not have refrigerators and spices prevent
some foods from deterioration. The students were excited to hear that
"Bengal" tigers live in the swampy mangrove forest of
Bangladesh. Sports are very important there as well: soccer for men -
known as football and field hockey for women.
- Ms. Erna Barnard, a South African native, visited Mrs. Karen Koch's
classroom to share her knowledge about Africa. She spoke to the children
about the South African flag, the climate, and the schools. She shared
some wonderful picture books of Africa and helped the children locate
South Africa on the maps in the Montessori classrooms.
- Mrs. Carolina Melis, Macarena's mother, spoke with Mrs. Linda
Moeggenberg's class about her native country of Peru. She brought an
alpaca wool blanket and an Incan piece of pottery to share with the
children.
- Mrs. Diane Fee's Montessori class celebrated Chinese New Year, the
"Year of the Snake" in January. The class searched websites on
China, engaged in many activities on China, and
ate rice!!!!! In conjunction with the study of Asia, Dr. and Mrs. Amina
Malik, Zainab's parents, presented their native culture of Pakistan to the
class. They shared pictures, artifacts, crafts, and the beautiful
traditional clothing of that country.
- The study of dinosaurs is a highlight for the young child. In Mrs. Mary
Humpert's Montessori class, Mrs. Kathleen Cail, Benjamin's mom, visited
and created a "fossil dig" for the students. Students were
thrilled to dig through the dirt for fossils and to take them home.
- Mrs. Ann Marie Kafoure's class studied "Children around the
World." Mrs. Christy Linnenkohl, Sarah's mother, presented the
culture of China and spoke about the Chinese New Year to the class. Sarah
wore a traditional dress, sang Chinese songs, and counted in Chinese for
the students. Mrs. Linnenkohl gave each child Chinese currency in a
Chinese New Year envelope.
- The Queen City Foundation and the R.A.I.S.E. (Raising Awareness in the
School Environment) organization sponsored the "Harbari Gani"
Exhibition at The Summit during the week of March 12. The purpose of this
exhibition is to stimulate awareness, appreciation, and celebration of the
African American culture. It consists of various local artists and
historical information provided by the Arts Consortium's African American
Museum and the R. and T. O'Neal Foundation.
All divisions of the school celebrated
February's Black History Month in various ways by learning about the many
contributions that African Americans have made to our country. These have
been displayed in all libraries and on bulletin boards throughout the
school. Here are some division highlights:
Montessori Division:
- Classes studied the continent of Africa and its culture by reading
African folklore as well as everyday life stories of African American
heroes. They shared ethnic food, customs, music, art, and native flags.
- Children's books by various African American authors such as Ezra Jack
Keats, David Pilkney, and Faith Ringgold were circulated among the
classrooms.
- A collection of African American music was highlighted among the
classes, including the work of Ella Jenkins.
- All-Day students studied Faith Ringgold and the art of quilt making.
They read her book Tar Beach, and made their own quilt designs which were
then displayed in the classroom.
- Ms. Regina Sansalone's class studied the African country of Tunisia and
students made flags and prepared and ate couscous.
- All Montessori children made silhouette profiles of Rev. Martin Luther
King and students read stories that celebrated his life and
accomplishments.
- Many famous African Americans were highlighted in Ms. Karen Pohl's
classes, such as: Garrett Morgan who invented the traffic light and sold
his patent to CG&E; Jesse Owens who won 3 gold medals in the 1936
World Olympics; Justice Thurgood Marshall who was a member of the Supreme
Court; and Crispus Atticus, a revolutionary war hero.
Primary Division:
- First Grade Social Studies classes focused on famous African Americans
and their contributions to our country. They were introduced to the
Kwanzaa celebration. A Friday afternoon project integrated the poetry,
art, music, and literature of African Americans.
-Second Grade students read two books: The Story of Ruby Bridges, which
tells the story of a seven year-old who is the first black child to attend
an all-white elementary school, and Teammates, which is the story of
Jackie Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers and his relationship with Pee
Wee Reece. The students discussed how people of character with deeply
rooted beliefs can make a difference in the world. They also read the
biography of Rev. Martin Luther King. After their study of Rev. King,
students chose another famous person to research and created a "BioBottle,"
(biography bottle) which resembled that person. Students presented their
"BioBottle" project to the class.
- Second Grade Science classes studied the stars and constellations and
learned how African American slaves used the North Star to guide their way
to freedom. The Second Grade Social Studies students read the books, The
Drinking Gourd and Follow the Drinking Gourd and continued their study of
the Underground Railroad. Students studied the Jim Crow Laws and realized
how different America is today than it was in the days of segregation.
- Third Grade students studied the accomplishments of African Americans
and several classes constructed an historical time line of these
accomplishments and several classes created puppets depicting famous
African Americans and presented a report to the class.
- Primary art classes focused their study on African American forms and
various classes created "Journey Sticks" based on African
staffs; designed their own African masks based on the study of traditional
African masks; and studied contemporary African American painters and
produced interior scenes based on their paintings.
Middle Division:
- Fourth Grade students reviewed a time line of the life of Rev. Martin
Luther King and listed things they could do to honor him for his devotion
to the Civil Rights Movement. Social Studies students used the laptop and
projection system and studied the lives of the following leading African
Americans: Mary McLeod Bethune, George Washington Carver, Benjamin
Banneker, Robert Smalls, Frederick A. Douglass, and Harriet Tubman.
Language Arts classes explored a variety of African American authors and
illustrators, such as Sharon Bell Mathis, Maya Angelou, Julius Lester,
Jerry Pinkney, Christopher Paul Curtis, and Mildred Taylor. In Religion
classes students viewed the video of the life of Rev. King and discussed
social justice.
- Fifth Grade students in Language Arts classes combined Black History
Month, Women's Rights, and Diversity to build "Pillars of
Society" which exhibited information about many people who have
contributed to our society in positive ways. Students discussed two
novels, Maniac Magee and Great Gilly Hopkins, which gave students multiple
opportunities to discuss diversity issues.
- Sixth Grade students in Social Studies and Language Arts classes
collaborated on a study of America's Civil Rights Movement. Students
viewed the video "A Time for Justice." Students wrote essays
reflecting their individual feelings based upon knowledge gained after
viewing the video and engaged in class discussions on it. The Sixth Grade
researched the 1930's and learned about the Underground Railroad. Language
Arts classes read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. Working
in small groups, students researched a related topic and did a
presentation on either a student-generated web page, PowerPoint
Presentation, brochure, or newspaper.
- Seventh Grade students in Language Arts read African American poetry and
short stories. Language Arts and Social Studies students participated in
an interdisciplinary unit covering the Civil War. African American
contributions as leaders, soldiers, workers, and participants in the
Underground Railroad were emphasized. Students watched the movie, Glory,
which focused on the many important contributions of African American
soldiers during the Civil War.
- Eighth Grade students researched information on the Internet, did
extensive research in the library, and wrote reports on famous African
Americans. Students then presented these reports to their classmates.
- Middle School librarian Mrs. Karen Wagner sponsored a "Famous
African American" contest in February. Students researched many
sources to match the names of notable African Americans with their
contribution to this country. There were 23 winners who matched names and
contributions correctly and each received a gift certificate to Graeters.
Upper Division:
- Members of P.R.A.I.S.E. (Promoting Racial Awareness in the School
Environment) organized and led activities in the Upper School. During the
morning assemblies students reflected upon the contributions of the
African American community to our country's history and culture.
- Upper School students participated in a Rev. Martin Luther King Prayer
Service. Senior Trenita Brookshire and Freshman Elise Malone organized and
led this prayer service during which students viewed Rev. King's speech,
"I Have a Dream," on video and Elder Thomas Jordan from Christ
Centered Apostolic Church addressed the students by saying how important
it is to have a dream and that "it is time to be a leader and to step
up to the plate to live out Rev. Martin Luther King's dream."
- Throughout the Upper School halls posters were displayed depicting the
lives and achievements of many African Americans. Congratulations to all
the students who worked so hard on this project-the school community has
enjoyed learning from them.
- The recent exhibition Half Past Autumn, The Art of Gordon Parks at the
Cincinnati Art Museum presented an opportunity to introduce Upper School
art students and members of P.R.A.I.S.E. to the life and work of a man
whose weapons against bigotry, hatred, and poverty were found through the
creative expressions of photography, poetry, writing, film, music, and
painting. Gordon Parks is an African American photographer famous for his
work with the Farm Securities Administration, Standard Oil, and Life
Magazine. He is also an accomplished poet, writer, film director, and
musical composer. After studying the life of Gordon Parks through the HBO
documentary video, students visited the museum on March 2.
Drug and Alcohol Prevention:
- Congratulations to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth grade students on
raising $6969.31 for the "Jump Rope for Heart" Jump-a-thon. The
students jumped rope 485,00 times in memory of the people who died last
year due to smoking related illnesses of the heart.
-Our PRIDE Parent-to-Parent Workshops have continued to be successful as
there have been over 100 parents participate in them. The last series of
workshops was held in January. These video-based workshops are designed to
encourage parents to take a proactive approach to help children make good
decisions, to teach responsibility, and to prevent substance abuse. Please
call Middle School Guidance Counselor Mrs. Patty Argus at 871-4700, ext.
249 if you are interested in participating in future workshops.
- On February 15 Ari Sherwin, an eleven-time state champion, American
record holder and a national collegiate gold medallist Olympic
weightlifter, presented a program to Upper School students entitled,
"Drugs in Sports-A Losing Game." His message to the students
focused on the many dangers of recreational drugs and the importance of
health awareness. Mr. Sherwin was awarded a Presidential commendation for
drug education from the Office of the National Drug Control in 1995. After
his presentation he demonstrated weightlifting for the students.
- On March 26 Seventh Grade students participated in a Drug and Alcohol
Awareness Panel. Middle School Health Faculty member Mrs. Kristy Brandabur
organized this event which featured Honorable Stephanie Wyler, Juvenile
Judge and Ben's mother; Deputy Bill Sharber, two representatives from
Alcoholics Anonymous; Mr. Joe Niehaus and students from the Kids Helping
Kids Program; and Summit Senior Diane Ulmer.
Student Work Ethic:
- Each year Middle School students participate in a Geography Bee and this
year's winner was Eighth Grader Luke Albi. In each grade there are seven
preliminary rounds during which each student answers oral questions. The
top two students from each grade participate in a final round and the
student to answer the most questions correctly is the winner of the
Geography Bee - Congratulations Luke.
- Congratulations to the 24 Middle School students who participated in the
State Latin Convention in Columbus in March. The Summit won first place in
Academics for the fourth year in a row and third place overall. The Level
One Certamen team, Joey Oakwood, Brian Kelso, Valerie Resnick, and
Frederick Hall, earned second place in the state out of 30 teams.
- The Summit hosted the district tournament for the Power of the Pen
competition on February 24. Fifteen schools from the southwest district of
Ohio sent 180 writers to compete. The competition consisted of three
rounds of writing to prompts. Writers were rated and ranked for
originality, clarity, and development of the prompt. Seventh and Eighth
Grade Summit students placed first and second individually and both the
Seventh and Eighth Grade Teams placed first for the third year in a row.
- Upper School photography students worked on character related themes in
the production of black and white photographic images and collages.
Graphic design students worked on editorial cartoons centered on character
themes and also worked on 2-D layouts centered on controversial issues in
the news. Portfolio students studied caricature using 3-D sculpture.
Sportsmanship:
- The Miami Valley Conference (MVC) Student Forum is comprised of a group
of coaches, officials, administrators, and students from schools within
the conference who meet on a regular basis. The mission of the Forum is to
promote respect both on and off the playing field. It defines
sportsmanship as an athlete or person who can show pride and leadership
for their school team. The MVC Student Forum meets three times a year and
four Upper School students, Senior Frank Albi, Junior Lauren Manning,
Sophomore Darwin Ashley, and Freshman Lisa Cosgrove participated in the
January forum. According to Lisa Cosgrove, "During our January
meeting the student representatives from the MVC schools worked on a
service project together. We went to Common Ground Ministries and stocked
the food pantry, made lunch for the people who visited, and sorted clothes
for the thrift store. It was fun to get to know students from the other
schools while doing service." For the March Student Forum Juniors
Grant Bailey, Steve Johnson, Mike Frederick, Carrie Haas, and Katie
Kathman visited Seven Hills School. According to Grant Bailey "It was
a worthwhile experience to spend a day at Seven Hills and to attend
classes with another Junior who plays the same sport as I do. While we
were there four Seven Hills students came to The Summit to shadow our
students."
Parent/School Alliance:
- An educational "Parent By Heart" video series for parents is
available to borrow from the Middle School Tyrrell Library. The four part
series includes the following videos:
"How to Really Love Your Children"
"The Key to Discipline"
"Power Struggles"
"A Lasting Legacy"
Please contact Mrs. Karen Wagner at 871-4700, ext. 255 if you would like
to borrow them.
- In December Dr. Meg Zeller, Assistant Professor of Psychology at
Children's Hospital, presented an
in-service program for Montessori and Primary faculty on fostering healthy
peer relations within the early elementary school classroom. On February
22 she returned to speak with the parents on how they can support efforts
towards developing positive social skills within their children. Thank you
to Summit Primary chairperson parents Mr. Christo Lassiter and Mrs. Teri
Comber for hosting the evening.
- Throughout the school year the Middle School has hosted parent meetings
on various topics. The March meeting focused on technology and how
students are developing the skills "to travel everywhere on their
computers." Upper School faculty member, Mr. Dirk Horton, spoke about
technology at school and how parents might keep up with the sites their
children visit.
- Mr. Tom Monaco's "Parent Discussion Evening Gatherings" have
become very popular with Upper School parents. On February 21 the topic of
conversation was "Potential vs. Performance" at which Mr. Monaco
emphasized, "in raising adolescents we seek: to make connections and
avoid disconnections; to teach adaptive behaviors in face of difficulties;
to help them know and value themselves and others; and to help them become
their best selves in order to best serve others."
-Dr. Tom Lickona's February 1 visit to The Summit was a great success with
over 300 people in attendance from The Summit and Cincinnati communities
at the Summit Parents Association Winter Dinner Meeting. Dr. Lickona spent
the day working with Upper School students, faculty, and the
administrative team. Transcribed notes from all of these meetings were
distributed in the last parent packet and are still available upon
request. We will use his insightful recommendations in planning future
Educating for Character Program initiatives.
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