Posts Categorized: Schools We Want

My Co-Director, Santo Nicotera, wrote this to our parents in our weekly newsletter: When we gather as a staff, the first hour to 90 minutes is spent in a structured conversation about our students.  We start with the writing of ’positive notes’ (each staff member writes and shares a note to a particular student which… Read more »

I try to be an early adopter of new social media.   I have a vivid memory of reading a NYTimes article about something called “MYSPACE” and then telling my middle school daughter that she should check this new thing out.  A few days later she came back to me and told me that that website… Read more »

  I’m going to admit it – this blog was born out of envy.  Last Saturday I virtually-attended the EdScape conference held at New Milford H.S. in N.J. The first time I did this was for the ASCD conference in March.  I got so much from the links and resources posted and the on-line conversations,… Read more »

Today is day three of the Fall Break following Intersession Week.  A week that was wonderfully rewarding, but pretty much always requires time off afterwards to recover.  I thought I would write a follow up blog entry indicating how it went.  From my perspective, it was great watching the kids come and go – excited… Read more »

As I type this blog entry, I am surrounded by students working on their writing as part of their Book Making Intersession. I am here with them because Kight, their teacher, asked if I could step in for her while she went to get a cup of coffee. She needs a little perk-me-up because she… Read more »

When I am teaching writing, I sometimes advise my students to just start.  A blank white paper can morph into a black hole sucking all energy from you if you don’t grab the moment and start.  (Although on other days I push the pre-writing/thinking talk — so much for consistency).  I’m not sure if the… Read more »