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Welcome to the November 1, 2007 issue of Newsbreak. In this Issue
Upcoming Events 11/2 5th Grade Gathering hosted by Amy & Whit Ford 5:00 pm 11/4 Admissions Open House 2:30-4:30 pm 11/5 February Event Planning Meeting RESCHEDULED to 1:30 pm, Art Studio, Jessie Building - everyone is welcome! 11/6 BPA Meeting, 8:20 am in the Library - Featuring Homework Hints with Abi Ordway and State of the School with David Sullivan and members of the Board of Trustees 11/7 Half Day Wednesday 11/12 Veterans Day Observance -- No School 11/16 Parent Coffee - Hosted by Grade 3/4 Parents 11/17 My Irish Soul Paul Sullivan, solo piano - CD Release Party and Private Concert - Breakwater Celebrates the Arts! 11/21 Half Day Wednesday - NO AFTER CARE 11/22-23 Thanksgiving Break 11/30 Toys for Tots
BWS Links
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HEAD LINES... News from David Sullivan 
The sun shone on Breakwater for the annual Halloween parade, a tradition of magic and celebration that I look forward to enjoying for many years. Parents, siblings and grandparents joined to watch the parade and enjoy refreshments sponsored by the BPA. In my dual role as Head of School and BWS parent I marveled at the enthusiasum, creativity and joy that was present on the blacktop. This duality many times causes me to pause and ponder. My family’s recent move to Portland has caused me to become more aware of myself as a parent. Molly (age 2) and Oliver (age 6) moved to Portland, while my oldest Sosha (age 13) went to boarding school. They have had to make lots of adjustments and have encountered many new situations. Sometimes with grace. Sometimes not. As an educator I want children to be good problem solvers. I have always tried to create situations in my classrooms where through hard work, creativity, imagination, and thought, students find resolution to academic and social problems. As a parent I have come to realize that although I want my children to be good problem solvers, I don’t always want them to have problems to solve. As a parent the natural impulse is to make sure your child’s life is smooth and that things are taken care of, that they have no problems. As a teacher I am comfortable watching students appropriately struggle through something, knowing their learning will be deeper and longer lasting if I let them have the experience of finding a solution. As a parent I am less able to do this and I have to realize that the set of problems my children face at school are different than the ones they face at home. The same is true of making mistakes. As an educator I believe that as long as proper reflection happens, making mistakes goes hand-in-hand with learning. As a parent I often want to spare my children the pain, embarrassment, or upset of making an error. Mark Twain said something like: wisdom comes from experience while experience comes from bad choices. Unfortunately it isn’t always clear when, as a parent, I should allow the mistake to be made, the problem to remain, or when I should intervene. I have appreciated witnessing how well the Breakwater community - parents and teachers - works together to support this sometimes challenging aspect of learning. Thanks to all who have forwarded Breakwater stories and book titles that resonate with the Breakwater experience. Keep them coming! 
Breakwater School is participating in The Pink Tulip Project sponsored by the Maine Cancer Foundation. This is an opportunity to raise breast cancer awareness and beautify our campus at the same time. The Pink Tulip Project is particularly meaningful to Breakwater as it was founded by Robin Whitten, former Breakwater parent and a breast cancer survivor. Many thanks to current parent, Stephen King, who helped organize this effort. In the next few weeks, Breakwater middle school students will be planting 500 pink tulip bulbs in the grassy area north of the Dan, at the intersection of Brighton and Capisic and in front of the Jessie Building. For more information or to make a donation go to the Maine Cancer Foundation's Woman's Cancer Fund. 
Have you seen a herd of Breakwater students jogging and walking around the field in the morning recently? Wondered what was going on? Felt like joining in? Welcome to Morning Laps! Introduced by our After Care Director, Kate Hartmann, Morning Laps are a great way to get some exercise before school. Anyone can participate -- parents, students, siblings, teachers, and even dogs! A roster keeper records the number of laps each person completes each morning. The roster will be maintained and acheivement awards will be presented when a lapper reaches certain milestones. Volunteers are needed to monitor the roster daily. If you are interested in signing up for a day, a week, or more please go to the VAN (under sports) or contact Kate Hartmann at khartmann@breakwaterschool.org. On Sunday, November 4th from 2:30 - 4:30 we will be hosting an Open House for families who have an interest in Breakwater. All the faculty and staff will be on hand as well as parent volunteers who will be act as tour guides. This is our chance to showcase all the amazing things that happen here. If you know anyone who might be interested, please share this information with them, or better yet offer to accompany them on Sunday. Current families, you are also welcome to attend to learn more about the school, act as Breakwater Ambassadors or maybe even check out your child's next grade level. 
The 3rd and 4th grades have started their first novel study groups of the year. Novel study reflects the shift we make in the middle grades from learning how to read to a greater emphasis on understanding thoroughly what we've read. The plot of a book remains an important feature of our focus on comprehension, but we also help children develop skills such as inferring information, making predictions, and forming and finding evidence for one's own opinions about characters and events. During the course of a year third and fourth graders typically will study three novels. Before a novel study begins students are presented with four book choices and then have the opportunity to vote on the book they'd like to read. This fall the choices are; Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes, Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka, Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, and Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. From student votes teachers construct small groups of eight or nine children. All our books are chosen carefully from a wide variety of high-quality children's literature and offer a richness that goes beyond just a simple description of the plot. Our novel study groups, which feature the use of drama, artwork, and writing as ways to respond to and think more deeply about what we've read, are an ideal setting in which to explore these interesting works of fiction. Peter Bridgford, Tom Fisher & Kelley Pratt - The 3/4 Teaching Team 
You are cordially invited to hear Barry Schieber, an author of children's books, on Monday, Nov. 5th at 11 a.m. in the Jessie Auditorium. Mr. Schieber has written many stories about traveling the world with his dog Moritz. Before Moritz came into his life Barry did a number of things, but is now Moritz's assistant in their hospital therapy work. Thanks to former trustee Susan Martin for helping to arrange Mr. Schieber's visit. www.silentmoonbooks.com for more about Mr. Schieber and Moritz. Are both you and your child shedding tears over homework? Do you dread the hours between 4 and 6 o'clock in the evening? Do you feel that things will never change no matter what you do? Come with your questions and concerns to the BPA meeting on Nov 6th at 8:20 a.m. to join a discussion with Abi Ordway, our Learning Strategist, on simple, easy to implement strategies to help you and your child ease through homework. 
David Sullivan and Members of the Board of Trustees will discuss and answer questions about the State of the School at the BPA Meeting on Tuesday, November 6th at 8:20 a.m. in the Library. This conversation will follow Abi Ordway's presentation on homework. Welcome new Preschool Families! This is Me, Self-Discovery through Self-Portraiture - Please come inside the Brick Building to view this amazing preschool art. The work is accompanied by documentation by MECA students capturing the children's thoughts and the process involved in creating their artwork. This fall, in her dual role as Assistant Professor of Education at Maine College of Art (MECA) and Breakwater's Art Teacher, Kelly McConnell is sharing the influence of Reggio Emilia-inspired educators with her graduate students at MECA. Kelly's graduate students have collaborated with her preschool students in a visual exploration of self-discovery. Save the Date - My Irish Soul, Paul Sullivan, solo piano - CD Release Party and short Private Concert - Breakwater Celebrates the Arts! Saturday, November 17 at the home of Kristin Schardt and Martin Lodish. Paul Sullivan is a Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer, and a good friend of David and Zoe Sullivan. If you are interested in receiving an invitation to this special event please email Kristin at kschardt@bridgtonacademy.org. Toy Recall Alert - With all the recent news about toy safety and toy recalls we have found a link for you to access to keep track of recent recalls. www.uspirg.org/toy-safety/cpsc-recalls 
Breakwater School is the happy recipient of thousands of volunteer hours and in-kind services each year. In each issue of Newsbreak, we would like to acknowledge just a few individuals who have enhanced the School's sustainability through volunteerism. Have you noticed the beautiful garden between The Dan and The Brick Building? BWS Parent and landscaper Josh Edlund donated both his services and the plantings to enhance this space and it looks beautiful. Thank you, Josh. Thank you also to Joy Kaplan, mother of BWS middle schooler, Zak, who has created the beautiful planters at our entrances. Many thanks to current parent, Graham Duncan for re-building our sand box. Now, not only is the sand staying inside the box, children of all ages have a great place to sit and play. BWS parent Lisa Murray and our Art Specialist, Kelly McConnell teamed up to produce another Kids Kreations success story. Kelly worked with the children during art class and Lisa organized and processed all the orders placed by our wonderful parents. This collabortion resulted in raising over $1400 for the Breakwater Parents Association. |
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