ISW News and Events

In search of talented, passionate, loving teachers...

It’s hiring season at ISW. Our program and enrollment are both growing, and we need more teachers! I love hiring.

Perhaps the most important attribute for any teacher is that he or she wants to be in the classroom. Teaching must be a calling; it should always be a first-choice job. High quality teaching at any level requires an enormous outpouring of energy, both intellectual and emotional. It requires 100% commitment. Our students deserve teachers who are well-versed in their discipline, who are passionate about progressive education, who know how to connect with young people and their families.

Teachers, in turn, deserve administrators who present a clear vision for the school’s future, who seek the faculty’s input in decision-making, and who commit to putting in place every appropriate support.

Given all that, here’s my radical idea:  hire the very best, treat them as the creative, talented professionals they are, and put out everything I have to create the school of our collective teacher-dreams.

If you know of a wonderful candidate for ISW, please ask him or her to check out our job openings: http://www.iswva.org/faculty/.

Looking forward to talking about learning and teaching,

Claire

by claire

Student-led learning at its best

by claire

A few of our favorite things

ISW's Core Values Committee, composed of students, teachers, parents, and board members, met last week. As part of the process of working out the best way to state clearly and succinctly what we are about as a school community, I asked committee members to share one or two favorite ISW moments. Their answers were illuminating and worth sharing:

• One of our music teachers talked about bringing in her cello. She had "back-up" activities in case the children weren't interested. As it turned out, her students were enthralled and the back-up wasn't necessary. She walked away thrilled to have shared one of the most beautiful things in her life with 4th and 5th graders who appreciated what she was sharing.

• A Middle School student talked about a gamed called "Wah!" invented by ISW students and played daily. It involves a lot of running and yelling and laughing--things our students love to do during recess.

• A parent talked about our camping experience at Camp Paddy Run. It was a rainy, cloudy weekend, but the clouds parted just long enough for our families to enjoy an impromptu talk about the stars by a couple of resident star experts. We decided it was time to head to bed, and the clouds came rolling back in, leaving us all with the sense that the stars had come out just for us.

• Another parent described walking into school a little early at pick-up time, watching the Kindergartners sing and feeling of the love that pervades the Lower Elementary classroom. She spoke passionately about how the school cared about her child as a whole person.

• A student talked about how pleased he was when he was able to assist a teacher with a printer that was malfunctioning.  Since then he has been taking a greater role in technology--installing virus protection on friends' laptops and helping other students sort out technology problems.

• Yet another student talked about nature, about her passion for spending time outdoors. She appreciated the amount of time devoted each day to the natural world.

• A teacher talked about how much she loves teaching in a school where she is encouraged to figure out how her students learn as individuals and where she has the latitude to play to each student's strengths.

Each person brought to our gathering his or her own unique vision of ISW. Two themes, though, were hard to miss--our commitment to nature, the arts, and technology resonates deeply with our families and our faculty,  and respect and love form the basis for every relationship.

by claire

ISW and the performing arts

At ISW, we devote hours and hours and hours to the performing arts.  We present concerts of song and poetry for our extended families; we go out into the community on a regular basis to do community service performances. In the spring, our students prepare both poetry and monologues for adjudication, and we put on a musical.

Students take a very active role in choosing the pieces they perform. It is not unusual for students to organize ensembles of adults and students. At Thanksgiving, for example, we enjoyed Simple Gifts--with a student-teacher piano duet accompanied by a parent on the violin and a student vocal soloist. A student came up with that idea and made it happen!

Why in the world would we spend this much time performing? First and foremost, making music and learning poetry and creating plays are all endeavors worth the effort purely for the joy of performance. Our students end each academic year with a building appreciation of music and lyrical writing of all sorts--an appreciation which will deliver a lifetime of pleasure.

Beyond that, though, there are many, many benefits to spending time in the performing arts:

• Confidence and poise in front of an audience: confidence will pay dividends for years whether a student eventually focuses on business, or law, or technology, or education, or music. Sooner or later, most professionals find themselves in front of a group of people.
•  Memory work: again, regardless of the career a student eventually chooses, sooner or later he or she will be called upon to memorize a large body of information. Brain research is very clear that building the “memorizing muscle” in the brain early serves students well in later years. Why not make building that muscle enjoyable?
• Spill-over into other academics: brain research also shows that when children are enjoying themselves, especially when they are involved in music, their brains are wonderfully receptive to learning of all sorts.
• Excellence: nothing motivates human beings like the knowledge the they will be standing before others and asked to “show what they know”! Our students routinely watch videos of their concerts with an eye to improving next time.
• Team work: performances work well only when every member of the cast or choir puts out everything they have. Just like the other life lessons in performance, learning to work with others will serve our students well for years to come.
• Community service: too often students are made to feel that they have little to offer to the world until they are “older.” How many times are young children told they are “too little” to do X, Y or Z? At ISW, we teach our children that, from Kindergarten on, they not only have the ability to give back but also the responsibility to make a difference in the world.  We work hard to make their first experiences in making that difference both fun and rewarding.

At ISW, the bottom line on the performing arts is that it is not “an extra” or a “non-academic” subject. It is core, and we are willing to give it the time and attention it deserves.

by claire

But what about public schools?

"But what about the public schools? Don't you support them?" At ISW, we hear this question frequently.

Of course we support the public schools...and independent schools...and religious schools too.  As someone who was educated first grade through PhD in public school and whose mother taught in Fairfax County public schools for 40 years, I have tremendous appreciation and respect for public schools.

At ISW, we believe that every child (and, indeed, each family) is unique. No one would automatically assume that every child in a classroom would wear a size 6 shoe just because every child in the room was born in the same year. Most likely there are many size 6 shoes in the room. But there are probably also some 4s, some 5s, a 7 and an 8, and maybe even a 10.

If even a fairly simple thing like shoe size is so varied among children, why would anyone assume a one-size-fits-all approach to education would  work for every student? Some students thrive in large classes. Some students thrive in small classes.  Some students need more---perhaps more challenge, perhaps one-on-one teacher time, perhaps more time outdoors, perhaps fewer but deeper relationships with other children. Some students function on grade-level, find the Standards of Learning-driven curriculum appropriately challenging, and enjoy a large school setting.  But many, many students will do better in other settings.

Public schools are mandated to offer an education to every child of eligible age in their region. They have limited funding and large numbers of students to manage. The vast majority of  teachers and administrators in public schools do their very best, within the system, to provide high quality education to students. In the end, however, the public school system is, in the main, a one-size-fits all system tied to SOLs.

At ISW, we believe that one of the best ways to serve all children is to serve the children we have in front of us well.  Just as our name implies, we are independent of the government. We aren't tied to SOLs, and our teachers work collectively to create and implement our curriculum. We make our own calls about  best practices; we continually consult brain research; we talk with other schools about what's working for them; we look for innovative ways to help our students master the skills they will need in the future. Bottom line: we have the flexibility and the commitment to adopt new strategies on-the-spot and to abandon those that aren't working. Most of our students are working at or well above grade level in many subjects because we have what it takes to make school work for the size 8 or 9 or 10.

We believe that all schools are stronger when families have many excellent alternatives. And we believe that one of the best ways to support public schools is to create models that work well.

Even more importantly, ISW is there for the students who just aren't a size 6.

by claire

Opening Remarks by Head of School Claire McDonald

Welcome back to our returning families, and a hearty welcome to our new families! Welcome back, teachers—Ms. Brigitte, Ms. Meghan--and a big welcome to our new teachers Ms. Diane, Ms. Becky, Ms. Rebecca.

This morning, we thank the many people who made our beautiful new building a  reality. ISW families donated countless hours this summer to working on our  facilities. We put in new flooring, painted (and painted and painted), unpacked boxes that seemed to multiply over night, moved furniture, organized and re-organized. Thank you especially to the Axelsons for the flooring in the LE and UE rooms. Thank you to Susan for painting the lobby by yourself! Thank you to our morning teachers who painted their own rooms, to Miss Vicki who painted the Commons, and to Bob who painted my office my very favorite color.

And many, many thanks to Sarah Garman and The Purple Fern for the extraordinary mural in Meghan’s room. Thank you to Dave Garcia for the beautiful hand-crafted tree branch hooks in the LE room. Thank you, too, to John and Brigitte, our auction hounds, who scored several key pieces of equipment, and to Miss Kay, who made our curtains and assisted Mary and the children with our tiny garden. Thank you to Miss Diane, who helped us find volunteers and a playground set. Thank you to Mr. John, who set up our computers and to Bob, who set up Moodle.

On the marketing side, we held two very successful open houses—owing much to the background work done by both Susan and Bob. Susan coordinated the creation of a new logo for a new chapter in the life of our little school—more about that logo in a bit. Susan also wrote and produced a new brochure which she distributed to anyone willing to display it. And Bob built us a beautiful new website—apparently a success judging by Google Analytics!

And finally, a special round of applause for our students—many of whom helped with very nearly everything. I especially want to thank my own children who put up with an entire summer spent making sure we were ready for opening day. Next  summer will be better, I promise.

When we weren’t painting or creating marketing out of thin air, we were working on  our curriculum and hiring fabulous new teachers. We were thrilled when the talented and energetic Diane Sheehey agreed to lead our Middle School program.  And beginning this year, we welcome two Rebeccas—Rebecca Gibson, who will be  teaching UE and MS Spanish and Rebecca Lloyd, who will be teaching MS science.  The science committee (including Page Jones, Victoria Mercer, Kay Hallett, and Meghan  Watterworth) worked very hard to choose our new science curriculum, and I can promise you students that you will really enjoy it.

So back to the logo. Why three leaves? ISW’s three leaves reflect our commitment to nature as well as the three divisions (elementary, middle and high school) that we are in the process of creating. In  Chinese culture, three is considered a very lucky number because it sounds like the word for “birth.” How appropriate, as today is, in some ways, a third birth  for ISW. In both American and Chinese cultures, we express love with three  words—“I love you” and “Wo ai ni.” Three is also significant in science and  math: three is a prime number, and we live on the third rock from the sun.

The three leaves, which symbolize ISW’s love of nature, are all from hardwoods—birch, maple, oak. Hardwoods are often best for building because, like ISW, they are durable, and they don’t dent easily.

According to ancient Celtic lore, birch is a pioneer tree—one which takes root and frequently revives landscapes where no other tree dares to grow. Birch is the symbol of growth, beginnings, and adaptability.

And the maple…the ancient Celts believed that maple trees are happy trees which mystically bring together all who gather under its branches. Maple is the symbol of balance, promise, and practicality.

And finally, we have the oak. The ancient Celts saw the oak as a cosmic storehouse of wisdom—all the knowledge of the universe. Oak is also the symbol of loyalty, longevity, and honor. Interestingly, it also tends to attract lightening.

Truthfully, I am not a big believer in numerology or in Ancient Celtic myths, but I do think it is inspiring to consider how the ancients thought about ISW’s symbols. As we start the year, I wish for ISW all the blessings of our logo: the spirit of pioneering from the birch; balance and peace from the maple; and wisdom, honor and longevity from the oak.

And now we turn to the forces of nature who brought us all together: our students.  Students, you are the heart of our school. Thank you for your excitement, your inspiration and your trust. This school is, as always, our gift to one another. Welcome to the new school year.

First-day images courtesy of The Purple Fern

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by claire

Five Family-Friendly Fundamentals

At ISW, we recognize the importance of families supporting the learning process. Our families are  amazing--laying flooring, painting floors, making curtains, assisting teachers, serving on committees, teaching classes, driving on field trips. The list is endless.

In return, the school makes every effort to support our families. And we believe this makes us unique!

Meaningful Input:

At ISW, all parents are members of our Teaching Team. As a Teaching Team member, you get input into the school calendar and our choice of field trips.

Open Doors:

At ISW, parents are always welcome. Indeed, almost all of our parents teach or assist or volunteer in some significant way in the program. As a result, parents have a strong knowledge of what is happening in the school, and they know their child's friends.

A Sensible Approach to Homework:

At ISW, homework is limited to nightly reading and those assignments which cannot reasonably be accomplished in the classroom. There is very little research to support homework at the elementary level. It simply does not change achievement because the young brain needs down time to consolidate knowledge. We also believe family time matters more than one more worksheet.

Reasonable Vacation Policy:

At ISW, we believe family trips can be just as educational as a day in the classroom. If your family decides to take a week away during the school year, we will hand you your child's assignments and wish you a wonderful trip.

Tuition Breaks for Siblings:

At ISW, second and subsequent children in a given family get a tuition break.

by claire

Congratulations to the Stavelys!

ISW is proud to announce that our art team, Neil and Kerry Stavely, will celebrate opening a major new installation at the Winchester Book Gallery Friday, August 5th, during First Friday on the Loudon Street Mall. The project, which is a combination of prints and blackboard art, celebrates internationally and locally known writers. Congratulations, Neil and Kerry!

by claire