Diane Albanese’s Musings

9-11-09

We’ve been told that we were going from Cape to Great.  That little motto has been the tagline for many documents and the conclusion of countless discussions in the district for many years now. Now that has changed.

Cape is great.

This bell was rung loud and clear from the Superintendent on the first district-wide meeting for the opening of this new school year.  Cape is great.

Spoken from the brand new auditorium of the brand new Cape Henlopen High School, with the workers scurrying about to finish up trim and details, this was indeed a day to ring bells and blow whistles.

Even as the old building was being torn down and our loyalties harkened to past days and memories, the new school shone like a shiny new penny. Light floods in from every angle to wide open atriums, curvy three story high windows and bright hallways. There was a feeling of lightness amid the scent of fresh cardboard boxes and packing plastic being unwrapped.

Careful thought was put into every aspect of the new school. There is access to the library from outside so that the community can easily come and go. The foyer is a rotunda that has a rose compass pattern inlaid in tile and a high circular dome that allows for a feeling of spaciousness.  The cafeteria provides a gathering place for both the gym and the auditorium.  The colors are Cape colors, Columbia blue and gold which carry through the building reflect the lightness in lockers, walls and surfaces.

My favorite space is the large courtyard that allows interior rooms a view of nicely landscaped flower beds and places for students to gather. The pavers swirl around in large circles and give the impression of the shape of waves paying homage to the nearby bays and ocean.

Janis Hanwell did a fine job managing this project.  She had much input from the Board of Education, the staff and the community. The difficult part was to create a building that would meet everyone’s needs. It certainly looks like that mission will be accomplished as soon as the gym is finished.

The auditorium is spacious, comfortable and can hold many more people than the last one.  There are two areas in the back that allow for the creation of two classrooms that can be sectioned off with moveable walls.  There is a real orchestra pit, a huge stage complete with professional lighting and equipment, and excellent handicap accessibility.  Surely this space will be used for generations to come.

The classrooms seemed roomy and efficient. There are windows that allow for natural light, white boards, and projectors that are mounted to the ceiling.  The technology team was working quickly to get all the computers up and running.  Teachers seemed appreciative for the fresh new space and the new beginning. The entire staff seemed pleased, appreciative and in awe on our first day in the new high school.   It was as if a long dream was finally realized and we had helped to make it happen.

I kept thinking how much our students deserved this beautiful new structure.  For so many years the students and staff lived with and adapted to so many limitations from the old building. The new high school building is an opportunity to continue to improve, to get it right and to put Cape on the map as the flagship of a top district in our state and our region.

9-4-09

Just last night at a restaurant in Rehoboth, I overheard a father say to his son that he expected him to be on the A honor roll this school year. The son took this news reluctantly and tried to protest that he wasn’t going to be able to live up to that high a standard since he is now entering a tough grade level with much more difficult work and teachers who were nothing short of task masters.  Dad wasn’t buying any of it. He reminded the son that he had already been successful in years past and that a new challenge was just the thing that he needed to keep growing and getting smarter.

Then Dad said something that was so quintessential parent: he said, “I believe in you and I am here to help.”  At that moment I knew that the boy had every chance for success.  In that short conversation, the father had created a foundation for a life of learning and success for that child.

Dad’s words and his past and future support gave the child what he needed to be successful and to grow as a capable, confident learner and human being.  I wanted to clone him and give out in miniature to the parents who come to my open house in September. I can see it now: all parents who sign the clipboard get to take home a miniature parent doll that has all the right words and can help turn you into a super parent.  Kids need this.  Dads and moms need help to walk this walk and talk this talk.

What elements were present in this man’s conversation with his son?

• high expectations
• successful past experiences
• support

When dad told his son that he expected the A honor roll he immediately set the bar high leaving the son no wiggle room. There was protest on the part of the son, but that was just his own anxiety about starting a new school year and being inadequate for the task. Who doesn’t experience first time jitters? Most adults have the same experience.

Expressing these feelings to his dad, the son was able to deal with them, to get them into the open and to work through them.  The father heard his protest but reminded him that he had evidence that the son had a history of success in school.  By reminding the boy of his past successes, the father gave him credible evidence that the high expectations were met in the past and certainly could be met in the future.  He knew that this was possible and he set the stage for his son’s achievement and success.

Then the father offered his sincere belief in very simple terms. I believe in you.  Such powerful words that can propel a child to scale lofty heights and reach difficult goals. Can there be any thing more profound that a father or mother can say to a son or daughter? I believe in you with the subtext I love you, you are valuable, you are capable and you can do it.  Amazing.

He sealed the deal by telling him that he was there to support him, a parental safety valve that would allow the child room to try, to make mistakes, and to get the advice he needs to grow from them.

So as you send your children off to the next grade give them a meal that will nurture their mind.  Start with an appetizer that includes high expectations, then a main course of past success stories, and end with a dessert full of love and support: a feast for a new school year!

8-28-09

Conversations with my friends take a depressing tone at this time of year. Late August and our kids are headed back to college.  Sandy told me last night that she was not looking forward to a quiet house. With teens and young adults, the house always seems to be filled with activity, excitement, music, messes, dirty laundry, remnants of food everywhere and organized chaos.  Sandy liked having her daughter, Katie around, getting to see her friends and being a part of her life if only for a little while.

Summer is so temporary!  Relationships change.  Moms and children are together forever and then it seems as if they turn into college freshman and are gone in a blink.  There is this huge hole in your life where there used to be constant purpose and stalwart commitment.  You wake up and realize that they really are gone and you won’t see them for a couple of months. Ouch!

Things will never be the same. No matter what your broken heart wants or needs, moms realize eventually that their leaving represents a major milestone in life and no matter how much we hate the idea, our children will change.

The poets and authors have been writing for centuries about how nothing really stays the same only it takes late August to drive that message home, especially to tender, loving  hearts.  Life takes on a surreal quality like the children’s book about The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.

Remember?  The little bunny runs away and the mother patiently says that she will find him and they will be together. The bunny changes form and becomes a fish, a crocus, a rock but the mother continues to say “‘If you run away, I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.”

While the book is meant to reassure a young reader that mom will always be there, it goes deeper and summarizes the relationship between mother and child, often a relationship that moms think will never change. There is a false permanence that underlies this view. Relationships change and kids grow up.   What happens when the little bunny goes off to college?  Usually the bunny is fine but the mother rabbit is lost and hurting.

I know that for me it took a couple of weeks to get over it and I have been through this with three children over the course of many years. Actually I confessed to a friend last night that I never really do get over it the act of leaving. Parting from your children is just not a perfected act.  For me it’s messy and complicated.

Even though I have worked hard to refocus on my new life, my friends and my career, a huge part of me harkens back and I become the mama rabbit all over again. I feel the dedication, the devotion, the pride and the pain that parenthood brings. So what’s wrong with that?

When I visit my son and it comes time to leave, my heart does a little painful dance. I remind myself that his independence is a sign that I have done my job well and as for leaving, well, he is only a highway’s ride away.

There is such a danger in settling for test scores. Test scores are only one way to measure academic progress and yet they are the only way that gets any attention at all especially in August when everyone is interested in rating the schools.

Here’s how it works. The state of Delaware releases the scores for each school in late July.  The news media picks these up and then reports the findings. Scores from our students’ DSTP achievement are splashed all over the front page and some broad generalization is molded into a headline either thumbs up or thumbs down to a district, a school, a system.  “CAPE SCORES TOP IN THE STATE! CAPE SCHOOLS UNDER REVIEW! CAPE SCHOOLS DEFY GRAVITY! (Well, you’ll never see that last headline but it sounds fun, doesn’t it?) The news is either good or bad depending on which way it is spun and frankly this is disturbing on so many levels.

Not fair! There is so much more to education than a score based on one day of testing. There are so many other indicators of academic success and learning. The fact that these scores are artificially gleaned from standardized tests that are commercially manufactured and set to national and state standards is just ducky until you realize that the tests represents a student’s performance on one given day in March. One day of testing per subject for a whole year’s worth of learning. A snapshot, but not the whole picture.

There is a strong undercurrent of competition. One district compared to others, regionally and statewide. Why? So that real estate value can rise in districts with top scores? So that parents can make informed decisions as to where to send their children? So that the state department can allocate funding to rescue districts that continually struggle?

Schools are compared to others.  Explanations are delivered. Administrators are quoted.  Plans are made to do better, to do more, to increase and improve.

Enough! When schools are pitted against one another, this creates tension and finger pointing.  Everyone loses!  Why not establish an environment of collaboration and collegiality? This year Mariner Middle school was up Math: Beacon Middle was up in Reading.  After hearing these tired old headlines year after year, they really lose their effectiveness and their ability to create sustained growth.

Each year different children are tested in each grade level. Each year they compare the grade level scores. There are ups and downs.

Being a teacher, I look at the score of all those students who did not pass the tests. 30%, 20%.  Unbelievable! This is my motivation to do better, to become more effective, to improve and to reach more students.

Teachers know when progress is being made. We know it daily.  How? The look on students’ faces, the questions they ask or don’t ask, the quality of their written work, quizzes, tests and exams. Big programs don’t increase test scores: teachers and students do yet so often the teachers are not even consulted on what has worked and what hasn’t.

What if there were headlines from teachers? “MY STUDENTS REALLY ROCKED ESSAY WRITING!” and “GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE OUT OF THIS WORLD!” We are cheerleaders by nature so our assessments would reflect our optimism and belief in our students.  This is the little picture and the one that most closely reflects the reality of learning.

On the beach lessons are being learned. Just because there are no classroom walls to surround children in the summer does not mean that learning stops. Parents are the first teachers anyway and so much of what children learn, what they absorb, and what they become is because of what they observe.

Consider this quote from James W. Frick. “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money.” Children are keenly aware of what takes priority in the family budget. Families struggle through tough times and sometimes difficult decisions must be made to modify college entrance or put off making repairs to the house because a child needs medical attention, books for school or braces. If mom and dad continue to make sacrifices so that the family can spend a day at the beach, go to Funland and have Grotto’s Pizza, then those memories and awareness becomes intuitive learning.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Parents teach by example. “Don’t kick the sand, pick up your trash and play nice,” are common commands uttered countless times on out summer beaches but more importantly are parents whose words are sparse but actions are consistently appropriate. Showing appreciation for the marine environment, consideration toward other people and a deep commitment to preservation of community resources are all action items. As children grow and eventually become independent they can articulate these beliefs through their own words and actions.

Just recently a group of Cape kids were together on the beach and discussing how important is was to keep the beaches clean. The urgency and indignation in their voices suggested that even though they had gone away to college and returned home for the summer, they were aware of the need for living a mindful existence within our community and preserving these spaces for generations to come. For this time, the beaches belong to them and they are assuming responsible authority. This is the passing of the baton onto a new generation of caretakers, our children. And by the way, they really get it.

How well do we listen to children? One of our most precious resources is time. How much time is given to read a book, plant a garden, cook a meal or make a bird house? By doing things we enjoy, we model balance in our lives. By driving gently and holding doors for the elderly we model kindness. Awareness of others and attention to each other even on vacation is teaching holistically.

Acta Non Verba means “Act, don’t speak.” We must get beyond words. Words actually get in the way. On the beach a young mother showed her daughter that horseshoe crabs are not at all harmful as she gently placed the crab in the surf. A father scooped his daughter and took her to the edge of the bay showing her how to skip stones. A grandmother walked and picked up shells to sharing them with her grandsons. She also carried a bag for debris and the walk turned into a something much more than a walk: an unexpected lesson that was barely visible to the naked eye.

July was not even over yet when the comment started. It is the comment that I despise: the comment that makes the hair on the back of my neck rise up in protest and inspires in me feelings of resentment and even malice. People in stores and restaurants start saying the same dreaded thing – Gee Diane, isn’t it about time to think about going back to school?

NO!

It’s not time to start thinking about going back to school, I reply warmly with a wry smile on my lips. Would you tell a farmer to start thinking about plowing and planting in January? Would you tell a Santa Claus to think about Christmas in August? Well PLEASE do not suggest that I need to “think about” going back to school in July.

Besides, we go back late this year and who knows what we will do with the mandatory furlough days and I am still working my summer job and the state fair is still in full swing and the children haven’t annoyed their parents enough and I haven’t seen the new Harry Potter yet and my summer reading pile of books is still formidable and the college kids are in the restaurants right now toiling away for tips and the Jolly Trolley is running full speed and between Cape May and Lewes the ferries chug along and the tomatoes and basil just started coming round and the ocean just warmed up and there are beautiful sunsets at the Cape and King’s Ice Cream is so packed with people and the beach chairs and umbrellas are almost rented out completely and there is so much boardwalk to walk and concerts in the Milton and Lewes parks and crabs to pick and friends to see.

The corn is not that high yet, is it? The cantaloupes are just coming in along with the Silver Queen corn that tastes just like sweetness personified. The crape myrtle just started to blossom out. The weather just got humid and soupy and summery sweat urges me to commit my body to the reckless act of plunging quickly into the bay.

The pictures that I took on my woods walk are waiting for me to copy to use as a story starter and wouldn’t it be great if I could somehow use the new book I am reading about a boy soldier in Sierra Leone as a passage that I can read to my students to get them to reconsider the value of their own reading experience. What if the Harry Potter movie turns out to be so valuable that I can use it as a device to explain the terms of literature and the process of narration? Then there is the technology that I am experimenting with: blogs, wikis and RSS feeds. It had occurred to me that there is such value in it because my students are so naturally tech savvy and ready to embrace so much more content using tools they already know.

Yes, I know that this column is filled with run-on sentences, for heaven’s sake, I am an English teacher but lately I am evaluating the role of structure and grammar as it relates to today’s world and today’s students. What will I do? How will I proceed?

Time to start thinking about school? When did I ever stop?

Packing my bags right now for an exciting five day stint in Washington DC with my fellow techies at the National Educational Computing Conference, NECC.  This is my second NECC conference: I attended two years ago in  Atlanta and learned so much.

Looking forward to meeting Sue Waters of Edublog fame. She has a practical advice blog that has saved my teaching skin many times. My students all have Edublogs and we are quite familiar with this format so I am thrilled James let her come to NECC. Nothing like a Face to Face to enhance our teaching.

Next I am looking forward to being inspired. I want to be a sponge absorbing information, but also a sprinkler who shares my classroom experiences with others. By the end of the conference I should reach saturation!  Can’t wait to get wet.

If you think your summer should be devoid of science then think again! An innocent trip to the amusement park can open up all kinds of possibilities to discover the laws of physics. Consider the roller coaster which is driven almost exclusively by inertial, gravitational and centripetal forces. The fundamentals are all there!

The roller coaster was first patented in 1885 by LaMarcus Adna Thompson. It was a railroad system that consisted of a track that rises and falls sometimes with loops that briefly turn the rider upside down. Most roller coasters have multiple cars with passengers sitting in a seat in some type of restraining device. Some roller coasters allow the riders to dangle from bucket seats therefore extending the thrill by having limbs free to the open air.

In 1959 Disney created a new type of roller coaster that used tubular steel track and the Matterhorn Bobsleds was born. The advantage was that the tubular steel could be bent in any direction and designers went crazy configuring loops, corkscrews and other wild machinations.

Today most roller coasters are made of steel but because some people prefer the old wooden roller coaster ride and some are still being constructed. Wikipedia states that the steel coasters are known for their smooth ride and often convoluted shapes that frequently turn riders upside-down via inversions. Wooden coasters are typically renowned by enthusiasts for their rougher ride and “air time” produced by negative G-forces when the train reaches the top of hills along the ride. There are also hybrid roller coasters that combine a steel structure with wood tracks, or a wood structure with steel tracks.

Wikipedia goes on to explain that “modern roller coasters take on many different forms. Some designs take their cue from how the rider is positioned to experience the ride. Traditionally, riders sit facing forward in the coaster car, while newer coaster designs have ignored this tradition in the quest for building more exciting, unique ride experiences. Variations such as the stand-up roller coaster and the flying roller coaster position the rider in different ways to provide different experiences. Stand-up coasters involve cars that have the riders in a standing position (though still heavily strapped in). Flying coasters have the riders hanging below the track face-down with their chests and feet strapped in. Vekoma “Flying Dutchman” coasters have the riders starting out sitting above the track, then they fully recline so that the riders are looking at the sky. Eventually, they twist into the “flying” position. B&M flying coasters have the riders hanging below the track like in an inverted (hanging) coaster. To go into the flight position, the section of the car where the riders’ feet are is raised to the track. That way, they start in the flight position. In addition to changing rider viewpoint, some roller coaster designs also focus on track styles to make the ride fresh and different from other coasters.”

People disagree but here are the most popular and perhaps the top three roller coasters in the world.

Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA. At its opening on May 21, 2005, it became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, claiming the title from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main top hat tower reaching a height of 456 feet (139.5 m). Due to aviation safety concerns, the tower is equipped with three dual strobes: two mid-way up, and one on the top.

The Steel Dragon 2000 is a roller coaster at Nagashima Spa Land Amusement Park in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Built by Morgan Manufacturing, this gigacoaster opened, appropriately, in 2000 – “The Year of the Dragon” in the Far East. It debuted only months after Millennium Force and surpassed the Cedar Point coaster as the world’s tallest complete-circuit coaster. It also set a record for longest track length – 8133 feet, 2 inches (2479 m), which it currently holds.

The Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, and was built by Intamin AG. The fourteenth roller coaster built at the park, its royal blue track stands 310 feet (95 m) tall at its highest point. The coaster overlooks Lake Erie. When it was built in 2000, it was briefly the tallest complete circuit roller coaster in the world.

Some of the coolest science lessons can be learned in the summer at the state park. Cape Henlopen State Park is a local treasure and a place where many locals hang out not just to go to the beach, but to take advantage of the many trails, activities and views available.

One of the coolest things to do is to track the osprey in the park on the osprey-cam at http://www.destateparks.com/park/cape-henlopen/osprey.asp. The nest is monitored by volunteers and the live feed can be accessed on the net.

The Seaside Nature Center is the right place to bring guests to learn about the coastal environment and get a little wet at the Touch Tank which is stocked with local marine life that is safe to handle. There are fish tanks with native fish and a friendly park guide to help answer your questions.

This park offers camps for children. Just call 645-6852 for availability.

Seastars Camp for 4 to 5 year-olds

August 17 – 21 9 a.m. – Noon $90 per camper

About the Program: Fins and Feathers: Learn about Cape Henlopen’s animals that

live by the shore. Participants will gain an appreciation for Cape’s natural treasures

through hands-on activities including seining, hiking, beachcombing, nature crafts and games. Limited to 12 campers.

Minnows Camp for 5 to 6 year-olds

August 10 – 14 1 – 4 p.m. $90 per camper

About the Program: Feeding Frenzy: Find out what animals eat and are eaten in cape

Henlopen and learn how they do it. Participants will gain an appreciation for Cape’s

natural treasures through hands-on activities including seining, hiking, beachcombing, nature crafts and games.

Minnows Camp for 5 to 6 year-olds

August 10 – 14 9 a.m. – Noon $90 per camper

About the Program: Feeding Frenzy: Find out what animals eat and are eaten in cape

Henlopen and learn how they do it. Participants will gain an appreciation for Cape’s

natural treasures through hands-on activities including seining, hiking, beachcombing,

nature crafts and games. Limited to 12 campers.

Dolphins Camp for 6 to 7 year-olds

August 3 – 7 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. $165 per camper

About the Program: The Animal Experience: Experience Cape Henlopen through the eyes of an animal and learn the delicate balance of animals and nature. Participants will gain an appreciation for Cape’s natural treasures through hands-on activities including seining and shell identification.

Families will enjoy the programs that the Cape Henlopen State Park nature center’s personnel offer. Here are a few suggestions. Call for more dates and classes.

Mud Flat Exploration on August 1 at 1 pm. Explore the Delaware Bay at low tide, looking for funky worms, cool clams, crusty crabs, bully snails and other marine creatures exposed by the tide. Wear old shoes that can get wet and muddy. Participation is limited to 20. Pre-registration required. $2 per person.

Geocache the Cape on August 1 at 11 am. Learn how to explore the park in this new-age treasure hunt. Join in a guided scavenger hunt using GPS units to seek out natural and historical aspects of Cape Henlopen. See the bulletin boards or call the nature center for this week’s theme. Participation limited to 15. Pre-registration required. $2 per person

Fire Power on August 1 from 2 to 3:30 pm. Tour Fort Miles and see the artillery pieces that protected our coast during World War II. Discover where and why different guns were placed, participate in a gun drill, and discover why Cape Henlopen was so heavily fortified. Participation limited to 20. Pre-registration required. $5 per adult and $2.50 per child

The Cape region is blessed with great libraries and good knowledgeable librarians! From Bethany, through Rehoboth, Lewes, Milton, Selbyville, Georgetown, Millsboro and Frankford there is a complete network of experts ready to help you and your family find the right books. Just in time for summer reading, these libraries most likely have all of the Newbery Medal winners and they can be reserved.

Not familiar with the Newbery Medal? The seal is a badge of honor worn by distinguished books that have earned this honor from the American Library Association in honor of a British bookseller, John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The following is an account of the latest winner from the ALA site.

The 2009 Newbery Medal winner is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

“A child named Nobody, an assassin, a graveyard and the dead are the perfect combination in this deliciously creepy tale, which is sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting and sometimes surprising,” said Newbery Committee Chair Rose V. Treviño.

The 2009 Newbery Honor books follow.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)

Underneath the canopy of the loblolly pines, amid the pulsating sounds of the swamp, there lies a tale. Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. Appelt’s lyrical storytelling heightens the distinguished characteristics of this work.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt & Comapny)

The Surrender Tree utilizes compelling free verse in alternating voices to lyrically tell the story of Cuba’s three wars for independence from Spain. Combining real-life characters (such as legendary healer Rosa La Bayamesa) with imagined individuals, Engle focuses on Rosa’s struggle to save everyone–black, white, Cuban, Spanish, friend or enemy.

Savvy by Ingrid Law (Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in partnership with Walden Media, LLC

This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. Newcomer Law weaves a magical tall tale, using vivid language and lively personalities, all bouncing their way to a warm, satisfying conclusion.

After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Books for Young Readers)

This tightly woven novel looks back on two years in a New York City neighborhood, where life changes for two 11-year-olds when a new girl joins their game of double Dutch. Bonded by Tupac’s music, the three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities.