The Weekly Bulldog
January 9, 2020
From Tim: Consolidating our own learning
Welcome back to school, and welcome to a new year – and a new decade. The turning to a new year always brings a sense of renewal, and hopefully one of optimism, as we look ahead to what could be. For some reason, I recently got to thinking about the passage of time with my own children and the curious fact that my older daughter, who is a freshman in college, has now seen a bit of four different decades. She was born right at the end of the 1990s. It’s mathematically accurate yet still not intuitive somehow that this January begins the fourth decade she’ll have lived in. Maybe that is interesting only to me, but I find it entertaining nonetheless. At any rate, whatever decade this marks for you, I hope the ’20s are good to your family.
Our faculty and staff reconvened on Monday, as is our practice every year, for a day of reconnection and professional development. Last spring, we organized a day of in-house workshops led by our own teachers, and the event was so well received and impactful that we decided to repeat the format this week. We asked teachers who had attended a workshop or conference this year or last in the area of DEI work (diversity, equity, inclusion) to lead a small-group session based on a key takeaway or learning. Participating faculty and staff chose from eight different sessions, with topics ranging from the Impact of Trauma in children’s lives, to understanding our responsibilities and opportunities in working with students with disabilities, to understanding and mitigating Implicit Bias.
As reported by participants last spring, our staff enjoy the chance to learn with and from one another, and presenting teachers have the opportunity to share essential concepts, not from the point of view of an “expert” but rather from their own personal perspective, and that may be what colleagues appreciate and value the most. In British Primary philosophy, teaching a skill or concept to another helps us consolidate our own learning. In this way, our professional community models what we expect and hope for our students.
Again, all the best to you and your family for a happy and peaceful new year,
Tim
Top Five Things
1. Learning Report: What are we doing here?
Gratitude, indefatigability, community and a desire to learn. "When I meet people outside of Stanley and tell them I’m in education and work with middle schoolers," says Middle School Head Greg, "the response I usually get is one that is suggestive of an unfortunate middle school experience. Channeling their own angst, new acquaintances have gone as far as to question my sanity or accused me of masochism. These people, of course, haven’t met our amazing student body... " >>continue reading
2. Exclusive: Early Summer at Stanley registration just for Stanley families
3. A heartfelt thank you to our year-end Stanley Fund donors...
...and to everyone who has supported our school this year! We have reached 80 percent participation from Stanley families. If you haven’t had a chance to support The Stanley Fund yet, please donate today and help us reach 100 percent. All gifts, no matter the size, make a difference in the lives of Stanley students and teachers. Thank you!
4. Let Walter's 303 cook for you Tuesday
5. Friday: Collect your cookie-party containers
Stanley staffers are still enjoying the winter calories and warmth of your delicious cookie offering before break. We'll display your leftover containers in the Hambidge Commons through this Friday. Please be sure to pick them up after the Parent Association pop-up social this week.
Upcoming Events
January 9
January 10
Summer at Stanley Camp Registration for Stanley Families Only, 9:30 a.m.-noon
January 13
Parent Book Discussion: "The Whole-Brain Child"
January 14
Family Night [Day] Out for PA at Walter's Pizza & Publik House
January 15
New Family Admission & Financial Aid Applications Due
January 16
Bricks & Brews Stanley Parents Pickup Basketball
January 17
Re-enrollment Packets Mail to Stanley Families
Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly
K-8 Early Dismissal 12:15 p.m.
January 20
No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday & Marade
Ordering closes for Lunches & Enrichments at Midnight
January 22
Summer at Stanley Registration Opens to Public
Parent Forum: Freedom from Chemical Dependency
Stanley British Primary School
Email: admin@stanleybps.org
Website: www.stanleybps.org
Location: 350 Quebec St., Denver
Phone: (303) 360-0803
Facebook: facebook.com/stanley.british/
Twitter: @stanleybps