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Here are a few happenings on campus I want you to know about:
A Speaker Not to Be Missed
Without hyperbole I can say the single most essential advice my husband and I received as parents – and I as a teacher – about children, particularly boys, has come from talks and books by Michael Thompson, who will be here to talk with all Columbus Academy parents on Monday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m. in our dining hall (RSVP here).
He will be on campus this upcoming Monday through Wednesday meeting with students, faculty, staff and administrators in all divisions to discuss child development, friendships, academic and social pressure, and school and family conversations.
Warm, funny and real, Michael reminds us of what it’s like to be in a child’s mind – even an adolescent’s mind – and I invite and urge every parent to find time to hear him speak regardless of your children’s ages. He is a nationally recognized expert on child development and an independent school psychologist who has written widely and successfully on the subject of children in achievement-oriented schools and families.
The Native Ohio Prairie Coming to Academy
Made possible by Paige and Mike Crane ’71 (parents of alumni Dan ’02 & David ’06 and grandparents of lower-schoolers Nora ’34 & Josie ’37), a Learning Meadow is being created behind the well pump house on right side of Academy’s driveway entrance from Cherry Bottom Road. You may have recently seen bulldozers and Bobcats making an aggregate pathway through the woods to this prairie plot. The plan (view here), which has been in the works for over two years, is going to be a tremendous addition in an already rich landscape of our school using its campus as a living classroom. Cultivated native plants, bluebird boxes, class meeting spaces and new bridges and walkways will be a great enhancement to the southwestern side of our property. Classes of all ages will be able to use the space in the late spring of this school year.
We Want to Help our Students Flourish
In partnering these next two years with Research Schools International and the Harvard Human Flourishing Project, the school is going to take on an in-depth examination – through research – about the best ways we can and do help our students flourish, which is the third goal in our strategic vision. This fall we have gathered a group of faculty members from all divisions to review survey questions that will be given this and next week to all students in grades 4-12 about the ways they flourish at school and where they might see opportunities for the school to expand on their abilities to flourish. In addition, there will be faculty research fellows and student research fellows to assist with helping the school carry out some of the initiatives that will arise from this research. If you have any questions, your division heads are the best place to start.
I hope to see you Monday evening!
Melissa
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