Entry: Parent Newsletter, Oct. 16 Nov 1, 2006



"Successful schools for young adolescents are characterized by a culture that includes school-initiated family and community partnerships." - This We Believe, National Middle School Association

During the Class Dean's meeting on Family Weekend, a group of parents brainstormed together what they saw as elements of success - both in general and for their daughters in particular. They learned Bill's advisor group's recipe for success - "Do something with your life, accomplish your task, and make all your dreams come true." - and they briefly reviewed the 14 principles of the National Middle School Association's model for a successful middle school. After a chance to revise their list, they worked to set their highest priorities, with each parent getting five votes. The final version of the list, with total votes in parentheses, is:

Happiness (11)
Continued love of learning (10)
Loving your work (10)
Self-motivated independence (7)
Achievement of our goals (7)
Making a difference (7)
Self-confidence (7)
Respect for others' differences (6)
Creativity (6)
Being true to yourself (5)
Grasping the material (2)
Kindness (2)

This is an impressive list, and it must be noted that every single one of these items is important to the success of students at Stoneleigh-Burnham Middle School. This list has been shared with the Middle School faculty - teachers, advisors and houseparents - and will serve as one of the touchstones we will use as we go through the year. We do invite parents who wish to add items to the list to contact Bill and express their opinions, and we thank you as always for your thoughtfulness and your support.

   1 comments

jbaldino
November 29, 2006   01:57 PM PST
 
Interesting results. I am particularly puzzled by the fact that kindness ranked so low on the list. Considering the problems with bullying that are more and more pervasive in our schools, this is troubling.
Additionally, there is NO mention of forming strong family bonds. The omission of any mention of family combined with "happiness" being the highest ranking principle indicates a real problem. There have been many studies that indicate the most successful students often come from strong family units. And considering this took place on Family Weekend, I find that strange. Perhaps parents need to reconsider what success really is.

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