Welcome!

Welcome to the blog of Zaq Roberts, Associate Head of School at The Berkeley School in Berkeley, CA. I blog about a wide variety of topics, from classroom moments I witness, to administrative events and conversations, to the educational blogs, videos, and books I am reading and watching, and how they are influencing my thinking. I hope this eclectic approach will give you insight into the many ways that I am engaging in advancing the school and strengthening our program, and I welcome your thoughts and comments!

This blog takes its name from a quotation by Archimedes that reads "Give me a lever long enough, and I can move the world." The TBS mission speaks directly to the need to engage a changing world, while many of the experiences in our program focus on the development of students' agency and authority. TBS is the lever by which we all - administration, faculty, students, and parents - can together move the world to be more humane, compassionate, and responsive. To borrow an important Montessori phrase, it is our way to remake the world.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

What do we do on Valentine's Day?

Two weeks ago the Elementary Division faculty shared an email thread in which we discussed how we wanted to acknowledge Valentine's Day this year. We shared the traditions in different classes - Laurel Creek (k/1) makes valentines for people at home, the 2/3 classes have "Friendship Week" where students make bracelets and other gifts for a secret buddy, etc - and then we agreed on two simple guidelines for families (which you've probably already seen, via your child's classroom teachers):
1. If someone wants to make valentines, they must be 100% fully inclusive of all students in the class. Homemade valentines are encouraged when possible.

2. No candy or sweets should be attached to the valentines. Non-sugary gifts like pencils are acceptable.

Several classes had a single class treat - I counted four sets of cupcakes coming into classrooms this morning at gate duty.

If you're interested in how other schools approach this tradition, you can check out articles today at the Winnipeg Free Press, the Nanuet Patch, and the Frederick News-Post.

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