Fairhaven School News http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog The news and information portal for Fairhaven School Fri, 10 May 2013 14:19:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 News from the Mother Ship: Sudbury Valley School’s blog http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/news-from-the-mother-ship-sudbury-valley-schools-blog/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/news-from-the-mother-ship-sudbury-valley-schools-blog/#comments Fri, 10 May 2013 12:29:54 +0000 Fairhaven School News http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1380 noun

a vessel or craft that services others operating far from a home port or center.

Fairhaven School, like all of our sister schools, calls itself a Sudbury school because we have always been affiliated with Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts (“SVS” to many of its students, a “mother ship” to [...]]]>

mother ship:

noun

a vessel or craft that services others operating far from a home port or center.

Fairhaven School, like all of our sister schools, calls itself a Sudbury school because we have always been affiliated with Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts (“SVS” to many of its students, a “mother ship” to all of us.) Theirs is the largest and the oldest institution operating like we do, and our adoption of their model has always been explicit. Our founders and staff members have attended numerous conferences at SVS over the years, and Fairhaven School staff members have served on SVS diploma committees.  We have hosted SVS exchange students, and we call the Sudbury Valley office often with questions.  In numerous ways, our fiercely independent school relies upon them. Indeed, we are among the “others operating far from a home port,” and that home port is Sudbury Valley School.

So it is with much excitement and pride that we announce that Sudbury Valley School now has a blog! We encourage anybody who is interested in Fairhaven School and its educational philosophy to follow the SVS blog. Already they have published lovely, insightful posts on a variety of topics, including one of our students’ favorite games, Minecraft, and the crucial idea of agency as it relates to education.

Link to the SVS blog here.

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/news-from-the-mother-ship-sudbury-valley-schools-blog/feed/ 1 Fairhaven School Alumni Parents Podcast! http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/fairhaven-school-alumni-parents-podcast/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/fairhaven-school-alumni-parents-podcast/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 19:43:45 +0000 Fairhaven School News http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1367 At our recent Alumni Parent Panel, the panelists reflected not only on their children’s process, but on their own process. I left that evening’s discussion with a sense that choosing a Sudbury school education for your children requires a willingness on the part of parents to let go, to trust, to listen. As alumna parent [...]]]> At our recent Alumni Parent Panel, the panelists reflected not only on their children’s process, but on their own process. I left that evening’s discussion with a sense that choosing a Sudbury school education for your children requires a willingness on the part of parents to let go, to trust, to listen.  As alumna parent Pat Everret reveals:

“It did make me more aware. It forced me to be more accepting of what my daughter was the way she was… I wasn’t as bent on thinking my way was right, which, I’m guilty of. And I just had to step back and realize, step back and listen… you have to step back and say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, it’s time for me to listen more.’ And I had to do a lot of that growing, I’m still trying to do it. But, you know, you’ve got to give them a lot more… I had to give them a lot more faith than I was inclined to at the beginning. I’m still working on it..”

Choosing Fairhaven School also requires faith and trust in your child, as alumni parent Robin Rice advises current parents:

“I would say, trust your child… I don’t want to sound overly fantastical, but I really believe that every child has a genius in them. And they know how to find it if they’re allowed to find it. And they will tell you what it is… they will tell you what they want and they will tell you what they need. And if you listen they’ll find their way… The more I tried to make my agenda the agenda the less it worked, and the more it worked to listen and follow and trust. And it is hard to trust sometimes, it is hard to trust what you see. But I believe in it.”

I was struck by the ease with which these three alumni parents spoke about their personal process and was pleased to hear how relevant these lessons still are in their unfolding relationships with their now-grown children. From this talk, and a myriad of other interactions with parents, it feels undeniable that parents themselves will grow in one way or another as a result of their child’s education at Fairhaven School. I make this statement with the utmost respect for countless parents who have thrown themselves whole-heartedly into this rewarding and difficult path.  As a staff member, I cannot help but be inspired by their willingness.

Becka Miller
Staff, Fairhaven School

Listen to the Alumni Parents podcast here.

 

Alumni Parent Panel

Follow the above link to the podcast featuring alumni parents (left to right) Pat Everett (Allison Everett, class of 2007), Robin Rice (Richard Morris, class of 2007), and Bill Woodbridge (Zoe Woodbridge, class of 2009 and Eli Woodbridge, class of 2011) .

 

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/fairhaven-school-alumni-parents-podcast/feed/ 0 Are You Thinking Sudbury Parents Must Be Insane? http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/are-you-thinking-sudbury-parents-must-be-insane/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/are-you-thinking-sudbury-parents-must-be-insane/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:28:42 +0000 Fairhaven School News http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1361 (Longtime Fairhaven School parent and author Johnna Schmidt submitted the following post. Enjoy!)

 

Back when both of my children went to a highly rated public Montessori School, I occasionally ran into acquaintances whose children attended Fairhaven School. I smiled and nodded politely as they described the model of this “free school” where the kids [...]]]> (Longtime Fairhaven School parent and author Johnna Schmidt submitted the following post. Enjoy!)

 

Back when both of my children went to a highly rated public Montessori School, I occasionally ran into acquaintances whose children attended Fairhaven School.  I smiled and nodded politely as they described the model of this “free school” where the kids decided to do whatever they wanted all day, while thinking “Are you CRAZY?”  I couldn’t believe that any intelligent and loving parent would take such a risk with their child’s education.  Didn’t we all agree that solid education was the only way a person could accomplish anything in this mad world?  Were their children sad misfits who simply couldn’t survive other more conventional models of schooling or were they (the parents) impossible idealists completely cut off from reality as we all know it?

Understand, I am a career educator, started teaching right out of college and never fully stopped.  I have taught in public schools, private schools, taught adults, children, and currently teach and administer a program at University of Maryland, partially because I want to be able to afford to send my children there someday.  So I have a lot invested in the world of education as we know it.  If it’s all a big mess than what on earth have I been doing all these years?  If kids don’t actually need teachers, then surely college-age students don’t need me.  How threatening is that?

So.  Here’s what happened.  My eldest son B.  got up to 7th grade, where the high-performing public Montessori school took especial pride in preparing a high percentage of their students to successfully test their way into the math and science public magnet school in our area that has the reputation (there’s just no other way to say it) of being the ONLY option for people who can’t afford private school.  We were told that all the 7th graders would be doing between 30 and 100 math problems a night, in homework, in order to increase their prowess and take their rightful places as rulers of the planet.  And I broke.  I snapped.  I couldn’t see it, couldn’t do it, couldn’t subject my child or my family life to it, suddenly thought “Good grief, K-12 is all institutionalized academic rigor and stress and tests, then University is more institutional academic rigor and stress and tests….what kind of education is that, really?” and I compared my own paltry schooling but extremely happy childhood with the one I was providing for my son, shook my head in disgust, and began looking for alternatives.

One thing led to another and I found myself on the back porch at a neighborhood party while two enthusiastic parents related how their son, who had been miserable at a neighborhood public school, actually enjoyed going to Fairhaven, was happy and acting more responsibly at home, and was occasionally cooking them eggs for breakfast without even being asked!  Will you think less of me if I admit it was the promise of my progeny becoming some sort of unpaid cook/housekeeper that made me start to listen?  And once I started listening and entertaining dangerous thoughts, I couldn’t stop.  Then I visited the campus and I was sold.  I wondered “How could a place that feels so good be bad for my sons?” In retrospect, I wish I had had the emotional courage to ask myself years before, how could a place that felt as bad as their former school felt, possibly be good for them.

My husband and I took a deep breath, clutched each other’s hands, and in the face of more raised eyebrows than you can shake a power point presentation at, we jumped off the educational cliff.  That’s what it felt like to me, enrolling at Fairhaven.

The first thing I noticed was different about B. after he started at Fairhaven was that all of his health problems evaporated.  Asthma, allergies, digestion problems, all of which he had suffered for his entire K-6th grade years.  All gone. He didn’t take many classes that first year, and that really freaked me out.  But he was happy and healthy, and my husband and I decided maybe we were just giving him a well-needed break.   He was doing such interesting things and had great friendships so I knew it wasn’t an entirely bad move, but we weren’t complete believers yet;  I kept worrying about my son’s pathway to college.  I couldn’t see it. If I list for you here my son’s involvements and accomplishments, and why I now believe my son will be able to create a future for himself, it will sound an awful lot like bragging, and B. will not allow me to publish this blog.  He’s a thoughtful, modest fellow and would prefer to impress you in person. If he chooses to go to college, he’ll go.  I can see that now. He’s fourteen.  Why, I ask myself, why, why, why did I think I should be able to see it any sooner?

 

Johnna Schmidt

April, 2013

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/are-you-thinking-sudbury-parents-must-be-insane/feed/ 6 Free To Learn: An Essential New Book http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/free-to-learn-an-essential-new-book/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/free-to-learn-an-essential-new-book/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:01:37 +0000 Fairhaven School News http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1357 We are pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Gray, research psychologist and Sudbury Valley School board member, has published a book that collects many of the insights and posts from his Psychology Today blog, Freedom To Learn.

Throughout the book, Dr. Gray champions that most essential human learning activity: play. He captures what Fairhaven School [...]]]> We are pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Gray, research psychologist and Sudbury Valley School board member, has published a book that collects many of the insights and posts from his Psychology Today blog, Freedom To Learn.

Throughout the book, Dr. Gray champions that most essential human learning activity: play. He captures what Fairhaven School students so ably demonstrate day after day, year after year. To learn, we must play.

Check out his book here.

 

Fairhaven School Staff

March, 2013

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/free-to-learn-an-essential-new-book/feed/ 0 No Bullies Here: A School Culture of Respect http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/no-bullies-here-a-school-culture-of-respect/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/no-bullies-here-a-school-culture-of-respect/#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:24:13 +0000 Fairhaven School News http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1347 Three adolescent boys enter the back door and head into the Shop. They are talking a mile a minute, and they are on a mission to build or repair something, maybe a shield for their swordplay game. Their presence is loud, physical, and energetic. Here at Fairhaven School, the moment is insignificant; however, in the [...]]]> Three adolescent boys enter the back door and head into the Shop. They are talking a mile a minute, and they are on a mission to build or repair  something, maybe a shield for their swordplay game. Their presence is loud, physical, and energetic. Here at Fairhaven School, the moment is insignificant; however, in the landscape of American schooling, the moment embodies much, and warrants unpacking.

A first element to appreciate is  the boys’ liberty. No one has directed their activity, nor will it be measured, evaluated, or assessed by anyone but themselves. Instead, like many grownups in our post-industrial society, they are following a thread, an interest in combat reenactment that is rooted both in play and in history. Although their passage into the shop on this day is ephemeral, it also exists on a continuum, as their play and relationships span years. The late educator and process philosopher Don Oliver wrote about “concrescence,” naming the constant coming together of disparate parts to create a life form, in this case a person. Here at Fairhaven School, individual freedom enables concrescence.

Another aspect to consider is the larger, egalitarian cultural matrix of the school. We are a transparent, respectful democracy where we value all pursuits and activities. Again, the young men are going to the shop to work on their reenactment weapons, yet they are not derided for being nerdy or dorky at school, and they are not relegated to some isolated social rung. In short, nobody is shoving them up against the proverbial locker.  Likewise, the best athletes and elected school leaders here garner no special adulation, nor do the stars of the school play. I recently read a lengthy article in New York magazine that deconstructs the experiences of adolescents in mainstream American high schools. Here is a typical passage:

Maybe, perversely, we should be grateful that high school prepares us for this life. The isolation, the shame, the aggression from those years—all of it readies us to cope. But one also has to wonder whether high school is to blame; whether the worst of adult America looks like high school because it’s populated by people who went to high school in America. We’re recapitulating the ugly folkways of this institution, and reacting with the same reflexes, because that’s where we were trapped, and shaped, and misshaped, during some of our most vulnerable years.

Or consider this insightful sentence:

Though adolescents may want nothing more than to be able to define themselves, they discover that high school is one of the hardest places to do it.

-from “Why You Truly Never Leave High School” by Jennifer Senior

Although the article looks honestly at the grinding, stratifying social phenomena of high school, it never questions the underlying assumption that some form of coercive, hierarchical schooling is necessary and ultimately beneficial. At Fairhaven School, we do!

Here, adolescents spend remarkable amounts of time and energy defining themselves. It is arguably their primary project. We see students try new outfits, new activities, new friendships, and new ideas every day. Is this not what adolescence demands? We also enroll refugees from the state schools every year, and watch them rediscover themselves.

Back to the boys entering the shop: a final element that bears commentary is the responsibility their simple act of entry bespeaks. No hall passes, no policeman watching over them, no tsking teachers or peers. This is what their moment will entail, and the shield they repair is all theirs. Nobody will bully them here or online about their pursuits, and nobody will require them to explain how this will guarantee their future success.

Finally, the absence of coercion and evaluation enables the blood flow of Fairhaven School. People here pursue their interests in a democratic, respectful environment where we talk honestly and openly about, well, everything. Boys make swords and talk loudly about it, and nobody even takes notice. Is it perfect? Not yet. But do we create another way to grow up, free from many of the crushing antagonisms of high school? Yes. In an educational world where school bullying and its investigation predominate, does Fairhaven School offer an alternate reality? Yes, we do.

 

Mark McCaig

March, 2013

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/no-bullies-here-a-school-culture-of-respect/feed/ 0 Cinderelly, Cinderelly: Age-Mixing at Fairhaven School http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/cinderelly-cinderelly-age-mixing-at-fairhaven-school/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/cinderelly-cinderelly-age-mixing-at-fairhaven-school/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 02:10:56 +0000 admin http://website.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1335  

The cast of “Cinderella” after the play.

After Theatre Corp’s recent production of Hamlet, some of the younger students began forming their own play in the Kid Nook. On Monday those students put on their adaptation of Cinderella.

I have to admit while watching them I could not help but think of how [...]]]>  

The cast of “Cinderella” after the play.

After Theatre Corp’s recent production of Hamlet, some of the younger students began forming their own play in the Kid Nook. On Monday those students put on their adaptation of Cinderella.

I have to admit while watching them I could not help but think of how proud I am of all of them. They wrote the play themselves (with some staff support), went to School Meeting to get permission for the space, and produced the play. All of this was completely independent of Theatre Corp.

I was also proud of the older students who helped out. It reminded me of how valuable age mixing is at a school like Fairhaven. The younger students were not limited to their own usual suspects of friends. They expanded, reaching out for help, and the older students gave it to them. The result was a production where everyone had fun and learned. (See the links below for video footage of the production.)

Simply put, it was one of those days at Fairhaven School you just wouldn’t want to miss. Sometimes the magic of a Sudbury School is hidden within a complex context, but sometimes it stares you right in the face!

Richard Morris

Staff Member

Class of 2007

Cinderella Part 1

Cinderella Part 2

 

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/cinderelly-cinderelly-age-mixing-at-fairhaven-school/feed/ 0 2012 Alumni Panel http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/2012-alumni-panel/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/2012-alumni-panel/#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:07:35 +0000 admin http://website.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1332 On October 26th, Fairhaven School hosted its second alumni panel. Ben Umstead (’01), Geoffrey Craighead (’01), and Brett Smith (’04) spoke of their experiences at Fairhaven School and their time after school.

Here is what Geoffrey posted on his Facebook:

“This is an alumni panel which I participated in [...]]]> On October 26th, Fairhaven School hosted its second alumni panel. Ben Umstead (’01), Geoffrey Craighead (’01), and Brett Smith (’04) spoke of their experiences at Fairhaven School and their time after school.

Here is what Geoffrey posted on his Facebook:

“This is an alumni panel which I participated in for Fairhaven, the Sudbury school that I attended.

Being a student at a Sudbury Model school was one of the most formative aspects of my youth and one that I’m a very strong proponent of for many people.

If you have school-aged children and want them to be in an educational environment which places a premium on their own creativity, responsibility, independence and self-worth, I strongly encourage you to investigate the Sudbury Model. http://www.sudburynetwork.org/

My specific alma mater is Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. http://www.fairhavenschool.com/

By design, every student’s experience will differ radically from any other’s; nonetheless, if you ever have any questions or concerns or want to sate any other kind of curiosity about the model, in general, or Fairhaven, in particular, I’m always more than happy to talk about the experience I had and my transition from the Sudbury model back into a traditional educational model in college.

I loved Fairhaven while I was there and love it still today and am always looking for an opportunity to inspire in my friends the same sort of appreciation for the truly exceptional and unique social and educational asset that the school is. If you’re even the least bit curious, investigate it in depth!”

Please click the link for a preview of the alumni panel with access to all five parts of the panel footage.

 

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/2012-alumni-panel/feed/ 0 Hamlet http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/hamlet/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/hamlet/#comments Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:03:30 +0000 admin http://website.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1330 As a teaching artist for the past 21 years, it has been both my pleasure and my passion to share my art with students. This year’s challenge of Shakespeare’s Hamlet has proven equally fulfilling. It is my personal belief that one can learn everything through the theatre. Over the past 7 years, I have had [...]]]> As a teaching artist for the past 21 years, it has been both my pleasure and my passion to share my art with students. This year’s challenge of Shakespeare’s Hamlet has proven equally fulfilling. It is my personal belief that one can learn everything through the theatre. Over the past 7 years, I have had to rethink how I teach theatre arts to fit into a Sudbury philosophy. The two war at each other in ways that I never would have imagined. The first, best, example of this can be displayed in the relationship between the players and the director. These players come with the preconceived idea that because we are Fairhaven, the play will be a democracy. Art by committee, to my knowledge, has not been successful. As the director, “my vote counts as a 1000″ (Schertler, 2006). However, the students have learned that this is okay. I believe it prepares them for their future when they leave Fairhaven and exist in a world in which they may not be the boss. This is just one small lesson that can be gained through theatre arts.  While I have always thought the final product, the show, to be important, I continue to stress the importance of the process through which these students go when they do a show. Watching the students grow and change as they go through a production amazes and enthralls me. “The play is the thing…” (Shakespeare, 1601).

 

Ruth Yamamoto

References

Schertler, D. (personal communication, 2006)

Shakespeare, W. (1601). Hamlet

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/hamlet/feed/ 0 Halloween at Fairhaven School http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/halloween-at-fairhaven-school/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/halloween-at-fairhaven-school/#comments Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:54:13 +0000 admin http://website.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1327 Here is a slideshow of Fairhaven School Halloween, 2012. Enjoy!

]]> Here is a slideshow of Fairhaven School Halloween, 2012. Enjoy!

]]> http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/halloween-at-fairhaven-school/feed/ 0 Fairhaven School 24 Hour Film Challenge http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/fairhaven-school-24-hour-film-challenge/ http://www.fairhavenschool.com/blog/fairhaven-school-24-hour-film-challenge/#comments Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:53:07 +0000 admin http://website.fairhavenschool.com/blog/?p=1324 Fairhaven School recently held its first 24 Hour Film Challenge, where students were able to stay at school over the weekend to produce their short films. Two supervisors/instructors tasked the students with creating a silent film which must use specific props by 5pm the next day. Even with only ten students present, the school was [...]]]> Fairhaven School recently held its first 24 Hour Film Challenge, where students were able to stay at school over the weekend to produce their short films. Two supervisors/instructors tasked the students with creating a silent film which must use specific props by 5pm the next day. Even with only ten students present, the school was as lively as ever as the students filmed all across campus and edited their movies right until time was up. Here is a link to The Stolen Camera, a short produced by one of the groups.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciioh8shP-o&feature=channel&list=UL

 

Richard Morriss

Staff Member, Class of 2007

 

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