In the Classroom

JANE’S LOOKABOUTS

JANE CLARKE, Director of Lower School Jane spends much of her time in the IIs–VIIs classrooms, getting to know the children, observing them at work, and delighting in the creativity and excitement that are integral to the C&C learning experience. Below, in Jane’s words, are some glimpses of what she sees during her regular walks.

The IIs are working on the space of their classroom.

The subtlety and simplicity of our program can often take a long time for adults to understand in a profound way. For the children, however, it quickly becomes a “way of life.” As I was walking up the stairs one day, I saw a VIII doing her Job of collecting the mail from a hallway mailbox. Her face broke out in a huge smile, and she seemed to say to herself, “Someone has used the stamp I designed. ” The sheer joy, delight, and sense of having been useful in some significant way beamed through her facial expression. This was achieved with a selection of colored pencils, a piece of paper, possibly a teacher’s motivation, and a desire to be a part of something beyond the walls of the classroom. Simple by design!

COMMUNITY IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOLS

C&C welcomed two new members to its senior leadership team: Director of Middle SchoolAyesha Long andDirector of Upper School Karen Brandt. As they settled into their roles, they shared some observations about how students at C&C experience community within the School and beyond.

AYESHA LONG, Director of Middle School

In The Art of Community,

Charles Vogl describes community as a place where you begin to answer three big questions: Who are you? What do you do? What do you value? As the children settled into their Groups, they began to establish community and answer each of these queries. they are as individuals and who they want to be as a collective. Some Groups used scavenger hunts or identitywebs to find outmore about each other’s unique attributes, while others turned facts about themselves into a game called “Find the Fib.”

What do you do? The VIIIs and IXs had their grand openings for The Flying Envelopes (PostOffice) and PenEx(School Store)! The Xs, C&C’s Sign Makers, created advertisements to publicize the range of signs and other items

The Xs bring their creativity and sense of humor to sign-making.

people may want to order from them. These experiences connect them to the larger community through the vital roles they play in the the School through their Jobs.

What do you value? We often talk about the Jobs Program asthe firsttime studentsare asked to serve the community by providing a service necessary to its functioning. However, students’ Jobs are not their only responsibilities—they also have important roles in their individual Groups. For example, in

The simple act of making something at the wood bench can have profound implications in the Vs. I can make something I can use!

Throughout the School, I see trust expressed in the choice of important materials, in the children themselves, and in the teachers. Please enjoy these photographs, which I believe celebrate the simplicity of our program and the profundity of what these materials give our children: the opportunity to celebrate and experience.

Pondering numbers in the VIIs

The Brooklyn Museum in the VIs In the VIIs, children actually carve their own wooden people.

Exploring clay in the Vs

MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOLS

the lunchroom, being Table Monitor rotates among students. This essential function ensures that the tables have been cleaned before the next Group arrives. In the classrooms, students are assigned to do things like change the schedule, update announcements, or bring supplies to their tables. These responsibilities help students understand why it’s important to think about the needs of others and to be a good community member. They each have a role in making their Groups and the School run smoothly!

The XIIIs in Washington, DC

KAREN BRANDT, Director of Upper School

In the Upper

School, there has been an ongoing effort to connect the students to the world beyond their Groups and across the School.

I had the privilege of going with the XIIIs to Washington, DC, where we were able to spend the better part of the day in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, connecting this experience to their Social Studies.

Our students also extended into the global community, with many choosing to participate in the Global Climate March. Their passion was evident in their signs and chanting, and I was proud to see them taking active roles in a cause that is meaningful to them and striving to make change. C&C students at the Global Climate March

Within C&C, the XIIs’ caring relationships with the IVs through their Job is another source of constant inspiration. “At a time when identity begins to be shaken, when self-image is uncertain, and the pull forward is almost cancelled for the yearning for time past, the spontaneous admiration and acceptance which the younger child gives naturally and unqualifiedlyhasa bolstering, sustaining effect.” —Harriet Cuffaro (Group Teacher, 1954–1968)