November News

As of November 5, 2009, Karl Welsh has stepped down as head of Oak Lane Day School after serving the school community in this capacity since July 1999. A hallmark of Karl's tenure has been his care of the physical plant, with significant improvements in the Perch Hankin Building and the Barn, and with special care of the grounds.

Karl led the Tribute Campaign that raised funds to build our beautiful Cutler Gymnasium. Under his leadership, the academic program was strengthened: the Learning Skills program was added, progress reports were standardized, and teachers implemented Reading and Writing Workshops and the Everyday Math program. The decision to close the school at the end of this year has been difficult for all of us, none more so than Karl and his wife Karen Cavallo, who have given enormous time and effort to make Oak Lane the very special place it is. Karl and Karen will continue to be part of the Oak Lane community as parents.

Martha Platt will serve as Head of School for the remainder of the 2009-10 school year. Martha is a member of Oak Lane's Board of Trustees and, for the past twelve years, has been both a part of the faculty and the Director of Oak Lane's summer camp program.

Besides providing a full academic year for our students, we are working hard at the appropriate placement on behalf of our students as they seek to continue their journey of learning following this school year.

Oak Lane In Its Final Year

The Board of Trustees recently made the decision to close the school at the end of June 2010. The past several years of declining enrollment and the current economic climate forced the school to sell the land on which it stands in the spring of 2009. In the months that followed, Board members, faculty and staff worked diligently to secure a new location and explore the possibility of Oak Lane continuing elsewhere. When it became clear that this was not financially feasible, the Board determined that it was in the best interest of the school to cease operations.

Founded in 1916 in Cheltenham Township, Oak Lane Country Day School, as it was then known, was rooted in progressive education and became one of six schools in the country used by the U.S. State Department as a model school for visiting dignitaries. Until 1960, Oak Lane was connected with Temple University as a lab and demonstration school. After that connection ended, the school ultimately moved to its current location in Whitpain Township.

The hallmark of an Oak Lane education has always been a focus on the preservation of childhood and an emphasis on “learning how to learn.” Graduates of Oak Lane leave the school as strong independent learners who have gone on to excel in the fields of arts and entertainment, sciences, entrepreneurship, literature and writing, athletics, social concerns and other endeavors.

While it has been frequently said that Oak Lane’s existence at the corner of Butler and Stenton Avenues in Blue Bell was a “well-kept secret,” the many families who experienced an Oak Lane education made no secret of their love for the school. The graduation speeches of outgoing students resonate with appreciation for the beautiful campus, the arts program and the many opportunities for performance across all the grades. Sixth graders talk passionately about the benefits of being “sons and daughters” of Oak Lane, of being known and appreciated by all faculty members. Also referenced are beloved traditions like the Woodland Walk, catching frogs, sledding on the meadow, tractor rides, the all-school theme of Winterlude, drama club, community service with “buddy” classes and learning to play recorder. A rich and recurring motif in the speeches is the students’ sense of themselves as valued members of a diverse community, who leave the school knowing that their voices have been heard.

In one sense, every current student at the school will graduate in June 2010. Between now and then, the children will continue to mine the deep vein of an Oak Lane education and experience the community’s respect for childhood. The mood will be celebratory and the broader Oak Lane community, past and present, will be invited to join in the gatherings planned for this year.

Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

An Original Eric Carle On Stage

See us in the Weaver's Way "Shuttle" in the May edition!
Click on the link below and go to page 25 --
http://weaversway.coop/uploads/File/SHUTTLE2009-05b.pdf

The Anita Mednick Legacy Concert: A Testimony to the Talent of Oak Lane Students

ON THIS PAST SUNDAY, APRIL 5TH, the Cutler Gymnasium was filled with the spirit of music, art and the Oak Lane community. Nearly 90 people, including current and former families and faculty, alumni of various generations dating back to the 60's and their families, Board members, and family and friends of the Mednicks', gathered for an afternoon of music and art, in memory of Anita and in honor of Armand.

The sun shone brightly as guests listened to a movement of a Bach Sonata played by Delia Raab-Snyder, Anita and Armand's granddaughter, followed by Hungarian Folksongs played by faculty members Marlis Kraft-Zemel, Janet Easlea, and Rainer Beckmann. Alumni and former students of Anita's, Maya Sabin, David Zaslav, Mariah and Miles Butler, Miriam Zemel, Lisa Spiller, Alain and Julien Schremmer, and Ashley Opalka, all performed with grace and skill nurtured by Anita and Marlis as they grew up in the Oak Lane music program. Anita's daughter, Claudia, got everyone singing with her "Anita" verse to a Mexican song, and current 5th grade student, Claudia Villa, wowed the crowd with her amazing voice singing a Russian song, Ryabinushka, accompanied by her classmate Chandler Kalitsi on recorder. Sixth grader Jessica Vorse took the leap to play in a quartet with her teachers, and Brayden Druger and Drew Jacobson performed one of Mr. Mednick's favorite songs, Chevaliers de la Table Ronde, on the recorder and guitar. What great confidence in such young performers!!

This, the 3rd annual Anita Mednick Legacy Concert, showed again what makes Oak Lane a unique and outstanding place to grow up. In the words of parent Stacey Jacobson, "The Anita Mednick Legacy Concert exceeded my wildest expectations. I am still blown away by what I saw. The talent in that room from Oak Lane students, faculty and alumni, ranging in age from 9-50+, was exceptional. Many students leave Oak Lane learning to think outside the box. This was so evident in the selections chosen. Students were singing songs in many languages and playing music written by French, German, and Russian composers, as well as their own original compositions. The pride on the performers faces, along with the elation I felt as a parent, was one in a million. Thank you Marlis and Oak Lane for a job extremely well done."

A slide show of artwork and quotes from alumni documented the impact Mr. Mednick has had on Oak Lane's art program and students since 1960. Together, he and his late wife Anita have over 75 years of teaching here at Oak Lane. They have inspired many young people in their love of music and art as evidenced by the attendance and performance of former students. Sunday's concert was a wonderful collaboration in their honor.

-- Carina Urbach, Associate Director of Development --

We Know Kids!

EACH WEEKDAY MORNING I PARK MY CAR and walk through part of our beautiful campus to the main building of our school. It always feels good to be here. Why is that? Well, to begin with, our grounds, which change in appearance seasonally, are beautiful, and I am always greeted with a smile and kind or funny remark by Ray. Perhaps I should just allow these gratifying feelings to exist without any further thought, but for some reason I found myself slowly reflecting on 'why' I continually feel this way, day after day, and year after year. The following are some of my thoughts.

The children at Oak Lane Day School are a joy to teach. Their curiosity knows no bounds, which is stimulating, exciting and challenging for those of us fortunate enough to be teaching them. This curious state of being is perhaps one of the most important traits of a good student, as without it, their minds would not grow in directions needed for self fulfillment, success, and contentment. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "At the birth of a child, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity."

Another reason our school shines is because my colleagues, the teachers of your children, reflect the highest qualities of educators. They are full of positive energy, have profound respect for education and children, and continually demand what often seems to be the impossible from themselves. New ideas are embraced while traditions are carried on, and difficulties are analyzed and tackled. They are able to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge in their students, and they understand and believe that there is no limit to their own personal growth as teachers and human beings.

Last and far from least, you, our parents, round out our community. You have placed your most valuable treasure(s) with us, and your faith and support is reflected in all that you do for your children, for the faculty, and for our school.

How fortunate for all of us here at Oak Lane Day School to have found a place where students, teachers, and parents work together with mutual respect to create a place of learning where every one of us, both children and adults, can thrive and shine.

-- Ruth Solomon, Learning Skills --

Spend Summer Days at Oak Lane Day School

Imagine, summer at Oak Lane!

Art, swimming, archery, drama, music, cooking, rocketry, science and nature exploration and many, many other fun activities are waiting for summer to arrive when The Camp at Oak Lane Day School will be in full swing.

If you value the importance of childhood, the arts, friendship and fun, you found the right place!

For parents with children ages 3-12, we invite you to apply. Check out our Summer Camp Program online.

On Being an Oak Lane Parent and Teacher

My first experience of Oak Lane was as a parent, when my son Jhamir entered Allen Garner's class last year as a third grader. For the first time, Jhamir actually loved going to school.

He couldn't wait to get there each morning and was crestfallen every afternoon when we collected him at the extended day program. One typically imagines a child's first year at a new school as a source of parental anxiety, but for us the only negative emotion we might have had in thinking of Jhamir at Oak Lane during the day was envy.

What a pleasure it was to bring him each day to a place that looks more like an inviting park than a school, and to know that the fields and the pond would be part of his classroom, as well as places for tag and hide-and-go-seek. Soon, our living room was transformed into a gallery of monumental sculptures from Mr. Mednick's amazing art classes, and our house filled with songs learned from Marlis. Jhamir brought home math games, told us about the Battle of Germantown, and pointed out the trees and birds in our neighborhood he had learned about with Dottie. Jhamir also began asking thoughtful questions about everything, his curiosity and imagination having been sparked by an approach to teaching that values wonder.

The Oak Lane staff quickly won our complete trust. It was evident that they had taken the time to really understand our son, and because of this, their expectations for him as a student and as a classmate truly fit him. We've actually learned quite a bit about him ourselves from these caring and perceptive teachers.

From my first visits to Oak Lane, when my son was a prospective student, I thought it would be a great place to be a teacher. So I felt very lucky when I joined the Oak Lane staff this year as the kindergarten teacher. With every passing week, my respect grows for the experience, intelligence, commitment, and hard work that goes into creating this remarkable learning environment.

In the pre-primary division, Fairlight and Judy are relentless advocates for young children. At times I am awed by their knowledge of young children and their mastery of every aspect of working with this age group. Everything that takes place in their rooms has such an impressive clarity and coherence of intention.

This coherence and clarity of educational approach is evident in everything taking place at the school. In other parts of the building, I see the teachers in the primary and intermediate divisions discussing curriculum, visiting one another's rooms, planning activities together, and evaluating each other's work. The specials teachers routinely ask me about my curriculum and plan learning experiences to complement and extend what we are doing in the kindergarten classroom. In staff meeting, teachers think as a group about children and about our mission as a school.

I feel very fortunate to work at Oak Lane and that my son attends a school that cares so deeply for its children.

-- Rochelle Krauss, Kindergarten --

Sustainability at Oak Lane Day School - Did You Know?

It occurred to me the other day that, as a community, you might not know about all of the "earth-friendly" practices that are taking place at Oak Lane Day School.

You might know that we are composting lunch and snack scraps. You might know that we plant and nurture native plants, and remove and discourage invasive plants. You also might know that we have a sustainable garden that uses the compost and water from a rain barrel. Lastly, you probably know that we recycle as much as possible: paper and cardboard, metal, glass, and plastics #1 and #2.

But, do you know about these?...

• Landscape Design: Plants are chosen that need less watering and hence reduce our use of water and also our use of energy in doing the watering. (Native plants are preferred!)
• Cleaning Supplies: "Green" cleaning supplies are favored, and are provided for use in the classrooms.
• Fluorescent Lights: The lights at Oak Lane are mostly energy saving fluorescent bulbs. Any remaining incandescent bulbs will be switched to fluorescent when replaced in the future.
• Insulation: When the Perch Hankin Building roof was repaired in 2001, insulation was added and the roof was coated with white finish, which allowed for energy savings. Energy use went noticeably down after these two improvements.
• Heat: The heat in the Leah Cutler Gym is on a timer so that temperatures are lower when the Gym is not in use.
• In the School Hallways: Doors are closed when heat or air conditioners are used.
• Outside Doors: These doors are closed when heat or air conditioners are used. Heat is turned down or off when the school is not in session.
• Integrated Pest Management: Pesticides and herbicides are used sparingly, if at all, paying attention to the least harmful way when controlling these problems.

All of these choices help the environment, and you can consider using them at home, too. We can all make a difference to protect the air, water and land that surround us.

-- Dottie Baumgarten, Science Teacher --

Gardening Thoughts in Midwinter

THIS SNOWY, JANUARY DAY has my mind turning towards our sustainable garden at Oak Lane. If you are not familiar with our garden activities, here’s an update: The rain barrel has been put away for the winter (so it doesn't freeze!); the compost pile is constantly being added to and is decomposing (Oak Lane has diverted over 300 pounds of food scraps from trash cans to the compost pile already this year – wow!); and finally, we are beginning to think warm thoughts about starting new seeds indoors!

Our garden guru and my husband, Phil Baumgarten, seems always to be on the ready to help with Oak Lane’s sustainable efforts. He is the guru of seed starting and is an instinctive and diligent gardener, both in food and in landscape. He tells me that we can start eggplant and pepper plants indoors soon. These seed starts will be the plants for both our home garden and our school garden. After that, the tomato and broccoli seeds can be started. I will follow his lead in all the indoor seedlings. I'll keep you posted on the progress, and I'll also let you know of any needs that we might have.

As part of my teaching about sustainability, I plan to offer food that has been grown, harvested and preserved from Oak Lane's "backyard" to each of our classrooms this winter. Some classes may choose to cook in class, but others might prefer making and bringing in dishes from home. Below are foods that have been preserved and are available, and suggestions for how to use them. Homeroom teachers are welcome to use these midwinter food treats between now and the end of March, so the time schedule for cooking would be different in each class. Even our Parent Association could use some of the preserved foods for various events!

1. Crab apple jelly – good baked in muffins, as centers for cookies, or even as a topping for brie.
2. Crab applesauce – I have two applesauce recipes above, thanks to the Mennonite Community Cookbook: Applesauce Cake and Applesauce Gingerbread. Try them out!
3. Sweet basil and thyme – I would make a simple spaghetti using these two herbs (and others), but feel free to use any recipe calling for these herbs.
4. Garden mint tea – hot, cold or with lemonade. The mix of tea and lemon is particularly tasty.

We want Oak Lane children to experience eating cared-for-food from our garden in the middle of the winter. Clearly, our message is: "We grew this ourselves, it was preserved by someone at Oak Lane, and we are eating local food.” Sustainability and sustainable practices – it is all taking place at Oak Lane Day School!

-- Dottie Baumgarten, Science Teacher --

Reflections on Martin Luther King Day Service Projects

THE SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE of this year's Martin Luther King Day resonated in many hearts, including mine. Forty-five years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and proclaimed, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." One day after that important holiday set aside to honor Dr. King's legacy, America inaugurated its first black president, Barack Obama, a man brought to office because of the content of his character and not judged by the color of his skin. As I participated in Oak Lane's service projects, I couldn't help thinking that this year, at long last, a part of Dr. King's dream was coming true.

I arrived at school early to set up for our sandwich making assembly line. Families started arriving at nine and we set out on our mission: to make as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheese sandwiches that we could from the supplies that had been so generously donated by all of you. Teachers, parents, students, siblings and alumni worked together to produce 190 cheese sandwiches and 753 pb&j's for the Stenton Family Manor. There were many sticky fingers, lots of laughter and the bond of working together in service experienced by all. Teachers stayed behind to help clean up and pack the sandwiches into Judy Leigh's car for a pre-lunch delivery and everyone felt like it was a job well done.

I had to leave school before the clean up to rush on to Sunrise Assisted Living of Lafayette Hill for our orchestra and choral concert. By the time I arrived, the students were warming up, the residents were taking their seats, and excitement was in the air. The students performed pieces from their winter concert as well as our traditional Martin Luther King Day songs. Many eyes were a bit teary during our rendition of "We Shall Overcome." Although our audience was small, they were grateful to the students for sharing their time and talents with them.

In the afternoon, we arrived at the Evergreen Adult Day program with energy and good will that totally revitalized and transformed the room and the seniors in it. We got everyone talking and engaged, playing bingo and having fun. We had prizes for everyone and kept playing until each player had won a prize. Then we glued tissue paper on to jars to transform them into colorful vases and filled them with flowers provided by Nancy Opalka. The seniors truly enjoyed the craft and the beauty of the flowers. The children behaved beautifully and were so good at talking with the seniors and helping them to enjoy our activities. We all left feeling good about our interactions there and knowing that we had brightened up the day for those folks.

Community service can be a way of life and it certainly has its place here at Oak Lane. Every month we dedicate time to do some small thing to make our world a better place. On this day, our children got to experience the joy of serving others as they participated in a larger, national day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. This was an eventful and historic week, and I was happy to take part in it and to share my enthusiasm for service with the students.

-- Sherry Shaeffer, Community Service Coordinator --