The Final Graduation, Class of 2010

The sixth grade class of 2010 enjoyed all the typical Oak Lane traditions in their June graduation ceremony that began and ended with processional and recessional music by the 4th/5th grades. The main event of the ceremony was the presentation by each sixth grader of their individual reflections of the school and teachers. These had been thoughtfully deliberated on through classroom discussions, and had been written and rewritten until perfected. Together the class sang “Ria Binushka" as their final performance piece, a class favorite. Hand-crafted ceramic pots made by art teacher, Mr. Mednick, were presented to each graduate along with a diploma. The class gift to Oak Lane will support a new website dedicated to the memory of the school and the needs of Oak Lane alumni. Congratulations to our graduates!
 

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

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 --