The IDEAL SchoolSummer Bulletin 2011

We hope you’re enjoying the summer! Please take a look through this bulletin to learn about exciting initiatives and changes at the school. There are articles from members of the community about IDEAL’s committment to teaching students 21st

Century Skills, and introductions to new members of the school staff. We look forward to seeing you all in September. Enjoy the rest of the break!

The IDEAL School has always put thoughtful effort into preparing modern students who have all the necessary skill sets to be successful for their future. Below are just some of the ways we are planning to continue in this direction during the coming year.

First, the school has focused heavily on staffing. Any school is only as good as the teachers and staff it employs. Additionally, as a growing school it is important that we properly staff all positions to support expansion. This bulletin shares news of our most recent members of the IDEAL staff and we are confident that this group of committed individuals will bring excellence to the classroom, the administration team, and to the overall care of the school site.

The second way IDEAL is establishing excellence for students of the future is by developing plans to move into our new facilities. A comprehensive programming study was conducted by our architectural firm, and involved generating feedback from current staff, families, trustees, and advisors. The Board’s Facilities Committee and administration are strategically implementing this plan, in order to create facilities that match our mission, instructional needs, and programmatic criteria. Once we have renderings available, we will place copies in the lobby for your review.

Finally, according to educational leadership experts there are four major components to creating a framework for 21st Century skills. IDEAL certainly has been focusing on these areas since our inception, and will continue on this path this year and into the future.

1. Core subjects and 21st century themes (such as language arts, mathematics, science, global awareness, and financial literacy).2. Learning and innovation skills (such as creativity, innovation, and critical thinking and problem solving).3. Information, media, and technology skills.4. Life and career skills (such as initiative and self- direction).

How does IDEAL plan on ensuring that this framework is in place and that our students are truly prepared with 21st Century skills? Included in this bulletin are articles that share ways we are preparing students for their future. I hope to share more details about these and other initiatives throughout this year, as we expand on each framework component.

PreParing StudentS for their future, not our PaSt

-Head of ScHool angela BergeSon

2 St Century

about differences in learning have progressed from outdated exclusive policies with low expectations, to inclusive policies with expectation of higher outcomes for all students of all abilities. This means that even the way we plan curriculum and instruction should take into account modern practices and new tools of the craft. I am pleased to join such a cutting-edge and forward-thinking school community that has taken this into account since its inception. I look forward to bringing my 34 years experience working in the field of education to this program. As the Director of Learning Support, I will be collaborating with faculty and families to meet the needs of all our students and ensure a successful school experience.

When schools have an inclusive mission, and implement team-teaching, it is important to ensure that curriculum

is thoughtful and takes into account that students now live in a global community. One way I will be collaborating with faculty at IDEAL this year is supporting 21st Century co-planning. This year, The IDEAL School will partner with Toby Karten, international educational consultant, author, adjunct professor, and inclusion specialist. Toby presented to our IDEAL staff in June and will continue to work with us on co-planning for the 21st Century throughout this year. This will include consulting with teachers on long-range and weekly plans, peer-tutoring in the inclusive classroom, cooperative learning, and increasing metacognition for all.

This type of 21st Century professional development is only one way that IDEAL is preparing faculty and staff for a successful year. I cannot wait to get started.

ProfeSSional develoPment for a21St Century inCluSive SChool -director of learning Support toBie franklin

Knowledge, research, technology, and attitudes

SkillSa Framework for IDEAL Growth

In education circles, “Technology in the Classroom” has been a familiar topic of panel discussions, workshops, and conference seminars for the last 20 years at least. The idea that computers should play an important role in each student’s education has morphed from controversy to fad to base line expectation.

This year, at IDEAL, we are excited to launch a new school-wide initiative that includes using iPad2s in each classroom and providing laptops for each 4th, 5th, and 6th grade student. Access to the technology is only the first step, however. How do we avoid the paradoxical technophobic technophilia that sometimes leads schools to flood unprepared classrooms with new smartboards, laptops, and tablets that either sit unused, feared and disregarded by unconvinced teachers; or distract from real learning with gimmicky lessons; or erode face-to-face communication skills by parking kids in front of a screen instead of in front of each other?

Here are some guidelines that we adopt:

Don’t use technology for its own sake

Technology should always plug directly into learning objectives that were already in the curriculum. We want to see students extend the curriculum into different domains — to provide visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experiences. The goal is to challenge them to think more

teChnology in the ClaSSroom

2 St Century

-Middle ScHool teacHer Soren BergeSon

critically about what they are learning — to collaborate, question, and extend their thinking.

Avoid gimmicks

We want to make sure that the apps and programs that we use are integral to developing core curricular concepts and skills. We are building the flexibility and habits of mind that encourage creativity, inquiry, and mastery, not just showing off hot, new gadgetry. Technology will be completely different in ten years, and our job is to hand IDEAL students the tools to be successful for their future, not for our past.

Simply learning how to navigate the technology is not the goal

We prefer technology that is transparent, intuitive, and builds on core academic skills: synthesizing knowledge, taking intellectual risks, using failure as a learning experience, and finding and evaluating information and sources.

Don’t let screen time take away from face time

Technology should encourage more interaction among students and teachers. Engagement in producing narrative and creative writing pieces increases geometrically when students feel they are writing for a real-time audience that will provide daily feedback. Discussions that spill over into electronic discussion forums and evening chats take reading comprehension out of the classroom and infuse it with urgency and relevance. Indeed, for some students, allowing time to reflect and compose their thoughts is a much more effective way to develop speech, language, and social pragmatic skills.

Technology Integration at IDEAL

Look out for iPad2s and laptops that take advantage of the most impressive Google and iOS apps.

Look out for class websites and wikis as a space for submitting assignments, moderating discussions, tracking progress, and building portfolios of student work.

These tools, when put in the hands of the dedicated, talented, and extremely innovative teachers at IDEAL, allow us to be more flexible, responsive, and engaging. Technology gives us powerful tools to provide differentiated, individualized instruction for each learner.

SkillSa Framework for IDEAL Growth

German Arenas – Facilities

German Arenas joins The IDEAL School as our new facilities professional. Before coming to IDEAL, German spent over 15 years working for Sheraton Hotels of New York as a maintenance mechanic. Prior to his work with Sheraton Hotels, German spent five years in the US Navy as a Machinist Mate on the USS Detroit.

David Byrnes – Director of Communication

David Byrnes will fill the new position of Director of Communication at The IDEAL School. In this role, David will coordinate all external and internal messaging and marketing strategies for the school. For the past seven years, David was the Director of Communication at The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, here in New York City. David brings a passion for issues of anti-bias, equity, and access in education, and will also serve as The IDEAL School's Diversity Coordinator. David received his BA from Amherst College, in Massachusetts.

Jackie Casey – Director of Admissions

Jackie Casey will be The IDEAL School’s new Director of Admissions. Jackie is working part-time and will oversee the entire admissions process. Jackie was the Director of Admissions at The Browning School for 12 years, and most recently served as the Director of Admissions at Convent of the Sacred Heart. Before Browning, Jackie was the Director of Admissions at an all-

girls school and a co-educational pre-k-12th grade school. Prior to moving into the admissions field, Jackie was an English teacher at a number of institutions in Asia, Europe, and Africa. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College and a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University.

Nera Cruz – Executive Assistant

Nera Cruz joins The IDEAL School community, this year, as Executive Assistant to the Head of School. In this role, she will work closely with the Head of School and administrative team to support the day-to-day management of the school. Nera has over fifteen years of experience with educational institutions. She was the Events Coordinator for the Film and Media Studies Department at Hunter College, where she received her BA in Media Relations. She has also held various positions in the public school system, including the Backyard Coordinator and After School Program Coordinator at P.S. 321.

Hallie Fischberg – Middle School Learning Specialist

Hallie Fischberg will be a middle school learning specialist during the 2011-2012 school year. Hallie recently graduated from Boston University’s School of Education, with a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education. While pursuing her degree, Hallie worked in several schools in the Boston area, including inclusion classrooms at the Driscoll School and the Sprague School. Most recently, she worked at the William W.

new StaffBelow are short bios for the newest members of The IDEAL School team. Please

look over the list, get familiar with names and roles, and be sure to introduce yourself when you return to the school in September!

Full bios of all staff members will be available online at theidealschool.org.

Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, MA. Hallie served as a special education teacher in a co-taught first grade classroom, planning and implementing whole-group and small-group lessons, developing IEP goals and objectives, and modifying the standard curriculum to make the material accessible to all students.

Tobie Franklin – Director of Learning Support

Tobie Franklin is The IDEAL School’s new Director of Learning Support. As such, Tobie will oversee the implementation of the Zenith Program, coordination of related services, support for our learning specialists, professional development related to children with learning challenges, Zenith Program admissions, and other areas related to meeting the needs of students at IDEAL who require extra support. Tobie brings over 35 years of experience in special education to her new position. A native of Toronto, Canada, Tobie most recently worked at the Paul Penna Downtown Day School, in Toronto, where she oversaw special education services. A graduate of University of Toronto (B.A. and Masters-Equivalent Diploma in Child Study, Child Assessment and Counseling Program, Institute of Child Study specialization in special education), Tobie also received her LLM on International Rights of the Child from the University of London.

Stephanie Ginsberg – Middle School Learning Specialist

Stephanie Ginsberg joins the IDEAL faculty as a middle school learning specialist. Stephanie received her Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, where she majored in education, and her Master’s in child special education from New York University. As a student teacher, Stephanie worked in schools in Indiana and New York, including a first grade inclusion

classroom at P.S. 32 and a 10/11 year-old classroom at the Stephen Gaynor School. Most recently, Stephanie was a 4th grade special education teacher at Ross Global Academy charter school here in New York City.

Elizabeth Hazelwood – 2nd Grade

Elizabeth Hazelwood will be teaching in The IDEAL School’s 2nd grade. Elizabeth attended Mercy College, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, the latter in early childhood and special education. Elizabeth has taught in several schools in the New York area, as both a general and special educator. Her focus has been on special education, in both self-contained and inclusion classrooms, with experience leading classrooms in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. Prior to IDEAL, Elizabeth taught at Central Elementary School, in Larchmont, New York.

Emily Kuntz – Middle School Teacher

Emily Kuntz will be a member of IDEAL’s middle school teaching team. Emily brings over six years of experience teaching special education in public and private elementary school settings. Before teaching, Emily received her Bachelor’s degree from Springfield College, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and her Master’s degree from Manhattanville College, in Purchase, New York. She has taught in schools in Connecticut and New York, most recently at West End Day School, where she led a 5th/6th grade classroom.

Matthew Lebon – Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

Matthew Lebon joins The IDEAL School community as an assistant teacher in Kindergarten this year. Matthew received his Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, in Bloomington. During his time there,

memberS

Matthew worked as an ESL tutor. After college, Matthew joined the Peace Corps as a rural economic development volunteer in Paraguay. While there, he taught classes to local youth in a variety of subjects. Most recently, Matthew has been studying permaculture in Israel.

Lauren Lico – Lower School Learning Specialist

Lauren Lico will be a Learning Specialist in the lower school this year. Lauren has experience working with students in the New York City public school system, the Boys & Girls Club of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and as a one-on-one tutor. She was also an administrative intern at the Stephen Gaynor School, here in New York City. Lauren received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Craig McLaughlin – Middle School Assistant Teacher

Craig McLaughlin joins the IDEAL School faculty as an assistant teacher in the middle school. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tampa, in Florida, Craig worked in the publishing industry, most recently for Scholastic Corporation. Deciding to make a career change, Craig enrolled at Manhattanville College, where he will receive his Master’s in childhood and special education.

Nicole Monaghan – Speech and Language Pathologist

Nicole Monaghan will be a Speech and Language Pathologist at The IDEAL School this year. Nicole earned her Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State

University, and her Master’s in Speech Language Pathology from Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York. During her graduate studies, Nicole worked in several medical and school settings, and upon graduating she spent three years as a Speech and Language Pathologist in the Cabrillo Unified School District in Half Moon Bay, California. Most recently, Nicole has been working with children at the Avalon Gardens Rehab and Health Care Center, in Smithtown, New York.

Rebecca Mui – 1st Grade Teacher

Rebecca Mui will be a member of The IDEAL School’s 1st grade teaching team this year. Rebecca has a range of teaching experience, in the classroom and as a private tutor. She has taught lower school classes at both the Trevor Day School and the Dalton School, in New York. Most recently, Rebecca was teaching at the Tsinghua International School, in Beijing. Rebecca received her Bachelor’s degree from The College of New Rochelle and her Master’s degree from Bank Street College of Education.

Kyle Vitale - Technology

Kyle Vitale will be The IDEAL School’s technology specialist. In this role, Kyle will support all aspects of IDEAL’s technology program, from infrastructure to curriculum. Kyle holds a Bachelor’s degree from New York University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Previously, Kyle has worked for Fujitsu, as a field technician and in tech support.

new Staff