From Telegraphs to Computers

Electronic communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true. ~Charles Dickens

The statement above is attributed to Charles Dickens.  It actually comes from the passage below in a work by him entitled “The Wreck of the Golden Mary.”  The character in the story is lamenting on the way orders were being given by telegraph rather than in person…

O! what a thing it is, in a time of danger, and in the presence of death, the shining of a face upon a face!  I have heard it broached that orders should be given in great new ships by electric telegraph.  I admire machinery as much as any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for us.  But, it will never be a substitute for the face of a man, with his soul in it, encouraging another man to be brave and true.  Never try it for that.  It will break down like a straw.

This statement reminds me of our communication between home and school.  I have talked in the past about how convenient electronic communication is and the expectations of this type of communication.  While we no longer communicate by telegraph, we sometimes rely on electronic when what we really need is that face to face interaction to be able to communicate effectively with each other.  I would like to remind everyone that while email is great for communicating facts and simple concrete answers, phone calls and in-person meetings are best for things that require lengthy answer or interpretation.  It is an Eagle Ridge Academy expectation that staff members will reply to or acknowledge an email or voice mail within one business day.  I ask that teachers not reply to emails during student instructional time, which limits the times they may reply during the day.  Thank you for your support in allowing the teachers to concentrate on your students during the day and reply to questions at other times.

Next week at curriculum night, teachers will be explaining more about our new Pillar Program.  Last week I talked about the Pillar Tickets students may put in the jar in the Lower School Office.  This week the students were introduced to Aquila, our Pillar Program mascot (see the picture below).  Aquila is the Latin word for eagle.  Aquila will be traveling to different classrooms in the Lower School throughout the year.  I was the first one to award Aquila to a classroom.  It was a difficult decision, as I had so many great examples of good citizenship to choose from this week.  Aquila is living in Mr. Schloesser’s third grade classroom next week.  Two students (Adhithi and Naomi) from his class earned Aquila for their class by demonstrating wonderful Pillar behavior.  Mr. Schloesser will be looking for students demonstrating good Integrity or other Pillar behavior next week.

As another part of our Pillar Program, students have been writing about their hopes and dreams during Pillar time in their classrooms.  Here are some of those hopes and dreams hanging in the hallway.  Teachers will be doing hopes and dreams check-ins later in the year to see if students are demonstrating excellence by reaching for those dreams.

I have been visiting classrooms this week and doing some reading to them.  In the younger grades I have read picture books and tied them to a particular purpose or life lesson I would like them to learn.  In the older grades, I have started a children’s version of the Aeneid by Virgil.  I will continue reading this book to 4^th and 5^th graders throughout the school year.  They will first read the actual poem in 9^th grade, so a read-aloud at this age is a good introduction.  I love being able to spend time in the classrooms with students and will be reading in each one monthly.

Notes/Reminders

• ·         Curriculum Night: Thursday, September 12^th (adults only event)

o   Please note Mrs. Palm (K) and Mrs. Sorenson (4^th) will have their events on Tuesday, September 10^th at 6:00.  Specialists will not be available on that evening.

• ·         Rockin’ the Ridge is on Saturday, September 21^st.  Please see the Eagle Ridge Academy   website for more details.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Baier