School Reform & Other Updates

Not surprisingly, school reform is hard work (as our principal reminded us 20+ times at our professional development day a few weeks ago). I have yet to make it through a whole day without breaking up a violent fight. There are a few students who terrorize the school as well as any students or staff who get in their paths. The students at our school are already 2-3 years behind in terms of grade level (i.e., my 3rd graders are on a K-1 grade level).

However, the teachers are working exceptionally hard and trying many new methods, activities, and programs to spark an interest in learning and inspire the students to go to college. And, it seems to be working...slowly. 6 weeks into the school year and I already notice a huge difference. The students can sit through an entire 2-hour block period - reading, writing, or doing math. Many students ask me about college and tell me about their dream careers. The students sing chants like, "you've got to read, baby, read" as well as college cheers (our classroom university is Catholic University in DC).

This past week, we took our top Scholar Dollar earners (students earn/lose "money" for working hard, being professional, and paying attention and are given a weekly paycheck to see how much they are earning) to the roller skating rink. Unfortunately most of the students didn't know how to skate, but we all had fun. There were lots of laughs, falls, and, of course, smiles. This week, our top Scholar Dollar earners get to visit their classroom university and do a scavenger hunt on campus. The students that do not earn enough money stay behind with the administrative staff.

Our school was interviewed by NPR and a local radio station and the segment played last Friday. Here's the interview: http://wwww.wamu.org/programs/mc/10/10/01.php#37678 and you can click on "Real Media" or "Windows Media" on the right to hear the segment. Or you can read the transcript here: http://wwww.wamu.org/programs/mc/10/10/trans-01-9-37678.php

Other Updates

Our next few weekends are packed with activities. My dad, Myrna, and my sister are visiting October 14-18. The following weekend, Trev and I will be touring the White House and exploring the National Science Festival. And October 30th, we'll be participating in Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Fear and John Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity on the National Mall :)

PS. We always love to hear from you, so feel free to respond to this email with updates about how you are doing!