Dear Families,
Thank you to all of the families who participated in or attended the Fall Festival. It is always refreshing to come together as a community, and of course, the weather cooperated for once. I personally had a great time catching up with all of you.
At the recent coffee hour with the leadership team, questions about curriculum came up, which we of course find very exciting! Selecting a new resource isn’t the only step: successful implementation depends upon professional development and progress monitoring. We are privileged to partner with the Institute for Excellence in Writing, as they provide ongoing support to our teachers as we work to improve our classically inspired mission. There is a learning curve for all of us, and we are constantly discussing the implementation of IEW with teachers, as well as sharing the inspirational yet acutely practical benefits of the entire methodology of teaching. We also welcome your input!
If you wonder what is different about what we are doing, perhaps I could share with you some of the insights from the experienced educators and like-minded parents who put together the methodology of IEW. I wouldn’t suggest or of course expect all parents to absorb these materials, but I think they are useful in supporting at home what we are doing here at school.
Here are some topic based podcasts from IEW that can strengthen the partnership between home and school:
- Writing Across the Curriculum
- School Choice: Teaching Writing Tips in Any Setting
- Process vs Product
- Understanding Child Brain Development (3 parts)
- Power of Memorization: Shaping Hearts and Minds (2 parts)
- Nurturing Competent Communicators (2 parts)
And, for deeply theological but practical lectures, you can join my dorki-ness by listening to podcasts from the Thomistic Institute.
I just want to emphasize that any teacher or school leader is available to help answer your question about curriculum, instruction, or assessment. Healthy and open communication at all levels lead to increased student achievement and moral development.
Please feel free to reach out to any teacher or school leader to schedule a meeting or phone conversation.
Yours Truly In Christ,
Derek Tremblay
Headmaster
