The Dutch Visit WLMS

Yesterday, a commission of Dutch educators visited WLMS to see our award winning after school program. The commission is comprised of superintendents, school board members, policy makers and other educational professionals who have been charged with the task of exploring ways to reform the educational programs in the Netherlands. It seems educational reform is not only popular in the U.S.

It was a great opportunity to talk to these educators about our extended day programs that we offer and to share some of the lessons we have learned about providing extra time for students who need additional help. The Dutch educators explained that they are interested in extending their school day by providing additional support for students who were not born in the Netherlands and those students who are struggling.

This group of Dutch educators is visiting the U.S. this week to study programs developed by the University of Maryland, visit successful public schools in the state of Maryland and conduct meetings with officials from U.S . Department of Education. They hope to gain ideas on how they can enact reform like we are attempting to do here in the states.

It was truly an honor to have these folks visit our school. I want to thank my friend Jim DeGeorge, former HCPSS Principal and now a faculty member at the University of Maryland, for bringing this delegation to our school.





Thanks to Ms. Carmean, Ms. Smithson and our After School at the Lake staff for doing such a great job hosting our international visitors. From all reports, they were very impressed by what are students were doing. Great job!

Holocaust Survivor Visits WLMS and Makes Big Impact

Thanks to Ms. Swank, our students have been studying the Holocaust and the horrible consequences that result when people act out their hate. As a culmination to the unit, Mrs. Agi Geva visited our school to share her inspiring story about surviving the German death camps that were used during World War II that killed over 6 million Jews, as well as other people, who were hated by Hitler and his followers. Mrs. Geva shared with our 7th graders that no matter how dark and scary situations can get...there is always hope.

Agi Geva was born in Budapest, Hungary on June 2, 1930. When the German occupation of Hungary occurred on March 19, 1944, Agi, her younger sister Zsuzsanna and her parents, Rozsa and Zoltan Laszlo had been living in Miskolcz.

Rozsa, Agi and Zsuzsanna were deported to Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi death camp in Poland. Despite many selections, Rozsa and her daughters managed to remain together throughout their ordeal.

After they had been in Auschwitz for several weeks they were transferred to Plaszow, where conditions became worse. When the camp at Plaszow was liquidated, the Nazis transported them back to Auschwitz. Harsher selections followed, yet they still succeeded to stick together.

A short time later they found themselves among 180 Hungarian and 20 Polish women who were selected for factory work. They were all transported to a small labor camp in Rochlitz, Austria, near Leipzig. There, they were trained to work at a factory that manufactured spare parts for airplanes. After the training period they were sent to the factory in Calw, near Stuttgart, Germany.

After working at the factory for several months, all of the women were sent on a forced march of 400 kilometers. The women on the march were liberated by the American army on April 28, 1945. Agi remained with her mother and sister in Innsbruck for eight months, and then they all returned to Hungary.

In 1949 Agi and Zsuzsanna immigrated to Israel. There, they each married (Zsuzsanna to a fellow survivor). Agi had two children and her sister had three. Zsuzsa went to live in Kibbutz Haogen where she still lives today. Agi’s mother, Rozsa, had remarried while she lived in Miskolcz. In 1956 she and her second husband, Dr. Sugar Gyula, made aliya to Israel. Rozsa died at the age of 98. She is survived by two daughters, five grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.

After living in Israel for 53 years, Agi came to the United States to reside with her daughter. She has been a volunteer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum since 2002. (resource: http://www.ushmm.org/education)

Way to go Ms. Swank...thanks for inspiring us all to be our very best!

Family Fun Night Is A lot of Fun!

Thanks to the Wilde Lake Middle School Family Involvement Team (FIT) for organizing our annual Family Fun Night.

Here are some pictures from the festivities:

Social Media Revolution 2 (Newest Version)

Thanks Rachel!

Former Student Takes Next Step to Stardom

Way to go Alyssa! Not only is she a very talented singer, but a wonderful person, too.

President Obama: It Gets Better!

Feng Shui Tips for Classrooms

During my memorable trip to Korea this past summer, I noticed that the Korean educators I met paid close attention to many details of education including the arrangement of each classroom environment. Paint colors were carefully chosen and the placement of items in each classroom was purposeful and standardized. I did not see a lot individual teacher creativity on display as I see here in the states.

When I spoke to the Principal of Bucheon Middle School in Iksan, he said that he emphasized the importance of balance, order, cleanliness and making conscious decisions about the school's aesthetics to ensure a positive learning environment for his students. As you probably know, this process could be described as Feng Shui. Feng Shui, an anciet Chinese tradition used a lot in Asia, is the intentional practice to create living spaces that are ideal for receiving the positive energies of both heaven and earth that promote harmony.

If you are interested in reviewing ideas for increasing harmony in your classroom, I would recommend Michael Erins' article Feng Shui Tips for Classrooms: http://www.mastersineducation.com/50-great-feng-shui-tips-for-your-classroom/

Here are just a few tips he provides:

Feng Shui for Classrooms

Create a warm atmosphere for students with these easy feng shui tips.

Pay attention to the elements. It is important you pay attention to the five elements (water, wood, metal, earth and fire) when organizing your classroom and placing furniture. Dictation of where these elements belong will be in the bagua map.

Place desks in an octagon shape. According to the baqua this promotes harmony in the classroom. You will likely need to leave an open space so you are able to access students and serve as the focal point of the room, so organize desks as an octagon with the “bottom” missing.

Work with what you have. You may not have the space to organize desks in an octagon shape. Rows are suitable and should all face one way, preferably towards the doorway.

Utilize other elements of feng shui. If you are not able to meet feng shui requirements with the furniture arrangement of your desks, you will still be able to utilize the other fundamentals of feng shui to promote harmony in the space.

Make comfort a priority. If you or your students are uncomfortable, it will create distress. Always place the comfort of the people who will work in the space before any feng shui rules. This itself is also a rule of feng shui.

Incorporate water. Feng shui says the flow of water promotes knowledge. Bring in a small aquarium or even a gold fish in a small bowl to bring a serene feeling to your classroom.

This Made My Day!

At times, all educators ponder whether they are making a difference or not. This past week, I received the following email from a former student that made my day! Thanks Alina for taking time to write to me. If you are reading this blog, and you remember a teacher or mentor fondly, please drop them an email or letter and let them know they made a difference in your life. It will make their day!

Mr. Saunders,
I'm not sure if you remember me, my name is Alina. I was in your 8th grade social studies class at Patuxent Valley '90-'91. That year we had a field trip to Gettysburg to reenact Pickett's charge. I just wanted to let you know that I remembered all you taught me and I got that question correct on Jeopardy last night. My 8 year old daughter asked me how I knew the answer. I told her about you and the class. She asked if you could be her teacher so she can learn a lot too.
Thank you for everything. Hope you are having a great school year, so far.

Sincerely,
Alina

No comments on how old I am based on this email. ; )

2010 8th Grade Honor Society Induction Ceremony

Congratulations to all of our newest members of the National Junior Honor Society. This year WLMS inducted 48 students, up from 32 last school year. I want to thank Ms. Deforge and Ms. Baldwin for organizing this wonderful ceremony and serving as the sponsors for this wonderful group of students. In addition, I want to thank all of the staff members and parents who were able to attend the ceremony this past Thursday evening. We are very proud of these students and their accomplishments.

What is the National Junior Honor Society?

The National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) are the nation's premier organizations established to recognize outstanding high school and middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NHS and NJHS serve to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character (and Citizenship for NJHS). These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since their beginnings in 1921 and 1929. Today, it is estimated that more than one million students participate in activities of the NHS and NJHS. NHS and NJHS chapters are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, many U.S. Territories, and Canada. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. (source: www.nhs.us)

Congressman Cummings Addresses Award Ceremony

Yesterday, Julie and I had the honor of meeting Congressman Elijah Cummings, who represents Maryland's 7th District in the U.S. House of Representative, at the award luncheon. He was the keynote speaker for the event.

Maryland Counselor of the Year Award Ceremony

Yesterday, I had the privilege of escorting my wife to the Maryland's Outstanding School Counselor Award Ceremony held in Timonium, Maryland. Congratulations to my wife (a former WLMS grad!) on being awarded this honor. I am very proud of you. Here are some pics from the celebration.

WLMS Pilots New Advance Reader Options

This year, WLMS and Mount View Middle School are offering to our seventh and eighth grade above grade level readers the option of taking either the Advance Reader course (formally known as Challenge Reading) or the newly created Advanced Inquiry and Innovation (AII) course.

The course consists of four modules that our completed through out the school year. The course compacts the Maryland School Assessment reading objectives and focuses on providing opportunities for students to experience simulation-based learning, while applying reading skills for a variety of purposes. The four modules are designed to have students’ practice critical thinking, communication skills, problem-solving strategies and gain increased content knowledge in environmental science, media, civic literacy and engineering. I like to think of this pilot as the application of reading to perform a task with the opportunity to solve real-life problems in the world of science, engineering and technology.

The modules are:

a. Environmental Science: Students will develop a depth of knowledge on one or more local environmental issues and apply this knowledge to effect positive environmental change in their school or community.

b. Media and Communications: Students will develop their ability to analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of media; they will then apply these skills to address an authentic problem or need.

c. Civic Literacy: Students will explore the components of the American political system and apply the public policy process to a school or community relevant problem.

d. Engineering Design: Students will explore the nature, history and impact of technology through hands-on experiences with the principles of engineering design and development.

Interestingly enough, all of our above grade level readers in 8^th grade chose to take the AII

course and all but 15 students in the seventh grade made the same selection.

To date the pilot is going very well. Students are reporting that they are enjoying the new approach and the rigor they are experiencing. I want to thank Ms. Warner, Ms. Gadziala and Mr. Spicher for agreeing to pilot this new course here at WLMS.

This past week, Howard County Council Member Sigaty came to WLMS and shared her expertise about the legislative process and her responsibilities as an elected council member with our AII students. Our students are currently trying to understand how decisions are made here in Howard County. Thanks Ms. Sigaty!!!