Communication

Jokes abound about communication faux-pas that make fun of those who do not hear well, or between men and women, or even in the miscommunication of meanings of words. Some of these are quite hilarious. For example: Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were taking a walk one fine March day. One remarked to the other, “Windy, ain't it?"

“No,"the second man replied, "It's Thursday."

And the third man chimed in, “So am I. Let's have a coke."

However, it is not so funny when you rely on communication for something to happen. For example, you show up when an appointment is cancelled because you did not get the call.

With all of our modern technologies to communicate— text, email, twitter, phone—you’d think that we would be better at getting information from the source more easily. However, being an institution that tries very hard to keep people ‘in the loop’ we at the school have come to recognize that there are simply too many ways for us to keep up with getting information to people. Even this email will be read by probably less than 50% of our constituents.

As a result, we miss getting important information to people. Not because it is intended, but because we have not the time nor in some cases the ability to communicate with each person’s preferred method of receiving information.

So, all that to say, please help us. We will continue to communicate in the ways that we are able. We will send this note weekly by EMAIL. Teachers will CALL you when they need to talk to you specifically about your child. Teachers will also WRITE to you on homework slips and in assignments books as needed. We will also send information home on PAPER with your child in the form of classroom calendars, permission slips, and opportunities to participate in various clubs and special days.

What that means for you is to keep asking your children if they received any notes from the office, checking their book bags and your email, and listening to your phone messages in a timely way. We want to serve you in the best way possible by communicating to you.

I Think Today is Tuesday and This is Book Month!

“Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”

In our celebration of book month, aren’t we a bit out of touch with the future of learning information? After all, what is the value of reading for pleasure in an age which has visual recreational delights designed to charge and stimulate adrenalin? Even books are now on digital devices.

May I suggest that the power of words, well chosen and creatively hung together, create a feast for the imagination which stimulates all sorts of brain cells left dormant by the viewing of rapidly flitting images across a screen. They hold forth values of excellence and nobility in plots that capture the mind and enlarge the heart. These well-written stories inspire children with hope. They teach children to pay attention to detail. Well written stories make them think about meanings that are deeper than appear in the plot. They help make the world make sense by portraying characters who struggle with evil and make choices based on the ultimate triumph of good. Stories like these also teach us how to express what we feel in words. They encourage an expanded vocabulary. They encourage thinking.

In short, the power of language coupled with the force of adventure found in excellent literature, provides an experience that once cultivated, rivals anything the video screen could produce!

May I encourage you to read to your children while they are little and don’t stop because they get old. Those family moments of shared experiences become part of the family story that you will create. Rightly, you will build in them the delight in “beautiful words which remind us of realities that we cannot see.”