The Steward School

Fall Retreats Begin Long Range Planning Constituencies' Input Guides School's Direction in the Future

Inside these pages of The Blue and Gold Connection you may get an idea of how we

spent our summer here at Steward. Along with the regular list of maintenance chores, a

growing student body has kept us quite busy hiring, planning, scheduling and organizing. Numerous changes are on tap for the upcoming school year. Details on the new sched­

ule, new personnel, new courses, additional activities and campus changes are in this issue. It is my hope that information will not only be helpful, but also have you looking forward to the exciting school year ahead.

- Besides responding to growth, these changes reflect our continued commitment to ad­Adress the needs of a diverse and talented student body. They are in large part the result · . of a year- long dialogue in the school community that began with parent meetings last

fall. Within a new activity or course, you may find your own suggestion and idea.

Over the year, we have listened, observed, studied and responded. With each step we have kept the focus on our students and our mission. In successful organizations this

process never stops. As we look beyond '95-'96 to the type of Steward we want three or five years from now, it is important that we continue this dialogue among the School's

teachers, students, parents, alumni, friends, outside educators and community leaders.

This fall, the School will begin a formal long range planning process by hosting a seri es of morning retreats on Saturday, September 23 and Saturday, October 7. Both will take place on the Steward campus and run from 8:30 to 1 :00. These retreats will be an open forum for all constituencies to express their views and share vision for Steward. Although

some of you wi ll be specifically asked to participate, all are invited. Don Fudge of Inde­pendent School Management who conducted our recent marketing study will facilitate

this dialogue.

From this feedback, priorities and strategies will be determined, then a steering commit­

tee of the Board will convert it to a formal three to five year plan. The goal is to emerge

from this process with a detailed plan for plant and programs that will serve as a "road map" for Steward 's future. Although it would be easier for the administration and Board

':"'0 simply write a plan based on their own vision, it is this process that will give the long ,.range plan validity. Participation is the foundation of community consensus, and consen­

sus is the key to successful implementation. _I am often asked about the School 's next big construction project, whether it will be an auditorium or classrooms or library or cafeteria. Here is the opportunity to express your

views. See you in a few days ...

~A ~~. Stephen M. Stackhouse

CONNECTION

In this issue Sept 1995

New Trustees Appointed to the Board ..... ... ~ .................. 2

. Growing Enrollment Starts i· Summer Game of "Musical

Classrooms" ........................ 2

~ Where Did They Go? .......... 2

Eight Period Day Creates Options .................... .... ..... . 3

Steward Park ....................... 4

Parents ' Association Efforts. 5

New Courses and Program Expansions .......................... 5

New Teachers and Adminis-trators Bring Experience ...... 6

Annual Giving Success ........ 8

Greeting from the New Middle School Head ........... 9

The School Store Welcomes the New School year ......... 10

Matching Learning and Teaching Styles .. ................ 10

GS> i I

~ I he Blue a nd Gold Connection Is published : momhly for The Stew .. "d ; Schoof community.

Sieve Stackhouse j-/eadmasler

Liz Shupe Editor

BOARD OF TRUSTE[S

New Trustees Appointed to the Board A total of six new Truslees will be joining the Board be­ginning this September. Among them are some new and familiar faces to the School community. The Trustee Class of 1995 includes Mavis Brown, Mike Drzal, George Gar­ner and Alan McCollough. These Truslees wi ll serve three year terms. Ed and Claudia Lawton will also be joining the Board as Co-Presidents of the Parents' Association for the '95-'96 school year. We welcome their experlise,lead­ership and experience as Steward grows in the exciting years ahead.

Mavis Brown is a professor of educalion at the Univer­sity of Richmond. Her specialty is in the area of reading.

Mike Drzal is an attorney and shareholder in the firm of LeClair, Ryan, Joynes, Epps and Framme, P.c. Mike is a graduate of Providence College and the Georgetown Uni­versity Law Center. His son Chris is in Grade 10.

George Garner is a principa l w ilh EDS Management Con­sulting Services. George is a Certified Public Accountant and graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Co llege of William and Mary. He is the father of Kate, a third grader, and George Jr., Kindergarlner.

Alan McCollough is Senior Vice-President for the Corpo­rate Merchandising Department of Circuit City Stores, Inc. He is a graduate of Missouri Valley College and Soulhern Illinois University. Alan's daughter, Jessi, is an alumnae of Steward from the Class of '94.

Edward and Claudia lawton, parents of Andy in Grade 4, will share leadership duties of the Parents' Association. The president(s) of the Parents' Association serves a two year term on the Board. Both are graduates of the Uni­versily of Virginia. Ed is a Senior Vice-Presidenl and Di­rector of Sales and Trading at Davenport and Company of Virginia, Inc. Claudia is a Professional Engineer and has worked with an area architectural firm.

In other Board business, the Executive Committee of the Board has nominated the fo llowing slate of officers for lhe

new academic year:

Bob Larus-Chairman and President c.c. Salterfield- Vice-President and Treasurer

Janet Meyers-Secretary Stephen M. Stackhouse-Executive Vice-President and

Headmaster

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AROUND CAMPUS

Growing Enrollment Starts Summer Game of "Musical Classrooms" The good news from the admission office has kept every­one around the School busy this summer. Director of Admission, Scott Moncure, states lhat we are fluctuating between 15 and 30 students ahead of last year 's enroll­ment figures. Most of our growth is in the Lower School where over 15 additional students have us creating new sections in Kindergarten and 3rd grade and hiring an ad­ditional leacher lo spli t lime between the 4th and 5th

grades.

These new sections have the Lower School using three more rooms in Dixon Hall. Consequently, a number of leachers are changing room assignments. With classroom

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and storage space at a premium, an additional trailer and .­Room 15 (previously tutoring space) wi ll be used for classes. _ Room 15 will also be the Lower School computer lab . .­The library wil l be used for a study hall and some tutoring _

will be in facully offices.

Where Did They Go?

ew teacher classroom assignments and classroom changes

lo dale are listed below:

In Dixon Hall: Mrs. Strickland (Kindergarten) - Room 3 Mrs. Ricketts (Grade 2) - Room 7 Mrs. Grossman (Grade 4) - Room 11 Mrs. Hajek (Grades 4/5) - Room 12 Mrs. Cross (Grade 3) - Room 6 Mr. Ingraham (Engl ish 7) - Room 14 Mr. Jones (History 7/9) - Room 14

In Middle School Building: Mr. Cox (English 10/11) - Room 21 Mr. Coulombe (History 6) - Room 22 Mrs. Maclin (English 6/7) - Room 23

In Classroom Cottages (Trailers): Mrs. Holland (Spanish) - Room 39 Mrs. Brumberg (History 11) - Room 39 Mrs. Collier (French) - Room 41

In Taylor Hall: Mr. Serr (Geometry/Physics/ChemCom) Rms. 32 & 34

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Dixon Hall

New teachers and changes: Mrs. Strickland (K) ... ..... .... Rm. 3 Mrs. Ricketts (2) ................ Rm . 7 Mrs. Grossman (4) .... .... .. Rm. 11 Mrs. Hajek (4/5) .... .... ..... Rm. 12 Mrs. Cross (3) ... ....... ......... Rm. 6 Mr. Ingraham (Eng. 7) ..... Rm. 14 Mr. Jones (History 7/9) .... Rm. 14

Eight Period Day Creates Options

Mrs. Holland (Spanish) --l)Glg D f41l1 Mrs. Brumberg (History 11) ~ ~

Arts/Middle Building

New teachers and changes: Mr. Cox (English 10/11) .. Rm. 21 Mr. Coulombe (H istory 6)Rm. 22 M rs. Maclin (English 6/7) Rm. 23

Parking

Assembly/ Advisory: Period 3: Period 4: Period 5: Lunch: Period 6: Period 7: Period 8:

Mrs. Collier (French) Mrs. Gutterman (French)

Taylor Hall

New teachers and changes: Mr. Serr (Geometry/ Physics! ChemCom) .... ... ... Rms. 32 & 34

9:32 - 9:50 9:54 - 10:36 10:40 - 11 :22 11 :26 - 12:08 12:08 - 12:42 12:46-1:28 1:32-2:14 2:18 - 3:00

The school day will begin 15 minutes earlier at 8:00 a.m. rather than 8 :1 5. This wil l enable us to schedule an eight period day and accommodate new electives and activi­ties in the Midd Ie and Upper Schools. There will not be a special Friday schedule as last year. Upper School activi­ties like Model United Nations, SODA, photography, year­book, etc., will be incorporated in the normal school day. The day wi ll begin immediately with classes. Assembly, e advisory and break lime will fo llow second period. Lunch e will follow fifth period.

ew Bell Schedule:

The change wi ll also provide greater flexibility in indi­vidual and group schedul ing. In Middle School it will al­low for the return of a modified double period English, the continuation of foreign language exploratory and a new option for study hall time. Most science lab periods can be scheduled in conjunction with classtime. There will be more options for tutoring sessions. This is a step toward a " block" type schedule which typically has peri­ods of variable lengths. Additionally, the extra classtime al lows us to include a few more Monday holidays in the school calendar.

Period 1: Period 2:

8:00 - 8:42 8:46 - 9:28

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Steward Park Improvements and new playground equipment installed over the sum­mer wi II give the Lower School play area a new look this year. Lower School Head Ed Rossmoore dubbed Lhe renovated playground as "Stew­ard Park." The construction of Steward Park represents the completion of a project that began two years ago with the "Pardee Challenge," a fundraising effort among grandparents. Other donors to the project includ ed the Bell Bryan Day Nursery Foundation and the Class of 1995.

Last year's seniors designed the park based upon the input of Lower Newly.dubbed Sleward Park fealures a geodome, lreehouse, and swing sets will! slides

School students. Through econom­ics class, the students reviewed bids on the projects and made recommendations to the Board's Building and Grounds CommiLtee. Ultimately, the seniors added a tree house to the original design and contributed the fu nds for its construction. Besides the tree house, new features will include an additional basketball hoop, a "geodome," a new swing set and a play complex with slides and climb­ing bars. Existing equipment was also modified to ensure safety standards are met.

The Class of 1995 donalcd the treehouse to the new playground complex.

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Parents Save With Used e Book Sale e With help from the Business Office, the Parents' Associa­tion coordinated and ran the School's first used textbook sale on June 14 and 15. Organizing began with the col­lection of book in the final days of the school year. Over 100 books were sold at the sale. Leftovers were donated to the School or will be avai lable at the regula rly sched-

uled Textbook Issuance Days in late August. As you make your purchases for the up­coming school year, keep the used book sale in mind and plan to participate in the year ahead. A used book market will help our parents save money and avoid mon­strous book bills when school begins.

A special thanks to Ann Maszaros who co­ordinated this effort.

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Computer leacher Mitra Palmer trains fa cult y members Robin Ricketts and Ian Coddmgton on our new computers.

_Parents' Association _Efforts Result in Library

Improvements and New Lower School Computer Lab The tremendous success of the annual auction and other Parents' Association fund-raisers will be having a big im­pact on the student body this September. Big changes are in store for the library and computer labs as a result of the generosity and support of our parents. In May the Par­ents' Association donated $40,000. These funds have en­able us to renovate the library and implement the second phase of our computer program. Over the past two years, the Parents' Associations funds have help us develop a state of the art computer education program that uniquely complements Steward's curriculum.

_ Over lhis summer the entire faculty has received com­- puter training. Week long courses were offered at the _ beginner and intermediate level. The course included - train ing in basic word processing, spreadsheet and data-

base programs, as well as a walk through of the CD-ROM resources in the library and of the Internet.

In terms of hardware, we recently purchased an addi­tional13 computers and 8 printers. While a few of these

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will be allocated for departmental use, most will be used to outfit a new Lower School computer mini-lab. This set-up will allow classes to do computer work outside of their regularly scheduled resource time in the primary lab. Beginning in September there will be a mini-lab in each academic bUilding along with the primary lab in Dixon Hall.

The library is also getting a makeover. Freshly painted shelves and new tables and chairs will make the library more visually appealing. Additionally, the library has in­creased its collections by over 400 volumes. Since late spring, second grade teacher Robin Ricketts and a num­ber of parents shopped at community library and pub­lisher clearance sales to improve the quality and the quan­tity of our collection. The recent additions will benefit students at all grade levels. The books were selected based on teacher recommendations and their application to our curriculum.

Thank you Parents' Association! Your supporl makes a dif­ference!

New Courses and Program Expansions Enrich the Curriculum A number of new courses and programs will be offered during the new school year. The additions include both remedial and advanced classes. This variety helps Stew­ard address the diverse ability range of its student body. In the Middle and Upper Schools schedule choices allow students to pace themselves.

This broader curriculum bears an added cost in person­nel. Especially in the Upper School, class splits have been made for educational reasons rather than student num­bers. These additions are in part to keep promises made in the marketing study follow-up. They also have posi­tioned us for continued growth.

As mentioned, we will return to modified double English (one period for Reading, one period for Writing) for the Middle School. The foreign language exploratory will continue, and this is the final transition year. Grades 6 and 7 will be taking Latin / Vocabulary several days a week. In the language of their choice, 8th graders will have the option to begin the formal first year of study or divide level one into two years.

In its final form by '96-'97, the Middle School foreign lan­guage program will look like this:

Grade 6- Vocabulary/ Latin Exploratory

Grade 7- Spanish and French Exploratory (semester each)

Grade 8- Level I in language of choice or Level IA followed by Level IB in Grade 9

This year Physics, Chemistry in the Community and Alge­bra I - Parts 1 & 2 will return to the schedule. Calculus will continue as an independent study. New courses taught will include English College Prep and Math College Prep, which will focus on SAT preparation, Honors Geometry, Computer II. Some activities like Model UN will be a formal course.

Other new programs which you will hear more about in the future include a student exchange with the Riverston School in London, the Steward Model United Nations Con­ference (for Richmond area MUNs, April 26-27) and the Honors Symposium for selected students in Grades 9-11 . The 7th graders will focus on responsible decision-mak­ing in Health class through the Quest program. The Guid­ance Office is focusing on teamwork and connict resolu-

Chris AI/en is our new AFS foreign exchange sludenl from Auslralia.

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tion in a coordinated program with faculty and students._ At the Lower School, Odyssey of the Mind and The Bi&A Idea (Individually Designed Educational Adventures) are_ new enrichment activities.

Business FYI: Two changes in accounting procedures will begin with the '95-'96 school year. First, tutoring fees will now be reflected in your monthly bill from the School. The rates and fees will remain the same; however, tutors will no longer bill parents directly.

Secondly, tag-on activity charges for individual student activities have been estimated and bundled into two pay­ments payable at the beginning of each semester. This is in response to parents concerns regarding "nickel and dime" charges and is in line with what other schools do.

New Teachers and Administrators Bring Experience to Staff

_ _ With the addition of three new Lower School sections and the expansion of the curriculum in the Middle and Upper School, we have added nine new employees joining the School family. Here is a brief rundown on them.

Roger Coulombe (Middle School Head)

Roger comes to us from Harrells Christian Academy (NO where he served as the Headmaster, a K-12 school similar in size to Steward . Prior to that appointment, he spent eight years at Charlotte Country Day School as Head of the Upper School. Other administrative experiences in­clude a tenure as Associate Headmaster at Lake Forest Academy (Ill and Dean at both the Nichols School (Ny) and Chadwick School (CA). As a teacher and faculty leader, Roger taught middle school students for four years and served as a history department chair, a dorm parent, a student advisor and a basketball coach. He is a gradu-ate of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and holds a Masters in Guidance and Counseling fro~ Roosevelt University in Chicago. He also served as a mem-ber of the Peace Corps teaching English in Thailand. e Kate Strickland (Kindergarten)

Kate has been a substitute at Steward for many years and is the mother of Allison (Grade 5) and Amy (Grade 4). Kate is a graduate of Vanderbilt University's Peabody Col-

_ lege and has a Masters from VCU in Counselor Educa­

_ tion. Her experience includes two years as a Kindergar­_ ten teacher in Beirut, Lebanon.

Stephanie Cross (Grade 3)

Stephanie joins us from the Jewish Community Day School

where she taught Grade 2 and physical education last year.

Prior to that appointment, she taught Grades 3 and 4 at

Friends Academy in Locust Valley (Long Island), NY.

Stephanie has also served as a teacher, coach and dorm

supervisor at the Hoosac School (NY), St. George's School

for Girls (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Hotchkiss School (CT).

She is a graduate of Hamilton College where she was an

Academic All-American in soccer. Teaching is a family

affair. Stephanie's husband is a teacher at St. Christopher's.

Bonny Hajek (Grade 4/5)

Bonny is familiarto the Steward com­

munity as a senior instructor with

Challenge Discovery Outdoors Ad­

ventures. She was a classroom e teacher in Illinois for over five years;

however, her work with young e people also includes experience as a preschool owner, a camp assistant

director, a storyteller, a referee, a

piano instructor and a fitness special­

ist. Bonny is a graduate of Elmhurst

College and has a Masters in Elemen­

tary Guidance and Counseling from

Northern Illinois University. She is

married and has three daughters -1 5

year old twins and a 9 year old. She

has authored and presented several

articles on raising twins.

Paula Verkon (Theatre)

Paula recently graduated from Case

Western Rese rve University with a

Masters in Fine Arts. Her under­

graduate degree is from Gannon Uni­

versity. 19'1lved in college and com-

_ munity t~tre, Paula's experience _ is diverse. Along with a complete

_ acLing resume, she has been a stage

_ manager, an assistant technical direc-

tor and a light designer. She has taught

acting as well as the technical the­

atre to students of all ages at Case

Western Reserve, STAR Summer fmmi Gutterman

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Remember the Spartan Sale coming up on Family Fun Night, Friday, October 27

If it has been in your attic since the days of An­

cient Greece, pitch it towards us. Call Mia Norton

at 784-5523) to arrange for drop-off or pick-up of

large items.

Theatre Camp in Meadville, PA and the Martin Luther

King Creative Arts Camp in Erie, PA.

Paul Ingraham (English -Grade 7)

Pau l joins us from North Country

High School in Newport, VT where

he was a teacher of World History,

Psychology and SOciology. Family

brings Paul to the Richmond area.

Despite this most recent assign­

ment, Paul has primarily taught

Middle School Engl ish over the past

twenty years in the Northeast. His

experience included ed iting student

literary magazines and coaching soc­

cer, hockey, baseball and debate. At

the Peck School (NJ), Paul was En­

glish department chair. Paul is a

graduate of Hawthorne College

(NH) and has a Masters in Second­

ary English Education from North­

eastern University. He will help

sponsor Model United Nations with

Norva Meyer.

Ed Cox (English-Grade 10/11 )

Ed is returning to teaching after ca­reers in business and school admin­istration. Over the years, Ed has

taught English composition and American literature at Cradock High, Charlotte Latin, Virginia Epis­copal, Webb School in Knoxville

and Christchurch. Ed will be able to contribute to Steward in other ways given his extensive adminis­trative experience. He served as Upper School Head and Director of College Counseling at Charlotte Latin, Assistant Head at Webb and Christchurch and Director of Ad ­mission at St. Cathe rine 's and Randolph-Macon College. Ed is a graduate of Randolph-Macon and has done graduate work at the Uni­versities of Virginia and Tennessee. He will serve as the primary coor­dinator for the Riverston exchange.

Todd Serr (Science -Physics, ChemCom & Math - Geometry)

Todd joins us from Nottoway High School where he taught physics, al­gebra, earth science, geometry and technology. Prior to that he taught at Fredericksburg Christian School and Owosso High School in his home state of Michigan. He is a graduate of Michigan State Univer­sity where he holds two Bachelor degrees in Seconda ry Education and Engineering. Todd, who is a former cross country coach, will supervise a fall running club for in­terested students.

Carolyn McCormack (Part-time Math -Algebra II)

Carolyn will continue working in the Resource Department, but will also teach two classes of Algebra II. Prior to living in Richmond, she taught geometry and algebra in Georgia, and for the past several years, she has been a tutor and sum­mer school teacher at Steward. She is a graduate of the University of Richmond and has done graduate work at vcu.

Kate 51 rickland and Stephanie Cross

Paula Verkon

Todd Serr

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Emmi Gutterman (French) e Emmi will be team teaching Frenc~ classes with Lee Collier. Emmi has a B.A. in French from Ohio State University and a Masters in Teach-ing from VCU. She has also done graduate work at Middleburg Col­lege and L'Eco le In ternational de Cannes. Emmi joins us from Godwin High School where she re­cently completed her student teach-ing.

Annual Giving Success Reflects Spirit of Commitment The '94-'95 Annual Fund set newe school records for dollars raised and participation. The participation lev-e els of the Steward community are substantially higher than the national averages provided by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). As of June 30, $78,957 was paid against $85,695 in pledges, and the average gift was $293.

This past year, the voluntary support of the school community helped to pay for a additional teacher in a crowded classroom, student activ-ity trips, library books and resource materials, fine arts equipment and supplies, computer equipment and software, playground equipment and renovations, student financial aid, a new sports team, an athletic trainer, a SAT preparation course, campus signage, teacher computee training and a new school bus. The Annual Fund and generosity of the Parents' Association have a signifi­cant impact on Steward . It empow-ers us to act on our commitment to excellence and makes a tangible dif­ference in the daily lives of our stu­dents.

- Greeting from the New - Middle School Head

Dear Middle School Parents:

As the 1995-96 school year rapidly approaches, I wanled to address a few words to all of you, to tell you of my impressions after my first few weeks here at Steward, to convey some thoughts on Middle School life, and per­haps to shed some light on my hopes for the coming year and thereafter.

From the very start, I have been fortunale to meet several students and parents who have come by the School for one reason or another, and who have stopped at my of­fice to introduce themselves and to say hello. I have also mel with nearly all Middle School faculty in individual conferences to get their views, and to learn more about their hopes in the coming months and years. One thing has become patently clear: everyone here is very com­mitted to serving the School and the students, and to help­ing Steward become one of the very best independent

A schools in the area. The faculty have been unanimous in _ their praise of Middle School students, and they have genu­A ine enthusiasm for all the possibilities that will present them­_ selves in the coming months.

Our hope, both immediate and long-term, for the Middle School, is to provide an environment where Steward plays a major role in the lives of our students. We want it to be an experience in which students look forward to coming to school, to seeing friends, to working with caring adults in making decisions about school life, and to enjoying casual conversation on any subject with anyone here at school.

Also, our sincerest hope is that parents and school per­sonnel can complement one anolher's efforts and become allies in educati ng the young people in our care. Middle School students need attention. They need lime to sit at the dinner table and talk with their parents about the ev­eryday activities of life. They need parents and school people who are able to maintain a sense of humor. They need structure and limits: curfews, homework time, and quiet t imes for reflection. They need guidance concern­ing friends, relationships, and peer pressure. e In our common endeavor to make the Steward experi­ence an exciting and fulfilling one, we want to involve

A students in many activities beyond the classroom. Visits - to museums and other schools, extended field trips, jour­

neys to historic places and the like, are events that help students growth by broadening their horizon. We intend to implement such activities reasonably often this year, and we encourage parents to do the same on weekends

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----- .-~ .. Roger Coulombe, new Head of the Middle School.

and over vacations. Such occasions provide nol only family time together, but help to give focus for discussion and exchange of ideas. Driving to and from school can also be a good time for one-on-one dialogue. And, most im­portantly, commuting is a time for lislening. Listening shows that the parent respects what their son or daughter has to say, and helps them to develop a positive self im­age.

Along with setting limits and providing structure, parents must also learn to let go. Middle School students can and should be trusted; they need to learn gradually to make their own decisions in the safe and secure atmosphere of a family or a supportive school. They won't always make the right decisions, but making mistakes is part of learning to grow up. The security of a supportive family and school wi ll help lhem when some of those mistakes and disap­pointments are difficult to face.

Of greatest importance, we as adu lts-both parents and school personnel-need to be there when a young per­son needs us. The Middle School student needs to know that someone close to them cares, ~nd is willing to help. My intention this year is to be as open and as accessible as possible.

My philosophy has always been encompassed in the let­ters MBWA-Management By Walking Around. In that way I hope that students will feel comfortable in talking with me, and that they will know that their years at Stew­ard School will be some of the very besl of their lives. I look forward to a year in which open communication and mutual listening are hallmarks of our relationship, and that, from that procedure, our young people will be happy and productive beneficiaries.

Sincerely,

~ A./u,,, wle

Roger A. Coulombe

The School Store Welcomes the New School Year

The School Store is stocked and waiting! .... ~ ew Steward School items are :

arge Canvas Totes ....... On Sale for $7.50

(Reg. $10.00)

Adult Sized Navy and White Pique Shirts ...... On Sale for $26.95

(Reg. $29.95)

All other clothing, Tees, sweatshirts, on sale for 20% off

Hard to Find School Supplies:

World Atlas ...................................... $5.25

Scientific Calculators with case ..... $12.00

200 sheet note paper ....................... $0.75

Poster Board 22x48 .......................... $0.40

Art Supplies also.

Food Items:

Cheese Pizza .................................... $1.25

Deep Dish Pizza .............................. $1 .50

Corn Dogs ....................................... $1.00

Cheese Burgers ................ ................ $1.50

.50 .40 .75

all drinks chips poptarts

all candy crackers

Dunkaroos popcorn

cookies Rice Crispy treats

Animal Crackers

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Rose Marie Howard shows 0(( the School Store's new Tote 8ags.

Matching Learning and Teaching Styles Whi le celebrating the recent increase in enrol lment at Lhe Lower School, we are confronted with the practica le challenges of managing that growth. This coming fall we. will add new sections at some grade levels. There are a_ number of logistical and educational considerations in making these new sections.

Often the first issue of growth involves finding appropri ­ate classroom space within the confines of an existing building. Given current demands in the past few months we have looked at offices and storage areas in new and creative ways. You may notice that a few areas have un­dergone a conversion.

More importantly, the second issue involves making the right match of teacher and students when making room assignments. Parents are naturally concerned with the placement of their child(renl and will often make request for a particular placement. Please be assured that we take on this task on with the greatest of care. A professional colleague wrote an excellent article on the many facets Lo consider in these decisions and the difficulty Lhat requests can cause.

"We are approaching the time when requests begin te trickle in for particu lar teachers or particular class assign­ments. Unfortunately, these requests are often based upoe hearsay, incomplete information, or attitudes that may be shaped by individual perceptions that vary greatly from one person to another. The end result can be the mis­matching of learning and teaching styles, as well as the

e eation of groups of students who interact in a less than _ eal manner.

"Teachers and administrators work with great thought and diligence in setting up classes for the following school year. We look at a child's personality, academic strengths and weaknesses, and the degree of need for structure versus creativity. Then we try and make the best match possible between each child and the teachers in the upcoming grade. In addition, classes are balanced by number, gen­der, and behavioral patterns. Some children need to be separated and others work really well together. These group dynamics and individual traits are generally not as discernible to a parent as they are to the school.

"Frequently, we find that parenLs make teacher-requests based on their perception of the teacher's personality with­out taking into account that teachers react differently to children in a classroom than to parents in a more social situation. Probably an even more common basis that par­ents use for making a request is comments from other parents. The problem here, of course, is that the teacher

. nd situation that are best for one child may not be best W or another." _n adept teaching staff is made up of individuals with

varied interests, skills and talents. At Steward, we feel that the faculty is an exceptionally capable, dedicated, and sensitive group of professionals. Collectively, their indi­vidual strengths create an outstanding academic and nur­turing environment for all our children.

We ask that parents afford school staff the opportunity to develop the classes as they best see fit. Often we can bring to bear our understanding of and experience work­ing with an individual student. In every case, we do our best to ensure well-balanced classes and to provide the optimal learning situation for all our children.

"Thanks 10 Zena Herod of Norfolk Collegiate School for use of her art icle.

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~ THESrEWARDScHOOL

11600 GAYTON ROAD· RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23233

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 895

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