Earlier this month the students of the middle school packed into two cars and headed west to visit a like-minded high school in the undulating farm country of Iowa – Scattergood Friends School. It was a trip we won’t soon forget. Scattergood is a Quaker boarding school and working farm where students in grades…
The students use a history book called Reasoning with Democratic Values. It’s a valuable resource for our class because it engages issues in American history with an open mind regarding what the correct path should have been at different points in history. The legacy of many events in American history are settled. We’re comfortable in…
Most of the Field Museum’s collection is in the basement. There are almost 20 million taxidermied animal specimens in their collection. A few thousand are on display. Every artifact that reaches the floor represents a choice. It was chosen as an important piece of our natural history that deserves to be seen and studied. The…
We undertook one of my favorite school traditions this week. Students and teachers made the forty-minute walk to our sister organization – the Quaker senior community at the Admiral at the Lake. We have come to recognize many of the landmarks on this walk. We pass the Thorndale L station, a hub for our community…
The school community took one of its guiding principles out for a walk today. The students, teachers and many parents boarded the red line elevated train for Daley Plaza where we lifted our signs and waved our flags for peace on Earth. International Peace Day is a celebration of humanity’s wish to live free of…
There are many benefits to our small class size and small school. Students receive constant attention and feedback from their teachers. Learning is customized to suit the abilities and interests of each student. And there is a family feel to the school that results in many friendships across grade levels. But there are some…