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Welcome to the April 14, 2009 issue of Newsbreak. In this Issue Upcoming Events 4/15 4/15 4/17 4/17 _______________ 4/30 5/1 5/2 5/2 5/8 5/9 5/12 5/13 5/15 1/15 5/20 5/20 5/21 5/25 5/27 6/2 6/5 6/9 6/12 6/12 6/15 - 6/16 BWS Links
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Headlines...News from David Sullivan 
Experiences in nature can be a powerful metaphor for growth and learning in all areas of life. BWSOAP (Breakwater School Outdoor Adventure Program) is a “new” program in an official sense, but there is a long tradition of nature and outdoor education at our school. This week, I heard a story that demonstrated the importance of nature in a child's educational experiences. About ten years ago, Alex Johnston (Mr. J) was inspired by the father of one of his students who described his three-day solitary wilderness experience that recreated a time-honored tradition of many indigenous groups, known as a “vision quest.” Although preparation and ceremonial practices vary from group to group, at the core of this experience a person is alone in the wild, reflecting on what s/he is experiencing. The instructions generally given at the beginning of such a journey are to be conscious of what you notice (be it an insect crawling by, a bird flying by, or a rainstorm) and to ask the question: “What can you teach me?” After hearing this powerful story, Mr. J was ready to create a similar experience for his students. The first and second graders' vision quest would take place after lunch on a walk through the Fore River Sanctuary, not on a three-day adventure in the high Sierras. Mr. J and his students were excited nonetheless. They gathered together in the pine woods on the edge of the river, reminded themselves about the nature of a vision quest, and then spread out to find their own solitary places. After ten or fifteen minutes, they came together again to share what they had discovered while sitting alone, in a conscious and focused state, in the woods. After a few students shared their reflections, Tucker, a second grader, had a chance to tell his story. He had not gone too far from the group’s starting spot when he found a very large pine tree and he sat down, leaning against it. He noticed a few small details in the woods around him, and was thoughtful about them. Then he arched his back and looked way up into the heights of the tree, and asked “What is your lesson for me?” The answer he found was: “Be still, grow tall.” When I heard this story, I was struck by the powerful wisdom an experience in nature can offer children. Experiences like these, skillfully facilitated and reflected upon, add great dimension and richness to a child's life at school. BWSOAP gives our students the opportunity to experience adventure, to lead as well as be part of a team, learn practical outdoor living skills, and directly experience nature in a safe way. The term “nature deficit disorder” is making its way into the popular lexicon as young people become alienated from the natural world. This disconnection from nature is not part of a Breakwater education, however. I wish all our students the best as they set out for their final BWSOAP adventures of the year and then take part in a full and active Earth Week later this spring. I look forward to hearing many more stories about their experiences in the great outdoors! Photo: BWSOAP teachers Alex Johnston and Stephanie Dolan on Mt. Cardigan. 
...Sarah Hall, Brian Youth, Jon Taylor, Barbara and Jeff Poss, Danielle Alley, and Chuck Palian. Photo: Fifth grader Elliot shows off the family's car decal! 
On April 8, Breakwater Founder Eleanor Costa celebrated her 97th birthday! El and her husband Frank began Playtime Haven, which over the years has grown into the school we all know and love. One of El's favorite questions to ask while interviewing teachers was "Can you love each child as much as you would love your own?" If she saw any hesitation, she knew the teacher would not be the right fit for Breakwater. Thank you, El, for your inspiration in creating the engaging and powerful learning environment our children experience every day. A Conversation with Early Childhood Parents 
Wednesday, April 15, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Did you know that Breakwater’s early childhood team has over 200 years of combined experience working with young children? You might think we’d have all the answers about how to raise happy, healthy, social children by now... but we are still looking for answers too. Please plan to join us in the Breakwater library for an evening of conversation with current early childhood parents as we explore together for some of the most common issues impacting children and families today. Everyone is invited to this conversation - whether you have a child at Breakwater or not - so bring a friend! Order your Breakwater Merchandise! To ensure delivery by the end of the school year, please submit your Breakwater/L.L. Bean Merchandise Order Forms by Friday, April 17. You may drop these off in the Main Office. We will accept Order Forms at any time, but Friday is the last day to order in time to receive your products by Summer! 
As the last of the snow melts away, Breakwater is getting ready to celebrate Earth Week! For Grades 1-8, Earth Week will take place May 11-15; for our Early Childhood students, the dates are June 1-5. Here are just two of many two exciting opportunities planned for our 1st-8th grade students during Earth Week. The Big Hike No Shop, Swap Shop: Sustainability Style Families may bring in up to twelve items of children’s clothing in good condition (stain free, rip free with all buttons, zippers, etc. intact). Clothing should be dropped off in Sarah Adams grade 1-2 classroom between Wednesday, May 6 and Friday, May 8. Bags of clothing must be labeled with your family’s name. The afternoon of Wednesday, May 13th, from noon to 2 pm, families who have donated clothing will be able to ‘shop’ the collection. The number of items that you may shop for will be determined by the number of items that you have contributed. For example, if you brought in 6 items the previous week, you would be able to select up to that number of new-to-you articles of clothing. Any clothing not chosen will be donated to the Refugee Resettlement Program through Catholic Charities. If you have any questions, please contact: Sarah Adams or Sarah Bullett! Stay tuned for more information about Grades 1-8's Earth Week and to learn about Early Childhood's celebration in the next Newsbreak! Photo: Taylor and Lucy demonstrate sustainability in the No Shop, Swap Shop! 
On Friday, April 3, fifth grader Eamonn Dundon competed in the statewide National Geographic Bee for fourth through eighth grades. The bee was held at USM and consisted of one hundred students from around the state who had won their school geography bees. Students first competed in a preliminary round, where each child had to answer eight questions, which increased in difficulty throughout the round. The top ten scorers from the preliminary round then competed in the final round. Only two or three students got all eight questions correct. Eamonn was one of the few students who got seven questions correct, earning him a spot in the tiebreaker to see who would get into the finals. Eamonn fell one spot short in the tiebreaker, finishing eleventh out of one hundred school champions in the state. Along the way Eamonn correctly answered some very difficult questions such as, “Which island are the ruins of Knossos on?” and, “The breakaway region of South Ossetia is part of what former Soviet republic?” He had a great attitude throughout the competition. He said, “It was really fun. It was cool to see so many kids who were really interested in geography.” Congratulations, Eamonn! We are very proud of you! ~ Tom Fisher, Third and Fourth Grade Teacher Photo: Eamonn and Breakwater Geography Bee organizer, Mr. Fisher. Kindergartners Teaching Preschoolers 
When it comes to knowing how to make a friend and be a friend, kindergartners are skilled practitioners! So, who better to teach the preschoolers how to use "nice words" and a "nice face" to ask for the toy you want or to listen respectfully when someone is talking to you? This spring, kindergarten students return to preschool once a week to perform skits demonstrating effective techniques in common social skills. At first, their weekly skits demonstrate unsuccessful methods. ("I want that toy!" demands a scowling kindergartner.) Then, these older students ask their young audience to suggest more effective ways to have their need met ("I would like a turn to play with that toy when you are finished," says a smiling kindergartner.) With a touch of humor and a sense of mastery, our kindergarten students are guiding their younger friends, while reinforcing skills they themselves are still practicing. Photo: Dax and Patrick teach preschoolers the three steps to being a good listener: 1. Look at the person who is speaking. 2. Hold your body very still. 3. Think about what is being said. 
It's not too late to register for April Vacation Camp! Spend the week with us enjoying sports, arts, theater / drama, games, snack time, lunch, recess and loads of fun! Sports will be taught by Zach Lipman, who is a certified physical education teacher at Reiche and East End Schools. He is also a personal trainer and directs sports for Breakwater Creative Arts Camp during the summer. Zach has a passion and enthusiasm for fitness and sport and has created a co-educational program designed to develop campers' recreational skills through a variety of games and sports. Arts will be lead by Erin Leon-O'Brien, an Artist Educator who teaches in Lewiston. She has taught art at Breakwater School in many capacities - most recently for Breakwater Creative Arts Camp. Erin has planned a week of projects with a touch of Art History. Activities include: paper mache, watercolor paint, pencils and crayons, print-making and illustrating books. She will also teach the methods of Claus Oldenberg, Paul Klee, Picasso and Dahlov Ipcar. For more information or to register your child contact Cathleen Allen at 772-4295 x226 or by email. You may also download the Registration Form Here! Breakwater Creative Arts Updates! 
Give your child a summer full of creative and engaging experiences! The registration deadline of April 30 for Breakwater summer programs is quickly approaching - be sure to get your applications in! View our Course Description Guide online to see the wide variety of programs we are offering - everything from Filmmaking to Museum Exploration to Breakdancing! BCA Updates: We are proud to welcome Bess Welden to our performing arts staff. Bess will be running a special story-telling drama class for our 7 year olds and will collaborate with Keith Anctil on our Shakespeare Workshop. Bess served as Associate Artistic Director at Portland Stage and is now starring in her one woman show, The Passion of the Hausfrau. Mike Dank, will be joining us for Rock Band! Mike is a well known Portland area musician and will be bringing years of rock and roll experience to the coolest summer band camp in Portland. Questions about BCA? Contact Tiki Fuhro by email! Also...BCA on Saturday just wrapped up a fabulous Lego Robotics Workshop. We hope to bring this and other activities for young engineers back next fall! Photo: Hal works in the Lego Robotics Workshop. 
When teachers observe and document the behaviors of children, they act as researchers in their classrooms. Their documentation of what children are doing and saying becomes a source for reflective conversation. Questions teachers consider through their documentation include: What are children showing us they know? What do they seem interested in knowing more about? What developmental themes are they exploring in their play and work? What materials and information can we bring into their play that will take them deeper in their learning? How can we share this information with their parents? On Monday, March 30, Abbie Carter, Mari Dieumegard, Michelle Littlefield and Molly Thompson, traveled to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art to attend a professional development workshop which explored the connections between observation, listening, and visual communication tools. Led by Lella Gandini, Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Emilia Approach in the US, and Rosemary Agoglia, Director of Educational Programming at the Picture Book Museum, Breakwater teachers were introduced to new approaches to creating documentation which connects visual and verbal literacy. Photo: Breakwater teachers Abbie Carter and Michelle Littlefield. Tadpoles & Leapfrogs: Explorations Program 
Summer Adventures for Children Ages 4 - 6 Finding the perfect Summer Program for young children can be challenging. Luckily, Breakwater is here to help. Our Tadpoles & Leapfrogs: Explorations Program combines all the ingredients of our excellent Early Childhood Program and adds a little summer sun! This innovative summer offering honors children's questions and interests, giving each child the freedom to choose projects and activities they feel drawn to or wonder about. Our staff of educators supply children with open-ended materials and encourage their natural imagination, creativity, and curiosity. We also provide teacher-directed projects drawn from our observations of children's play, interests, and conversations. We spend active time each day enjoying and exploring the outdoors. At least once a week a "Walkabout" is taken off-campus to the nearby Fore River Sanctuary or to Capisic Pond. We also have many opportunities to watch our older friends in the Breakwater Creative Arts Camp as they practice and perform their creative works. Naptime is available for those who need a period of rest in the afternoon. Preschool teachers Mari Dieumegard and Dawn Russell will be joining the camp staff this year. Come join our Explorations! To register for Tadpoles & Leapfrogs: Explorations Program, email Cathleen Allen or call 772-4295 x226. 
Spring is in the air and so is poetry at Breakwater! During these next few weeks, classes will be reading, writing, and studying poetry. Parents, we'd love to hear how your family is exploring this genre of writing at home. Again, this year we'll be celebrating Poetry Month with a few special events and activities. Poems are being handed out to students at the start of each school week. Soon we'll have a "Poet Tree" sprouting poems (including both old favorites and original poems) in our entrance way, and we shall again celebrate Poem in your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 30. In early May, we are planning a poetry recitation at an all school meeting - better known as a "Poetry Slam." And, if we are lucky, perhaps we'll have a visit from a local poet! The Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon was a huge success! The food was delicious (and plentiful), the setting was beautiful (complete with flowers), and the guests were very happy (and very grateful!). Thank you to all our parent and family volunteers for everything: donating food and drink, expending time and energy, decorating and setting up, covering classes, cleaning up, and donating fabulous raffle items! Our extraordinary faculty and staff were incredibly thankful for the day. Once again, Breakwater Community Shines! Breakwater Receives $85,000 Grant towards Greening of Nason's Corner Park Breakwater Alum Wins National Golf Tournament 
Breakwater Tide vs. Breakwater Faculty Basketball Game Don't Forget to Watch Surviving Suburbia! Color Me Mine May Madness Theatre Festival Elsewhere & Back - a musical by David Wells *Proceeds from the May 2 performance of Elsewhere & Back and The Magic Finger will benefit the Arts at Breakwater. Come and see Breakwater students, Emily in grade 4 (ACOG's Ensemble) and Antonia in grade 3 (The Fledglings) and help support our creative arts program. Tickets are $5. The Big Time Vaudeville Show 
Don't Miss the Talent Show! Take Me Out to the Ballgame… Limited quantities available – call today! Lost & Found In Search of America Are you a Fan of Breakwater? We wish the Zamd/Wren family the best as they move to California! Preschool student Jacob will be very much missed - along with the entire family! Thank you for being a great part of the Breakwater Community and we hope you will come back and visit! 
A special thank you to the BPA leadership, Ellen Barton, Kristin Schardt, Chandra Waitkevitch, and Jennifer Wanda, and all the Parents who made the Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon such an amazing treat for the faculty! The teachers and staff truly appreciated all your hard work, the delicious food, and the chance to enjoy each other's company for an entire hour! Thanks also to everyone who donated gifts for the raffle - that was a lot of fun! Last issue, we thanked everyone who helped with the gala and we left out Melissa Crowe, who sewed yards of fabric that helped completely transform the Dan. And, once again, thanks to everyone who is using their Breakwater car decal! Photo: One of the decal contest's winning photos! Kindergartner Nate is thrilled with his new decal! |
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