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Welcome to the November 30, 2007 issue of Newsbreak.  In this Issue Upcoming Events 12/5 Half Day Wednesday 12/7 Toys for Tots More toys needed! 12/10-13 Multicultural Week 12/13 Coffee with the Head of School at 8am - All parents invited! 12/13 Early Childhood Family Potluck Dinner - 5pm-6pm in the Preschool for preschool and kindregarten families 12/13 Multicultural Week Music Performance - 6pm 12/19 Half Day Wednesday - NO AFTER CARE 12/19 Parent Coffee Hosted by Grade 1/2 Parents 12/20-1/1 Winter Break - No Vaction Care 1/5 BPA Presents Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers - 10:30 in the Dan (gym) 1/8 Breakwater Parents' Association (BPA) Meeting - 7pm 1/9 Half Day Wednesday 1/12 Admissions Open House 10 am - 12 noon 1/18 Parent Coffee Hosted by Kindergarten Parents 1/21 No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 1/22 No School - AfterCare available - Professional Day 1/28-2/8 Parent Conferences - Grades 1-5 BWS Links
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Headlines...News from David Sullivan 
It is official…Breakwater is now a PreK-Middle School. On Monday the Breakwater Board of Trustees approved a middle level program to grade 8. I have discovered the germination a Breakwater middle level program began decades ago and has been a long-time desire of many parents. I am also happy to announce an anonymous gift of $75,000 which will be used to support the middle program and other initiatives. This will enable us to renovate the lower level of the Jessie Building where the middle level program will be housed. Breakwater has successfully piloted a very innovative middle level program for the past two years, led by Sari Lindauer, which is based on the best and latest research about early adolescent learners. The curriculum has an integrated approach to learning in which students pursue themes through project-based experiential learning. The learning expeditions, featured in our E6 pilot program, encourage inquiry, academic challenge, skill building, and the development of vital concepts. This curriculum is what inspired the foundation of the middle program design. The middle school years are critical developmentally not only for setting the stage for success in high school, but for the nascent formation of adulthood from childhood. BWS has done very well preparing children for middle school, however the clay is still not dry at the end of fifth grade. A well-designed middle level program, consistent with Breakwater's mission and philosophy, will carry the good work begun in pre-kindergarten and developed through the elementary years through to it's culmination in eighth grade. Given the tremendous physical, intellectual, emotional, and cognitive changes young adolescents experience within the few short years of middle school and the shortage of thoughtful schooling options that address the needs resulting from such rapid growth, we are well positioned to offer the gentle and considered hand of BWS to guide young people through this stage of life. With high academic expectations, close relationships with adults who understand this stage of development, a supportive and humane learning environment, a curriculum that caters to the developmental age of the students, and opportunities for students to challenge themselves, BWS will offer an exemplary program for middle level students. The search for identity is the developmental imperative for middle level students and completes the construction of a strong foundation for life-long learning. Eighth graders will leave BWS with a solid sense of their core identity - who they are as humans, what their potential is as adults - and with the independence, courage, and volition to authentically be the person they are. This is an exciting new chapter in Breakwater’s history and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Please visit our website and watch for future updates about the middle program and join me in celebrating this milestone at Breakwater School. For more information, click here! 
Our second expedition has been all about water! For the past six and a half weeks the E6 Middle schoolers have been immersed in a water study that has included pondering both the original source of Earth’s water and its atomic structure. Could it be that water found its way here at a rate of two gallons a year from thousands of comets and space debris, as one theory goes? Did the incredible hydrogen bond make life on earth possible? Students explored these questions and tested water’s unique properties including its ability to shrink as it freezes until it is 4 degrees Celsius, when it miraculously begins expanding to make ice, snow, and frost. We also plotted the transformation of beaches and tributaries through the action of water, and have been going out into the community to discover macroinvertebrates in ponds and their connection to an assessment of water quality. Just this week students have been learning about the Portland Watershed and our water delivery infrastructure. We got many answers to the questions we asked when we visited the Portland Water District and were given a challenge: help make the public aware of Portland Water District's greatest and most costly problem. To find out what this problem is, keep your eyes on the walls near the library in the weeks ahead. Posters may give a clue. We all need your help to stop a terrible waste! Still to come are an exploration of the issues of water privatization, the bottled water industry, and water as a right and necessity for all. Student slideshows will be on display in January for all to see. In other E6 News... • In addition to our water theme, our students took on the task of planting, and helping others plant, 500 tulips to help support breast cancer research. Straw now covers two tightly planted beds at the corner of Capisic and Brighton Avenue and right by the Breakwater sign in front of the Jessie Building. • Multicultural Week will find the Middle schoolers in classrooms helping and learning along with the younger students, as well as taking part in Multicultural Week's evening event. ~ Sari Lindauer Alumni Feature: Lilias Bonechi, Class of 1993 
"For most kids, this is the first place you spend a lot of time that's not 'home' " mused Lilias Bonechi over hot chocolate one afternoon recently. "Breakwater offers a lot of stability for a lot of kids - it's a very safe place." Ms. Bonechi, known as Lil to friends and family, graduated from Breakwater almost 15 years ago. She attended Waynflete School in Portland during her middle and high school years and graduated from Bard College with a major in sociology and a focus in human rights. She earned her master's degree from the Bard Master of Arts in Teaching program and followed that with internships for NetAid and 60 Cycle Media, both in New York City. Last summer Lil was Camp Director for The Game of Village in New Boston, New Hampshire. This experience, designed for middle school-aged students, helps young people learn about human behavior and how societies are organized by working in teams to create their own society in a fictional village. In August Lilias moved back to Maine to work as a legal assistant and recently has applied to several law schools. "At Breakwater I was surrounded by people who really wanted to learn," Lilias said when asked what she remembered about her experience here, "Teachers learned alongside students and it was very important to be a part of that. It gave me self-confidence and helped me learn to communicate well as part of a team. I learned to have honest, two-way conversations with my teachers. No one ever talked down to me because I was a kid." "Once I had experienced Breakwater I didn't want to leave that environment so I chose schools that shared those attributes. Small schools, that encouraged and celebrated differences and valued creativity. Breakwater is a foundation for all these things." Most recently this talented BWS graduate has been volunteering two afternoons a week in our library. Welcome home, Lilias! To be added to our mailing list or share your stories call Cheryl Hart at extension 239 or Kathy Damon at extension 223, or provide your information here. 
Lights in the foyer outside Breakwater's kindergarten classrooms were turned off. The subdued lighting created a hush among the children as they brought their lotus flower kratongs to the river, stretched out blue and papery down the hallway. The children sat beside the river, contemplating their thankfulness for clean water in our lives, just as children and adults halfway around the world, in Thailand, are doing at this time of year. Candles, sitting in the center of fresh rose petals on each kratong, were lit. The little boats were gently placed into the “rivers,” their glow lighting the faces of the kindergarten students and their guests, the first and second graders, who had come to share this special celebration. To close the ceremony, Than Tiparos and his parents, Dtaw and Katie, spontaneously led us in a song, which the children are learning in the Thai language. It was a magical moment, sure to be a highlight in our month-long study of Thailand. Inside the classrooms, kindergarteners had just finished cooking Thai soup, which they offered to their guests and enjoyed themselves. The Loy Kratong Festival takes place at the end of the rainy season, during the full moon in October or November. Lotus shaped baskets, made of banana leaves, are set afloat with candles and incense – and with gratitude for the crucial role of water in life. Wishes are made for the coming year. Other signs of Thailand have begun appearing in the classrooms as we immerse ourselves in a study of this fascinating land. Mr. Jim’s room is sprouting lush greenery in its new role as a Thai nature preserve, complete with snakes, tigers, and monkeys – a most popular place at our morning Choice Time! Lovely artifacts, on loan from parents, are being displayed in both rooms. Thai flags are accumulating as children make them, noticing in the process, some similarity to our own USA flag. Once again, our multicultural study is transporting us all to new and interesting places while helping us to appreciate and understand our own corner of the world. ~ Linda Webb and Jim Kingsley 
Multicultural Travel Week will be happening at Breakwater Monday-Thursday, December 10-13. This event is part of of each grade level’s study of a particular country and is a way to share what we’ve learned with the rest of the school. MC Week has a long-standing tradition of enthusiastic involvement by the entire Breakwater community. Looking for ways to be part of the excitement? Many families help with tasks that can be done at home or on the run – cutting things out, food preparation, assembling materials, shopping, etc. or they volunteer at the school during Multicultural Week itself. Please check with your child’s teacher, if you aren’t already involved, to see how you can help. If you have artifacts from the countries we’re studying and would be willing to lend them, please speak to the classroom teachers “covering” that country. They are: Norway and Sweden – Marti Blair and Cheryl Hart – 5th gr. Please try NOT to schedule any appointments for your child(ren) Monday-Thursday between 8:30-10:30 a.m. during this special week. Our MC Week performance will be Thursday, Dec. 13th at 6:00 p.m. in the Dan, with dress rehearsal the same day at 11:00 a.m., also in the Dan. 
Learning is most effective when children are actively involved and invested in what they are studying. Drama, art, music, and debate have been part of our most recent fifth grade social studies focus, "American Freedoms and Symbols." Our students have been learning about life in the American colonies just before and just after the American Revolution, including what it might have been like to live in a community divided about remaining loyal to England. We’ve learned about our country’s Founders and memorized the beginning of the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, which of course came later in our history. We learned the National Anthem in music class and shared this stirring song with the entire school at Friday Morning Meeting. Each student took a role as one of the participants in the Constitutional Convention and learned about his or her “character.” Did you know, for example, that Ben Franklin frequently fell asleep during the Convention or that some of the participants had a bet going about whether one of them could make George Washington laugh? Last week we staged our own Convention and debated an issue faced by the Founders: states' rights vs. a strong national government. We made posters describing ourselves, complete with a self-portrait developed in art class, and caucused with like-minded delegates to prepare for our debate, which included discussion of the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, the Hamilton Plan, and the Great Compromise. This week we’ve been learning about the Bill of Rights with a focus on the First Amendment. We’ve studied some landmark cases that define freedoms protected by the First Amendment and in pairs presented these cases to our own Supreme Court. With fifth graders sitting as Justices we’ve listened to and closely questioned the presenting “attorneys” and then rendered our decisions. In some cases we were surprised to learn the real Court’s decisions differed from our own! ~ Marti Blair and Cheryl Hart 
Chef Harry did not begin his professional life with the goal of becoming a chef and television personality. He graduated from college with a degree in Economics and a Masters in Accounting. After being the CEO of a successful scrap metal recycling company, he sold the company and moved to Florida with his family. While in Florida, Chef Harry wrote his first cook book, “Easygoing Entertaining.” With the help of his wife, his second book, “Harry’s Wild About You Cookbook!” was a big hit! Shortly thereafter, Chef Harry became a regular on NBC’s Today Show. On Monday, Chef Harry came to visit 3/4 grade Science at Breakwater School! Overall, it was a success, with everyone learning a lot about cooking and eating right! "I learned that watermelon is 92% water." Henry Coolidge, 3rd grade 
Come see what's up in the Breakwater School library! This fall classes, teachers, and parents have been making good use of the many wonderful books and resources available in our library. We have recently added many new books that teachers and students will use in the next several weeks as they study cultures from other parts of the world. Books from our library play an important role in conveying important information during thematic studies, in this case our preparation for Multicultural Week, a rich, rewarding experience for all those who participate. We have had many requests and suggestions for new books that could be added to our current collection. Students, parents, or library friend s can contribute to this growth by donating a book to the library. This gift can be a book of one’s choosing or one from our school “wish list.” Currently, we are displaying “caring and sharing” books on our library display table. This effort is in conjunction with our “Toys for Tots” project now in progress. By reading books that are related to this particular topic, we can enrich and make even more meaningful the experience of helping others. Please stop by to visit. Our desire is to make the Breakwater Library a welcoming space for all to enjoy. ~ Connie Smith and Kelley Pratt, Library Coordinators Science Challenge #2 is just around the corner! Design and construct a cylinder racer car that can travel forward at least 1 meter. Can you make the cylinder racer that will go up or down a 1m hill or complete a 26-meter marathon? If you have misplaced the instructions for this Challenge that came home with your child, you can find an extra copy on the bulletin board outside Ms. Dolan's classroom! Due date is December 5th! The Breakwater Parent Association Presents: Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers! - January 5, 2008 at 10:30 in the Dan (Gymnasium) - Details coming soon! The Breakwater Community includes many talented performing and visual artists. We are happy to include listings of performances and arts events in upcoming issues of Newsbreak. If you have a posting, please send it to community@Breakwaterschool.org. Open Studio - 33 Brentwood Street, Portland [around the corner from Pat's Meat market] on Sat Dec. 1st, 3-7 pm and beyond. All are welcome. There will be small drawings and prints by Stephen Burt (father of Atticus and Quilla), sterling and gold jewelry by Martha Whitener and paintings, prints and cards by Roy Germon and Leticia Plate. Wine, olives, and good cheer will be abundant so please come! Art Show - Sean Hathaway (father of Connor) is having an art show at Elizabeth & Main Gallery (238 Main Street in Gorham). The opening is Saturday, Dec. 1st, with a reception from 5pm-7pm. The art show will remain up until Dec. 29th, so there will be plenty of time to go and enjoy the show! Music Shows - Stephanie Hayward, our very own music specialist, will be performing the following dates & times:
Special thanks to Lorie and Tod Dana for donating new chairs from Asia West for David Sullivan's office. Thanks to Maddy Corson, grandmother to Spencer Barton for donating the book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams; Amy and Whit Ford for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling; and Laura Neuman, Portland Trails, for Last Child in the Woods:Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv to the Breakwater Library. |
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