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Transcript of Education 2011 North/South Edition Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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8/7/2019 Education 2011 North/South Edition Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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January 27, 2011
Special Section to: Greenwich Post I The Darien Times I New Canaan Advertiser I The Ridgefield Press I The Wilton Bulletin I The Redding Pilot I The Weston Forum I The Lewisboro Ledger
MyDesign Foundations GoalsFoster Creativity, Business Skills
Will Libraries & BookstoresBe As Rare As Phone Booths?
The German SchoolMore Than A Language Course
Education
2011HERSAM ACORN NEWSPAPERS
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2 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers January 27, 2011
Its been slow to arrive, but foreign lan-
guage instruction is now finding a spot in
the elementary-school curriculum. Spanishseems to be most popular, followed by
French, while some schools offer Mandarin
as an after-school add-on. In spite of the
fact that German is the most widely spoken
language in Europe, few schools offer it.
Concerned about the decline of German-
language instruction in Connecticut high
schools, Dr. Renate Ludanyi co-founded
the German School in 1978. Since then,
about 350 tots, teens and adults have held
Saturday mornings sacrosanct in order to
attend classes in West Hartford or recently
at Rippowam Middle School in Stamford.
Although most participants are of German
descent, the largest single heritage group
in the United States, this is an international
school welcoming children of all nationali-ties.
Students enroll for a variety of reasons. Urs
Klarer, a Swiss citizen, says German isnt
spoken at home. He wants his four children
to become fluent and learn proper German
so they can talk to their grandparents and
cousins.
Children need the structure of attend-
ing school, says Annette Bareiss, whose
teenage daughter is the last of her three to
attend. Parental involvement isnt enough;
we want them to learn the proper grammar
and not repeat our fossilized mistakes.
Students are encouraged to remain with the
program through high school so theyll be
able to read, speak and write German flu-ently rather than just know how to ask for
directions or order off a menu.
Two recent graduates are already seeing
the benefits of learning German. My busi-
ness studies got me the interview, but I
am convinced my fluency in German got
me the job, says one. From another, Im
planning a career in banking my ability
to speak German is already opening doors
for me.
The school has two tracks: one for begin-
ners and non-native speakers, the other
for students with native and near-native
fluency. Classes are offered based on age
and ability and run from 9:30 to 12:15 on
Saturday mornings. All are taught by pro-fessional, dedicated teachers, most with
German as their native tongue.
Although my German is limited to
Gesundheit, when someone sneezes, the
teachers in the classrooms I visited kindly
greeted me in English before returning to
their instruction in German. The two-year-
olds were singing German songs and learn-
ing basic vocabulary under their parents
watchful eyes. The kindergartners were hav-
ing a test. When their teacher pointed to a
picture on the blackboard, they were to cir-
THE GERMAN SCHOOL IN STAMFORD
More than just a language courseby Polly Tafrate
Language continued on page 4
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January 27, 2011 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers 3
Middle school children are still young enough to beexcited about daring challenges and old enough to
want to take them on. Gregory Clark, designer of
prize-winning contemporary furniture, understands
this. He has two children of his own, Emily, 14,
and Andrew, 12. When Gregory was 11, he won
awards for his handmade miniature furniture, and
he believes that boys and girls have inborn sources
of creativity that need to be stimulated and encour-
aged.
This past April, he introduced MyDesign Foundation,
a not-for-profit project to cultivate the creative talents
of students from sixth to 12th grades with design
competitions.
The designs sought come right from the childrens livesand experiences How to Improve a School Locker,
Design a Beach Toy, Improve a School Desk, Design a
Wake-Up Device.
Mr. Clark believes that utilizing the creative abilities
of our children is not just for fun and entertainment.
The world is changing, he says. China and India are
emerging as dominant players in the world economy.
As a shoe designer, in the early 90s, I watched the last
10% of shoe manufacturing leave our country. Over the
past 10 years, I have watched the same thing happen
to furniture manufacturing. The countrys creative abili-
MyDesign FoundationCULTIVATING CREATIVITY, BUSINESS SKILLS AND PERSEVERANCE
by Lois Alcosser
To cultivate their creative talents, MyDesign challenges students from grades six to 12through design competitions. MyDesign Foundation continued on page 8
[email protected] 914-967-2530
23 Purdy Ave, Rye, NY 10580
Tutoring Services for Students with Special Needs
For over ten years, we have successfully helped students overcome academic difficultiesand personal obstacles. We are now pleased to open our doors to the public in our after
school tutoring program.
Reserve a time from Mon- Thur2:30 to 7:00 pm
Most academic subjects areoffered at all levels
Music lessons in keyboard, guitar& electronic music are alsoavailable
Our staff is trained to instruct studentswho may have:
Underachievement
AD/HD
Learning Disabilities
Spectrum Disorders
...and other Special Education classifications
The Westfield Day School
Reinforcement of All Subject Areas SAT Prep
Regents and AP Prep Multi-Sensory Reading
Direct Instruction Writing Skill Development
Strategy Instruction Study Skills
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cle in their workbooks where it belonged in the house. Her
question, Does the refrigerator belong in the bathroom?
was met by giggles, so I knew they understood her.
The nine- to 12-year-old class was more serious. Throughout
the year theyll be learning how to conjugate verbs in the
present tense, write letters in German and learn the capitals
of European countries. Those in the high-school class were
preparing for Sprachdiplom exams (the official pre-requi-
site for entering a German or Swiss university) on their
mastery of spoken and written German, as well as on its
culture, history and literature. In Connecticut, students can
receive up to four credits toward graduation requirements
in world languages, thanks to a bill passed in 2008 (Public
Act 0801380).
The adult group had a handful of students. Some were
parents sharpening their skills while their children attend
classes, and one woman was sharpening hers for her job as
a computer consultant.
Although the school is in session only one morning a week,
it has many similarities to traditional schools. There are
tests, grades and some homework. Students enjoy gather-
ing with their friends in the cafeteria during mid-morning
recess. Each week a different class provides traditional
German snacks for sale little sandwiches, drinks and
homemade sweets.
Every year a delightful yearbook is published. Last year the
theme was Grimms fairy tales, and the students observa-
tions and opinions on them were written in German next
to their pictures.
The necessary texts and workbooks can be purchased at
their small library, and books written in German, games
and CDs can be borrowed. The administrators and directors
are all parent volunteers. Fund-raising is important to keep
the tuition ($760/year) reasonable, the teachers paid and
the building rented.
German culture is embraced through traditional celebra-
tions throughout the year. Last September, about 30
children rode on a float in NYCs Steuben Parade. In
November, they celebrated St. Martins Day by making
lanterns and parading through the school singing songs,
while Weihnachtsfeier was enjoyed at Christmas. The
children are looking forward to the Fasching Carnival
in February, and the annual poetry-recitation contest
is held in May, along with the end of the year, Maifeier
party.
The German School is the most underrated educational
asset of Fairfield County, says one director, Annette
Bareiss. It was never meant to be a secret, but few people
know it even exists. We welcome you to learn more and
visit us.
For more information: Stamford school, Urs Klarer, 212-882-
5686; West Hartford school, Christina Wilson, 860-404-8838;
germanschoolct.org.
Languagecontinued from page 2
In addition to learning to speak, read and write in German, the culture is
also embraced through traditional celebrations.
Discovering the gift. Educating for a purposeful life.
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January 27, 2011 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers 5
Study like a successful CEOby Michelle Sagalyn
Successful CEOs share common charac-
teristics with successful students. They
apply specific skills, tools and methods
to realize the vision theyve set for them-
selves and their companies. CEOs work
with commitment, momentum, persis-
tence and crispness.
How can students apply the same tools
in their school work as CEOs use to run
their companies? Here are 5 essential
skills.
Set Goals
Setting goals is an essential ingredi-
ent to getting desired results because it
keeps ones focus on the target. Goals
help establish a vision, allowing you to
develop priorities and concentrate on
what you want to achieve.
Once a goal is established, decisions and
choices are easily made. For example, if
you have a goal of getting an A on the
math test, the question of Should I study
for the test on Friday, or play a pickup
game of basketball? is easily answered.
Manage & Schedule Time
Great CEOs operate with a plan so they
know what they need to do and when
they need to do it. Accomplished execu-
tives use a calendar and schedules to
make appointments with themselves and
set due dates for when assignments
should be started and completed.
Students should do the same. If an
English paper is due on Tuesday, good
students dont wait until Monday night
to write it. Rather, when the assignment
is given, they assess what needs to be
done research, outline, draft and
plan when theyre going to do it, taking
into account other responsibilities and
commitments.
Write It Down
Because memory isnt very reliable, tak-
ing notes is important so you can review
and refer to them later. Taking notes also
helps crystallize an understanding of the
material. If upon review an element is
unclear or not completely understood,
one can go back and get the answers.
Ask Questions
What do Thomas Edison, Sir Isaac
Newton and Alexander Bell, among other
famed inventors, have in common? They
all asked questions that inspired amazing
discoveries and inventions.
Strong leaders ask their teams lots of
questions, too, requiring them to think,
explore and otherwise search for answers
and solutions to problems. This active
engagement leads to clarity, innovation
and creativity elements which trans-
late into profitable products and ser-
vices.
Study continued on page 8
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6 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers January 27, 2011
They say you shouldnt discuss politics or
religion at dinner parties. Well, now we can
add e-books to that list. People are all too
willing to share their strong and passion-
ate opinions about them, usually based on
whether they own one or not.
Currently there are about 50 e-book devic-
es on the market. Two of the most popular
are the Kindle (Amazon) and the Nook
(Barnes and Noble), the second of which
recently came out with a touch-screen,
color version. Books can also be download-
ed on some smart phones and the iPad.
Owners of these devices brag about their
convenience. Theyre right. A wide array
of books, magazines and newspapers can
be beamed to the reader within minutes,
no matter where you are, which makes e-
books ideal travel companions.
What these aficionados neglect to men-
tion, however, is that first you must buy a
device. Although prices are coming down,
most range from around $150 for a basic
reader to around $800 for the grand-daddy
of them all, the iPad. But then, you have to
spend more money to purchase many of
the books. Sure, some older ones are free
reads, but if you yearn to read a bestseller,
you must pay around $10. This is less than
youd pay at a bookstore, but where does
the break-even point come to make owning
an e-reader an economical investment?
E-book addicts will strengthen their posi-
tion with the argument of how environ-
mentally friendly these books are no
forests being destroyed on behalf of these
readers. Is this really true? When books
are discarded, they can be broken down
into pulp, but when e-books become out-
dated and subsequently discarded, theyll
become landfill unless recycled.
Its only logical that publishers favor e-
books. Think of their massive savings with
the reduced inventory. Editors often have
mixed feelings. Linda Landrigan, editor of
Alfred Hitchcocks Mystery Magazine says,
As a reader, Ive tried the Kindle and I
wasnt too taken with it. But as an editor,
I want readers to be able to come to my
magazine through whatever form they
prefer, and thats something that were
working to make happen.
WILL LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES BECOME
As rare as telephone booths?by Polly Tafrate
Nurturing the Potential
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January 27, 2011 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers 7
Those in the anti-e-book camp say theyd
miss the comfort of reading a physical
book curling up with one before the
fireplace, turning the pages comfortably,
running their hands over the glossy cover,
loaning/borrowing favorites with friends
and browsing in bookstores to find just the
right book to give as a gift. Is this a gen-
erational thing, such as when our parents
feel uneasy about having computerized e-
tickets when they travel? The answer may
surprise you. A mother of two teens who
love to read reports that they prefer read-
ing traditional books, even though they
have access to a Kindle.
It does make sense that e-books are replac-
ing textbooks, which are often outdated
as soon as theyre published. According
to the New Media Consortiums Horizon
Report, E-books are expected to replace
textbooks in two to three years, claiming
them to be lighter and more versatile than
physical books and {they} incorporate
visual aids like videos, color imagery and
animations. An increasing number of
schools and colleges are downsizing or
discarding shelves of their physical collec-
tion of books while increasing their digital
collections, thus giving students access to
millions of titles.
But there are those who say, Not so fast.
College textbooks typically contain infor-
mation thats more complicated to read
than a novel. An article in PC World, August
2010, states that the National Association
of College Stores reports that digital text-
books account for just two to three percent
of sales at members stores. Studies show
that many students find it difficult to read
complex material on a digital screen for
long periods of time.
I had an opportunity to use the rising star,
the iPad, recently. With a finger touch
I had more choices than time. I read a
few pages ofThe Wall St. Journal and was
just starting a game of solitaire when my
three-year-old grandson demanded it back
to play an animated video game. When I
asked his father why he was reading the
print version ofThe New YorK Times one
Saturday morning instead using his iPad,
he explained, I read the actual paper
on weekends because its the only time
I have to be able to relax and read it at
my leisure. During the week Im on the
go, and digital is great. Now I await his
assurance that the iPad will come down in
price within the next few years.
Is there a meet-you-in-the-middle area
here? Perhaps. It does make sense to
have textbooks available digitally to keep
them updated. It also makes sense to
have an e-book when traveling, but just
as much sense to never give up the maj-
esty of holding, smelling and reading
a physical book without depending on
its battery life. This then affordable,
transportable e-books and traditional
books in libraries, stores and our own
bookshelves will be the best of both
worlds. Lets hope that culture adopts
both options.
Jesse Lee Day SchoolGrowing with Confidence
Toddler & Twos
Three Year Olds
Four Year Olds
Transitional Kindergarten
Extended Day Classes
2011 Registration is OngoingWe Offer
Summer Campand Classes at
The Annexare open to the
Entire Community
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8 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers January 27, 2011
ties may become one of our most impor-
tant exportable resources.
Students in five Fairfield County towns sub-
mitted 90-second videos of their designs,
which were judged for the research done,
the design concept, the quality of the
students model and drawings, plus the
presentation. Judges were people in thearts, business and engineering, plus a
middle school and a high school student.
Prizes included a MacBook Pro, flip cam-
eras and iPods.
At the Weston Middle School, students
in Peggy Jorgensens classes entered
MyDesign Foundations competition to
Improve a School Locker. The response
has been great, she says. My students
worked on surveys, analyzed current lock-
ers, looked at patents and commercials
and came up with ingenious ideas.
Lynn Kimberly, mother of a participant,
agreed. It was a great experience for
Anna. She spent a month before she
was satisfied with her ideas, and learned
patience and perseverance in the pro-
cess.
Elizabeth Clark, Gregorys wife and
Artifact Design Gallery manager, talked to
many parents whose children worked on
designs, and she concluded that not all
kids are thrilled with sports, but every child
has undiscovered talents. The MyDesign
combination of activities appeals to stu-
dents in the transitional middle-school
years, when self-confidence can be fragile.
Innovative and unexpected learning tech-
niques can be enormously effective.
MyDesign Foundation welcomes cor-
porate sponsors and private donations.
Additional information is on mydesign-
foundation.org, or call Elizabeth Clark
at Artifact Gallery, 2 Hollyhock Road,
Wilton, 203-834-7757.
MyDesigncontinued from page 3
Asking questions is one of the keys
to being a successful student, too.
The more questions asked, the more
engaged and enlightened youll be.
Organize
Think about it: A CEO juggles many dif-
ferent jobs hiring, marketing, prod-
uct development, managing. So do stu-
dents; they manage different subjects,
activities, assignments.
Just like a CEO, a student needs to find
worksheets, books, calculators, assign-
ments when needed. If you dont have
the materials at hand, you cant do the
work. A work environment should be
kept clear, clean and orderly.
Whether at an office, or at a home
study space, if your desk or backpack
is cluttered with overflowing papers,
you wont be able to concentrate on
your work, let alone find it. When your
teacher gives you a study guide, file it
immediately in your binder so you can
put your hands on it when you need it.
Organizing your physical space and
materials will reduce stress, save time
and keep you focused on the task at
hand.
Michelle Sagalyn is president of S4
Successful Study Skills 4 Students LLC,
an organization dedicated to helping stu-
dents in grades 6 through 12 achieve
their full potential through effective time
management, organization and executive
functioning. S4 works in affiliation with
schools and directly with students and
families. For more information: success
fulstudyskills4students.com, or call 203-
307-5455.
Studycontinued from page 5
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January 27, 2011 Education Hersam Acorn Newspapers 9
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