Dear Parents,
As we approach the final weeks of our fall trimester, I continue to be encouraged by the many conversations taking place about our program, important dialogues which foster learning and create fresh ways to see and examine familiar issues. In recent forums that have involved students, parents, faculty and the Board, we have touched upon topics that impact our school every day through open and honest dialogue. And in some cases, these conversations have helped us formulate mission-driven adjustments to our program.
In this letter to our community, I wanted to highlight two such conversations. The first took place on October 18 in a continuation of our community’s examination of the movie Race to Nowhere with a particular focus on homework. Students, parents and faculty worked together in small groups to discuss how homework is assigned and completed at NYA and to make recommendations for improving our practice. We have since presented these findings to faculty, and I am pleased that the discussion both supported the rigor inherent in an NYA education and offered suggestions for improvement. Some of these suggestions from our group discussions will be implemented this year. Among these are setting clear guidelines for the amount of homework in each grade level; treating the weekend as one day of homework, not more; thinking carefully about the assignment of homework over vacations and limiting this practice except when a continuity of learning is essential in certain disciplines; adding clarity to the process of students contacting their teachers if they struggle with a homework assignment beyond a reasonable time; and creating a Major Commitment Calendar online that will include major academic projects as well as school performances and distant athletic competitions so faculty have greater awareness of overall student workload. As a faculty, we continue to have discussions about making homework more meaningful to maximize the engagement of students and foster curiosity.
A second conversation occurred the following week on October 26. In a coffee house sponsored by the Parents’ Association, we examined an article from the New York Times Magazine on developing character in schools. In that forum, we discussed the importance of having the right amount of challenge mixed with the correct proportion of guidance so faculty and students can set high standards and goals and we can provide one-on-one attention and support when it is needed. We are also looking at ways that we can take advantage of the learning moments that naturally happen on our athletic fields, courts and arenas. We are involving coaches and student leaders in this conversation to both set and achieve goals for developing camaraderie, sportsmanship, and resilience as individuals and a team. Finally, we are exploring various ways to provide students with greater leadership opportunities as part of the curriculum, during service days, through our experiential education program, and as mentors to younger students.
Strengthening our academic program and providing opportunities to foster character within a school community are ongoing processes. Given the many challenges that the current generation of students will face in their lifetimes, schools need to continually consider how they will address these complex issues and adapt their program to meet future needs. What has been particularly encouraging about our school’s process is the degree to which members of every constituency at NYA are listening carefully to one another and striving toward making meaningful change in a thoughtful and respectful way.
I look forward to having many more such dialogues in the years ahead and to hearing from greater numbers of you through these conversations. I am proud of the foundation of communication and trust we have already established at NYA and welcome your energy and voice as these conversations continue.
Yours truly,
Brad Choyt
Head of School
