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A Special Letter |
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This week our letter to the Agnes Irwin parent community comes from Mariandl Hufford, Director of Center for the Advancement of Girls (CAG), in follow-up of the Race to Nowhere special screening the CAG presented this past Monday night.
Dear Parents,
On Monday night, many members of our community gathered to watch the movie Race to Nowhere and to hear noted author and pediatrician Dr. Ken Ginsburg speak about authentic success for children and teens. Monday night was not the beginning, nor the end, of conversation on some tough issues. It was part of an ongoing dialogue among Agnes Irwin faculty and administrators – one in which we have engaged for some time – and one in which we will continue to engage with each other, with our girls and with our parents.
Monday night gave us new food for thought, as we widened our circle and welcomed the wisdom and knowledge of Dr. Ginsburg. Monday night provided an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we shepherd our girls through childhood and adolescence and how we will ultimately allow them to measure their success.
I know that in part, because of Monday night, the issue of homework has become a topic of conversation in our community. How much is too much? Does homework even accomplish what it sets out to do? What DOES homework set out to do? Can an academic program be considered truly rigorous if students do little or no homework?
These questions have occupied much conversation at school. In fact, our Upper School girls’ experience with homework is the topic of a practitioner’s research project I am completing for my graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania.
As you can imagine, I have read a substantial amount of research on homework: from its purported impact on achievement to the differences between how girls and boys tend to approach the task itself. And yet, I would be hard-pressed to tell you that I have definitive answers to the questions posed above.
The research is as revelatory as it is confounding – on the one hand sits academic literature that strongly promotes a link between homework and achievement at the upper grades (less so in earlier years), and on the other sits a body of research that calls all correlations between homework and achievement into question.
What is an educator to do? How do we know what is best for our students? And you, as parents, when does your encouragement become undue pressure?
While I cannot answer those questions, I do know a few things (and yes, the research backs me up on this – unequivocally):
1. You can gauge when homework becomes “too much” if your daughter is so exhausted from lack of sleep that her head hurts, or she has a stomachache.
2. Every child deserves at least one adult in her life who loves her unconditionally, as Ken Ginsburg talked about Monday night. Robert Brooks, one of my favorite writers about the healthy development of children, calls that person who loves so completely “a charismatic adult.”
We may not have the answers – but we will keep talking, we will keep grappling. And our girls will continue to be great for as long as the conversations continue to happen. Please e-mail me at mhufford@agnesirwin.org if you have any thoughts or questions. Have a wonderful weekend, Mariandl Hufford, Director
Center for the Advancement of Girls
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Coming Up at AIS ... |
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Photo from Monday night's screening of Race to Nowhere Sat., Feb. 12: ACT Testing Date, 8:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M., Off-Site Sat., Feb. 12: AIS Family Skating Night, Philadelphia Skating Club in Ardmore, 8:00-10:00 P.M.
Sun., Feb. 13: Club AIS Volleyball Practice, 1:00-3:30 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion
Sun., Feb. 13: 9th Grade Father/Daughter Bowling Event, 1:00-3:00 P.M., Devon Lanes
Wed., Feb. 16: Classics/Art History Field Trip to Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, 8:45 A.M.-5:30 P.M.
Thurs., Feb. 17: Term 2 Ends
Fri., Feb. 18: Faculty/Staff In-service Day, No Classes
Sun., Feb. 20: Club AIS Volleyball Practice, 1:00-3:30 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion
Looking Ahead …
Mon., Feb. 21: Presidents' Day Holiday, No Classes
Tues., Feb. 22: Classes Resume
Fri., Feb. 25: Eastern Swimming Conference Championships, All Day, Off-Campus
Sat., Feb. 26: Eastern Swimming Conference Championships, All Day, Off-Campus
Sat., Feb. 26: Mandatory CREW Meeting for Spring Crew, 11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M., Boathouse Row #14
Sun., Feb. 27: Club AIS Volleyball Practice, 1:00-3:30 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion
Sun., Feb. 27: Empty Bowls Supper, 5:00-7:00 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion
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Announcements |
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SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, February 27. Please see Downloads for full information
Swimmers and Divers Inter-Ac Accomplishments
The Agnes Irwin swimming team had a strong showing at the 2011 Inter-Ac League Championship meet on Tuesday. Many of the AIS swimmers had personal best swims but Vivien Hastings stole the show with 2 individual top 6 finishes (200 Free, 500 Free), and she was a member of 2 relays (200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay) that finished in the top six. Sara Price also finished 5th in the 200 Free. The 200 Medley Relay team of Sara Price, Ellie Holmes, Lauren Fox, and Vivien Hastings placed 6th, the 200 Free Relay team of Morgan Pergolini, Lauren Fox, Catherine Miller, and Meghan McManus finished 5th, and the 400 Free Relay team of Morgan Pergolini, Catherine Miller, Sara Price, and Vivien Hastings placed 4th. The team is now gearing up for the Eastern Championships on February 25th and 26th at LaSalle University.
Divers: Marin Bloise – 2nd, Lauren Willcox – 5th, Molly Becker – 7th, Amanda Bunten – 8th, Carter Smith - 11th
Great Job AIS Swimming and Diving!
Lower School Admission Event
We are planning an outreach event to attract new families and their daughters to our campus. Exploring Buoyancy is a science workshop for 3, 4, and 5-year-old girls and their parents. This event will be held on Saturday, February 12 from 10:00-11:00 A.M. in the Lower School. AIS science teacher Cassie Woestman and First Grade teacher Audrey Sikdar will lead fun and “hands on” experiments to discover what makes objects float or sink. The girls will use trial and error to build their own boat and see if it floats! Please mention this event to your friends, as this will be a fun morning. We are opening this workshop to AIS families who bring a prospective family to this event. RSVP to bmassaro@agnesirwin.org. There is no admission fee for this event. Annual Fund
The AIS Development Office is pleased to share with you that our community has reached 76% of our overall Annual Fund goal. Parents are a vital component of Annual Giving Programs. Please join us and make your Annual Fund contribution today
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