Getting to know Fayerweather through Signature Projects

It has been challenging at times to be new to the community here at Fayerweather in the midst of a pandemic--not because the community hasn’t been wonderfully welcoming and supportive, but because I haven’t been able to immerse myself in the student experience as much as I would have liked in a normal school year. Trying to support half of the school as it learns remotely while the other half is in-person certainly leaves you feeling split in your focus as a leader at times. Despite the challenges the year has presented to my plan and intentions, the Fayerweather experience has shone through in really big ways. Just this past month, two such “signature” Fayerweather projects came to fruition that gave me a great first hand experience of what a Fayerweather educational experience is really all about: the 5-6 Biographies Project and the Kindergarten Post Office.

 

In the 5-6 Biographies project, I saw the way in which Fayerweather respects and honors the passions/interests of every child, meeting them where they are developmentally in a way that provides a concrete example of progressive education in action. It cultivates student voice by teaching them about how those throughout history have used their voices to bring about change or to bring something new to the world. At Fayerweather, we not only help students think about their voice, but also how they might use that voice to make a meaningful impact on the world. That might look different for each child--from using their creativity to design something new or different to being on the frontlines of a cause as an activist and changemaker--and we honor those differences. And what is so brilliant about the way progressive education works, in that process of finding their voice, they are also being challenged academically to learn research skills, become more skilled writers and more confident public speakers. All of it seamlessly integrated and folded into the project. 

 

The other piece of the Fayerweather student experience that has not been lost on me this year is the importance of community, a crucial characteristic of progressive education. Without community and a sense of belonging, schools just don't work effectively for students. Thankfully, I really got to see the community in action this past month through another “signature” Fayerweather project, the Kindergarten Post Office. The Kindergarten Post Office is a six week project that begins with research and creation for about two weeks, followed by four weeks of mail service for the school community. It was a delight to see our K students put on their uniforms and turn the school building into the cutest and most wonderful world of letter writing over the past month. As students and staff shared letters with each other and bridged the gap between Week A and Week B in our Hybrid model, we all grew closer as a community. And like so much in progressive education (just like the 5-6 Biographies project), seamlessly folded into this project for our K students were valuable lessons and skills--learning about the value of service to your community, learning how to sort and organize, how to address mail, and important writing skills. This is where the strength of progressive education lies, projects with real application and purpose that also challenge and build skills in students for future academic and life success. 

 

In a year that has been anything but normal, I am glad that I have still been able to learn so much about the student experience here at Fayerweather. I know these two projects are only the tip of the iceberg of the full Fayerweather experience, and I can’t wait to see what next project will find me in awe of the intentional progressive educational experience here.