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Welcome to the February 28, 2009 issue of Newsbreak. Send this newsletter to a friend! In this Issue Upcoming Events 2/28 3/7 _______________ 3/11 _______________ 3/14 3/16 3/17 _______________ 3/25 4/1 4/1 4/2 4/7 4/7 4/8 4/10 _______________ BWS Links
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 Claudette Colvin Visits Breakwater! 
It's not every day you meet a real-life hero face to face. It's even more rare to be able to ask a hero a question and to have the opportunity to shake her hand. This past Tuesday Breakwater students had such an opportunity, and for many the experience is one they will remember for a very long time. Claudette Colvin, subject of a new book by local author Phil Hoose, was at our school this past Tuesday to talk with students about her role in both the Montgomery bus boycott and the Civil Rights movement. Breakwater's Middle School organized the visit and invited middle school students from the Friends School of Portland, high school students from a civil rights class at Kennebunk's New School, and Breakwater's Third-Fifth graders to attend this exceptional event. Author Phil Hoose began by providing some historical context for Ms. Colvin's story, noting that most people have heard of Rosa Parks and her courageous act, but few know a 15 year old girl named Claudette had refused to give up her seat to a white passenger nine months before Mrs. Parks had done so. Ms. Colvin was one of the only African Americans arrested during this time who challenged her charges in court. Most paid a fine and were quickly released from jail. Not only did Ms. Colvin fight the arrest, she later helped end segregated busing entirely by being one of four plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the city of Montgomery. This lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court (Browder v Gayle ) and resulted in the Court declaring segregated busing unconstitutional, hence the title of Hoose's book, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. "We got to see somebody who changed the United States" said one student. "I didn't think a 15-year old could do all that," said another, "She inspired me to try new things, to make a change in something if I think it's wrong". "I was proud that I was the spark." Ms. Colvin responded to one student's question, "I was an ordinary person, but I was tired of the adults talking about what was wrong and not doing anything about it. I got something started and look where we are today, with Barak Obama as our first African American president!" History came vividly alive for us this past Tuesday at Breakwater. ~ Cheryl Hart, Middle School Division Director Photos: Breakwater Middle School with Claudette Colvin and Phil Hoose; Sarah Adams and Claudette Colvin To view more photos of Claudette Colvin's visit to Portland from Curious City, click here! 
Before February break, Breakwater's Fifth Grade went on their annual trip to Mt. Cardigan in New Hampshire. This double overnight adventure once again proved to be a great experience - for students, faculty, and parent chaperones alike. Whether hiking, climbing, snow-shoeing, cooking, or sledding--fun was had by all! One of the group's favorite parts of this adventure was the family-style dinner they made themselves. Cooking together certainly does build community. They even enjoyed a campfire in the rain. The students also took part in service projects for the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) by chopping wood, cleaning the kitchen, and sweeping floors. One AMC employee was told us: "The students are so respectful and helpful. We always love having Breakwater students visit our facility." And even though it was hard work, every student was thrilled when they reached the summit of Mt. Cardigan. One student commented, "The view was worth it!" Photo: The Fifth Grade and their teachers and chaperones at the summit of Mt. Cardigan Faculty Spotlight: Stephanie Hayward 
All of you know our stellar Music Teacher Stephanie Hayward, but many of you may not know that on top of her already hectic schedule she has been working towards her Master's Degree. Stephanie has completed her work with Lesley University and is currently putting the finishing touches on her final project - a Peace Book, celebrating Stephanie's colleagues are consistently amazed with her ability to balance an extremely busy work schedule that includes: teaching all of Breakwater's students to sing their hearts out, teaching piano classes after school, spending time in fifth grade during their literacy block, teaching a Novel Study group in third and fourth grade, and putting together lavish performances our Community eagerly attends. Outside the halls of Breakwater, Stephanie can often be found performing live locally and pursuing her new-found love of yoga. With all of this on her plate, Stephanie also found time to earn her Master's Degree in Education and Integrated Arts from Lesley University. She has loved these past two years, eagerly putting everything she has learned in classes to use with her own students. Stephanie feels she has grown as a teacher and appreciates that in her career she is able to put all of her passions into music. She notes that any subject can be taught to students through music and song. While preparing her students for the Music Genre Festival, she takes pride in the amount of history they learn through music. Even the Emancipation Proclamation is something the students are able to write songs about! Congratulations to Stephanie on this exciting step in her career. All of us at Breakwater are very proud of you, Stephanie, and consistently amazed by your passion and talent! 
While creating her final project of a Peace Book (see above article), Stephanie Hayward relied on Breakwater students to define the word "Peace." Here are some of our students' responses: The Peace Poem Peace is not something you take like medicine Peace Peace is the heaven on earth Peace Peace is the sky Peace Peace is non pollution and love Peace Peace is friendship 
Breakwater student G Hannelius and her family began an adventure in Hollywood last year that quickly turned from a short-term exploration to a full-blown expedition. G's mom Karla confesses that G has been "bitten by the acting bug and has yet to recover!" Last March G did a commercial for the Aquarium of the Pacific in L.A. From there she did a couple more commercials and this past August G was cast as Bob Saget's daughter in a sitcom called Surviving Suburbia. They have shot 13 episodes which are set to air beginning on April 6 on ABC, right after Dancing with the Stars! Bob Saget announced this new sitcom on The Conan O'Brien Show on February 16. G is also co-hosting a show on Disney called Leo Little's Short Show (which should air next week) and has done an episode of Sonny with a Chance, a new show on Disney starring Demi Lovato. Be sure to keep watching Disney and look out for our old friend G - and tune in on April 6 to watch her on the new ABC show Surviving Suburbia! Breakwater's Trip to the Portland Museum of Art Breakwater’s Annual Field Trips to the Portland Museum of Art are quickly approaching. Below is the bus schedule for these trips. Please provide your student with $2 (no larger bills, please!) for the bus ride to and from the Museum. You may use one dollar bills but the driver cannot make change! Tuesday, March 3 Wednesday, March 4 Thursday, March 5 Interested in Yoga at Breakwater? 
It is no secret that practicing yoga helps create a healthy control of one's body and mind. Our Middle School students have been enjoying the benefits of a weekly yoga class this winter and can vouch for the positive effects of this practice. Breakwater would like to find out if you (yes, you the parents, faculty, and staff of Breakwater!) are interested in a yoga class. Please fill out the survey below to tell us your availability and interest-level. We thank you in advance! Namasté. Please click here to fill out our Yoga Survey! 
At Breakwater, we believe good teaching requires educators to continually reexamine their own values about children and about the impact that teachers, schools, peers, families and environment have on each child. A significant portion of the professional development work teachers do each year focuses on reflective teaching practice. In this vein, teachers in the Early Childhood division spend one day each year, off campus, observing in other preschool and kindergarten classrooms throughout the region. On our February 4 Professional Day, we visited schools in the morning then came together to spend the afternoon reflecting on our observations. Teachers were asked to consider ways in which what they observed in classroom design and teaching approach fits or contrasts with our their own thinking about best-practice in the education of young children. Specifically, when observing classroom environments, teaching practice, use of materials, teachers were asked this year to consider:
Molly Thompson, Jim Kingsley and Michelle Littlefield visited two kindergarten classrooms at a Portland Public School. Kiki Edgar, Jeanne King and Abbie Carter visited toddler and preschool classrooms in Gorham, while Mari Dieumegard and Dawn Russell spent the morning at a preschool and kindergarten in Cape Elizabeth. This annual observation of our early childhood colleagues is a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and always inspires us to think more deeply about our own practice. ~ Molly Thompson, Early Childhood Division Director Refugee Backpack Program Begins Again! Over the next several weeks, our students will be participating in one of Breakwater's annual school-wide community service projects. In our Learning Buddies groups, we will once again be assembling backpacks of school supplies for children in the Refugee Resettlement Program. Students will be learning about refugees in Portland, brainstorming ideas of what might go into a backpack of school supplies, helping to raise money for this effort, packing backpacks with supplies, and finally, in June, presenting these backpacks to representatives from the Refugee Resettlement Program. Interested in helping support this project? About half of our financial support for this effort comes from recycling cans and bottles. In the main entryway of the brick building is a large box in which we collect cans and bottles throughout the year. Please keep us in mind as you collect your recyclable at home - we have the perfect place for you to put them! Later this spring, we will hold our other major fund-raiser for the Backpack Project: our annual student Talent Show. Keep your eyes open for more news about this. Finally, if and when you replace your child’s backpack, we are always looking to collect backpacks that are used but still in good shape. The fewer things we have to buy, the more backpacks we will be able to fill! As always, if you have any questions about this project, please see Jim Kingsley in Kindergarten. 
This year the Fifth Grade's culminating project is called "CARES." Each student has selected, researched, and written a report on an issue that is important to him/her. Topics range from the problem of beach trash, to the plight of sea turtles, to world hunger. After learning about thie topic, students are now developing plans involving volunteer service and fundraising to benefit and build awareness for the issues they are exploring. Harrison, for example, who is interested in the conflict in Iraq, is organizing a Skating Party on to raise funds for Noora, an Iraqi girl injured in the war, now in Portland for surgery. The fundraising event will be held on Saturday, March 14 from 5:15 - 7:15 pm. You can learn more about Noora's journey at www.nomorevictims.org . For more information on the Skating Party contact Harrison's mom, Elizabeth. It is our pleasure to welcome our newest Preschool student Jack Schaeffer, who joined Molly's Class this week. We are thrilled to have Jack and his parents, Laura and Eric, join the Breakwater Community! The latest Parent Work Days have been scheduled! Please join us for one or both to help paint and spruce up the Breakwater Campus. Saturday, March 7, 9 am - 1 pm We will be cleaning and organizing the Dan's lower level as well as painting. Please come if you can, or if you are unable to join us and would like to make snacks for the crew please do! Any and all help is appreciated. There is a sign-up sheet available on the BPA bulletin board near the Main Office. 
"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are." ~ Mason Cooley Some great new additions to the Breakwater School Library:
Eckhart Tolle, author of THE POWER OF NOW, has turned this concept into a story for children - a thought provoking, beautifully illustrated book that can be used as a teaching tool. MILTON’S SECRET will perhaps inspire and help children who must face difficult encounters at school, on the playground, or elsewhere. This book is a picture book, however; it may be enjoyed by all ages! Eckhat Tolle is a contemporary spiritual teacher who is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition. He is the author of the bestselling “Power of Now,” and “A New Earth.” HOW TO LIVE FOREVER I Love this book. Again, a picture book for all ages. If you read it for no other reason, read it for the fabulous illustrations! They will delight readers of all ages with the richly detailed world of the library, where castles, streets, and villages are built on and around books. Truly a book in which the pages come alive! A magnificent library holds a copy of every single book ever written – except for one. Young Peter, a resident of one of the library’s cookbooks, discovers a card to the missing volume, “How To Live Forever,” and he sets off on a search. His long, mystical journey leads him to a hidden Chinese garden and the Ancient child who makes his home there and possesses the magical book. SWINDLE Swindle: To steal, trick, deceive, defraud, lie, rob, con, backstab and to obtain dishonestly. When Griffin plans a very spooky sleepover in a haunted house that’s about to be demolished, he isn’t planning on making a fortune. But, then he discovers something MORE VALUABLE than GOLD: a new Babe Ruth baseball card, hidden out of view for many years. CHAINS Wonderful YA Revolutionary War historical novel. I found this book engrossing and difficult to put down. After the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen year old Isabel wages her own fight ….for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of her owner, she and her sister Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate, become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Isabel and Ruth. So come on in, check out a book, and READ! ~ Connie Smith, Library Coordinator IMPORTANT: Music Genre Festival Date Change Le Cafe Breakwater Monday, March 2: Tuesday, March 3: Volunteers Needed - Founder's Day & Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon Find us on Facebook! BCA on Saturday Breakwater Creative Arts is Accepting Applications Now! Caring, Giving, Growing, Thriving -- Special thanks to Amy Ford, Courtney Rallis and Erik Calhoun who participated in a calling session for the Annual Fund. We are about 70% of the way toward our ambitious goal of $150,000, and counting! Thank you to all who have participated to date. The support provided by the annual fund is critical to enabling Breakwater to have a balanced operating budget. Your participation is more important than ever in the current challenging economic climate! |
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