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teaching

Byram Hills Teacher Travels to Japan on Study Tour and Incorporates Highlights into Curriculum

August 29, 2018 by Ella Ilan

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTIN GILBERT

Byram Hills High School teacher Martin Gilbert, who teaches both global history and economics recently traveled to Japan on a two week immersion experience for history teachers sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Center for East Asian Studies. The study tour took the twenty participating American teachers, chosen through a selective application process, to various sites in Tokyo and the northern island of Hokkaido handpicked for their cultural, political and economic significance.

“Every day was a highlight,” says Mr. Gilbert. He particularly enjoyed interacting with the diverse mix of young teachers on his trip. As the oldest teacher on the tour, he filled the role of a mentor to them. Some of his favorite experiences included attending a very lively baseball game, traveling around Hokkaido and soaking in its natural beauty, visiting a school and working in small groups with students learning English, visiting the site of the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, and riding the high speed bullet train, the Shinkansen. He really enjoyed visiting the “onsens,” Japanese hot springs, and partaking in the public bath ritual.  Mr. Gilbert was pleasantly surprised to discover that the hotel owned a “yukata,” traditional bathrobe for the onsen, that fit his tall 6-foot-7-inch frame.

Other highlights of the trip included visiting and spending time with staff at the United States Embassy and meeting a Japanese diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who was an expert on Chinese-Japanese relations. The diplomat discussed the tension over islands in the South China Sea.

“For me, as someone who is very interested in current affairs, it was fascinating to hear about trade relations between China and Japan, the second and third largest economies in the world.” Mr. Gilbert said. “I like to discuss current events in my classes. This year I will certainly talk more about Japan and the United States and the current trade war.”

Visiting the Shrines

Mr. Gilbert has always longed to visit Japan since the country holds special meaning for him. He has told many Byram Hills students this story when talking about shrines in eastern religions in his global history class.  When he and his wife were newlyweds, she traveled to Japan on a fellowship. While there, she prayed for a baby at a shrine.  After returning from her trip, she was soon pregnant with the couple’s first son. Ever since then, Mr. Gilbert wanted to travel there.

In his class, Mr. Gilbert teaches about Shintoism and Buddhism. After visiting many shrines in Japan, he can now relay his first hand experiences to his students. Like his wife, Mr. Gilbert had his own opportunity to pray for a wish at a Shinto shrine. The process involved buying a small thin wooden plaque for the equivalent of ten dollars, writing your wish on the plaque, and hanging it on the rack of wishes in the hope that the deity housed at that shrine will make your wish a reality. He took pictures of the plaques that he plans to share with his students to allow them to visualize this ritual that they may have only read about in a textbook. His personal experience gave him perspective to share with students who might be familiar with the custom of placing prayer notes in the Wailing Wall in Israel.

Incorporating the Trip into Classroom Lessons

Between his first hand account of customs observed and the videos he recorded of his experiences that he will incorporate into his curriculum, he will be able to offer a glimpse into Japanese culture to his students.  Visiting in person allowed Mr. Gilbert to gain deeper insight into customs he may never have read about in a textbook. He learned that people are prohibited from walking through the center of a “torii” gate into a shrine because the center is reserved for the gods. He learned that people entering a shrine must follow a purification ritual with very specific steps with regard to washing your hands and face.

Even after teaching at Byram Hills for twenty-seven years, Mr. Gilbert is continually seeking educational and cultural enrichment for himself and his students. This was his fourth trip to Asia. On previous study tours, Mr. Gilbert has traveled to Korea twice and China once. He has also been to Israel on a Fulbright Scholarship and to Nicaragua through the Byram Hills Education Foundation.

“I really want to give back to the kids by sharing my experiences. I hang pictures of my trips up in the classroom and I let my students know that there is a world outside Armonk. I hope that some of my students get the travel bug,” says Mr. Gilbert. Opening himself up to new learning experiences as a teacher, he is a great example to his students of how one can always continue to learn in life.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Byram Hills, Customs, Hokkaido, japan, Shrines, teaching, Travel, trip, yukata

‘Say Something’ Curriculum at Seven Bridges Promotes Young Advocates Voices

June 13, 2018 by Inside Press

Pauline Daglio, 6th Grade Teacher at Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua, here together with ‘Say Something’ letter writers Natalia Kochut (left) and Grace Nocca. Laura Triglia (not pictured), also a teacher at Seven Bridges, collaborated on the project. 

 

 

“A recent project-based learning initiative called ‘Say Something’ at Seven Bridges Middle School centered around the notion that while everyone has a voice, it is critical to teach kids how and when to use theirs. Say Something was born from the lessons  learned while reading the novel The Giver. The story teaches that our voices help to shape the communities we live in and if we do not speak up, as was the case in the novel, our world will become a colorless if not meaningless one to live in.

“Through classroom investigations and parent/child conversations, students uncovered that they do have opinions and ideas that are worth sharing on a wide variety of issues. To that end, each of them learned features of argument writing (the focus of the unit) to develop a formal letter to an individual or agency regarding a concern or a change that might be worthwhile. 71 letters were sent!  While the students’ ideas are wide reaching and varied, their intent was the same. I celebrate their efforts and assure them that even if they do not hear back, they made a difference because they took the time and effort to Say Something!”  — Pauline Daglio, 6th Grade Teacher, Seven Bridges 

Editor’s Note: The two letters below, for example, were sent here to The Inside Press to address, and we plan to! Dozens more letters have been sent to: Andrew Corsilia, principal; Greg Steifel; assistant principal-Jason Semo, director of physical education, health and athletics;  Josh Block, director of technology and innovation; Dr. Christine Ackerman, superintendent; Chappaqua School Board; Chappaqua Town Board; Robert Greenstein, Town Supervisor; Senator Kristen Gillibrand; New Castle Parks and Recreation;  President Trump; Mayor DeBlasio; Senator Chuck Schumer; Maria Ferrari Children’s Hospital; Norwalk Hospital; Yorktown Parks and Rec and to several government agencies in Washington DC including the Children’s Bureau and the Department of Public Health, and to several other local business owners as well.

“If nothing else, each student hopes to receive a response that acknowledges his or her request and that provides some form of feedback about his or her cause,” said Daglio.  (The Inside Press plans to answer these letters too!)

How Can we Help Families Struggling with  School Supplies?

By Natalia Kochut

School supply shopping should be fun and carefree, but not all kids have this experience. Some families don’t have enough money to buy pencils, pens, and textbooks and kids need these necessary supplies. Many people aren’t aware of this problem and we need to start making a change. On the other hand, we can ignore this issue but, what if we take a moment to think about the children’s futures? Do you really want them to live difficult lives? We need to call attention to this issue because, without basic school supplies, kids aren’t able to learn. Families in poverty can barely provide food so most times they aren’t thinking about school supplies. Old school supplies can also cause embarrassment to the child.

About 15 million children in the U.S.A live in poverty. Families who live near or below the poverty line usually struggle to get basic items such as soap, food, or clothes and most times they don’t focus on getting their children new school supplies. If we add more organizations that will donate free supplies to families in need, then children won’t have to worry about saving the one pencil they have. Furthermore, parents won’t have to worry about not being able to provide fundamental objects to their child’s learning. It may be a bit embarrassing going back to school with old, used backpacks and pencil cases. This can also lead to teasing and bullying and no child should have to go through that.

Moreover, kids have trouble learning without proper supplies. The average price for middle school supplies is $520-$1,000. Most families in poverty can’t afford this. For instance, most districts require textbooks which are around $60 each. Without this it is difficult to complete homework assignments and study for tests. Calculators are also another expensive thing on the list. The TI-84 plus CE (usually the one preferred for school) is between $115.59-$150 on Amazon. Above all, kids may suffer and get worse grades because they don’t have good supplies. This can hurt their future of getting into a good college. More donations for necessities in school will make students in poverty feel much better. We need to help their futures and make a change.

Actions need to be taken for kids to have school supplies and people need to become more aware of these issues.                     

What Can we Do about Girls Being Treated Differently than Boys?

By Grace Nocca

Girls have not been treated the same as boys in sports. This treatment against women who cannot play in the MLB and NFL has to stop. In other words, clearly women have not been able to live up to their full potential, and that is because they have been told they can’t.

Aside from the fact that women are technically allowed to be in the NFL, people keep telling them they cannot. According to the article “An Equal Opportunity League,” Greg Easterbrook said that he checked with the league spokesman Greg Aiello who said, “The NFL has no male-only rule.” That is to say that women are eligible as long as they are three years out of high school and have a usable skill set. So even though women can play, they are not encouraged to do so.

Despite the fact that there has never been a woman in the NFL, Becca Longo could be the first. She is already the first to get a football scholarship to a university. Besides Becca Longo, not every woman has the courage to stand up and take charge, so we need to encourage them. While it may seem like a different approach to professional sports, empowering women to try would make a positive difference.

Caitlin Gailagher, author of “Can a Woman Play in the MLB? Fox’s ‘Pitch,’ “ examines the history that women were once banned from being signed in 1952. Then in 1992 that rule was overturned. In addition, Frances Melissa Mayeux became the “first known female on the MLB registration list” which shows that it is possible to break the chain that has kept females from some professional sports.

In contrast to boys, girls have been told that they are not as good or as talented as boys in some sports. This has to stop! With attention given to this matter, we clearly need to do something about it. Thank you for considering sharing my ideas so that I can help to promote this thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: Curriculum, letter writing, Say Something, Seven Bridges Middles School, Student Advocacy, Student Caring, teaching, writing

“Soul-Filled Summer Series” for Children

May 28, 2013 by The Inside Press

Launching this July and August at the Center for Aligned Healing

Kate Noonan
Kate Noonan

The “Soul-Filled Summer Series” was developed by a group of professional educators, therapists and community members to offer our community a fun and enlightening summer program for children ages 7-11.

This series is a unique opportunity for children to experience a time of inward focus within their developmental process.  Our fun and safe environment will provide participants with tools and techniques to learn to appreciate who they are and the gifts they have been given.

We will kick off the week with a time to “unplug” and allow everyone to relax and just be who they are meant to be. Every day, participants will be led by certified teachers and professionals to take a deep breath and appreciate who they are and what is important to them.

A variety of daily activities include experiences such as teaching, sharing, arts & crafts, journaling, yoga, tai chi and meditation. In addition, our experienced herbalist will instruct the children how to find the correct weeds (that grow right outside your door) and illustrate how they can help in an emergency with cuts, scrapes bee stings and more!

Some of the core principles we will focus on include:

  • Right Time, Right Place, 
     Right Action
  • Teaching About Good Choice
  •  Saying the Right Thing
  • Looking for the Good
  • Cooperation by All
  • Self-Empowerment
  • Positive talk

Soul-Filled Series Details:

Series I:  July 22, 2013 – July 26, 2013

Series II:  August 19, 2013 – August 23, 2013

Time/Days: 9:00am -1:30pm Monday through Friday.

Cost: $350 per session (*Additional siblings are $300 each per session)

Place: Center for Aligned Healing 175 King Street, Chappaqua.

For more information: Contact us at soulfilledseries@gmail.com or call 914-236-4380 or 239-289-3744.

Soul Filled Series Professionals:

Bernadette Bloom – Founder Center for Aligned Healing Teacher/Practitioner/PT theesotericbloom.com

 Kate Noonan – Director of the Soul Filled Series

Kate is a certified and tenured teacher in NYS.  In addition to teaching experience Kate was previously employed by Mount Tom Day Camp at the challenge course.

Deborah Molinari – Practitioner, Teacher

Bonnie Rogers – Clinical Herbalist and Health Coach

Beth Rordam – Movement Coordinator/ Massage Therapist

Rayna Sassano – Art Director

purplelanternstudio.com

The Center for Aligned Healing is a wellness center focusing on integrative and complimentary treatment of clients through combining traditional medical approaches with a variety of bio-energetic healing modalities; and providing in-person energy healing services. We provide community-building services through talks and lectures, experiential programs and educational classes to assist those in exploring energetic living and alternative solutions for healing.  We provide news and commentary in the field of nutrition, and health and wellness; including consulting services and wellness programs of all kinds. *Our soul-series programs will include services for children and their families to heal from autism and other early intervention situations and diagnosis.

 

Filed Under: Special Needs Tagged With: healing, Special Needs, teaching, unplug

Testing, One, Two, Three…Can You Hear Me?

October 23, 2012 by The Inside Press

By Rick Reynolds

Great teachers–and Chappaqua has a ton of them–trigger the creativity lurking in each and every one of their students, and gives it permission to surface.

Blemishes and all, creativity may perk out–or flood out, but the older I get, the more I see that it’s always present (if not accounted for) in every single kid. And it may be so unique, so original, so imaginative, so ingenious, so inventive, or so visionary, it’s not recognized as such.

Hidden in a sea of mistakes, creative ideas gestate, for mistakes are the growth medium for anything that’s truly new. Not permitting mistakes is the end of creativity. Unfortunately, tests go looking for mistakes to disqualify students. In the new world of digital citizenry, mistakes will be mined.

So now I’ll get off my soapbox and admit I don’t want my airline pilot misjudging our altitude by a factor of 10: “Ladies and gentlemen, we should have been flying over the Rockies, but as those of you in the window seats can plainly see….ARUGA, ARUGA, PULL UP, PULL UP!”

And I don’t want my cardiologist accidentally doing a 4-way bypass on my bladder. Thanks, I really don’t want to be a fountain. I’m sorry, but students destined for these positions cannot make mistakes. Either agree to be tested three times a week or get weekend detention. Don’t get me worked up.

I don’t even want the aforementioned professionals to have a sense of humor. No joking please, doc; not in the operating room. Cracking a joke during a Sigmoidoscopy should lead to a prison term–unless it’s the patient doing the stand-up (not my fault, I was disoriented).

No. Bridge designers, bungee jump instructors, and Congressional candidates, all need to be tested. I’m thinking plumbers too. Test them. Especially ones working on the floor above me. But the rest of us, maybe not.

My profession isn’t life or death. In my day job, I’m a marketing director, and I keep on the front burner of prospects and customers through email-based marketing. On one such recent eBlast, my self-proclaimed, perfect (SAT) scoring database manager (formerly of Goldman Sachs) asked me if I wanted him to filter out the dead people from our email distribution list. That momentarily set me back on my heels. Hell no, I replied. Not as long as their email accounts are active. Hey, you never know. Payment could be a problem (they say you can’t take it with you) but with PayPal, it might be doable. I mean, really! Some things you just can’t test for–like REALITY.

Almost everyone now agrees that testing is bad. We just can’t agree on whom, if anyone needs to be tested–or when. As a cross-borderline paranoiac, I’ve come to the conclusion that only I should be exempted from testing. After all, there’s a limit to how much damage I can do. If I adversely twist a few thousand brains, it’s not the end of the world. As for the rest of you who refuse to read my column, let the testing begin!

But seriously folks, those students who will eventually get us out of the mess we’ve made of this planet–or failing that, help us cope with the consequences, could well be those flying well under the academic radar. Relentless testing will likely only unearth yesterday’s unsuccessful solutions while screening the un-thought-of ones. In the end, enduring knowledge is self-learned, usually by those whose creative minds were triggered by great teachers. With global problems reaching critical mass, this world is going to need every kind of intelligence.

Chappaqua alumnus and 35-year resident of Chappaqua, humorist Rick Reynolds resides in southern New Hampshire with his wife, daughter,
 and two dogs.

Filed Under: Lifestyles with our Sponsors Tagged With: Students, teaching, testing

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