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Dear Friends and Families,

Welcome back from winter break. The mud on everyone's clothes is an indicator of how tepid our winter has actually been. I look forward to our first snowfall when we can bring our sleds out of hibernation and get on with a real winter!

I was able to spend some of winter break catching up on my professional reading. Halfway through my backlog I started to discern a new thread running through much of the literature. From Time magazine, to Independent School, to Microsoft, to a decision by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to revise the national math standards, there seems to be a growing call for the nation to have a different type of conversation about educational reform. A conversation that challenges our 20th century born and educated leaders into talking not about test scores, but rather about bringing what and how we teach into the 21st century.

As Time states in it's article, "This is a story about... whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad or speak a language other than English."

The president of the National Association of Independent Schools, Pat Bassett, penned a piece in the current issue of Independent School magazine entitled, The "School of the Future". Bassett writes that schools of the future must help develop the new skills sets that our students will need to be successful as learners, leaders and members of their families and communities, both local and global. What are these "new" skills? An ability to understand the world, to be able to think outside the box, to work collaboratively, to use new sources of information wisely, and develop good people skills.

Microsoft has entered into the conversation by supporting small school initiatives and by developing an "education competency wheel," that defines a set of 37 essential skills. These skills include such things as: interpersonal skills, listening, negotiating, planning, priority setting, creativity, dealing with ambiguity, problem solving, conflict management, and presentation skills.

SRV is ahead of the curve; we have been having this conversation and developing these skills for years. SRV serves as a model of what a 21st century education should look like. We teach our students how to develop theories, ask questions, and challenge assumptions. They are encouraged to make informed decisions, persist through difficult situations, appreciate multiple perspectives, and follow their own pathways of thinking. This approach makes for flexible, self-directed, independent learners who are able to navigate novel academic and social situations. Just what the 21st century demands.

It is sometimes difficult for educators, parents, and legislators born and educated in the 21st century to see how the new global realities, technologies, and systems will play out for our children. It is, however, essential that we all use a 21st century lens to make wise and informed decisions about what our children need now and in the future. To support this stance SRV strives to provide relevant and authentic experiences for our students to explore their ever-changing world. This year our students are busy creating a student government, studying Indonesia, learning about different types of music, exploring our new Smartboard™ technology, and growing food in our organic garden, among other things. These experiences empower our children to explore the complexities of democracy, the different perspectives of other cultures, and the challenges of sustainability. Real 21st century challenges for 21st century kids.

I encourage you to read the Time magazine article. We owe it to our children, ourselves, our neighbors and legislators to have the real conversation about what is right for our children–making education relevant for the new millennium.

In partnership,
Carlye