Independent Day School 'wings' it to start school year

Pam Ripple, associate headmaster at Independent Day School, is the center of attention with a butterfly on her head. Teachers also read Tom Peters' book, "The Pursuit of Wow," about innovative ways to succeed and talked about introducing those concepts and injecting fun into the classroom. Staff photo by JAY NOLAN

By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR
cpastor@tampatrib.com
Published: September 8, 2010

CARROLLWOOD - First- and second-graders leaned in and whispered their dreams to butterflies. Third- and fourth-graders pocketed oversized jewels that symbolize the "gems of knowledge" they will pick up in class. Middle school students scaled a climbing wall as they learned to overcome obstacles.

Independent Day School welcomed a new school year with model rockets, miniature boats, fables and survival games.

Teachers usually use the first day of school for housekeeping or to give students an overview of the year's lessons and their rules and expectations. But Independent Day School, a private school for prekindergarten through eighth grade, found creative ways to get students thinking about what they wanted to accomplish this year, from the youngest children to the oldest ones.

Classes performed rituals - some annual traditions, some new additions - for goal-setting.

Headmaster Joyce Swarzman said she wanted students and teachers to finish their first day of school, Aug. 25, inspired, excited and ready to "shoot for excellence." The diverse ways the teachers accomplished that showed how everyday lessons can become remarkable, she said.

Teachers read Tom Peters' book, "The Pursuit of Wow," about innovative ways to succeed and talked about introducing those concepts and injecting fun into the classroom.

"We have multiple ways of bringing excitement to learning," Swarzman said.

A butterfly finds a safe resting spot after its release. The next day the students were asked by teachers to reflect upon the release.

And it didn't end with the first day. Teachers returned to the projects the following day to encourage students to reflect; they plan to revisit the themes more throughout the year.

A first- and second-grade combined class talked about wishing on stars, birthday candles and coins tossed in fountains. Then teachers told them a Native American legend about butterflies carrying wishes to the Great Spirit.

The children shared their wishes privately with butterflies before releasing them on the first day of school.

The next day, teachers had them reflect on the experience, said teacher Samantha Borosh. Students wrote how they felt about the release and drew pictures of butterflies. Borosh and fellow teacher Jennifer Jones reminded children how they could help them.

"That's our goal," Borosh said. "To help their wishes come true."

Students prepare to release a butterfly. Students later wrote about how they felt about the release and drew pictures of butterflies.

Fifth-graders are pursuing a "Mission Possible" theme and "finding the hero" in themselves. They kicked off their year hearing from a parent who served in Afghanistan. The next day, wearing camouflage hats, students had a mission to scour the campus and find examples in nature of good character traits.

One returned with a flower, whose petals represent the organization students need to succeed, said teacher Michelle Hill. Another student found a leaf shaped like a heart, symbolic of the need to care.

In the combined third- and fourth-grade class, students read a story about a man on a journey who was told to collect what he could before he crossed a river, because he couldn't turn around. The traveler picked up some rocks but doubted the advice until he discovered they had turned into gems when he went across the water.

He tried to go back for more rocks but couldn't. The moral? Gather all the rocks while you can, teachers said, because they are "nuggets of knowledge." Teacher Ann Cashen said the students received faux gems to remind them of the story during the year.

When children returned on the second day of school, Cashen and teachers Judy Sobel and Bettyann Pitti asked students to brainstorm what kinds of gems they wanted to pick up this year.

I want to learn a lot in science, one student said. I want to learn how static electricity works, another said. I want to be a better friend. I want to find out about the state government.

Sobel said the goal-setting is valuable, but so is the enthusiasm the activities generate. Her three grandchildren also attend Independent Day School.

"They become so excited," she said. "So ready to come back and pursue 'the Wow.'"

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (727) 451-2343.

Independent Day School students teamed up to release 16 butterflies as part of a back-to-school event. Teachers told students a Native American legend about butterflies carrying wishes to the Great Spirit, and the children shared their wishes privately with the butterflies before releasing them.

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