A “Picture Perfect Picnic!”
A huge thanks to the over 700 Park Maitland community members who came out today to enjoy fun in the sun and wonderful camaraderie! Too often, we get so caught up in our tightly scheduled activities and the hustle and bustle of life that we
forget to take the time to enjoy relaxing with friends and family! It was a wonderful Park Maitland event! Now…on to just one of the amazing projects or activities that took place on campus this past week! We enjoyed the heartwarming Across Generations in 2nd grade, the Author’s Tea in grade 3, and much more!
And Justice for All…
No doubt, our country and its citizens will always be challenged with ensuring justice and opportunity for all. After listening to the “mock” Supreme Court
hearing in our 6th grade social studies classes, it is promising to see what ensues. Mrs. Finwall’s class, like no other 6th grade social studies class that I’ve ever seen, is always engaged in relevant, challenging, and interesting real life current events of our nation and world. After researching and learning about our justice system, meeting Attorney General Eric Holder, visiting the Supreme Court in Washington D.C., and studying current controversial cases, students had an opportunity to put on their own justice gowns and participate in a lively and engaging Supreme Court hearing.
I walked into the classroom on Friday to witness this controversial debate in action, planning on being there for five or 10 minutes tops as we had events going on elsewhere on campus that I was going to visit. However, 
once I arrived and listened to the “lawyers’ so eloquently and confidently defend their case and the sophisticated interaction between the lawyers and the “Justices,” I just had to stay for its entirety!
The particular case these students argued for or against was whether the clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch discriminated against a Muslim woman when it declined to hire her because she wore a headscarf that clashed with the company’s dress code.
I had to remind myself that these were only 11 and 12 year old students. They furiously reviewed their pages of notes and supporting evidence and demonstrated expertise and decision-making beyond their years as they debated fairness, religious rights, 
discrimination, employment accommodations, employee responsibilities, and so much more. I stood in awe at their level of understanding of fairness, equality, inclusion, acceptance, and responsibility; these students truly understood. Not only were they knowledgeable of the laws, or what it meant to be conservative or liberal, as well as justice and important information surrounding the case, they showed compassion, common sense, respect for human rights, and carefully thought out conscientious decision-making. I stayed until the very end of class and walked out enthused and excited about what I had witnessed and about the fate of our future with such amazing leaders as these!
Cindy Moon
Head of School
Helping our children navigate the ups and downs of growing up can be a challenge! We truly want them to gain confidence and “grit,” as many experts call it today. Technology, media, access to more information, and changing societal values can create confusion and give “mixed messages” to parents and children. 
Those of us who have been in education for many years see the changes that some of these factors can have on child rearing and teaching. It is always our goal to partner with you to provide support and information that can equip you as parents with more tools and create a dialogue to begin discussions on common issues that we all face today.
and 6 this past week and grades 1 and 4 next week.) Carol Miller, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience working with girls and boys spoke candidly to parents and students about typical behaviors that can cause hurt, confusion, and misunderstandings with girls.
for parents and children to understand the ways boys and girls are “wired” differently to socialize and why they sometimes feel compelled to treat their friends unkindly. It is even more important that our children learn assertiveness and confidence to squelch this kind of behavior towards themselves or toward their friends. Parents can play a key role in helping their child be a kinder, more compassionate friend and also help them if they are feeling like they are being treated poorly. We will continue these discussions and “practice role modeling” different scenarios during morning circle and other parts of the school day in our remaining weeks of school.
