CFS+Past,+Present+and+Future

CFS: The Past, Present and Future
Willy and Jenni

What do we take with us on this journey into the future?

Veteran staff members, come and share your stories of how our philosophy is woven throughout your experiences at CFS. Newer staff members, come and explore how you can immerse yourself in the rich history of the CFS philosophy as well as share your own vision. Join a conversation about how we can honor the gifts of the past while continually revealing new truths.

//The following are notes taken of discussions and reflections during 3 sessions held at CFS Staff Retreat 2011-12.//
 * CFS Past, Present, and Future**


 * 1st Session**

We watched the video "A Creek Runs Through It." Reactions to the video:

-“School was a dump” -“We have come a long way” -Every child has their own gift and the teachers recognize the gifts in each child. -Freedom of the teachers

-Jim Henderson remembered board notes from the 60s that put together the philosophy. In the 80s a committee of board, staff and parents revised the current philosophy.

-Don Wells really brought the word community into play.

-Where the truth lies – continue to keep what the community and children need as the central focus – freedom is unprecedented

-Noticing children and caring for them

-In the 70s toward alterative education – free schools all over the place – ran on the energy of a few people – many didn’t last – this school did last. The philosophy is why we have lasted. There is a reason why we survived – foundation is Quakerism.

-Board has managed the finances – such that no debt is taken on. Financial management has had financial integrity.

-Expect more material things – brand new - now. The summer was spent making games and books – gathering newsprint from the paper. No requisition forms. People who worked early on built it up before we had money for supplies.

-Keeping up with technology.

-Benefit of having time without textbooks, gym, lights, air conditioning

-All type of things going on because of cavalier attitude things would just happen – do it themselves. Taking tools on the bus to fix lights. We had Upper School students driving the buses. (Fran House)

-If the truth comes from everybody - how do you discern when between all of the truths.

-Record bar went bankrupt – took the record files. We ripped out carpet from another business that went out of business. Morgan Imports, too.

-No cell phones, buses would break down. The towing was the backhoe. One so old they called it “Linus” because it had one red light.

-Medical supply place and got a bunch of cabinetry. We were at most of the demolitions in town. Tore down a house on 440/Farrington.

-The day campus Early School moved across the field everyone came to watch.

-Teachers took paycuts. Would we get the top or bottom number?

-Concern: Are we preparing kids for adversity in the world, preparing for college and professors?

-McGovern – kids were prepared to talk with adults/professors. The kids know who they are and they speak up.

-Miles couldn’t be more prepared. Their ability to communicate with people is their greatest asset. Received syllabus for a college philosophy class and the same four books are what he had read in Upper School.

-We don’t want to prepare them for an inhumane world – we want them to change it.

-Loving support and honesty.

-It is important to capture the legacy and pass it on.


 * 2nd Session**

What do we want to make sure Friends School preserves?

50th Anniversary celebration

-I hope when we kick - the willingness to take risks with the kids in order to help them understand who they are and what they are capable of – not just stick to a script – meet them where they are and take them to the next place. – Terry

For example: end of year trips, give kids the tools and they would create it.

-Every person is unique and individuals – figure out where the kids are and then find steps of where they should go. - Henry

-Trip to Newton Grove stretched my kids and talked about it all summer long – a sense of empowerment and pride. – Robert

-Teaching is a subversive activity – put them in situations where they will stretch themselves – where they may not always be safe – they won’t do these things if we don’t provide them the opportunity. - Michael

-No candles – young children learning about fire safety. – Carly

-Help children develop a “crap – detector” - continue to help children recognize nonsense. Revolutionary – wherever they are there is nothing in reason that they can’t do. – Henry

-In the middle school we have given the kids fewer opportunities to make choices. We want all these safety nets to catch the kids so they don’t fall through. Empowerment. Important lesson for kids to learn if you make bad decisions things happen. – Henry

-Only school in the nation – if US student wants to bring a pocket knife to school that’s ok. Cal said I have always had one of these in my pocket. I use tools. – Michael

-The sense of optimism we bring to educating kids. Make the space for students to screw up – give space to create. If we don’t engage them from a place that we believe the best in them. If not – we are not living the Quaker vision – fundamental optimism. - Mike

-Risk - We believe that kids actually learn most when they have real responsibility for their learning and their community and for their character. If we don’t leave room for them to fall short. Doing that is not easy. – Mike

-How do we make use of choice as a school?

-Framing the room for risk well is our challenge. – Mike

-Pedagogical layers throughout the school – layers of colors. –

-Take more risks as they can handle it.

-__Blessings of a Skinned Knee__ - book recommendation from Henry

-How are students being accountable for their jobs at the end of the day? – Carly

-Invigorating - when “pests” come up with a new way …

-Improvisation – always having to come up with or adapt to new situation – that mainstream society would expect. -There is a lot of educating that needs to take place of parents in middle school – lacked trust – parents desiring to have student educated in the way they were educating. Need to persist. – Henry

-College has become so competitive. The entire paradigm has changed. With the economy – there is so much pressure on us to standardize much more than we ever have before. A lot of fear – unsettling time in our country. It makes it even more challenging for us to go forward with our convictions – individually as teachers and collectively as a community. – Mig

-Why does improvisation matter? Build a tool kit for solving problems. Celebrate opportunities to build real responsibility. We need to name those things…we need to say those things. We need to practice naming things all the time.- Mike

-Continue having no grades. Takes off the pressure – competitiveness between juniors and seniors. –Gustavo (sp?)

-Went to court to not test our kids – around 1985.

-Not fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth – continue to keep mixed grades (family grouping) Continue to look at ways to look at the stratification of grouping students. We should continue talking more about it. Find ways to connect with units. - Henry

-Family groupings were radical – originating from schools in England. During the free school movement – this was the sensible approach. Friends school has preserved a lot of that. The systems changed. Preserve the good ideas just because they are good ideas. – Michael

-Question standardization…question changes.

-Requests for doors to be placed in the Lower School – is it a closing off? - John McGovern


 * In anticipation of the 50 year anniversary – how do we preserve the history and the legacy?**

-Look into an archivist to come in from UNC to go through the archive closet, currently went through the mid-70s. - Video – queries could be generated. What would you yield about the essence of the school? How would you describe Friends School to someone who knows nothing about Quakerism and Quaker Education? A montage of students and staff -Historian – How do we organize pictures, videos going forward? -Other movies exist – one shown during the 40th anniversary (possibly contact Jim Henderson) Henry has the uncut version of “A Creek Runs Through It”

-Public arts piece Leah Sobsey and Lynn – gather photographs and they turn it into larger than life things. Taking the archive idea and turn it into an art form.

-This might be the most formal conversation – a committee will be put together. It could happen in 2013 or 2014. Committee would figure out when it would be held and logistics.

Robert John Michael Sue Summers Hallie Allison Mike Lisa Joyner Carly Bryce Terry Mig Ruthie Dee Anthony Felicia Kathy Debbie
 * Session Participants**


 * 3rd Session**

What should the 50th be like?

-Major need for archiving – suggested we even consider hiring a professional.

-Authoring a book to record the last few years - alumni own publishing companies

-Creation of historical committee? Willy, meets once a month

-Yearly dropbox to archive photographs from each year with a deadline for photos to be archived

-Reach out to folks in the meeting who might be interested in helping with archiving.

-Talk with Sharon about structure for archiving – talk to tech collective