Pick up Park Central, 2012 - Park Day School

P A R K D A Y S C H O O L
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Park Central
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On Character
T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F P D S
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Tom Little, Park Day School Director
On
Character
1,
12-13
To what extent is the development of a child’s character the province of a school?
Faculty 2-3
Spotlight
Alumni Profile 5
Every day, children face moral and ethical situations and decisions as they navigate
Asking Good
Questions
Tom 25
Thanks
Care Week
2011 Snapshots
Alumni
Facebook
6-8
9
10
12
their lives and relationships at home and school. When one witnesses a friend being unkind
to another; when classmates are conspiring to play an online trick on one of the other
children and they’ve asked someone else to join in; when a teacher hands back an assignment
and says, “You can do better; I want you to do this over again.” In small and
big ways, in their real and virtual worlds, children are constantly confronted with hard
choices that will come to define their character.
It’s complicated and messy business. In the introduction to their wonderful compendium
of poems, stories and fables, A Call to Character, editors Colin Greer and Herb Kohl
write:
…children grow and test out their strengths and values against the world.
They do dangerous things, fall into and out of trouble, and invent
preposterous schemes. But they also charm and move us by their unexpected
insights into emotions and character and their passionate concern for others.
Moral development takes place slowly.
I define character as the sum of personal attributes and traits that define a person. These
traits and attributes include an individuals values, ethical beliefs and morals, and define
Park Central would
like to extend a
special thanks to Flo
Hodes, Assistant
School Director, for
support in editing.
one’s individual’s actions, relationships and responses.
As such, one might assume that the development of these aspects of being human falls
more appropriately into the purview of the family, religious institution, and/or perhaps
psychologist or mental health practitioner. But, given the amount of time children spend
at school and in the presence of teachers, it is not hard to argue that school life has an
enormous impact on the moral and ethical development of our youth.
Cont. on Page

P A G E 2
Faculty Spotlight:
Meena Srinivasan, 6th Grade
Jeanine Harmon, Community Outreach Coordinator
We are counting our lucky stars this year at Park Day School. Why?
Because Meena Srinivasan joined our staff this fall as the new sixth
grade humanities teacher. Believe it or not, Meena heard about the
opening for this position from a former Park Day family while teaching at the American
Embassy School in Delhi.
Meena comes to us with a wealth of experience and passion for education and social justice.
If you haven’t met Meena yet, here’s an opportunity to get to know her.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
For me, teaching is definitely a calling. I have committed my professional life to articulating
an ethical, ecological, humanistic approach to education and I strive to craft innovative
curriculum that promotes efficacy and empathy. After all, in the words of Parker Palmer,
"to educate is to guide students on an inner journey toward more truthful ways of seeing
and being in the world." Right after I graduated from college I moved to Brazil for one
year because one of my mentors at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC did the
Peace Corp in Brazil and I became absolutely fascinated! When I was in Brazil I taught
seventh, eighth and ninth grade social studies at an international school in Sao Paulo. Brazil
changed my life and I loved the time I spent there. In Brazil everyone was fascinated
with my Indian ancestry. They would ask me about India but I didn’t have much to share
since I had only been to India a handful of times. I didn’t have a car and there was a yoga
studio near my home where I spent most of my time. I even volunteered to bring some
basic yoga to a favela (slum) every week. In Brazil, for the first time I was able to really
reflect on the questions I never had time for in high school or college because I was so
busy and focused on being “successful.”
Sister Jewel & Meena
My time in Brazil opened up my world in so many ways. I traveled all over the country,
immersed myself in spiritual studies, started practicing meditation and met so many special,
inspiring people. Most importantly, I fell in love with teaching. I never, ever thought
I’d become a schoolteacher! When my year in Brazil ended, I moved to New York City
where I spent one year working at the ABC Network in their hard news division. Before
Brazil, I was certain that I wanted to be a foreign news producer. But I didn’t enjoy my
time at ABC, and while I learned a lot, I was unhappy every day as I walked from my
charming studio apartment in the Upper West Side to my office near Columbus Circle. I
missed teaching and was literally creating lesson plans while I was at work! Well, the day
Saddam Hussain was captured and work at ABC was absolutely crazy, a voice inside of me
said: “You don’t have to do this. You really don’t have to do this.” I literally jumped out of
my seat, my energy shifted and I just felt free! My mind was trying to convince me that I
had had my year in Brazil, I had had my post-college fun, and now it was time to get down
to business with my career; but my heart told me that New York and ABC were all wrong.
Within a month I found a great job teaching at Head-Royce School here in Oakland!
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P A G E 3
What was it like teaching at the American Embassy School in Delhi?
I loved my time at the American Embassy School. It’s one of the world’s leading international schools and I taught
both high school and middle school, in addition to leading International Peace Day activities. My students and colleagues
were amazing, and living in India was fascinating. While I was there I organized Delhi's first ever "Yogathon
to Support Education for All;" visits of His Holiness the Karmapa; a week-long trip to work on an organic farm in
Dehradun and learn about sustainability; and the visit of Dr. Jon and Mrs. Myla Kabat-Zinn. I was also a leader in a
community of mindfulness practice for educators. I spent my last year in India engaging in an experiment, “A Year of
Mindfulness in the Classroom,” which evolved into a teaching tool for mindful educators worldwide.
I’m currently in the midst of qualitative research on the teaching of mindfulness to my
6 th grade’s in a health education class I taught in India. It was difficult to leave the American "There is no question in my mind
Embassy School, but I knew it was time for a new adventure and Park Day is the perfect place
that Meena was born to make a
for me! It was amazing for me to find a school in the United States where I could invite the bell
and weave mindful practice into my humanities lessons! I have a lot to learn and a long way to difference in the world. In every
go, but am grateful to be at a school that is supportive of bringing mindfulness and social justice group Meena's radiance shines
into the lives of young people.
through and her leadership
We really enjoyed meeting your friend, Sister Jewel during her visit on International Peace
Day. What was that experience like for you and your students?
Sister Jewel is a dear friend and teacher to me. She is the editor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s recent
book, Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children, which I contributed to. We ran
mindfulness programs for educators in India and I’m always touched by her embodiment of the
practice. For me, monastics anchor the practice, and my students really felt the peacefulness Sister
Jewel exuded when they were in her space. They wrote her beautiful letters, and I think the
experience is something our class will not forget.
What are you enjoying about being back in the Bay Area?
emerges. She is blessed with an
exceptional intellect, insatiable
curiosity, a vibrant personality,
and limitless energy. Her rapport
with kids is based on a zest for
life and a commitment to
service. In so many ways, she is
the ideal role model for young
I love the Bay Area and the East Bay in particular. I feel like the folks here are my “peeps.” If
you are intellectually curious, progressive and culturally aware I don’t think there is a better
place to live in the United States! I also love the natural beauty of this area.
people. She is an exceptional
educator and individual that
makes the world a better place
just by being in it."
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
- Robert W. Hetzel, Ph.D.,
Apparently I’m the youngest Western woman (and quite possibly non-Tibetan lay practitioner)
to have traveled to Tibet’s Mount Kailash alone (without any family, friends, spiritual teacher Director, The American Embassy
or sangha) and successfully complete the entire parikrama (circumambulation) on foot without School - New Delhi, India
the aid of a porter. I’ve hung out with the King of Bhutan and was close friends with the late
Professor Ramchandra Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson). Also, when I was in fifth grade I
started a direct action campaign to get rid of styrofoam lunch trays. I got almost the entire elementary school to sign a
petition, met with the school board and principal and finally
got the school to change their trays. Until they got
new trays I brought my own plate to school.
Meena has been a wonderful addition to the Park Day
School staff and community.
Meena’s 6th Grade Class with Sister Jewel

P A G E 4
Park Day School Annual Giving
Each year, Park Day School families, as well as alumni and their families,
board members, grandparents, faculty and staff, support our mission and
how we deliver a quality progressive education through their support of the
Park Day School Annual Fund.
Every gift, no matter what the size, is significant
and takes us one step closer to our goal.
• This year’s Annual Fund goal is $175,000. We are striving for 100%
Annual Fund participation from current families, as well as teachers,
staff, and Board members.
• Annual Fund gifts support faculty salaries to attract and retain the
best teachers while enhancing professional development programs.
• Annual Fund gifts also help ensure the rich economic diversity of our
community by enabling us to keep tuition increases minimal each
year, and support our ability to provide financial assistance to
approximately
46% of our families annually.
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P A G E 5
Alumni Profile: Brian Herndon
Brian Herndon is a Park Day School alumni with a unique connection
to our school. Not only was Brian a student in the very
first class of Park Day School, his teacher happened to be a brand
new teacher named Tom Little.
Tom says, “There were seven students in the first class and
Brian, who was five years old at the time, was the youngest. The
day I met him he was carrying Ovid's Metamorphosis, which he
could actually decipher and fully comprehend. He'd become a
student of Greek mythology at a very young age and our class
put on a production of Theseus and the Minotaur, directed
by Brian's mother, Marge Herndon.”
Brian Now...
In the early years of Park Day School, the school was located
on several sites. Brian was a student on two of them: at Synergy
on Park Boulevard and at Montclair Presbyterian Church.
That book-carrying five-year-old grew up to be a man with a
love of acting and teaching. For the past twelve years Brian has
been the drama/stage contact and chorus teacher at Odyssey Middle
School in San Mateo. Brian says, “When I first stepped on
campus at Odyssey it felt like déjà vu. The school felt so similar
to Park Day in its philosophy and its environment. This past year
I encouraged the new head of school at Odyssey to connect with
Tom, particularly around the mindfulness program. It was one of
the best decisions. I was happy to be part of this introduction.”
Brian has also been teaching in the Actor’s Training Program
at Solano College, as well as teaching beginning acting for opera
singers at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He's had the
opportunity to work with former and current Park Day students at
Berkeley Playhouse. You may have seen Brian acting in past
summers in the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival or at Theatreworks
in Palo Alto. Up next he'll be performing in the world
premiere of Truffaldino Says No at Shotgun Players in July 2012.
...and In 1976
Brian (Center) in Tom’s Class c.1977
Brian and his family live in the Haight neighborhood in San
Francisco. When he's not teaching or acting, he's probably out
running or at a cooking class with his four and a half year-old
daughter Gwen.
"I appreciate the kindness that Park Day instills in every one
of its students. In this incredibly competitive world I think being
cognizant of others' feelings is undervalued, and ironically it's
been a huge part of my successes. I'm proud to be a Park Day
alumnus!"
Brian (Far Right) as Hermes in Theseus and
the Minotaur. Brian’s Mother Marge (Center)

P A G E 6
Asking Good Questions
Renee Miller, Third Grade Teacher
Language is the essential condition of knowing, the process by
which experience becomes knowledge. -Michael Halliday
Sometimes there is a magic that happens in a classroom that is hard to explain to the outsider.
It’s the juicy goodness that keeps kids interested in school and active participants in their learning.
It’s the stuff that keeps teachers motivated and the classroom dynamic. I don’t know how all of that
happens, but here I will try to tell you about one thing that I know for sure: Good teachers know
how to ask good questions.
The key to deep learning lies not in the regurgitation of facts but in the ability to consider, grapple
with, reason about and use what is being learned. The art of effective teaching is founded on the
use of questioning strategies to enhance the development of student understanding and problem
solving by using higher order thinking skills.
How do we design lessons where developing understanding is the primary goal? What does it
look like to build a classroom environment where all students are moving forward with their conceptual
understanding of mathematics and their ability to make sense of problems around them? It all
comes back to the questions we ask.
Good questions can transform a classroom into a vibrant learning community where each student
is invested and willing to become engaged. I’m not talking about those sorts of questions that call
for nothing more than a calculation and for which there is only one answer that requires no further
thought on the part of the student. I’m talking about good questions that perplex and puzzle us,
amuse and interest us. Those questions that allow us to use the math tools we already have to solve
new problems and move us further along on our path of mathematical ability.
We know that children learn best when they can build meaning of a concept for themselves. Rather
than teaching by telling, teachers structure learning activities and ask questions that provide
learners with opportunities to make sense. This is best done by allowing for social interaction and by
providing children opportunities to think, reason, and communicate.
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P A G E 7
Good questions allow teachers to assess students and to trigger deeper thinking. But I believe,
most importantly, asking good questions prompts discourse, which is an integral part of the teaching
and learning in a math classroom. When students are set up to talk, they develop the ability to
explain their own thinking, which helps improve their conceptual understanding.
Teachers pose hundreds of questions each day, and while engaging students in discussion we
consider what happens in the exchanges after the question is posed. What does the interaction look
like? When good questions are posed, the pattern of interaction encourages students to participate
further and shows that students’ thinking is valued. There is a buzz about the room and all students
are working. When we ask good questions, we get kids talking, to us and to each other.
When students are given the opportunity to engage in discourse a whole
host of benefits arise. They can clarify their own thinking and come to feel
grounded in their ideas, or catch mistakes and misunderstandings that they
hold. Students can garner peer support in testing strategies to see if they are
mathematically logical. Students can hear and learn from the ideas of their
peers, which aids in the building of a repertoire of efficient problem solving
tools and strategies. In each of these scenarios the child is empowered and
the teacher moves to the role of facilitator, or question asker.
If you were a fly on the wall in a math classroom where developing understanding
and promoting dialogue were central, you might hear questions such as these:
• How is this problem like ones you’ve solved in the past?
• Do you have any ideas about where this problem is heading?
• What do you already know that is going to help you keep going?
• What steps did you take to get to this point?
• Will you turn to a neighbor and let them know why you think the answer you have is correct?
• What do you notice?
• Do you see any patterns?
Good questions make room for all learners. When I think about my own learning journey and
the times when I learned something new, in each instance there was a question that lingered, unanswered,
that motivated me to move toward an answer.
“Good questions can
transform a
classroom into a
vibrant learning
community where
each student is
invested and willing
to become engaged.”

Asking Good Questions Cont.
P A G E 8
Recently, Gretchen and I spoke at a Park Parents Association meeting and posed this question to the parents:
Without jumping to Algebra, how might you approach these problems?
Chicken and Pigs
A farmer walks outside and looks at her land and animals. As she is admiring the scene she notices that
her pigs and chickens are hanging out together.
In the mix she counts 11 heads and 38 feet.
Is there any way to know how many pigs and how many chickens the farmer had?
How can you use the information about heads and feet to figure this out?
• Let me know what you come up with.
• For those of you who’ve already solved that one, or for those who would like another, here’s a new
problem to think about. It’s one that can get people talking. It’s simple enough so that it can be approached
by just about anyone, but complex enough to draw out a variety of solutions. The answer
isn’t at first apparent.
Dealing in Horses
A man bought a horse for $50 and sold it for $60. He then bought the horse back for $70 and sold it
again for $80. What do you think the financial outcome was for this man? Did he make money or lose
money? How much money did he make or lose?
Find a way to explain your thinking and to PROVE that your answer is correct. Then ask your kid,
spouse, or friend to do the same.
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P A G E 9
The evening of October 25 th was for me a once-in-a-lifetime gift that I will never
forget. I am deeply grateful to the community of staff, alumni, and former parents who
took part in the event. Each time I turned around, there was another beloved face from
the past. I was overjoyed and very moved by the outpouring of love and affection.
Many thanks to our Development Director, Ryan Helton, and former Community
Outreach Coordinator, Laurie Grossman for planning the event; they kept most of the
proceedings a secret and I was surprised and delighted by every turn. A special thanks
to all who donated to our Community Outreach Program in recognition of my 25 th
anniversary. As I have always said, I am a very privileged man to sit in this position as
Director of Park Day School. This event was another example.
Thank you,
Tom Little, Director
Park Day School
Tom’s 25th Anniversary Celebration

P A G E 1 0
CARE
Week 2011
One of our signature traditions at Park Day
School is CARE Week (Campaign for
Acceptance, Respect and Empathy). This year
our theme was “How Can I/We Make a
Difference?” Over the course of this year's CARE
Week we had the opportunity to meet and work
with people from the following organizations:
Brighter Beginnings
Cycles for Change
What If? Foundation
Life Goes On Foundation
Alameda County Food Bank
UNICEF
SEED/Narika
Global Footprint
East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
Project Linus
We also enjoyed learning about Native American
advocacy, small animal rescue, utility/transit box
art and much more from staff, parents and
friends of Park Day School. The sixth graders
also created wonderful storybook performances
for us. The week ended with a fun, interactive
performance by Playback Theatre. It was a
wonderful, inspiring week.

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P A G E 1 1

P A G E 1 2
On Character Cont.
I raise the question now because the need in our society to address character development has rarely been greater. Given
that the current political and economic landscape triggers widespread apathy and cynicism, any chance to achieve social
change begins with the raising of youth whose values deeply reflect and will promote a good and virtuous society.
Indeed, we school folks have the obligation to achieve a degree of expertise in assessing, understanding and fostering
the positive social and emotional development of children, and to keep close tabs on their moral and ethical growth.
Through history, this has been a topic of debate and controversy.
Aristotle wrote that it is no easy task to be good, and not easy to define virtue through rules of human behavior. Plato,
through Socrates, recognized that “excellence of character,” or virtue, could not be taught unless conveyed as knowledge,
and the virtue must be discussed every day for a man to be virtuous.
In the early days of the common school in America, schools were seen as transmitters of what it would take to be a
good and upstanding person. Lots of rules, heavy discipline, and the modeling of “proper” teachers were all tools to inculcate
a moral code. This practice diminished over time in education in favor of allowing for “personal choice,” as the
righteousness of the commonly held moral code dissolved to become a matter of individual privacy. When I was teaching
in the 70’s, a “values clarification” movement prevailed in schools, in which teachers helped students discover their
own values and learn to analyze ethical situations. Still, schools were reluctant to assert a standard of moral and ethical
conduct. Character development can often be relegated to civics class and center around the citizenship theme. Or, it
manifests in moralistic lectures from teachers or school leaders. “I remember when a teacher once told me…”
But, things may be changing rapidly.
In a recent provocative NY Times article, Paul Tough contrasts two schools (one an affluent independent school, and
one an inner-city charter school) in their efforts to approach character education. Both schools have assumed the responsibility
to evaluate students not just on their academic growth, but also on how well they demonstrate strength of character.
In one of the schools, not only are students graded in math, science and English, they also receive grades in two dozen
character indicators such as optimism, zest, and curiosity. There is no ambivalence on the part of these school leaders
– the development of morals, ethics, and virtues falls solidly in the laps of educators, who should be holding students to
the highest standards of character.
[The article appears at: http://nyti.ms/qzavYS]
Through this article, I was exposed to (and now have my hands on) the landmark work of Christopher Peterson and
Martin Seligman, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. Their work aspires to the same stature
in the mental health profession as the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), the widely used guide to diagnosing
mental disorders. But, Peterson and Seligman are practitioners in the “Positive Psychology” movement and their aspirations
lend to the assessment and cultivation of character. They are approaching the questions – What are universally held
virtues? How can we assess if an individual possesses these virtues? And, critically, how can we establish a curriculum or
course of study to help students acquire these character strengths? Among the traits that seem to hold as universally desirable
are kindness (social intelligence), optimism, persistence, courage, integrity, fairness, self-regulation, and gratitude.
Identifying these virtues and character strengths clearly defines for educators a moral and ethical high ground.

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P A G E 1 3
As teachers, the better we become at assessment, the more we can gain insight into children’s character
development. Over the years I have assembled a set of questions that teachers can incorporate into their assessment
repertory when examining student behavior. These questions probe into the way children approach
relationships, how they handle conflict, how they interact with others in cooperative learning activities, what
is their social demeanor, and if there is emerging empathy and concern for others.
There also exists in the psychological literature many measures of integrity, kindness,
fairness, perspective-taking, and social responsibility. There is even a measure
of forgiveness.
All of these tools help to identify the formation of a child’s moral identity, and
their use should become as second nature to teachers as the semi-annual math
assessments administered at the beginning and end of the school year. But, we
have yet to widely incorporate these instruments in elementary schools.
At the Willows School in Gladstone, N.J., the faculty and staff not only see
themselves as teachers of ethical behavior, but also models of virtuous living.
Each month of the school year is devoted to the focus on a particular virtue (i.e.
compassion, prudence, loyalty courage), and the school expects parents to partner
in reinforcing these behaviors at home. In their mission statement, Willow claims,
“The Willow School education enables children to develop an ethical approach to
all relationships, to realize their full potential, and to believe in their power to
effect positive change.”
Recently, our fifth graders wrote brief narratives describing a situation from
three different perspectives. Developmentally, this is a good age for children to
engage in such exercises, as abstract thinking emerges. Teachers can read children
a story such as Eleven, by Sandra Cisneros, and ask students to reflect from various
perspectives on the ethical questions posed by the story, and contrast these
perspectives with their own. This activity is a good example of how teachers can
encourage empathy and perspective-taking.
In the classroom or on the playground at Park Day School, I often see teachers
posing important ethical questions to students. In the maelstrom of a busy school day, it would be easy for a
teacher to simply impose a consequence or send kids off to work things out on their own. Yet, time and
again, I witness teachers modeling appropriate language and posing questions that lead students to examine
the choices they are making. We take this work seriously, and understand that engaging in deep and critical
analysis of ethical and moral situations can help students develop character strength. Emblazoned in our
collective moral conscience is Dr. Martin Luther King’s entreaty that his children (and by extension all children)
be “judged by the content of their character.” We will continue to develop more strategies because we
believe that is one of our essential duties as educators.
Peterson & Seligman’s Classification of
Human Strengths of Character
(from Character Strengths and Virtues: A
Handbook and Classification)
Strengths of Wisdom and Knowledge
Creativity
Curiosity
Open-mindedness
Love of Learning
Perspective
Strengths of Courage
Bravery
Persistence
Integrity
Vitality (Zest, Enthusiasm)
Strengths of Justice
Citizenship
Fairness
Leadership
Strengths of Temperance
Forgiveness and Mercy
Humility and Modesty
Prudence
Self-Regulation
Transcendence
Appreciation of beauty
Gratitude
Hope
Humor
Spirituality

Ever wonder what it would be
like to step back in time?
Now you can find out!!!
Flo, Tom and Alum Siera Rein
Introducing the Park
Day School Alumni
Facebook Page!
A 1978 Weekly Staff Meeting
Things To Do:
̌ Share Memories
̌ Find Your Friends
̌ Upload Pictures
̌ See What Park Is Up To
Park Day Staff c.1993
Periodically we’ll be checking
in with questions like: “What’s
your most memorable read-athon
book?” or “Over the
years, what was your favorite
Tom costume?”
The First Year of Park Day, Student Body and Staff c.1977