International Baccalaureate in an Independent Elementary School (Part 2) - Inquiry

Seneca Academy has been an authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program World School since October 2012. However, we started implementing the IB PYP in the spring of 2009. While much of the philosophy and teaching methods promoted by the PYP are very similar to what Seneca Academy (and formerly, The Circle School) has always implemented, there have been some areas where we needed to learn new ways of doing things. One area where we have significantly enriched our practice has been in the implementation of inquiry teaching and learning.

Inquiry is so much more than just asking questions! Of course, in order to fully engage in in-depth inquiry, students need to be able to ask meaningful, relevant and significant questions. We teach them the art of questioning the moment they step into our preschool. The full inquiry process takes questioning farther though, to lead to hypothesis, investigation, and action. Rather than teachers telling or demonstrating the change process to students, they invite them to make meaning themselves of what they observe. Therefore, when fully engaged in inquiry, students take on at least some responsibility for their learning and for how they use their new knowledge. Our current preschool 4’s unit of inquiry focusing on life cycles of plants, animals and insects is one of the ways we get our young students engaged in inquiry. This opportunity is also going on in kindergarten where our students are observing and recording (in various ways) what is happening to fertilized eggs in an incubator.
One of my favorite recent examples of a teacher guiding the inquiry process happened in 3rd grade. These students were beginning a unit on societal organizations where the central idea was “People organize themselves to meet societal needs.” They class had discussed various groups such as the Red Cross, The United Nations, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, etc.


They happened to come across an article in Scholastic News about an elementary student in Pennsylvania who created a “Buddy Bench” for his school’s playground. Our 3rd graders were fascinated by this idea and asked to create one for Seneca Academy. They wrote a formal proposal to me, outlining the purpose of the Buddy Bench, where they would purchase it, and how they would raise money to fund the project. They used their negotiating skills as they worked together to brainstorm fund raising possibilities, their visual presenting skills when they created posters to advertise their project, and their oral presenting skills when they presented the concept to the whole school.


They came up with a design for the painting of the bench and a logo of their “organization” (H.E.L. P. – Helping Encourages Loving People) to put on the bench as well. They wrote me another formal request after the bench was completed, asking me to allow them to present their bench to the community during a morning assembly, and if I would preside over a ribbon cutting. I am confident that the life skills and conceptual knowledge these 8 and 9 year old students learned through this project that they managed themselves will last for many years to come.

What should students know and be able to do when they leave elementary school? I think the variety of skills gained through the inquiry process provide the foundation for a life of meaningful learning.

International Baccalaureate in an Independent Elementary School (Part 1)

Did you know that Seneca Academy is the only preschool/elementary school in Montgomery County MD that is an authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program World School? It amazes  me actually, as the Primary Years Program (PYP) combines teaching and learning practices that are  so wonderful for kids. I would think every school would want to offer it! Many people know of the  International Baccalaureate (IB) at the high school level, where it is a rigorous college-prep curriculum akin to the AP programs. Not many know that the IB offers 4 different programs: the PYP at the preschool and elementary level is one of them.

Seneca Academy has been an authorized IB/PYP school for 2 years now. We decided to align ourselves with the IB not only because it is a prestigious organization that is connected by a network of distinguished educators around the world, but because it provides us with support in offering research-proven, best-practices in education. With the PYP focus, we are ensuring that learning experiences are developmentally relevant and meaningful (i.e. students at each level are doing work that makes sense to them and is interesting), teaching is engaging and promotes inquiry (i.e. students are active learners and are taught and encouraged to ask significant questions), the curriculum provides opportunities for depth of learning as well as breadth (i.e. students have time to deeply explore concepts rather than merely “skimming the surface”), and learning is in a global context (i.e. students are learning about concepts and issues that are relevant around the world). While none of these characteristics is by itself unique in preschool and elementary schools, with the PYP all of these “best practices” are utilized together.

While implementing the PYP hasn’t dramatically changed the milieu at Seneca Academy, where we have provided an engaging, nurturing and hands-on learning environment for students for 30 years (since our early days when we were The Circle School), it has enhanced our teaching practices. We find that our students are better able to exhibit their understanding of the concepts we teach and the connections between them. They are better communicators verbally, in writing, and with visual presentations. Perhaps most importantly, students are now better able to translate their knowledge into action, a primary tenet of the PYP. Isn’t that what we want our students to demonstrate after our lessons? Not just that they have knowledge, but that they know what to do with that knowledge? That is what an IB/PYP school such as Seneca Academy provides.

Private Elementary Schools In Montgomery County - Contract Season

It is employment contract season here at Seneca Academy, and I have been spending my days pouring over numbers and details regarding our faculty and staff. At this time of year, I am always struck by the depth of experience in our collective faculty.

Seneca Academy teachers have not only been in the profession for decades, we have incredible longevity here at Seneca Academy. What is most wonderful for me as an administrator is that these folks have such experience, but are not stagnant in their work. Rather than teach the same things the same way year after year, faculty members work to learn current thinking in “best practices” and to improve where it is needed. They truly embody the International Baccalaureate attributes of “thinkers,” “risk-takers,” and “inquirers,”and the attitudes of “curiosity,” “commitment,” and “enthusiasm.” I am working now on identifying the professional development activities we will support for next year, and I have so many people who want to participate!

Role modeling lifelong learning is a key aspect of our work here. So is sharing our knowledge with others. Our teachers are stepping up to this more and more. We have faculty members who serve on our Board of Trustees. We have several people who have or will serve on AIMS’s visiting accreditation teams, evaluating other schools. We have a teacher who serves on an IB evaluation team, also evaluating other schools. Our teachers are not just communicating and sharing their experience here at Seneca Academy, they are contributing to the wider community.

It is my hope that we will continue these efforts, and that many more of our experienced educators
will share their knowledge. To that end, we are setting up opportunities in early May for parents and others to come in to Seneca Academy and talk with our teachers about best practices in early childhood and elementary education. Stay tuned for more details!

Kindergarten should be developmentally appropriate - Private Kindergarten in MD

 This article in the Washington Post made me so sad! A kindergarten teacher quit after years of joyous teaching because of the unreasonable demands being made upon her and her students.
Kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit


Seneca Academy was founded on the belief that educational programs need to pay attention to the developmental stages and needs of children. We pay close attention to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional levels of each class and build our programming to ensure that students will be successful. We set high achievement standards for each of our students, but ones that are attainable. This is one of the reasons we don't see the outrageous behavior at Seneca Academy that is described in the article.

Peek into our kindergarten class and you will see students actively engaged in meaningful work (reading, writing, art projects, building, listening, planning, presenting, discussing, etc.) that enables them to gain important and foundational knowledge, while practicing thinking and problem solving skills. While there are 2 teachers in the classroom, students are often doing independent or small group work. There is rarely "mis-behavior," as all children know what is expected of them, and they work to meet expectations. Their work is displayed proudly around the room, and demonstrates a high level of conceptual knowledge and ability.


And 9 times out of 10, you'll see the kindergarten teachers smiling. :)

Seneca Academy
15601 Germantown Road
Darnestown, Maryland 20874
Phone: (301) 869-3728
Fax: (301) 869-3348

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Especially In a MD Private Kindergarten !

Whew! It has been quite a January 2014!! We’ve had a lot going on around here at Seneca Academy, and not all of it positive. We started the month with a sprinkler pipe leak, followed by cancelled and delayed school openings due to snow, and then our primary communication system for letting folks know about delays and cancellations was unreliable! It was enough to make anyone frustrated!!

I usually do not get stressed-out very easily, but I have found myself irritated recently by these unexpected twists and turns life has presented. Then I read this article “Why We Shouldn’t Sweat The Small Stuff” and it reminded me why it is important to focus on what is positive. The article not only describes how the brains of “even-keeled,” less stressed folks are different from those who frequently become stressed over little things, it offers helpful suggestions for how to respond to life’s trials and tribulations in a calmer way.

I think the practice of calming oneself in the face of stressful situations is particularly important for us as parents. For starters, our stress levels directly impact our children’s stress levels. When we “freak out” or get heated about something trivial, like traffic or weather, this signals to our children that they should feel stressed too. As the article mentions, this raises their cortisol levels, which over time can have all kinds of negative effects.  Secondly, our children model our behavior, whether we like it or not! So if we present them with parents who are constantly stressed-out during daily routines, the likelihood that they will become stressed-out adults is increased. How much better would it be if we helped our children to maintain a calm outlook on life, thus reducing the levels of cortisol rushing through them on a daily basis, and provide them with models of how a calm, cool collected adult life might look like?

I know I’ll be working on some of the strategies mentioned in the article, such as re-framing circumstances, focusing on the present, and embracing optimism- especially in front of my kids! For example, we got new carpeting because of our sprinkler leak; I was able to get a lot of things accomplished at home during our snow day; we are improving other forms of communication to replace the unreliable one; and I love snow anyway!! 

What do you all do to maintain calm in the face of your daily storms?

Seneca Academy
15601 Germantown Road
Darnestown, Maryland 20874
Phone: (301) 869-3728
Fax: (301) 869-3348

On the Importance of Balance - Private Elementary Schools in Montgomery County MD

Photo by A. Fisher

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter’s classmates from last year had a reunion of sorts, and got together to ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. Although we were a group of close to 30 kids and parents all in one car, and the atmosphere was therefore rambunctious and loud, for me it was actually a relaxing and leisurely trip. These are not words I typically use to describe my days!! The train ride from Cumberland to Frostburg was about 45 minutes, through mountainous, rural, western Maryland. It was a gorgeous day, with the autumn leaves just beginning to show. Not only was it picturesque, I was a captive audience. After about an hour walking around Frostburg, we got back on the train for our return trip. As I was driving to and from this excursion (2 hours each way- more leisure time), I reflected on my family, my work, my goals, and my relationships. Without the normal pressures of time commitments, appointments, schedules, and other expectations, I was able to think deeply and creatively about a variety of things. During this very productive “down time,” I was reminded how important it is for busy people to regularly change their routine in order to build in time for rest and reflection. In my definition of “busy people” I automatically include parents! How often do we schedule time for ourselves to just stop, think and reflect?

At Seneca Academy, we promote balance as one of our IB/PYP attributes, and teach this concept to our students. We ask them to balance academic time with active time, reading time, creative time, social time, technology time, etc. We ask them to balance their focus on learning about math with learning about social science, language, music, writing, etc. But are we, as adults, practicing what we preach? By balancing the busy, hectic times in our lives with restful and reflective times, we allow ourselves to move from reacting to reflecting; from focusing on details to focusing on the big picture. The most important aspects of our lives can then become clear. And we model what we expect from our children. By taking the time to drive out west for a fun activity with my daughter, I was reminded, once again, of the need for balance in my own life as well.

Seneca Academy
15601 Germantown Road
Darnestown, Maryland 20874
Phone: (301) 869-3728
Fax: (301) 869-3348

Thoughts About Learning in Private Preschools in Maryland

One of our alert, engaged, and knowledgeable teachers shared this blog post with me recently. These thoughts, written by a former preschool teacher, are so articulately written and so perfectly consistent with what we believe at Seneca Academy, that I wanted to share them with everyone! The author is Alicia Bayer and her blog is called A Magical Childhood. I think this is a wonderful reminder of what is important in a young child's life for optimal development!

What Should a 4 Year Old Know?

Seneca Academy
15601 Germantown Road
Darnestown, Maryland 20874
Phone: (301) 869-3728
Fax: (301) 869-3348