The School and I

What attracted me to this school?, or what are the essential elements that attract any teacher to a school and its mission? Some things are concrete, such as salary and location of course, but truly the important factors are more ephemeral -in the 60's the grooviest people would have said, "the vibe of the whole scene". Here are some excerpts from the brochure of the School of Egypt that immediately caught my eye - and heart:

"Vision
The International School of Egypt's vision is to guard the role of Egypt as the gateway between East and West, preserving the best in all human achievement and developing a community of highly cultured individuals who seek goodness in all human kind."

"Mission Statement
The International School of Egypt is committed to empower young people to explore the best in themselves and the world around them. The aim is to help them become lifelong learners and problem solvers who learn to balance both physical and mental challenges. The school will foster a deep appreciation of the Arts as man's best expression of himself, and it recognizes that a deep faith is a path to justice, empathy, and kindness."

"Teachers
At The International School of Egypt, we believe teachers are the cornerstone of our school. We are committed to hiring highly qualified, caring teachers. Our two biggest investments are our students and our teachers."

"Educational Philosophy
. . .
The International School of Egypt expects its students to use their talents for the betterment of their country.
. . .
In our school, our main goal is to ensure that students truly understand what they are asked to learn; to understand requires students to wisely and effectively apply knowledge and skills in the context of their own lives. Our challenge is never to reduce the understanding of a concept to a mere simplistic statement for recall. When students gain genuine understanding of a concept, they keep it for the rest of their lives.
. . .
One of our main objectives is to prepare our students to experience empathy, the ability to escape their own emotional reactions and to grasp those of others. When we try to understand another person or culture, we strive for empathy. It is the learned ability to grasp the world from someone else's point of view. Unlike perspective, empathy involves seeing from inside another person's worldview.
. . .
We will prepare our students to live not only with expertise but also with joy in this highly technological and interconnected world."

"Mission and Vision of the Technology Department
The mission of the technology department is to support the educational philosophy of the school by improving pedagogy through the appropriate and innovative use of technology.

New technologies change the ways our students reason, interact, make ethical judgments, and acquire knowledge and analytical skills. Digital environments alter our children's learning and development by affecting their senses of identity and community, as well as their attitudes toward civic participation and global awareness. For these reasons, The International School of Egypt chooses to embrace and support this technical environment proactively in its curriculum."

I have read plenty of mission statements and visions. Heck, I have written a handful of them myself! These are stated directly and succinctly and yet they encompass the whole of a child's education in a way that no other mission statement I have read comes close to expressing. It is profound to state developing a community of highly cultured individuals who seek goodness in all human kind- I mean, schools wish for such an achievement of course but never state it! And to state the supreme importance of art in education in this way "foster a deep appreciation of the Arts as man's best expression of himself" is an example of mission statement perfection! And to be able to teach in a school where the children are to "truly understand what they are asked to learn" will mean that my fellow teachers and I will be on the same page from day one! Even if we are coming into the whole project from varying degrees of experience and with a wide range of objectives - which we are are!

Lastly, I have to wonder why I have never seen an American school state that one of its expectations for its students is for them to use their education for the betterment of their country.

I hope we can achieve even half of what is stated here - if we do we will have accomplished much! I am proud to say that I am part of a group of people willing to even attempt this wonderful teaching project- all of whom I am so looking forward to meeting.

A part of me realizes we may all be a little too starry-eyed, naive, optimistic or what-have-you, I have observed the folly of quite a few lofty-goaled Charter Schools for example, but I say bring it on . . . let's shoot for the stars!

Here is the St. Paul's Nursery School Prayer. I have been saying this prayer for over 19 years with a large number of good Nantucketers devoted to providing a quality early childhood educational experience for young families and their children. I think the sentiment here jives precisely with that of the School of Egypt and I am in awe of the tides that have brought me to this opportunity and its similarities.

School Prayer
God and Source of Life,
You give us the gift of children,
not to possess or control,
but to nurture as tender plants that grow toward the sun
Fill us with Your spirit,
as we plan
for St. Paul's Nursery School.

Help us to listen and learn
From one another,
And keep always in our hearts
The children- their eager minds,
Their open hearts, their thirsty souls-
That together we create a space
Where they learn to love themselves
And so reach out in love
To all the world.

The Reverend Joyce Tompkins 1990
http://www.stpaulschurchnantucket.org/Preschool.html

I am so glad to be a teacher still AND a student again in such a school.