Dr. Palmer’s Update: July 2011

Four weeks ago we concluded the 2010–11 academic year with wonderful graduation and commencement exercises at the School and College. During the weeks since, it’s been quite a bit easier to find a parking spot, and the hallways are clearly less crowded. Although we miss the students, we have been working assiduously to prepare for Principia’s future.

I find myself pondering Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season” (II Timothy 4:2). Whether classes are in session or not, we continue to make progress here at Principia.

The College faculty spent the week after Commencement in workshops preparing for the pre-fall writing seminar for incoming students and the transition of courses to semesters. A week later, a group of 90 teachers, house parents, and administrators from the School attended a workshop on Professional Learning Communities, an approach we are using in curriculum development, idea sharing and generating, assessment, and developing our character education programming.

In addition, the Daycroft Educators’ Conference, for Christian Scientists who are K-12 educators worldwide, was held last week on the School campus. We enjoyed hosting educators from around the globe and sharing insights and ideas with one another.

The leadership groups from the College and School have also been meeting this summer to review the year and prepare for the future. The School is introducing a new Bible curriculum across the academic divisions, with age-appropriate activities and materials for each level. The College has designed a new orientation program to prepare incoming students and provide background on Principia and our expectations.

The Joint Administrative Team, comprised of leadership from the School, College, and Business Office, had a two-day retreat to assess our progress on Principia’s strategic plan and to update and extend the plan over an additional two-year planning horizon. Our initial strategic plan had identified several activities and projects for completion during 2010–11, and the review of progress shows that virtually all of these were completed. The list includes the following points:

• Phase 1 of Middle School renovations – The new library and art room are complete and operational.
• Study of satellite locations – A team in Africa has examined the potential for a future satellite location, visiting more than 60 churches to identify the needs and potential market.
• Study of master’s programs – We have articulation agreements in place with several schools and are outlining the next steps for offerings in education, religion, and sustainability.
• Online course development – We have offered several courses for currently enrolled College students and are offering two online courses this summer. In addition, our continuing education team offered three pilot online seminars in May.
• Teachers trained in differentiated instruction – All staff at the School have received training and are implementing differentiated instruction in all subject areas.
• Full-time director hired for College Teaching Excellence Center – Dr. Libby Scheiern began serving in this role fall 2010.
• Full-time director hired for School Teaching and Learning – Jane Rieder began serving in this post in January 2011.
• Experiential education trips implemented for Middle School – Local field trips as well as trips to Chicago, New York, and Costa Rica took place this spring.
• Freshman Year Experience at the Upper School – This faculty-developed and -led initiative, introduced last academic year, helps students integrate subject matter from the sciences, math, social studies, and language arts.
• Reading instructor hired for the College Student Learning Center – Dr. Brian Johnson began serving in this position in fall 2010.
• Additional overnight educational trips at the School – A new fifth grade trip to Williamsburg in support of a unit on Colonial America and a new trip for Upper School juniors to New England to study nineteenth-century American history and the life of Mary Baker Eddy took place this spring. (The New England trip occurred through a partnership with Longyear Museum.)
• Additional College study abroad experiences identified – Trips to Brazil, Vietnam, Iceland, and intensive language study programs in Guatemala were introduced.
• History of Christian Science Movement class returned to the College curriculum – The class, taught by Dr. Brad Stock, opened to outstanding student response, including being the first class that filled to capacity for the College’s first semester, starting this August.

In addition to those specific strategic activities, we have also been focusing on being a more nimble organization, looking to enhance our partnerships with groups outside Principia, and developing a fuller sense of what it means to be a community of practice.

As we embrace the remaining six weeks of summer, I’m looking forward to kicking off Summer Session for the next two weeks (July 9–23). The College campus will be full of adult students taking continuing education courses and enjoying each other’s company.

In mid-August, we will hold a Joint Staff Meeting focusing all Principia employees on character-unfoldment goals for the coming academic year. School and College faculty are involved in summer activities as diverse as attending conferences, traveling in preparation for upcoming study abroad programs, and producing papers, paintings, poetry, and musical recordings.

While we look forward to welcoming students back in August for sports camps, we are not wasting a moment of the summer. Principia founder Mary Kimball Morgan may have put it best in a 1921 presentation to parents: “Let us all pray for wisdom and unselfishness in planning our summertime.” Here’s to a wise, unselfish use of your summer!