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Wingra Reads
Join us for the 1st Annual Wingra Reads program!
Over the next several weeks, the Wingra community is invited to participate in a shared reading experience. The topic? Progressive education, of course!
Parents, staff and the Board collaborated to choose two books that would engage readers of every age in our community: The Year of Miss Agnes, a children's novel by Kirkpatrick Hill, and The Schools Our Children Deserve, by Alfie Kohn.
Beginning Monday, February 15, Wingra will use Agnes to kick off its first ever all-school read-aloud; five minutes of every lunch time will be devoted to reading this engaging book. There will be gatherings in April to discuss The Schools Our Children Deserve and a family evening in May to discuss The Year of Miss Agnes. Wednesday, April 7, from 7-8:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 9 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. are the event times for discussion of Schools Our Children Deserve. "The Night of Miss Agnes" Wingra Reads Family Night will be held from 6:15-7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4. These events will only be as fun and thoughtful as the participants, so read with us!
How will you get one of these fantastic books, you wonder? Wingra has partnered with A Room of One's Own, a local, independent bookstore in Madison, to have copies available to you. The books will be sold near the Wingra School playground entrance February 15-19 before and after school (and before Follies on Friday, February 19). The cost is $6 for Miss Agnes, $15 for Schools, or $20 for one copy of each. In an effort to support our program, A Room of One's Own has provided these books to us at a 10% discount. This is a wonderful opportunity to "buy local"!
All in our community are invited to participate. If you'd like to attend, but don't have the chance to read through The Schools Our Children Deserve, here are a couple links to shorter Alfie Kohn articles, videos, and podcasts that cover similar ideas on progressive education.
"What Does It Mean to Be Well-Educated?," Principal Leadership, March 2003
"Progressive Education," Independent School, Spring 2008
"Feel-Bad Education: The Cult of Rigor and the Loss of Joy," Education Week, September 15, 2004
Excerpts from The Schools Our Children Deserve, 1999
"Moving Beyond Facts, Skills, and Right Answers," from The Schools Our Children Deserve, 1999
"Rethinking Homework," Principal, January-February 2007
"What to Look for in a Classroom," Educational Leadership, September 1996
VIDEO: CBS Early Show, in 2006 about The Homework Myth.
VIDEO: A lecture entitled "The Trouble with Pure Freedom: A Case for Active Adult Involvement in Progressive Education," followed by an extended discussion, at the Alternative Education Resource Organization conference, 2005.
AUDIO: An interview about progressive education (dealing with pedagogy, discipline, competition, grades, and excellent vs. "good enough" schools) by John Merrow for his PBS program, from 2000.
AUDIO: A conversation about children and competition recorded in early 2008 for a podcast show called "What Really Matters" hosted by two moms.
So whether you are a current student or family member, staff, alumni student/family, or a family who will be joining the Wingra community in the fall of 2010, JOIN US!
Questions? Please contact Mary Campbell, Dawn Liska-Tollefson, or Michelle Sharpswain. Happy reading!
© 2010 Wingra School.