Director’s Blog, October 1, 2009
I write this on what the Kindergartners tell me is the 15th day of school. Fall is solidly upon us as evidenced by a drop in temperature, changing leaf colors and another annual autumnal event—Curriculum Night. While I spend every day surrounded by our curriculum, it has been a pleasure to attend these evenings and to hear the teachers speak about the progressive program in which your children participate each day in all three divisions. For those who are interested in what is happening in the classrooms of another grade or another division, I invite you to read the divisional blogs and the curriculum guides (on the web site, by division.) I want to point you to one particular section of the high school curriculum guide. I was really quite impressed by the presentation made by the high school English and history teachers about our 11th and 12th grade electives. Clicking here will take you to the high school guide. (Pages 14-17 and 21-22 describe the English and History electives.) The opportunities offered to the students in these classes are akin to the experience of being in a college seminar. After their presentations the teachers and I spoke of the tight focus of their courses as a lens through which to view the wider world of literature. History teachers spoke of their students’ interests and how this engagement creates an openness and readiness to explore other areas of history. Take a look; I think you will be impressed.
This week, September 26th – October 3rd, is Banned Books Week. Sponsored by the American Library Association, “Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.” Banned Books Week encourages all of us to consider what it means that the response by some to books that offer differing points of view or that challenge one’s strongly held beliefs is anger and avoidance rather than respectful engagement. In contrast to the English teachers noted above, those who seek to ban books offer blinders, not lenses. Fine not to read a book that one finds objectionable, but to work to make these thoughts and opportunities unavailable to all? I noticed with some pride that many of the books we read throughout the school have been banned or challenged at some point. Pride not in the fact that we are reading books that are edgy or from a specific political point of view. But pride in the fact that we are offering your children the chance to be challenged by the books they read or have read to them, to see the world through the lives of others, to articulate their points of view and to become active participants in civil conversations. As I discussed this with one or our librarians, she commented that I should not be surprised that so many of the books we read at LREI are part of this club as the list of challenged and banned books is incredibly long and grows every day. A sad fact. One other thought about Banned Books Week. The people who challenge books seem to be organized and are able to effectively get their message out. I encourage you to find time next week to visit a library (our Sixth Avenue library has a terrific bulleting board display of banned books), to read a book that has been banned or challenged and to speak with your children about the power of books and freedom speech. For more information on Banned Books Week, visit the American Library Association’s web site.