Parent Board 2006-2007
Welcome to the Linworth Parent Board. All parents
of Linworth students are automatically members of the Parent Board.
No dues are collected.
Like the education at Linworth, the Parent Board
experience is an alternative to the more traditional PTA/PTSO
experiences you may have encountered at other schools. The Parent
Board’s role is to support the Linworth program, promote
a sense of community among families, sponsor a few events (listed
below), raise funds for the Experience Fund, and help provide
chaperones for Linworth activities.
Parent Board Meetings
Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each
month at 7pm in the Linworth Big Room. Meetings are held from
September until May. Please note a special pre-school meeting
will happen on AUGUST 20TH from 7pm-8pm to introduce new parents,
provide a brief overview of the Parent Board and to take a look
at the upcoming calendar.
Recent Parent Board Minutes- March 14, 2007
Our Cafe Linworth was on the topic, "What should we be offering students to prepare them for life in the 21st century?" Initial comments centered around the internet. The importance of technology was recognized. Students need to be able to easily maneuver in cyberspace, but also need to be aware of its limitations. The easy and instant access to the "right" answer can have the effect of curtailing in depth exploration, conversation and creativity. The information is "a mile wide and an inch deep". Students need to be able and motivated to go beyond the surface answers and delve further into other sources -- books, primary sources, intellectual conversation and critical thinking. Teaching this will be a challenge given our culture's current need for "instant" everything.
Another area of concern with the internet was its effect on interpersonal relationships. In a world where teens judge their popularity by how many "friends" they can count from FaceBook and MySpace, the depth and authenticity of relationships may be at risk. Does the cell phone connect people or separate them? What does it mean when we see groups of teens conversing, not with each other, but on their cell phones? At Kenyon College, the central path is a "cell phone free zone" -- students are expected to have face to face interactions in that area, rather than avoiding contact. Wayne and Ron agreed that, as yet, the big room at Linworth does not appear to have been overtaken by cell phone conversations, but this may become an issue. Email tends to remove certain inhibitions from conversation -- there is a need for greater self-editing.
The people skills which may be threatened by technology will become even more important as business and life becomes even more globalized as technology evolves. Multinational organizations involve a merging of cultures. What is "right" in the USA may not be viewed as "right" in France or China. Students need to be aware of this, flexible in their thinking and able to pick up on cues coming from other cultural and intellectual backgrounds. They need to be taught to problem solve and to lead teams with the very important skill of communicating throughout the ranks.
Questions were raised about the purpose of Town Meeting. Wayne characterized it as an experience in democracy rather than the more traditional school student council where a small group of elected officers made decisions. Town Meeting allows even the unpopular point of view to be heard and for anyone to bring forth a concern. Recent Town Meetings have been flat. Several possible explanations were proposed -- the "disappearance" of those who have been leaders due to Walkabout, the age of the staff (they've stopped stirring things up), the particular personality of the current class, or the possibility that Linworth has finally reached perfection and no one is dissatisfied with anything.
Upcoming Activities and Announcement
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We still need another volunteer to co-chair Senior Recognition on June 2nd. Call or email Kathi (888-4017 or
kjmachle@rjdonovan.com)
E-mail Loop
To be added to the Linworth Parent Board e-mail
loop, please enter your name and e-mail address in the fields
below. When you click the SEND button, your e-mail
client will automatically launch and send an e-mail to the administrators
who will add you to the list.
