Peacham School's Efforts to Connect School
and Community Life through Cultural Literacy
by Margaret McLean, Principal
"In many ways, this program has developed teachers' thinking to the point where they can
actively utilize the community as a resource."
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 At Peacham School, we work hard to find effective ways to involve our community in our school. Community involvement enriches children's opportunities, develops a child's ties to and knowledge of their town, enhances their sense of place and demonstrates to them life- long learning. Community involvement also gives community members a chance to see a school of the '90s in action, thus hopefully dispelling some of the myths about modern day schooling. As a small school, we have found we need our community if we are to reach all our children and prepare them for the complexities of life in the 21st century.
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 Prior to Act 60, the Peacham community was stretched to provide the funds necessary for quality schooling. This has encouraged a spirit of "we value your time, experiences and expertise in support of your school as wellas your dollars," which has been rewarding for both school and community. It has proved a win-win situation for all involved.
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- In our search for mutually effective involvement, the "Cultural Literacy" program, developed in conjunction with Foodworks, Inc., has been a highlight. This program focused on two multi-age classrooms of first, second, and third graders and their teachers, Sarah Parker and Lynn T. Harvey, in collaboration with Thelma White, a community elder and current school board member. Together we planned activities that brought elders into the school environment to share their skills and knowledge with the students.
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- The project then expanded to working with elders outdoors on school grounds and visits to elders' homes. During this project, we worked hard to understand each other's perspective and have the children not only learn a new skill, but also better understand what it is like to be older. We developed the classroom work into a standards-based unit, and produced a 30- minute video of the project that will give teachers a good sense of how to replicate such a project in their own classrooms. With the publication of a curriculum guide later this year, K-6 (and with some adaptation, K-8) teachers will have a valuable tool to initiate a similar project in their communities.
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 The Cultural Literacy project has required teachers to think
- beyond their classrooms
- to their school and its connection with the community. In many ways, it has developed their thinking to the point where they can actively utilize the community as a resource. As educators work to have students meet the standards outlined in Vermont's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, it is vital we utilize all the resources we have available if we are to succeed.
Vermont's communities are a powerful resource. Close collaborations such as this can develop to the point of enriching the lives 
- of children, elders and teachers. In a small way, such collaboration can add to and sustain our sense of community life, thus strengthening our community for the future. This has happened in the town of Peacham through Cultural Literacy and similar projects we have undertaken, and can likewise happen in your town. As a school principal who struggles to meet the multiple needs of students on a daily basis, I have found that the effort involved in reaching out brings countless rewards and assures me that yes, we can meet the high standards we have set for all of our children.
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- More Photos from Peacham School
- Visit Peacham Picture Books
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