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News from VRP Schools

Burke Town School Studies Important Community Asset
Fifth-grade students at Burke Town School have learned that a brook is more than a
stand-alone body of water. A team of students studied the health of Roundy Brook, a waterway that is located near their school. But the students didn't study the brook simply because it was easy to access from their school - they know that the brook is an important part of their community, both their school community and greater community. The brook, in other words, is an important part of the community's sense of place.
"It is important to make sure the ecosystems near where we live are healthy, because when one part of an ecosystem collapses or is unhealthy, it affects everything connected to that ecosystem," students said. "It is like a chain reaction. People in our community swim and fish in the Roundy Brook, and if the brook is unhealthy, then it could affect people, too."
Ms. Hertz's class studied numerous aspects of the brook, including physical features, biology and chemistry. They found healthy physical characteristics and biology - such as how easily riffle flowed over rocks and ensuring certain macroinvertebrates that can only live in clean water were present. But their chemistry test found some questionable results, such as an acidic pH level. Students noted that they studied the brook just after a heavy rainfall, so that could have affected the pH level.
The brook is "important because it passes through many neighborhoods with children," students said. "The children use the brook for recreation. People in our community use it in many ways."
Students said they enjoyed studying Roundy Brook as a group, as opposed to individually. "The benefits of group work included talking about what we learned, answering each other's questions, and sharing and comparing ideas and results," students said. "We worked hard to create scientific discussions."


YATST, VRP, and a team of students from the South Bronx High
School of Violin and Dance (HSVD) joined forces on January 14, 2011 to present a four hour workshop on "Empowered Youth."

The plans had been for YATST participants to spend the prior day co-planning this workshop. As winter weather would have it, the Vermont contingent was not able to get down to the city until Thursday afternoon, precluding any shared prep time. Despite this fact, the workshop session was deemed a success and the High School of Violin and Dance team is scheming to head north to the spring VRP/YATST conference on May 13!

This workshop was part of the School Reform Initiative Winter Meeting, hosting 300 educators from around the country. Participants are advocates for using effective facilitation strategies developed by SRI (Critical Friends Protocols) to help teachers support one another in improving their teaching practices. Both YATST and the HSVD have shared these methods with youth, so that they too can become effective facilitators of dialogue. In fact, YATST hosted a two day youth training with SRI founder Daniel Baron in October to develop their competence and confidence using these protocols. These powerful strategies allow students to both initiate and participate in school decision making and school transformation. This was the first workshop in the history of these national conferences to feature young people facilitating an entire session, using these protocols.

The YATST group, including students from Cabot, Twinfield, Hazen Union and Harwood Union, managed to weave in a bit of fun and sight seeing into the trip as well. Immediately following the conference session, we sh
ared a lunch with the HSVD students at Ellen's Stardust Diner--complete with singing waiters and waitresses.

For more information on the Vermont Rural Partnership,
please contact: margaret.maclean@ruraledu.org

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