ARCHIVE: October 10, 2012

Welcome to another edition of The Scene! We hope you are enjoying the school year so far - parent socials, athletic events, back-to-school nights, play rehearsals, AutumnFest - we are in full-swing of another great year at Holton! AROUND CAMPUS There is a great debate going on right now. No...not that debate, (we never cover politics at The Scene) but a debate about which experiential education is better in creating student-centered pedagogy - inside-out or outside-in? Holton has a long history of engaging in the world around us and as we continue to extend our reach to one of global proportions, we want to take a moment and explore this debate. Inside-out The girls leave the campus and have an interactive experience under the guidance of our Holton faculty and local educational partners. Take these past few weeks, for instance. Upper School students gleaned produce at a Maryland farm to share crops with with those less fortunate, grade 3 and grade 6 students traveled to Mount Vernon for a history lesson in Colonial America, grade 4 participated in Math on the Mall, and both Middle School grades have now survived, we mean completed, their Outdoor Education programs. (Thank goodness for safety harnesses and s'mores!) These inside-out educational experiences get girls out of their element, challenge them to look at things in a new way, and also help us build a more symbiotic relationship with the community in which we live. Outside-In What do a nun, a children's author, and a former Peace Corp volunteer have in common? They have all been on the Holton Campus this semester to share their experiences with our students. That is exactly what outside-in means - experts from local, national and international communities visit the Holton Campus to share their expertise and experiences with our girls. Sister Mary Owens humbly shared her passion for helping children who are HIV positive and without parents in Kenya with students in grades 9 through 11. Norton Juster, author of the internationally celebrated children's book, The Phantom Tollbooth, encouraged Lower School girls to never limit themselves and to know that "anything is possible." Susi Wyss '82 shared stories from her real life and how her time spent in the Ivory Coast as a child and then later in the Central African Republic as a Peace Corp volunteer helped shape her identity and her new novel, The Civilized World. These outside-in educational experiences expose girls to intriguing and interesting visitors, engage them in conversations beyond the classroom, and create a flexible and joyful learning environment. Wow! It seems that no matter which side you choose...we all win! Hot Topic A community that plays together, stays together! And if you haven't noticed...we really like spending time together in the Holton Community. Which brings us to the Hot Topic of the week - calendars. Paper, digital or somewhere in-between, we all have to stay on top of our activities and we hope The Holton Calendar will help make your life just a little bit easier. You can use it as you please - RSS feeds, iCal feeds or as a source to keep your paper planner up-to-date. If it is a Holton event - it's on The Holton Calendar!Fair warning...there is always something cool going on at Holton, so be sure to pace yourself - we have 238 days until Commencement! Have a great week!