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Jan 09 2023

Alumni Spotlight featuring Morgan Phillips-Spotts

Stories are at the heart of FSA, moments that we feel seen, places we’ve been, the people we’ve loved and who have influenced us. This month’s Alumni Spotlight is about just that, meet Morgan Phillips-Spotts, Class of 2001. Morgan, seen here with her brother, shared about her experiences at FSA and how that has shaped her company, Momo’s Book Club. 

Momo’s Book Club is a subscription book club for kids that’s designed to make a child’s home library as diverse as the world. 

How do you think FSA helped you find your voice? As weird as it sounds, silent meetings. I started attending silent meetings when I was 5 and I remember there were a couple that went off the rails (I think there was one where we talked about frogs for a while). There was a lot of joy and laughter in those but the biggest thing is that the teachers didn’t course correct. I kept waiting for an adult to tell us to stop but that didn’t happen. They let us have this moment about frogs. Silent meeting gave me the courage to express my thoughts and my teachers gave me the space to do so.

What is your favorite memory from FSA? Most of first grade. Linda and Diana made that whole year so great. This was the year we found Shelly and she became our class turtle. We had a leprechaun come to visit and the classroom got turned all around and then we got extra recess and then a scavenger hunt to find the treasure left for us. I think this year was part of the reason I really love the storytelling aspect of theater. We were reading “The Witches” and at the beginning the narrator is describing what a witch looks like and then adds “it may even be your teacher reading this to you right now.” and then Linda looked up at us and then went back to reading and we immediately ran down the list she just gave just to confirm. I remember us complaining that we were tired in the afternoons after lunch (no more naps for 1st grade) and they added a quiet time with carpet squares if you wanted to rest or read at a table. It felt great to be listened to. Little things like this made that year really fun for me.

The SPICES (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship) are deeply ingrained into all aspects of teaching, helping kids build empathy, understanding, and allowing them to build what each of these is to themselves and their community. 

How did the SPICES come into play in that mission? I think equality and community have the biggest impact on Momo’s Book club because true equality would be seeing all types of people on your bookshelves, showing kiddos that other people who aren’t exactly  like them can be the heroes of a story too. And that we’re all part of a global community so let’s take the time to walk in someone else’s shoes for a bit.

What is your favorite book in the club/ or a book that had an impact on you as a child? It’s hard to pick a favorite but I think City Green is one of my favorites. It’s about a little girl who brings her block together by creating a community garden in the vacant lot next door. It’s a good read!

Momo’s Book Club

Written by saraperez · Categorized: Community Impact, News · Tagged: alumni spotlight, community, small business

Nov 14 2022

FSA in the Heights

Friends School of Atlanta seventh and eighth grade students attended the City Springs Theater Company’s production of In the Heights on Thursday, October 27. The musical inspired students and teachers to engage in rich discussions about race, ethnicity, and social class in the United States and about the importance of representation in the arts.

The City Springs Theater website describes In the Heights as telling, “the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams, and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind” (https://www.cityspringstheatre.com/shows/upcoming/). Originally performed in 2005, the musical remains relevant in its portrayal of contemporary social problems, such as racism and the struggles of working-class people of color. It also highlights the power of community, family, dreams, and resilience in the face of challenges.

FSA faculty and staff worked hard to ensure that this field trip was a well-executed cultural experience and learning opportunity for all involved. Before attending the musical, faculty researched the casting choices. Yvonne Rodriguez, middle school language arts and Latin teacher and middle school librarian, said, “I said, ‘Wait; tell me what the cast looks like.’ And then Chris [director of arts] took over from there and contacted the people in charge and got confirmation that they weren’t going to whitewash characters.” Chris Willoughby, director of arts, described the importance of representation in casting, saying, “One of the things that we wanted to make sure before we took our kids was that the Latinx [and] Hispanic characters were going to be played by Latinx, Hispanic people. Black characters were played by Black people…We asked, and they said they were going to be, and they sure were. It was incredible because representation really does matter. It would have been really troubling from a representational point if it had been whitewashed.” Once faculty and staff were confident that the casting choices accurately reflected the ethnicities of the characters, tickets were purchased.

In anticipation of the event, Yvonne and I led a class discussion for 7th and 8th grade students about the importance of representation in film and theatre and how In the Heights relates to broader societal conversations around racism and colorism. Yvonne asked students to journal about a piece of media that represents a racial or ethnic minority group well and not just as side characters or comic relief. After journaling, students shared their examples and then transitioned into discussing representation within In the Heights. While acknowledging the importance of In the Heights and its representation of Latinx identity, Yvonne and I also discussed criticism the film received. Specifically, some felt the movie production of In the Heights did not include sufficient representation of Washington Heights’ Afro-Latinx community, especially darker-skinned Afro-Latinx residents. This led to a discussion of colorism. When reflecting on the educational value of the class discussion, Charleigh, an eighth grade student, said: “I learned what colorism was…They compared people’s, the color of their skin and if you were darker than a brown paper bag you couldn’t do certain things…People mostly learn about racism and not colorism, and colorism I feel like is probably a big part to racism.” Lastly, Yvonne prepared students for a scene in the musical production (which was not in the film adaptation) where Kevin Rosario, a Puerto Rican man, opposed his daughter Nina’s relationship with Benny, an African-American man. This led to a conversation about antiblackness.  

On Thursday morning, well-prepared and excited students loaded into cars with parent volunteers and headed toward the theater. Upon arrival, students and faculty were impressed by the venue and set. Jan Burnett, middle school language arts teacher, said, “Before the characters ever came on stage, I was just in awe of the setting and the venue which was a really nice place to be able to take them and for them to experience that.” Yindi, an eighth grade student, was similarly impressed by the set, saying: “I liked the set design and the background, how they were able to use the lights to make it look like it was sunset and sunrise and nighttime.”

Attendees were equally impressed by the performance itself. Sara Perez, exploratory teacher and administrative staff member, said: “I thought it was great. I really enjoyed watching people try and struggle with being outside of a place that felt like home and trying to figure that out.” Chris said, “The play itself was so well done…The actors and actresses were professionals. The orchestra was really amazing.” Stella, an eighth grade student, echoed her teachers’ sentiments, saying, “I thought the execution was just brilliant and the performers were all incredible.”

The next week, Yvonne and I led a follow-up conversation with students. Students analyzed lyrics from the musical’s opening number, looking for messages about social class. We also talked more about interracial dating in relation to the above-mentioned scene involving Nina, Benny, and Kevin. Lastly, we asked students to reflect on how their own experiences are similar to and/or different from the experiences they saw portrayed onstage.

In addition to this group discussion, some students and faculty reflected on the musical in individual interviews with me. I was particularly interested in what windows and mirrors the play provided for students and teachers. A play can be a window if it provides a glimpse into another’s experiences that are different from one’s own. A play can be a mirror if it allows individuals to see themselves and their own experiences reflected back to them.

For many students, the play served as a window, allowing them to see what life was like for people who differ from them in terms of race, ethnicity, and/or social class. For instance, Eli, a seventh grade student, said: “It’s a really interesting play and also it gives you a lot of information, sort of like a peek into life as like a Latino in the Heights… The way that everybody on the streets knew each other at all the shops and were together, that’s not really a thing I’ve ever really seen. I know my neighbors on either side of me and a couple people who live around me, but that’s about it.” While Eli reflected on how the play was a window into a different ethnic and cultural experience, other students talked about the play as a window into class struggle. Stella said: “I think it’s really important to get a glimpse into how other people’s lives are going…Especially at The Friends School you may not know what it’s like to really be struggling to pay the bills and struggling to… know where your next meal is going to come from. I think that’s why it’s really important to watch this performance.” Yindi described how theatrical windows into others’ experiences can help break negative stereotypes about working-class and poor people of color. She said, “Sometimes students might get the wrong idea of places where people live in that way… like [places that are] not necessarily very rich with a lot of White people. And sometimes people get the wrong idea or they make assumptions…that maybe those people…deserve that or that none of them are intelligent or compassionate, or they might put themselves on a higher ranking than them…It is a musical that is trying to break stereotypes.”

When asked what they hoped students took from this experience, some teachers talked about the importance of windows for exposing students to new perspectives and broadening their worldview. For instance, Kenny, middle school math teacher and director of athletics, said, “This might be the only time they can see a majority minority cast… I was like man this is not your culture but you’re about to appreciate this…Maybe this play isn’t for you, it’s not about you, but, you know what? You’re going to appreciate this…You’re going to sit here and enjoy something that people are putting on for their people, but they want you to take part. And I just felt like they may never see that again.” When asked why it’s important for White children to see a majority minority cast and be exposed to a culture that’s not their own, he said, “I think it’s important because you just gotta have different perspectives. I feel like a lot of times the default experiences they have is just catered to what they know or what their parents know…I think everyone should have a chance to be the minority in the room every once in a while…It’s just good to see other people who don’t look like you doing excellent things.”

While windows are important, so are mirrors. Some students, faculty, and staff discussed how they saw their own identities and experiences reflected in the play and the value of seeing that reflection. Yvonne said, “It’s kind of nice to finally be able to point to something and say, ‘see that’s me.’ Because [the students have] not really had that, you know? …There’s not a lot of media that I can point to and say oh yeah I do this all the time with my family, and now I can reference something, which is nice.” When asked where she saw her experiences reflected in the play, Yvonne talked about the importance of family and community. She also talked about language and food. Other teachers talked about relating to struggles of ethnic and/or national belonging. Sara said, “I felt really seen by [the play] in a way that I didn’t expect… I think [Nina] going to college and not understanding who she was there and having to come home to figure that out resonated with me in ways that are interesting. It’s not a parallel story, but going someplace that made you re-identify with who you were before or your culture is interesting… I have always lived in this place where I’m either not White enough or not Latina enough, so figuring out what that is in different spaces or like how to meld to whatever the majority perception of myself is, and it seems like that is a thing that [Nina] was trying to figure out.” Kenny talked about relating to the story of immigration and belonging. He said, “Usnavi talked about going back home and then not realizing that like he is home. There are times when I’ve felt that way…I’m a [second-generation] immigrant. My mother is from Jamaica. And like everybody’s always like, ‘you’ve got to have pride in where you’re from.’ I’ve always felt like, you know, where do I actually belong? …I also understand the grappling of like where your family’s from, where you originated from, wanting to go back there.”

Some students also found mirrors in the play. Eustacia, a seventh grade student, said: “I could really relate to the girl who went to college and her not wanting to let her family, community and friends down. My family really wants me to go to college and have a good life. That’s like the main reason why we came to America.” Gabriela, an eighth grade student, said, “I really, really connect to In the Heights. So much is similar to my life…This is my comfort movie because it feels familiar.”

When asked what they hoped students took from the play, some teachers talked about the importance of mirrors, the importance of all children in the FSA community having opportunities to see people like them reflected in the arts. Yvonne said, “We have multiple students this year… who are at least partially Latinx and they have that [ability to see themselves in the play], too… We’re not doing the things we say [we do] if we don’t expose people to all the stuff and make sure that everybody feels included.” Similarly, Sara said, “It was very cool to see a predominantly minority cast…to see them [the students], a lot of them represented in that, that there’s space for stories like that.”

Overall, teachers hoped students learned from the experience and took something meaningful away with them when they left the theater. Jan discussed the educational value of the experience, saying, “Learning in the classroom of course is valuable, but going outside of the confines of the classroom and learning in other places is always of tremendous value… [It’s important] to learn how to learn in those kinds of settings, to realize that it’s an opportunity to be intentional about what you’re learning, not just be entertained, which is of value in and of itself. But, the learning beyond that of…what the play was showing the characters going through and the struggles…and being able to relate it to the real world, to think about how realistic, how well it portrayed those struggles… To experience something beyond the more programmed learning in the classroom I think is so valuable.” Kenny discussed the value of the conversations following the play. He said, “As a teacher I realize more and more that kids don’t talk to that many adults outside of their parents. So, they usually get their knowledge on topics from their friends who are older, maybe TV, but they don’t really get to ask really important questions…There’s a lot of knowledge that can be gained from kids just talking with people besides their parents about topics that matter.”

While the play is over and students are back to their regularly scheduled classes, it is my hope that the learning will continue, that parents and teachers will continue to engage in these conversations about representation, about Latinx identity, about Blackness, about class, and race and space because these conversations matter.

Written by Kristen Clayton, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

Written by krystalcollier · Categorized: Classroom Stories, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Visible Learning · Tagged: collective learning, hands-on learning

Nov 07 2022

Everyone Deserves to be the Main Character

middle school libraryBy my second or third year of teaching Language Arts at FSA, I’d become pretty familiar with the books in my classroom. I had spent a lot of time organizing them, taking out volumes that were damaged, and generally making sure that the books were available to students not just as classroom books but as usable library books. I’d gotten pretty good at pointing students towards books that they might want to read, helping them to find stories that reflected their interests, or showing them new possible interests.

One student, however, was stumping me. They were an avid reader, and they liked romance stories, but they kept rejecting the books I suggested to them. Finally, the student told me the problem. “I don’t like reading romances,” they said, “because they’re all based on heterosexual people.”

This statement floored me.

I knew that romances and other stories that focused on LGBTQIA+ characters existed. Yet I could not name one book in our current library with that characteristic.

Here in front of me, I had a student who loved books and who loved to read, and I couldn’t successfully share stories with them because they didn’t see themselves in the books on our shelves. Their enjoyment for books was significantly damaged because they were tired of reading books that only represented the heterosexual norm.

This conversation made me wonder about the representation in the books I’d read as a student. Had I ever read a book about LGBTQIA+ characters? I could only name one gay relationship in a book: Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood from the Mortal Instruments series, which I hadn’t read until after high school. Alec and Magnus are two of my favorite characters in the series, but they are side characters. And were they the very first gay couple I’d ever read about? It’s entirely possible that they were, that I had gone through the entirety of high school and not seen gay people represented in a book.

My discovery made me question even more. Had I ever read a book with a main character on the cover who was Latina? Had I ever read a book where the main Latina character had a Latino dad and a white mom? Had I ever read a book where one of the Latina character’s main joys was playing lotería at her grandmother’s on weekends? Had I ever seen any books about Latinx people at all that weren’t about drugs or gangs or struggles?

In short: Had I ever had the chance to see myself in the stories I read?

The answer, I feared, was a resounding “no.”

When I transitioned from being the Language Arts teacher in charge of books to the Middle School librarian, I knew that more than anything, I wanted my library to be a place where students from different places and identities could find something that they loved. But that wasn’t going to be possible if students from different places and identities were not represented in the books we had.

Since my conversation with that student, my goal for our Middle School library has been to incorporate books in which students can see themselves. I sought out books that had Black children doing magic on the covers and Latinx children playing soccer. I looked for graphic novels by Gene Leun Yang, a prominent American-Chinese author, and removed books from our space that had outdated and offensive portrayals of Indigienous Peoples. I added books that feature students who aren’t neurotypical or able bodied, and I made sure that all of our stories about diversity weren’t just stories of violence or struggle.

Having a diverse library doesn’t just help students who are part of a minority group. Diverse literature helps everyone to see that there are so very many people in the world and that one way of thinking isn’t the only way. For too long, the standard of literature has been that of white male authors, and while such books can carry value, there are so many other perspectives available to us. Reading is about opening minds and learning new things, and reading books by the same kinds of people about people who look the same limits not only a student’s potential to learn, but also a student’s potential to love what they’re reading.

Students from every identity deserve to see themselves in the books they’re reading. They deserve to think of themselves as the main characters, worthy of a cover, and not just a side character or comic relief.

Today, in my 7th year at FSA, I have students in my library constantly. They come in every day and find something new to love, and if we don’t have something they can connect with, I make it my job to try and get it for them.

One of our newest, and one of my favorite shelves in our library right now, is our LGBTQIA+ fiction section. It’s small, still growing, but it is unapologetic. I think of that student from my 2nd or 3rd year and the conversation we have every time I see it. 

My biggest hope for our library is that every student will get the chance to feel welcomed, seen, and loved in this space.

 

by Yvonne Rodriguez

If you would like to send a book to the Middle School Library the dream list is here.

Written by saraperez · Categorized: Classroom Stories, News, School Culture · Tagged: community, library stories, Middle School, middle school library, representation

Sep 15 2022

Goal Setting Conferences (Middle School)

Each new school year brings notebooks, backpacks, water bottles, and, at FSA, goal setting conferences. For two days in September, parents and caretakers are welcomed into classrooms to meet with their student’s advisor, who is also their homeroom teacher. These conferences involve parents in relationship-building and goal-setting that takes place during the initial weeks of school.

Middle school students and teachers begin the year with activities that build positive connections in their classroom communities. During extra homeroom sessions and in academic classes, students are invited to consider their “hopes and dreams” for the upcoming year and to write them down. They’re asked to reflect on the “more” they’d like to explore and develop as their own. After students spend time opening themselves up to the possibilities, they are given time and support to set specific, actionable, and realistic goals that will help them stretch into their potential.

When an advisor conferences with a student’s parent(s)/caregiver(s), they bring their knowledge of the hopes, dreams, and goals the student has articulated. Advisors also bring their developing sense of the student during different types of activity and different parts of the school day. They strive to discover and affirm how a student’s goodness manifests in daily actions and interactions. Mindful of the whole student, advisors draft goals for each advisee’s academic, social, and emotional growth, along with questions to ask a student’s parent(s).

During conferences, parents add their hopes and dreams for the school year, along with any questions, concerns, or information they wish to add. This information sharing leads to the development of a few significant goals tailored to the particular student’s strengths, growth areas, and learning style. Action and resource plans are discussed as needed to ensure appropriate scaffolding and support. Parents and teachers then follow-up to discuss these goals with their students and to develop routines and strategies for consistent practice and incremental progress. A key part of follow-up is eliciting and listening to student input.

A strong home-school partnership sustains and enriches student learning and personal growth. The “whole” child is truly expansive and complex. The purpose of goal setting is to support students in stretching as they claim more of their potential, more knowledge, more strategies, more resilience, more skills, more kindness, more connection, more justice, and more joy. Conferences provide an early and important opportunity for the important adults in a student’s life to share information, listen carefully to each other, and begin a dialogue that will evolve over the course of the school year and often beyond.

Written by saraperez · Categorized: Classroom Stories, School Culture · Tagged: commitment, community of learners, growth mindset, hands-on learning, thinking skills

Jul 18 2022

Walking the Halls

Walking through the halls in the last weeks of school tells a story in a way only walls can. The bulletin boards that line the walls create the pages in our yearbook, reminding us of projects, conversations and of the tiny moments that got us to summer. 

independent schools atlanta

We spent this year in masks, reacting to lists of banned books, saying GAY, protecting our trans kids, honoring changing pronouns, Covid testing on Fridays, learning how to support humans in war torn Ukraine, talking about global warming, researching famous Black Atlantans, digging into SEE learning and having hard conversations. We learned consonant blends, released trout into the south river, celebrated birthday circles, made care kits for unhoused humans, and built timelines of famous Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). 

We have spent 180 days together. In a time of chaos we tried to be steady, we made safe spaces, we discussed racism and how to be anti-racists. We practiced our cursive and learned our multiplication tables, had sewing circles where we discussed water protectors and how to advocate for marginalized communities. We have gathered on Friday mornings to sit in silence and hold in the light…ultimately holding each other. 

independent middle school atlanta
independent schools atlanta
independent schools atlanta

Walking these halls at the end of this year there are stories of civil rights leaders, definitions of words associated with the topic of antisemitism, art reflecting stories and people from around the world and the moments that taught us more about ourselves than we knew 180 days ago. 

by Sara Perez

Written by saraperez · Categorized: Classroom Stories, News

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