Dear Harbor Families,

I probably don’t need to tell you this because you see it every day,  but it’s worth saying anyway: Harbor teachers are amazing. They are a top-notch group of dedicated professionals who nurture each child’s growth and individuality within warm, joyful, and intentional classroom environments. What they do each day is nothing short of magic. I have always believed that hiring exceptional teachers - and supporting their ongoing growth - is the most important aspect of my role. It is truly a privilege to work alongside this extraordinary team!

You may recall that this summer, four of our teachers attended a local institute focused on ideas from Project Zero, a research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Project Zero explores best practices in teaching and learning, such as cultivating classroom cultures of thinking, fostering maker-centered and arts-integrated learning, and developing inquiry- and play-based approaches in early childhood education.

In August, our full faculty gathered for an afternoon of learning with local educators Georgina Ardalan and Elise Stephenson, where we explored practical ways to integrate thinking strategies and storytelling with a focus on empathy in early childhood classrooms.

Tomorrow afternoon, our teachers will continue this work in a professional learning session with Foun Tang, a local Project Zero educator. Foun will guide us in using thinking routines and dramatic play to help children deepen their understanding by stepping into the roles and perspectives of characters in stories. In keeping with our school-wide theme of empathy, teachers will explore creative ways to bring perspective-taking to life through picture books and daily learning experiences. Several of our teachers who attended Foun’s workshop this summer returned to Harbor inspired, and we are excited to dive deeper as a full faculty.

Thanks to the leadership of Christina Dabulskis, our Learning and Literacy Specialist, we are also continuing to refine our approaches to learning support and differentiation in the classroom. Next Wednesday, our faculty will learn with Allison Hughes, a speech-language pathologist from Speechtree. Allison, who has worked closely with Harbor students and teachers for several years, will share strategies for strengthening receptive and expressive language development within classroom instruction. She will continue to collaborate with teachers throughout the year to help bring these approaches into practice.

This month, teachers will also be developing their individual professional goals. The practice of professional goal-setting and reflection is an established part of our culture as a faculty, and allows each educator to pursue their own inquiries as learners and grow alongside their students. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be meeting individually with every teacher to discuss their goals and explore how the school can best support their growth. These conversations are always among my favorite of the year.

As I said, Harbor teachers are amazing! With their drive for ongoing learning, genuine care for students and families, and high degree of professionalism, they create the unique learning environment that defines The Harbor School. As a Head of School - and as a Harbor parent - I could not be more grateful for this remarkable team of educators.

Warmly,

Leah Musico
Head of School