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Dear MacLaren Parents,
Last year, we started a Parent Saturday Series to introduce parents and guardians to elements of the MacLaren curriculum and invite them into the community of learners. This fall, we are continuing to build on the success of last year’s offerings with a continued focus on essentials of the curriculum and our approach to learning. We invite all parents to join us for one of these classes exploring foundations of the MacLaren curriculum.
We are offering three different classes on Saturday, October 4, 8:30-10:45 a.m. Each class is capped at 20, but we need at least eight participants to put on a class. If you do sign up for a class that does not garner enough sign ups, we will ask you if you would like to join a different group instead.
The focus of each of these classes is a foundational part of our curriculum and pedagogy. Before breaking out into individual sessions, all participants will gather together for a brief conversation with Nico Alvarado, Head of the Lower School, and Kathryn Maslow, Assistant Head of the Upper School, about how all parts of the curriculum can be approached “from the inside out.” In other words, in every subject, we try to lead students into the material directly through observation and inquiry.
Intro to Graph Theory – Kathryn Maslow (Assistant Head of School and Math Curricular Lead)
In a group of 7 people, is it possible for each person to be friends with exactly 3 other people in the group? What is the least number of colors needed to fill out a particular map, so that no two adjacent regions have the same color? These and other questions are foundational in the study of Graph Theory. Graph Theory (which has nothing to do with the xy-plane) is one option students have for tenth-grade project week. It is also what the MacLaren faculty are doing for their faculty seminar this year. Ms. Maslow will lead an introductory exploration of the topic. No preparation required.
How to Read Literature from the Inside Out – Nico Alvarado (Lower School Head of School and Literature and Composition Teacher)
MacLaren students of all ages are formed to read literature deeply, thoughtfully, and directly—that is, not putting filters and lenses and theories onto a given text, but taking it on its own terms and for its own sake. In this session, we will practice what it means to read literature as it is meant to be read. Parents will be given Flannery O’Connor’s illuminating essay “The Nature and Aim of Fiction” to read beforehand.
Studio Art Foundations: The Process Doodle – Pam Burrell (Art Curricular Lead) and Mariah Ziemer (Upper School Art Teacher)
Based on the eighth-grade studio curriculum, this hands-on workshop focuses on the basics of color theory as it is applied to the colored pencil “process doodle.” This drawing incorporates several elements of art—particularly line and color—and the technical aspects of blending that create smooth transitions between colors. Both Mrs. Burrell and Ms. Ziemer will walk parents through the skills needed and then allow ample work time. No preparation required; if you have a favorite set of colored pencils, you may bring those, or we will provide you with materials.
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