This summer, Pedagogical Directors began the work within their schools of planning with their teams for opening the year with Identity. The webbing above is an example of how our White Marsh location approached this task. Teachers were invited first to create collages that represented what gives them strength, and then reflected upon these ideas to ground their thinking about where to begin with the children.

At the Young School, we believe children have the right to explore big ideas and are capable of sharing their insights in both concrete and intuitive ways. This work often begins with the teachers exploring these ideas themselves and seeing the possibilities that emerge. The example from White Marsh shows several themes developing across all locations – strength through connections to others and to nature. The following questions guide our thinking:

• How are we connected to each other, and how can we build new ways to connect? This could follow many paths, for example, how infants connect through body language and verbal communication, to how Pre-K children can connect with friends while physical distancing is encouraged. This fundamental question includes how we stay connected to families and include them in meaningful ways in children’s “school life.”
• How can we use nature to teach ideas about strength, resilience, and teamwork? From the physical challenges that nature provides to the many examples of perseverance and communication between living organisms, nature provides a platform to explore how people reflect these traits.
• Building upon the strengths of children, teachers, and families, we look forward to seeing how the identity of each classroom, cottage, and school emerges and reflects the values of our Young School community.