Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Eating, speaking, and 'rithmetic






On 10/12/10, I spoke to K-8 at Ridgefield Academy in Connecticut. They'd souped up the flyer I send each school I'm booked at prior to the visit, converting it to a snazzy poster:


The school had a wonderfully warm, almost cozy, feel to it. Two aspects of the school stood out to me.

One, the cafeteria food. All freshly cooked and plenty of vegetables. Not only that, but the kids ate the vegetables. No sweets that I could see offered for dessert. I was told they never serve hot dogs (though I do like an all-beef hot dog when opportunity exists) and the pizza is homemade.

Two, the emphasis on public speaking. Given the reason I was there, it won't be a surprise to learn I value the skill of presenting before an audience. This school begins to build students' confidence in that regard from the youngest age. Of course, this positively affects kids even when they are not standing in front of a crowd.

The 'rithmetic? Well, I didn't ask but I'm sure their kids are good at that, too.

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