Reflecting on a Semester of Progress
It’s the last week of classes before finals for Upper School and College students. Then, everyone disperses for a well-earned Christmas break.
As we wind down the semester, I find myself reflecting on the significant progress made this fall. From preschoolers to College seniors, we’ve seen evidence of significant progress this fall as our students become lifelong learners, thinkers, and problem-solvers.
One of the significant accomplishments this semester was the adoption of shared student learning outcomes for the School and College. Thinking back on the term, I realize I’ve been privileged to regularly witness our students practice each of these outcomes:
- Demonstrate a depth and breadth of knowledge
- Demonstrate critical and generative thinking
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively
- Be intentional learners
- Be effective members of communities
- Act on the basis of Principle
Taken together, these outcomes fulfill Principia founder Mary Kimball Morgan’s high ideals for the institution. Honestly, participating in handwrought character education as practiced here at Principia can be messy at moments—and very demanding. But it’s richly rewarding and endlessly inspiring!
An example of being effective community members involves a College sociology class that is helping open and operate a grocery store in a nearby USDA-designated food desert and a public art class that designed and painted an outdoor mural at the site. Meanwhile, Upper School seniors are preparing their senior speeches, a major opportunity to hone their ability to communicate effectively.
I’m pleased to report that Upper School students are demonstrating a depth and breadth of knowledge, as evidenced when the College Board recently announced the results of the spring 2014 Advanced Placement exams. Of the 84 exams taken by Principia Upper School students, 23 percent were rated at a perfect score of 5! Eighty-eight percent of Principia students scored 3 or higher, compared with 64.8 percent for Missouri and 61.3 percent globally.
The College solar car team certainly demonstrated “critical and generative thinking” in designing and building Ra 9, their new car. The state-of-the-art vehicle is now on a container ship bound for Abu Dhabi, where it will compete in the Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge (ADSC) January 16–19, 2015. Nine current College students and recent graduates, supported by three faculty members, will take on the 1,200-kilometer course. We look forward to hearing about the team’s upcoming adventures, and you can tune in for pre-race and race day commentary on Principia Internet Radio at 7 p.m. (central time) each evening from January 12–19. (That’s 5 a.m. Abu Dhabi time, by the way.)
We had a very successful interaction with the Apollo 13 astronauts as part of the George A. Andrews Distinguished Speaker Series last month. Before speaking to an overflow crowd at the main event, astronauts James A. Lovell and Fred W. Haise and former NASA Mission Flight Control Director Gene Kranz visited classrooms, speaking to students about the impact of the space program on various disciplines. They had dinner before the talk with a group of students, complete with moon pie for dessert. “Risk is the price of progress,” Kranz told a student who interviewed him for Principia Internet Radio, later encouraging students to be “entrepreneurs for the future.” It all made for a very impactful experience for the Principia community and for many from the surrounding area.
February will bring more remarkable opportunities for our students to broaden their horizons and think globally. We will host our annual Monitor Night Live event on February 5. The Andrews Speaker Series brings former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Cox Auditorium on February 19. And the Ernie and Lucha Moral Courage Program sponsors a talk by human-rights activist Ziauddin Yousafzai (father of Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai) on February 26. We look forward to hosting and learning from such influential world thinkers.
The School is beginning to engage in a charrette process, planning for renovations to the Upper School academic building and performing arts facilities. This is made possible by a recent $4 million gift commitment from a generous donor. These priorities are based on the School master plan that has been in place since 2011, and we are grateful to the donor for making these forward steps possible. Stay tuned for additional details as the community works together to envision this project.
This weekend kicks off the season of Principia Sings around the country. From now through Christmas Eve, this much-loved tradition continues in nearly 50 locations from coast to coast. Check the schedule to find an event near you. We’d love to have you join in the singing and celebrations of the season.
Back on our campuses, students of all ages are preparing to share the joy of Christmas through musical performances of all kinds. As we have been prayerfully supporting and discussing the unrest in Ferguson, I’ve been pondering peace and find myself thinking of a song that Principia preschoolers have sung in their Sugar Plum program for decades. The lyrics state, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."
I wish you great peace and joy throughout the holidays and the coming year. Thank you for your support of Principia and our students.