Tuesday, May 8 2012: The MacDuffie School Globalism Speaker Series continued with a talk by Y. Hugh Jo, professor of  US foreign policy, Asian politics, and international law & human rights at Westfield State University. His lecture, “China on the Rise,” addressed many questions such as what implications will China’s economic policies have on Sino-US relations? And will it be possible for China to pursue its goals and maintain peaceful relations with the US?

China is projected to overtake the United States as the largest economy in the world in the next decade or so. This forecast is based on the assumption that the Chinese economy will continue to grow at a break-neck speed in the near future. To make it happen, China needs to attract large volume of foreign investment, secure the supply of energy and raw materials, and contain political unrest at home, among others. Video of the lecture is available on Film/Videos section of our Art page.

A native of South Korea, Dr. Ho earned a Ph.D. in political science from~University at Albany, SUNY.  He is a recipient of the Harry Truman Presidential Library Dissertation Research Grant, and has recently published an article in Journal of World-Systems Research.

Lego Stop Motion – “Bank Robbery” from The MacDuffie School on Vimeo

Speaker: Professor Y. Hugh Jo, Westfield State Univ. from The MacDuffie School on Vimeo

During this quarter, MacDuffie Seniors enrolled in Honors World Literature have been studying the literature of East Asia, beginning with a review of the three major belief systems that have served as powerful influences shaping the history and culture of the region: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.  When the class traveled to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts for a docent-led tour of the East Asian collection May 3, they were able to examine and enjoy first-hand many of the valued artifacts that reflect the region’s artistic legacy.  Prior to the trip, each student became familiar with the Museum’s ‘online’ collection, eventually selecting one item of special interest to research more carefully before the day of the field trip and presenting their findings to the class.  Sam Park ’12 chose to discuss a bronze mirror from the Goryeo Dynasty, while Casey Placek ’12 presented information about a Japanese scroll painting from the early 19^th century.  Other presentations included silk paintings, ritual weapons, and incense burners, to name but a few.

At the conclusion of the tour, students had an opportunity to enjoy other collections at the Museum before heading to Minado’s in Natick for a great lunch featuring Asian cuisine.

Spring 2012 presentation – “I Want You Back” from The MacDuffie School on Vimeo

I’ve also had a week where MacDuffie was recognized for being a 50-year member of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and we were able to recognize David Denno’s excellent work with a Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award.

Our Mission speaks of high ethical standards. Ethical standards are evidenced in our values, and our values are stated quite succinctly as CIRCLE. This past few weeks have shown a wealth of evidence of Community, Creativity, Leadership, and Excellence, and I commend all those who participated in any way.

I’m still seeing aspects of MacDuffie for the first time, but more and more I am convinced that this is a special place.

Regards,

Steve Griffin

Last week, all of our students engaged in an electronic survey. Students were asked about their level of satisfaction with MacDuffie, and with its individual programs. They were also asked about how well we do at promoting the elements of ourMission, and of CIRCLE values. In the next few weeks, please expect a parent survey to come from MacDuffie. It will be comprehensive, and may take 15-20 minutes to complete. However, the benefit of a good survey response is enormous, so please do take the time. This information is invaluable for school improvement planning, and for building “Raving Fans”.

 Call for Nominations for The MacDuffie School Advisory Board: The Advisory Board meets four times yearly, and provides guidance for the Head of School on important areas such as strategic planning, budget, mission, and quality of service.  We would like to have more parent representation on the Advisory Board. If you are interested in more information, or would like to nominate someone to the Board, please contact me directly.

Some good news! Some time ago, we submitted a request to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to look at the safety of the intersection at Route 202 andSchool Street. The DOT has approved a project to improve safety at the intersection with geometric, traffic control, and traffic calming measures. While this project will not be completed until 2016, expect improvements in signage and road markings within the next year.

And finally, a parent contacted me and asked if the school could provide some general guidance around the correct mix of courses for college-bound students. This is an area where the needs of the individual are so important, that there are very few general guidelines. The best that I can do is to let you know that MacDuffie administration reviews course selections with an eye to providing an appropriate challenge for each student under our care. In the future, we expect our advisors to work even more closely with students to ensure that MacDuffie graduation requirements are being met, and the appropriate level of challenge is being offered. If you have questions about your own child’s courses for next year, please contact the advisor, or Tom Addicks at taddicks@macduffie.org.

 Have a great weekend,

Steve Griffin

Head of School