As we end National Poetry Month, I reflect on when I first encountered poetry that meant something to me. A long time ago, my English class worked with T. S. Eliot's poetry and I was required to memorize "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." At the time, I enjoyed what seemed clever writing, the emotion of the author, and the exposure to a more complex level of composition. Today, when I as an adult re-read Eliot, and particularly "Prufrock," I can see the poem for something different. The inner emotional struggle that the protagonist wrestles with makes more sense to the adult me. The larger message, however, is that my early exposure to poetry allowed me to slowly unwrap multiple meanings as I grew. I feel different about "Prufrock" now than I did. Poetry allows us to do that, as poems demand multiple readings as our perspectives shift. I came to poetry through school - so I am glad that our librarians are spearheading our poetry efforts! - and I hope that families take the chance this week to share a favorite poem with each other. Try it - it is more fun than you might think!

Besides poetry, Spring heralds student performances across many media. Our school musical, Guys and Dolls, will open next week (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances) and promises to be as big and as fun as Deal musicals can be. The director, Jill Roos, has taken to heart the idea of bringing as many students onto the stage as possible - and is still able to maintain a sense of theater. These shows are sure to sell out, so it is important to get them on your calendar. 

We will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week the same week as the musical. I have written before about the power of teaching in our building. As a school ,we will definitely reach out to our teachers to let them know how much we appreciate their hard work. The PTA will be supportive of us (as usual) in making this happen. I encourage any parents who want to send in a special note to a particular teacher to go ahead and do so during this time; the notes mean so much more than you might think.

I want to close with a thought about your students. The other day I was able to learn from a few students about cafeteria hierarchies - seating, proximity - and how these play out in the day-to-day of school life. While our cafeteria is a pretty full place, there is always a primary sense of order that we, as adults, impose. There is also the underlying order that students impose that is an initial attempt at making sense of their social order. Lunchtime is one of the few times that students control exactly where they are seated. We always believe that over time students move around and make new friends, and while this does happen it also doesn't happen. I was disheartened to hear from some students how important sitting at a particular table was, how powerful the socialization of seating was in the rest of their day, and how powerless they felt to change this. We typically conduct a "Mix-It-Up" day, but the impact is only minimal. So, while you are reading poetry at breakfast or dinner or in the car, why not ask your child where they sit at lunch and why? It might be interesting to hear what they have to say.

Take care,

James Albright

Please do not forget our necessary registration push. Make the time to do this task. It is very critical in our smooth operation, year after year, and it is one of the few things we can't do for you. Put on your schedule a time to come in and get this paperwork done. If you are the parent of a 6th or 7th grader, put those papers in your car and the next time you are picking up or dropping off at Deal, step into the office. We will be grateful, I assure you.