Recently, I was racking my brain to come up with suitable activities for our sixth grade students to do during an Avondale Meadows visit with their first grade buddies. We have a trip to Avondale planned for this week, and I wanted to be sure that the activities were fun, engaging, and educational. Then, I remembered a letter from Jada, a second grader at Avondale Meadows. She wrote it after visiting Park Tudor for the Water Expo put on by eighth graders in February. The letter, covered in pink flowers and red hearts, reads:

"Dear Tudors,

You know what I learned today is how to make a new friend. You were that person. Thank you for being my friend. I hope I can see you again. You make me smile and you make me happy." Almost as an afterthought she writes, "Thank you for the water information."

Besides being incredibly cute, Jada's message confirms the importance of scheduling another visit during these hectic last days of the spring semester. She reminds me that the activities we plan are important, but they are only a part of the picture. Jada's letter brings me back to why we first established a partnership with Avondale Meadows.

When we take our students into the community to interact with younger students, we offer them a unique opportunity to focus on someone other than themselves. We give them the chance to understand community needs, appreciate diverse backgrounds, and simply put, help someone else feel special. Perhaps most importantly, we foster empathy and self-efficacy when we ask our students to lead. In addition to gains in skill development and personal connection to other members of their community, students work together on activities that are designed to support curricular goals.

Our partnership with Avondale Meadows Academy highlights all four of the key principles of Community Engaged Learning at Park Tudor. We focus on student growth through collaboration and problem solving. We encourage students to see through multiple lenses that enrich their broader understanding of themselves and others. We meet real needs that exist within both student groups to facilitate mutual benefit. Lastly, we advance the common good by helping students make connections and contributions to their community. Research validates the importance of these "other"-focused experiences as a means to reduce stress, improve overall health and encourage social-emotional growth. What's more, public-private partnerships (like the Avondale Meadows - Park Tudor partnership) are growing in independent schools across the country and being encouraged by national organizations like the National Association of Independent Schools, National Network of Schools in Partnership, and Private Schools with Public Purpose.

This week's sixth grade visit to Avondale is the third of four planned visits for the year. Our eighth graders partner annually with the second grade as well, which is how we came to meet Jada and her classmates, all of whom are full of boundless energy and enthusiasm. It is "Go College!" week at Avondale, and our sixth graders will spend time talking with their buddies about what they hope to be when they grow up. The first graders will share the same, and then the partners will spend time writing and illustrating a story about two kids who grow up and fulfill their dreams. The creative edge to this work is that somewhere in the story, the two characters must meet. The good work of Community Engaged Learning is truly remarkable, and the silly stories and stick-figure drawings that will likely come from this activity are simply the foundation for broader lessons of community, leadership and true caring.

All members of the Park Tudor community (students, their families, faculty and staff, and alumni) are invited to submit work to the 5x5 Art and Writing Salon. This year's theme is "Opposites." The theme is optional, but can be used as a jumping-off point for interpretation. Pieces need to measure 5 inches in each direction, and can be in any medium. All pieces submitted by April 18 will be displayed in the Upper School during Alumni weekend (April 29-30), with a reading of original short poetry, prose, and non-fiction pieces on Saturday, April 30. Please find more information here including all the guidelines and instructions for dropping off or mailing submissions. If you are interested in participating in the reading or have any questions, please contact Laura Schroeder at lschroeder@parktudor.org or 317-415-2796.