What are the results of a character-based education? What if the priority during childhood was to develop special traits and healthy attitudes, rather than fill in the right bubble on an answer sheet? And what if you didn’t let anything interfere with these priorities? The answers are in. After fifteen years of interviews with students who graduated Progressive School, their responses have been compiled, revealing a clear pattern. There are 13 character qualities that these young people, now in high-school, college and beyond, consistently report observing both in themselves, and in their peers from Progressive School. Although these qualities may exist in others too, they are seen with amazing frequency and to a high degree in those who benefited from our educational foundation. We call these qualities “intangible gains” because they are not easily quantified. Yet they are the engine that drives academic and personal growth. The Complete Series Introduction Service Zest for Learning Self-Knowledge Leadership Self-Constructivity Calm Rationality Literacy Self-Confidence Universal Outlook Aesthetic Sensitivity Discriminating Trust Integrity Joy
Read More… true stories from my daily life as principal of Progressive School of Long Island stories in reverse chronological order (names removed for privacy) 10/15/19 Today I received this letter from a mom whose son is applying for college: “Hi Eric! Hope all is well with you and the Progressive School. As I am writing a parent “brag” letter” for my son’s school counselor in prep for college application submissions, I am including a lot of references about Progressive’s impact on his upbringing and shaping up of his life! I would like to take this opportunity to thank again you and all the teachers for believing in him, for navigating him in the right directions, for letting him be who he is!! (Unfortunately, our HS is not like that…)” 8/25/19 Received this letter today from a student who graduated two years ago: “I want to thank you and your exceptional teachers for instilling a love of learning in our daughter that has continued after her graduation from Progressive. While attending high school she continues to seek out academic activities beyond the classroom. Last year she was granted early admittance to the Della Pietra Math Program at Stony Brook University. She continued with the program over the summer along with a DNA workshop at Cold Spring Harbor Labs. The most exciting news I want to share is that she was accepted into the prestigious Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students at SUNY College at Old Westbury for this school year. It is one of the most competitive programs in the nation. Selection by the institute implies that a student is among the top one-tenth of one percent of all students in mathematics on Long Island in his or her grade.” Our daughter’s accomplishments are a direct result of her years at Progressive. Thank you for providing such a strong foundation that will continue to have an immeasurable impact on her life. 3/19/19 Today I received this news from a mom whose daughter graduated: “My daughter is doing really well at Holy Trinity high school this year. She won her school’s science fair! She is a finalist in the Nassau County math fair! She also made the JV lacrosse team! We’d like to send our son for Kindergarten.” 1/27/19 Received this letter today from a mom whose daughter is now a high school senior: “I always said that better teachers grow better students. I believe you have everything to do my daughter successes. Keep up the fabulous work!!!” News clip: This past week five students representing Long Island Lutheran High School won high honors in this year’s WordWright Challenge, a competition for American high school students requiring close reading and analysis of many different kinds of prose and poetry. They ranked in the top tenth of 1% in this national competition including over 70,000 students from 48 states. Two of the five were Progressive graduates, including the daughter of this letter’s author. 8/7/2018 I just got a letter from a parent. Her son showed an interest in film making and we encouraged him to run an afterschool club. Here’s what she told me: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for welcoming my son into your school family for 7th and 8th grade. It was truly a special experience. Your philosophy of teaching and your attention to the individual needs of students are truly special. It has had a great impact on him. He recently graduated high school and is heading off in a few weeks to Ithaca College where he will study for a BFA in film ,photography and animation. He was also awarded the presidential scholarship from Ithaca College! I remember when he came to Progressive, you supported Brian in setting up a film club . Thank you for all you do for the students!” 6/11/2018 Today I had two graduates visit, one is going to Northeastern, the other to Northwestern pre-med. They told me about their life in high school. Both had positive experiences, yet both said “There was nothing as wonderful and engaging as Progressive! 6/10/2018 I learned that a graduate was just named Salutatorian of her high school! She told me that her expereince at Progressive gave her the confidence to achieve. 12/09/2016 Today a graduate, who is in now in 11th grade at St. Dominic, told me that she is the only person she knows who has fond memories of Middle School. She also took one of her only days off from school to come back and visit with her former teachers! 11/23/2016 Last year we had 12 students graduate. Today 11 of them came here on their day off to share Thanksgiving with us, uninvited! What does that tell you? Remember this is school we are talking about, a place where we correct them, prod them, teach them difficult information, grade them, etc. I guess we managed to inspire them too! 9/29/2014 So, what kind of middle schooler takes his free time to write a letter to his elementary school? One who has something in his heart that he has to say: Dear Eric, I’m writing to thank you for my time at Progressive School. Now I am in 8th Grade at Woodland Middle School in East Meadow. I’m in all Honors Level Classes and in the National Junior Honor Society. I’m also the Captain of the 8th Grade Soccer team, and last year I was awarded the MVP for the 7th Grade Soccer Team. And even though I wasn’t one of the better players, I made the 7th Grade Basketball Team because according to my Coach, I had a great attitude and was a hard-worker. I participated in NYSSMA for Singing in 6th and 7th grade. In 7th Grade I joined the Vocal Jazz Ensemble at my School and last Spring I was one of four boys that competed in a singing competition in my School called “Woodland Idol” amongst 38 students. I think that…
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