Feynman School Finds a Campus: Open Houses on May 16th and May 20th

[Anonymous]

I also wonder how many of the positive posts here about the school are spam.

[Anonymous]

Well, we could start with the fact that Feynman isn't involved and there's no indication that the education being provided mirrors how he was educated or how he taught....

FS has the support of Richard Feynman's surviving children, Michelle and Carl Feynman. The Director and Exec. Dir. have been in contact with the Feynmans during the creation of the school. They have also consulted with Dr. Douglas Osheroff, a Nobel Prize winner and Stanford physics professor who was a student of Richard Feynman's at Caltech in the early 1960s. Dr. Osheroff believes that FS' strategy is right on the mark. FS' key focus is hands-on science and exploration, tinkering with materials and questioning. If you research Richard Feynman, you will find that FS' educational philosophy is in fact very closely aligned with Feynman's early education and his teaching philosophy.

[DeborahMersino]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feynman reminds me of Nysmith -- more marketing than education.

Interesting. On what basis would you say that Feynman is more marketing than education?

Well, we could start with the fact that Feynman isn't involved and there's no indication that the education being provided mirrors how he was educated or how he taught....

I'm Deborah Mersino and I've been working with Co-founders Rob and Susan Gold of Feynman School for the past year and a half as they bring their vision for a gifted school in Montgomery County to life by building curriculum, garnering esteemed Advisory Board members, finding a campus and sharing information about their school with others. Sadly, Dr. Feynman passed away in 1988; however, the Golds actually sought and received the official blessing of Dr. Feynman's children to name their school (the first/only in the country), because they believed in the Golds' distinct vision for creating a school devoted to high-potential students that would have a science focus and celebrate curiosity. If you've ever had the distinct pleasure of listening to the Feynman lectures, you can easily see why this Nobel-Laureate was ideal inspiration for this school. The Golds feel privileged to be carrying forward a legacy of his impassioned teaching, which celebrating questioning, discovery and an innate appreciation for learning about how things work in our world.

For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to view Dr. Feynman's lectures, here's a clip, which should give you a glimpse into how Feynman School plans to nurture the curiosity of its gifted learners. Some of you may have seen this already (I've posted it on DC Urban Moms and Dads before); however, I thought I'd post it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pYRn5j7oI. Learning can and should be fascinating.

Warmest regards,
Deborah Mersino

[Anonymous]

And yet it isn't the Osterhoff school. And the Feynman kids didn't replicate their father's success, suggesting he was better at being a genius (and a physicist) than at producing the innovators and leaders of tomorrow (or designing schools for the gifted).

There's also the question of how and how reliably giftedness is assessed at this age. So what are the standards? The 14 smartest kids whose families apply?

(And see what I mean about spam? Hard to believe that 11:28 doesn't work for the school).

[DeborahMersino]

Pardon my typo above...should have read, "which celebrated questioning, discovery and an appreciation for learning about how things work in our world."

Warmest regards,
Deborah Mersino

[DeborahMersino]

Anonymous wrote:And yet it isn't the Osterhoff school. And the Feynman kids didn't replicate their father's success, suggesting he was better at being a genius (and a physicist) than at producing the innovators and leaders of tomorrow (or designing schools for the gifted).

There's also the question of how and how reliably giftedness is assessed at this age. So what are the standards? The 14 smartest kids whose families apply?

(And see what I mean about spam? Hard to believe that 11:28 doesn't work for the school).

I'm not sure why you're so adamantly opposed, but you're welcome to have your opinion. I consult with gifted educators throughout the world and believe strongly in the Golds ability to succeed in providing an ideal environment for Feynman students.

There are many early indicators of giftedness in young children. Simply look at www.nagc.org and/or www.hoagiesgifted.org to read more. You're right in that formal IQ testing cannot be administered before primary grades (too unreliable); however, Feynman School has developed a specific admissions process based on best practices that allows for proper assessment (as do many private gifted schools offering preschool, pre-K and kindergarten across the country). It's in the school's best interest to admit those students who meet the criteria.

High-potential students thrive best when placed in an environment where professional educators not only understand gifted children (including asynchronous development, overexcitabilities and various learning styles and differentiated curriculum), but are committed to helping them thrive.

I don't know who 11:28 is, but I do know that Feynman School have garnered a lot of support from the gifted education community, parents and educators. I believe the positive postings simply reflect the fact that many individuals see the need for a school like this and are thrilled that its coming. Having said that, I wish you well.

Warmest regards,

Deborah Mersino

[DeborahMersino]

adding to above..."It's in the school's best interest - and in the best interest of all families - for Feynman School to admit those students who meet the criteria."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And yet it isn't the Osterhoff school. And the Feynman kids didn't replicate their father's success, suggesting he was better at being a genius (and a physicist) than at producing the innovators and leaders of tomorrow (or designing schools for the gifted).

There's also the question of how and how reliably giftedness is assessed at this age. So what are the standards? The 14 smartest kids whose families apply?

Quit being such an absolute dick-head.

This Deborah Mersino person is being too polite/professional to say anything like that, but I'm not. She's trying to post helpful info. If you don't like it, move along. If you have questions, PM her or visit the school. Don't be such an ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also wonder how many of the positive posts here about the school are spam.

I too wonder. Posts about a new school should be negative or, at best, neutral.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone go to the open house? I would be curious as to what they thought.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

The Spanish program sounds promising. My MIL was an early childhood teacher and recommended Alison Mackey's book to us on teaching second languages. It's called The Bilingual Edge: Why, When, and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language. I think it's neat that she's developing the program for the school.

[Anonymous]

We couldn't attend the open house but are very curious. There is a real dearth of good options for young gifted kids around here - crazy, when you think of the concentration of talent in the DC region! Would love to hear from anyone who attended.

[Anonymous]

There have been programs for the "highly gifted" for some time now, around the country. Have any true super geniuses graduated from any of them? I'm truly curious.

I'm also struck by the reference to "asynchronous" development and "overexciteablities" (what does that mean, BTW? The ability to become overexcited?) cause a program that sees behavior issues as just another aspect of geniosity (geniusabilities!) could be doing these kids a real disservice if they cause parents to avoid therapies, diagnoses and interventions. I say this as the mother of a child who taught himself how to read when he was 3, and so would qualify for this school in spite of his own asynchonicities which are due to his having Aspergers. He has flourished at a mainstream school that will serve him in the long run because its in the mainstream world that he will have to function.

Sorry if I sound pissy but I see so many families that are blinded by their child's gifts and fail to see the deficits. These parents tend to say "Oh he's acting up in class because he's bored." Sound familiar?

[Anonymous]

PP: I don't know anything about Feynman so I don't have a dog in that fight. But if you talk to parents whose kids have attended places like the MoCo Highly Gifted Centers, you will frequently hear things like: it saved our kid's life.

Sounds a bit extreme, but as one of those parents, I can tell you: there are kids for whom regular school is a nightmare. They really need the accelerated curriculum and peer group provided by the Centers or something like them.

In my child's case, he was acting up in class because he was bored. He was a difficult kid to have in class and he had a lot of conflicts with peers, was teased a lot, etc. Now, in a classroom where he feels he belongs and where he's challenged, no behavior problems at all. He was depressed in a regular school -- I mean really depressed -- and now he's happy. is he quirky? hell yes. But he's happy.

Why on earth would I want to put him in a place that was wrong for him just because it more closely resembles "the real world"? I expect he will create his own "real world" when he's an adult by choosing an education, a career, friends and a spouse who will challenge and enrich him.

[Anonymous]

"Dickhead" here. I think both 20:01 and 20:42 make valid points and that's why a certain healthy skepticism about private schools "for the gifted" is warranted. Public schools take all comers and assess them in the same way (whether the assessments they do are the right ones is another question and a separate thread). You don't buy your way in and parents don't classify their own kids.

By contrast, it's not clear from the website, application forms, or discussion here, how Feynman school identifies which 3-6 year olds are gifted -- much less what kind of applicant pool or cohort they'll attract. To me, that makes the claim that your gifted kids will be surrounded by other gifted kids suspect at this point. And, yes, it could be in a new school's interest to take kids who don't meet the criteria they'd hoped to apply if they don't get enough or the right kind of applicants to open/fund their operations otherwise.

Feynman School's website takes indicators that could be flags for ADHD and other learning disabilities or high levels of giftedness (or both) and encourages the parents of preschoolers who display these traits to identify their kids as gifted and send them to a private school with no track record. What's more, the admissions testing appears to be done in-house so this could easily be a situation where there's no objective opinion in the mix re what the kid's educational needs are.