HFS 8th GRADERS IN ANNAPOLIS - MEET WITH COUNTY DELEGATES, ATTEND TALK AT NAVAL ACADEMY
Street, MD March 14, 2008 – As part of their continuing study of United States history with an emphasis on civics and leadership, eighth grade students from Harford Friends School spent the day of Friday, February 29th in Annapolis.
While there, the students met with Harford County delegates, Susan McComas and Wayne Norman to discuss the work of a delegate, the House of Delegates, issues currently before the Maryland Legislature, and the role of committee hearings in the law-making process. The meeting, arranged by Harford Friends School teacher Dr. Stephanie Stone, was followed by a tour of the State House and observation of a session of the House of Delegates.
“I’m always conflicted about giving up classroom time for a road trip, but there’s no doubt that students enjoy making the connection between in-school studies and the real world,” noted Dr. Stone, also a professor at Johns Hopkins University.
On such trips, HFS teachers find ways to make every moment count. “On the way to Annapolis, students navigated for us, using both a modern and an historic map, noting the place names and geographic features that help explain local history,” commented Dr. Stone.
HFS parent and trip chaperone Dr. Marianne Cloeren Donovan remarked, “Once there, one student was surprised by the hubbub on the floor of the House while it was in session, and the number of bills that were passed despite the seeming disarray. Democracy in action!”
“It was very cool to stand in the same room where General Washington submitted his resignation [as Commander of the Continental Army]. It really surprised me they would let us into the room where there were so many historical artifacts,” reflected HFS 8th grade student Rachel Rosenberg.
After lunch, the students walked to the U.S. Naval Academy where two junior Midshipmen gave a talk on the nature of leadership. Harford Friends School students and trip chaperones discussed the similarities and differences in leadership between a Quaker institution and a military institution, as well as the concepts of honor each institution seeks to instill or nurture in its students.
The same students will be traveling to Haverford College (PA) in April to continue the discussion about leadership and honor with student-leaders from that Quaker-based institution, annually listed in US News and World Report’s Top Ten list of Liberal Arts colleges in the country.
“The idea behind these experiences is to provide students with a global perspective of leadership, their responsibilities in their community, and the role of honor, a.k.a. ‘integrity’ by using examples from fairly disparate organizations. It is interesting to see the students begin to recognize essential aspects of leadership while also realizing it can take many different forms. Just as Kim Hays in her 1994 study of Quaker and military boarding high schools discovered, the students are realizing that the product of both types of institutions is the development and necessity of discipline. However, in the examples we are studying, one is an external, hierarchically structured approach where decisions are given in a top-down format, while the other is an internal, democratically organized approach where decisions are based upon consensus,” remarked HFS Head of School, Jonathan Huxtable. “It provides the content for some great discussion.”
The 8th grade spent part of a week in the fall exploring colonial life in Jamestown and Williamsburg, VA and will conclude their study of American History, leadership and civics with a trip to Gettysburg in mid-May.
Pictured from l to r (1st row) HFS teacher Dr. Stephanie Stone, HFS students Eric Cerino, Rachel Rosenberg, Samantha Pyle, (2nd row) HFS Head of School Jonathan Huxtable, Delegate Wayne Norman, HFS parent Dr. Marianne Cloeren-Donovan, Delegate Susan McComas, HFS students Joseph Fifty, Hannah Stambaugh, Callie Jakuszeit.
