Coffee in the Commons

On many Friday mornings throughout the year, Assistant Heads Alethea Dunham-Carson, Veronica Jutras, and Tom Cicatiello, along with GCA leadership, host conversations ranging from followups after parent education nights to ideas on how parents can help students make the most of the feedback in progress reports.

Upcoming coffees

Continuing the conversation on school readiness from AISNE’s parent webinar series 
Friday, October 2nd from 8:15-9:00am
Continue the conversation! On the evening of September 29th, AISNE is hosting a parent webinar featuring executive functioning expert Sarah Ward—and now it’s our turn to unpack those ideas together!.
Join Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning as well as some members of Gordon’s academic support team to continue thinking about what families can do at home to support their child’s school experience. This event offers adults the opportunity to engage with the webinar’s concepts and with one another! What resonated? What have you tried that has worked well for you? What are you most curious about? 
Our hope is that families will leave feeling inspired, connected, and ready to apply practical, home-to-school strategies that will help support your child’s independence, agency, and confidence as they navigate the school year.
 

Lower School math, how to support your lower school student in their math journey!
Friday, October 16th from 8:15-9:00am 
Join our new Lower School Math Specialist, Maggie Friedfeld for a morning of learning, exploring, and — yes — doing some math!
Come ask questions and learn more about this new role, Ms. Friedfeld’s goals for the year, and how she is working alongside teachers to strengthen students’ mathematical thinking.
This isn’t just a morning to hear about math. We want you to experience it.
Step into the role of a Gordon math learner, try some of the strategies your children are learning in their classrooms, and discover how approaching a problem in different ways can deepen mathematical understanding. We’ll also take a closer look at fluency: what it really means, why it matters, and why mathematical fluency is about much more than memorizing facts.
Most importantly, we’ll talk about how families can support children at home in becoming confident, flexible mathematicians.

How to raise a reader with librarian Sandy Horton and Director of the Joukowsky Family Library Camille Harrison
Friday, November 6th from 8:15-9:00am
How do we cultivate a lifelong love of reading in a world full of screens, busy schedules, and endless distractions? With the Book Fair just around the corner, join us for a practical conversation with our very own library team.
This gathering is all about how to encourage a vibrant reading culture at home. Our library team will share where to start, how to find those engaging books, and how our kids' relationships with reading shift as they grow. We’ll talk about everything from building early reading routines to the unique challenge of keeping middle schoolers engaged when they are being pulled in a million different directions.
 

Behind the scenes of Gordon theater
Friday, November 13th from 8:15-9:00am
Join theater teacher Don Mays, musical director Mateal Lovaas Ishihara and music teacher Elyssa Hurley for a special morning featuring members of our Middle School theater cast as they share a sneak peek into their upcoming play.
Our student-artists will talk about the creative process of bringing a show to life, share favorite moments from rehearsals, and discuss what theater at Gordon means to them. Whether you have a child in the cast, an elementary student curious about the stage, or simply want to support our Middle Schoolers, come grab a cup of coffee and be inspired by their confidence, collaboration, and passion. We hope to see you there!
 

Pressures of Parenting 2.0 
Friday, November 20th from 8:15-9:00am
Last year, we gathered to speak candidly and honestly about the immense, everyday pressures of modern parenting, anchoring our conversation in the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory, “Parents Under Pressure.” This year, we are reconvening to check in!
To guide this year's conversation, we are looking to a follow-up piece by the same Surgeon General: “My Parting Prescription for America.”
Join Head of School Meredith deChabert for an open conversation. Whether you read the article ahead of time or just want to show up and share what has been on your mind lately, this is a low-pressure space to connect, reflect, and find comfort in the fact that we are not parenting in a vacuum. Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and join the village. 

Continuing the conversation on the power of beliefs from AISNE’s parent webinar series 
Friday, December 4th from 8:15-9:00am 
Join Kristi Budd, Meredith deChabert to process ideas shared by Shawn Achor in AISNE’s most recent parent series webinar. This gathering is an opportunity to share what resonated with you from the webinar, ask questions, and chat with other parents. Members of our team will be there to listen, hear what’s on your mind, and think alongside you about how these themes of optimism, resilience, and belonging show up in our kids' daily lives.

Robotics at Gordon with Lily Palmieri and members of Gordon's Cybergators
Friday, December 11th from 8:15-9:00am
Join robotics coach Lily Palmeri and members of Gordon's Cybergators to learn about Gordon’s approach to competitive robotics!
Students will share about their innovative projects, demonstrate programs, and reflect on how the program has shaped their learning and self-discovery. Q&A will follow the presentation.