The Southold Elementary School celebrated the unveiling of a giant Mother Goose shoe, which children can play on.
The shoe symbolizes the district’s commitment to restore play to childhood.
Children were tour guides, showing visitors the sights.
Southold is led by visionary Superintendent David Gamberg, who leads both Southold and neighboring Greenport schools.
“Gamberg said Rousseau, more than 235 years ago, said, “You will never accomplish your design of forming sensible adults unless you begin by making playful children.” He added, “These words are as true today and will likely be true for all time. It is in the spirit of wanting to provide healthy and happy children that we gather here today.”
“The celebration of play and outdoor learning highlighted the school’s commitment to learning outdoors, including the award winning school garden that produces hundreds of lbs. of fresh produce every year; the outdoor easels that allow children to create works of art in the natural environment; the beautiful stone amphitheater and sandboxes that provide opportunities for creative play, and a life sized chess and a traditional swing set, as well as climbing equipment, Gamberg said.”
What a wonderful community for children.
Southold has a high opt-out rate. It also has a superb arts, music, and theatre program.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I *LOVE *THIS!!!!! Thank you for sharing. What a breath of fresh air to see that I’m not alone in believing that children learn best when they think they are playing and having a good time. / Kas Winters, The Mother of Family Ideas/
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I hope that children will be inspired to donate their shares into their own community first and foremost before thinking of helping others. = in emergency, put on your own oxygen mask before helping others = educators MUST fight for their tenure right and reasonable wages (to cover the basic rental, transportation and foods) to sustain the ideal education for students regarding freedom of expression and mutual respect for a humanity spirit.
The CORRECT nurture in the elementary education is the UTMOST and ULTIMATE necessity for human spirit to maintain civilization and kindness “in a logical sense” toward all sentient beings on Earth. Back2basic
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I spend a great deal of time in Southold. It is a wonderful community for children to grow up in. Kudos to Supt. Gamberg for a job well done.
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I’d be willing to bet this superintendent has degrees from real colleges and universities. In CA many educators are allowed to get (pay for) degrees from diploma mills with the consequence that they know little about vital subjects such as child development. I had several principals and superintendents who sincerely believed that child’s play is a waste of time. Doctors are not allowed to study at “Pay n Pass University” so why should educators? Educators have important jobs too!
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In other news:
“A tractor at Elsternwick Primary School is going to be removed due to health and safety. It’s left parents angry. Glenn Riseley spoke with Tom Elliott on Monday. “I’m unaware of any injury on it,” he said. Mr Riseley accused the education department of ‘wrapping kids in cotton wool’.”
https://www.3aw.com.au/popular-primary-school-playground-tractor-too-dangerous-for-students/
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Heartwarming and intelligent at the same time is this big, brown shoe. It will become more magnificent with age. That’s the real beauty of it. Contrast the joyful learning of the children of Southold with the glazed or strained stare of children whose faces are tinged by the ghostly blue hue of soon to be obsolete computer screens while yielding data for corporate profit. The shoe is a work of art; computer-based education is artless work.
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Wow hate to rain on a parade but I am far more impressed with the working garden than the giant shoe and chess pieces. I like the latter items better as road art than as practical incentives to play, create, build.
But I’m OK with them if they continue as widely-publicized, visible symbols of returning play to early education. Maybe they can help spearhead a much-needed national movement.
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bethree5 I wish you could see our entire playscape. The Shoe is in response to the children’s request for a place they could go into and read or talk or pretend they are in a dwelling. This along with our amphitheater, art easels, peaceful benches, sandboxes and oversized chess/checkerboard as well as many table top games, blocks and toys has truly made it the playscape they asked for several years ago. The working garden is absolutely fantastic but it is not the only impressive feature of our playscape.
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Oh, thanks for the reply! May have to come off my high horse now that I hear it was designed around kids’ wish list, way to go. North Fork has already been high on my interest list (the setting for several of Nelson Demille’s novels): will elevate it to bucket list just to see your amazing spread at Southhold Elementary.
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