Matt Karlsen
Giving Thanks; Pursuing Hope
This morning, Opal School gathered for its annual Gratitude Ceremony. Each class demonstrated its unique response to the invitation to contribute: one composed poems about the ways…
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Reflecting on Election Day
The results of the election were more surprising in some settings than others. In Multnomah County, where Opal School resides, Hillary Clinton earned four votes for…
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A response to the “Governing Cancer of Our Time”
Our focus for this year’s Summer Symposium is Play, the Arts, and Education for Democracy. Setting that theme guides our attention throughout the year. How…
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A liberal education
Upon visiting the pre-primary programs in Reggio Emilia, Jerome Bruner famously reflected that the quality of conversation was as rich as any he had encountered…
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Speaking in Tongues
Who are these children? How can we bring their voices to the world? At our staff gathering to begin the school year, we read and discussed…
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Focusing our intentions
Don’t for heaven’s sake, be afraid of talking nonsense! But you must pay attention to your nonsense. -Ludwig Wittgenstein As Opal School staff reconvened last…
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Setting Intentions for Our Year Together – Intermediate Team
Opal School has two intermediate classrooms, Opal 3 & 4, which include third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. In many ways, the teachers from the two classrooms function as a…
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Articulating our intentions
Opal School has two primary classrooms, Maple and Magnolia, which include kindergartners, first graders, and second graders. The teachers from the two classrooms function as a…
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A Sneak-Peek Into Our Intentions
The Beginning School Team sent this letter to parents before the first day of the 2016-2017 school year. We’d love to hear the reflections of Opal School…
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Transformational Leadership
Last week, a post from Erin Dunn Baker showed how one teacher’s experience at Opal School influenced inquiry with the third graders she works with. Here,…
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