Rossella’s diary of her year at Woodstock School on the SAGE Program.
2007 Feb 25
Aug 7, 10, b, c, d,
e, 13, 16, b, 17, b,
c, 21, 22, 24, b,
27, b, 28, 31, b, c
Sep 3, b, 6, b, 7, 10, b, c,14, b, 17, b, 18, 19, b, 21,b, c, 24, 25, 26, 27, b
Oct 3, 5, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16,30, 31
Nov 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 16, a,b, 17, 18, TOS gallery, 20,24, 25, 29
Dec 1, 2, b, 3, 8, 10, b, 13,18, 22, 25, 26
Graduation awards,baccalaureate, bacc videos,behind the scenes, banquet,banquet videos, photos,graduation, photo gallery
What is she doing in India?
Justine, che ci fai qui?! (Iesus, il mondo è una caccola.)
Rispondo in italiano perché ho letto un pezzo fel fotolog in italiano e sto pensando in Italiano. Qiuando parla di dover andare su Internet a fare ricerche, non solo di dover leggere un libro… Ecco, è una cosa a cui ho pensato spesso. Ai tempi miei le ricerche si facenvano sul serio: l’insegnante dava il tema di sviluppare e poi via, tutti a caccia di testi in biblioteca (addavvenì Internet). Il lavoro era autonomo, non avevamo un cane che ci guidava passo passo, avevamo un argomento da sviluppare e ognuno lo faceva alla maniera sua. ma forse noi eravamo formati anche in modo diverso, ci era stta insegnata una maggiore capacità analitica e critica. O forse ci creavamo una maggiore capacità analitica a critica lavorando in questa maniera, non so. Negli ultimi anni, mi sono stupita spesso, quando mi è capitato di rapportarmi con studenti di ogni età , della loro inabilità all’autonomia: non sanno più cercare, non sanno più scegliere che cosa abbia rilevanza, sanno più sintetizzare quello che hanno selezionato in un testo proprio. Ormai le ricerche le fanno copiando e incollando pezzi presi a caso dai testi suggeriti loro dagli insegnanti. E mi deprimo…
Alice, I have also been surprised at the “research” I saw Ross and her classmates doing in Italy. They simply plagiarized whatever they found with apparently no critical thought or citation, and the teachers apparently never told them how to quote, footnote, etc. I hope and believe that at WS things are a little different. I believe they have CD-based research resources as well as the “naked” Internet, and assume they’re being told something about how to critically analyze what they find. Ross may have missed something about this in earlier years, but I assume the teachers there will work to bring her up to speed (among other reasons, I’m paying them a lot of money!). She should leave knowing how to do a college-level research paper.
I had hoped WS would be a refuge from the cheating that so frustrated me in Italian schools, but have been told by a friend in the know that WS is not entirely free of it these days – in many cultures cheating is considered somehow legitimate because doing well in school is of paramount importance. I do hope the WS teachers squash cheating and plagiarizing hard wherever they find it.
At any rate, Ross is being asked to think and analyze, rather than memorize and regurgitate, and, though she finds this tiring, it works well for her. She has now made two A’s. One was on an essay about “Religion as a Cause of Strife in the World” – you can bet she went to town on that!
Justine – read the site, it’s a LONG story!
That was the kind of assignment I gave m best efforts to, too. ^___^
Justine & Deirdré, Susan just commented “circoli che si allargano” via SMS to my message on finding Justine’s comment here… Next Deirdré will take up knitting kneedles and join us on the third Friday of the month ;-p
I tried knitting once years ago and got frustrated easily, but I might try again – I do love yarns and textiles, and my eyesight is way too bad now for the fine embroidery I used to do.
Research – what does it matter how/where they get it — at least they were able to find it which can be quite challenging
but document where you get the material – you may have to get more 🙂
pbyk
Internet is worse than books… a chat is no good to for a long distance relationship while a phone is… are hand written parchments and carved stones better than printed books ? 🙂
Isn’t the problem the reader/student/researcher and not the media ?
A funny note: i’m enjoying reading Ross writings here, translated in english, a lot more than in their original place in italian… and i’m italian! I haven’t understand why yet.
Ciao!
Hey,
I have only just read the first install but I am amazed. Ross sounds so deep and sooo young at the same time which is such a great place to be. You have done a wonderful job of opening her eyes and allowing her to be a kid at the same time. I hope I do as well.
I’m having trouble navigating this. I click from Bloglines and always get taken to the start. It’s difficult to find where I left off, and if I find something new, when I click on “next” it often doesn’t change pages.
Maybe you could add a clue on how to get around on the page? Anyway, she’s in my dream destination and I am really interested to see what she makes of it.
Judith
Thank you Rossella for sharing your intimate thoughts with us all! You are a truly amazing young woman with lots of talent. May you continue to grow and blossom…
Deirdre, thank you for taking the time to translate all of this and for plugging us in whenever possible. Is there more to this? I can only view through August 22nd. This can be addicting…
Ruth
Sage Program
Which of the girls in the photo is Ross?
Dear Ross & Deirdre–
Thank you both so much. I read your diary with tremendous appreciation, nostalgia and sometimes downright envy — the last, on reflection, is of course for experience that can’t be duplicated. But man, do you help me revisit an extraordinary passage in my family’s life! As Dierdre already knows, for the past two years I lived for communications with (particularly from) my daughter at Woodstock. She’s now less than an hour away, and while I love the casual ability to see her now and then (she’s playing Rugby, aka Thugby — rough for a mom to watch!), I most painfully do miss the written/imaged correspondence we had. So I read yours, and it’s like it’s not over. Like I said, thanks.
But that’s one of Deirdre’s themes about all this, isn’t it — that Woodstock is never really over?
D — since I’ve heard you are 1) formerly much in touch with Tara Thirtyacre and 2) on your way to Mussoorie soon, I won’t do a big mea-culpa routine now for not following up, &/or to be more explicit in some of my observations and thoughts… but I’m sorry I dropped the thread of our correspondence while you were in the States. I’d still love to talk to you sometime.
Best to you both. This is a marvelous diary, and I suspect much appreciated by more “formers” than you can imagine. Ella’s begun reading it . . . and will forward to friends. Also — Ross, Ella says you’ve made good friends with Elisa T, which makes her Very happy and homesick, and that you friended her on Facebook. Facebook! What great stuff there is in the world, along with the crud, eh? Anyway: You’re a remarkable girl — wish you two (Ross/Ella) could have overlapped time there on the mountain. Maybe at some future reunion . . . and Deirdre, I’m still en route to Italia for 10 weeks this spring, with a stopout in Delhi before the term begins. Allora. Ci vediamo.
Bye, x0x0 Alice
I got so involved in explaining why your diary so touches me that I forgot to say what I’d wanted to say first: That Ross, you observe, respond, involve yourself and distance yourself in a most extraordinary way, full of substance and style. And if Deirdre is actually resisting her editor’s urge to play grammar cop while she translates, you are one hell of a fine writer — not just for your age, but just absolutely. Keep it up — please!
Can I just say PROPS to you for raising such an amazing daughter (from what I’ve read).
It warms my heart that despite being stuck in a dead-end school system in Italy, she managed to bloom into a unqiue adult and venture out to a far-away country… Sure, her characater plays a big role in this decision BUT so does the fact that you raised her to be an open-minded, curious person. BRAVA!!!!
Laughed and hooted and grinned and felt flat-out THRILLED watching the video clip.
Ross — major congrats on being a gloriously gorgeous Bianca and Bollywood booty shaker par excellance! Parker Hall will never, ever see the like, but you’ve set a high bar for whoever next tries to shock and awe in that fine, fond old space.
Mama D — major kudos: a great night, and great steady hands on that video cam … I’d have been plotzing and laughing and crying so hard the shots would have blurred and my grunts and squawks of delight/delirium would have drowned the sound. THANK YOU BOTH!
It felt like being there with you . . . which I wish I were. Enjoy every minute, send my love to Tara, hire five new and wonderful people for that old and wonderful place, PLEASE.
xx Alice
Deirdre, well done. Love it. Brought back a ton of memories. Thanks for taking the time.
Blessings,
Steve
Such a lovely event, and so wonderful to hear and see from afar! Nicest intro to the true deep charms of the season to come my way, so hope you won’t mind if I post it’s link on Ella’s Facebook “Wall” to let her 50+ Woodstock friends enjoy it as well.
Hope all is well for you both — heard you are staying at a WONDERful spot! Baci, alice ma.maH=di=L.aH
Do not generalise about the young. Some young hearts will heal quickly, some won’t. It has nothing to do with their youth, it has to do with people being different.
Do not generalise about the young. Some young hearts will heal quickly, some won’t. It has nothing to do with their youth, it has to do with people being different.
HER FIRST STEP TO BOLLYWOOD:)
KEN
…on her broken foot!
haha, great pics!
Nice Collection & a good memories of your school time.
Cherishing memories! 🙂 School days are always remembered for its fun filled, caring and much more great moments that cant be described in words here!
Rosella’s India diary depicts the culture-rich India. It is very pitiful that now-a-days people are spoiling the greatness of India 🙁 .